2009-01-24 Sinhgad Valley

Saturday morning myself and dad had planned to meet Jayesh and Babasaheb Gaikwad at Sihgadh Valley.

Jayesh had given us directions on how to reach the valley.

We reached the base of Sihgadh using six seater auto and bus as transport at around 8. We had started from Kothrud at 6am.

One needs to take the road which leads to the top of Sihgadh by foot.
There is a small settlement mainly shops/hotels/bus stand and parking at the base.
The point where the road starts climbing to the top from the right there is a similar road which leads to the left.This road will take the valley.

Just at the base there are rocks which seems like some stream. There was some water at different places and we saw Jayesh that had already taken a position near a pool.
Some distance ahead we could see a group of 5-6 photographers pointer their cameras at the water just few feet away from there.

I was not sure how many birds would be seen in presence of so many people and that too at few feet from them. But soon I was going to be surprised.

Myself and my dad decided to explore a bit on the top plateau before setting down to take position if it was worth enough.

There was a field on the top and there were around 30+ jungle babblers flying around. There was a lot of noise made these. But there also one more call which was bigger that them and that was of the Rufous tree pie.

Rufous treepie



Red Vented bulbul



There were 5+ olive backed pipits on the tree near by.

Olive backed pipit



While observing them i saw a streak of white flashing by down below and it was the white morph of paradise flycatcher male. We decided explore more on the top and came across a huge flock of grey breasted prinias, couple of ioras and a tawny bellied babbler within them.

Tawny bellied babbler



Grey breasted prinia



Common Iora female



There was a lone shrike sitting on a tree in the field. While observing all this I heard a knocking like sound and knew it was woodpecker. On nearby tree we spotted a maratha woodpecker knocking away on the bark.

Maratha woodpecker





After having a heart full of some good shots here we decided to join our friends down below. As soon as we arrived Jayesh announced that he had got a full frame of paradise flycatcher. As we were discussing this on the small tree just in front came the tickel's blue flycatcher.

Soon there was a flury of birds that i could see. There were olive backed pipits anyway plus magpie robin pair, Indian robin pair, lots and lots of red vented bulbuls, red whiskered bulbuls.

Olive backed pipt



Magpie robin


Just as i was enjoying this came the white morph of paradise flycatcher. But this bird is very shy a very slight moment and it would immediately hide away. Managed a few decent shots.

Paradise flycatcher





Also saw the female paradise flycatcher. There a white breasted kingfisher giving good poses and there came a shikra sitting on the tree just above us.

Shikra





I moved a bit towards the main water pool and soon got a chestnut shouldered petronia, red breasted flycatcher and a fantail flycatcher.

Fantailed flycatcher





Chestnut Shouldered petronia



On a tree just ahead we could hear a continous call and on observing careful I spotted the green backed tit.

The tickel's blue flycatcher again gave us very good poses. Also not to miss there were the green bee eaters and laughing dove.

Tickell's blue flycatcher



From there we then decided to start back at around 11am.
On the way back just at the settlement we got the white eyes, red vented bulbul and maratha woodpecker.

Maratha woodpecker in the field



Red vented bulbul at the settlement



Orinetal white-eye


There were also plum headed parakeets, tree pies and a grey hornbill calling away at some distance.

On the way back we met a birder from Mumbai Nikhil who had gone trekking to the top of sihgad.

And there in front was a red breasted flycatcher. What a fantastic bird and what a fantastic way to end the trail.

Red breasted flycatcher





All in all it was a fantastic time spent, but not enough.
Plan to make a bigger trip to this place again soon !!

IIT Mumbai 11th Jan 2009

A few of us met early morning at the IIT mumbai main gate.
We drove to the lake. It was very cloudy and not very good light.

There were lot of birds in the lake. There were cotton pygmy teals. On the nearby clump of water hycinth clump were the purple moorhen, as bronze winged jacana and a common moorhen.

Instead of light to improve to decided take a round of the lake on the left side road.

There we got some land birds like the spotted dove, bulbuls, purple rumped sunbird.

Also in the lake where near the road first we got the purple moorhens, cotton pygmy, spot billed duck and glossy ibis.

Cotton pygmy goose





Just then a white breasted waterhen walked past on the road. But it was very fast to take any decent pic. It entered into a compound where there was a lawn. Later at the same spot we got 10+ spotted munias.

Little ahead we took a diversion from the road towards the lake. There we saw a coucal, red breasted or throated flycatcher(not sure), golder oriole, more spotted munias, Ashy prinia.

Red throated or breasted flycatcher



Golden oriole. A lucky shot :-)



In the lake beyond were the spotbilled ducks, black winged stilts, bronze winged jacane, lesser whistling teals flying around, purple moorhens and a purple heron.

Spotbilled ducks, black winged stilts and bronze winged jacana



Spot billed duck



Lesser whistling duck





Spotbilled duck



Wood sandpiper



While returning back to the lake we saw a shrike sitting in very good light giving photographers a good chance.

Long tailed Shrike



Nearby 2 spotted doves were seated on the ground. There were also a number of pied starlings.

Spotted dove



Back to the lack we got the cotton pygmy teals and cormorant. There was also a common kingfisher sitting on the boat in the water. We decided to proceed ahead from here towards the boat club shade.

On this we were expecting some flycatchers and white browed bulbuls but did not get any.

Instead got the chestnut tailed starlings, jungle babblers, more pied starlings and palm swifts.

Pied starling



Very near the boat club shade we got white breasted kingfisher giving very good poses.

White breasted kingfisher





There large number is spotted munias. There was a marsh harrier sitting the grass.

On the grass blades very nearby we got a small bird which we thought to be a prinia but seems more like a paddy field warbler.
Not sure what it is.



There was a pond heron standing still in the grass.

Pond heron



In the water beyond saw the pheasant tailed jacanas and common coots.

Common Coot



The marsh harrier gave good flying shots. There were little terns flying around.

An osprey made a short appearance but it is always a pleasure to even watch it for some time.

Osprey



There were lot of alexandrine parakeets making a lot of noise.

In the grass little ahead i tried to go a little near the spotted munias and got some good shots.

Spotted Munia (scaly breasted munia)



Spotted munia (juvenile)









While returning back got nice green bee eaters and nice surprise in terms of a black hooded cuckoo shrike.

Green bee eaters





Black hooded cuckooshrike





Also there were still the golden orioles on the tree near the hostel and a crimson breasted barbet pecking at the hole in the tree.

Crimson breasted barbet



To end with the purple moorhen in the lake gave very good poses.

Purple moorhen at end