A morning at the Vasai area of North Mumbai

Christmas  was celebrated with the Mumbai Birdwatchers Club (MBC) on an outing to the Vasai area of northern Mumbai. 

 

The site seems to be a part of a mega development project called Madhuvan township, but on the map appears to be the westernmost fringe of what is labelled as Tungareshwar WLS. 

To its south and west are open areas marked as salt pans (under litigation and hence sans ‘development’ we presume). The entry from the Vasai-Sativali highway is through the township (with permission obtained by our hosts)

The terrain is basically scrubland and reed beds adjoining some water bodies which hosted a number of birds thanks to copious rains previously in this season.

The route to the water body was a very wide and seemingly un-necessary concrete road. 

 

There were good sightings of the ubiquitous Siberian stone chats, tree pipits and ashycrowned sparrowlarks, long tailed shrike and a solitary amur falcon and shikra.

Siberian stonechat

Shikra

Long tailed shrike

Monstrous concrete mixers and bulldozers ominously stood among giant boards announcing upcoming apartment blocks, reminding us of the probable shortlivedness of this scrubland.  But today they stood silent as the garrulous flock of excited Mumbai birders looked over at the water bodies.

Bulldozers waiting to take over ?

Large flocks of glossy ibis could be seen interspersed with numerous asian open billed storks. Waders like marsh sandpipers, black winged stilts and black tailed godwits were in fair numbers and only mildly disturbed by the marsh harrier which would swoop down intermittently. A solitary common snipe and black headed ibis added variety to the birding feast.

Asian open billed stork

Cormorant in drying pose

Black tailed godwit on the right

There had been an announcement last week, of a Red breasted Merganser, which had been recorded and photographed for the first time in India. It is a common European duck, which had somehow lost its way into the subcontinent or had perhaps come looking for salvation to this Holy land. Nevertheless it was a lifer for nearly everyone present. Even Mr Sunjoy Monga, the famous naturalist, had dropped in to take a look.

Red breasted merganser

The duck was spotted, without much difficulty, and was quite busy feeding in the shallow marshy waters. Though not too spectacular in appearance, the sighting marked the end of a perfect morning of birding: our first outing in the city of Mumbai.

 

The Vasai Wetland

Travel tips:

1.  Vasai road station is on the western local train route. If one gets out from the east side and walks about 200 meters north, a large auto and bus station becomes visible. (Otherwise one is at the mercy of the one odd auto which stands at the mouth of the foot bridge)

2. Entry to the wetland area is from the Madhuvan heights crossing (Evershine bus stand – about 2.5 km from the station). Being a private property, entry permission is required.