Tuesday, December 28, 2010

27th December Apora Wood and Paddy

Started out at 7-30 this morning arrive at Apora Wood at ¼ to eight on the walk up to the wood I had Great Coucal, Common Ioras,Rufous Treepie, as I approached the wood there were a lot of small birds calling Purple Sunbird, Black-Lored Tit, Fan trailed Warbler, Little Bee Eater, only had a quick look for the Pitta no luck expect I’ll get this bird when I’m not looking for it then I met a couple of birders Just as I spoke to them we had a Rufous Woodpecker a good bird for this site I also got onto a Common Hawk Cuckoo, we then found 2 Golden Fronted Leafbirds, then we had about 20 Monkeys go through the tree tops back to the birds Coppersmith Barbet, Grey headed Bulbul, Barn swallow, Mountain Iperal Pigeon, Brahminy Kite carrying nesting material. On my way back to where I had parked I had Loten’s Sunbird, Little Bee Eater,

Next stop was the paddy that I visited yesterday not as many Small pratingcoles plenty of Little Egrets and Great white Egrets a couple of Marsh Sandpiper extra wader today was Green Sandpiper I had the Osprey again flying around then some of the waders got up and I found a Bersa flying towards me on the wires nearby I had Malabar Lark

As I am here for awhile I am playing with some of the settings on my Video Camera so hope to have some good footage which I will need to down load when I return to the UK

List is currently stands at 161

Monday, December 27, 2010

26th December Boxing Day

Well after yet another night’s sleep interrupted by the people in the next room coming in at about 3 o’clock and slamming the doors and rearranging the furniture I did manage to get some sleep and was up and out by 7 o’clock

I decided to start by having a look at Baga Hill (Baga Jungle) I had a White Breasted Sea Eagle on the way to the Hill I took the scooter to the top of the hill no walking for me park up and walk out onto the hill I had only been there a short while when another birder appeared, we got talking and exchanged some details of other sites spent a couple of hours up here also met another birder some more information changed hands Birds seen included Peafowl, Greenish Warbler, (these are quite common) Radd’s Warbler,(good views) The usual 2 Kites, Golden Oriole, Black Hooded Oriole, Ashy Drongo, Purple Sunbird, Red crested Bulbul, Thick Billed Crow , House Crow, did not see the Quail that I had been told about

Next stop was a paddy at Apora more information from the birders I met on the hill they said I would not be disappointed and I was not Small Pratingcole c 150, Pacific Golden Plover c12, Kentish Plover c25, Marsh Sandpiper c4, Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Great White Egrets c15, Little Egrets c20, Indian Pond Heron c30+, Little Cormorant,On the wires were Barn Swallow, Needle Tailed Swallow, Long Tailed Shrike, Little Bee Eater, Black Drongo, here I met some more birders and while I was talking to them we had a Osprey flying around in front of us I will be visiting this site more Know I now of it

Next stop Apora wood in the hope of seeing Indian Pitta no luck I will keep tryong
I have not put all the birds I have seen or heard today as this would just take up space my Goan list is around the 150 mark at the moment

Now time for Breakfast so a full English is called for and very nice it was
Now as the heat is getting to much it’s back to base for a few hours (I have ac this time and very welcome it is)

This evening I decided to take a look at Augarda again after the Indian Pitta still no sign but I did hear one calling other bids here included Red Whiskered Bulbul, White Breasted Kingfisher, Stork Billed Kingfisher, Paddy field Warbler,

Monday, December 6, 2010

Sunday 28th November
Had a look at some of the local spots around Baga and found some new ones that look good for some morning birding before work have some of the bird song and calls so this should help

Rest of the week up to Friday more of the same

Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th December
Decided to try some new sites which I had found some information on not a successful couple of days there is a lot of new building going on so some of the sites do not hold that many birds now
One bird I did get a very good view of this week was a Orange Headed Thrush normally they skulk but I had taken the scooter up on to baga ridge you can walk but it is a bit of a clime so I rode up just as I was coming back down the bird was sitting in the middle of the road and of cause the camera was in my rucksack on my back so no chance of a picture

Sunday 5th December
Booked a taxi for today planned on having a look at Carambolim Lake and area the other side of the village. The taxi arrived at 7 o’clock and we set of arrived at the lake at ¼ to eight got caught at the railway crossing take ages for the trains to pass, but soon as we have I notice some duck on the lake but decide to have a look at the other side of the village first where there is some mud flats and a good marsh area opposite this there is a good grass area had a look at the mud flats first there were a lot of waders which included Redshank, Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Black Winged Stilt, Common Sandpiper, Ruff, and Temminck;s Stint. After about ¾ of a hour all the waders took of I turned around and found a Osprey sitting on a dead tree where it stayed for the next hour. I then had a look at the grass area found a shady spot and set up my scope the first bird was a Peregrine sitting on a post but this took off and flew over me and out of sight. Other birds were more of what I have been seeing in this sort of area Black Drongo, Cattle / Intermediate / Little / Great White Egrets, Black Kite, Great Couracal , then sitting on a bush not that far away I found a Grey Shrike (will need to check on this has I have been told you do not get Grey shrikes here) then is was back to the taxi and back to have a look at the lake the duck where still there Lesser Whistling Duck other birds seen where Indian Pond Heron, more Egrets, Purple Swam Hen c30 , Bronzed Winged Jacanas, Pheasant Tailed Jacanas, Brahminy Kite, Pied Kingfisher, as it was now getting busy as it is Sunday I decided to have a look at the Paddy fields at Santa Cruz as the grass is still on the long side very kittke mud for waders plenty of the normal birds Black Kite c70. And 6 White Breasted Kingfishers did not stay to long will see what it is like in a couple of weeks (this is a good site for getting close to some of the waders) I then mentioned to the driver about some vague information about another spot nearby could not find it from what info I had but the driver said he knew of a good spot so we went to have a look for another day as the heat of the day was upon us and it looked very interesting so hope to go back next weekend (need to have a look at the map and give this site a name as I have not found it mentioned on any of the reports that I have read) Looks like it could be good spot for Birds of Prey as it was now getting hot returned to base ending a very good mornings birding.