Monday 5 January 2015

Visit to Chakki Modh: 04 Jan 15

I got up yesterday morning with a good mind to do some birding and Chakki Mod was ideal spot or so I thought. The weather at chandigarh was predicted to be gloomy, I had a feeling that the Chakki Mod would be okay so I decided to take a chance and just got up and went. I was late in the sense that I generally am out of the house by 5 / 5:30 but today I was just walking to my car at 0700 - the sunrise being at 07:22 or so. 

Reaching the turn of Chakki Mod - there was not bird at all behind the shops. It was a disappointment and not a good beginning so as to say. Next stop was at the fan factory tea stall and it made up for all the short comings. The highlight was an Albino - red-vented bulbul. It seemed to be of a larger size but finding no reference I summed up the bird to be an albino bird only.

Albino Red-vented Bulbul
Long Tailed Minivet
This is also the place where I saw a Long-tailed Minivet, Crimson Sunbird and a pair of Slaty-blue Flycatcher. The male of Slaty-blue Flycatcher gave a photo opportunity but the female was just too busy.

Crimson Sunbird


Crimson Sunbird

Slaty-blue Flycatcher

 Other than this I drove upto 3 km short of Bhognagar and the list of species I was was impressive. However the main attractions during the period were: -

Black chinned Babbler
Verditer Flycatcher
Rusty Cheeked Scimiter Babbler
Rufous-breasted Accentor
Whiskered Yuhina
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker
Red-fronted Serin
Rufous bellied Niltava
Red-billed Leiothrix
Black Chinned Babbler

Verditer Flycatcher

Rusty-cheeked Scimiter Babbler

Flock of Red-fronted Serin

Closeup of tree with Serins

Rufous-breasted Accentor

Rufous bellied Niltava (Male)

Whiskered Yuhina

Whiskered Yuhina

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker

Red-billed Leiothrix (also know as Peking Robin)

13 comments:

Sumeet Mukherjee said...

Beautiful pictures, I have never been to Chandigarh before, however this post of yours is giving me inspired thought to visit there some time soon.
Which months usually are good to visit?

S S Cheema said...

The best months for birding would be in winters and end winters i.e. Apr.
The winters have lot of migratory birds over and because of snow up in Himalayas the birds move down. In April the Breeding season starts and the plumages are at their best.
But then in summers there a lot of birds that are resident and can impress so many.
The bird race is that is why organised in Feb - the team with highest count was 175.

Sumeet Mukherjee said...

Thanks a lot! Are you based out of CHandigarh, if i come down there, will i get the opportunity to go out birding with you in the weekends.
In the mean time if you come down to hyderabad, i can show you around.

S S Cheema said...

Sumeet please leave me a message well in advance - will tie up the needful. We have a strong birding community in Chandigarh. Best is also to leave a message in mail. Look forward t your visit.

Sumeet Mukherjee said...

Cheema

This sounds quite encouraging. I am reaching Chandigarh on 23-May-15 (Saturday) noon and will be there 24-May - Sunday (full day) 25-May - Monday (full day) and 26-May untill noon.

Can I get the privilege to do some birding with you please? Chandigarh is a new place for me and it will be really helpful if somebody interested in birding tags along. I will be having a car of my friend so don't have any problems with conveyance.

Let me know your plans please

Bhupesh K Goyal said...

Hi Col Cheema! Heartening to see the beautiful pics of your birding trips. Educative for a juvenile birder like me!

Bhupesh K Goyal said...

Hi Col Cheema! Heartening to see the beautiful pics of your birding trips. Educative for a juvenile birder like me!

S S Cheema said...

Sumeet - I am sorry that we could not get together for birding in May but next time definately. +Bhupesh Thanks for such encouraging comments.

Harmeet Basur said...

Hi. This really seams like a very interesting birding spot. So needed some help with the directions. I mean I can see it on the Google map but it seems like a bug area. Any tips on spots one should look for once one is there. I know it's last minute but planning to go there tomorrow. Cheers

S S Cheema said...

@Unknown - please mail me at cheema.ss at the rate gmail dot com and I will try and help you with directions
Regards

Makarand Saraf said...

Greetings from Mumbai Sir. Another great article Sir. I am planning to go to this place in December when I will be in Chandigarh. Just wanted some information from you about the birding points here. Is it necessary to stay here overnight? Or it can be covered in a single day? This will be my first visit to this place, so any bit of information is highly appreciated. Thanking you in advance. I can be reached on makarandsaraf@gmail.com Looking forward to hearing from you.

Unknown said...

Hello Sir...Planning to visit at March end. Can you please tell me some particular places of birding in Chakki Modh? It is not clear from Google. Also any lens specification for good photography...I have a 70-300 telephoto lens

S S Cheema said...

Please ping me before your visit date to sscheema@outlook.com. Will try and tie up.