30th January 2010 Little Rann of Kutch.

Arrived at the camp just in time for lunch, after which we just spent a few hours birding around the camp - Pallid Scops Owl roosting by the gate, 4 White-cheeked Bulbuls, 1 Greenish Warbler, 2 Black Redstarts and a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher all in the camp grounds, and a Spotted Owlet roosting in the eaves of the porch in front of the hut we were staying in.
On the jeep safari into the Little Rann in the afternoon - 900+ Short-toed Larks, 60 Rufous-tailed Larks, 20 Crested Larks, 10+ Isabelline Shrikes, 2 Variable Wheatear, 2 Desert Wheatear, 20+ Isabelline Wheatear, 2 Bay-backed Shrike, 40 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, 2 Grey Francolin and a male Pallid Harrier. After dark we were on the hunt for Nightjars - 3 Sykes seen out on the Little Rann and an Indian on the road near to the camp.
Several Nilgai and Wild Ass out on the Rann.


Black-rumped Flameback.

Black Redstart.

Variable Wheatear.

Sykes Nightjar.

Nilgai (Bluebull).

Asiatic Wild Ass.

Diu Forest.

We visited this area on 5 occasions during the 12 days we spent on Diu - the birds were fairly typical of coastal forest in India, we did find a population of Black-naped Monarchs (apparently a vagrant in the Gujarat area) with up to 5 birds present on most days, the forest also proved to be a good site for Sulphur-bellied Warbler and we had regular sightings of these in the mature Acacia trees, the forest also proved good for Orphean Warblers, Black-throated Thrush, White-bellied Minivet and Olive-backed Pipits. On the 26/2 there was a Brown Shrike present (again apparently a vagrant to this area).


Black-naped Monarch.

Dark & light phased Booted Eagles.

Brown Shrike.

Cattle Egret.

Nilgai.

Oriental Honey Buzzards.

Orphean Warbler.

Osprey.

Indian Peafowl.

Ruddy Shelducks (on a village pond near the forest entrance).

Sulphur-bellied Warblers.

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher.

White-bellied Minivet.

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker.