In the state with the maximum number of dams in India, you find small to large dam everywhere in every corner of every district. There are many known and unknown dams among which some are highly popular while others are not. Whether it is popular or unpopular, dams are interesting places with the surrounding water bodies making it even more attractive. One fine windy afternoon we decided to visit a dam, known to many yet unknown to me – the Veer Dam.
In Maharashtra, the popular dams these days have transformed into the much visited weekend getaways. Finding peace in such places becomes tough and thinking of birdwatching is just not the thing even in the perfect natural habitat for avian lives.
Veer Dam
After reading about the bird watching trip in Veer Dam by a fellow blogger (Rudraksha Chodankar who writes on whistlingtrails) I came to know about this beautiful place very close to Pune. Checking the routes on the Google map we started for this not so popular dam which was not known to me before.
It was a summer afternoon and the sun was high so we started in the late afternoon. After crossing the busy area the road was all for us through the green farmlands. Different seasons have different crops. On our first visit, the farmland was filled with cauliflowers, cabbages and other vegetables. Our next visit witnessed the fruit orchards laden with juicy red ripe pomegranates. The twists and turns through this fertile undulating valley at once brings in the happy mood.
This joyous mood is further enhanced when you reach close to the dam. On a particular turn, we mistakenly took the wrong road. And it turned out to be a fortunate mistake. The rough and pebble road took us to the backwater of the dam and the surrounding villages.
A villager sitting on the road to keep a watch on his cattle grazing on the fields
The greenery and the peaceful setup delighted us to the fullest. At this time, we thought of spending time here and then return back home not searching for the dam. The villagers seemed to be happy to have guests and they insisted on us and even guided us in the correct way.
We finally reached the Veer Dam. The vast waterbody with ripples in its blue water cast its spell at once and we got captivated in its charm. This crowd free place seemed to be all for us to run, jump and rejoice in the beauty of nature.
The wind was blowing through and many birds were seen flying and gliding through this winds. Even they seemed to enjoy this windy weather or it is the natural daily weather that they love and is their peaceful abode. We saw a few munias and a handsome purple sunbird fluttering on the crown flowers.
Purple Sunbird male on the crown flowers
By the time we reached the dam the sun was preparing to take a plunge and the atmospheric colour seemed ethereal. We had no time to look for the birds in the place known for bird watching. We rather watched the sun going down while spreading its magical aura all around.
A couple of River Terns were flying to grab the last piece of fish before they could rest for the day. The other birds were already home so we decided to return home too. This dam and the surrounding area definitely stole my heart and I thought of coming to this place again and again.
River Tern
To grab the last bite
Our next visit did come soon and in the wondrous season of monsoon. This time we reached early and had a lot of time for birdwatching. As we were looking for this winged beauties the dark clouds hovering on this huge lake started emptying its contents.
Rain and the water
We rushed to our vehicle to save ourselves from the heavy shower. The rain stopped after some time and it was the bright sun again with a beautiful windy weather. The ripples of the summer have changed to waves in this windy monsoon. The reflection of the sun peeking from the dark clouds created a surreal view in this waterscape.
The green surrounding was even greener and delightful. The water level has increased and the dam looked intimidating on this overflowing waterbody. A lovely couple was the other visitor along with us and they seemed to be a beautiful subject for us.
This lovely couple were our only human companion
Flocks of Scaly-breasted munias and red avadavats were foraging on the tiny insects while the super swift swiftlets and swallows were not settling to get clicked. I was madly following them but could not manage to get a single shot.
Few kites were also roving above us after few clicks we decided to return back to our home again to visit here some other time some other season to experience the charm of the weather and the surrounding and its bird life.
Beautiful and dramatic 🙂
Thanks 🙂
I love your shots of sunlight and clouds. A typical monsoon sky. The rural roads are perfect for the long drive. Not much traffic, I suppose.
Thanks, Arv. The roads were mostly empty and the drive was just amazing.
Great 👍