Experience an Early Morning Break to Deepor-Beel Lake – A Bird Lover’s Paradise

Sunrise, early morning mists, flocks of exorbitant colorful migratory birds and a pristine lake to top it, sounds about right? Welcome to Deepor Beel, where you get to take on all of the fun mentioned above and much more!

It was a random coffee outing one hectic Friday evening and exotic neighbouring areas were in our discussion cards. By the time we ordered our second rounds of coffee we were already on the same page for an early morning escapade to someplace nearby and unanimously decided on Deepor-Beel.

Entry to the bird watch tower

The pristine lake during the wee hours of the morning sure took our breath away!

Located at about 21 km from mainland Guwahati and sprawling an area of 4 sq km, Deepor Beel often does not feature amongst the ‘must see places’ near Guwahati. Boasting of an abundance of flora and fauna, this bountiful spectacle  situated to the South-West of Guwahati city is a permanent freshwater lake. The area is quite huge and a broad gauge railway also skirts on one side of the lake. The Beel was first declared a bird’s sanctuary in 1989 and then a protected wetland in 2002.

Enroute Deepor Beel

The Sunrise Experience

The secret to a good morning is to watch the sunrise with an open heart.

Finally the sun managed to overcome the trees and the hills and spread its flickering beams onto the lake

We spent a long time contemplating the glistening waters of the Beel. We could see the flickering sun-beams making their way through the horizon into the pristine waters, the freshness of early morning vibe lending an air of magic to the sun-hazed proceedings.

Looks like Tanu has taken this signature pose too seriously!

“We need to be reminded sometimes that sunrise lasts but a few minutes but its beauty can burn in our hearts eternally.” Sipping our Cuppa, that is exactly what we realized as we gazed at the early morning sun rays making its ascend to yet another beautiful day.

However, this part of the lake (Deepor Beel Bird Watch Point) does not feature the entire sunrise as the eastern part is enveloped by blanket of thick leaved trees. However the early morning sky and colourful migratory birds more than makes up for it.

Bird Watching in the Beel

Maddy really enjoyed holding his camera and scouring the lake for exotic migratory birds. Early Mornings and Winters is the perfect combo for bird spotting for this is the time when the migratory birds flock together in this part of the lake for their annual breeding ritual.

Ornithologists have recorded around 219 species of birds in the Deepor Beel area out of which about 70 species of the lot belong to the Migratory Community.

We were live witness to a bird swooping down the lake, arresting a fish between its beaks and savouring the prey to the last morsel. Off the water, we spotted the red vented bulblul, sparrows, hoopos  and woodpeckers. We also spotted the migratory Asian open-billed stork, Siberian Crane, yellow wagtails and a variety of ducks.

This is what makes Deepor beel a bird lovers paradise in the truest sense

Ready to swoop into the waters and take on its prey

She have been posing for more than an hour

Nestled along the outlays of Rani Hills and Garbhanga forest reserves, the Beel is also often frequented by Asian Elephants that come in herds for a drink or a bath. However, all we could spot were some fresh elephant dumplings along the route which is clearly indicative of the fact that elephants had recently paid a visit to the Beel.

Famished after a rigorous bird watching, we were craving for some ‘chai’. There is a good roadside stall around 70 metres forward from the tower that is famous for its ‘tekeli pitha’ (white bun prepared with rice and jaggery). We sipped through our tea and devoured a Tekeli Pitha each. Satisfied, we returned to some more bird watching. We bid the place adieu by 8:30 am and drove back into the city.

Summary

The Beel is not just a home to the birds, but is also a source of livelihood to several of the villages around whose fishermen depend on it. It has been victim to serious cases of jungle cutting, land grabbing, waste water disposal, garbage dumping and bird poaching. Thankfully, the local people have been quite active recently and they have been closely working with the concerned NGOs to keep the maladies at bay.

A natural heritage and a diverse ecosystem within easy reach for people of Guwahati, the Deepor Beel is by no means a luxurious exotica. With its humble surroundings and peaceful lake, the Beel is an easy escapade from the daily humdrum of a busy city life to find solace in the arms of nature in the most unadulterated form. The lake is permissibly picturesque with additional embellishments of scores of beautiful migratory birds.