But the Padma Sanctuary was awe-inspiring. It was 10 in the morning and the sun was bright. It was not cold. A flock of red-wattled lapwings flew overhead. There must have been around 25. Birds flew over Padma Setu. I enjoyed the view through a pair of binoculars. My younger daughter was with me and she was also watching. Our boat kept moving on the way. Jonal, the boatman, was taking us to two stretches of grass and a sand bar.
In about 20 minutes, our companion Shahdat said that another bird is visible. I could not imagine that I would see a black stork. After 30 minutes the boatman brought us to the meadow. What an extraordinary swamp forest! Autumn has passed, so the white clusters of catkins have faded. However, the ‘Nalban’ (swampy forest) was flourishing.
The chirping of different types of birds in the meadows was filling the mind with a feeling of joy. Prinia was chirping again and again. I also saw a variety of futki and pinch, all species of migratory birds. They feed on insects and grass seeds.