The trans-migration season of avian life from the winter in the Northern Hemisphere to the warmer climate of the South began in ernest about 1 month ago. The yearly ritual is expected to continue till end year to early next year.
It was sharp at 6 pm when the tranquility of the cool evening was broken by the loud ringing of the temple's bell of a nearby Indian Temple signaling the daily evening prayer session has begun. The sound of the bell had somehow directed my attention skyward. And low and behold what a wonderful sight it was! High up in the sky were 17 raptors ( yes I counted ) making a circling motion as if to check-out the new location. They continued to fly in the circling motion for about 3-4 minutes. And having found the bearing of they wanted to proceed they followed the evening thermal in the south-westerly direction. Who knows where these majestic birds-of-prey would roost for the night before starting on their journey to an eventual location to stay out the winter, most likely in Indonesia.
All the big birds were flying at great height. This made identifying the species in the flock difficult. In the photos below you could see the shapes silhouetted against the fast darkening sky.
A super duper bonus to wrap up the birding day was the sudden appearance of a Crested Goshawk. Can't be sure if it is part of the flock of Raptors. It perched on a high branch and scanned all angles of the strange place before flying off to a destination unknown. I went away hopeful to make another encounter with this great bird again sometime soon.
Thanks for dropping by. Cheers!
