Karwar: The coastal land of Uttara Kannada district is celebrating a festivity, a very beautiful one because it involves some rare guests’ participation.
The season is the home coming of the winged beauties-the Sea Bird or the Seagulls.
The white beauties soar high up in the skies, spot their target and descend on the sea only to conquer the prey.
These birds, it is believed, come from Siberia to the coastal belt in November to reproduce. They live in Uttara Kannada till March and then leave the place.
What is different about these birds is that they either keep encircling the sky or remain perched deep sea and are rarely seen on the shores.
They stay in flocks and like to congregate to secluded places. However, in Karwar and other pockets of Uttara Kannada, people throng in large numbers only to see these winged beauties.
These birds choose those spots to settle where the fish is available in good quantity. The birds are treated with great sensitivity by the fishermen as well. The government of India too has named its naval base here as Sea Bird, just to honour these birds.
Bird watchers say that though these migratory birds visit the region, their numbers have depleted. They attribute it to mechanisation of fishing and also depletion in fish stock. They say that there is a need to protect these birds. However, the seasonal visitors continue to spell their magic year after year.
