Showing posts with label Grey Francolin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grey Francolin. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

11th February 2010 Naliya Grasslands.

Full day around Naliya Grasslands in the western end of Kachchh, with Veer, one of the guides from C.E.D.O. The day started with 16 Demoiselle Cranes and a Short-toed Eagle in a roadside field, after this we went into the grasslands proper, driving along various dirt tracks. Although very windy (by Indian standards anyway, by Shetland standards it was just a gentle breeze !), we did manage to see 5 Montagu's Harriers, 2 Pallid Harriers, 12 Black-shouldered Kites, 3 Short-toed Eagle, a White-eyed Buzzard, 15 Griffon Vultures, 150+ Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, 5 Indian Bushlarks, 2 Long-billed Pipits, a Yellow-legged Buttonquail and a Stoliczka's Bushchat, missed Great Indian Bustard, but we didn't really put that mush effort in for them as we had already seen them at Nanaj, in Maharashtra in 2007.
In a nearby partially dried up river bed we went looking for Eagle Owl, but due to the wind, there was no sign, however we did get Shaheen, 2 Citrine Wagtails, a Paddyfield Warbler and 3 Bluethroats.


Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse.

Demoiselle Cranes.

Grey Francolin.

Indian Bushlark.

Long-billed Pipit.

Short-toed Eagle.

Drinking Larks.

Yellow-wattled Lapwing.

Bluethroat.


Paddyfield Warbler.


Shaheen.

14th February 2010 Khijadia Sanctuary.

All day at Khijadiya Sanctuary, about 8 miles NW of Jamnagar - this place is an absolute gem of a place, unlike others sanctuaries in India there is nobody chopping trees down for fire wood, dumping rubbish or grazing their cattle ! Most of the birding was done from the watch towers or the raised banks that connect them, on the lake in the eastern end there were - 10 Ferruginous Ducks (probably many more in the reeds), 1500+ Greater Flamingo, 500+ Lesser Flamingo, 7 River Terns, 500+ White Pelican, 40 Dalmatian Pelican, 30 Common Crane, 50+ Glossy Ibis and 2 Black-necked Storks.
Along the raised banks there were - 2 Wrynecks, 14 Oriental White-eye, 1 Orphean Warbler and 8 Paddyfield Warblers.
6 Sykes Larks and 10 Sand Larks were in the car park at the Visitors Centre.
At the western end it become more of a marsh with scattered trees, from the towers on this side we saw - 14 Greater Spotted Eagles, 2 Pallid Harriers, 2 Black-shouldered Kites, 3 Caspian Terns, 37 Small Pratincole, 5 White-tailed Lapwings, 8 Pallas's Gulls and 50 + Temminck's Stints. At dusk some 750+ Citrine and Yellow Wagtails, plus 200+ Tawny Pipits flew over the tower to roost on the saltmarsh, as 79 Night Herons left their roost and flew onto the fresh water marsh.


Khijadiya.


Black-necked Stork.

Caspian Tern.

Grey Francolin.

Grey Heron.

Greater Spotted Eagle.

Issabeline Shrike.

Little Cormorant.



Night Herons.

Oriental White-eye.

Pied Kingfishers.