After a long gap of nearly ten years, I finally stepped back into the world of birdwatching. Life happened, and so did commitments. But passion doesn’t fade—it just sleeps. October 2025 came with a gentle nudge to reawaken that old fire, and I decided to dust off my trusty Canon 550D camera and the dependable 70-300 IS telescopic lens that had captured so many beautiful moments. With some cleaning and a lot of nostalgia, I was ready to return to where it all began.
The Journey Begins
November 2nd, 2025. A Sunday morning that felt like stepping into a time machine. Chaitali and I packed our gear and headed to the place that holds a special corner in our hearts—the Gangapur Dam nursery area. This wasn’t just any location; it was where we discovered some of our favorite birds back in our active birdwatching days. The Asian paradise flycatcher, countless lifers, and countless magical moments spent among chirping birds and peaceful trees. The memories came flooding back as we drove through the familiar muddy roads lined with tall trees.
The Unexpected Magic
As we drove along the road leading to the nursery, we spotted a private gated area—what looked like a nature food joint in the making. A gatekeeper stood outside, and curiosity got the better of us. I rolled down the window and asked him a simple question: “Do you still see peafowls around here?”
“Yes, yes! You come in the morning hours or in the late evenings. Recently, I have seen a family with small ones moving around daily.”
We were already thrilled by this news, but what happened next took us completely by surprise. Without any hesitation, he said, “Wait a minute,” and opened the gate.
And there it was—absolutely majestic, absolutely unexpected—a beautiful male Indian Peafowl, our national bird, posing gracefully on a rock above the grass. All three of us stood frozen for a moment. We never expected to encounter such a sight, especially at noon when these birds are usually resting. But there he was, as if he was waiting to be photographed just for us.
My hands moved almost automatically to the camera. Click. Click. Click. The peafowl’s vibrant plumage, the way it stood against the natural backdrop—it was pure magic. We thanked the kind gatekeeper profusely and promised to return soon.
The Rest of the Day Unfolds
From there, we drove towards the old Girnare Gangapur road, where the real adventure continued. Our first encounter was a long-tailed shrike perched on a roadside cable, striking a pose as if it was waiting for us. We quickly captured a few stills before it flew off.
A little further down, we spotted an Indian roller some distance away from the road. The cloudy skies made it challenging for the 70-300 lens to capture sharp details, but that didn’t discourage us. We did what we do best—we waited. And then it happened. The roller took flight, revealing those stunning vivid blue colors. We watched mesmerized as it soared through the sky in all its colorful glory. Simply beautiful.
As we continued our drive, we spotted black and ashy drongos, sparrows, pipits along the ground, green bee-eaters, among others. Each sighting felt like reconnecting with an old friend.
Our last stop took us to the dam backwaters near the boat club. Here, a common sandpiper quietly wandered along the water’s edge, and a Siberian stonechat added to our growing list for the day.
Coming Home with a Full Heart
We were back home by 2 PM, our two-hour journey complete but our hearts overflowing. The beautiful Indian peafowl had given our comeback day the perfect grand opening. No jargon, no pressure—just us, our camera, and the simple joy of watching birds being birds. And now, we’re already planning our next trip.
List of Birds
Indian Peafowl – Male, Black Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Green Bee-eater, Common Myna, Jungle Myna, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, House Sparrow, Long-tailed Shrike, Rock Pigeon, Red-vented Bulbul, Pied Bush Chat – Male, Pied Bush Chat – Female, White-throated Kingfisher, Paddyfield Pipit, Common Sandpiper, Siberian Stonechat (Common Stonechat).
