A bird watching treat for Mumbaikars

It was a treat for bird lovers in Mumbai as the Bombay Natural History Society organised a flamingo festival at Sewri. This three-day long event was open for all free of cost and the bird lovers not only enjoyed the view of flamingos but there were also other initiatives that took place at the festival. There were ten viewing shops, three large tents and reading sessions that made the flamingo festival all the more interesting for Mumbaikars. Among special attractions at the festival there were three book reading sessions by Deepak Dale of his latest book Flamingo in My Garden. The BNHS experts also organised educational and informative activities about wetland ecosystem. Bird were also exhibited and displayed. Other activities included face painting for younger public. Several binoculars were distributed to the visitors so that they could enjoy the view of flamingos. Apart from flamingos, visitors also enjoyed the view of other migratory birds like herons, egrets, cormorants, ibises, gulls, terns, plovers, sandpipers and kingfishers. The Sewri-Mahul mudflats because of its proximity to several birds have been designated as Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. The area is known for the biggest congregations of water birds in western India and the blue green algae and other aquatic creatures present in large numbers is a diet for the birds. These birds migrate over long distance here every year.