THANE: As many trekking and picnic spots in the district have been out of reach during the monsoon for safety reasons, many nature enthusiasts seem to have turned their focus to bird watching Following the death of a picnicker in Vasai due to the force of the waterfall at Chinchoti earlier this month, district collector Mahendra Kalyankar has urged citizens to refrain from hanging out at 31 dangerous locations in the district. Due to this, many families and youth groups who plan short day trips have now begun frequenting areas like Bhandup pumping station, Thane creek and have been even travelling to Mumbai with binoculars to catch a glimpse of the vibrant monsoon bird watching activities.“Every year during the rains, I take my children to Vikramgad waterfall for a short picnic. While we do take the necessary precautions, the Vasai incident made us rethink about our decision. Unlike earlier where we used to plan just one picnic during the monsoon season, this time we have been planning something every weekend in different pockets of the city. We find out spot where we can get a glimpse of various birds,” said Aunil Ghosh (42), a Waghbil resident.While many families and friends have been planning their own bird watching trips, many others have been approaching city-based NGOs and tagging along with their trails.“The monsoon and winter seasons are the times when one can see migratory birds as well as local birds. During this time they will be able to see birds like Malabar Whistling Thrush , cuckoos and other such beautiful winged creatures in the midst of their breeding activities. Many bird enthusiasts have been approaching us to be a part of such trails,” said Avinash Bhagat, a city-based avifauna expert and co-found of an environmental group Jungle Hike.

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