Bird-watching at Pashan Lake

When I visited Pashan Lake for the 1st time, I had no idea that it will turn out to be one of my favorite places for birding. I must have been to Pashan Lake atleast 5-6 times and every time this place has surprised me. I have identified over 50 different species of birds at this location… surely one of the birding hotspots in Pune with a high density of different bird species.

The lake can be accessed via 2 different ways which are pretty much at either ends. The following map depicts the two ways of accessing Pashan Lake. At one end is the Pashan Lake jogging track, while at other end is the bird watching zone (Yes! That’s what it shows on google maps as well!).

The 1^st way of accessing the lake is via the route – (1): Pashan Lake Birding Zone. If you are coming from the Pashan road, you will join the Sutarwadi road and just before a small bridge you need to take a left (I have highlighted the same in the map picture). This is a kacha road and you can drive all up to a small temple. You will see a wall on the left and the lake on the right. From the temple, one can start walking straight toward the birding zone. At this point you will be greeted with birds like Spot billed ducks, Purple Moorhens, Drongos, Laughing doves, Coppersmith Barbets, wagtails, waterhens, mynas and even grey herons. Moving forward you will pass through bushes were you can spot the Plum headed parakeets. It’s a pretty short walk and soon you will reach an open space towards right from where you can have a good look at the lake. There is small island right in the middle of the lake… where you will see a lot of water birds; the storks, spoonbills, egrets, ducks, mynas, paddy field pipits, oriental white-eyes, Pied bush chat, swallows and so on. There is also a tree where you will surely sight the Pied Kingfisher and the Common Kingfisher. During one of our trips, we saw the Pied Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher on the same tree. This is surely the place to watch these kingfishers’ fish… splendid sights for sure…! There are also some huge trees towards the left side of the lake where we have also seen Indian Grey Hornbills perching high up on the trees. I have also spotted the Orange headed thrush, Jacobin cuckoo and the Indian Plaintive Cuckoo in this part of the lake.

The 2^nd way of access the lake is via the route – (2): main-entrance (jogging track side). After you enter through the gate and walk for around 100 meters, you may go either left side or towards the right. If you go towards right, you can spot the TIckell’s blue flycatchers, munias, robins, barbets, Iora and the fantail flycatchers. The lake will be towards your left and after walking for a while you will reach a small wooden bridge from where you get a good view of another tree in the lake. You will see this tree filled with birds like Egrets, Herons, Storks, cormorants and spoonbills.

If you choose to take the track on left side, you can walk all along the jogging track which almost joins the bird watching zone side of the lake; only to be separated by water patch of around 100 meters. This is a good spot to capture birds in flights, like the river terns, herons and egrets. You may also easily spot the small minivets here. Oh yes; don’t forget to keep an eye on the raptors, I have spotted the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Eurasian Marsh Harrier and the Shikra.

Here are some of the clicks I managed at Pashan Lake.

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If you are into bird watching, this place is surely not to be missed. I have been visiting this place almost every alternate weekend and every time it has surprised me with new sightings..! With winters just around the corner, I am sure Pashan lake will have much more to offer.

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Preserve nature and happy birding…

– Rudraksha & Shraddha

Following is the list of birds I have sighted till date at Pashan lake.

1. Wooly necked Stork

2. Painted Stork

3. Coppersmith Barbet

4. White cheeked Barbet

5. Black Drongo

6. Ashy Prinia

7. Plain Prinia

8. Lesser Cormorant

9. Little Egret

10. Cattle Egret

11. Red Vented Bulbul

12. Red Whiskered Bulbul

13. Peasant tailed Jacana

14. Great tit

15. Tickell’s blue flycatcher

16. White browed fantail flycatcher

17. Oriental Magpie Robin

18. Indian Robin

19. Shikra

20. Black Kite

21. Southern Coucal

22. Indian Plaintive Cuckoo

23. Jacobin Cuckoo

24. White throated Kingfisher

25. Common Kingfisher

26. Pied Kingfisher

27. Purple Moorhen

28. White breasted Waterhen

29. Grey Heron

30. Indian Pond Heron

31. Rose Ringed parakeet

32. Plum headed Parakeet

33. Indian Grey Hornbill

34. Red rumped Swallow

35. Wire Tailed Swallow

36. Common Iora

37. Common Myna

38. Jungle Myna

39. Brahminy Starling

40. Baya Weaver

41. Paddy Field Pipit

42. Pale billed Flowerpecker

43. Common coot

44. Orange headed thrush

45. Laughing Dove

46. Pied Bushchat

47. Green bee-eater

48. Scaly breasted Munia

49. Asian Koel

50. Brown Crake

51. Purple Heron

52. Oriental Honey Buzzard

53. Marsh Harrier

54. Spot-billed Duck

55. Small Minivet

56. Long-tailed Shrike

57. Eurasian Spoonbill

58. Black-headed Cuckooshrike