Birding at Sinhagad Valley after a long time - and an awesome trek through it.
Place : Sinhagad Valley near Sinhagad Fort
Access : Sinhagad Road via Khadakvasla Lake, Naval Bay and Golewadi. Left turn at the bifurcation in the road towards the top from Atkarwadi. Cation - much steeper climb as compared to the more frequented right turn.
List of Birds Spotted:
1. Purple Sunbird - 2
2. Common Tailorbird - many
3. Common Babbler - 2
4. Jungle Babbler - large group of 8 - 10
5. Pale-Billed Flowerpecker - 3
6. Oriental White-Eye-1
7. Rufous-backed Shrike (Long-Tailed Shrike) - 2
8. Little Green Bee-Eater - 4
9. Tree Pipit - 25
10. Dusky Crag Martin - 2
11. Cliff Swallow - 2
12. White-Spotted Fantail Flycatcher - 1
13. Oriental Magpie Robin - 4
14. Shikra - 2
15. Black Kite - 2
16. Black-Shouldered Kite- 1
17. Common Myna - 1
18. Jungle Myna - 1
19. Common Coot - 12
20. House Crow - many
21. Jungle Crow - many
22. House Sparrow - 5
23. Blue Rock Dove - many
24. Laughing Dove - 2
25. Barn Swallow - 1
26. Spotted Dove - 1
27. Red-Vented Bulbul - many
28. Red-Whiskered Bulbul - 2
29. Ashy Prinia - 1
30. Little Cormorant - 3
31. Little Egret - 3
32. Intermediate Egret - 3
33. White-Breasted Kingfisher - 6
34. Pied Kingfisher - 2
35. Asian Koel - 2
36. Purple-Rumped Sunbird - 2
37. Red-Throated Flycatcher - 1
38. Pied Bushchat - 7
39. Black Drongo - 3
40. Indian Robin - 6
41. Cattle Egret - 5
42. Red-Rumped Swallow - 2
43. Yellow-Eyed Babbler - 2
Very disappointed in the sharp decline in avifauna in the valley.Many birds listed were encountered near Naval Bay area on the way to the valley. Surprisingly fewer raptors as well as smaller forest birds.
No sight of the once plentiful Common Iora or flycatchers like Tickell's, Asian Paradise or Ultramarine. Did not even hear the Crested Serpent Eagle and sharp decline in Shikra numbers. Dipping numbers of flapping wings at the valley!!
I would have recommended the valley for birdwatching a few years ago, but the declining wildlife is disturbing.
A good place to spot Tree Pipits - plentiful on the sides of the fort.
Also a great place to find Crag Martins, which nest near the top of the fort.
But, all in all, a great trek through the valley with a lot of death-defying ascents and a horde of hostile Hanuman Langurs!
Place : Sinhagad Valley near Sinhagad Fort
Access : Sinhagad Road via Khadakvasla Lake, Naval Bay and Golewadi. Left turn at the bifurcation in the road towards the top from Atkarwadi. Cation - much steeper climb as compared to the more frequented right turn.
List of Birds Spotted:
 |
| Purple Sunbird - Female |
2. Common Tailorbird - many
3. Common Babbler - 2
4. Jungle Babbler - large group of 8 - 10
5. Pale-Billed Flowerpecker - 3
6. Oriental White-Eye-1
7. Rufous-backed Shrike (Long-Tailed Shrike) - 2
8. Little Green Bee-Eater - 4
9. Tree Pipit - 25
10. Dusky Crag Martin - 2
11. Cliff Swallow - 2
12. White-Spotted Fantail Flycatcher - 1
13. Oriental Magpie Robin - 4
 |
| Red-Vented Bulbul |
15. Black Kite - 2
16. Black-Shouldered Kite- 1
17. Common Myna - 1
18. Jungle Myna - 1
19. Common Coot - 12
20. House Crow - many
21. Jungle Crow - many
22. House Sparrow - 5
23. Blue Rock Dove - many
24. Laughing Dove - 2
25. Barn Swallow - 1
 |
| Green Bee-Eater (juvenile) |
27. Red-Vented Bulbul - many
28. Red-Whiskered Bulbul - 2
29. Ashy Prinia - 1
30. Little Cormorant - 3
31. Little Egret - 3
32. Intermediate Egret - 3
33. White-Breasted Kingfisher - 6
34. Pied Kingfisher - 2
35. Asian Koel - 2
36. Purple-Rumped Sunbird - 2
37. Red-Throated Flycatcher - 1
 |
| Yellow-Eyed Babbler |
39. Black Drongo - 3
40. Indian Robin - 6
41. Cattle Egret - 5
42. Red-Rumped Swallow - 2
43. Yellow-Eyed Babbler - 2
 |
| Long-Tailed Shrike (Rufous-Backed) |
Very disappointed in the sharp decline in avifauna in the valley.Many birds listed were encountered near Naval Bay area on the way to the valley. Surprisingly fewer raptors as well as smaller forest birds.
No sight of the once plentiful Common Iora or flycatchers like Tickell's, Asian Paradise or Ultramarine. Did not even hear the Crested Serpent Eagle and sharp decline in Shikra numbers. Dipping numbers of flapping wings at the valley!!
I would have recommended the valley for birdwatching a few years ago, but the declining wildlife is disturbing.
A good place to spot Tree Pipits - plentiful on the sides of the fort.
Also a great place to find Crag Martins, which nest near the top of the fort.
But, all in all, a great trek through the valley with a lot of death-defying ascents and a horde of hostile Hanuman Langurs!
 |
| Tree Pipit |
 |
| Tree Pipit |
 |
| Tree Pipit |
 |
| Tree Pipit |
 | ||
| Pied Bushchat |
 |
| Pale-Billed Flowerpecker (Tickell's Flowerpecker) |
No comments:
Post a Comment