Photo: Dr. Sudhir Gaikwad. The bird was first spotted by a local birder and conservationist - Sandeep Nagare and a tourist from Solapur on March 18. Dr. Sudhir Gaikwad - a practising doctor from Thane and a nature lover and photographer took the opportunity to visit the place on been informed by Sandeep.
As the news spread, scores of bird lovers and photographers visited the wetland to get a glimpse of the bird.
Dr. Gaikwad said, "With just two earlier records in Maharashtra and a handful from India, this bird was seen first on the morning of March 18 in Bhigwan. Probably it had just arrived when we clicked it. The bird was very tired from flying such a long distance and was just focused on feeding, unperturbed by a group of photographers who were able to approach it from a relatively close distance to get some decent shots. Bird's ID was confirmed by ace birder Adesh Shivkar, in a few minutes via WhatsApp."
"The bird had chosen a small shallow pond for its stay here. It was continuously feeding throughout morning. The bird circled several times over the water body. It preferred to feed on small insects." observed Pratik Humnabadkar, an avid birder and wildlife photographer who had the privilege of sighting the bird.Â
The Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius also called the Grey Phalarope in European region, is a small wader that breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It generally winters pelagically off western South America and western and south-western Africa (Snow and Perrins 1998). This species is a full migrant that travels via. marine routes and has been observed migrating 80-160 km. offshore.
There are a few vagrant records of the bird from India as per the Birds of South Asia - The Ripley Guide by Rasmussen and Anderton.
Read more: Rare Greater White-fronted Goose Sighted In Bhigwan
