Birding at Chilika lake

Chilika lake is a brackish water lagoon in the state of Odissa. It is the second-largest brackish water lake in the world and covers an area of over 1,100 sq. km.

While this place was on my wishlist for a long time, I could not visit it. We had visited Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark several years ago, but we could not travel to Chilika due to lack of time. Last year, Sankara and I had travelled to Pulikat lake, and I was impressed. It rekindled my wish to visit Chilika Lake. We could get a week off before Christmas, and Sankara planned a birding trip to Odissa. Sankara’s birding buddies Nagesh, Srijith and Kiran also joined.

Our travel to Chilika

There was only one flight between Bengaluru and Bhubaneshwar during my last visit. But the aviation industry has grown tremendously in the past few years. Now, there are many options with several direct flights. We took the night flight to Bhubaneshwar and stayed in a hotel. It was our first air travel after Covid. The key difference was that everyone was wearing a mask. The air hostess was wearing a gown (Similar to the PPE kit).

After a great breakfast, we set out for Chilika lake. The journey to Chilika was uneventful. Bhubaneshwar city looked as beautiful as earlier. It was a welcome respite from the pothole-filled roads of Bengaluru. If Bhubaneshwar facing severe cyclones and rains can have quality roads without white topping, why not Bengaluru? We used that opportunity to hurl tirades at low-quality Karnataka politicians and local authorities.

The golden quadrilateral stretch was being widened, for which we had to take deviations. After crossing Bhubaneshwar, we entered a hilly area. The deviation from National Highway took us into the village roads to reach Mangaljodi. Shortly later, we found ourselves in front of the eco-resort.

Birding at the lake

After completing check-in formalities, we headed towards the lake. For the next 48 hours, except for food and sleeping, we spent our time at the lake.

The first boat ride itself revealed the richness of the avian life. The birds were numerous, and within a few minutes, we declared that it was one of the best places for birds. Some birds like black-tailed godwit, black-winged stint, Brahminy shelduck and Northern Pintail were so numerous that we lost interest in photographing them unless they were in some action!!

Once we had a general view of the lake and the birds, we focussed on a few species and action shots. Birds in flight were of high priority. Though I am not so good at such action shots, I managed to get some decent ones in Chilika. We were able to spot the shy ones like Cinnamon and Yellow bittern. Some species like Ruddy-breasted crake did not allow us to photograph, but they made a brief appearance before us. In one of the boat journeys, Sankara spotted Sand Martin, which also came in the news!!

Overall, Chilika lake exceeded all our expectations. It is a big lake, and we might have covered only 1% of it.

Place of stay and food

We stayed at Mangaljodi Nature camp, a Government-run resort. They have online booking, which makes it easy!! The package included boating session. While the location and rooms were good with courteous staff, the place lacked maintenance. Food was also not up to the mark – there was no variation in the menu. But I did see many people happy with the food. It may be that we missed something while they did not!!

We did not find any other good restaurants. All of them had a Dhaba atmosphere.

Best time to visit

October to March is the best time to visit Chilika Lake as the migratory birds arrive from the Northern hemisphere. The weather is also pleasant during that time. Summer is very harsh between April to June. The area is prone to cyclones between September to December.

Places of interest

• Our focus was birding, and we concentrated all our effort at Mangaljodi, which is a great place for birding. There is a watchtower which gives a view of the lake. Tourists can take a boat and venture into the lake. It is a well-organized place. Unlike Karnataka Forest Department, Orissa tourism does not harass people with a DLSR lens. People can peacefully take photos from their cameras.
• If you are interested in birding, it is necessary to have a guide. You can ask Mangaljodi Nature camp for a birding guide. In our case, Sankara had connected with bird guide Madhu, who turned out to be a knowledgeable person on birds.
• As I mentioned, Chilika lake is big. Apart from birding, there are activities like water sports, dolphin watching and the beach. They are located further south or towards the sea.
• Mangaljodi can also be visited as a day trip from Bhubaneshwar.
• Puri and Konark are nearby places that can be combined with Chilika lake.