Dodabetta Two

Another day in the Dodabetta shola, but this time in the afternoon, with the sun on the hillside forest. I half expected it to be really quiet at that time of day, but no, if anything it was better than yesterday. Birds today -  1 White-bellied Flycatcher, 7 Nilgiri Flycatcher, 2 Nilgiri Laughingthrush, only 1 Tickell's Leaf Warbler, 1 fem Indian Blue Robin, 3 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, 2 Nilgiri Scaly Thrush (inc 1 showing stupidly well - see below), only 1 Black-and-orange Flycatcher and around 40 Common Rosefinch. Also 6 Malabar Giant Squirrel.

Indian Blue Robin

Nilgiri Flycatcher

Nulgiri Laughingthrush

Nilgiri Scaly Thrush

White-bellied Flycatcher

Dodabetta

Up in the hills 10 km to the east of Ooty lies Doddabetta peak, with a path winding down the hills, through good shola, back to Ooty. Somehow I managed to find the right path through the forest and came out by a tuk-tuk rank. Pretty decent birding all the way down with 25 Common Rosefinch, 2 Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers, 6 Black-and-orange Flycatchers, 1 Shikra, 2 Tickell's Leaf Warblers and tons of Oriental White-eyes.

Black and orange Flycatchers

Cairnhill Forest

Around and about in Cairnhill Forest on the outskirts of Ooty, a proper smart bit of Shola with 2 Nilgiri Flycatchers, 3 Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, 20 Tickell's Leaf Warblers, 6 Common Rosefinch, 1 Nilgiri Scaly Thrush, 2 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, 1 Black and Orange Flycatcher, 1 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and 15 Nilgiri Langur, but sadly no Kasmir Flycatcher

Nilgiri Flycatchers

Nilgiri Scaly Thrush

Sighur Ghat

Moving on from Masinagudi to Ooty via the Sighur Ghat road, could have been really good birding, but the road was incredibly busy and stops were few, did manage to get Black Eagle, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Large Hawk-cuckoo as well as the usual indian fare.

Pied Bushchat

Red-whiskered Bulbuls

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

Back on the Grid

Just spent the last 4 days at Masinagudi, without t'internet, so here's a rather big summary of the past 4 days.
20/2/12
Left Bangalore early morning and stopped off at a town called Ramanagara, not on any published birding trip reports, but the site of a silk processing area, and so thick with Black and Brahiminy Kites (about 200 of each !).

Black Kite

Brahiminy Kite

A quick walk around to the river at Masinagudi in the evening, and quite a selection of stuff - 1 Greater Spotted Eagle, 1 Buzzard, 9 Woolly-necked Storks, 2 Pied Kingfisher, 1 White-browed Bulbul, 4 Crested Tree-swifts, 6 Palm Swift, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 3 Pintail Snipe and 20 Chittal.

Chittal

Purple Sunbird

Greater Spotted Eagle

White-browed Bulbul.

21/2/12 Masinagudi
Another walk along the river and this time - 1 Thick-billed Warbler, several Malabar Parakeets, 3 Yellow-eyed Babbler, 2 Indian Scimitar Babbler, 2 Rufous-bellied Nuthatch, 1 Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, several White-bellied Drongo and a Grey Mongoose.

White-bellied Drongo

22/2/12 Masinagudi
All day in the forest today, and at last a fruiting fig tree, birds everywhere. Summary of the day - 1 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 2 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, 24 Malabar Parakeet, 20 Crested Tree-swifts, 30 Indian Swiftlets, 1 Rufous-bellied Nuthatch, 2 Indian Scimitar Babbler, 2 Blue-faced Malkoha, 1 Taiga Flycatcher, 6 Malabar Grey Hornbill, 1 Great Hornbill, 1 Grey Junglefowl, 1 Red Spurfowl, 1 Orange-headed Thrush, 1 Lesser Yellownape, 1 Orange-breasted Green Pigeon. Mammals seen were 1 Indian Grey Mongoose, 4 Malabar Giant Squirrel and 20+ Guar.

Blue-faced Malkoha

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Malabar Giant Squirrel

Orange-headed Thrush

22/2/12 Masinagudi
Just the morning in the forest today - but scored the mega ! 2 White-bellied Woodpeckers. Other stuff included - 3 Black-rumped Flameback, 3 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 1 Lesser Yellownape, 1 Streak-throated Woodpecker, 1 Blue-face Malkoha, 1 Orange-headed Thrush, 2 Malabar Grey Hornbill and a Black-naped Monach.

White-bellied Woodpecker

Streak-throated Woodpecker

White-browed Fantail

Malabar Whistling Thrush

Bonnet Macaque

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Hanuman Langur

Banagartha

Went to Bannagartha Reserve this morning, south of Bangalore, at first the forestry staff wouldn't let me in on foot and was told I could only get in on a 'safary' bus that looked like something from Predator 2 ! So I did the only decent thing I could do - found the back way in and snook in from there ! The reserve is mostly gum trees and crap for birding, but I did happen upon an old mango orchard where the trees were in flower - bingo - birds everywhere. 1 Taiga Flycatcher, 1 Paradise Flycatcher, 1 Tickel's Blue Flycatcher, 1 Common Iora, 6 Oriental White-eye, 2 Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike, 1 Shikra, 20+ Plain and Ashy Prinias, Spotted Owlet and 2 Large Cuckoo-Shrike. A quick stop at a roadside pond on the way back added nothing more than a Little Grebe and a White-browed Wagtail.

White-browed Wagtail

Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike

Spotted Owlet

Taiga Flycatcher

The back way in

Anybody fancy a go at this ?

Nandi Hills

All day around the Nandi Hills just north of Bangalore, mainly for Yellow-throated Bulbul.
The day started in fine style with a Red-necked Falcon being mobbed by Jungle Crows at the base of the hills. The main target was got by curve 36 on the way down from the top, unfortunately I didn't manage any photos as the road was now full of tuk-tuks, taxis and buses, flushing everything in sight. Despite all the disturbance at this site, managed to see the following - 6 Brown-headed Barbets, 1 Alpine Swift, 2 Black-shouldered Kites, 1 Red-necked Falcon, 1 Short-toed Eagle, 2 White-bellied Drongo, 2 Paradise Flycatchers, 2 Orange-headed Thrush, 2 Blue-capped Rock Thrush, 1 Red-breasted Flycatcher, 2 Yellow-throated Bulbul, 10 Large-billed Leaf Warbler, 6 Rufous Babbler, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Olive-backed Pipits and a Puff-throated Babbler.

Orange-headed Thrush

Attack of the killer Bees

The Nandi Hills

The Missus taking a break after looking at scarce Bulbuls

Good Morning

from Bangalore