Date: May 2010.

Title: Painted storks arrive at Nawabpet

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G.V. Ramana Rao.......from the pages of THE HINDU newspaper.

The tank, located on the NH-9, has become a weekend attraction

Photo: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR Avian paradise:Painted Storks arriving in large numbers to the Nawabpet tank in Krishna district.

NAWABPET (Krishna district): Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala) have arrived in large numbers at the Nawabpet tank near Nandigama in Krishna district. The tank located on the National Highway No. 9 has become a natural spectacle on the weekend with people travelling in cars and two-wheelers stopping by to enjoy the sight of a large number of Painted Storks and a smaller number of grey pelicans and other water birds. Even as the people who have purchased the fishing rights mopped up the big fish in the tank, the birds moved around in the ankle-deep water foraging for smaller fish.

The drinking water lake, which is noted for its rich aquatic life, is within a flying distance from Uppalapadu, a major roosting area for Painted Storks. Painted Storks fly considerable distances to feed and return to their roosting areas between August and January. During the non-roosting season they migrate locally to regular feeding areas. The Nawabpet tank has become one of their regular feeding grounds in the past few years.

Not realising that Painted Storks are distributed throughout India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, the locals tell the curious bypassers that the birds come every year to the tank all the way from Australia. For those interested in ornithology, the Nawabpet tank offers an excellent opportunity to observe the feeding behaviour of the Painted Storks. While a flock of storks stands hunched up and inert to surprise fish or frogs, another flock moves quickly in the shallow water with necks craned down and bills immersed in the water. With their bills partly opened they sway from one side to another with a scythe-like action to catch the fish.

The more common coots, paddy birds, egrets and other water birds appear to have been outnumbered by the Painted Storks, vying with them for their share of fish and crustaceans of the tank.