Bird Walk at Bhandup Pumping Station, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Fifteen birders joined guide Megha Gupta at Bhandup Pumping Station in Mumbai on 15 October to welcome the migratory birds back to the city, and the birds responded with a spectacular show. The group recorded 42 species, and the morning was full of memorable scenes. Fantastic murmurations of juvenile Rosy Starlings swirled across the sky, a crowd-pleaser that had everyone reaching for their cameras. A Western Marsh Harrier drifted over the salt pans and was mobbed by crows, giving the group a dramatic lesson in how birds of prey are treated by the locals. A Common Hoopoe appeared out of nowhere on the path just ahead of the group, strutting along with its crest raised, and majestic flocks of Eurasian Spoonbills and Painted Storks passed overhead against the morning sky. A Western Reef-Heron, with its sleek slate-grey plumage, stalked the shallows, and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, glowing green and turquoise, swooped overhead in a lively display. A Jacobin Cuckoo, also known as the Pied Cuckoo, was another welcome highlight, a bird whose arrival is linked with the changing of the seasons. Megha guided the walk with her usual warmth, pointing out the different habitats of mangroves, salt pans and grass and explaining how each draws a different set of birds. The participants showed up before time, full of enthusiasm, and the whole group was so immersed in the walk and the bird activity around them that a planned two-hour outing stretched into three without anyone noticing. It was a lovely reminder of how much wildlife survives and thrives right in the heart of a great metropolis, and how rewarding it is to share those moments with a group of curious, eager birdwatchers.