It was during the last few days of our Bali trip (click here to see the first post about that trip) that I read messages of the sighting of a Red-necked Phalarope at a lake near Bangalore. It is a bird that usually winters in the open seas. So to get this bird so close to Bangalore was incredible. It was creating quite the buzz among birders in Bangalore. And it got me all worked up since I was still in Bali and missing out. I prayed that it stuck around for a few more days till I reached back and I continued to keep track of the messages about the sightings 🤞!

On the day I landed back in Bangalore, messages from the WhatsApp group indicated that the bird was still being sighted. I did not have to think twice. I decided to try and see the bird the very next morning.

There were several other people who were also interested in seeing the bird. So I took my car and picked them up from different parts of the city early next morning and headed off to the Bhairasagara Lake, where it was being sighted. I had got detailed directions from other birding friends who had visited the lake a day or so back. We reached the lake around 6:15am. Once I parked the car, we all headed off on foot to look for the bird.

The lake was pretty large. And it has been raining over the last few days. So we just hoped that the path to its “usual patch” was still accessible AND the bird was still there. Given the time of the year, it is likely that the bird was migrating and was using the lake as a fueling stopover. So every day mattered when trying to see this bird in such a time of the year.

We slowly made our way in the general direction of the “usual patch”. And we all kept scanning every bird in sight. The first were some Kentish Plovers, Little-ringed Plovers, Wood Sandpipers, Common Sandpipers, Little Stints. There were also plenty of Black-winged Stilts including one which was vigourously swimming in semi circles and feeding. Wait, that is strange movement for a Stilt! So why was it doing so? Because it is not a Black-winged Stilt. It was the Red-necked Phalarope 😃!!

Here are a couple of pictures I took of it from afar, lest it flew away:

Now that we knew it was still around, we slowed moved to the area where it was feeding. Here are a few shots from a bit closer:

We finally reached a patch that a quite close to the bird. It did not seem bothered with our presence at all. Here are some photos from there:

We spent a good 2 hours observing it and other birds around that part of the lake. We were all happy that it has stuck around and that it was at this side of the lake!

Video

Here is a short video I made of the bird going about its business at the lake.