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
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