BWS Cuttack Camp Report

The Birdwatchers’ Society organized a birdwatching camp as part of its annual camp plans at Kila Dalijoda near Cuttack, Odisha from 25-29 December, 2024. 23 wildlife enthusiasts, some seasoned and some novices, joined us for the birding trip for 4 days at this heritage homestay owned by Mr Debjit Singh Deo and Mrs Namrata Singh Deo. With Kila Dalijoda as the base, the itinerary consisted of birding in Dalijoda forest and the surrounding grasslands, a day trip to Mangalajodi with two boating sessions, and a trip to the Regional Plant Resource Centre. The trip covered numerous bird habitats such as wetlands, grasslands, parks, open scrubby forests and dense forests of the night and the highlights of the camp were the sighting of more than 175 species of birds, including few vulnerable and endangered species such as the black-bellied tern and the pale-capped pigeon.
The campers shared their feedback about various aspects of the trip:
For many, this was the first time that they were going on a trip in which the sole focus was birds.

Nibedita Bhattacharya, an avid traveller and wildlife enthusiast wrote: “I must say that I was very eager to join them as it was my first camp with them. The main point of attraction was only birds and nothing else.”

The youngest member of the camp, and the one of the most diligent birders of the lot, was however
“a little nervous at first because this was my first camp as I thought whether I would be able to mix with the group or not as I thought there will be fewer known faces. I did not know about birds and their various subspecies when I reached the camp, but slowly, little by little I learned many things. All the BWS members of the camp had helped me a lot. I was so happy for being able to meet so knowledgeable people and learn from them.”

About the experience of birdwatching, the members had a lot to say. Many birders found the night time owling in the forests to be the most exciting of all, “Walking on a starry night looking for the elusive Brown Fish Owl, the Scops Owl and the Mottled Wood Owl, we moved quietly dodging water puddles, fearing snakes and other nocturnal animals lurking around”, describes Batul. “Owling in the pitch of dark in the company of expert birders equipped with special tools and techniques, made it to a few of my best moments of 2024” adds Neelam Mukherjee. For many experienced birders, spotting the Black-bellied Tern at the sand flats of the Mahanadi embankment and the sighting of the Pale-capped Pigeon in the Regional Plant Resource Centre at Cuttack were memorable experiences. Syed remarks: “The best part about the camp for me was owling and the search for Pale-capped Pigeon and Black-bellied Tern as they were my first endangered lifers.”

Despite a few snags, the trip left everyone satiated and yearning for more. Many felt that the trip led to lasting connections with their co-birders. Syed felt a little sad as the trip neared its end, and Neelam concluded: “A Flat tyre of the minibus on one of the birding days was the king of challenges but the undeterred focus and enthusiasm of birders was impressive! It brought us closer to this great group that we were happy to spend the last few days of 2024 with. Look forward to more such birding trips in 2025.”