Nature Camp Matheran

Day 01 : Saturday, 21st May 2005

Off the Deccan express we* hopped on to the many 50rs. per person cabs heading for the beautiful 'hill station' of Matheran. Although the weather late that morning was far from my liking, the amazing red of the soil and the even more astonishing greens of Matheran's almost untouched forest cover more than made up for the disappointment created by the weather gods.

A hot and dusty walk along the tracks of the famed toy train took us to the Matheran station situated on the noisy market road of this small hill station. Our hotel 'Divadkar' was right across the road from there - a decent place, centrally located and offers very basic facilities (however, I should add that if you’re looking for a bit of peace of mind this is not the place you’re looking for, you should probably look for some place a bit away from the market road).

(We* - Mayura, Pragya, Uma, Viren and myself)

After a brief breakfast our historian guide - Terence de lima - took us for what turned out to be quite a dry trail (dry in terms of birds - I guess it was just too hot for our winged friends) to one of the 55 natural springs of Matheran that are known to him. This spring close to Myra point is hardly 10 minutes from the busy market road.

Post lunch Terence took us for walk thru what might be one of the best patches of forest this close to Mumbai - here, the highly elusive Malabar Giant Squirrel lived up to its elusive nature. A Blue Oakleaf (butterfly) with its stunning camouflage kept the group captivated for a while, but the promise of some stunning views of the valley from ‘Our point’ kept the group moving. Once at Our point a lone Common Kestrel gave us a majestic fly-past. Our hotelier later told us that he has been seeing a pair nesting on the cliffs below Our point over the past few years.

The Majestic Kestrel

On our walk back to the hotel we were given the unfortunate news about the night trail - there wasn't going to be one - however we were quiet content with the second half of the day and did complain to much. We thought we'd use this as an excuse to start of the next day really early, but the loud puppet show in our hotel's garden to entertain us - urban souls - kept most of us awake for quiet a while.

Day 02 : Sunday, 22nd May 2005

Early Sunday morning a group of 8 of us headed for the dense forest patch from the earlier evening in search of the impressive arboreal Malabari, and very soon we started hearing one of them very close to the famous Rugby hotel of Matheran. But what we saw had us completely awe struck - not 1, not 2 but 3 of these beautiful mammals jumping around high up in the canopy completely oblivious to our presence there.

Meanwhile, one of our best songsters’ - the White Rumped Shama – sang on an almost continuous background score, offering numerous glimpses to every one.

Further on in the forest en route ‘Our point’ we spotted a few more birds - White Throated Orange Headed Ground Thrush (highly vocal at this time of the year), Common Ioras, a pair of Scarlet Minivets and a fleeting view of an Eurasian Blackbird. But our prized catch awaited us on our way back to the hotel - the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon - a species endemic to the Western Ghats, offered very good views to all of us and as he flew around high up in the dense canopy he also revealed the location of a very silent and still partner. I have been told that this is a very significant sighting - as this these fellows could be either part of a local (Matheran) population or a few local migrants from some other forest of Western Ghats. (Experts any comments on this)

After a rather long breakfast break we took a long walk along the Western edge of Matheran along Khandala Point to Alexander Point and further on to Rambaug Point.

The group at Alexander Point

Panorama from Rambaug point

En route to these various point besides the hundreds of Dragonflies - a few Shamas’, WTOH Ground Thrushes, Ioras and a lone handsome Black Naped Monarch Flycatcher gave us company. Further on we cut across to the Eastern edge crossing the scorching tracks of the Olympia (Matheran’s very own race course). As we were coming to an end to our lovely trip one very brave Shama decided to put up the most amazing bird show for us. He just kept singing (even slightly mimicking the coarse notes of a Brown headed barbet) and let us to within 12 feet of him. After almost 20 mins of seeing, hearing and clicking this charmer, our growling tummies guided us to a hotel.

After this sadly we had to start our return journey to the madness also know to us as ‘Mumbai’.


And here’s the complete bird list –

At Neral
Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
House Crow (Corvus splendens)
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

At Matheran
Brown-headed Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica)
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon (Columba elphinstonii)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus)
Black-naped Monarch Flycatcher (Hypothymis azurea)
Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)
White-throated Orange-headed Thrush (Zoothera citrina cyanotus)
Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula)
White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus)
Dusky Crag Martin (Hirundo concolor)
Shikra (Accipiter badius) ???

Powai - Mumbai's very own mini birding paradise

A cool summer morning down at the lake and sightings of all most 50 species beautiful birds - I really shouldn't ask for more.


Here's a Bird List: (in no particular order)

1. Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)
2. Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
3. Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
4. Rufous Woodpecker (Celeus brachyurus squamigularis)
5. Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
6. Small Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
7. Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)
8. Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)
9. Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)
10. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
11. Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis)
12. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis cambayensis)
13. White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
14. Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)
15. Common Coot (Fulica atra)
16. Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
17. Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)
18. Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)
19. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
20. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
21. Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus)
22. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
23. White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
24. Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus spilonotus)
25. Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
26. Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)
27. Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis)
28. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
29. Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
30. Large Egret (Casmerodius albus)
31. Median Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia)
32. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
33. Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)
34. Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
35. Asian Openbill Stork (Anastomus oscitans)
36. Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
37. Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)
38. Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)
39. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
40. Asian Pied Starling (Sturnus contra)
41. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis tristis)
42. Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
43. Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
44. White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus)
45. Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis)
46. Purple-rumped Sunbird (Nectarinia zeylonica)

Asian Openbills soaking in the sun at the Lake. There were around 20 of these fellows.

Here are a few more avian friends I snapped at Powai. 

Birding @ Panchgani

Just back from an exciting non-birding (yet birding) trip to the beautiful hill station of Panchgani - in the Satara Distt. of Maharashtra - some 250 kms. from Mumbai.


These fellows are very common there.

This snap probably my best Digi-Binocing attempt till date

Snapped these shy guys (n gals) from my friends balcony - near the Bilhar Waterfalls, Panchgani.

One more pic of the Quails

Check out this - Crimson Marsh Glider (Trithemis aurora)

BNHS Reserve Forest

The Yamfly - according to me one the most beautiful butterflies in India.

(I owe a big thanks to our Butterfly-man Isaac Kehimkar for showing me this fellow)

Found this fellow very close to the Conservation Education Centre in the BNHS Reserve Forest. These fellows can be quiet easily sighted here since they are highly vocal at this time of the year.

This Orange-headed Thrush is the sub-species - Zoothera citrina cyanotus - and has white patches on its face unlike its relatives found in the northern parts of the country (which have completely orange heads).