Thursday, November 15, 2012

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

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 
Brown-winged Kingfisher Pelargopsis amauroptera 
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
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:

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.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

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.. :-)