Birding from Salt Lake rooftop during Covid 19 lock, unlock and beyond

Birding from rooftop during lock and unlock

Compilation of birds documented from my Salt Lake, Kolkata residence

Also see: Lockdown Memories (Part 1) and Lockdown Memories (Part 2)

Lock, unlock, lock… and the process goes on and on. It has been over nine months since the lockdown started on mid-March 2020 and things are yet to come to normal. We have got adjusted to our modified routines. I still spend a couple of hours in the evening spotting and photographing birds and other wildlife from my residence terrace in Salt Lake, Kolkata.

Clockwise from top left: Red Vented Bulbul. Oriental Magpie Robin, Black Hooded Oriole, Rose Ringed Parakeet, Red Whiskered Bulbul and Coppersmith Barbet

My initial days was just restricted to observation only. With a little internet search I was able to identify and spot a few birds within a week. Next step was to photograph them but with no knowledge of birds and inappropriate equipment it was not an easy task, but I wanted to give it a try. My 11 year daughter Rupsha was my constant companion from the very beginning. She soon got the hang of it and started spoting birds with the help of a pair of binoculars.