A rare sighting of a bird is something that birders look forward to. While we were birding at Valley School, we discussed about the sighting of a Black Baza in Muthanallur lake, a rare sighting that we did not want to miss. Despite being tired we decided to try our luck. We could not get to see the Baza, but witnessed a drama enacted by a pair of common coots.
While we were on the tank bund, we noticed a pair of Coots making agitated alarm calls.
We saw a juvenile Brahminy kite swooping in for a kill directly amidst the coots.
The reason for the alarm of the coots became clear when we noticed the chicks that were swimming along! The Coots made a valiant attempt at chasing away the Kite.
The chicks immediately went for a dive into water. One chick dives in first.
Another chick dived in, while the adults try to relentlessly chase away the Brahminy Kite.
The adults didn’t give up till the Brahminy flew away.
The lovely chicks resurfaced!
The chicks discussed with a parent on what happened!
The parents then guided them away to a safer place.
The parents moved the chicks to the safety of Water Hyacinths.
A birding trip to a wetland never disappoints!
