Geetanjali had mandated a bright and early start, but of course all of us arrived at intervals, so each us seemed to find our own way down into the semi-dried Anekal Lake bed, and moved around to try and spot the birds.

Water birds are not amongst my great favourites. They are exceedingly shy, and have only to spot a movement about half a kilometre away to take off in a fine display of flapping wings and dripping water! I’m putting the bird list to the others, but we feel that we sighted a Ruddy-breasted Crake, and we hope the experts will help us id the bird from the (as usual) lousy shots that we got of the very shy bird in the reeds. Update: sighting confirmed! Yay!

However, the sight of four Pied Kingfishers flying in formation and later hovering for their catch, a couple of chequered keelbacks in the water, the usual camarederie of the birding community….he confirmation of the shy Ruddy-breasted Crake…. more than made up for the low bird-count and our sadness at the pollution that the lake is suffering from.

My photos and a short account are

here