Highlights:

I visited a new-ish site further into the valley and heard several Whistling Thrush, a Drongo Cuckoo, at least three pairs of Rufous Woodpeckers, apart from a few Paradise as well as Black-naped Blue Monarchs.

Also, Brainfever Birds out in the open and good views of Yellow-wattled Lapwing.

Birdlist:

1    Little Cormorant     Phalacrocorax niger
2    Eastern Cattle Egret     Bubulcus coromandus
3    Indian Pond-Heron     Ardeola grayii
4    Black Kite     Milvus migrans
5    Brahminy Kite     Haliastur indus
6    Shikra     Accipiter badius
7    Red Spurfowl     Galloperdix spadicea
8    Grey Junglefowl     Gallus sonneratii
9    Indian Peafowl     Pavo cristatus
10    White-breasted Waterhen     Amaurornis phoenicurus
11    Yellow-wattled Lapwing     Vanellus malabaricus
12    Red-wattled Lapwing     Vanellus indicus
13    Blue Rock Pigeon     Columba livia
14    Spotted Dove     Streptopelia chinensis
15    Rose-ringed Parakeet     Psittacula krameri
16    Plum-headed Parakeet     Psittacula cyanocephala
17    Common Hawk-Cuckoo    Hierococcyx varius
18    Fork-tailed Drongo Cuckoo     Surniculus [lugubris] dicruroides
19    Asian Koel     Eudynamys scolopacea
20    Southern Coucal     Centropus [sinensis] parroti
21    Spotted Owlet     Athene brama
22    Little Swift     Apus affinis
23    White-throated Kingfisher     Halcyon smyrnensis
24    White-cheeked Barbet     Megalaima viridis
25    Malabar Barbet     Megalaima malabarica
26    Coppersmith Barbet     Megalaima haemacephala
27    Rufous Woodpecker     Micropternus  brachyurus
28    Black-rumped Flameback    Dinopium benghalense
29    Wire-tailed Swallow     Hirundo smithii
30    White-browed Wagtail     Motacilla maderaspatensis
31    Large Cuckoo-Shrike     Coracina macei
32    Small Minivet     Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
33    Grey-headed Bulbul     Pycnonotus priocephalus
34    Red-whiskered Bulbul     Pycnonotus jocosus
35    Red-vented Bulbul     Pycnonotus cafer
36    White-browed Bulbul     Pycnonotus luteolus
37    Gold-fronted Leafbird    Chloropsis aurifrons
38    Malabar Whistling-Thrush     Myophonus horsfieldii
39    Oriental Magpie-Robin     Copsychus saularis
40    Indian Black-Robin     Saxicoloides fulicatus
41    Pied Bushchat     Saxicola caprata
42    Puff-throated Babbler     Pellorneum ruficeps
43    Dark-fronted Babbler     Rhopocichla atriceps
44    Indian Rufous Babbler     Turdoides subrufa
45    Jungle Babbler     Turdoides striata
46    Grey-breasted Prinia     Prinia hodgsonii
47    Ashy Prinia     Prinia socialis
48    Common Tailorbird     Orthotomus sutorius
49    Asian Paradise Flycatcher     Terpsiphone paradisi
50    Black-naped Blue Monarch     Hypothymis azurea
51    Pale-billed Flowerpecker     Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
52    Nilgiri Flowerpecker     Dicaeum concolor
53    Purple-rumped Sunbird     Leptocoma zeylonica
54    Purple Sunbird     Cinnyris asiaticus
55    Loten’s Sunbird     Cinnyris lotenius
56    Common Myna     Acridotheres tristis
57    Jungle Myna     Acridotheres fuscus
58    Indian Golden Oriole     Oriolus kundoo
59    Black-hooded Oriole     Oriolus xanthornus
60    Black Drongo     Dicrurus macrocercus
61    Ashy Drongo     Dicrurus leucophaeus
62    Greater Racket-tailed Drongo     Dicrurus paradiseus
63    Indian Treepie     Dendrocitta vagabunda
64    House Crow     Corvus splendens
65    Indian Jungle Crow     Corvus [macrorhynchos] culminatus

Pics:

Brainfever Bird

A pair of Black-rumped Flamebacks

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

http://youtu.be/EK_sIJ3yC2g

Click above for a short video I took of the Cicadas in a wooded patch on the birding trail.

- Ramit

Well, the falls were dry and the stream that flows out, although filled with water, was being used by locals and possibly labourers who are working on an apartment that is being built right next to it. Looks like another case of habitat lost.

Was a good first trip anyway :-) And an area I need to explore more often!

Birders: Kanika Nagia, Savita Sastri, Prabhakar Sastri, Ramit Singal

Highlights: Rufous Woodpeckers in good view, lots of Blue-faced Malkohas and Black-headed Orioles which were delightful to observe, gatherings of White-cheeked Barbets, Malabar Whistling Thrush.

Kanika spotted and we comfortably observed an Indian Rat Snake which was exploring a ficus tree, and I also saw a big Bandicoot Rat scurrying into its hole.

Birdlist:

1    Little Cormorant     Phalacrocorax niger
2    Eastern Cattle Egret     Bubulcus coromandus
3    Indian Pond-Heron     Ardeola grayii
4    Lesser Whistling-Duck     Dendrocygna javanica
5    Black Kite     Milvus migrans
6    Brahminy Kite     Haliastur indus
7    Grey Junglefowl     Gallus sonneratii
8    Indian Peafowl     Pavo cristatus
9    Red-wattled Lapwing     Vanellus indicus
10    Blue Rock Pigeon     Columba livia
11    Spotted Dove     Streptopelia chinensis
12    Rose-ringed Parakeet     Psittacula krameri
13    Common Hawk-Cuckoo    Hierococcyx varius
14    Indian Cuckoo     Cuculus micropterus
15    Asian Koel     Eudynamys scolopacea
16    Blue-faced Malkoha     Phaenicophaeus viridirostris
17    Southern Coucal     Centropus [sinensis] parroti
18    Asian Palm-Swift     Cypsiurus balasiensis
19    Alpine Swift     Tachymarptis melba
20    White-throated Kingfisher     Halcyon smyrnensis
21    Little Green Bee-eater     Merops orientalis
22    White-cheeked Barbet     Megalaima viridis
23    Coppersmith Barbet     Megalaima haemacephala
24    Rufous Woodpecker     Micropternus  brachyurus
25    Black-rumped Flameback    Dinopium benghalense
26    Wire-tailed Swallow     Hirundo smithii
27    White-browed Wagtail     Motacilla maderaspatensis
28    Large Cuckoo-Shrike     Coracina macei
29    Grey-headed Bulbul     Pycnonotus priocephalus
30    Red-whiskered Bulbul     Pycnonotus jocosus
31    Red-vented Bulbul     Pycnonotus cafer
32    White-browed Bulbul     Pycnonotus luteolus
33    Common Iora     Aegithina tiphia
34    Jerdon’s Leafbird    Chloropsis jerdoni
35    Gold-fronted Leafbird    Chloropsis aurifrons
36    Malabar Whistling-Thrush     Myophonus horsfieldii
37    Orange-headed Thrush     Zoothera citrina
38    Indian Blackbird     Turdus simillimus
39    Oriental Magpie-Robin     Copsychus saularis
40    Common Stonechat     Saxicola torquatus
41    Pied Bushchat     Saxicola caprata
42    Puff-throated Babbler     Pellorneum ruficeps
43    Indian Rufous Babbler     Turdoides subrufa
44    Jungle Babbler     Turdoides striata
45    Yellow-billed Babbler     Turdoides affinis
46    Grey-breasted Prinia     Prinia hodgsonii
47    Indian Reed-Warbler     Acrocephalus [stentoreus] brunnescens
48    Common Tailorbird     Orthotomus sutorius
49    Thick-billed Flowerpecker     Dicaeum agile
50    Pale-billed Flowerpecker     Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
51    Purple-rumped Sunbird     Leptocoma zeylonica
52    Loten’s Sunbird     Cinnyris lotenius
53    Common Myna     Acridotheres tristis
54    Jungle Myna     Acridotheres fuscus
55    Indian Golden Oriole     Oriolus kundoo
56    Black-hooded Oriole     Oriolus xanthornus
57    Black Drongo     Dicrurus macrocercus
58    Greater Racket-tailed Drongo     Dicrurus paradiseus
59    Indian Treepie     Dendrocitta vagabunda
60    House Crow     Corvus splendens
61    Indian Jungle Crow     Corvus [macrorhynchos] culminatus

Pics:

A Rufous Woodpecker pair, in good view and upclose - but the light was horrible

Indian Rat Snake

Calotes Versicalor

Big Fat Mongoose

- Ramit