Diara, situated in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, is a well-known gem for bird watching in Eastern India. During the winter, it transforms into a paradise for migratory birds. One can find everything from Eagles to Harriers, wagtails to Pipit, and egret to stork. While every season has different charms, the winter arrival is truly something special.
The Unexpected Surprise
On 24th December 2025, I arrived at Diara at 10:00 AM on a fine, chilly morning with the temperature sitting at 16°C. I had no idea what surprise was awaiting me. After entering the place, I decided to do some searching in the agricultural fields for pipits—especially the Richard’s Pipit, which I didn’t have a photo of.
I spent about 15–20 minutes scanning the field. While looking for the birds, I heard an Oriental Honey Buzzard calling from afar. I checked the sky to see if it was coming towards me, but instead, a very large bird appeared out of nowhere. It was flying silently, almost hovering.
Based on its heavy flight style and the way it circled back, I instantly identified it as a Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus). For me, it was a crazy surprise as there were no previous records from Diara, Hooghly. It was a brand-new Lifer for me and I managed to get a good photo of the species. After about 1 minute of circling, it went away to a different place.
Closing the Day
In this way, I concluded my birding for the day. It was a fantastic experience to visit Diara again. To find a rare stork and two different harriers in one morning was the perfect way to finish the year. Finding this species in an area where it hadn’t been recorded before made the moment even more significant.
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