Bird Watching Thattekad Trip Reports. Posted by Kiran Kashyap on June 02, 2019 Hello, I have shared my birding experience of Thattekad in three parts. Needless to say, it is one of the best place to spot some of the rare endemic species. Part 1: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/05/thattekad-bird-sanctuary-part-1.html Part 2: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/05/thattekad-bird-sanctuary-part-ii.html Part 3: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/06/thattekad-bird-sanctuary-part-iii.html Hope you find it useful. C&C appreciated. Thanks, Kiran Kashyap. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching Fruit Hunters Posted by Kiran Kashyap on May 20, 2019 Hello, Hornbills are very good seed dispersers. Its a sheer joy watching these big birds hogging on ficus trees. I have written a trip report based on my observation. Here it is: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/05/fruit-hunters.html Hope you like it. Thanks, Kiran Kashyap. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching To the land of Hornbills--Part 2 Posted by Kiran Kashyap on April 15, 2019 Hello, This is the continuation to the first part of "To the land of Hornbills". It was an amazing experience to witness some of the rare western ghats endemic species. https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/04/to-land-of-hornbills-ii.html Hope you like my trip report. Thanks, Kiran Kashyap Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching Green Bee Eater Posted by rahil on March 20, 2019 https://www.photocrowd.com/photos/green-bee-eater-2576848.33b33ca60/ Green Bee Eater One of the magnificient and colorful creations of the Almighty. It is indeed mesmerizing to watch and photograph them at the same time. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching To the Land of Hornbills Posted by Kiran Kashyap on March 18, 2019 Hello friends, This would be my first post in this forum. Am excited to share my trip reports with all like minded audience. Since the post do not allow me to post the photos along with the text, I have shared the link from my blog post on Great hornbills. Hope you like it. https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/02/to-land-of-hornbills-i.html Thanks, Kiran Kashyap. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching Why the Bulbul built a nest at our doorstep Posted by Susan Sharma on October 06, 2018 Why did the bulbul choose a tree at the entrance to our house to build a nest? Well, here is the story. Our garden has feral cats, shikras and tree pies visiting regularly. Needless to say all three are predators of birds. The bulbul perceived less threat from the occupants of the house. I Watched the parent birds and chick through the camera sitting in my house comfortably. Visitors to our house never noticed the nest, so the chick hatched successfully and grew into a handsome bulbul. An organic garden which is not manicured, but left to grow naturally. That is the secret of attracting birds and butterflies into your garden. For me the pleasure of gardening is complete when I see it come alive with bird chirpings. Please share the video if you like it. Please also tell what you think about the video. Here is the link to the video. https://youtu.be/csI7uur4mt8 Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching Bird Watching at Thattekkad Posted by PhotographyAxis on September 05, 2018 Bird Photography at Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary If you are a Birdwatcher then you should definitely visit the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Thattekkad. it is a must visit place for any bird photographer. You can enjoy shooting many varieties of birds which include western ghats endemics also. Special bird varieties here include Malabar Trogon, Great-eared Nightjar, Oriental Bay Owl, Ceylon Frogmouth, Black Baza and many more. You would definitely love this place. it is good for learning bird photography also. If you visit Thattekad Bird Sanctuary during winter season then you can even photograph the winter migratory birds. I have been to this place many times. If you are lucky then you can even get a sighting of the rare Legge’s hawk Eagle. Nearest railway station is Alwaye and the nearest airport is Cochin International Airport. You can arrange a taxi or cab from there to reach this place. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching A Green Bee-Eater bird stuck in the web of a Giant Wood Spider. Posted by Bhautik R. Desai on December 28, 2016 Story: How can a small species be defensive....here as everyone can see a bee eating bird is trapped in the web of a giant wood spider.... bee eater is a bird which feed on insects so the predator is a prey struggling for life. Mother nature always surprises you; it is never predictable ..! Every day is a new lesson for every animal in the wild....and this is how they learn..never ignore common species they are the base for us to learn and understand wild nature. Birds often feed on spiders to gain protein and use web material to line their nests. However, "birds in these situations are likely to be aware of the web and do not become entangled. In most cases, spiders do not dine on small birds caught in their webs and may even cut the web to drop the load a web-encased bird imposes on their intricate, gossamer-threaded insect traps. Also, a bird is normally too big a morsel for the mouth parts of a spider. BHAUTIK R. DESAI Naturalist at Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching All That Birding In India Has To Offer: How To Choose Posted by Uday on September 01, 2016 With more than 1300 species the country contains 13 percent of the World’s birds. If the sub species are brought into picture the figure reaches 2000. The diverse topography with four different zoo geographical regions and varying altitude the richness is bound to be. Birding destinations in the country become popular whence a large number of tour operators promote a region. In the present times Bharatpur is like Taj Mahal of India a must visit for the birders. This is followed by Pangot, Sat Tal, Eagle’s Nest, Munnar, Western Ghat, Dandeli, Rann of Kutch, Chail to name a few. Nevertheless, the destinations abound but some are not well promoted by the tour operators. But they due twist the itinerary in order to bring more under the scope. In Northern India Chambal River Sanctuary is becoming popular for reptilian life and its amazing birds. With plethora of birding destinations it becomes confusing where to go and what to see. The circuit in India is chalked out as North, West, East and South the itineraries also include ancient monuments and tiger reserves in the vicinity. Another region in the heartland is Central India or Madhya Pradesh which is not popular with the organizers. The primary reason with this region is abundance of tiger reserves which shifts the focus on the majestic carnivores. But the little known fact is the widespread prevalence avian species here. All tiger reserves are fantastic birding destinations and contain no less than 200 plus species. Besides the shift in focus the dense vegetation also mars the visibility of the avian species and hence increases the strain. But nevertheless many hobbyists arrive to the tiger reserves to watch the birds both in winters and summers. Gujarat is another upcoming birding destination with Rann of Kutch requiring no elaboration. Short birding trips can also be made to Gir the abode of Asiatic Lions, Velavadar, Thol and Nalsarovar near Ahmadabad. Gir National Park is a fantastic destination with almost three hundred species to watch. For regular visitors to India choosing destinations is no problem since they can always chalk out the target species and visit. For those who are not going to visit the country again and again the best thing is to make a list of targeted birds. This will help chalking out the itinerary. They can take help of Indian birding tour organizers for selecting the places and making travel arrangements. \| Most of the places in the country are easily approachable with sound tourism infrastructure. Going to off the beaten track is only possible whence you are in touch with major trip organizers or individuals interested in birding. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment
Bird Watching Keoladeo National Park Posted by Pranay Rai on February 21, 2016 Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, also known as Ghana Bird Sanctuary, is one of the best bird sanctuaries in the world. The name Keoladeo comes from the temple of Lord Shiva which is located in that area. And Ghana means ‘dense’. The sanctuary is a heaven for animal lovers and bird watchers. The park is open throughout the year, although, the best experience of watching the migratory birds and pythons, comes in the winter months from mid October to February. December is considered to be the ideal month for bird watching as a plethora of birds can be seen. The park allows the visitors to hire bicycles and rickshaws for the tour. A narrow road, fit for cycling, winds its way throughout the park surrounded by dense green forest. A sweet chirping of various birds can be heard in the magnificence of the forest. A large variety of birds can be seen basking in the sun, feeding the chicks, soaring high in the sky, plunging into the water bodies for fishes. Along with the umpteen birds, mammals such as the Spotted Deer and Nilgais can be spotted. On our visit, in September this year, a male Spotted Deer stag was seen crossing the road. It stood there for a few seconds, flaunting its majestic body, and then disappeared in the bushes. A Nilgai was spotted running through the swamp waters, creating a sudden ruckus which alarmed the birds around the place. The then serene scene was filled with boisterous chirping and splashing of water in no time. Frogs can be heard croaking around the muddy and still water of the marsh. Snails can be easily and abundantly found in the bogs. The best thing about the park is the independency for the tourists. There are no limitations in the safari timings and zones. A person can go anywhere and can stay in the park until the sun sets. Guides, possessing an ample amount of knowledge about the flora and fauna and about the park, can be hired accordingly by paying an extra amount along with the tickets and bicycle charge. The park is a bliss for the wildlife enthusiasts and is one of the must visit places in Rajasthan. Read More View Comments \| Post Comment

Posted by Kiran Kashyap on June 02, 2019

Hello,

I have shared my birding experience of Thattekad in three parts.

Needless to say, it is one of the best place to spot some of the rare endemic species.

Part 1: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/05/thattekad-bird-sanctuary-part-1.html

Part 2: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/05/thattekad-bird-sanctuary-part-ii.html

Part 3: https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/06/thattekad-bird-sanctuary-part-iii.html

Hope you find it useful. C&C appreciated.

Thanks,
Kiran Kashyap.

View Comments | Post Comment

Fruit Hunters

Posted by Kiran Kashyap on May 20, 2019

Hello,

Hornbills are very good seed dispersers. Its a sheer joy watching these big birds hogging on ficus trees. I have written a trip report based on my observation.

Here it is:

https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/05/fruit-hunters.html

Hope you like it.

Thanks,

Kiran Kashyap.

View Comments | Post Comment

To the land of Hornbills--Part 2

Posted by Kiran Kashyap on April 15, 2019

Hello,

This is the continuation to the first part of "To the land of Hornbills". It was an amazing experience to witness some of the rare western ghats endemic species.

https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/04/to-land-of-hornbills-ii.html

Hope you like my trip report.

Thanks,

Kiran Kashyap

View Comments | Post Comment

Green Bee Eater

Posted by rahil on March 20, 2019

https://www.photocrowd.com/photos/green-bee-eater-2576848.33b33ca60/

Green Bee Eater

One of the magnificient and colorful creations of the Almighty.

It is indeed mesmerizing to watch and photograph them at the same time.

View Comments | Post Comment

To the Land of Hornbills

Posted by Kiran Kashyap on March 18, 2019

Hello friends,

This would be my first post in this forum. Am excited to share my trip reports with all like minded audience. Since the post do not allow me to post the photos along with the text, I have shared the link from my blog post on Great hornbills.

Hope you like it.

https://kiranvrb.blogspot.com/2019/02/to-land-of-hornbills-i.html

Thanks,

Kiran Kashyap.

View Comments | Post Comment

Bird Watching

Why the Bulbul built a nest at our doorstep

Posted by Susan Sharma on October 06, 2018

Why did the bulbul choose a tree at the entrance to our house to build a nest? Well, here is the story.

Our garden has feral cats, shikras and tree pies visiting regularly. Needless to say all three are predators of birds. The bulbul perceived less threat from the occupants of the house.

I Watched the parent birds and chick through the camera sitting in my house comfortably. Visitors to our house never noticed the nest, so the chick hatched successfully and grew into a handsome bulbul.

An organic garden which is not manicured, but left to grow naturally. That is the secret of attracting birds and butterflies into your garden. For me the pleasure of gardening is complete when I see it come alive with bird chirpings.

Please share the video if you like it. Please also tell what you think about the video. Here is the link to the video.

https://youtu.be/csI7uur4mt8

View Comments | Post Comment

Bird Watching

Bird Watching at Thattekkad

Posted by PhotographyAxis on September 05, 2018

Bird Photography at Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary

If you are a Birdwatcher then you should definitely visit the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Thattekkad. it is a must visit place for any bird photographer. You can enjoy shooting many varieties of birds which include western ghats endemics also. Special bird varieties here include Malabar Trogon, Great-eared Nightjar, Oriental Bay Owl, Ceylon Frogmouth, Black Baza and many more. You would definitely love this place. it is good for learning bird photography also.

If you visit Thattekad Bird Sanctuary during winter season then you can even photograph the winter migratory birds. I have been to this place many times. If you are lucky then you can even get a sighting of the rare Legge’s hawk Eagle. Nearest railway station is Alwaye and the nearest airport is Cochin International Airport. You can arrange a taxi or cab from there to reach this place.

View Comments | Post Comment

Bird Watching

A Green Bee-Eater bird stuck in the web of a Giant Wood Spider.

Posted by Bhautik R. Desai on December 28, 2016

Story: How can a small species be defensive....here as everyone can see a bee eating bird is trapped in the web of a giant wood spider.... bee eater is a bird which feed on insects so the predator is a prey struggling for life. Mother nature always surprises you; it is never predictable ..!

Every day is a new lesson for every animal in the wild....and this is how they learn..never ignore common species they are the base for us to learn and understand wild nature.

Birds often feed on spiders to gain protein and use web material to line their nests. However, "birds in these situations are likely to be aware of the web and do not become entangled. In most cases, spiders do not dine on small birds caught in their webs and may even cut the web to drop the load a web-encased bird imposes on their intricate, gossamer-threaded insect traps.

Also, a bird is normally too big a morsel for the mouth parts of a spider.

BHAUTIK R. DESAI

Naturalist at Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve

View Comments | Post Comment

Bird Watching

All That Birding In India Has To Offer: How To Choose

Posted by Uday on September 01, 2016

With more than 1300 species the country contains 13 percent of the World’s birds. If the sub species are brought into picture the figure reaches 2000. The diverse topography with four different zoo geographical regions and varying altitude the richness is bound to be.

Birding destinations in the country become popular whence a large number of tour operators promote a region. In the present times Bharatpur is like Taj Mahal of India a must visit for the birders. This is followed by Pangot, Sat Tal, Eagle’s Nest, Munnar, Western Ghat, Dandeli, Rann of Kutch, Chail to name a few.

Nevertheless, the destinations abound but some are not well promoted by the tour operators. But they due twist the itinerary in order to bring more under the scope. In Northern India Chambal River Sanctuary is becoming popular for reptilian life and its amazing birds.

With plethora of birding destinations it becomes confusing where to go and what to see. The circuit in India is chalked out as North, West, East and South the itineraries also include ancient monuments and tiger reserves in the vicinity.

Another region in the heartland is Central India or Madhya Pradesh which is not popular with the organizers. The primary reason with this region is abundance of tiger reserves which shifts the focus on the majestic carnivores. But the little known fact is the widespread prevalence avian species here.

All tiger reserves are fantastic birding destinations and contain no less than 200 plus species. Besides the shift in focus the dense vegetation also mars the visibility of the avian species and hence increases the strain. But nevertheless many hobbyists arrive to the tiger reserves to watch the birds both in winters and summers.

Gujarat is another upcoming birding destination with Rann of Kutch requiring no elaboration. Short birding trips can also be made to Gir the abode of Asiatic Lions, Velavadar, Thol and Nalsarovar near Ahmadabad. Gir National Park is a fantastic destination with almost three hundred species to watch.

For regular visitors to India choosing destinations is no problem since they can always chalk out the target species and visit. For those who are not going to visit the country again and again the best thing is to make a list of targeted birds. This will help chalking out the itinerary. They can take help of Indian birding tour organizers for selecting the places and making travel arrangements.

|
Most of the places in the country are easily approachable with sound tourism infrastructure. Going to off the beaten track is only possible whence you are in touch with major trip organizers or individuals interested in birding.

View Comments | Post Comment

Bird Watching

Keoladeo National Park

Posted by Pranay Rai on February 21, 2016

Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, also known as Ghana Bird Sanctuary, is one of the best bird sanctuaries in the world.
The name Keoladeo comes from the temple of Lord Shiva which is located in that area. And Ghana means ‘dense’. The sanctuary is a heaven for animal lovers and bird watchers.
The park is open throughout the year, although, the best experience of watching the migratory birds and pythons, comes in the winter months from mid October to February. December is considered to be the ideal month for bird watching as a plethora of birds can be seen.
The park allows the visitors to hire bicycles and rickshaws for the tour.
A narrow road, fit for cycling, winds its way throughout the park surrounded by dense green forest.
A sweet chirping of various birds can be heard in the magnificence of the forest. A large variety of birds can be seen basking in the sun, feeding the chicks, soaring high in the sky, plunging into the water bodies for fishes.
Along with the umpteen birds, mammals such as the Spotted Deer and Nilgais can be spotted.
On our visit, in September this year, a male Spotted Deer stag was seen crossing the road. It stood there for a few seconds, flaunting its majestic body, and then disappeared in the bushes.
A Nilgai was spotted running through the swamp waters, creating a sudden ruckus which alarmed the birds around the place. The then serene scene was filled with boisterous chirping and splashing of water in no time.
Frogs can be heard croaking around the muddy and still water of the marsh. Snails can be easily and abundantly found in the bogs.
The best thing about the park is the independency for the tourists. There are no limitations in the safari timings and zones. A person can go anywhere and can stay in the park until the sun sets. Guides, possessing an ample amount of knowledge about the flora and fauna and about the park, can be hired accordingly by paying an extra amount along with the tickets and bicycle charge.
The park is a bliss for the wildlife enthusiasts and is one of the must visit places in Rajasthan.

View Comments | Post Comment

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