Bird Watching

Why the Bulbul built a nest at our doorstep

Posted by Susan Sharma on October 06, 2018

 
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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

 

Bird Watching

Bird Watching at Thattekkad

Posted by PhotographyAxis on September 05, 2018

 
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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.

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

 
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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                              

Bird Watching

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

Posted by Uday on September 01, 2016

 
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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.  
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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. 


Bird Watching

Keoladeo National Park

Posted by Pranay Rai on February 21, 2016

 
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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.

Bird Watching

Searching for Winged Wonders in Northern India

Posted by Uday on August 21, 2015

 
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Grill and Grime sets the pace for birding in Northern India. The race begins from the T3 Airport where avid birders from far away lands arrive. The trip begins as we move towards Agra on the way to Bharatpur and Chambal River Sanctuary. The mini bus rattles along past a quagmire of  human dwellings tortuously placed in a juxtaposition. Soon we we begin rolling past the green fields and small hamlets. But not for long, for at Mathura Township we turn in the direction of Bharatpur the avian paradise like non else where.  


A fifty km drive further on will lead us to Bharatpur. The road riddled with pot holes - as treacherous as they can be  - wades across a picturesque countryside. The yellow lined mustard fields are the hall mark of this drive. The quaint hamlets are as striking as they can be. The colorful courtyards, veranda all painted in Rajasthani motifs impress my foreign visitors.   


At Bharatpur we are greeted by Mr. Singh - the robust and cheerful owner of the Sunbird Lodge. The day begins with the search for avian in the fields near by the Sanctuary Gate. The search is for Indian Courser but we also come across lot of grassland birds.


The whole day is spent in the sanctuary on foot we we come across scores of avian species. We visit extensive wetlands, mounds and dikes. The small patches of forests also yield many delights. We also visit Bund Baretha which is about fifty km from the park. Here we score for some water birds, pipits and buntings. This is where we  come across Indian Skimmer whence they come to nest.   


From Bharatpur we head to Dhaulpur and visit the Chambal River Sanctuary. This is an exciting destination, and boating in one of the most unpolluted river is an experience. We come across many birds besides the marsh crocodile, gharial and river dolphin. The long stretch of river accords an exciting boat ride in between low lying sandy hills and shores. Jackals, foxes, hyenas and wolves are often encountered in the shores with luck.


Some of the birds we come across are prinias, buntings, gulls, storks, ducks, sand grouses, falcons, eagles, owls and warblers to name a few.  


We head back to Agra and then move towards Nainital. On the way we look for Sarus Cranes as well as species on the Ganges River Banks. Nainital is a hill resort but badly urbanized hence we chose Sat Taal And Pangot up hill each at a distance of about fourteen km from the township. Sat Tal at 1400 MSL is crowded but the natural beauty of remaining forests and lakes also offers magnificent bird watching opportunity. At Sat Taal we look for Forktails, thrushes, flycatchers, minla, leiothrix, golden robin, buntings, woodpeckers and more. A two day birding yields a checklist of more than fifty exciting species.      


We climb higher to 2100 MSL in the Himalayan Foothills two reach snow covered Pangot. Our target species here are the Kokals Pheasant, Chir Pheasant, Himalayan and Eurasian Vultures, Bearded Eagle, buntings, thrushes, tits and many more. A two day stay accords sightings of unique birds which are altitude migrants.    

     

The drive to Corbett Tiger Reserve is a pleasant eighty km via Kaladungi the home town of legendary Jim Corbett. The avi fauna begins to change as we descend towards the plains.  The fantastic tiger landscape has more than five hundred avian species to sight. We stay at the Dhikala Complex while in the park and look for tigers and other mammals besides avian species.


The foothills are frequented by species from the plains as well as the altitude migrants from the Himalayan Landscape. We search for the Siberian ruby throat, paradise flycatchers, Niltavas, flycatchers, wren warblers, laughing thrushes, bulbuls, nuthatches, woodpeckers and many more.


We than move to outskirts of Corbett to search for more species. The trip is full of excitement a midst tigers and elephants. We visit Mohaan, Lal Dang, river banks of Kosi, Kumeria and Sita Vani for some amazing discoveries.


The fortnight long trip ended as we headed back to New Delhi. Happy that the extensive birding tour package  organized by India Footprints was a great success. All around the tour we were assisted by local guides very familiar with the regions. We stayed at the finest lodges with great service, food and friendly staff.


Every year as winter sets in I look forward to exciting ornithological trips in India as tour leader and birder.      

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