Nature watching @ Sundarbans

Just back from an amazing two day trip to the Sundarbans tiger reserve in West Bengal, India organized by a local NGO - Help tourism. 

We were based at the Jungle camp on the Bali island. The camp is conveniently located at the river bank bang opposite the massive tidal forest. It is soo close to the actual forest that they often have tigers swimming across the river and entering their property! 

The trip included multiple boat rides at the edge of the forest and into its buffer zone. 

We were able to spot over 60 species of birds thanks to our very knowledgeable guide - Jayanta Manna.

Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea

Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala cinerea

- the highlight of the trip being a clear sighting of the elusive Mangrove Whistler Pachycephala grisola - 

White-collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris

White-collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris 

Sundarbans is the worlds largest tidal forest and a heaven for kingfisher. We were able to get good views of 6 of the 10 kingfisher. 

Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata

Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata 

Brown-winged Kingfisher Pelargopsis amauroptera

Brown-winged Kingfisher Pelargopsis amauroptera 

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 

However, the apex predator of this unique mangrove forest - the Royal Bengal Tiger - eluded us

 (we were only able to see its footprints)

One of the other highlights of the trip was seeing a group of 5 Irrawaddy dolphins Orcaella brevirostris playing in one of the wider rivers cutting across the Mangroves.

Here's a few more photos I clicked during my stay there.. 

And listed below is a complete list of birds we saw: 

1	Shikra	Accipiter badius
2	Eurasian (or Northern) Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus
3	Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis
4	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
5	Common Iora	Aegithina tiphia
6	Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
7	Olive-backed Pipit	Anthus hodgsoni
8	Great Egret	Ardea alba
9	Pond Heron	Ardeola grayii
10	Ashy Woodswallow	Artamus fuscus
11	Spotted Owlet	Athene brama
12	Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
13	Little (or Striated) Heron	Butorides striata
14	Large-tailed Nightjar	Caprimulgus macrurus
15	Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis
16	Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis
17	Lesser Sand Plover	Charadrius mongolus
18	Brown-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
19	Greater Flameback	Chrysocolaptes lucidus
20	Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis
21	Eastern Jungle Crow	Corvus macrorhynchos levaillantii
22	Rufous Treepie	Dendrocitta vagabunda
23	Lesser Whistling Duck	Dendrocygna javanica
24	Forest Wagtail	Dendronanthus indicus
25	Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker	Dicaeum cruentatum
26	Bronzed Drongo	Dicrurus aeneus
27	Black-rumped Flameback	Dinopium benghalense
28	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
29	Asian Koel	Eudynamys scolopaceus
30	Red Junglefowl	Gallus gallus
31	Black-capped Kingfisher	Halcyon pileata
32	White-throated Kingfisher	Halcyon smyrnensis
33	Brahminy kite	Haliastur indus
34	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
35	Pheasant-tailed Jacana	Hydrophasianus chirurgus
36	Brown Shrike	Lanius cristatus
37	Lesser Adjutant stork	Leptoptilos javanicus
38	Scaly-breasted Munia	Lonchura punctulata
39	Small Green Bee-eater	Merops orientalis
40	Little Cormorant	Microcarbo niger
41	White Wagtail	Motacilla alba
42	Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava
43	Eurasian Curlew	Numenius arquata
44	Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus
45	Eurasian Golden Oriole	Oriolus oriolus
46	Black-hooded Oriole	Oriolus xanthornus
47	Mangrove Whistler	Pachycephala cinerea
48	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus
49	Brown-winged Kingfisher	Pelargopsis amauroptera
50	Small Minivet	Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
51	Pacific Golden Plover	Pluvialis fulva
52	Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri
53	Red-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus cafer
54	White-throated Fantail	Rhipidura albicollis
55	Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis
56	Eurasian Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
57	White-collared Kingfisher	Todiramphus chloris
58	Common Redshank	Tringa totanus
59	Jungle Babbler	Turdoides striata
60	Terek Sandpiper	Xenus cinereus
61	Oriental White-eye	Zosterops palpebrosus

And lastly, here's a couple of reference websites that should help you plan a Birding trip to Sundarbans:

• http://www.helptourism.com/birding-ornithological-tours-india/birding-tours-west-bengal-sundarban-tiger-reserve-national-park.html
• http://www.kolkatabirds.com/sunderbans.htm

I would strongly recommend a visit to the unique habitat of the Sundarbans to all those who are interested in any aspect of nature but I feel you really need to spend at least 2 nights and 3 days to do some justice to this tremendous habitat!

Below is a slideshow of a larger selection of photos from this trip:

Thanks Jayanta for an amazing trip! 

Jayanta is an expert on the Sundarbans and also a great photographer, check some of his excellent photos HERE.

Daughters of Kokrebellur

While visiting some friends in Bangalore over the weekend I managed to drag them to see the famed daughters of Kokrebellur. 

Kokrebellur around 80 kms away from Bangalore is a tiny village with a long established bonding between the Spot-billed Pelicans and the villagers who have adopted this bird as their heritage, since they consider the birds as harbingers of good luck and prosperity to the village.

One of the villagers who guided us to a large tree which had over 20 pairs of these huge birds (who return every year at around the same period to nest here) was keen to also explain that to the villagers these famed birds are "like a daughter coming home for delivery...."

Here's some photos I clicked of the Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus phillipensis) we saw...

Unfortunately, we were a few weeks too early to see the other famed daughters of the village - the  Painted Stork (Ibis leucocephalus), so I guess that calls for a revisit later in the season.. :-)