Thursday, July 19, 2012

2012-07-15 Talawe

Visited this favorite birding destination after a gap of very long time.
Its a favorite destination because of the variety of habitat it has resulting in the variety of bird species it supports.

The water body was completed filled and hence not many birds were seen but at the entrance itself we started hearing Ashy and Plain prinias.

Ashy Prinia

Also saw wire tailed swallow flying overhead,
scaly breasted munias sitting on a bush and
a yellow eyed babbler calling from somewhere in the background.

Just then saw a bird flying in front of us. A myna sized bird with light brownish in color and surprisingly it turned out to be a chestnut tailed startling. Only a single individual.

As usual the cormorants were flying around.

Little Cormorant

Also a clamorous reed warbler was hopping on low bushes near the water border.

Clamorous Reed Warbler

A few caspian terns and gull billed terns were also seen flying.

Caspian Tern

Gull Billed Tern

Just then came the star of the day the Brahminy Kite with a prey in its claws feeding in flight.


Brahminy Kite

Brahminy Kite

Brahminy Kite

Brahminy Kite

In the waterbody on the left were 10-15 Redshanks and a few Greenshanks. So late in the season?

Moving ahead we encountered cattle egret, intermediate egret, red munias and pied startling.

Further ahead just around the corner we came across atleast 40-50 redshanks and again a few Greenshanks. At the same time the rain started to pour which was quite since the morning. But it did not last for long and then it subsided after 10min and did not come back again.

As usual at the small plateau just before the fields provided as usual the best viewing point for munias. We could observe at least 20-30 scaly breasted munias, 3 black headed munias, 5-10 red munias, a few pairs of baya weavers and green bee-eaters.

Red Munia

Scaly Breasted Munia

On reaching the sea shore we saw an osprey with a huge fish in its claws flying very elegantly.

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey

The tide was very high and hence birds seen on the shore.

Ashy and plain prinias as usual were abundunt.

Ashy Prinia

Plain Prinia

Plain Prinia

Other than birdlife started seeing some butterflies and caterpillars. The silver cocks comb was flowering every where.

Silver Coxcomb

The blue tiger, common grass yellow, common leopard, salomon arab, a dartlet and a picture wing.

Common Leopard
Senegal Golden Dartlet

While returning saw a brahminy kite sitting on a tree far away but its rusty brown coat with white head against the green background gave a beatiful view.

This concluded a wonderful bird walk at a favorite birding destination!!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

2012-05-21 Karnala

Me, Abhijit and Rohit decided to visit Karnala on Monday morning on 21st May.

As we entered we started hearing puff throated babbler and bronzed drongo.

We started walking on the main road leading to the guest house and came accross golden fronted chloropsis, black hooded oriole, oriental magpie robin.

As we reached the guest house we saw 2 bronzed drongos flying around.
And just then above the open area in front of the guest house were 10-15 pompodour green pigeons waiting for the sun to come up.

We went a little farther to get a good view from the side.

Pompodour Green Pigeon
Pompodour Green Pigeon
Pompodour Green Pigeon
Just as we were observing the pompodour green pigeons we saw a pair of large cuckoo shrike.

Large Cuckooshrike
Large Cuckooshrike

Large Cuckooshrike

Large Cuckooshrike
As we started down the mortaka trail a common iora and a flock of brown cheecked fulvettas were dancing around on the side.

Moving ahead saw the Yellow Footed Green pigeons.

Yellow Footed Green Pigeon
As we reached the open dry grassland we heard the Indian Pitta calling from the forest on the left.
We tried to find for almost 10-15 min but could not spot it in the thick vegetation. Finally then it flew and went deep inside the forest giving us just a flight glimpse.

As usual there were lot of chestnut shouldered petronias feeding on the ground every where. We also saw chloropsis, brown headed barbet and a racket tailed drongo.

Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
At the dry stream we saw 2 woodpeckers yellow crowned woodpecker and pygmy woodpecker.

Yellow Crowned Woodpecker

Pygmy Woodpecker

Pygmy Woodpecker
Pygmy Woodpecker
Pygmy Woodpecker
Pygmy Woodpecker

Garden Lizard
 
Garden Lizard

Garden Lizard
Just after the bridge on the Hariyal trail we came across another flock of brown cheecked fulvetta which were very vocal.
Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

A just a little ahead saw a flash of red with a call of sunbird and immediately saw the beautiful Crimson Sunbird.
Crimson Sunbird

Crimson Sunbird

Forest Calotes

Friday, May 25, 2012