Today we went on the Banglore wide bird race. We started very early at 5:30 a.m. at Ravugodlu forest. We walked for 2 min and came to an open area where we stayed for about 20 min. Here we saw many pied bushchats and laughing doves. We also saw 2 Pale-billed Flowerpeckers (These flowerpeckers are the smallest birds in India). We moved down a trail where we passed by a very small house with a small pond nearby. The house also had 2 dogs lying in front of it. A grey-headed swamphen casually sauntered by right in front of a dog without any fear. There was also an upcoming construction site opposite the house with many birds. There was a tree on the border of the construction site which was completely covered with Scaly-breasted Munias. All the Munias were roosting and flying from one branch to another. A little way further there was a beautiful pond with many lotuses floating in it. There we saw a tickles blue flycatcher, common kingfishers, white-throated kingfishers and many more. I fell a little behind the group and saw a Greater Coucal gliding across the lake.
We stopped for a quick snack. We ate a variety of food brought by different people on the team. By that time it was around 10:00. We saw a peacock and 3 peahens near the parking lot. We ate breakfast at a small restaurant by the roadside.
After breakfast, we went to Harohalli lake in Harohalli (duh). The lake was heavily polluted but we still saw a Eurasian Moorhen, her chicks and a painted stork in the lake. We saw a Spotted Pelican flying overhead. Next to the river was a muddy trail. We saw many pond herons flocked around a cow there. (We also saw a green-khakied Homo sapiens). I found a wallet lying on the mud trail. Someone had dropped it when going along a scooter. Luckily he was still there and we could give him back his wallet. We also saw a Bronze-winged Jacana on a gravestone in one of the many graveyards there. After some time we came across a graveyard with really faded, but spookily coloured gravestones. And above there was a huge hanging banyan tree that looked like ghosts lived there. Even in the full daylight, you could expect a ghost to come swishing out of the tree. This and the heat was too much so we decided to go back home. On the trail back we also saw two Jerdon's leafbirds on the tree.
