Friday, November 05, 2021

2021-10-17-18 Birding around Murud, Dapoli

Did a tourist trip to Dapoli on weekend of 16th October. The location of hotel was wonderful. Front view from balcony was the sea and back side was a hillock with nice vegetation.


Got following from mainly the hotel back window and balcony

  • White bellied sea eagle
A juvenile and an adult but unfortunately no pic. Both of them came in from
the sea and crossed over the hillock to the other side.
  • Brahminy kite
Many were flying along the sea shore adults and juveniles 
  • Changeable Hawk Eagle flying overhead
  • White browed bulbul
Just a pair was calling from bushes and was rarely coming out as usual.
  • Paradise flycatcher sub adult male
 
  • Eurasian Hoopoe
  • Red rumped swallows
Flying around the hotel and perching on wires of a half constructed roof of another hotel 
  • Little Swift
Flying around the hotel along with red rumped swallows but mainly seen in morning and evenings. They must be roosting in the abandoned hotel nearby.
  • Jungle babblers
Coming to feed on restaurant waste deposited on the backside of the hotel
  • Grey breasted prinia
Calling and seen on wire in the open plot on one side
  • Shikra
Seen in a coconut plantation nearby during morning walk
  • Indian grey hornbill
Seen going into the same plantation coming from the trees on the hillock
  • Malabar pied hornbill
Seen only one individual on the last day from the balcony

  • Ashy drongo
Many of them creating a lot of noise
  • Green beeeater
Feeding on insects and perching on wires around



  • Spotted Dove
Seen on the open field in the plot and on wires
  • Purple Sunbird
  • Purple rumped Sunbird
  • Scaly breasted munia
  • Magpie Robin

  • Indian Robin
  • Red Whiskered Bulbul
  • Long Tailed Shrike
  • Red Vented Bulbul
  • Lesser Sandplover
Atleast 15-20 of them on the rocks near the seashore visible from the room
  • Common Sandpiper
On the rocks near the seashore

  • Lesser whistling ducks
Saw a flock of 15-20 of them flying low over the sea water in the evening
  • Brown headed gull
A flock of 5-10 birds seen flying over the sea
  • Blue Rock thrush
This was regularly seen on the rock near the seashore and once came on the pole near the hotel


  • White throated kingfisher
Commonly seen in and around the hotel. One also feeding on a mantis


Other than this had a wonderful sighting 5-6 yellow footed green pigeons sitting on wire just before sunset near Anjarle


Visited Koleshwar at kolthare where got following interesting sightings

  • Common Iora
  • Greenish warbler
  • Grey Breasted Prinia

  • Crested tree Swift
  • Indian grey hornbill
  • Black capped kingfisher

  • Jerdons leaf bird male and female



Other interesting things seen


Lot of Touch-Me-Not (लाजाळू) plants flowering


At many places Glory lily flowering and at one spot found a bud, just blooming, fully bloomed flower and a pollinated flower.


In insects got

  • Marsh Glider
  • Owlfly - first time got to see it so close but unfortunately one of its wing was damaged


First time saw dolphins really jumping out of the water and that too from the comfort of hotel balcony



Also tried to watch some planets at night and tried to capture with Nikon P950 and tripod.

Saturn with its ring
Jupiter with its 4 moons

Ebird Checklists of the trip