India: Flamingoes in Bombay

What?
Flamingoes- lots of them!

Why visit?
Seeing thousands of pink birds in the middle of a city of 20 million people is quite an unexpected sight!

Where? 
Sewri-on the eastern side of the Bombay peninsula. Map. 

FEW PEOPLE KNOW that Bombay (Mumbai) is host to a fairly large number of flamingoes. They are a bit of a mystery. Apparently they started showing up in the mid '90's and have been returning ever since. Bombay is just one stop on their annual migratory routes- I've heard various explanations as to where they come from: Gujarat, Siberia... 

They arrive during the Bombay winter and tend to leave around May. In 2014, there were reportedly 15.000 of them. I didn't count them. 

Sewri is the site of a 17th century British fort, although these days it is more of an industrial wasteland. The area is rich in rusting ships, docks, and lots of trucks. 

The best time to visit is at low tide, when the extensive mudflats turn into a rich feeding ground for the flamingoes, who feast on small crabs and other creatures of the sea. 

In the morning you are facing the sun, making for some beautiful lighting but it's hard to appreciate the colours of the birds, let alone photograph them.

If you come in the afternoon, the sun is behind you, making for a spectacular vista of shimmering pink on the edge of the water.

Getting there:
Take a taxi. Better, charter a car for a few hours, as you will need transport back from Sewri, too.