Pune newspapers ran stories of rivers overflowing and roads clogged with water. There were a lot of rain reels on social media, some funny, some poetic, and others of the chaos caused. Meanwhile the birding community was on another planet, where the word of a rare pelagic bird found on the shores of Mumbai began to circulate.

Within no time I joined a group of girls to drive down to the Mumbai shores. A WhatsApp group was formed, locations secured, tentative bird list with a proper time table drawn. After a few initial issues, we all arrived at the Radio club sharp at seven. 

विठ्ठल दर्शनाच्या आशेनी जसे वारकरी वारीला जातात अगदी तसंच birders निघाले होते "Lesser Frigatebird"च्या दर्शनाची आस घेऊन!

Walking through the narrowest lanes I had every travelled, we reached a dock and waited. Passing through the narrow dark lanes felt like we were making our way past their homes. 

The experts began scanning the sea, assisting us in locating Bridled and Gull-billed terns. Statistics regarding the dates, locations, and behaviors of the frigatebird sightings during the previous few days began to surface. We waited for an hour, watching up at the sky until the wind started to blow towards our way and the dark clouds appeared directly overhead. 

The stage now perfectly set for THE ONE, and what an entry it made by directly flying towards us. Awestruck, I composed myself and helped the gear focus on this rarity and clicked. One burst, that was all I got before the clouds above us decided to literally pour itself out at that very moment. By the time, I could look up in the sky again THE ONE had already flown way past on the other side of the dock. 

The pelagic party had just began! 

Every seat on the first ferry to Elephanta Caves was occupied by birders, without exception! 

The SEA was full of docked ships, sky full of clouds and ferry full of excited birders.  All eyes set in the sky and over the sea. I'm confident that we would have fallen into one "ORDER" or another if we had chosen to categorize every birder that day.  

Many different terns were spotted on the ferry, while someone pointed out a Wilson's Storm-Petrel. It was barely bigger than a swallow, with prominent white rump patch, gliding over the sea surface. It was quite difficult to focus on this small one because it was moving all the time and the trembling ferry made it more challenging.  The Wilson's Storm-Petrel hovering and pattering its feet gave me some excellent pictures.

A Brahminy kite with its juvenile flying near the Wilson's Storm-Petrel caught our attention while we were busy studying the bird. The chase was done by the time everyone on the ferry realized how intense the incident was. The prey had been claimed by the predator!

 All across the ferry, sigh. All of us had just witnessed "once in a lifetime" event. 

Just like birds, I suppose birders too return to their business quickly! Is it a spell the birds have cast upon us? 

Talk about the unfortunate Wilson's Storm-Petrel continued, few eyes returned to gears scanning for photographs and other to binoculars to see birds. I witnessed a Lesser Noddy flyby right then. Oh! It passed really near to the ferry and I was unable to click it.

 The ferry was overjoyed to see 4 Lesser Noddy relaxing on the ferry office railing as we approached the port. A couple of us climbed down for closer views from the cabin, and others persuaded the ferry to be parked a few feet ahead while birdwatchers took turns clicking the "Lesser Noddy" from the boat. 

None of us got even close the caves, remember the ferry was birders only one, and they do not stray away from their birds. With cards full, mobile shots done! It was time for us to return back to the land.

Everyone was NODDY(ing), a YEESSSS! 

भगवान जाब देता है तो छप्पर फाड के देता है ! 

Everyone on the ferry that day would be in agreement with this! 

It is rare to get more than you have asked for, but when it does, all you need to do is take a seat back and be grateful. For me, today was that day. 

एकंदरीत काय जीवाची मुंबई केली आणि  पुण्य नगरीत परत आले !