6th Dec 2010 Dandeli

The morning was planned for the abandoned mine at Shirval village.
On the way stopped at the watch tower. Here we spotted the brown cheeked fulvetta, orange minivet, bronzed drongo, black naped monarch and a female blue rock thrush. On the way also saw a crested serpent eagle perched on a tree at a distance.

In the mine we got the best surpise a Savana Nightjar.


One of our friends Vijay an enthusiast photographer was photographing some birds a distance away and he flushed a bird which had pretty impressive wing span and was immediately identified as a nighjar.
Once seated it was difficult to spot again but some of our very good spotter (Riyaz ahmed) spotted it seated on a rock.
We could approach it very near but did not wanted to disturd it a lot.

There were white rumped munia, gold fronted chloropsis, crimson breasted barbet, plum headed paraket and a very nice view of pompodour green pigeon & Ruby throated bulbul.

Pompodour Green Pigeon


Ruby throated bulbul




Plum headed parakeet (Female)


We had our breakfast to the same place. This time it was idli.

On the way back to the camp we decided to stop at the timber depot for some birding.
It was a very rewarding birding. The session started with the calls of the greater flamebacks.
There was a pair and mostly a juvenile flameback. They gave us good views.












While observing the flamebacks there was some movement on the bark of the tree near and it turned out to be a flying lizard or the draco.










A little ahead was an asian brown flycatcher.


The small green beeeaters were very bold and allowed good shots.






Then we spotted a gem the jungle owlet. Very similar to the spotted owlet but differentiated by barring of the front and very dark rufous back.




There was a mixed hunting party comprising of small minivets, velvet fronted nuthatch, chestnut tailed startlings, common iora, white eyes, brown capped pygmy woodpecker and on the way back a white bellied drongo.


Back to camp for lunch and after lunch was the trip to syntheri rocks. A monolithic rock structure.
On the way a crested serpent eagle was sitting on a tree just near the road and again a look at scarlet minivets and barwinged flycatcher shrike.


At syntheri rocks there was a surprise the form of a black capped kingfisher.

The night trail was purely for the frogmouth and the scoops owl but no sightings.