Birding in Mahalaxmi

For the longest time I've read birding reports from the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai and wanted to visit it to check out the birds there... finally this morning I got my chances when a few of my friend decided to go jogging there! I jumped at the opportunity though jogging was the last thing on my mind..

So as my friends sweated it out - armed with my camera and binocs I hunted down some great birds in this amazing oasis of birdlife in the heart of Mumbai!

The fog filled morning revealed its first bird in a Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)

then a Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) flew by ..

Of course how could a trip to the race course be complete without seeing some graceful horses!!

a Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) stool still in futile hope that I would miss it ..

I think this image captures best the beauty of the mild winter in Mumbai!

as with the rest of the city its impossible to spend a day in this city without seeing one of these fellows - the omnipresent Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

.. then I saw a group of Rosy Starlings (Sturnus roseus).. who were not too far from their cousins -

the Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

another 'habitat' shot...

and then in the distance I saw this fellow warming up for the day - the bird that can probably make the claim of being this area's top predator - the Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

On seeing this guy in the distance I decided to leave the comfort of the jogging track and headed into the grasslands..

though at the end of the day it looked like half of me got drenched in rain .. it was great to walk thru the dew clad grass field..

A few meters into the grass revealed this amazingly named beauty - the Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) - If I was a bird I want a name like that!!! : )

as always the Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) were swooping in on the insects with amazing grace and precision..

then another Zitting Cisticola

and then there it was .. a tiny bird that always amazes me .. why would anyone travel all the way from Siberia every year!! The amazing traveller the Siberian Stonechat or Asian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus)

here's another snap of the same female - I didn't find any males today..

Then I saw quiet a few Prinias - to the best of my knowledge they are all Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)

And then I saw the other Prinia, the easy to distinguish Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis)

and he gave me a few of his characteristic poses...

a lone Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) also made a brief appearance..

then I saw the first bird of the day again - the Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)

a line up of Black Kites

Another Long-tailed Shrike

A flying Black Kite

Some more of the same..

And then a small tree between a heap of garbage I saw the priced catch of the day a bird that I wasn't expecting to see here - a Pied Buschat (Saxicola caprata)..

and not far from the Bushchat in the same dump was a Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

in the distance sitting on a bare treeI spotted a tiny bird that was probably the first bird I heard this morning but as usual in more often heard than seen - the Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)

it was now time for the jogging track to be closed for the day, so I headed out of the track to catch some breakfast with my friends who were long done with their jogging and were now threatening to leave me behind..

but as I ran out these Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata) pleaded to be clicked.. so they were the last birds to be captured at the Race course today..

Here's a list of all the birds I saw in no particular order (as expected its not possible to take snaps of all of them):

1. Common Myna
2. Asian Pied Starling
3. Rosy Starling
4. Marsh Harrier
5. Black Kite
6. House Crow
7. Little Egret
8. Pond Heron
9. Long-tailed Shrike
10. Siberian Stonechat
11. Ashy Prinia
12. Plain Prinia
13. Zitting Cisticola
14. Coppersmith Barbet
15. Rose-ringed Parakeet
16. Barn Swallow
17. Black Drongo
18. Red-wattled Lapwing
19. House Sparrow
20. Rock Pigeon
21. Unided Gull

Nature watching in Matheran

I was last here 4 years back with a BNHS birding group and it felt great to be back in this amazing retreat from the madness of life in Mumbai. Matheran is one among the few successful examples of eco-friendly tourism developments in the country. Most of this tiny hill station has been declared pedestrian and that has really helped not only maintain its ecology but also its charm!Here's a few of photos of some local wildlife.. starting with the Mammals :

Starting with the Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) also known as Three-Striped Palm Squirrel.. although these guys are all over the place here its not easy to get a decent photo of them, they are extremely wary of humans and move around too much - which in the tree covered light of Matheran can get tricky to shoot.

Next is a bunch of Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) , these fellows are notorious for harassing visitors - from stealing food, to biting to running away with your mobile phone these guys do it all given the chance.

a curious youngster..

the alpha male..

the thinker..

the cuddlers..

the scary (sleepy guy)..

one more of him from another angle.. and last but not the least

.. the guy who gives them all a bad name!! the guy who stole my Kurkure Crisps..

Walking around the various tree shaded trails of Matheran is a great experience

but every now and then the trail ends at breath taking panoramic points

offering amazing views of the surrounding hills!
Moving on here's a couple of Birds I managed to click decent pics off:

Before I left for Matheran, there was one bird I really wanted to see here again ... in a way to me seeing it was probably the best excuse to visit this place ... So you can imagine by delight when I was able to take a couple of decent photos of this sweet songster, here's the White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)
and another angle!

An Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)
Here's a few Butterflies:The Glassy Tiger (Parantica aglea)

A dry season form of the Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)
and a bunch of Common Bluebottles (Graphium sarpedon) (ironically the photo shows them mud-puddling next to a blue-coloured mineral water bottle cap!)

Next are the Dragonflies and Damselflies:A female Ditch Jewel (Brachythemis Contaminata)

A mating pair of Coromandel Marsh Dart (Ceriagrion Coromandelianum)
A Tricoloured Marsh Hawk (Orthetrum Luzonicum)

One more Tricoloured Marsh Hawk...

and an Ant:and to end this post about this magical place a few 'habitat' photos :

I hope to be back here soon ... Or probably during the Monsoons.. : )