I had visited Hesaraghatta lake with family a few years ago. After walking on the tank bund, we went to the lake bed. It was a pathetic sight as the place was littered with glass bottles and plastic covers. The sight of unruly drunkards was too dangerous to ignore with family around. We just decided to move away from that filthy place and people.
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| Brahminy Kite |
I never thought that I would visit that place again.
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Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark
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When I and Sankara were looking for birding places near Bengaluru, Hesaraghatta lake was on one of the places in the list. I was skeptical based on my previous experience but I ended up visiting twice last month.
The place had not improved from my previous visit. The litter had increased. Since it was early morning, drunkards were not present. Well, it is not just the drunkards who have destroyed this place. Bird photographers, villagers nearby and driving enthusiasts have also contributed for the damage though the mess left by drunkards is most visible.
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Oriental Skylark
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Paddy field pipit
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Nevertheless, the place is great for bird watching, especially in winters. Though renowned for raptors, the place has some good population of aquatic birds.
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| Little Ringed Plower |
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| Common greenshank |
During our first visit, we spent most of the time on the lake bed. We lost our way while trying to reach the other side of the lake but ended up in a smaller but more pristine lake. It was a beautiful spot indeed.
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| Yellow Wagtail |
Later, we felt that we missed the “grasslands” and hence went back to the place after 15 days. The entry to grasslands was restricted mainly because of the menace caused by four wheelers. The guard did allow us inside after getting convinced that we were the “good people”. While it was a good walk inside grasslands, it did not yield much results in terms of avian sightings. We headed back to the lake bed which promised good sightings.
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| Lone tree at Hesaraghatta grasslands |
Note
While the place is good for birding, I do not feel safe to bring my family with me. Avoid the evenings as the drunkards play havoc in the area. If not for them, this could have been a great place to spend evening.
Update (June 2020)
BWSSB has fenced the lake area and it is not possible to drive to the lake bed (which is good). But we did not see any restriction in terms of entering the lake. Photo shoots are happening, villagers happily graze cows and there are enough evidences about the presence of drunkards in the evening. But entry to grasslands is completely blocked.
Dilip
Where is the water ? Had been there in 2019 and the lake was filled with water ….
aravindgj
It is completely dry now. It is because we are at the end of the summer season. Hopefully, things will change during monsoon.