Sam's Blog: birding

Showing posts with label birding. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Karnala Bird Sanctury - 6 Feb 2011

Hi Friends,

I have been to Karnala BS on Sunday morning. In my last visit I did missed some prominent birds of Karnala. This time I spend more time sitting near Forest Department Guest House, and had one round on Haryali Trail. Saw more birds and more flycatcher this time. Following is the list of Birds I have seen and few photographs.

1. Red Whiskered Bulbul (शिपाई बुलबुल)
2. Red Vented Bulbul
3. Pompadour Green Pigeon
4. Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
5. Black Drongo (कोतवाल)
6. Ashy Drongo
7. Purple Rumped Sunbird (सूर्यपक्षी)
8. Purple Sunbird (जांभळा शिंजीर)
9. Crimson Backed Sunbird
10. White-rumped Shama
11. Golden Fronted Leaf bird
12. Rufous tailed Shrike
13. Reed Warbler
14. Chestnut Shouldered Patronia (रानचिमणी)
15. Green Barbet
16. Puff Throated Babbler
17. Erasian Golden Oriole (हळद्या)
18. Black Hooded Oriole
19. Common Iora (सुभग)
20. Booted Eagle
21. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (नीलिमा)
22. Rufous Paradise Flycatcher (शाही बुलबुल)
23. Verditer Flycatcher
24. Black Napped Monarch
25. Green Bea Eater (वेडा राघू)
26. Spotted Dove (ठिपकेदार होला)
27. Common Shrike (खाटीक)

Many photos are not good but posted just for record of observation

Verditer Flycatcher

Verditer Flycatcher

Black Drongo

Ashy Drongo

Black Napped Monarch

Puff Throated Babbler

Rufous Paradise Flycatcher

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

Purple Sunbird - Male : This is amazing behavior I saw for the first time, Male was making noises and flashing Yellow-Orange Feathers on ( or below) shoulder. I never saw this in any photograph of Purple Sunbird. Not sure if this behavior was to indicate his teretory or to impress female, who was buzy collecting material for nest. Experts may shade more light on this...

Purple Sunbird

Golden Fronted Leaf bird

Pompadour Green Pigeon - Male

Pompadour Green Pigeon - Female

White Rumped Shama

Common Iora

Booted Eagle

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Comments and Critiques Welcome

Have a Nice day
Sameer

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Visit to Bird Photographer's Fair - Sinhgad Valley - 23rd Jan 2011

Hi Friends,

After half night session of Astrophotography on 22nd Night, Next Morning we (me, Nilesh and Priyanka) went to Sinhgad Valley for Birding. Sinhgad Valley is the area at the base of Sinhgad Fort in Pune and is very Famous for birding. High number of birders go there, as lot of birds are easily seen and photographed here, so many birders are there that I call this place as "Bird Photographer's Fair".

This was my first visit to place and as expected saw many prominent birds.

Following is the List of Birds i saw

1 Red Vented Bulbul (लालबुड्या बुलबुल)
2 Red Whiskered Bulbul (शिपाई बुलबुल)
3 Plum Headed Parakeets
4 Jungle Bablers (रानभाई)
5 Plain Prinia (वटवट्या)
6 Ashy Prinia -(राखाडी वटवट्या) (First time i got acceptable photo of this beauty )
7 Tailor Bird (शिंपी)
8 Rofous Treepie - (टकाचोर) First Time for me
9 Asian Paradise Flycatcher (शाही बुलबुल)
10 Rofous Asian Paradise Flycatcher
11 Verditer Flycatcher
12 Green Bea Eater (वेडा राघू)
13 Purple Sunbirds (जांभळा शिंजीर)
14 Oriental White Eye (चश्मेवाला)
15 Oriental Magpie Robin - Male & Female (दयाळ)
16 Pied Bushchat (कवडा गप्पीदास)
17 Chestnut Shouldered Petronia (रानचिमणी)
18 Spotted Dove (ठिपकेदार होला)
19 Red Throated Flycatcher Female
20 Indian Robin (चीरक)
21 Pond Heron
22 Booted Eagle Pale Morph
23 Blyth's Reed Warbler
24 White Throated Fantail (नर्तक, नाचण)
25 Drongo (कोतवाल)
26 Yellow Wagtail
27 Common Shrike (खाटीक)
28 Small Minivet (निखार)

Following are some of the photos from the Session :

Red Throated Flycatcher Female -
This photo is taken with Canon 70-200 F/4 + Kenko 2x Teleconvetor - with 2x the autofocus dose not work so have to manually focus. This is the first time i have tried 2x also it was first time I tried Monopod (Nilesh's). Its works great. The Quality of 2x teleconvetor is much much better than I expected ! Monopod increased my shake-less photos !!!

: Click on Photos to see Larger Version :

All other photos are with Canon 70-200 F/4 + Kenko 1.5x Teleconvertor + Canon 7D

Oriental Magpie Robin Female (दयाळ)

Pied Bushchat Male (कवडा गप्पीदास)

Oriental White Eye (चश्मेवाला)

Ashy Prinia ( राखाडी वटवट्या )

Green Bea-Eater (वेडा राघू)

Comments and Critiques welcome,

Regards,
Sameer

Monday, January 17, 2011

Morning Walk in Karnala on Jan 16 2011

Dear Friends,

On 16th Jan 2011, I went to Karnala. It was my most awaited trip since I started with Bird Watching. Being nearest Bird Sanctuary to Mumbai, I was planning for this since long, but somehow it was never materialized until last Sunday. Though I have been to Karnala 3-4 time before for Trekking and Climbing, And never noticed any bird in sanctuary then (Never Tried to see :P )

I left from Thane early morning and reached Karnala Gate by 7:00 AM. After getting ticket for entry I walked till Rest Houses. One the way can see many small birds like sunbirds, Red whiskered bulbul, Red vented Bulbuls, Drongo. I waited at rest house area for 10-15mins. As soon I reached there I saw one flock of Pompadour Green Pigeon came and rested on one tall tree, the Sun was not up and pigeons were waiting for it. While observing those I suddenly heard bird call from my right, saw Rufous Paradise-flycatcher, before I could get any shot it vanished in dense jungle, never seen again. (Thats the Largest Bird I saw that day apart from Parrots)

I could hear beautiful song of some bird and I guess that must be Shama, but never seen it. Saw Drongo sitting on the top of the tree and making noises, I guessed it irritated Erasian Golden Oriole, who swiftly jumped to that branch and drove away Drongo. Red Whisker Bulbuls were keeping me company everywhere I go so as Sunbirds flying in groups of 3-4 and making all possible noises they can.

I returned to Hariali Trail from Rest house, and started walking. Saw Purple Sunbird and Crimson Backed Sunbirds, Black Drongo, Bronze Drongo, Small Minivets, White-rumped Munia, Rufous tailed Shrike (confirmation required) , Reed Warbler, Brown Cheeked Fulvetta, Red Throated Flycatcher Female and Thick Billed Flowerpecker.

From Hariali trail i moved to Mor Taka Trail, this trail is longer and narrow. The jungle is more dense around this trail, On this trail I saw Plum Header Parakeets, Chestnut Shouldered Petronia, Golden Fronted Leaf bird, Rose Ring Parakeets. Also Saw in dense bushes Gray JungleFowl also one bird like and size that of hen but Brown-red colored might be Grey JungleFowl female, could not confirm as it was just fleeting view.

Though it shows on map that Mor Taka trail comes back to Rest house, but I notice that trail simply vanishes at one point and one is left with dense jungle ahead. I returned to Rest house and then returned back, did not attempted to go to fort way.

Final List of Birds seen after identifying unknow birds, Thanks to Dr. Vaibhav and P K Srivastava for identifying birds.

1. Red Whiskered Bulbul
2. Red Vented Bulbul
3. Pompadour Green Pigeon
4. Rufous Paradise-flycatcher
5. Black Drongo
6. Bronze Drongo
7. Erasian Golden Oriole
8. Purple Sunbird
9. Crimson Backed Sunbird
10. Small Minivet
11. White-rumped Munia
12. Rufous tailed Shrike
13. Reed Warbler
14. Plum Header Parakeet
15. Rose Ring Parakeet
16. Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
17. Golden Fronted Leaf bird
18. Gray JungleFowl
19. Brown Cheeked Fulvetta
20. Red Throated Flycatcher (female only)
21. Thick Billed Flowerpecker
22. White Throated Kingfisher

Following are some of the photos i clicked on the way.

Rufous tailed Shrike

White-rumped Munia

Golden Fronted Leaf bird

Crimson Backed Sunbird

Bronze Drongo

Chestnut Shouldered Petronia

Pompadour Green Pigeon

Small Minivet

Plum Headed Parakeet - Male

Plum Headed Parakeet - Female

Rose-ring Parakeets

Reed Warbler

Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

Red Throated Flycatcher Female

Thick Billed Flowerpecker

Thanks and Regards,
Sameer

Monday, January 10, 2011

Kharghar Hills Birding with BNHS on 9 Jan 2011

Dear Friends,

I went to Kharghar Hills Birding Trail with BNHS on 9th Jan. Kharghar Hills is Part of Hills which Covers CBD Belapur on North West Side. The easy way to reach Hills is from CBD Belapur Bus Depot, its hardly 10 min walking distance. The gate is along the Sion-Panvel Highway, but not directly on the highway, there is one road going parallel to highway, the gate is just 50-100 meters from the end of the bridge towards panvel side. Kharghar Hills is declared as Nature Park by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Access to this areas is allowed from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM only.

I reached the gate by 7:25 AM. Few people were already there. Once we registered with BNHS Volunteer Rahul. The trail guide was Julius, a knowledgeable volunteer of BNHS. Total some 20-25 people were there for the trail. We can hear lot of chirping of birds at the Gate itself.

This Nature Park has Motor-able Road through out. People from nearby area came here for Morning Walk, few came walking and many came by Cars !!!

Once Started on Trail along with Mr. Julius, we saw small birds commonly found in bushes. Julius was identifying birds by Call or by visual confirmation. He was also explaining about trees and bushes found along the trails. It was quite informative.

Looking at big mob birds were keeping safe distance from us, could not get any good photo of any bird. We walked till 10:30 AM looking for birds, trying to catch them in Camera. I saw few birds for the First time along with few commonly available everywhere.

Following is the list of Birds I saw:
- Tawny-bellied Babbler
- Plain Prinia
- Grey Breasted PRinia
- Ashy Prinia
- Golden Oriole
- Common Iora
- Purple Sunbird
- Palm Swallow
- Dusky Crag Martin
- Red vented Bulbul
- Red Whiskered Bulbul
- Oriental Magpie Robin
- White Throated Fisher
- Drongo
- Greater Coucal
- Green Bea eater
- Rose Ringed Parakeet
- Dove (Could not identify as flying fast)
- Indian Robin
- Black Kite
- Black Shouldered Kite
- Common Krestrel
- Booted Eagle (Pale Morph)
- Oriental Honey Buzzard - (Could not confirm)

After trail, I went along with Suvrashish Sarkar, to Vashi Mini Choupati, in hope to see some water birds, but the Shore Line was too far from Choupati, hence we came back empty handed.

Following are some of the photos I could manage to catch..

Tawny-bellied Babbler