Aaaaarey Aarey Aarey - The Green island (27.7.08)

The lashing heavy rains the previous night was threatening to dampen the MBC (Mumbai Birdwatchers Club) birdwalk to Aarey, Goregaon this Sunday (27^th Jul, 2008) and though the dark clouds and intermittent showers loomed over us, about 20 nature enthusiasts still managed to assemble for the trail instead of just sleeping off the morning and doing nothing in the confines of our concrete walls …… Everyone knew that the sightings would just be a bonus, but the excitement to make the most out of the wonderful whether, definitely reflected on everyone's faces ….. and it was more than what we could have expected.

Even before we started the walk, many Alexandrian & Roseringed parakeets that have a good population here and a Black hooded Oriole kept calling near the New Zealand hostel junction. Sunjoy briefed us all with the history and current status of this piece of green expanse which is now eyed upon by the land developers (mafias actually)….Once a flourishing centre, the governments apathy towards reviving this area for dairy development was evident with the pathetic conditions of Cattle sheds of which only few remain. With the current pressures from all corners, even this beautiful place would be someday lost under the artificial world of humans…..

Sunjoy also briefed us about the myriad life forms that abound this place in the form of birds, mammals, insects and plants and also on the leopard-human conflict that has kept this place in hot news in not so distant past.

There is a small pond clothed with water lilies and vegetation, which once harbored numerous water birds including Moorhens and Jacanas and used as a playground in summers, only produced a pair of Common Kingfishers and Little Grebe this time, infact I could locate an architecturally perfect yet a camouflaging "floating Nest" of the Little Grebe… one parent was seen incubating & the other feeding. A couple of Munias (probably Scaly-breasted) took off from a nearby bush even as we kept hearing the continuous calls of Ashy prinias and Coucals all over. A small flock of some Gulls were seen flying high up moving from west to east indicating that the season of bounty is not far. Further ahead a female Cuckoo with a really hoarse and exotic call kept the people confused for a while and the agile palm swifts continued their feeding in mid-air mindless of the water showers. The tailor birds were particularly vocal and active as well as the White-spotted Fantail flycatchers, one of which circled us for a few moments before it resumed its pursuits after the winged morsels. The Black Kites decided to shelter themselves on the many palm trees that dot this landscape.

I always feel that monsoon gives birders a reason to look around and appreciate other aspects of nature when the birds take refuge in the thick foliage ….. So, as the rains started pouring, we naturally diverted our attention around us surely to find many interesting small lives, each struggling for its survival. Stinging nettle caterpillars had devoured many plants yet were difficult to spot due to their amazing camouflage. A Signature spider here and a Lynx's spider there, a stink bug here and a katydid there, a looper caterpillar here and a Jewel beetle there kept, especially the newcomers amused. The green carpets of vegetation were looking very promising for the days to come and wild flowers had already started to peep in.

As we retraced, someone saw Black objects on the palm trees which looked slightly odd like stones placed high up , on having a closer view, these turned out to be 6 White-rumped Vultures resting lazily. These birds have become so rare these days that undoubtedly, they were voted by all of us as the "Bird (s) of the Day" and was a very heartening sight indeed. Everyone looked elated and rounds of discussion flowed, the reasons for their declines were discussed and how this particular small population has remained alive and sighted was shared.

We car-pooled and went to another site –the Nakshatra garden, where we saw some more birds. The spotted dove pair flirted with each other and the Common Ioras whistled to their mates from behind the leaves as if the lovers enjoying the mystical atmosphere. The Common Mynas and Asian Pied Starlings continued with their daily chores and a couple of Juv. Tailor birds played around. The White-breasted water hens, White-throated kingfishers and Yellow-eyed babblers were calling from far, while a grey-breasted prinia was announcing its mate that he is healthy and ready.

The Lush green carpets of vegetation were sprinkled with various colorful shades of wild flowers like the Indian Boraj, Balsam, Commelina, Bahunia, Tridax and Vinca.

With such a spiritual weather which can neither be bought even for a million dollars. nor one could get in any malls, the group was reluctant to leave the place, and we all decided to celebrate the heavenly atmosphere with atleast a cu-pa chai, with some garma garam wada and missal pav in the nearby "Tapri" …..It was nice to see joy on Little Ashok's face (Mrs.Nita Deb's Nestling :-), who was quick to remember many things that were seen....

Sunjoy and Kiran (Shrivastava) wanted to photograph some flowers, so some of us again went back while the rain stopped briefly and were rewarded with sightings of a couple of Common Mongoose. I was also fortunate to sight a lone Chestnut tailed Starling, a male Baya weaver in breeding plumage, a black drongo mobbing a Shikra and an Ashy Prinia with some nesting material frantically building her abode.

All in all a wonderful morning spent amidst a heavenly weather with quite a few wonderful sightings including the now rare Vultures…..

Pity for those who decided to spend their Sunday confined in the artificial walls :-)

Happy Birding!!

Warm Regards,

Adesh Shivkar

(Co-ordinator-MBC)

Indian Pitta in Karnala WLS

What an incredible birding it was this weekend (1.6.2008) …….Karnala Bird Sanctuary reverberated with the natures symphony lead by our target bird, the Indian Pitta several of which were accompanied by White-Rumped Shamas and myriad of other resident species. However, an unusual highlight was that of singing Grey Headed Canary Flycatchers (probably c2)…..

The Enthusiasm to attend any MBC bird walk was evident as almost 18 people joined for the early morning birding even at a very short notice……it was also nice to see a couple of friends (Mr.Ajey Kelkar & Mr.Makarand Karkare) joining us all the way from Pune. A testimony on how popular the MBC walks are and this trip was no exception.

About 10 persons had already arrived in Karnala, a small bird sanctuary on the Mumbai-Goa highway and were seeing the Pompadour Green Pigeons, Grey breasted prinia, Crimson-backed Sunbirds, White-Rumped Shamas and some other birds when we joined at about 7.00 am. The open space near the newly built nature interpretation centre, just as you enter the gate is always very productive and I often spend considerable time here to see the birds showing up one by one…..and as expected, it was here that the drama unfolded.

Amongst the many species that were actively feeding on the trees, included the Golden fronted Chloropsis, Brown headed Barbets, Crimson and Purple Rumped Sunbirds,

White-Rumped Shamas, Thick-billed flowerpeckers, Common Iora, Small & Orange Minivets, Bronze drongos etc. The hot summer ensured that the birds were up early and were in a feeding frenzy……Just when I thought about the absence of any signs of Indian Pitta, I heard his distant but unmistakable 2 note whistle ”Wheet-whiyou”…..a very loud call for a bird of Myna size…..I challenged him with a similar call…..the Pitta responded to the challenge and started coming closer and closer and closer……finally he came and sat very near to us on a tree of medium height….our calling continued and he was in no mood to quit, he was out there to prove that he is healthy and furious……As I moved forward calling…..he followed :-)

The Indian Pittas or "Navrang" as it is often called in Marathi / Hindi, because of its rainbow colours, are passage migrants to our region during mid may to mid June, with sporadic breeding records from Mumbai region and regular breeding records from South Maharashtra (Sindhudurg, Chiplun, Ratnagiri etc)…… they, then proceed towards Central and North India to nest. It is far easier to locate them on passage during summer when they are very vocal….and equally difficult to get noticed (and hence few records) when they are returning back to South during October, as they are silent by then…..they probably stop on passage for few days to rest, feed and then continue their journey.

While this was happening a male White rumped Shama that had a nest nearby was getting annoyed and he too joined in the chorus…….The quality of Shama call is rivaled by none, and it was not surprising why our great old man considered this bird as our best songster……it was an amazing experience to see this wonderful songster, singing full throttle, so close to us ….. nearby, more Indian Pittas were calling now (atleast 3) ……. and the forest was now full of bird calls….all (people and birds) were so excited; it was evident on their faces ;) ….the female Shama was seen carrying nest material in a tree hole with the male keeping a vigil for any alarm………..the heat was killing us, so we decided to move towards Hariyal trail.

The Hariyal trail (Hariyal = Marathi Name for Green Pigeon, the state bird of Maharashtra) added few more birds to the list, including Brown cheeked Fulvettas, Racket tailed Drongos, Chestnut shouldered Petronias, Baya weaver (all females feeding on a tree), Black napped Monarch, Bulbuls, Tailor bird etc…..further ahead near the stream we heard calls of Changeable hawk eagle and Crested Serpent eagles.

The Shady cemented parapet close to the forest rest houses, provided us the much needed rest…..This is traditionally a good place to see Shama, and not only did we see more Shamas, but also witnessed an amazing experience of how even Shamas, mimic calls of other birds to perfection (calls of drongos, Serpent eagles were executed to perfection) infact it even tried to mimic me when I was trying to imitate Brown cheeked Fulvetta, its call had a human whistle like quality…….some Puff-throated Babblers were also seen rummaging in the undergrowth …… an Indian Pitta landed on a branch close to us…..I thought, lets see if it responds to the imitation……I gave a ”Wheet-whiyou” and…..ttthhhherrre he responds with a puffed breast ”Wheet-whiyou”…..Wow ;)…..The Pittas are usually encountered rummaging on ground for worms and grubs, but when singing, they prefer high branch, from where they puff their breast, face the gods and deliver this 2 note whistle…..

While all this orchestra of sorts was going on, we heard yet another bird singing not very far…..it was a very familiar and unmistakable song of Grey headed Canary flycatcher. Now this was something unusual, because this species is supposed to have gone to breed in the Himalayas long back. We even checked, whether a drongo or Shama were mimicking (a strong possibility), but the calls / song were consistent and repeated continuously for a long period….”te… te…tu..twiet” . There were infact 2 birds calling, though we did not see, I was sure of its presence. These might be the late migrants still moving from far south (probably Srilanka) to their northern breeding grounds.

All of us had already started walking back by 9.30 am, amazed and satisfied, carrying back a memorable mornings experience provided by the birds with their melodious symphony …. The call of Indian Pitta still rings in my ear.

Though we did not see the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher or any Cuckoos, we hope that the coming monsoon will bring a new leash of life, hope and Joy…..

Till then……”Wheet-whiyou”

Regards,

Adesh Shivkar

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary - Fact File

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

About Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

The beauty of the Western Ghats, the majesty of Maharashtra, and the blessings of nature make this place a real treat for the nature lovers. The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most beautiful wildlife sanctuaries in India.

The Bhimashankar wildlife Sanctuary was declared by the govt. of Maharashtra on 10th Oct 1985 as a reserve forest for the Malabar Giant Squirrel and a huge number of other animals and birds. It covers 130.78 sq. km of forest. The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is positioned at an altitude of 2100 feet to 3800 feet, and is located in the Ambegaon taluka of Pune District, Maharashtra, infact; it is spread over the districts of Pune, Raigad and Thane districts of the north-western part of Maharashtra. There is a shrine in the forest of the wildlife sanctuary, which has one of the 12 Jyotiralinga temples of Lord Shiva. The valley found beyond this temple is a wonderful combination of shrubs, magical herbs and plant life and serve as the catchments area for the Bhima, Ghod and Arala rivers, which empty into the Krishna. It receives heavy monsoon rainfall of approx. 6000 mm annually.

However, this forest has also seen some turmoil in recent years from tribals who have felt unjustly burdened with the declaration of a wildlife sanctuary in their ancestral environment. The undulating Bhimashankar plateau straddles the main ridge of Western Ghats with its peaks and flat ridge tops.

The easiest way to reach the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is to drive down from the city of Mumbai, which generally takes around 7 hours (approx. 250 kms). The best time to visit the wildlife sanctuary is from the months of October to May. The tourists are suggested to carry camping gear, dry snacks, binoculars, woolen clothes and mosquito repellents. One can also trek from Karjat side, from the foothill village of Khandas (36 kms from Karjat station). There are 2 paths – Ganesh ghat (Easy) and Shidi Ghat (Tough), but both paths traverse through amazing forest with rich bio-diversity.

This is one of the best habitats in the Western Ghats for the giant squirrel and there are confirmed sightings of tigers. However, tourism projects which seek to build in the heart of the forest threaten the arboreal ecology of these creatures. Proposed roads also threaten the forest, as do development projects designed to cater to the needs of pilgrims who visit the nearby temple complex.

Trails:

There are several trails in the sanctuary; some of the well defined trails are as follows:

1) Gupt Bhimashankar Trails (1.5 kms long straight walk): This trails traverses from the south of Bhimashankar Temple through a magnificently dense forest with high canopy trees. One of the best trails to see the Malabar Giant squirrels along with scorpions, and reptiles that rest under the rocks and crevices. Also a good trail to see the Western Ghats endemic birds like White-bellied blue flycatchers, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Yellow-browed bulbuls etc. There is a temple “Sakshi Vinayak” at the end, from where the trail drops down towards a stream. Here there is a Shiv lingam which is called “Gupt Bhimashankar”… there are small perennial water puddles that attract many species of birds and butterflies and has plenty of Water boatman and water skatters (insects)…..This trails futher leads to Bhorgiri caves down the valley.

2) Nagphani Trail (2 kms long with steep, but easy climb): This is the highest point trail and stands at 3696 feet. Once at the summit, you are left breathless not so much from the climb, but from the vista that opens in front of your eyes. You can see a brilliant sunset from the peak. The ground looks like a black and green patchwork quilt with little clusters of villages thrown in for a touch of red. A number of tiny lakes glisten like rubies in the translucent reddish glow of the setting sun. Serpentine rivers meander gracefully around sleepy villages like skeins of raw silk. The skycap is dominated by forts and neighboring hill stations, like Matheran that jut out proudly into the sky. This trail is very good for watching raptors (Birds of Prey) with regular sightings of Common Kestrel, Shaheen falcon, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Crested Serpent eagle, Black eagle etc. The “Padar gad” , Tungi and Peth fort is just below on the plateau towards Karjat and A Hanuman temple is situated at the base of the summit. The top is also famous for the carpets of wildflowers just after the monsoon.

3) Machaan Trail (1 km from adjacent to MTDC resort and straight, easy walk): This trail traverses from near the MTDC resort and the terrain is more or less open with good visibility. There is a tiny machaan(watch post) erected by the Forest Department near a small Dam (Which is usually dry in Summer, but always has water on the other side of the wall) and a small temple dedicated to “Bhagadevi”, the forest Goddess of Bhimashankar. Extremely productive trail for mammals like Mouse deer, Barking deer, Sambhar, Hare and good place to see Nightjars in the evening. I have seen Leopard Pugmarks on this trail, almost on all occasions that I have been.

4) Forest Rest House (1 km from opp. MTDC with steep, but easy climb): This walk traverses thro’ a good number of tall trees, especially Ficus species and a very good trail to see bird species like White-cheeked Barbets, Chloropsis, Black Bulbuls, Flycatchers, Brown cheeked fulvetas etc. At the end of this trail, there are settlements for Forest staff and offers a very nice panoramic view of the surrounding forest.

5) Koli Village (3 Kms steep trek down towards Karjat side): If you are trekking from Karjat side, then you will have to pass through this village, before reaching Bhimashankar. Otherwise one can climb down from Bhimashankar to reach here, which is situated on a plateau. Tough a steep trail, this traverses through a nice forest rich in Biodiversity with plenty of insects and birds including Shamas, Orange headed and Malabar Whistling thrush, Orange Minivets, Flycatchers etc. The Villagers sell nice and refreshing “Butter milk” for the trekkers climbing from Karjat side. There are plenty of open habitat birds near this village where Rice and Nachni are cultivated in the fields.

6) Ahupe Forest (19 Kms from temple, with 7 kms of good road and then a walk of about 11 kms): As you near Bhimashankar, approx. 4 kms before, there is a small tar road towards your right, which travels through one of the few remaining primary forest patch, extremely dense and pristine. The tar road ends up till the Kondhwal village (approx. 5 kms from the main road). This is an amazing place, very quite and cool. From here, one can descend down to “Siddheshwar fort” and further down towards “Naneghat”. The first few kms where one can go by road is very very rich in birdlife with sure sightings of Crimson-backed Sunbirds, Orange headed Thrush, Black Bulbuls etc. Near the Kondhval village the cultivated fields offers Bee-eaters, Malabar and Syke’s Crested larks in plenty

Though these are well defined trails, any jungle path is very productive in Bhimashankar and the surrounding countryside...

Fact File:

Location: Western Ghats Of Maharashtra

Coverage Area:130.78-sq-km

Main Attraction: The Home Of Malabar Giant Squirrels, Birds, Insects, reptiles and Medicinal herbs

Accommodation: Small restaurants cum basic rooms for the devotees near the temple (ranging from Rs.300/- onwards, Dormitories ranging from Rs.100/person onwards)

Blue Mormon resort (about 9 kms before the Temple), price ranging from Rs.900 / room onwards- Excellent

Hyde Park (about 7 kms before the temple), price ranging from Rs.450/- onwards – Basic

Electricity: The Temple area is now connected with electricity and telephone. However the mobile range is only limited to BSNL as of now, but one can get range of other mobile services from the various high points.

Food: Small Dhabas and Restuarants serve basic Vegetarian food, however, due to shortage of drinking water (supplied by water tankers daily), bottled mineral water is recommended.

Travel:

By Rail: The nearest railway station is at Pune

By Air : The nearest airport is at Pune.

By Road: The road distance from Mumbai is approx. 255 km via Malshej Ghat

Nearby Excursions: Temple of Lord Shiva, Dimbhe dam, Nagphani point for a superb view of the plains below and the surrounding Western Ghats, Bhorgiri caves and other nature trails as given above.

Medical Facilities: The nearest hospital is approx. 47 kms in the town of Ghodegaon.

Ideal Road routes from Mumbai:

Via Malshej Ghat: Mumbai – Thane – Kalyan – Murbad – Malshej Ghat – Junnar – Ghodegaon – Dhimbhe Dam town – Bhimashankar (approx. 252 kms from Sion, Mumbai)

Via Lonavala : Mumbai – Vashi – Panvel – Khandala – Lonavla – Chakan – Rajgurunagar – Manchar – Dimbhe Dam town – Bhimashankar (approx. 240 kms from Sion, Mumbai)

Personally, I would prefer the Malshej Ghat road, because of good road, thin traffic and scenic beauty ;)

Flora:

It contains relic forest with a high diversity of endangered evergreen tree species many of which are endemic to the Western Ghats. The main forest of this sanctuary is the southern tropical semi evergreen forest. Tourists can find wide range of plant life, magical herbs, and shrubs. The major flora found in Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary includes Bamboo, Palas, Babul, Bija, Salaia, Tendu, Dhawda, Zizphus Helicteres, Khair, Sal, Terminenalia species, Casia Auriculata, Bel, Hiwar, Teak, Hirda, Behada, Jamun, Ficus ssp., Anjan etc. The commonly found shrubs include varieties of Isora, Vitex Nigundo, Solanium Giganteum, Lantana etc. and many species of herbs, climbers, grass and ferns.

In the monsoon season, one can spot a bioluminous fungi growing on some trees. The fungus gives out a faint glow that makes the tree trunks shimmer gently in the darkness of the night.

Fauna:

The area is rich in fauna since there is variety of forest types in the sanctuary. The wild life found here includes Malabar Giant Squirrel (of the ssp. Ratufa indica elphinstonii), Leopards, Barking Deer, Sambar, Wild Boar, Langur, Hares, Pangolin, civet cats, and occasionally Hyena. More than 150 species of birds are found in Bhimashankar WLS and the surrounding areas (Checklist at the end). Among the birds one will be able to find are White-Bellied Blue flycatcher, Puff-throated babbler, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Brown cheeked Fulvetta, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Black Bulbul, Indian Black Bird, Black Eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Emeral Doves, Oriental turtle dove, Grey Jungle Fowl and many, many more. One might get to see the great butterfly and moth brigade including several species. The Insect life is tremendous here and the reptiles are in plenty.

Best Time to Visit: For Birds October to May, For Insects and Reptiles, July to Dec, For Wildflowers Aug to Nov.

Permissions: There is an active forest dept. office very near to the start of the temple steps. Though not many restrictions to roam around on the trails inside the sanctuary, you are not allowed to venture inside the forest after dusk.

About Malabar Giant Squirrel (Shekru in Marathi)

The sanctuary is famous as the home of a highly endangered subspecies of the Malabar Giant Squirrel - Shekaru ( Ratufa indica elphistoni), which is also the state animal of Maharashtra ! The animal is extremely shy and almost never comes down from the trees where it stays. The giant squirrel is mainly arboreal and so needs a thick canopy of trees to move around in, look for food. The giant squirrel has a distinctive rust-coloured fur and shrill cry. It lives either on its own or in pairs, making nests at the high ends of branches, well away from the reach of predators. It lives all its life on the trees, leaping upto 20 feet between branches and trees. It could make upto six nests on trees so as to take shelter in the nearest one during a crisis. Its breeding season extends from March to April and again from September to October.

Road Map from Mumbai and Pune:

The Legend of Bhimashankar

The Bhimashankara temple is a composite of old and the new structures and is built in the Nagara style of architecture. It is a modest yet graceful temple and it dates back to mid 18th century. The shikhara of the temple was built by Nana Phadnavis. The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is also said to have made endowments to this temple to facilitate the carrying out, of worship services. As with other Shiva temples in this area, the sanctum is at a lower level.

This temple is closely associated with the legend of Shiva slaying the demon Tripurasura associated with the invincible flying citadels Tripuras. Shiva is said to have taken abode in the Bhima form, upon the request of the Gods, on the crest of the Sahyadri hills, and the sweat that poured forth from his body after the battle is said to have formed the Bhimarathi River.

Bhimashankar is a beautiful black rock structure built in the Nagara style of architecture, the temple dates back to the mid 18th century. Believed to have been built during the reign of the Peshwas, the temple surprisingly displays a relic of the Portuguese time, a large bell hanging between two huge pillars in the courtyard. A small path behind this temple leads to a natural Shiv ling in the riverbed, a short distance down stream, only visible when the water level is low. Besides the temple, the two picturesque lakes, Kamalja Devi and Hanuman and the highest point,

Although the structure here is fairly new, the shrine Bhimashankaram (and the Bhimarathi river) have been referred to in literature dating back to the 13th century CE. Saint Jnaneshwar is said to have visited Tryambakeshwar and Bhimashankar.

For more on this, click here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimashankar_Temple

http://www.jyotirlinga-tour-india.com/bhimashankar-jyotirling.html

Below Bird Checklist is compiled by me and should not be considered authentic in a sense.....I have only included the resident species in the list so far (will update it later)

No.	Name	Status
1	Grey Francolin	UC
2	Blue Breasted Quail	UC
3	Jungle Bush quail	UC
4	Rock Bush Quail	UC
5	Barred Button Quail	UC
6	Red spur fowl	UC
7	Painted Spur fowl	UC
8	Grey jungle fowl	O
9	Indian pea fowl	O
10	Lesser whistling duck	UC
11	Spot Billed Duck	UC
12	Rufous woodpecker	O
13	Heart spotted woodpecker	O
14	Brown capped pygmy woodpecker	O
15	Yellow crowned woodpecker	UC
16	Lesser yellownape	UC
17	Streak throated woodpecker	UC
18	Black rumpedflameback	C
19	White Naped woodpecker	UC
20	Brown headed barbet	UC
21	White Cheeked barbet	VC
22	Coppersmith barbet	O
23	Malabar gray hornbill	UC
24	Indian gray hornbill	UC
25	Common hoopoe	UC
26	Malabar trogon	UC, Rare
27	Indian roller	UC
28	Common kingfisher	C
29	Oriental Dwarf kingfisher	UC
30	White throated kingfisher	VC
31	Pied kingfisher	UC
32	Green bee eater	VC
33	Pied cuckoo	O
34	Common hawk cuckoo	O
35	Eurasian cuckoo	UC
36	Lesser cuckoo	UC
37	Banded bay cuckoo	O
38	Grey bellied cuckoo	O
39	Drongo cuckoo	O
40	Asian koel	C
41	Greater coucal	VC
42	Puff-throated babbler	VC
43	Vernal hanging parrot	UC
44	Rose ringed parakeet	C
45	Plum headed parakeet	VC
46	Malabar parakeet	UC
47	Indian swiftlet	UC
48	Asian palm swift	C
49	House swift	C
50	Alpine swift	C
51	Crested treeswift	VC
52	Collared scops owl	C
53	Eurasian eagle owl	UC
54	Brown fish owl	UC
55	Brown wood owl	UC
56	Spotted owlet	O
57	Jungle Owlet	C
58	Grey nightjar	VC
59	Indian nightjar	VC
60	Savanna nightjar	UC
61	Rock pigeon	O
62	Nilgiri wood pigeon	C
63	Green imperial pigeon	UC
64	Oriental turtle dove	C
65	Laughing dove	VC
66	Spotted dove	VC
67	Red collared dove	UC
68	Eurasian collared dove	UC
69	Emerald dove	VC
70	Pompadour green pigeon	O
71	Yellow footed green pigeon	UC
72	White breasted waterhen	UC
73	Purple swamphen	UC
74	Common coot	UC
75	Eurasian thick knee	UC
76	Little ringed plover	UC
77	Yellow wattled led lapwing	UC
78	Red wattled lapwing	C
79	River tern	O
80	Black shouldered kite	C
81	Black kite	VC
82	Egyptian vulture	UC
83	White-rumped vulture	UC
84	Long billed vulture	UC
85	Short toed snake eagle	O
86	Crested serpent eagle	VC
87	Black eagle	C
88	Shikra	C
89	Oriental honey buzzard	VC
90	White eyed buzzard	C
91	Tawny eagle	UC
92	Bonelli’s eagle	C
93	Changeable hawk eagle	O
94	Common kestrel	C
95	Red necked falcon	UC
96	Amur falcon	UC, Pasg
97	Laggar falcon	UC, Rare
98	Peregrine falcon	UC
99	Little grebe	UC
100	Little cormorant	UC
101	Indian cormorant	UC
102	Little egret	UC
103	Cattle egret	VC
104	Indian pond heron	VC
105	Black crowned night heron	UC
106	Black ibis	UC
107	Woolly necked stork	UC
108	Indian pitta	UC, Pasg
109	Asian fairy bluebird	UC
110	Blue winged leafbird	O
111	Golden fronted leafbird	VC
112	Bay backed shrike	UC
113	Long tailed shrike	O
114	Southern grey shrike	UC
115	Rufous treepie	C
116	House crow	VC
117	Large billed crow	VC
118	Eurasian golden oriole	UC
119	Black hooded oriole	C
120	Large cuckooshrike	O
121	Small minivet	O
122	Orange minivet	VC
123	White throated fantail	C
124	White browed fantail	UC
125	Black drongo	C
126	White bellied drongo	O
127	Bronzed drongo	UC
128	Greater racket tailed drongo	O
129	Black naped monarch	VC
130	Asian paradise flycatcher	UC
131	Common iora	VC
132	Common woodshrike	C
133	Malabar whistling	VC
134	Indian Blackbird	VC
135	Orange headed thrush	VC
136	White bellied blue flycatcher	C
137	Blue throated flycatcher	UC
138	Tickell’s blue flycatcher	C
139	Oriental magpie robin	VC
140	White rumped shama	VC
141	Indian robin	C
142	Pied bushchat	VC
143	Chestnut tailed starling	O
144	Brahminy starling	O
145	Common myna	O
146	Jungle myna	VC
147	Black lored tit	UC
148	Eurasian crag martin	UC
149	Dusky crag martin	VC
150	Wire tailed swallow	O
151	Red rumped swallow	O
152	Streak throated swallow	O
153	Red whiskered bulbul	VC
154	Red vented bulbul	C
155	White browed bulbul	O
156	Black bulbul	VC
157	Yellow browed bulbul	VC
158	Gray breasted prinia	O
159	Jungle prinia	UC
160	Plain prinia	C
161	Ashy prinia	O
162	Zitting cistcola	UC
163	Oriental white eye	UC
164	Blyth’s reed warbler	UC
165	Common tailorbird	VC
166	Indian scimitar babbler	C
167	Tawny bellied babbler	O
168	Yellow eyed babbler	UC
169	Large gray babbler	UC
170	Jungle babbler	VC
171	Brown cheeked fulvetta	VC
172	Indian bush lark	O
173	Ashy crowned sparrow lark	C
174	Rufous tailed lark	UC
175	Malabar lark	VC
176	Sykes’s lark	VC
177	Oriental sky lark	UC
178	Thick billed flowerpecker	C
179	Pale billed flowerpecker	VC
180	Purple rumped sunbird	C
181	Crimson backed sunbird	VC
182	Purple sunbird	VC
183	Crimson sunbird	O
184	House sparrow	C
185	Chestnut shouldered petronia	C
186	White browed wagtail	O
187	Paddyfield pipit	VC
188	Tree pipit	O
189	Baya weaver	UC
190	Indian silverbill	O
191	Scaly breasted munia	O
192	Grass hopper warbler	UC
193	Richard’s pipit	UC
194	Blyth’s pipit	O
195	Jerdon’s nightjar	UC
196	Plain Flowerpecker	UC
197	Intermmediate Egret	O

VC = Very Common: Almost 100% Sighting

C= Common: Most likely to see

O= Occasional : Seen sometimes

UC= Uncommon : Least likely to see

Rare= Scarce records

Pasg= Passage Migrant : Possible in this season

Images from Corbett - March 2008

Ghost of the Grasslands

This female Hen harrier was scanning the Dhikala chaurs (Terai grasslands) one late evening when quite abruptly it braked mid-air, looked down and launched an attack on something in the grass…..unfortunately, we were late and could not find what the prey was…….Surely, for not only the reptiles and rodents, but also for the small birdes like stonechats, prinias, munias and cisticolas……the harriers loom over them like the "Ghosts of the grasslands"…. …

Flamingos of Mumbai ....

The word flamingo comes from the Latin word for flame or fire. They are referred to locally by many names – in Marathi they are called “Rohit” or “Raktak”. In Hindi, they are called “Agni Pankh” or “Rajhans” and in English they are called “Flamingo” or “Flame Bird”…….The pink colour in their plumage is due to the “Beta carotene” rich food in the form of blue green algae and Shrimps (In zoos the flamingo food is often mixed with carrots that contain this pigment)…even their flesh is pink in colour…As the breeding season approaches the lesser flamingos (adults only) are adorned with rich pink colour all over the body, with wings and legs getting almost scarlet ……When-ever, I see the flashy wings of these flame birds, I often remember the famous dialogue by Amitabh in his film “Agnipath”……and I recite the dialogue in AB style…….“Agnipankh, Agnipankh, Agnipankh” ….


The lesser flamingos before leaving the shores of Mumbai to their breeding grounds…..perform a spectacular display that is rivaled by none…...Even if you do not get any images…...its an amazing experience to just watch this…..the bright pink adults group together in tight formations (sometimes over 300 adults) and move around adorning their lovely plumage, twisting and turning their necks, right & left, up & down, side to side, opening their wings in between, a flap here & a flap there, tapping their delicate feet in water……they march together to announce that they are ready and healthy…resembling like the flames rising from water……...this is what I call “The Flame Dance”


A "Pat" of flamingos dancing (Group of flamingos is called a "Pat").....is one of the strangest, most breathtaking sights in the natural world.....it is amazing to see this spectacle in the heart of one of the worlds most populous cities "Mumbai.....The lesser flamingos have specific feeding requirements unlike the Greater and the effluent rich warm waters released by the surrounding industries provide rich source of food for these pink beauties......But the pollutants that attract them here may also be slowly poisoning them in a long run.....These "Dancing Flamingos" of Sewri can be best seen in the months of April and May…..here you can see the spectacular “Broken Neck” display which is a part of their dance ritual :))

The myth of the legendary Phoenix has been around for centuries…It goes like this…..”The Phoenix is a legendary, beautiful, brightly colored bird of great size. Its plumage resembles the flames it rises from upon its rebirth from the ashes, combining orange and red hues. Its eyes glow a deep ruby red”…...The Flamingo is often associated with this mythical bird. The Early Christians thought that the flamingo was the basis of the legend of the Phoenix and viewed it as a metaphor for the resurrection of Christ. Phoenix is the Greek word for "red", which links this magical bird to fire and the sun, hence its family name Phoenicopteridae …. This image reminds me of that mythical bird “The Phoenix” that rises from the ashes like fire....

Some FAQs on the Flamingos of Mumbai:

1. What are Flamingos and why are they pink?

A Flamingo is a beautiful long legged pink feathered wading bird found in India, Africa, Europe and South America. It has a large down turned beak and have broad pink wings with black tips. Some flamingo species like the greater flamingo can reach upto 5 feet in height and weighs upto 4 kgs. They live upto 20 years in wild.

The word "flamingo" stems from the Latin word meaning flame. Flamingos obtain their pink/orange/reddish coloration from what they eat. A diet high in carotenoid pigments (same stuff in carrots) gives the flamingo feathers their trademark coloration. Young chicks are pale to white in color and it is believed that flamingos won’t mate until they obtain their color. If flamingos do not receive enough carotene in their diet, they become malnourished and turn pale.

Flamingos sometimes stand on one leg while resting. They stand on one leg to shift their weight to a better rested leg. Flamingos have webbed feet which help to support them on soft mud. They can also swim. A gathering of flamingos is called a pat.

2. Where do flamingos live?

Flamingos live in lagoons, or lakes, where there is lots of mud and water. Flamingos use a variety of habitats: mangrove swamps, tidal flats, and sandy islands in the intertidal zone. The depth of the water is especially important not only for feeding but for nesting. Hence they often have to migrate in search of a good and favorable habitat to survive.

3. What do flamingos eat and How?

The typical flamingo diet consists of diatoms, seeds, blue-green algae, crustaceans, and mollusks that they filter out of the water. Using their long legs and partially webbed feet, flamingos will stamp on the muddy bottom of lagoons to mix the food particles with the water. They have a unique beak that is lined with comb like lamellae (similar to whales) which help them to filter out water and take in their food. Flamingos drink fresh water.

4. How do flamingos breed?

Flamingos live in large groups all year long called colonies. Tens of thousands of flamingos can live in one colony! Within a colony, flamingos breed in pairs during the breeding season. Every pair of flamingos does not breed every year; however, breeding flamingos are able to reproduce by the age of about six. There is no specific season associated with breeding, but it seems to be correlated with rain. Nest building may depend on rainfall and its effect on food supply.

When they are ready to lay eggs, birds will form pairs. Within the whole colony, groups of birds will be engaged in courtship displays -, a predictable sequence of displays including marching and head turning, calling and preening. Several hundred to several thousand flamingos are all doing the same behaviors at the same time. This helps to synchronize breeding within the colony, so that most of the birds are laying eggs or raising young at the same time.

Every flamingo does not nest every year. When they do nest, they typically lay one large, white egg. The nest is built of mud, small stones, and feathers on the ground and is in the shape of a volcano.

5. What do nestling flamingos eat?

Parent flamingos do not regurgitate food for their young the way most birds do. They feed their nestling a liquid substance called 'crop milk' (Like the pigeons), a secretion of the upper digestive tract stimulated by the hormone prolactin. Crop milk is dark red in color and very high in fat and protein and is produced by both male and female birds. Both parents nurse their chick for about two months until their bills are developed enough to filter feed.

6. Where do they come from in Sewri Mudflats?

Though studies have not been done, it is believed that the flamingos migrate to Sewri all the way from Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, where they are believed to breed in huge numbers of almost half a million. About 10000-15000 flamingos come to Sewri and the neighboring places in the month of November and leave back in the month of May or June.

7. Why do they migrate?

When conditions become unfavorable in their breeding grounds like drying up of water, food shortage, they have to look up for a new and favorable place to spend the winter. They spread across the country in search of such places, sometimes migrating to the same locations year after year. Since Sewri also is an ideal place, some of them migrate here.

8. Why do Flamingos come to Sewri?

Flamingos not only come to Sewri but also in other places like Vasai, Trombay, Thane Creek and also travel to other parts of India like Chilika lake in Orissa, Pulicat Lake and Point Calimer in Tamil Nadu.

However, Sewri mudflats are preferred because it provides the right habitat (Muddy shore) and plenty of food. This food that contains blue-green algae, brine shrimps and mollusks thrive on the increased silt and pollution that is thrown out from the surrounding factories. Moreover, since the Sewri bay is surrounded from all sides by important and sensitive companies (like BPCL and HP refineries and fertilizer companies like RCF) and also because the Mangrove acts as a buffer, the flamingos gets some protection too.

Over the years a lot of siltation has occurred in the Thane creek, because of various reasons like destruction of mangroves, more effluents and waste products from the industry, sewage disposal in the creek, soil erosion in various places, reclamation at most of the places, construction of big complexes near the coastal area…..because of this the water is shallow here and algae growth is fast.

9. When should one come to see flamingos in Sewri?

Flamingos are best seen in Sewri at least 4-5 hrs before the high tide, when the tide is coming in or 2 hrs after the high tide…..During the high tide, the flamingos move away in the mangroves for rest and return back to feed during the low tide.

However, you can see them all the time during low tide, but they are very far from the shore. Alternately, one can hire a boat from Mahul side to have a closer look. The ideal time to take a boat is 2 hrs after the low tide.

10. Why are flamingos not found on Sandy beaches?

Flamingos are very selective in their habitat. They prefer only Muddy beaches and not sandy beaches, because they get their food (Blue-green algae & Brine) only in muddy shores. Hence these flamingos are not found on shores like Alibaug, Juhu, Girgaum chowpatty or Dadar chowpatty which are sandy shores.

The Greater flamingos on the other hand can also live in freshwater marshes, hence they can be seen on large rivers in Pune, Malshej Ghats, Orissa or even in yamuna river in Delhi.

11. How many different types of flamingos are there in India and in the world?

There are 5 species of flamingos: Greater, Lesser, Caribbean, Andean, Chilean, and James. The James flamingos are a sub-species of Greater flamingo. The Lesser flamingos are the smallest of all the species of flamingos and the Greater flamingos is the largest and has by far the widest distribution.

In India (and in Sewri) we get 2 species of Flamingos – the Greater Flamingo and Lesser Flamingo. While the Greater flamingo are more taller with a black tipped grey beak, whitish eyes and more white in body colour…..the Lesser flamingos are smaller, more pink with dark beaks and red eyes. In Sewri 95 % are lesser flamingos.

12. Are flamingos endangered?

In reality, all flamingo populations have undergone a rapid decline in their populations, since they live in large groups in concentrated numbers in fragile wetland habitats that could easily become polluted, fragmented (divided up into smaller un-usable pieces).

The flamingos worst enemy is man, who destroys the bird's habitat, directly by using the land for other purposes or indirectly by changing the natural processes that occur on that land (water depth, water quality, salinity).

13. Are flamingos safe in Sewri?

Not really…..apart from the poaching (hunting) by locals for food, the flamingos in Sewri are facing a major threat from the proposed Nhava-Sheva sea link that has been given a nod by the centre and will be constructed by Reliance. This proposed sea-link (bridge) will go right from the flamingo bay (Starting from Sewri Darga) upto Nhava-Sheva Port, a distance of about 22 kms.

The construction of this bridge will surely affect the movements of flamingos in Sewri. It may also possible that, because of the disturbance, the flamingos might not visit Sewri at all in future. Not finding enough food in their feeding grounds may adversely affect the breeding of flamingos and their numbers decline.

14. What are the other birds found in Sewri?

Apart from the star attraction i.e. Lesser and Greater flamingos, Sewri also harbors many other species of birds particularly waders (several species that wade in water / intertidal shores for food), egrets, herons, kingfishers, kites etc.

Most of these waders are of different species that include Sandpipers, Stints, Shanks, Plovers, Curlews, Whimbrels etc and majority of these birds are winter migrants coming to sewri from as far as Siberia, Central Europe and the Himalayas. They too start arriving here in October and migrate back to their breeding places in April – May. During the month of April, it is a preety site to watch waders in their breeding plumage, when, not only they look spectacular, but also easy to identify.

Birdwatchers have noted more than 120 species of birds in and around Sewri. Thus Sewri is a major wintering habitat for thousands of birds and its existence is very critical for their survival. Sewri is declared as an IBA (Important Bird Area)

Bhimashankar – The Sacred Forest !!

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary has always been my favorite birding spot and over the many times that I have had opportunities to visit this place, it has always held me mesmerized with its magic…..there is something mysterious about this place. Not just the birds, but a mere feel of this evergreen forest makes me want to go here again and again.

Wanted to plan a trip for Mumbai Birdwatchers Club to Bhimashankar and so decided on a quick "Rekki" trip to see if I could get a good staying place at a reasonable cost. With this intention, I decided to make a visit all the way by bike along with my good friend Shaunak Pal. This place is about 252 kms from where I stay in Sion, Mumbai (approx.127 kms from Pune) and indeed this was going to be a hectic drive in the hot summer month.

I took the Mumbai-Badlapur-Mhasa-Malsej-Junnar-Ghodegaon-Bhimashankar route that traverses through one of the most beautiful countryside around our region. Though hot, it was a wonderful journey all thro' the way with very good road and less traffic (Only a couple of bad patches)…….It took us around 7 hrs to reach there.

Bhimashankar, as the name suggests is a Pilgrimage centre famous for one of the 12 "Jyotirlings" – Shiv Temple. While this place has seen some heavy crowd over the years, it still remains one of the less visited "Jyotirlings" due to its distance and poor facilities. However this has kept the forest intact to a greater extent compared to the other Pilgrim centers and the forest dept. has done well here……Bhimashankar is situated at an elevation of approx. 3296 feet and thus qualifies as a very good hill station and is also designated as one of the Important Bird Areas (IBA) by Birdlife International. This sacred forest has typical north western ghat vegetation with evergreen and mixed deciduous trees, plants and medicinal herbs and has been especially reserved for Malabar Giant Squirrel or "Shekru" (In marathi), the state animal of Maharashtra, which is found in good numbers here. It also harbors many endemic bird species and is good to visit any time of the year depending on what interests you……in monsoon, this is a good place for insects, amphibians and reptiles…..in Oct/ Nov it is good for Wild flowers and from Dec to May/ Jun it is good for birds…….here in May/ June the water dries up in most of the streams and only some perennial water puddles remain and it is a good time to see birds and mammals coming to these waterholes.

The Place around the temple is degraded with many houses and small restaurants……the facilities are basic….only last year this place was connected with Telephone (but no mobile range except BSNL)……the staying can be arranged at any one of the small make shift hotels and dormitories…..there are only a couple of good hotels (Hyde Park and Blue Mormon Resort), but they are 9 kms from the Temple and outside the sanctuary, which is good….we stayed at one of the "Buddha Vihars" without electricity and open toilets ;)).....there are several trails here ...some of the wonderful trails being..."Gupt Bhimashankar" trail, "Nag Phani" trail (Highest point), Machaan trail, Ahupe Ghat trail, Forest Rest house trail etc.....

As soon as we reached, we just dumped our bag and headed for the "Machan" trail that goes behind the MTDC resort (Now closed for renovation)…..here in Bhimashankar the sparrows and crows are replaced by Red Whiskered Bulbuls and Black Bulbuls….infact they are so numerous that we could have counted them in hundreds…..this trail always rewards with mammal sightings and we immediately hit upon our first of Mouse deer (later we saw another) that dashed off so quickly that we could just ID it…..a couple of Juv.Bonelli's Eagles were seen playing in mid air very far off, but their features showed well…..while looking at the eagles, another huge eagle suddenly rose in front of us….it was so close and looked huge that for a moment we wondered what species it was, but it turned out to be a juv. Crested serpent eagle…..it circled for sometime and flew at a distance…..and just as I was wondering why it came so close to the ground that I got my answer …..after a few paces, to our left on the ground was a magnificent Cobra about 5 ½ foot basking on the rock with its hood open……what a specimen it was and what an attitude it had….the serpent eagle probably came for this snake, but was disturbed by our presence……the snake then coolly slithered away amongst the rocks…..Wow, what an experience to start with…..

At the Machan point, while we waited patiently near a small water hole…..the Juv.Bonelli's eagles again showed up followed by their parents….. imagine 4 Bonelli's eagle flying towards you and passing over your head…..I was so engrossed that I forgot, I had a camera….it was too late by the time I attempted any images and could just manage a couple of poor shots…a barking deer sensed our presence and gave an alarm call…..we realized we were too close to their comfort and decided to return back…..on the way back we again came across the same Cobra, scanning its territory unmindful of the danger from the eagles above…..a couple of Emerald Doves and Nilgiri wood pigeons showed up well. We traversed thro' a dense patch of forest to come up almost 3kms on the tar road leading to Bhimashankar and on the way saw a forked tailed Oriental Honey Buzzard (Probably moulting tail), many Black Birds (of ssp. nigropileus), White-rumped Shamas calling melodiously, Green Bee-eaters, Blyth's pipit, Small sunbirds, Calls of Indian Pitta…..It was almost 7.30 pm and the light had faded, the myriad Horseflies were bothering us incessantly, the crickets had started calling in otherwise a silent walk and suddenly an animal came crashing down a tree at the edge of the road…..it was an Indian Palm Civet……

The Evenings and mornings are very cool in Bhimashankar and you don't really require fans even in May, so not many houses have one. Early mornings is also time for natures call…..and when you are at it in open, having a blissful time, you get a very good opportunity to watch the bird activities without movement and with patience ;))….A hare flushed out from his rest startled a greater coucal that went scampering like a road runner, a black bulbul was busy with incubating in his nest on a medium sized tree, a Pied Bush chat male was busy carrying food for its nestlings and black birds were seen singing from top of trees.

The morning was quite a buzz with bulbuls, Puff throated and Scimitar babblers, B.Cheeked Fulvetas, Small sunbirds, White cheeked Barbets, Tickell's Blue flycatchers. The Orange headed thrush were particularly vocal……we tried the "Gupt Bhimashankar" trail. This wonderful trail (that goes uptill "Bhorgiri' caves) traverses thro' thick canopy forest and is particularly good to see the Malabar Giant squirrels, White-bellied blue flycatchers and Yellow browed Bulbuls…..we did see them in good numbers along with a blind snake and plenty of scorpions (atleast 3 species)……the "Gupt Bhimashankar" spot (approx.1.5 kms south of the temple) has many perennial water puddles where many birds come to bath and quench their thirst (this trail is highly recommended in summers)….here we saw Emerald doves, O.Headed Thrush, Black Bulbuls, Giant squirrels, a lone Oriental turtle dove and a Paradise flycatcher…..the puddles were infested with water boatman and water beetles…..On our way back, Shaunak got a very beautiful "Mumbai Shield-tail" snake….this yellow and blackish blue snake has rough tail scales hence the name….it burrows under the soil and thrives on earthworms….

In the evening, we traveled the 9 kms to check on the resorts and came across many Malabar larks, paddyfield pipits, an Oriental Honey Buzzard chasing cattle egrets, a Black shouldered kite, Pied bushchats…..The Blue Mormon resort is the only deluxe resort in the region (and quite expensive) with suites, bungalows, rooms and cottages nicely tucked away overlooking a deep valley, complete with helipad et al. for the ministers that come to the temple in a hope to wash their sins…..co-incidentally a Blue Mormon butterfly was seen flying around the resort …….in the night, saw a Jackal near the Bus stand and several Indian and Savanna Nightjars calling……

There is a place not very far from Bhimashankar which is so dense and pristine that it is one of the best primary forest patches found in north Western ghats – the "Ahupe forest", which is approx 16 kms North east of Bhimashankar…..this is one patch which is not explored much….there is a small road that leads to this place, but after about 5 kms (uptill Kondhwal hamlet), the road becomes virtually non-existent and you have to literally walk down 11 kms to reach here….. We off course started early and could go upto Kondhwal by bike…..here the feel of the forest is a different experience, so quite from the madness of humanity….the area near a dried up waterfall gave us many Nilgiri wood pigeons, Plenty of Shamas, a Common Kestrel, Black birds (with nest) and Black bulbuls (with nest), Scarlet Minivets, Jungle Mynas, M.Whisling thrush etc….on the open cultivated fields near Kondhwal hamlet, we came across many Malabar and Syke's crested larks together, a calling Bay banded Cuckoo, Shikra, Crimson sunbirds etc.

We were so mesmerized with this magical place that we didn't realize that we are getting late (It was almost 10.30 am) and we had to drive back in the scorching sun…… and like always the return back was much boring….not much photography, but the memories that we took back were much more valuable from this Sacred Forest – Bhimashankar.

Happy Birding !!

Adesh Shivkar

Amur Falcons in Mumbai

I was at home on 19th Nov'07 (Monday) when I got a call from Shashank Dalvi at 5.45 pm that a Friend (Mr.Kevin) has spotted some birds circling in a big group somewhere near Matunga...... I called Kevin immediately and he confimed that while travelling (in train) via Matunga Road station, he saw some birds in a huge flock that were not looking like kites, near and above Matunga station.....offcourse I suspected Amur Falcons, as this is the time when they are on passage migration over Mumbai....

Within 20 mins (on my bike) , I was at the spot where Kevin had mentioned but could not find any bird....Just when I thought that, they might have moved on.....I saw some smokish patch in the clouds that was moving towards Dadar Chowpatty / Hinduja Hospital......on close observation
thro' my binocs, that was indeed a small cloud of birds moving high up, however, I could only see the silloutte......I raced towards Dadar chowpatty, just in time to get a glimpse of what it was.....and lo behold.....they were indeed "Amur Falcons".....about 250 to 300 of them....I could just, but clearly see the unmistakable falcons with some showing the whitish contrast to darker wings and were circling and moving towards Bandra reclamation...still a bit high up....I suspected they would roost somewhere there for the night.....I saw them only for a couple of mins, before they moved from sight and it was too dark (6.20 pm) by then.....my God....what a fantastic moment that was......

I was twice lucky in this week, as again on 22nd Nov'07, I had been to Gawlideo hills with Julius Rego and we had a wonderful sighting of a pair of Amur falcons hunting insects in mid air (I got some record shots) ....the pair was zooming in air at breathneck speed, hunting for insects and gave us good views for about half an hour...

*Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis*), formerly known as Eastern Red-footed Falcon, breeds in south eastern Siberia, China & Mongolia and winters in South Africa. It is a passage migrant to India....seen from Mid Nov. to Mid Dec. and again in April while returning.....

It is an unmistakable falcon with slaty grey (sooty) colour and red legs.....the underparts has white contrasting with grey.....the females look like Common Kestrel females, but with a dark eye mask and thin tail band..... They are gregarious while on migration and are often encountered in huge nos.

Apparantly Amur Falcons are passage migrants to our region particularly sighted during this time (Mid Nov to Mid Dec.).....Interestingly Shashank Dalvi sighted and Photographed 1000+ Amur falcons in Nameri National Park (Arunachal Pradesh) on 11th Nov......then Dr.Vaibhav Deshmukh sighted 3-4 of them in Alibaug, Near Mumbai on 18th Nov.....and I saw about 250
- 300 hovering Amur falcons in Mumbai (Near Dadar Sea shore) on 19th Nov.....They again migrate back in April........2 years back we sighted 4 Amur falcons in March in Bhimashankar WLS...about 250 kms from Mumbai East....

There have been regular sightings of Amur falcons from Mumbai region in recent years (Mine is this 4th sighting) in 3 years....

I have taken some record shots of the pair in Gawlideo....click below to view these...

http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=30993

and

http://www.indianaturewatch.net/displayimage.php?id=30992

To Know more about this raptor....click below.

http://www.globalraptors.org/grin/SpeciesResults.asp?specID=8225

and

http://www.answers.com/topic/amur-falcon?cat=technology



*Regards,*
*Adesh Shivkar*

BTW: As I parked my bike and ran towards the shore like mad and started looking up thro' my Binocs....smiling and obviously very very excited.....there were scores of people who were quite amused looking at me and wondering what this chap is upto looking at the sky and laughing like a
freak :)