Ever gone birding on a bicycle? Or, explored rural neighbourhood on a cycle? Most readers in urban areas would answer 'no'. But Armed Forces Veterans are different!
Meet Col Tushar Bhakay, a Veteran from Indian Army who cycles to newer destinations on his cycle regularly. Commissioned into Maratha Light Infantry, Tushar served with distinction for 33 years. He has clocked more than 75,000 kms on his cycle across countries and terrains. Ghumakkad is delighted to share this guest story from Tushar. Presently working in Guntur, he cycled to Uppalapadu Bird Protection Centre in Andhra Pradesh. Tushar's story in his own words.
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When I took up a professional assignment in Guntur, I was rather unsure of what a small town had in store. As I started going around town and the surrounding rural areas on my cycle, I realised there was a lot to see and to experience.
The rural landscape changes colour ever so often, looking different every couple of weeks.
I had read about the Bird Protection Centre in Uppalapadu, a village twelve kilometres east of Guntur town – located on National Highway 16 which runs from Chennai to Kolkata. After taking a detour at the village of Takkelapadu, the road joins State Highway 253: venture forth another three kilometres towards Hanumanapalem, and you are at Uppalapadu.
It is a wetland or a lake called “Cheruvu” in Telugu, with a few small islands bearing some trees. The Forest Department has put up thirty-five metal perches, which double up as 'tree' nesting sites for the birds.
The birds we saw here were of various kinds – pelicans, pintail ducks, cormorants, ibis’, painted storks, herons, flamingos, common teals, and common coots. These winged visitors come down from Siberia and up from Australia.
The caretaker at the Centre said that most of the birds fly out by day in search of fresh food and fish which they seek out in the Bay of Bengal, which lies around a hundred kilometres further east. They return by nightfall, and their population varies between twelve thousand and sixteen thousand.
A pathway of a hundred metres designed to keep away the most dangerous predator – the human being – allows for the birds to be watched by interested eyes without any disturbance to their nesting, mating, living, and squabbling.
The Forest Department ensures a continuous supply of water to the lake, and is also involved in spreading awareness among villagers about the importance of migratory birds.
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Thank you Tushar for an interesting story. Keep cycling and sharing your adventures with our readers.
Ghumakkad had earlier posted another story on bird protection and conservation effort by AP Forest department in Kolleru. Readers may browse similar bird towers created in the middle of Kolleru lake in the story below.
Kolleru The Pelican Paradise - Picture story of Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary shows the creation of metal perches for the migratory birds in middle of a lake. The birds have adopted the metal baskets for nesting!
With rampant destruction of our Environment by mankind, such stories of bird protection are truly heartwarming. Kudos to the Forest Department of Andhra Pradesh Government in India.
Hope you enjoyed the guest story by Col Tushar Bhakay, 15th in our guest-series. Should you have a picture story of common interest, Ghumakkad would be happy to post it here. Only rider is that the pictures have to be original and the matter non-political, non-religious and non-commercial.
Thanks for browsing. Stay connected. Do leave a comment. Few words are enough to encourage us.
- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad/ Makar Sankranti 14th January 2026
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