2009-04-19 Pune (Around house and tekdi)

April is the time when Bahava(Indian Laburnum) and Jacaranda are in full bloom.
They are seen at many places in pune.

Here are some pics from the place I stay at Pune near Vanaz, Paud road.

Jacaranda






Indian Laburnum




There are also many birds seen around the place I stay.
Some of them are purple sunbird, pale billed flowerpecker, great tit, laughing dove, oriental magpie, rose ringed parakeet, red whiskered bulbul, red vented bulbul.

Purple sunbird




There is a small hillock nearby which is very barren.
Some parts of it has some vegetation and still it hosts a lot of bird life.
Once while roaming around clicked these pics

Cotton pod open


Cotton tree leaves and bark


Cotton tree


Cotton tree closed


Tree pie




Tree pipit




Grey breasted prinia


Red wattled lapwing


Small Minivet




View from the top of the tekdi


View from the top of the tekdi

Airoli Flamingo Watch 3 May 2009 (First trip with 150-500)

On 2nd May bought a new lens the Sigma 150-500 OS HSM and was very eager to use it.
Immediately called Jayesh to check if any plans can be made.

Got a confirmation in the evening that we are goind to Airoli next day for the flamingo watch.
Reached on 3rd May morning 7:30 am at Airoli

The shore line was lined with atleast 200-300 waders most of them curlew sandpipers in very lovely rusty breeding plumage.

There were little stints, sanderlings, sand plovers, whiskered terns also in breeding plumage with black belly and red legs & beak, little terns, gull billed terns.

Curlew sandpiper flock



Curlew sandpiper closeup



Waders (little stints, sanderlings)



Curlew sandpipers in flight



Some distance ahead was a huge flock of sand plovers. With a very beautiful orange plumage.

Waders flock



Sandplovers



Sand plover


Waders


Mix of whiskered tern, gull billed tern, a gull, sanderlinf, little stint and curlew sandpiper


Little tern


Gull billed tern


Little ahead was a complete line of Flamingoes for many kms.
There would be atleast 10000 of them. It was a mix of both lesser as well as greater flamingoes.

Flamingo flock



Flamingo Flock



Flamingo with a very pink beak



Flamnigo flock



Dancing flamingo



Little stints (Is there a sanderling in the background)


Flamingo


Flamingo dance


Flamingo flock


Flamingo in Flight


Flamingo in flight


Flamingo in flight


Flamingo in flight


Flamingo


Flamingo race


Flamingo Flock


Congregation of flamingoes

Other birds seen were the cormorant, oriental white ibis, great egret.

One of the cormorant dived in the the water and came up with a good catch.

Cormorant with a catch


Cormorant


Orinetal white ibis



Ibis in flight


Great Egret

2009-01-26 Tamhini

Started from our place in pune at 6am. Caught the 6:30am ST harihareshwar which goes via mulshi-tamhini.

Reached Tamhini by 8am. Visited the temple and met its trust members.
Got info on how to proceed towards the forest (devrai) behind the temple.

It was full of bamboo trees and they were all flowering.
Bamboo flowering




At the start of the trail itself we got the Common Rosefinch on a bamboo tree. But they were very shy and did give very good poses.
So proceeded further towards the forest. At the entrance of the forest itself came across a huge numer of bamboo trees. On each one there were around 20-25 common rosefinches. So in all there were atleast 100+ of these.

Common Rosefinch









There were others like the pied bushchat in the fields just at the start of the forest. Then there were the other smaller birds like the warblers and the tailor.

Warbler







There were some sunbrids chirpping around which turned out be the crimson backed sunbirds.

Crimson backed sunbird



The large green barbet was calling almost continuously.
A dog was following us for some time though we tried to shoo it away. A little distance we lost it and it went ahead of us. Soon there was some comotion ahead and I could just a glimpse of the birds which flew off which looked like some fowl and could be a red jungle fowl. Then made it a point to make the dog run away.

There was a painted francolin calling away at a distance on our side and another one was responding from the other side of the valley.
After going a little ahead the call was coming from much nearer.
So we tried to follow the call and find it out. But alas we were never able to find it.

During this following we were sitting still for long time and during this time we sighted a group of jungle babblers, paradise flycatcher, red throated flycatcher, white rumped shama, purple sunbird, common rosefinches were anyway there and a puff throated babbler.

At one of the openings in the forest we heard a lot of chirpping on the trees above us. There we saw atleast 20+ black bulbuls. Withing there was a scarlet minivet and large green barbet.
Black Bulbul





It was nice experience to visit such a nice forest !!