Friday Update

This week started with fog, then went sunny and is now blowing a westerly with rain - a bit of a mixed bag. While it was foggy and sunny , got the moth trap out - no surprises - Hebrew Characters, a few Brindled Ochres and a Brown House Moth. The first Bonxie of the year was off Garth's Ness on Wednesday, a Peregrine over the house on Tuesday and a 1st year Glauc today. Best of all was the sunset on Tuesday showing a sunspot.

Brindled Ochre

Hebrew Character

Sunspot

Glaucous Gull

Back on the Patch

Back on the patch today ( I would of checked it earlier in the week, if it wasn't for all the fog). Very little has changed since mid Feb, apart from Skylarks singing and Meadow Pipits now in, a bird of note was a fem Common Scoter between the islands.

Common Scoter

Coming soon

Now back home, I will be doing an update of the last week or so in India soon, meanwhile check this out ( I can't give the title as this would be politically incorrect !) Turn it up !!!!

Update

Gonna do a big update soon, prob over the weekend, internet is so slow in Munnar. Here's a taster -

Indian Scimitar Babbler

Rajamalai

Out to visit Rajamalai, but got there and it's closed - goat mating season no less !!! Carried on around about the area - 1 Malabar Whistling Thrush, 1 Dusky Crag Martin, 1 Blue Rock Thrush, 3 Nilgiri Flycatcher, 2 Black Bulbul, 2 White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, 1 Greater Flameback and 1 Rusty-tailed Flycatcher.

Blue Rock Thrush

Black Bulbul

Greater Flameback

Munner again

A quick visit to some likely spots around the town resulted in - 1 Black Eagle, 1 Buzzard, 1 Grey-breasted Laughingthrush, 3 Yellow-billed Babbler, 1 Indian Scimitar Babbler, 40 White-rumped Needletails and 10 Indian Swiftlets.

Waterfalls just outside Munner

Long-tailed Shrike

Grey-breasted Laughingthrush

Munnar

Arrived in Munnar late yesterday afternoon and did a few sholas this morning and a riverside park this afternoon - 3 Grey-breasted Laughingthrush, 1 Black-shouldered Kite, 1 Large Hawk-cuckoo, 1 Blue-capped Rock Thrush and loads of Indian Swiflets and White-backed Needletails.

Blue-capped Rock Thrush

Large Hawk-cuckoo

Stalag Top Slip

Arrived at Top Slip late afternoon to find there was nowhere to stay, after a bit of arguing there was somewhere to stay ! Late afternoon around the complex got 1 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 1 Black Eagle, 5 Alpine Swifts, 1 Great Hornbill, 1 Peregrine and 15 Nilgiri Langurs. In the evening Jerdon's Nightjar and Oriental Scops' Owl were calling. The following morning the shite hit the fan, we were told we had nowhere to stay, but they would show us Wynaad Laughingthrush for a price - 500 rupees each, and then get out of the park ! So we just left and ran for the border !

Nilgiri Langur

On the way out of Top Slip

If at First You Don't Succeed....

... then find your own. Doing the tourist bit this morning at the Botanical Gardens, walking around looking at various trees, water features etc, a few birds kicking about - Brown Flycatcher, a female Blue-capped Rock Thrush, 3 Nilgiri Flycatchers, 2 Olive-backed Pipits and an amazingly showy male Indian Blue Robin. If porn views of the Robin weren't enough, then on the way out of the gardens, a stunning Kashmir Flycatcher. That'll be a clean up on Ooty then ! Moving to Top Slip tomorrow for a few days, so I reckon internet access will be non existent.

Indian Blue Robin

Kashmir Flycatcher

Mad Bees