After seeing the Knob-billed Duck in the campus, there was yet another sighting of ducks at our Percolation tank. I had visited the tank on Friday (September 2) morning, enjoying the scene in front of me. It was a clear morning after rains (mostly during nights) over the past few days. The water-level in the tank was visibly up by atleast a couple of feet. I got down to the water’s edge looking at the clear blue skies and the play of light and shade on the vegetation and the nearby hills, reflected in the still waters.
As I was taking in the scene, I noticed a couple of darkish birds circling and descending to the edge of the tank at the opposite end. With my binoculars, I could confirm their identity as the Lesser Whistling-Duck as the birds stood still on the shore.Though seen here a couple of years ago, I was excited to see these newcomers as waterfowl have not been too common in our campus.
These are also, like the Knob-billed Duck, a resident species and nest in hollows of trees. “A shrill wheezy whistling seasick, seasick constantly uttered on the wing” is how Salim Ali describes its calls.
I slowly moved along the wooded bund to the north-eastern end of the tank and quietly walked down to the water, taking care not to take the birds by surprise. But the birds had spotted my movements and quietly slipped down into the water. Yet they did not show any undue alarm and went about preening themselves. Encouraged by their friendly attitude, I stealthily approached them and managed to take a few shots with my camera. They seemed aware of my presence and yet did not mind my intrusion, allowing me observe them. Since I had to get back, I slowly backed out. The birds too decided to shift to the opposite side of the tank and took off.
- Santharam / September 5, 2022