Birding in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh: Aug - Sep 2015

Let’s kill the details of Jagdalpur first - well its a city in Bastar district of Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Jagdalpur is governed by Jagdalpur Municipal Corporation and is the administrative headquarters of Bastar District and Bastar Division. It was also the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Bastar. It has the fastest growing population of Chhattisgarh and in 2014 had a population of 2,39,525. Being a small town with three lakes and fair amount of open spaces, when I came to know that I have to spend some time there I was excited about the birds that I will get to see there.

The first thing that I did was to log on to my eBird account and try to explore whether any birding hotspot was logged by anyone in past at that location. I was disappointed. It was as if I was the first one to do birding there with no birds logged in Jagdalpur and adjoining areas. All the same I was not deterred and decided that I will make the lists and upload them.

Finally when I started to start birding, I don’t know whether I was happy or disappointed. There were no lifers that added to my list of birds, but then with patience and some luck I was able to spot a fair varieties of birds with the lists spanning half a dozen birding sessions. (The lists as submitted to eBird are at the end of the blog post). The lists are not all of the birding that I have done at this place.

As I reached the city and moved towards my hotel (only one worth calling a hotel, pure veg and liquor free) I noticed that the city was generally dirty (no offense but 'Swach Bharat' called by Mr Modi has a long long way to go) and the house sparrows were really plentiful. Infact the birds that I saw here that day were the House sparrows, Asian Pied Startling and crows. Dirty or no I had to do what I had decided to do - Birding !!.

There are two places that I did birding primarily in Jagdalpur, the airport and the Dalpat Sagar. The entry to Airport is restrictive so I cannot speak for anyone else trying to do birding here. Dalpat Sagar is one of the three lakes in the city. There were more lakes but are now dry. Infact at Dalpat Sagar also show signs of  coming under pressure from two of the four sides by the expanding city.

Google Snapshot of the Jagdalpur town.

One of the most interesting birding spot that I have found anywhere in India so far has been the airports. They are restricted and there are pockets around it that are not touched and are full of bird life - especially the small ones. Unfortunately the larger birds are not tolerated in and around the airports and I will not dwell as to how they are treated, but will restrict to birding. The other great thing about this airfield of Jagdalpur was that there is very little fixed wing traffic, if at all. The rotary wing traffic does not mean requirement to eradicate birds, even though there have been bird hits, but fortunately they have not been serious.

So during the periods of no flying days or less flying times I took the opportunity and carried out birding within the premises. At the entry near the dispersal there is a clump of bottle brush trees and have all sorts of interesting birds coming there. One of the first ones that I saw there were the leaf birds, later identified as Jordan’s leaf bird and small minivets. Ofcourse there are a ton of Red-vented bulbuls, Oriental magpies (Nesting in the bottle brush tree), doves (Laughing dove, Eurasian collared and spotted doves) and Scaly-breasted Munia. Black drongo were also very common.

On around the runway Zitting Cisticola  was common along with Prinias, Asian pied starlings and one siting of three Little Ringed Plovers. That was probably due to the recent rains and water logging at one end of runway. There were also siting of a pair of Indian Nightjar on the western edge of the runway.

Google Snapshot of the airfield

Other than this Baya weavers were a plenty along with a couple of pairs of Asian Koel and Spotted Owlets. Every evening there used to be Asian Openbills and Night Herons flying overhead going either North or towards South. I really did not understand what could be so important that the same bird (aka Asian Openbill) one used to go one way to roost and the other one go opposite to it. That mystery did not really get solved till end.

Next was the birding along and around the Dalpat Sagar Lake. The lake has a periphery of almost 3 km and it had one clump of trees in the middle (as also seen on google snapshot posted below) so we did expect good birding there. We were not disappointed. as we went to the lake park on the eastern edge we sawa a huge colony of Black-crowned Night Herons, Little Egrets and Little Cormorants. The trees were huge and thick and that made the exact count very difficult but could be in a few hundreds. Here at the entrance we also saw a lot of Bronze-winged Jacanas and Common Moorhen.

Dalpat Sagar with the trees in the center visible

From there we started a walk on the northern side with the bund. There were open fields on the northern side and baring a few vehicles it was fairly peaceful. It is then we heard Baya weavers and every few trees we passed we could see activity males getting nesting material and not stopping for us in any case. Here a bird did a short hop flight and tried to blend in the reeds. Though it was not a Lifer but always a pleasure to see that sulking Yellow Bittern. A few steps forward Black Bittern (reported as rarity) by eBird hopped, flew a few meters and disappeared in reed. I would have loved a snap but it refused to oblige. Also here I chanced to look up and saw a few trees in the middle of the lake with a lots of movement. Peering through the camera made my heart skip a beat, there they were - hundreds of Asian Openbills. This took my score to two great breeding colonies of Asian Openbills. The first one that has been recorded in Danapur (http://cheemablog.blogspot.in/2015/01/birding-in-patna-and-around-jan-15.html) I have blogged earlier about it where almost 10% of the breeding Asian Openbill congregate to breed there. The amount of birds recorded there are almost anywhere from 8000 to 12000. So seeing here does not make it as big but an important breeding ground non-though-less. We spent time there to observe this beautiful sight and then moved on after about an hour or so. Another observation I had there was that the birds were breaking top branches of nearby Eucalyptus. These trees are introduced trees in India but that did not prevent them being used for nesting material by the Openbills. The next birds that I saw and loved them were the Streaked Weavers. I got some good shots of the females waiting nearby to inspect the nests being constructed by the males. It was already two and a half hours that we had been walking and birding so decided to call it a day and headed back. The list of birds are at the end of this blog entry. There are some birds that were observed and not included in the list submitted during these few days. The notable birds are Indian Golden Oriole, Common Kingfisher, three Bitterns namely Black Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern and Yellow Bittern

Well at the end of all this birding I missed seeing Common Hill Myna. Well I guess there will be some other time when I see them.

Jerdon's Leaf bird in the Bottle brush tree at the airport.

Black-crowned Night Heron one one of the tall trees (hence the odd angle of shot) on the Dalpat Lake entrance. Picture is highly cropped.

A Bronze-winged Jacana chick. On my two visits I found that one side of the lake Bronze-winged Jacanas and one side were the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas. Wonder why? Wonder why they were not overlapping territories. All the same the period of observation was too small to take it for truth perhaps.

Ashy Prinia were virtually omnipresent at the lake area and males calling out from the perches here, there and everywhere.

This Brahminy Starling gave us a shot just as it would have perhaps sat and posed in a studio.

One of the trees Asian Openbill breeding colony was found. The other tree is out of the frame and on to the left. Counted 100+ birds.

Baya weavers were busy constructing nests and wooing females to come and inspect them. This male went a step ahead and was ready to make and offering for home coming - oh what a sight it was.

Highly cropped record shot of Ashy Woodswallow.

Set of two shots showing Asian Openbill using Eucalyptus as nesting material.

It was fun watching Openbills coming one at a time and breaking the top twigs of a 100 feet Eucalyptus tree and flying away for nesting.

Streaked Weaver female at the lake. The males once again were busy weaving and females waiting nearby for inspecting the same.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana. On day one we spotted two pairs but the following day we found more than half a dozen pairs.

Grey-headed Swamphen (Earlier known as Purple Swamphen, Change of name in Aug 2015)

Indian Silverbill

Cinnamon Bittern. One of the three Bitterns seen at the lake. Three Cinnamon Bitterns, this picture is courtesy Capt Yella Rao. I was not carrying my camera.

The second Bittern of the three Bitterns spotted at the lake - Yellow Bittern. The third Bittern unfortunately could not be captured on the camera. Too shy, light too low and distance too great for my camera...

I have pasted my eBird list that I have uploaded over time regarding Jagdalpur sitings. There are a few birds missing due to software issue with eBird. I am getting that resolved.

Row #,Species,Count,Location,S/P,Date,LocID,SubID
1,Lesser Whistling-Duck,2,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
2,Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Cotton Teal),,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
3,Asian Openbill,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
4,Little Cormorant,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
5,Yellow Bittern,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
6,Black Bittern,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
7,Purple Heron,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
8,Little Egret,2,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
9,Eastern/Western Cattle Egret,3,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
10,Indian Pond-Heron,1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
11,Black-crowned Night-Heron,3,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
12,Black-shouldered Kite (Black-winged Kite),,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
13,Black Kite,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
14,Grey-headed Swamphen (Purple Swamphen),1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
15,Eurasian Moorhen,3,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
16,Red-wattled Lapwing,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
17,Pheasant-tailed Jacana,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
18,Bronze-winged Jacana,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
19,Rock Pigeon (Blue Rock Pigeon),1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
20,Eurasian Collared-Dove,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
21,Spotted Dove,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
22,Laughing Dove (Little Brown Dove),,None,IN-CT,31 Mar 2015,L3529196,S22797382
23,Asian Koel,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
24,Greater Coucal,,None,IN-CT,31 Mar 2015,L3529196,S22797382
25,Indian Nightjar,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
26,Common Kingfisher (Small Blue Kingfisher),1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
27,White-throated Kingfisher,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
28,Green Bee-eater,1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
29,Indian Roller,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
30,Coppersmith Barbet,1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
31,Ashy Woodswallow,6,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
32,Common Iora,2,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
33,Long-tailed Shrike,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
34,Black Drongo,6,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
35,House Crow,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
36,Red-vented Bulbul,,None,IN-CT,31 Mar 2015,L3529196,S22797382
37,Zitting Cisticola,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
38,Common Tailorbird,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
39,Ashy Prinia,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
40,Plain Prinia,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
41,Yellow-eyed Babbler,1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
42,Jungle Babbler,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
43,Oriental Magpie-Robin,,None,IN-CT,31 Mar 2015,L3529196,S22797382
44,Rosy Starling,3,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,18 Mar 2015,L3498004,S22797405
45,Asian Pied Starling (Pied Myna),1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
46,Brahminy Starling,1,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
47,Common Myna,,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
48,Purple Sunbird,,None,IN-CT,31 Mar 2015,L3529196,S22797382
49,White-browed Wagtail (Large Pied Wagtail),1,None,IN-CT,08 May 2015,L3623243,S23312832
50,Paddyfield Pipit,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
51,House Sparrow,1,Jagdalpur,IN-CT,17 Mar 2015,L3498004,S23642819
52,Streaked Weaver,10,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
53,Baya Weaver,,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191
54,Indian Silverbill (White-throated Munia),2,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0929x82.0201,IN-CT,05 Sep 2015,L3887130,S24892768
55,Scaly-breasted Munia (Spotted Munia),,IN-Chhattisgarh-Jagdalpur-494001 - 19.0777x82.0436,IN-CT,28 Aug 2015,L3873255,S24784191

Clamorous Reed Warbler. Another last moment addition as the bird was not identified till after I had posted the blog. Photo Courtesy Capt Yella Rao

Birding in Hyderabad: Jul-Aug 2015

It was a Monday morning when I came to know that I might have to go to Hyderabad for work and stay there for a month or so. Being a north Indian - I always look forward to birding in the South and I started working at the earnest making a list of the birds that I desired to see. Ofcourse all the birds were not on the lifer list - but then there are some birds that one would not mind any day at all. That apart there was one bird that had eluded me in the past and that was the ‘Blue-faced Malkoha’. I was hell bent that this should be part of my 'would be' bird. After these thoughts and going over the two three books that I refer for birding I was sure that I was going to have one hell of a time.

Preparing to go to a new city and birding also has some disadvantages...

Firstly, you are not aware of the hotspots that span so many seasons - you just have to be at the right place at the right time to make sure that you have good sightings. This one point does get mitigated to a point by the fact that if you do put in some hard work about the sightings on various groups and social media you will get a fair idea - as to what to expect and when and where to expect. eBird is another place that gives wonderful data about hotspots etc. The problem is that as of now the users are not the kind that can generate detailed analysis to rely on alone for birding.

Secondly, mobility is a big issue. I mean its damn bloody difficult to reason out and explain with a cab that you have to drive to so and so place, keep the pace right and when I Shout - “Bird” he has to look out for traffic and park in a manner that I can observe the bird from the vehicle or get down if the bird is of the kind that will allow me to sneak up to it without flying away. Then there are points that a birder only knows - like never drive straight towards the bird, approach it at an angle and look out for the comfort level - I mean if the birds shows signs that you are moving into its ‘personal’ zone - stop, see and decide. It is not only that - the end line is that even my past experience with cabs

Heart-spotted Woodpecker. This picture was clicked in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, on out way to Kanheri Caves. If you look at the spots you will find them heart shaped. A lifer for me and a great find as I was told not many people have reported seeing them in this park.

is that they make horrible people to go out birding with. Basically the finesse of appreciating and finding birds is lost on them.

I started knowing these disadvantages and started working on to neutralising them. Study and preparation I did meticulously, even to the extend that I started flipping the ‘Birds of Indian Subcontinent’ book and the app on my iPhone, iPad looking for the ranges of birds covering areas around Hyderabad. The list was not really physical - it was more of a brain exercise. Then  I ploughed through sites like Facebook and Indian Nature Watch looking for regulars who posted pictures of birds of Hyderabad online. Next I started searching for groups and clubs for Birding. The data once again was immense. Hyderabad is one of the places where you will find tons of birders. I also asked my friends from Chandigarh bird club if they could point out someone in Hyderabad who could perhaps take me birding there. Well like there have to be million foot-falls in malls to sell a packet of chips - I too know that a vast majority of birders are accepted with jobs and it is extremely difficult to ‘take’ someone out for birding - especially with not previous connect. All I could promise really was a reciprocation if some one came to Chandigarh and wanted to do birding.

It so happened that I was routed through Mumbai and I got a day off there. This meant that I would be able to explore ‘Sanjay Gandhi National park’. I promptly rang up one of my classmates there and asked him to be there for birding. It was a week day but lucky for me he said he will manage. I also came to know that the park opens at 5:30 in the morning. Well I was there at the park gates at 5:20 with camera dangling on my harness read to shoot. The moment I enquired  where I can buy tickets I was told that in the morning only joggers with bonafide passes can enter, visitors have to wait till 7:30. I stood there waiting for my friend also to fetch up at 7:00 AM. he was there dot on time and then we both waited for the gates to open. The gates did open dot at 7:30 and we were one of the first ones to buy a ticket. The weather was overcast and a not so good photography day. All the same I saw a shadow of three birds fly past and settle on a tree a couple of yards away. peered through the binoculars and did not see to much in the thick green cover of the tree. All of a sudden before we moved on the bird decided to hop on to a tree with little less cover. My heart knew no joy, three ‘Heart-spotted woodpeckers’ I got on to clicking a few dozen frames. As expected there were no great keepers but did get good record shots (Pic No 1). We there after moved on till the Kanheri caves stopping on and off looking out for birds, the weather turned even worse with off and on drizzle. The green cover was also too thick. We could hear a lot of birds but hardly any sightings. Next I had a desire to enter one of the core areas, the target species being ‘Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. We were politely turned back at one a the gates telling that we need permission from none other than the IFS. Off we went to the office and were told that the director arrives at 1030… and the wait again started. The wait was worth it for reason other than birding. I met Mr Vikas Gupta (IFS), Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The fine gentleman he was and perhaps for the first time I met a person holding such a responsible position and rank share his passion for the National Park. When I introduced myself as a retired army officer now birding and deeply into wildlife, it ensured a healthy discussion with Mr Vikas giving his insights how he intends to shape the national park over a period of time to ensure that people do not enter it with a preconceived idea of seeing a leopard - but for enjoying the Real forest as against the concrete one they are so used to seeing and feeling all their lives. I wish and pray that there a million persons like him looking after our forests, wildlife and natural resources. The permission was granted and the walk was nothing but marvellous. too many birds could not be sighted due to extremely thick foliage but like I said the experience itself was so rewarding.

On 10th I reached Hyderabad and sent out messages to whoever would care to listen…. Take me out please. The call was answered by Mr Sumeet Mukherjee to begin with. How I came in touch with his is another interesting story - some other time perhaps. He took me to Narsapur Reserve forest on 12 Jul. The experience was rewarding with 53 species logged in four odd hours with Jerdon’s Leafbird recorded as my lifer. Other than that the notable sightings were One Tickell’s Blue-flycatcher, 7 Yellow-eyed Babblers, 5 White-browed bulbuls, 2 Black-headed Cuckooshrikes, 1 Black-headed Ibis and two breeding pairs of Greater Painted-snipe. The list and the photographs are at the end of the blog.

Next break for birding was on 18 Jul at Bhadrachalam. The visit was cut short as the car that I took out for birding was suddenly recalled for some other errand. All the same the count was 20 species with no real Notable sightings other than seeing Lesser Whistling-ducks roosting on very tall date trees. I observed this for the first time. Once again the list is at the end of the writeup.

I had also posted a post on Hyderabad birds on Facebook requesting for a birder who could take me around. The call was answered by Dr Kamal Syed (Also a Nawab). I must introduce the gentleman also. He is not exactly a birder but a man with a heart for nature and all that is good around him. His company was pleasant and the time spent was great. He took me to Osman Lake near Gandipet on 30th Jul 15. This is one of the lakes built by Nizam to supply fresh water to Hyderabad. The state of the lake was bad, lack of monsoons in and around Hyderabad was evident. The lake had perhaps shrunk to one tenth of the erstwhile size, the catchment area around seems to have been up for grabs by farmlands and boards threatening of trespassing sprung around the lake. As far as the birding was concerned it was lesser number of species but more that can be listed as notable sightings. We sighted a total of 24 species. The lifer was Indian Courser. The notable were the numerous Indian Bushlarks, 22 Greater flamingos, 25 Eurasian Spoonbills (listed as rare in this area on eBird), 12 Yellow-wattled Lapwing, 7 Red collared Doves and 3 Pied-cuckoo. The list and the pictures are at the end to this writeup.

The last birding day, on 03 Aug at Hyderabad turned out to be an icing on the cake. My birding partner Capt Yella Rao was on leave in Hyderabad and he organised an otherwise impossible. Birding in ICRISAT Campus. The campus is around 1450 hectares with different vegetation and a few lakes. The campus is under UN so as to how he managed to get passes was nothing short of a miracle. We spent around three and a half hours, logged 45 species with a wonderful sighting of breeding colony of Great Cormorant (counted 39), 50 plus spot-billed ducks, Spot-billed Pelican, Oriental Darter, 8 Painted Francolins and all three varieties of Ibis found in india. 50 plus Baya weavers and Large-grey Babblers.

That wrapped up my Hyderabad visit with hopes of many more to come. I had been targeting some specific birds but unfortunately I could not find them. Those birds, though common and I was assured by whosoever I went birding with that they will definitely show me - did their trick and thus went with my wanted list yet to be ticked. The birds were Blue-faced Malkoha, King Quail and Painted Spurfowl. Well but then I did log some Lifers also so ideally I should be happy and looking forward to the next hunt at Hyderabad.

I would wrap up this blog entry (that has already been long overdue) by a quote I read today by Ashish Ram (The power of One)

One Song can Spark a Moment, One Whisper can Wake a Dream,
One Tree can Start a Forest, One Bird can Herald the Spring….

Do raise your voice for crime against Environment, Do do your bit for the Birds.

I got this great flock of bird at the Osman Sagar. Spot-billed Pelicans, Asian Openbill, Painted Storks, Spot-billed ducks and a lone Red-wattled Lapwing. Hmmm... have I missed anything ??

Red Collared Dove. It is a widespread resident of Indian plains, also called as Red Turtle Dove.

One more picture of a Red-collared Dove - but this time clicked in Osman Lake area.

At Narsapur forest I saw this huge flocks of Asian Openbills. What was more satisfying was seeing almost 60% Juveniles. They were fairly shy and flew off to the opposite bank of the lake as we approached the lake.

This one picture I wanted to include as a trick picture where you should spot the bird. I too saw it by chance only. Presenting the well camouflaged - Greater Painted-snipe.

They were snoozing at a pond and were in great numbers, counted 12 on a single place. Grey Herons

This picture was clicked in the Narsapur forest. Both Sumeet and self when we saw this bird had hopes that it will turn out to be some lifer for us. The bird was very frisky and hardly giving us a chance to study it in detail. It is only when we studied the pictures in the computers that we both realised that we had been looking at Pied Bushchat Juvenile.

One of the beautiful lifer of my visit to Osman Sagar Lake with Dr Kamal Syed. The Indian Courser. Also the birds gave us all the time to photograph them. A memorable lifer moment...

One of the two almost similar looking Sparrow Larks, the Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark is more wide spread in the continent. The Black-crowned Sparrow Lark is found in Western India only in Rajasthan and around only

The common Indian Bushlark, once again clicked in Osman Sagar Lake area.

The first time I saw Lesser Whistling-ducks sitting on such tall trees. These were not the only one however - there were virtually dozens of them on trees all around.

There was this craze pair of Golden Orioles jumping from one branch to another alternatively chasing each other. This picture was clicked on the day I had to abort birding while birding in Bhadrachalam (Telangana)

Always a ready poser this bird is. Common, beautiful, shy and bold all at the same time. As we turned back and started packing up we saw this group chirping around us. This particular bird gave some very good photo opportunity. Only the sun was glaring and shadows were just to strong to do justice to this beauty. Scaly-breasted Munia

Another lifer that I clicked in Narsapur forest. There was this pair of Jerdon's Leafbird that was fighting and warding off a Black-headed cuckooshrike. This picture was not really easy - with the birds perching and hopping every second. The sun too was strong - you can call this a lucky shot where the bird perched out of the thick bush and photoshop balanced the very heavy shadows.

This is the female of a beautiful bird - the small minivet. Seeing this female it would be difficult to guess the bright orange of the male but the male was just not ready to give a picture. Presenting here the Small Minivet

A partial picture that I used to count the no of Spot-billed ducks at Osman lake

When I got down to counting and recording the Eurasian Spoonbills, eBird reported these birds as 'rare'. I do not believe it as a lot of photographs of spoonbills come from Hyderabad area. All the same - presenting here the Eurasian Spoonbill flock. Ah - and yes there is a lone, tall and beautiful Greater Flamingo in the flock.

As I had written above the picture is of a male and a Juvenile Indian Courser. I did have a field day clicking these birds.

A opportunity snap of a Juvenile Yellow-wattled Lapwing.

I did click a lot of pictures of this beautiful bird (erstwhile State bird of Punjab) the Common Hooppoe. I am including this picture because this shows one of its very common acts. After it picks up an insect from the ground it tosses it in the air and gulps it down.

Ahhh our very own beauty - the Indian Peafowl - also our national bird. The beauty and grace of this bird in full plumage is what dreams are made of... I must add a note here - there is another variety of peafowl that India had - 'Green Peafowl' It has not been sighted for a long time and thought to be extinct.

This picture tells you why you should not drive offroad in open spaces and stick to the tracks as most of the times the birds that breed and groom chicks on the ground have chicks that can hardly be noticed and very easy to run or step over. More so their instinct is to lie low when threatened and you are likely to be completely oblivious of the fact that you have killed a budding bird. Do not off road during birding - especially during the season when breeding season is on.

Photographed all over the country practically but still does not stop to amaze. Richard Grimmett's book on Birds of Indian Subcontinent does not include Hyderabad in the range as published in the book but was there everywhere... Scaly-breasted Munia

The most beautiful of the three ibis we have in our country. The Black-headed Ibis in flight.

Purple Heron is a shy bird and not very easy to find. There have been times that I have been looking around for birds and this bird takes off a few feet from me. This particular picture was clicked in ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) a UN research body.

Indian Roller. The revered bird of the country. There are two rollers seen in India - this one pictured here - the Indian Roller and the migratory that visits India in winters - the European Roller

Baya weaver bird males are the hard working one - they build the nests. The girls (as pictured here) see the activity from a distance and then come in to inspect. There is a flurry of activity as the males 'sell' their homes to the home makers. If the nest is rejected - it is torn down and the male goes on to build it all over again.

Common Hawk Cuckoo or the brain fever bird. There are a total of 14 types of cuckoo found in the sub continent. This being by far the most common one.

The Great Indian Cormorant in breeding plumage. What a fine sight it was to see them at their nesting sight. It is the most majestic of all three Cormorants found in India.

Row #,Species,Count,Location,S/P,Date,LocID,SubID
1,Lesser Whistling-Duck,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
2,Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Cotton Teal),11,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
3,Indian Spot-billed Duck,14,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
4,Grey Francolin,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
5,Little Grebe,4,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
6,Asian Openbill,12,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
7,Painted Stork,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
8,Great Cormorant,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
9,Little Cormorant,4,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
10,Grey Heron,6,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
11,Purple Heron,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
12,Great Egret,5,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
13,Indian Pond-Heron,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
14,Black-headed Ibis,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
15,Shikra,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
16,Brahminy Kite,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
17,Black-winged Stilt,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
18,Red-wattled Lapwing,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
19,Greater Painted-Snipe,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
20,Pheasant-tailed Jacana,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
21,Bronze-winged Jacana,6,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
22,River Tern,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
23,Red Collared-Dove (Red Turtle-Dove),3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
24,Spotted Dove,4,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
25,Laughing Dove (Little Brown Dove),1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
26,White-throated Kingfisher,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
27,Pied Kingfisher,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
28,Green Bee-eater,6,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
29,Coppersmith Barbet,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
30,Common Iora,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
31,Small Minivet,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
32,Black-headed Cuckooshrike,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
33,Long-tailed Shrike,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
34,Black Drongo,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
35,Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark),1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
36,Barn Swallow,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
37,Red-vented Bulbul,8,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
38,White-browed Bulbul,5,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
39,Common Tailorbird,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
40,Ashy Prinia,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
41,Plain Prinia,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
42,Yellow-eyed Babbler,7,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
43,Tawny-bellied Babbler,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
44,Jungle Babbler,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
45,Indian Robin,4,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
46,Oriental Magpie-Robin,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
47,Tickell's Blue-Flycatcher,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
48,Pied Bushchat,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
49,Brahminy Starling,1,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
50,Jerdon's Leafbird (Jerdon's Chloropsis),2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
51,Purple-rumped Sunbird,3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
52,Paddyfield Pipit,2,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968  
53,Baya Weaver,4,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
54,Indian Silverbill (White-throated Munia),4,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
55,Scaly-breasted Munia (Spotted Munia),3,Narsapur Reserve Forest,IN-TS,12 Jul 2015,L3202452,S24232968
56,Red-naped Ibis (Indian Black Ibis),1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301  
57,Black-shouldered Kite (Black-winged Kite),1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301
58,White-breasted Waterhen,1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301
59,Pied Cuckoo (Jacobin Cuckoo),1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301  
60,Greater Coucal,1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301
61,Rose-ringed Parakeet,15,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301  
62,Indian Golden Oriole,4,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301
63,House Crow,1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301  
64,Common Myna,1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301  
65,House Sparrow,1,IN-AP-Bhadrachalam-NH221 - 17.6482x80.9225,IN-TS,18 Jul 2015,L3797369,S24299301
66,Indian Peafowl,4,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
67,Greater Flamingo,22,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
68,Spot-billed Pelican,5,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
69,Eurasian Spoonbill,25,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
70,Yellow-wattled Lapwing,12,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
71,Indian Courser,18,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643
72,Eurasian Hoopoe,3,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
73,Indian Bushlark (Red-winged Bushlark),9,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643
74,Yellow-billed Babbler,10,Osman Sagar Lake,IN-TS,30 Jul 2015,L3169524,S24430643  
75,Painted Francolin,5,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
76,Oriental Darter,1,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
77,Eastern/Western Cattle Egret,25,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271
78,Grey-headed Swamphen (Purple Swamphen),1,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271
79,Eurasian Coot,22,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271
80,Common Sandpiper,3,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
81,Eurasian Collared-Dove,3,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
82,Common Hawk-Cuckoo,1,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
83,Blue-tailed Bee-eater,7,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
84,Indian Roller,4,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271  
85,Black-rumped Flameback (Lesser Goldenbacked Woodpecker),2,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271
86,Rufous Treepie,3,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271
87,Red-rumped Swallow,2,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271
88,Large Grey Babbler,3,ICRISAT Campus,IN-TS,03 Aug 2015,L3140635,S24475271

Get a life: Start with Bird Watching....

I have been birding for a fairly long time and I have come across these repeated questions. As I sit doing nothing today I thought why not try and reply for a larger audience. The questions to start with are simple but with no straightforward replies. So let me deal with them as I deem fit. 

What is bird watching ? Oh - that’s a simple one. Well for me atleast. It is the art or let’s call it a hobby of observing birds. I would like to mention here that One can go a little further and say that perhaps Birdwatching is observing birds for recreational or social activity. I would try and kill some trivia here only. The first recorded use of term ‘Birdwatcher’ was in 1891 and bird as a verb was introduced in 1918. Birdwatching can be done with naked eye but definitely enhanced by use of Binoculars, Spotter-scopes, Cameras and listening devices. Must remember that a large component of birdwatching is Auditory. Secondly, do not mistake birding with Ornithology, it is study of birds using formal scientific methods.

Why Bird watching ? There comes a tough question. Let me elaborate. Those who love it - will swear by it, and those who don’t will scoff it off. Though it is basically a personal choice I will still try to hammer some reasons. Hmmm… let me put it this way. Birdwatching is a hobby and it has a tendency to grow on you. There are benefits on the physical side. This may turn out to be the inspiration to get off the couch and walk around more. (If I was appearing for some exams then I would have definitely included things like it would lead to more movement in the sun and more vitamin D for the body but I will desist from that… ) The physical side also benefits from trekking, walking and being in the natural environment. It does a ton to your emotional health also. Bird songs are a know remedy for anxiety. You do get a peace of mind spending time with nature especially so in today’s hectic and crazy world. Though I was a bird lover for a long long time - but still so the peace and emotional stability that I derive out of birdwatching is something that everyone deserves to experience. Then there are definite advantages for children taking on to this as a hobby. In these times of over exposure to gadgets, it would do good to kids to keep some time for quite reflection. This calmness of nature gives time to the kids to introspect and commune with nature. The children do benefit from attention to detail and focus their senses observing nature. I cannot but point out that in my years of Birdwatching I find that I use multiple senses all at the same time. Sound, touch, smell and sight. It also coaxes the children to research and experiment. At the end of it - believe me if you have a song in your heart - you will sing it seeing the natures creations...

How do I get started ? Well I do love easy answers. Whether you are in a city or village. Birds are Omnipresent. All the beautiful pictures that you see and wonder - where the hell in the world are these birds - well most of them are all around you. It is just that you had chosen to ignore them all this time. These are some of the birds that I have clicked in an around cities (Pictures are at the end of the post). Did you by any chance notice them ? If the answer is no then its time to take off some time from whatever you thought was very important in your life and appreciate nature around you. In my opinion most of us Indians categorise the birds in one of the three of four categories. Crow, Sparrow, Pigeon. The vocabulary ends somewhere there. 

So to start - just look around you, your balcony, the small terrace or kitchen garden, the playground. I assure you that by the end of a day you would have spotted more kind of birds that you can count on the fingers of your hand. Next note the colour, features of colour pattern, walking, flying and the sounds that it is making. Hell - you have already become a birdwatcher. 

Next what you would require is a field guide, ebook or an app to identify the birds. All are in plenty and not too much of expenditure. I will name a few - Birds of Indian Subcontinent by Tim Inskipp available in print and as an app, Birds of Northern India again by Tim Inskipp, Birds of India (Collins Field Guide) available in print and as kindle ebook, .(I find my apple app so bloody useful). Then of course are the score of data available on the net as wiki, Facebook, and tons of other resources.

Do I require Binoculars or Camera ? Well as you start observing birds from close quarters you will find that the colours and the characteristics will start driving you nuts. What happens is that most of the birds by nature are extremely shy (especially the non-city dwellers) and extremely fidgety - hopping from one branch to another. Secondly there are some birds that will just not let humans approach them - rightly so perhaps. We have been hunting and prosecuting birds for a long long time. In these cases granting them their space and observing them through binoculars or capturing them through camera is extremely helpful. You will come to appreciate them as you observe them minutely. So the answer is YES you would eventually require a pair of binoculars or camera in this sequence. In my case I did the opposite - first buying the camera and then moving around with binoculars or both.

How do I choose my binoculars ? Well well well - there are binoculars available and you don’t have to move your butt to buy one. open Amazon or snap deal or flipkart and type in binoculars and there the list goes on and on. I will try to ease the pain of choosing binoculars here. Actually if I think of it I can have another blog entry dedicated to choosing the binoculars but I will try to compress the information and present it as short as possible.

Firstly decide upon how mush you want to spend, basically there is one variety of binoculars on the lower end upto say ₹ 10,000/- or so. Do not set them off just because they are cheap, you do get good glass in this range also. Next is upto about ₹ 30,000/-, they are the mid range one. I presently have one in this and they will see you through fairly serious birding too. Next on the higher spectrum they go anywhere upto ₹ 1,50,000/- don’t ask me I have never reached that level of spending money.

Secondly, after you have chosen the category you should decide whether you want one with a Porro prism or Roof prism. Well these are the only two varieties available. Roof prism is the later technology wise and they are identified with straight cylinders. These are more compact have less internal parts and more dust and water proof. Roof prism binoculars suffer slightly from aligned prisms so do not compromise on money as only topnotch end of mid range binoculars can compete with Porro Prism binoculars. Pro binoculars on the other hand are identified with eyepiece and objective lens offset from each other. The advantages are they are cheaper, have slightly better stereoscopic lens. The disadvantages are less compact, more moving parts and difficult to make them dust proof etc.

After this move on to magnification. All binoculars have figures written like 8X42 or 10X42 etc. (to seem like a pro when you talk about binoculars you speak like… ‘I have Nikon 8 42 glass’) The first figure is the magnification. So in other words if it is 8 then the image you will see is magnified 8 times, if it 10 then the image you see is magnified 10 times. Second part refers to indicates the diameter objective lens. Okay now how do I use these numbers to choose binoculars. Well firstly the magnification. Specifically for birding the more magnification may not be necessarily better. As the magnification increases the field of view reduces and you will find it difficult to readily point the binoculars to that particular bird and focus. Also higher magnification will require more and more steady hands and in extreme magnifications tripod etc. Second number - the bigger the better. 42 is good 50 is better. what it means that more light is being passed so the image you will see is brighter and low light capability is better seeing the colours etc in birds is better. Generally I have seen birders preferring binoculars 8X42 or 10X42. Brands, the best are Nikon, Bushnell, Olympus and such. I will leave the preference to you and your research. (The picture of both Prism and roof prism binoculars are at the end of the post)

What about a camera and Lens ? Again a question that has a long long answer with no right or wrong. generally speaking a DSLR with 250mm or 300mm lens is good for beginning. As you grow the DSLR will grow and so will the lens. To begin with basic combination will cost you 35,000/- or so then going on to 2 lac plus camera and 12 lac plus lens. the range is too bloody large so take time to grow rather than jumping at the top end of the range.

Are there Indians really doing serious birding ? Well the answer will surprise you. But let me start with some statistics. The world has about 10,000 varieties of birds. India has recorded 1,400 bird species or so. North America has 914 types of birds, Australia has 898 varieties. Can you see it - the beauty of Avi fauna in India is bountiful. It is almost 14 percent of the birds found in the entire bloody world. You really have to experience it to see it for yourself. The second reason is that next generation may not see the birds we see today. It has been documented for example that Australia will have 10% birds extinct by 2100. We have not done any such research here in India - we may be worse of than this. Man is jut not doing enough for the environment we are sustaining on. Finally Brits are the nation leading in birdwatching. we are not on the top but we are surely catching on. I have argued it so many times that a nation has to first feed itself and live in security and only then Arts and Passions develop. See for example the states in India that are poor or affected by internal strife of any kind are not on any map as far as birding goes. These are states like Chattisgarh, Bihar, Orrisa... On the other spectrum are states and cities that are stable and economically better. Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh are on top of the lists. but if you have a stable job, and staying comfortably then it is time to pick up a hobby and this is one of the very practical and engrossing at the same time. 

What do we achieve by Birding ? Ah - the same question that was posed by one very learned gentlemen to me. We achieve a whole lot. The problem at present with our country is lack of awareness, because of that there is a lack of consensus for protecting birds, animals and our environment. By including every one birder we have someone who cares for our environment and plight of those little beings that are at our mercy to look after. I will tell you a story. I was visiting vineyards of nasik, the now famous Sula vineyards. There I noticed that a packet was kept in bright colour. When enquired - after much coaxing I found the answer, that was poison kept to kill birds - after all they eat OUR grapes - no ? here is the answer - a population of 1.2 billion, million logged visiting Sula wines in Nasik and one birder to ask, question and complain about poisoning birds. Till the time our community and awareness grows - we are just ants or dogs going about our daily life achieving nothing more than living, eating and reproducing. I was assured by that gentleman that this answer satisfies him and he was sorry to raise it at all. I mean not to be arrogant but then - tell me if not you, me and us then WHO ? And in any case we need a million birder to have a handful who will question the wrong.

Are there any Etiquette of Birding ? Yes there are and very rigorously followed by hard core birders. Fortunately they are fairly simple to follow. No nest photographs, No eggs or juvenile photography of birds in nest. The reason is simple but not understood. I will list the etiquettes or put it differently - Birding Ethics.

1.  Support protection of Bird habitats. (The very reason I am trying to coax you to become a birder)

2.  Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger. Please be patient and exercise restraint. Do not shoo them away to get a good picture or observation. 

3.  Avoid chasing or flushing birds especially during breeding or nesting season.

4.  Limit use of recordings to attract birds. Especially endangered or threatened species.

5.  Keep well back from nest and nesting colonies, roosts and display areas. Remember the nesting is dependant on feelings of safety by the birds. The birds tend to leave the nesting sight even with juveniles if they are stressed. Every bird has a approach radius - it will allow you to reach that but no further. It is easy to see this radius - the bird will stop what it is doing and become alert. It will stop feeding/grooming/preening. If there is a flock the sentries will give bird calls that are generally high pitched and spell out danger. Any closer and you will loose you opportunity to observe that bird.

6.  Try not to use artificial light, torches, flash for photography. Stay on road and tracks. There are so many birds that roost and nest on ground - we have unknowingly destroyed by trampling over them and not even realised that.

7.  Keep your pets home. Do not let stray dogs follow you for birding. They are one of the reasons that wildlife suffers. They destroy a lot of wild life. Shoo them away if they tend to follow.

You said Don’t stress the birds. How do I know I am stressing the birds ? Well There are birds that travel thousands of km migrating in search of food, avoiding bad weather and breeding. Often they are also birding dreams… so we tend to chase them not knowing that they require a lot of time feeding and resting to come back to their own selves. The first day a migratory bird arrives we want to be the first one to see and photograph. Sure - do that but then respect the bird who has flown for thousands of miles. To know that a bird is stressed is easy to see.

1.  Birds will try to attract your attention by flying in front of you.

2.  They will try to lure you away.

3.  Bird carrying food perched in one place for a long time. (It is avoiding giving away its nest location)

4.  Birds carrying nesting material but not going anywhere.

5.  Birds giving alarm calls.

I have started birding and going tomorrow with a few birders for the first time. Anything I should know ? Ethics remain the same but there are some things that one can keep in mind.

1.  Respect other peoples interests and rights. Share your knowledge with others.

2.  Minimise unnecessary talk and noise. Do not make sudden moves. Let all participants have equal right to observe and photograph the birds. If you are the front one taking pictures and birds seem stressed do not move any further. Give opportunity to others to reach atleast as close you have to let everyone observe birds.

3.  Follow the leader’s pace to observe birds. Locals have generally better knowledge to guide you during birding.

4.  Do not wear bright clothes. Keep colours to muted. (This has others who do not agree but as of now consensus remains to be clothed in dull colours)

5.  If birding in cars/vehicle. Do not get down till the veh is completely stopped. If you are driving always look in rear view, give indicator and park completely before letting anyone out.

6. You can and should make a list of local birds that you are likely to see there. It eases recognition and keeps you alert.

I have clicked a picture of a beautiful bird. I do not recognise it. What should I do ? Well there are so many experts waiting to help you out. For that you will have to post your picture in one of the online forums, Facebook in Indian Birds Group, there are tons of other localised groups like Chandigarh bird club, Hyderabad birds, Bangalore birds etc. Then there are sites like Indian Nature Watch. Post the photograph and await a response. Well there are a few points to note here also. You post the picture In comments leave

Request ID ?

Name of place picture was clicked

Date picture was clicked.

This helps narrow down the seasonal variations of feathering and colours and also local birds available in that particular area.

How do I keep a tag of all the birds I have seen ? Well a lot of people keep tagged photographs, keep records in pen or on excel sheets. By my experience eBird is the best place that a log can be kept. There are apps you can use in Android and iOS or website. Record keeping becomes important over a period of time so do take time and jot down what all birds you have seen, where and when. 

Okay I will conclude this writeup here. It has taken better part of three days and it is time that it goes online now. If you like it do leave a comment. If there would be something else you would like to know do leave a comment I will surely reply. 

HAPPY BIRDING !!

The Porro-prism binoculars on the left and Roof-prism Binoculars on the right.

Large-grey Babbler - Not as common as the Jungle babbler but not uncommon nonetheless... Brown and not so good to look at - but give it a good look - it will impress you...

Yellow-eyed babbler. A babbler that is small and rushes purposefully from one bush to another. They move in groups as expected from a babbler. Look at the eyes - the earmark of this babbler...

Laughing dove. the smallest of the Dove. you have to really look it up close to see the beauty of this bird. This is one bird that you will find around you more often than not. Just by the way you will have three birds of dove variety around you... the Laughing dove pictures above, the Eurasian collared dove and the spotted dove. The other varieties in India are likely to be not always near the village or towns.

Didn't ever notice this bird - our own very symbol of intelligence, the Spotted Owlet. Beauty in simplicity...

The Pond Heron. Common around the dirty mud-slushes and ponds around the villages and cities. It will sit not moving for hours on an end. Hey do not mistake them for the Cattle egret that is all white and more commonly available.

Our winter visitor - the Black-redstart. Well I will not be able to tell you why it is called a redstart - but it wags its tail off and on in fast vibrating action. The bird is fairly common around you - will find it on ground or trees - and almost never on wires.

Asian-pied Starling. Oh yes it is colorful too - see it once and appreciate the bird. You will like it. Common in and around the cities and villages.

Oh this - ?? The Indian Silverbill. Yes it is around you - just search for it. It is generally found in its own group of with other munia like Red-avadavat or scaly-breasted munia.

A game bird with little bit of protection from us has started inhabit areas in and around villages and town. A beautiful game bird. The black francolin and the Painted francolins would be your prize if you spot them...