After restarting my birdwatching journey, I began searching for places within 5 km of home where I could make short evening visits after a day’s work. One such spot appeared as a “let’s check it out” place—and soon became a favorite. Within the first two weeks of November 2025, I visited it six times.
The place is Vasantrao Kanitkar Udyan in Nashik, and my first visit was with Chaitali on a late Saturday afternoon.
First Impressions
The very first outing offered more sightings than expected. I had assumed that a busy garden with so many visitors would not be ideal for birdwatching, but the experience set the tone for all future visits. The front portion of the garden is crowded, but the rear section is quieter—thickly covered with walking trails where only a few people pass by during their evening strolls.
The Discovery
On the second day, I stumbled upon what became the best birding spot in the entire garden: the boundary wall at the south‑west corner. A vacant stretch of railing and wall, free of creepers or vegetation, provides a clear view. Birds visiting this spot could be easily seen, identified, and photographed.
This corner soon became our most frequented place during every visit. Needless to say, most of the bird photographs from this garden were taken here. Posting an image of the spot-breasted Fantail taken at this part of the garden. Recorded the quick movements of this bird as well, find the video here. (low light conditions due to the covered trails and as the time was beyond 5 pm the image is grainy)
Consolidated Bird Species List (November 2025)
(Some tiny warbler-like birds were seen but could not be identified)
| # | Species | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purple Sunbird | – |
| 2 | Purple-rumped Sunbird | – |
| 3 | Coppersmith Barbet | – |
| 4 | Pond Heron | – |
| 5 | Large-billed Crow | – |
| 6 | House Crow | – |
| 7 | Jungle Myna | – |
| 8 | Black Kite (flying) | – |
| 9 | Red-naped Ibis / Black Ibis (flying) | – |
| 10 | House Sparrow | – |
| 11 | Black Redstart | – |
| 12 | Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher | Lifer |
| 13 | Ashy Prinia | – |
| 14 | Spot-breasted Fantail | – |
| 15 | Common Tailorbird | – |
| 16 | Asian Tit (Cinereous Tit) | – |
| 17 | Black Drongo | – |
| 18 | Red-vented Bulbul | – |
| 19 | Asian Koel (male and female) | – |
| 20 | Green Bee-eater | – |
| 21 | Common Chiffchaff | – |
| 22 | Indian Robin (male and female) | – |
| 23 | Tree Pipit (outside in vicinity) | – |
| 24 | Long-tailed Shrike (outside in vicinity) | – |
Tips for Visitors
- Entry Fee: No entry fee (November 2025)
- Parking: Limited parking near the gate (check image in the post). If full, you can park along the roadside.
- Crowd Factor: Weekends, especially Saturdays and Sundays, can be busy with families and groups. Weekdays may be quieter for birdwatching.
Overall Experience
Overall, Vasantrao Kanetkar Udyan turned out to be a wonderful place for relaxed birdwatching—easy to reach, peaceful in its rear trails, and surprisingly rich in sightings. The experience inspired me to search for more amazing places for future birdwatching day outs near our place. We’ve already found one, which I’ll reveal in an upcoming post.