Birding at Hadinarukere, Mysuru

Hadinarukere, a scenic lake situated in a village near Mysuru, attracts a variety of migratory birds every winter. Among them are the Bar-headed geese, which travel a great distance from Mongolia, crossing the formidable Himalayas to reach the lake. Birding enthusiasts visit this lake to observe and photograph these migratory birds.

This year, there were reports of a rare sighting of greater and lesser white-fronted geese, which drove even more attention from the birding community. Sankara suggested that we visit the lake on a Sunday.

As someone who hadn’t left Bengaluru in two months, this was an exciting prospect. We set off at an ungodly hour of 4:30 in the morning, and thanks to the expressway, we arrived in Mysuru in record time at 5:45 AM. Unfortunately, we found that most restaurants in the city were still closed, so we decided to grab some bakery items for breakfast instead.

At Hadinarukere

We arrived at Hadinarukere at 7 in the morning and met with a stunning sight: the lake was serene and picturesque, with birds of various species dotting the landscape. The villagers, we discovered, had a wealth of knowledge about these feathered creatures. A surprising aspect!!

After finding a strategic spot beneath a large tree, we settled in to observe and photograph the bar-headed geese as they landed on the lake in droves. For the next three hours, the sky was filled with hundreds of these magnificent birds, one flock after another. It was a truly unforgettable sight.

Other birds

Eager to explore more of the area, we drove to another side of the lake, where we were delighted to spot several other species, including Black-tailed godwits, lesser whistling ducks, spot-billed ducks, and Garganey. As hunger set in, we made our way to Mysuru for a quick lunch, but our search for the elusive greater and lesser white-fronted geese wasn’t over just yet.

Returning to the lake, we engaged in a “wild goose chase” in the hopes of spotting the one reported sighting of these rare birds. We eventually turned our attention to the nearby Kabini river, where we observed a range of other bird species, including Red Avadavats, Munia, wagtails, and more.

Our day came to a close as we captured images of a “tagged” bar-headed goose, which we later discovered had been tagged at Salt lake near Tsakhir soum in the province of Arkhangai in Central Mongolia. It was a remarkable reminder of the incredible journeys these migratory birds undertake each year.