(old trip report, thought - could be of some help)
Trip Report – Chakrata and Deoban, Uttarakhand
Dates: 12 May 07 to 15 May 07
Birders: Dr Sudhir Oswal, Dr Chander Kumar Ballal and Suresh C Sharma
12 May 09 (Saturday):
Left Sonepat at 0615 hrs and drove to Asan Barrage via Yamunanagar-Paona Sahib without stopping at Kalesar.
A whistle stop at
Asan Barrage. (stopped at Asan and scanned the reservoir from 1215 to 1300 hrs) Full of water, no sign of Pallas’s Fish Eagle about 150 ducks still left, including Pintails, Shovelers, Gadwalls, 3 Red-crested Pochards, Brahminy Ducks, Spot-billed Ducks, Garganeys, 3 species of cormorants together, a few Openbill and Painted Storks. Coots and Little Grebes also present.
FRI Dehradun. By 1400 hrs we had arrived at FRI and checked in Room No 178 in the Annexe. Ramana Attrey and Dhananjai Mohan joined us and after having some birding talks and tea, 3 of us birded along the nearby bird trail. Black Eagle was the first bird we saw in flight, Drongo Cuckoo calling from atop a dried branch of a tree, Greater Flameback, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Grey Hornbill, Jungle Myna, White-eyes, Grey-breasted Prinias, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Spangled and Black Drongos, Puff-throated Babbler, Grey-bellied and Common Hawk Cuckoos, Asian Koels, Spotted and Emerald Doves, Blue-throated Flycatchers, White-throated Flycatcher, Egyptian Vultures, Black Kite, Jungle Babbler, Tailorbird, Brown-headed Barbet, Himalayan and Red-vented Bulbuls, Purple Sunbirds.
Bikram Grewal’s House in Dehradun. We reached Bikram’s house by 1700 PM and quickly walked up to the
FRI at night. One hour birding at night produced Brown Hawk Owl (calling), Spotted Owlets (calling) Indian Cuckoo (calling), and fleeting glimpse of a nightjar near girl’s hostel. Great surprise was the call of ’ka phal pa ko’ of Indian Cuckoo even at 2230 hrs (1030 PM)!!
(13 May 07 - Sunday) FRI in the morning. Woke up early and were on the move by
Left Dehradun at 0745 hrs for Chakrata, 13 May 09.
Chakrata. Reached Kalsi at 0845 hrs and spent sometime at the Edict of Ashoka, because the gate opens at 0930 hrs. Dr Ballal, being a neuro-surgeon attended a Muslim patient nearby – his name Shamsher Ali, whose wives were already crying thinking him dead, luckily he survived.
Indian Cuckoo was calling at Kalsi. Reached Shayya at 1030 where while waiting for the gate to open, some birding around produced Asian Paradise Flycatcher (one white male) and a few Grey-hooded Warblers. One handsome Great Barbet also made an appearance. Striated Prinias were also observed singing their songs between Shayya and Chakrata. 2 Himalayan Griffons were soaring overhead. Upland Pipits were calling in the suitable habitat.
Reached Chakrata and checked into DFO Residence (now FRH) made in 1888. Immediately on our arrived, Bar-tailed Treeceepers, Brown-fronted Woodpeckers, Grey-headed Woodpeckers, Verditer Flycatchers, Russet Sparrows welcomed us. We drove up to
Night stay at the FRH. A largish scorpion under the wash basin.
Day 3 (14 May6 07 Monday)
Devban (Deoban). Morning birding around the FRH produced Spot-winged Tits, Common Rosefinches, Hill Partridges, Black-lored Tit and other usual species already mentioned above.
After having the breakfast and getting the packed lunch, we drove at 0730 hrs for Deoban located at about 3000 meters ht, and reached there after two hours, birding all over the way. Deoban is very rich in bird life, significant birds included:
“Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrush, Himalayan Woodpecker, Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Blackbird, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black-throated Tit, Great Barbet, Eurasian/Oriental/Indian Cuckoos, Eurasian Tree-creeper, White-tailed Nuthatch, Yellow & Black Grosbeaks (4 – perched too high, could also be collared), Western-crowned Leaf-warbler, Greenish Leaf Warbler, Long-tailed Minivets, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, good view of Large Hawk Cuckoo, Eurasian Eagle Owl (captive and being used by a ‘quack’ roadside doctor in the open market at Chakrata).
Day 4 (15 May 07) : Morning birding began with the musical wake up calls of the Blue Whistling Thrush, then other birds, we could identify these birds by their calls – Hill Partridge, Asian Barred Owlet, Rufous Sibia, Oriental Turtle Dove, Grey-hooded and Brown-fronted Woodpeckers, Wedge-tailed + Pin-tailed Green Pigeons and Oriental Cuckoos). Drove back via Mussorie road.
(Typed on 29 August 09 in a tearing hurry from old notes)
Suresh C Sharma
Mr. Prabhat Bhatti and self visited the area beyond Morni on 16th of August 2009. While we were making our way towards Morni just ahead of Madhna village, we came across a group of European Rollers. What made the sighting interesting was the fact that there were 7 birds. Normally one dos not associate this bird with large groups (at least not in this area) as it is a passage migrant in our area and one or two birds are seen in a location. The rollers were enjoying a scrumptious breakfast of beetles and other insects. They were still at it when we returned but by then there were only 4 birds seen and they too were spread over a larger area. The Indian Roller is a bird known to migrate during the day bad weather seemed to have made them more pragmatic and so we were able to get nice photographs on the way back.
While making our way through the pine forest near Jorian we came across a Black francolin calling from the bough of a pine tree it was close and inspite of the poor light Mr. Bhatti was able to get a nice close up of the bird calling. It is always a pleasure to see this bird.
2 Rock Bush-quails (I suspect) walking along the berm of the road also made for a great sighting, as it is a rather uncommon bird. The picture that we got was not too good because of poor light would have loved to click a better picture of them. (The picture is with Mr. Bhatti and a closer look is needed to ensure that it is indeed the rock and not the Jungle bush quail)
Crested buntings were there in plenty Morni seems to be one of their preferred breeding grounds. Scaly breasted munia’s could also be seen ferrying nesting material. And so were the pied bush chats.
While at Saron we heard the Rusty cheeked Scimitar babblers, the Puff throated babblers and saw the black chinned babbler. Talking of babblers we came across a group of Jungle babblers, what made this encounter special was that they were feeding a Pied Cuckoo chick larger than themselves, much as we tried to coax them into giving us a clear picture they stuck to the safety of a thick lantana bush.
Saron was not its usual self, bird numbers were not high, overcast skies casting a dull spell over the avian fauna I suppose. We did see Black Bulbuls a Eurasian cuckoo, the Blue throated flycatcher (Male and female),The fulvous breasted woodpecker was very obliging and took out precious time from his morning grub hunting routine for me to make it’s portrait. A chestnut tailed starling amongst a group of Brahminy mynas and a golden oriole was also seen.
On the walk along the track leading up to Saron there is a thickly forested patch where we got to see the Jungle Owlet. It seems to be a resident as we have been sighting it around the same area regularly. (This Picture was taken on an earlier trip in the same area.)
Amongst the Prinias seen were the Grey breasted, The Striated Prinia and the Jungle Prinia. Of these the Striated has a distinct call which is always useful in making an
The Raptors seen were the oriental Honey buzzard and the Crested Serpent Eagle.
On the way back we came across two birds in the distance they appeared to be very large crows. There call rang out across the valley a distinct 4 note metallic call which makes me suspect they were Ravens. The sighting was near Madhna, size can be deceptive in the Hills so we decided to try and approach them, but before we could proceed on this long trek they saved us the bother by taking to the air. We also saw a flock of large billed crows riding the thermals in the area. We need to get a better sighting of these birds to confirm the ID so anyone going to this section please keep a look out for these birds.
Altogether a nice day out birding in Morni hills.
List of birds seen:
Common name Scientific Name
1. Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
2. Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus
3. Rock Bush Quail Perdicula argoondah
4. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
5. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
6. Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum
7. Fulvous Breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos macei
8. Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica
9. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
10. European Roller Coracias garrulous
11. Pied Cuckoo (Juv) Clamator jacobinus
12. Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
13. Drongo Cuckoo Surniculus lugubris
14. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
15. Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
16. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
17. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
18. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
19. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
20. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
21. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
22. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
23. Red Billed Blue magpie urocissa erythrorhyncha
24. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
25. Common Raven (Possibly) Corvus Corax Subcorax
26. Golden Oriole Oriolous oriolus
27. White throated Fantail Flycatcher Rhipidura albicollis
28. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
29. Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bottentottus
30. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus
31. Asian
32. Verideter Fly catcher Eumyias thalassina
33. Blue Throated flycatcher Cryonis rubeculoides
34. Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
35. Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata
36. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
37. Brown Rock Chat Cercomela Fusca
38. Streaked Laughing Thrush Garrulax lineatus
39. White crested Laughing Thrush(Heard) Garrulax leucolophus
40. Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus
41. Brahminy Myna Sturnus pagodarum
42. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
43. Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
44. Jungle Myna Acridotheres Fuscus
45. Great Tit Parus major
46. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
47. Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
48. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
49. Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus lleucogenys
50. Striated Prinia Prinia criniger
51. Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica
52. Grey Breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii
53. Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
54. Tailor Bird Orthotomus sutorius
55. Western crowned Warbler Phylloscopus occipiltalis
56. Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus
57. Rusty Cheeked Scmittar Babbler(Heard)Pomatorhinus erythrogenys
58. Black-chinned Babbler Stachyris pyrrhops
59. Puff Throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps
60. Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
61. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
62. Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis
63. Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus
64. Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura puntulata
65. Crested Bunting Melophus lathami
Narbir Kahlon
Chandigarh
Dear Parbhat,
Swaan Nadi forms the border between Punjab & Himachal.
The
We need to document this destruction & put up a report to Chief Wildlife Warden -Himachal & also follow up with DFO Hamirpur. When you come to
A word of caution- please maintain a low profile when you go to that area for documentation as the stakes are very high.
Regards- Navjit
_________________
I often go to Swan Nadi area for birds photography. The area is 60 kilometre long and situated between,Distt.Una,Himachal Pardesh from ,Distt.Ropar Punjab. This Swan Nadi area is the heaven for water birds . It was very rich habitat of the tallest flying bird in the world Sarus Crane, besides storks and ibises.
Local people say there were 100’s Sarus Crane about 20 year ago. Now the habitat of Sarus is destroyed by local people and H.P Govt. Large part of habitat comes under Swan canalization, remaining is being destroyed for industrialization and reclamation for farming. I saw 18 Sarus Crane in 2004, in2005 14 Sarus, in 2006 there were 11, in 2007only 9 Sarus were seen. And now only 4 pair remain. During the past 5 year, population has not increased .They are staying on small ponds.
We should do joint efforts to save Swan Nadi wetland area and to protect Sarus Crane habitat.
Parbhat Bhatti
9417370440
Gaurav Bhatnagar has posted three photographs of Caspial Plover, seen at Tal Chhapar, Rajasthan first by Mr Surat Singh Poonia a few days before, and then by Gaurav Bhatnagar and Harkirat Singh Sangha on 25 August 09. 
I arrived in Jaipur at
On arrival at TC, found Shri Poonia waiting for me. Without further ado, we proceeded to the sanctuary and immediately encountered a group of Blue-cheeked Bee-Eaters who are summer visitors to
Within 100 metres of Shri Poonia’s office, we started seeing the White-Eyed Buzzards which had gathered in large numbers in Tal Chhapar prior to migration. On the ground and on tops of Khejri trees that dot the TC grasslands. In a matter of few minutes, we saw atleast fifty ! All the birds were juveniles, with pale heads, dark streaking on rufous breasts and dark iris. During my stay at Tal Chhapar, I did not see a single adult which was somewhat disappointing. Later we saw a pair of Lagger Falcons, both juvenile. Encouraged by the sighting of the Laggars, we drove past an area of salt mounds and scrubby vegetation where a pair of Isabelline Wheatears and a Southern Gray Shrike were birds of interest. Further on, a lone Desert fox and a family of Indian foxes were notable ‘finds’. As the light was failing, we returned to Base.
Next morning, I left for the sanctuary at
Four Chesnut-Bellied Sandgrouse sitting pretty on the sandy ground were the birds seen later along with many, many White-Eyed Buzzards. By now the sun was shining furiously from a relentless, blue sky and the Buzzards were busy making quick meals of Spiny Lizards who happened to venture out from their burrows.
It was time to turn back and we returned by way of the salt mounds. The bird with the red cocked tail was again perched on the barbed wire and this time I got a distant shot and lo and behold it turned out to be the Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin. Going through Grimmett, I learnt that the RTSR is passage migrant through North-West
Rufous-Tailed Larks, Ashy crowned Sparrow Larks, Crested Larks, a Pipit which I thought was a Richard’s Pipit due to its longer hind claws, Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eaters, Southern Grey Shrikes and Isabelline Wheatears were the other occupants of the by now ‘famous’ barbed wire fence.
I had read about sighting of a Tawny Eagle in Tal Chhapar by Koshyji and I badly wanted to see one. Perseverance pays and near a water-body which had many Woolly-Necked storks was a magnificent adult Tawny in pale cream morph, sitting proudly on top of a tall tree.
After a delicious meal of parathas and curds in Shri Poonia’s house, I decided to try one last time for a photograph of the elusive RTST. It was almost
The Great Indian Bustards seen recently by
Images of the birds including Rufous-Tailed Scrub Robin are being uploaded separately.
1. Indian Roller
2. Eurasian Collared Dove
3. Red Collared Dove
4. Rosy Starlings
5. Common Mynah
6. Brahminy Starling
7. Common Babbler
8. Spotted Owlet
9. Brown Rock Chat
10. Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark
11. Rufous-tailed Lark
12. Crested Lark
13. Isabelline Wheatear
14. Southern Grey Shrike
15. Coppersmith Barbet
16. Chesnut-bellied Sandgrouse
17. Black Drongo
18. White-throated Kingfisher
19. White eyed Buzzard
20. Laggar Falcon
21. Egyptian Vulture
22. Tawny Eagle
23. Wooly-necked Stork
24. Richard’s Pipit?
25. Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
26. House Swift
27. Cattle Egret
28. Red-wattled Lapwing
29. Indian Pea-Fowl
30. Indian Crow
31. Green Bee-Eater
32. Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eater
33. Black Kite
34. Black Ibis
Manjula Mathur
I have read and heard of Black Drongos (Dicrurus macrocercus) having a
ferocious temper. Over the past couple of decades I have seen them
chasing off all kind of birds, once even a Brahminy Kite (Haliastur
indus) which is also known for its daring nature.
But in the last two months I have witnessed incidents of them being at
heights of pugnaciousness.
On 2 Aug '09, I sighted a pair guarding a small (apx. 20 feet tall)
dead acacia tree in Sultanpur Jheel National Park near Gurgaon,
Haryana. They were attacking all birds that dared to fly in the
vicinity. But I was taken aback when one of these pecked the crown of
a big peafowl that dared passed below their perch. The peafowl,
though, was unfazed and walked away at the same pace.
The other incident was a real shocker for me as I saw two of these
birds being very serious about their physical fight with each other.
On 25 June 2009, in Ranthambore National Park, on a game ride in a
Gypsy vehicle besides Raj Bagh Talao lake, I observed a pair of these
in a ferocious beak to beak bout. They were right in the middle of the
game road. For nearly 6 minutes we watched these two birds lock their
beaks, roll repeatedly side ways over the path and scream at the top
of their voice. Many safari vehicles had to take a detour off the game
road as these determined fighters refused to budge. This was a very
intense battle, the likes of which I have rarely witnessed in any two
birds of the same species. We had to leave the place as my co-tourists
were non-birders. But looking back at the intensity of this combat, I
some how feel this fight might have ended with one of them being
fatally wounded by the other. Please see the images of this incident
at http://tumkurameen.blogspot.com/2009/07/rolls-of-death.html
I would like to hear similar observations if any.
Best regards,
Ameen Ahmed
New Delhi/ Tumkur
INDIA
Posts
All Comments
