Ranganathittu - Nature friendly Bird Sanctuary

January 2008. After a lot of thinking which was for the 'not-so-far' nature viewing spots for our US clients, we decided with Ranganathittu which falls on the way to Mysore in Srirangapatanam.

We wanted to leave early by around 7 am but the driver said that it was well within 3 hours driving distance. We left Bangalore after breakfast but we were hungry on the way. We stopped at Cafe Coffee Day which was almost 30 minutes near the destination. This is a better place to stop for a simple reason that most tourists stop by at the right hand side Cafe Coffee Day as they are mostly ignorant that there is one on the left hand side. This is a good spot to freshen-up or just sip a cup of coffee.

A 30 minute break and we were on our way. One right turn and we were there within 10 minutes. The entry fee involved a still camera fee of Rs. 75 per camera. Grrrr!

As soon as we got in, the fresh oxygen from the green gardens was so relaxing. And then we saw the river flowing right by. Most of the tourists jump right into the boat which is the main attraction, no doubt but they end the excitement right away in 30 - 40 minutes (boat ride time). We took a path besides the river and kept walking for a half a mile viewing various beautiful water sights. We took plenty of bird shots. I did over hear a very amusing conversation within a few Japanese tourists. "Isn't India having a major issue with birds in West Bengal?" The Indian Host said yes, 'the bird flu'. To this the other Japanese, ignorant of the actual disease remarked, "the bird flew!? I thought birds always flew".

After a one hour of 'trekking', we headed back to the boating area. While an Indian adult was charged Rs. 25, Foreigners were charged at Rs. 100, (some sort of racism?!). Probably around 10 passengers are allowed on to one small boat. While I was a little scared of the crocodiles, it was difficult to even spot one. Moreover, for the kind of 'athletic' body I have, the crocodile would rather focus its energy on some of the healthy birds out there.

The boat ride was fabulous, though a little hot, the sound of oar hitting the water was nice and we were taken very close to those small islands and we would halt for a few seconds to take some close-ups. We did see some baby crocs in the water. After a good 40 minute ride, taking all possible snaps of the various kinds of birds, we were at the banks of the river. It was around 3:30 pm.

Took another stroll by the garden, rested for a while, ate some food (without littering) drank some juice and we were back on the road. The return journey was not as exciting but the entire trip was good enough.

Some pointers/tips for your Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary Trip:

1. Ideal time to go, after Sep, before March. If you are bird enthusiast, you should rather consider the mating season which I guess is during summers.
2. Leave Bangalore as early as possible; hit the outskirts by around 8 am
3. Take drinks and some food along with you (but please don't through the waste and plastics on the streets or anywhere other than a dustbin. Alternately, carry a plastic bag for all your waste)
4. Take zoom cameras and cameras that can capture moving objects with clarity. You will love to capture the birds in the air.