Clocks may err, but Savio Fonseca will not. He was at our door exactly at 6:30. We headed towards the Socorro Plateau, a biodiversity hotspot and a laterite plateau with lush monsoon grass cover in Goa. Until we turned onto the road that diverges from the main road, we listened to his talk; he gave us a picture of the place we were visiting and the birds we might spot. He said it would be lucky if we could see an Amur Falcon – many birders here are disappointed for not having a sighting, even though they diligently try during their visits. On the way, Rajyashree Dutt joined us. Sarmila and I are not hardcore birders, but Rajyashree is.
Soon, we were on a nature walk in the Socorro Plateau. A few
dogs were waiting for Fonseca; he gave them Pavs (bread). The dogs wagged their
tails and nibbled at the bread. The sun had not yet risen; it eventually
appeared in front of my camera. We remained silent, listening to the sounds of
birds. We saw perching and flying birds. Fonseca taught us to walk under the
cover of grass bushes to avoid disturbing the birds.
Using Fonseca’s spotting scopes, we observed forty-four
species, with the Amur Falcon being the star – a bird that flies across nearly
the entire planet. Other species sighted include the Peregrine Falcon,
Montagu’s Harrier, blue-eyed Malkoha, small minivet, Grey Junglefowl, spotted
dove, various bulbuls, black-naped monarch, and more.
While walking there, we saw grooves on the laterite rocks
that resembled wheel marks from bullock carts, believed to have traversed the
plateau in ancient times, though this has not been archaeologically proven.
After walking for a long time, bathed in the gentle morning sun and surrounded
by the world of birds, we were filled with joy and gratitude to Fonseca.
Mukundanunni
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