Gujarat (off-season) & Little Rann of Kutch, 20.6.2012 - 23.6.2012

A trip to Gujarat and lower Kutch planned in the off-season late June before the onset of the monsoon. It was a pleasant surprise with a wide range of species spotted in the span of 3 days.

Route : Ahmedabad to Kutch (Dhrangadhra, Bajana) by road. Idar and Taranga hill forest while returning.

List of birds spotted:

Ashy-Crowned Sparrow-Lark female

1. Grey Francolin - 6 (Kutch)
2. Rock Bush Quaiil - 8 (Kutch)
3. Indian Peafowl - Plentiful all over Gujarat
4. Lesser Whistling Duck - 3 (Savda Lake, Kutch)
5. Spot-Billed Duck - 5 (Malvan)
6. Yellow-Crowned Woodpecker - 2 (Taranga, Barkhol)
7. Crimson-Breasted Barbet - 1 (Barkhol)
8. Indian Grey Hornbill - 1 (Taranga)
9. Common Hoopoe - 1 (Dharoi)
10. Indian Roller - 2 (Dharoi)
11. Common Kingfisher - 1 (Dharoi)
12. White-Throated Kingfisher  (Lakhtar)
13. Pied Kingfiser - 3 (Lakhtar)

Ashy-Crowned Sparrow-Lark male

14. Green Bee-Eater - 5 (Thol)
15. Pied Cuckoo - 1 (Dharoi)
16. Common Hawk Cuckoo - 1 (Dharoi)
17. Asian Koel - 1 (Viramgam)
18. Greater Coucal - 5 (Viramgam)
19. Rose-Ringed Parakeet - 6 (Vani)
20. Asian Palm Swift - 5 (Idar)
21. Alpine Swift - 2 (Idar)
22. House Swift - 15 (Idar)
23. Rock Pigeon - plenty
24. Laughing Dove - plenty
25. Spotted Dove - 10 (Lakhtar)
26. Eurasian Collared Dove - 20 (Vani)
27. White-Breasted Waterhen - 3 (Viramgam)
28. Purple Swamphen (Savda Lake)

Bank Myna

29. Common Moorhen - 1 (Savda Lake)
30. Common Coot - 30 (Savda Lake)
31. Chestnut-Bellied Sandgrouse - 4 (Kutch)
32. Common Snipe - 2 (Savda Lake)
33. Common Sandpiper - 1 (Savda Lake)
34. Pheasant-Tailed Jacana - 5 (Savda Lake)
35. Black-Winged Stilt - plenty (Savda Lake)
36. Little Ringed Plover - 5 (Patdi)
37. Yellow-Wattled Lapwing - 2 (Savda Lake)
38. Red-Wattled Lapwing - 40 (Thol)
39. River Tern - 2 (Sabarmati)
40. Oriental Honey Buzzard - 2 (Dabla)
41. Black-Shouldered Kite - 5 (Dabla)
42. Black Kite - 25 (Dabla)
43.  Egyptian Vulture - 2 (Dabla)

Black-Eared (Black) Kite

44. Shikra - 1 (viramgam)
45. White-Eyed Buzzard - 4 (Dabla)
46. Red-Headed Merlin - 1 (Savda Lake)
47. Peregrine Falcon - 1 (Idar)
48. Little Grebe - 25 (Thol)
49. Little Cormorant - plenty (Thol)
50. Indian Cormorant - 4 (Thol)
51. Little Egret - plenty (Thol)
52. Western Reef Egret - 4 (Thol)
53. Grey Heron - plenty (Savda Lake)
54. Purple Heron - 1 (Thol)
55. Great Egret - 5 (Lakhtar)
56. Intermediate Egret -  25 (Lakhtar)
57. Cattle Egret - 6 (Thol)
58. Indian Pond Heron - plenty (Lakhtar)

Black-Shouldered Kite

59. Black-Crowned Night Heron - 2 (Dharoi)
60. Greater Flamingo - 35 (Savda Lake)
61. Lesser Flaminigo - 25 (Savda Lake)
62. Glossy Ibis - 5 (Savda Lake)
63. Black-Headed Ibis - 3 (Patdi)
64. Black Ibis - 5 (Dabla)
65. Eurasian Spoonbill - 1 (Thol)
66. Painted Stork - 4 (Savda Lake)
67. Asian Openbill Stork - 4 (Thol)
68. Woolly-Necked Stork - 1 (Himmatnagar)
69. Bay-Backed Shrike - 2 (Kutch)
70. Long-Tailed Shrike - 6 (Patdi)
71. Rufous Treepie - 2 (Barkhol)
72. House Crow - plenty (Ahmedabad)
73. Thick-Billed Crow - plenty (Ahmedabad)

Brahminy Starling (Myna)

74. Ashy Woodswallow - 2 (Kutch)
75. Eurasian Golden Oriole - 1 (Barkhol)
76. Black Drongo - 4 (Barkhol)
77. Common Iora - 1 (Barkhol)
78. Common Woodshrike -1 (Kutch)
79. Indian Robin - plenty (Idar)
80. Oriental Magpie Robin -1 (South Gujarat)
81. Pied Bushchat - 2 (Dharoi)
82. Brahminy Starling - 2 (Thol)
83. Common Myna - plenty (Ahmedabad)
84. Bank Myna - plenty (Thol)
85. Plain Martin - 5 (Idar)
86. Crag Martin - 15 (Idar)
87. Barn Swallow - 3 (Viramgam)
88. Wire-Tailed Swallow - 5 (Viramgam)
89. Red-Rumped Swallow - 1 (Viramgam)

Black-Headed Ibis

90. Streak-Throated Swallow - 1 (Idar)
91. White-Eared Bulbul - 3 (Vani)
92. Red-Vented Bulbul - 25 (Idar)
93. Zitting Cisticola - 3 (Vani)
94. Graceful Prinia - 2 (Thol)
95. Jungle Prinia - 1 (Taranga)
96. Ashy Prinia - 2 (Vani)
97. Plain Prinia - 1 (Savda Lake)
98. Clamorous Reed Warbler - 5 (Vani)
99. Common Tailorbird - 2 (Idar)
100. Common Babbler - 5 (Taranga)
101. Large Grey Babbler - 5 (Viramgam)
102. Jungle Babbler - 8 (Taranga)
103. Indian Bushlark - 3 (Kutch)
104. Ashy-Crowned Sparrow Lark - plenty (Kutch)
105. Crested Lark - 1 (Savda Lake)

Cattle Egret - breeding plumage

106. Oriental Skylark - 1 (Kutch)
107. Purple Sunbird - 1 (Barkhol)
108. House Sparrow - 6 (Bajana)
109. Chestnut-Shouldered Petronia -1 (Barkhol)
110. Paddyfield Pipit -1 (Vani)
111. Baya Weaver - 1 (Barkhol) (also spotted many nests)
112. Crested Bunting - 2 (Idar)
113. Common Crane - 45 (Migrating over Kutch)

Chestnut-Bellied Sandgrouse

Chestnut-Bellied Sandgrouse

Egyptian Vulture

Eurasian Collared Dove

Greater Coucal (Crow Pheasant)

Greater Flamingo

Grey Francolin (Grey Partridge)

Grey Heron

Indian (Red-Winged) Bushlark

Lesser Flamingo

Pheasant-Tailed Jacana

Pied Kingfisher

Indian Pond Heron

Red-Rumped Swallow

Rose-Ringed Parakeet

Shikra

White-Cheeked (White-Eared) Bulbul

Wire-Tailed Swallow

Woolly-Necked Stork

Grey Mongoose

Indian Wild Ass

Nilgai (Blue Bull)

Indian Palm Squirrel

Very useful birding trip, with a lot of new species spotted. Crested Bunting was special since it was spotted outside its known distribution. The vultures of Dabla were not seen and villagers claimed they reduced from 250 odd to nil in the last two years.

Also surprising, was the flamingo colony in Savda Lake near Kutch out of season along with the Common Snipe. A group of Common Cranes were seen flying back from India due to the late monsoon.

Overall, a great birding trip and I can just imagine what a hotspot it will be in winter.

Kavadi Pat 2.0, 29.4.2012

Place : Kavadi Pat

Access : Solapur Road, 3km before Loni towards Pune

Birds list for the trip:

White-Browed Wagtail

1. Oriental Honey Buzzard - 1
2. White-Eyed Buzzard - 1
3. Common Hawk-Cuckoo - 5
4. Black-Headed Ibis - 3
5. Red Avadavat - 15
6. Indian Silverbill - 2
7. Indian Courser - 1
8. White-Browed Wagtail - 1
9. Black-Crowned Night Heron - 6
10. Common Iora - 1
11. Eurasian Golden Oriole - 1

Apart from the last trip's sightings (22.01.2012) :

1. Little Grebe - 15

Spot-Billed Duck

2. Spot-Billed Duck - 10
3. Ruddy Shelduck - 15
4. Common Teal - 25
5. Northern Shoveller - 5
6. Lesser Whistling Duck - 2
7. Common Sandpiper - 30
8. Wood Sandpiper - 25
9. Little Ringed Plover - 2
10. Common Kingfisher - 1
11. White-Breasted Kingfisher - 3
12. Pied Kingfisher - 1
13. Little Egret - 2
14. Grey Heron - 1
15. Pond Heron - 2
16. Spoonbill Stork - 2

Red Avadavat

17. Little Cormorant - 4
18. Indian Cormorant - 5
19. Cattle Egret - 1
20. White Wagtail - 2
21. Grey Wagtail - 25
22. Yellow Wagtail - 1
23. Rose-Ringed Parakeet - 1
24. Rock Dove - 2
25. House Sparrow - 5
26. House Crow - 5
27. Little Green Bee-Eater - 6
28. Black Kite - 1
29. Shikra - 1
30. Indian Peafowl -1
31. Greater Coucal - 2

Indian Peafowl

32. Laughing Dove - 4

33. Long-Tailed Shrike - 3
34. Scaly-Breasted Munia - 2
35. Indian Hawk Cuckoo - 2
36. River Tern - 50
37. Little Tern - 2
38. Red-Vented Bulbul - 5
39. Red-Whiskered Bulbul - 6
40. White-Spotted Fantail Flycatcher - 2
41. Indian Roller - 2
42. Purple Sunbird - 2
43, Purple-Rumped Sunbird - 3
44. Indian Robin - 4
45. Oriental Magpie Robin - 3
46. Pied Bushchat - 4
47. Common Tailorbird - 3

Oriental Honey Buzzard

48. Black-Winged Stilt - 5

49. Purple Moorhen - 2
50. Glossy Ibis - 5
51. Pale-Billed Flowerpecker - 1
52. Thick-Billed Crow - 4
53. Large Grey Babbler - 5
54. Jungle Babbler - 5
55. White-Breasted Waterhen - 4
56. Common Moorhen - 1
57. Black Drongo - 35
58. Common Myna - 15
59. Brahminy Myna - 3
60. Oriental Honey Buzzard - 1
61. Red-Rumped Swallow - 2
62. Yellow-Eyed Babbler - 2

Black-Crowned Night Heron

Indian Cormorant

Grey Heron

Common Hawk-Cuckoo

Black-Headed Ibis

Phansad-Karnala Sanctuaries, 25.03.2012

Back to where it all began. . . .

Place : Phansad Bird Sanctuary

Access : Via Mumbai-Pune expressway, exit at Khalapur, towards Pen and then via Alibag to Phansad.

Birds Spotted:

I'm listing out the Phansad specials :-



Golden-Fronted Leafbird

 1. Golden-Fronted Leafbird
2. Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo
3. Spangled Drongo
4. Ashy Drongo
5. Bronzed Drongo
6. Golden Oriole
7. Black-Hooded Oriole
8. Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon
9. Pompadour Green Pigeon
10. Green Imperial Pigeon
11. Western Reef Egret
12. White-Rumped Shama
13. Red-Throated Flycatcher
14. White-Cheeked Barbet
15. Coppersmith Barbet

Apart from:-



Eurasian Golden Oriole

 16. Little Egret
17. Cattle Egret
18. Great Egret
19. Pond Heron
20. Chestnut-Shouldered Petronia
21. Grey Hornbill
22. Blue Rock Dove
23. Little Brown Dove
24. Spotted Dove
25. House Crow
26. Thick-Billed Crow
27. House Sparrow
28. Purple Sunbird
29. Purple-Rumped Sunbird
30. Common Hoopoe
31. Common Tailorbird
32. Common Myna


Streak-Throated Swallow

 33. Rosy Starling
34. Brahminy Starling
35. Oriental Magpie Robin
36. Indian Robin
37. Red-Wattled Lapwing
38. Brahminy Kite
39. Paraiah Kite
40. White-Throated Kingfisher
41. Indian Roller
42. Large-Tailed Shrike
43. Wood Sandpiper
44. Common Sandpiper
45. Little Ringed Plover
46. Black-Shouldered Kite
47. Grey Wagtail
48. White Wagtail
49. Rose-Ringed Parakeet
50. Blossom-Headed Parakeet


Black-Shouldered Kite

51. Pied Bushchat
52. Small Minivet
53. Red-Rumped Swallow
54. Barn Swallow
55. Paddyfield Pipit
56. Red-Whiskered Bulbul
57. Red-Vented Bulbul
58. Greater Coucal
59. Common Moorhen
60. Little Cormorant
61. Shikra
62. Little Green Bee-Eater
63. Streak-Throated Swallow





Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon



Long-Tailed Shrike



Pied Bushchat



White-Rumped Shama



A great 2 weekends in similar terrain. . . Hoping for more and better pics. . .

Vetal Tekdi and Kothrud, 26.02.2012

This time I didn't have a car, so it was another weekend of city birds. . .

Place : Kothrud area, Vetal Tekdi, Chatushringi Hill

Access : Start trekking upwards from Vetal Tekdi, cross right across the hill complex to Chatushringi hill.

Birds Spotted :

Spot-Billed Duck

1. Indian Grey Hornbill - 3
2. Pied Bushchat - 4
3. Jungle Babbler - 4
4. Large Grey Babbler - 2
5. Spot-Billed Duck - 23
6. Little Grebe - 4
7. Common Moorhen - 3
8. Little Cormorant - 4
9. Greater Coucal - 1
10. Spotted Dove - 1
11. Blue Rock Dove - 15
12. Little Brown Dove - 5
13. House Crow - 2
14. Large-Billed Crow - 3
15. Common Myna - 8

Little Cormorant

16. Jungle Myna - 2
17. Ashy Wren-Warbler - 2
18. Plain Prinia - 3
19. Common Tailorbird - 1
20. Purple Sunbird - 2
21. Purple-Rumped Sunbird - 1
22. White-Breasted Kingfisher - 4
23. Ashy-Crowned Finch Lark - 1
24. Red-Wattled Lapwing - 4
25. Litlle Egret - 4
26. Cattle Egret - 1
27. Small Minivet - 2
28. Little Green Bee-Eater - 4
29. Black Drongo - 5
30. Crimson-Breasted Barbet - 8
31. Shikra - 2

Red-Wattled Lapwing

32. Black Kite - 9
33. House Sparrow - 3
34. Red-Whiskered Bulbul - 3
35. Red-Vented Bulbul - 5
36. Indian Peafowl - 9
37. Puff-Throated Babbler - 1
38. Yellow-Eyed Babbler - 1
39. Oriental Honey Buzzard - 2
40. Asian Paradise Flycatcher - 2
41. Indian Robin - 6
42. Paddyfield Pipit - 6
43. Oriental Magpie Robin - 2

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Pied Bushchat - Male

Pied Bushchat - Female

Small Minivet

Laughing Dove

Shikra

White-Breasted Kingfisher

Indian Grey Hornbills

Indian Grey Hornbill

Coppersmith (Crimson-Breasted) Barbet

Coppersmith (Crimson-Breasted) Barbet

Coppersmith (Crimson-Breasted) Barbet

It was trip dedicated to the Small Minivet, and I was truly rewarded :)