Freedom of a Sandpiper (A lifetime experience)

When I went to Purbasthali, Chupi Char in Burdwan, last year, I had a wonderful experience and I would like to share this with everyone I know. I went there on 30th January 2014 along with my friends Bimalendu and Soumyadip and spent around four hours in the famous oxbow lake, clicking pictures of various indigenous and migratory birds. Birds from the distant Siberia can also be seen here during the winter months.

During our exciting boat ride, at around 12 o'clock, we noticed something odd in a particular area of the lake. A common sandpiper was trapped in a fishing net and it was in such a bad condition that it was impossible for itself to come out of the trap on its own. We immediately felt bad and tried to push our boat as close to the tangled bird as possible. It was in the middle of a ditch and due to shallow waters and other hindrances in it like branches of trees, weeds, and leaves, our boatman (majhibhai) faced tremendous difficulties to reach the spot. At last, we could reach there and free the bird from its predicament. I could not resist the temptation of taking a few shots of this bird of rare species and the link of the photos is given below.

About Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

The common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a tiny Palearctic wader bird. It belongs to the genus Actitis and hybridization also takes place between the green sandpiper and common sandpiper. Its wingspread is 32-35 cm and its length is around 18-20 cm for adults. It has some similarities with the spotted sandpiper but the latter is somewhat bigger in size. Common sandpiper usually feeds on insects, is gregarious in nature and prefers to live in flocks.
 
Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.718000324898995.1073741857.672990912733270&type=1

Trip to Purbasthali (Chupi Char) on January 30, 2014

Purbasthali is a tiny village lying in the Kalna subdivision of Burdwan district. The distance from Sealdah is almost 125 km. The most convenient means of going to Purbasthali is boarding the Sealdah-Katwa local. It will take around three and half hours to reach there. Purbasthali is mostly famous for its oxbow lake, also known as Chupi Char. The oxbow lake is huge in size and was the creation of the Ganges river. The distance from the famous pilgrimage site of Nabadwip is just eight kilometers. The length of the lake is around 2-3 km and is home to a range of migratory birds, especially in the winters.

My companions in this tour were Bimalendu whom I met in CKBS and his friend Soumyadip. We boarded the Sealdah Katwa local from Bidhannagar Road station at around 8 am in the morning and reached Purbasthali at around 11 am. Auto rickshaws and vans are available at the station for visiting the oxbow lake, a prime attraction during the winter months. Boats and canoes are available on hire for touring the lake because one cannot get a close view of the migrant birds if they don't go for a boat ride on this lake. The rates differ depending on the time for which you are hiring a boat. We had the opportunity to view a number of birds coming from as far as Siberia. Asian Openbill Stork, Bronzed Drongo, Common Sandpiper, Little-ringed Plover, Red-crested Pochard, Common Greenshank, Common Teals, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Little Cormorant, Northern Pintails, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, and Small Pratincole are some of the commonly found bird species in this place.

Photo album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.714551041910590.1073741855.672990912733270&type=3