Aranya_Volume2_Issue2_Feb2019 by Hyderabad Birding Pals

Vol.2 Issue | FEBRUARY 2019 Issue2 21 | JUNE 2018

HYDERABAD BIRDING PALS | FRIENDS OF FLORA & FAUNA

Vol.2 Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2019

Editors Gopalakrishna R Phani Krishna Ravi Sriram Reddy Kalyan Ineni Ajinkya Supekar

Proofing Husein Latif Suren Akkaraju Ashis Kumar Pradhan

Content Team Bhaarat Vyas Krishna Mohan Mohit Joshi Rajeev Khandelwal Shashi Kotte Hari Adepu RK Balaji

Cover Image Black Baza By Sriram Reddy

In this issue Aranya welcomes you to flip through the pages of the February Edition. This edition brings to you the exhilarating moments of birding in the Andamans through Sriram Reddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eyes. The Sunday birders cherished a lot of nature time during the birdwalks. The importance of bird specimen collection and its contributions to science has been briefly described. Ameenpur Utsav was celebrated on the World Wetlands Day led by Tejdeep maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;am in association with The TSPF, Friends of Flora and fauna and Hyderabad Birding Pals. Birding at Kakinada gives a surprise sighting of the Indian skimmers. Please feel free to contribute your experiences with us at the email address given at the bottom of this page.Your feedback is important to us. We hope to continue amplifying your spark of interest in birds and bird watching. We wish that this issue gathers your interest to go through the pages as well as to inspire you to explore more. Fly high!!! Happy Birding Gopalakrishna R

Back Cover Image Indian Skimmer By Sriram Reddy Images used are copyright of photographers

For Feedback and Contributions, Contact us AranyA@hyderabadbirdingpals.com www.hyderabadbirdingpals.com @hydbirdingpals HyderabadBirdingPals

Hyderabad Birding Pals (HBP) is a group of bird watching enthusiasts based out of Hyderabad, united by a common love for birds. We organize free bird walks around the city of Hyderabad that are open to participation by all like-minded individuals. We are an informal group, who are passionate about bird watching and photography, learning about bird behavior (in the field) and doing our bit towards conservation of nature and its habitat as well. Do check our Facebook group to stay up to date on our bird watching events. 2

Vol.2 Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2019

CONTENTS Page Bird Walks

Trip Reports

Andaman Birding

Ameenpur Utsav

Birding at Coringa, Hope Island and Kakinada

A wealth of knowledge in a dead bird

Notable Sightings

Photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner

Vol.2 Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2019

245th Bird Walk | Narasapur Forest ,Medak 06th January, 2019 246th Bird Walk | Osman Sagar 13th January, 2019

Vol.2 Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2019

247th Bird Walk | Ameenpur 20th January, 2019 248th Bird Walk | Himayath Sagar 27th January, 2019

HBP245 Narasapur Reserve Forest RK Balaji Number of participants: 18 Date: 6th Jan 2019 Number of species recorded: 131 The Narsapur forest is 45 km from Hyderabad in the Medak district. This is spread between Gummadidala and Narsapur towns. This forest spans over 30 square kms and has a mini-ghat section, thick forest, a hill, a large lake, a good number of birds, varied flora and fauna. Of late, this has become a hotspot for birding and nature lovers.

We had planned to start off at Air Force Academy, 3km before Narsapur. After arrival of all the participants, our journey began towards Narsapur. We reached our usual hotspot location to start birding. This time, activity was pretty good which no one has expected. Few of favourite habitats were destroyed due to the unexpected construction. Then everyone has chosen their own path to observe activity along with someone. Usually, I tried to move along with my camera but this time for a change, I used a pair of binoculars for birding. It was a very good experience throughout the day. Felt easier to use binoculars and watch birds quickly with wider field of view. Basically, you won’t have to waste the time searching for birds. The tree cover bordering the small pond provides good habitat for Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides), Pale-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos), Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis), Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia), Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca), Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros),

Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae). After this, we moved on the trail that leads to the main lake. We observed/captured Ashy Woodswallows (Artamus fuscus), Drongo, White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus), Blyth’s Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum) and Grey-bellied Cuckoo (Cacomantis passerinus) on a bamboo tree, which was on a route that was parallel to our way. Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) was sighted by other members. As we approached the lake, we observed flocks of Asian Openbills (Anastomus oscitans); Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), Northern Shovelers (Spatula clypeata), Garganeys (Spatula querquedula), Green-winged Teals (Anas crecca) and Common Pochards (Aythya ferina). Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) flew above our path. Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) was taking mud bath near the shore area and Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) male and female were perching on small trees. Then, I observed a Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) at lake side which was further away from us and also we recorded a Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) on the same day. Here we witnessed a very good show put on by Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica), Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii), Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) and Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica), Common/Wood Sandpiper, River Tern (Sterna aurantia), White-throated / Common Kingfishers, Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri), Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) and Shrikes. Ebird_checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S51373515

Picture : Nageswara Rao J

HBP 246 Osman Sagar Lake Balakrishna Marar Number of participants-10, Date: 13th January 2019, Number species observed - 92

With the early morning chills still hanging in the air in the middle of January, few enthusiastic birders started from Hyderabad to Osman sagar lake, 25-30 kms away at around 5:30 am. After the customary group picture with a dog in the foreground. We made our way to the lake at around 6:30 am.

Common and Wood Sandpipers, River and Whiskered Terns, Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans), Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Grey and Purple Herons, Ibises and Egrets. All along the way there were plenty of birds on the ground around us such as Larks, Pipits, Wagtails, Hoopoe and Pratincoles. Not to forget a few on and in the bushes Green Bee-eaters, Robins, Bushchats, Swallows, Prinias, Sunbirds, Avadavats, Babblers, Mynas and Starlings. AND as usual an Indian Roller on an electric wire. Four hours of trekking, four kilometers about 90 species recorded before we called it a day and headed back home. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51694840 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51694840

Greater Flamingoes (Phoenicopterous roseus) Picture: Harikrishna Adepu

The rising sun in the foggy morning over the lake was quite amazing, with the orange & golden hues reflecting from the surface of still water and to welcome us, there were plenty of Drongos. Then we spotted a bunch of 30 to 40 Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) in the shallow water near the bank. There were plenty of water birds floating/waddling in the water. It was a bit difficult to ID them with the sun behind them. It took an hour of waiting for the light to dawn on them and what a sight - Northern Shovelers (Spatula clypeata), Indian Spot-billed Ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha), Lesser Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna javanica), Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus), Knob-billed Ducks (Sarkidiornis melanotos), Garganey (Spatula querquedula), Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Brown-headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus), Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Little-ringed Plover, Stints,

Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) Picture: Karthik Sharma

HBP247 Ameenpur Biodiversity Reserve Sai Srinivas Vemuri Number of participants: 15 Date: 20th Jan 2019 Number of species recorded: 80 Ameenpur Lake is a small lake in Sangareddy District in the Indian state of Telangana and on the edge of the city of Hyderabad. It is the first waterbody in India to be recognised as a Biodiversity Heritage Site and is the first biodiversity site to be approved in an urban area. The day started with a cup of tea near the meeting point at Idly Dosa Centre, Allwyn Cross Roads, Miyapur. From there, we started around 6 o'clock and reached the entrance of Ameenpur lake from HMT Colony side. We had a gathering of around 15 people for the birdwalk. From there, we divided into smaller groups for birding. Our group was after snipes, as Ameenpur lake is a good habitat for snipes. We clicked few photos of snipes and we were fortunate enough to have sufficient light.

Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) Picture: Chetan Sai Chowdary Ineni

After spending some time with snipes, we started looking for Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), which is a winter migrant and eventually, we saw some activity near the lake. We started looking for the Bluethroat male and female. After searching for couple of hours, we spotted the female bird. Everyone was able to click beautiful pictures of the bird. But, the male bird was proving elusive. We continued our search for the male bird, and our perseverance was finally rewarded. We spotted the male and clicked quite a few photographs. We saw Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) flock of 20 near paddy fields and also saw Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus). We were also able to notice good number of waders in the lake including Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Wood Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), Little Stint (Calidris minuta), Ruff (Calidris pugnax), Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) etc.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) Picture: Manoj Kumar Vittapu

Overall, we had a good birding day. ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51854363

HBP 248 - HIMAYAT SAGAR Kalyan Ineni

It was a cloudy day when we started on our

We noticed a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and

248th bird walk to Himayat Sagar. It rained

a Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) catching the fish.

heavily the night before in Hyderabad and we

Also,

were not sure about the Sunday climate and

querquedula) moving on the waters. There was

decided to go on the bird walk if the climate is

one

supportive. When we woke up, it was cloudy and

brunnicephalus) flying and light was not

there were no signs of rain. We started to the

supportive to take photographs. We also

meeting point around 5.30 from Kukatpally and

noticed a raptor sitting over a tree on the right

reached TSPA junction at around 6.15 AM.

side and identified it as Oriental Honey-Buzzard

noticed

some

Brown-headed

Garganeys

Gull

(Patula

(Chroicocephalus

(Pernis ptilorhynchus). There were some common coots (Fulica atra) in the water and also Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), Purple herons (Ardea purpurea) were flying and fishing. Overall the climate was not conducive for birding, but we still managed

to spot 52

species.. ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S52092180

By that time couple of members already reached and were waiting for me. Surprisingly all the members who joined on this bird walk never visited Himayat Sagar hotspot except for me. We took a group photo and started exploring the shore area. It was dry at the starting point and we went ahead to explore the area. We saw couple of Bar Headed Goose (Anser indicus) flying.

Picture: Satyanarayana Samala

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Andaman Birding Sriram Reddy

Long-tailed parakeet

Birding in the Andamans will surely be any birder/photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream. We checked with Mr. Vikram Shee, a popular bird guide (Ph. : +91 94342 62681, Email: natureland@rediffmail.com) if he is available in Jan 2019. After a brief discussion and email exchanges with Vikram, we finalized our trip for 8 days and 7 nights (from Jan 20 2019 to Jan 27 2019) covering birding hotspots in South Andaman and Little Andaman. However, the trip itself was uncertain till the last moment due to frequent dropouts. The planning was done in September 2018 with 4 members. An additional member joined later. One member dropped in Oct and was replaced by another member and then a drop-out again! Finally we were a four-member team as planned originally. It was a good trip in the end with some good memories. One should understand before the trip that Andaman and Nicobar are two different islands and have disjoint avifauna. Each island has its own endemic species. Birding in Nicobar needs a minimum of 15 days because it includes a lot of traveling by sea. Travel by air is not an affordable option. Traveling to Narcondam island to see the Narcondam hornbill requires special permissions and not everybody can manage it. Our birding schedule was planned by Mr. Vikram and we followed it as is and made changes to it later to cover the missing ones. We visited Chidiya tapu, Shoal Bay, Ograbrage, Sippighat, Bamboo flats and Little Andaman island.

We got up early every day (mostly between 3.30 - 4.30 a.m.) and the day ended typically by 9.00 p.m. There was a nocturnal session almost every evening. Birding at Andaman is strenuous. Very less resting period and long walks in difficult terrain with heavy gear. Humid weather adds more discomfort. Mosquito repellents, torches, leech socks, raingear are a must in Andaman. Highlights: 1) Ticked 23 Andaman species and 1 Nicobar species. 2) Fantastic sighting of a vagrant Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) at Little Andaman. 3) Fantastic sightings of all Andaman owls (Andaman Scops-Owl (Otus balli), Andaman Masked-Owl (Tyto deroepstorffi), Andaman Hawk-Owl (Ninox affinis), Oriental Scops-Owl (Walden's) (Otus sunia modestus), and Hume's Boobook(Ninox obscura)) and Andaman Nightjar (Caprimulgus andamanicus). 4) Excellent sightings of Long-tailed Parakeets (Psittacula longicauda). 5) Good sightings of Mangrove Whistler (Pachycephala cinerea). 6) Good sighting of Andaman Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis elgini) and Andaman Teal (Anas albogularis). 7) Multiple sightings of Andaman Shama (Copsychus albiventris), Andaman Cuckoo-Dove ((Macropygia rufipennis)), Andaman Treepie (Dendrocitta bayleii), Andaman Flowerpecker (Dicaeum virescens), Andaman Bulbul (Brachypodius fuscoflavescens), Andaman Coucal(Centropus andamanensis), Andaman Drongo(Dicrurus andamanensis), Andaman Woodpecker(Dryocopus hodgei) and Andaman Cuckooshrike (Coracina dobsoni). 10

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8) Glimpses of Andaman Crake (Rallina canningi). Even though the sighting was poor, it left us with some lasting memories! 9) Many good sightings of Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) and Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes). 10) Good action shots of White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster). 11) Good sightings of White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus), Oriental Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis), Black-browed Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus bistrigiceps), Freckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos analis) and White-headed Starlings (Sturnia erythropygia). 12) Good sightings of Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta), Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura) and Slaty-breasted Rail (Lewinia striata).

Andaman teal

13) Decent sightings of Plume-toed Swiftlet (Collocalia affinis) and Edible-nest Swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus). 14) Satisfying sightings of Red-throated Pipit (Anthus cervinus). Low points: 1) Missed Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) 2) Unable to photograph Nicobar Pigeons (Caloenas nicobarica) though they were seen many times. 3) Glimpses of Andaman Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumboides) and Pied imperial-Pigeon (Ducula bicolor). 4) Missed Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris). 5) Only calls were heard of the Violet Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus).

Lesser whistling ducks

Mandarin duck

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Day 1 (Sunday, 20th Jan 2019 - Chidiya tapu): We reached Port Blair airport by 12.30 p.m. and our driver was waiting for us with a board. It was just a 10-minute drive to the hotel. Vikram Sheel came to greet us at the hotel and discussed the trip schedule. We got ready by 2.30 p.m. and left to Chidiya tapu. It was about 25 km away from our hotel. Enroute, Vikram spotted our first lifer, a Collared Kingfisher, perching on a rock at the seashore. The kingfisher was quite cooperative and let us take good photographs. We spent about 20 minutes there. It was a good start!

Collared Kingfisher

While walking, a person who runs battery-operated vehicles inside the park, informed Vikram about the presence of an Andaman Green-Pigeon (Treron chloropterus) near a fruiting tree which was a few yards away. We spotted Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), Red-breasted Parakeet, Andaman Drongo(lifer), Scarlet Minivet male and female (Pericrocotus speciosus), Asian Glossy Starlings (Aplonis panayensis) feeding on fruits, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus), White-headed Starling(lifer), Asian Fairy-bluebird (male) (Irena puella) feeding on fruits, and Freckle-breasted Woodpecker(lifer). We spent about 30 minutes near this tree. Vikram heard calls of Andaman Shama(lifer) near a bush and we waited for it to come out.

We reached Chidiya tapu around 3.45 p.m. We were greeted by Long-tailed Parakeet (lifer) and Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) calls near the parking place. While Vikram was at the ticket counter, we spotted Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)(lifer) and Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) (lifer). Inside Chidiya tapu, Vikram heard the calls of Andaman Coucal(lifer) and it gave us a few seconds to photograph. After walking a few yards, we saw an Andaman Serpent-Eagle(lifer) perching nicely at eye level. We got some great shots and moved on.

Andaman Shama Both male and female were seen. At the same place, we could spot the Green Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula aenea) as well. By now, the light was gone. We went out for tea and waited till it was completely dark to start our nocturnal session. Andaman Serpent-Eagle 12

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We prepared ourselves to avoid some serious mosquito bites and waited for the Andaman Nightjar. We waited for about 20 minutes, but we could only see it fly from one perch to another, not letting us get a single picture! We decided to leave it alone and went in search of the Andaman Scops-Owl. Nocturnal birding at Andaman is safe since there are no wild animals (except for wild boars and snakes) and we stayed by the side of road mostly. We got to hear the calls of Andaman Scops-Owl immediately and the bird gave us some good views too, before disappearing. The next bird on our list was Oriental Scops-Owl (Walden's), which was frequently seen a few km away from this place. We saw the bird immediately after reaching the place. It was perching on a low branch, looking for prey. A memorable sighting!

Oriental Scops-Owl (Walden's)

The next target was Andaman Hawk-Owl, which was couple of km walk away. Vikram had noticed that Hawk-owls stay adjacent to village street lights perching on poles, waiting for preys. In the meantime, we could hear calls of Hume's Boobook. We got a glimpse of it too, but for a short time, just enough to capture a couple of record shots. We saw two Andaman Hawk-Owls from a close distance and spent some good time photographing one. We tried looking for the Hume's Boobook again in the open fields. We could only hear calls though. We called it a day at around 8.30 p.m. We were happy with 16 lifers including 4 owls in just the second half day of our first day!

Andaman Hawk-Owl

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Day 2 (Monday, 21st Jan 2019 - Little Andaman): We spent 3 full days (including travel) at Little Andaman. It is at a distance of 120 km by sea from Port Blair. Hut Bay in Little Andaman is the entry and exit point. It takes about 7-9 hours of travel time. 80% of the island is covered by untouched lowland evergreen forests. It has not been explored by birders as such. A great place to bird, overall. We got on the ship at 7:00 a.m. from Haddo wharf. It had decent facilities. We started on time. We saw Spotted Edible-nest Swiftlets(lifer) flying about our ship and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle sitting on a distant tree near the port. We hoped to see some pelagic birds but apparently there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any! We spotted dolphins racing along our ship and flying fish too! We reached the Hut Bay port by 2.00PM. We quickly disembarked and got ready to utilise the rest of the time for birding. Our first target was the Mandarin Duck(lifer) which was just a few km away from our hotel. The best part was, it was not on our target list! We saw a flamboyant male sitting pretty in golden light in a pond with pink

Mandarin Duck

water lily blooms. Without a doubt, this was the best sighting we had during this trip. The bird was preening most of the time! We clicked a few hundred pictures with different settings, different lenses and from different angles! We spent a good 30 minutes with this one bird. It overshadowed a beautiful Andaman Teal(lifer) which was sitting quietly beside it. Our next target was the Andaman Masked-Owl. It was roosting in an abandoned house in a remote village. We were surprised to find not one, but a full family! We saw two adults and two juveniles. This was yet another memorable sighting since it was the first owl sighting in the day time! We went in search of Pied Imperial-Pigeons and spotted an Oriental Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis) on a high perch, which was a lifer for few members. While we were busy clicking pictures, we saw a flock of Pied Imperial-Pigeons(lifer) flying above us. We could see 3 to 4 flocks flying across. Unfortunately, we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take any pictures though. We saw an Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) and an interesting vagrant Salangensis sub-species of Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) was seen too. A busy Andaman Green Pigeon was feeding on a fruiting tree at the same place.

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We looked for a brown morph of Andaman Scops-Owl after it got dark. It gave a sighting after thirty minutes of waiting. Sitting on a nice perch, it gave us ample time to photograph. We wrapped up after this quick nocturnal session and returned to our rooms. Vikram said day three will be dedicated for Nicobar Pigeon. It was high on our priority list!

Andaman masked owl

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Day 3 (Tuesday, 22nd Jan 2019 - Harminder Bay & Hut Bay): We got ready by 4.00 a.m. and headed to Harminder Bay forest area, which was about 8 km away from our hotel. We had a quick tea and packed our breakfast. We parked the vehicle at the forest check post and decided to eat breakfast there. We were expecting a 10 km walk in the dense and dark forest. We carried water and our equipment. We had to walk faster to reach the habitat of Nicobar Pigeon, which was 5 km away from the check post. We heard Asian Glossy Starlings, Andaman Green Pigeon, White-bellied Woodswallow(lifer), Red-breasted Parakeet, Green Imperial Pigeon, Andaman Bulbul(lifer) on the way. We had a good sighting of the Andaman Flowerpecker(lifer) feeding on a flowering tree. We started walking slowly as we neared the habitat. Only Vikram saw three birds flying away in the dark making loud sounds. We just saw a tail in the darkness. We were left disappointed since we walked for 3 hours without any luck. Further walk led us to a sea shore where we spotted hundreds of waders in the open. We spotted hundreds of Greater (Charadrius leschenaultii) Andaman Flowerpecker and Lesser (Charadrius mongolus) Sand Plovers flying together. In the same flock we could spot Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis) (lifer), good numbers of Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra) (lifer), Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) and Common Redshanks (Tringa totanus). We rested for a few minutes on our way back, we heard Andaman Woodpecker(lifer) and saw it moving from one tree to another. We tried to look for Nicobar Pigeon again, but in vain. We saw a group of Andaman Cuckoo-Doves (lifer) feeding on a tree. This was the best sighting that morning. We reached our vehicle a little disappointed and tired. We reached our hotel and decided to look for the Mandarin Duck again in the afternoon before we went after the Beach Thick-knee. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the Mandarin Duck, so we went in search of Beach Thick-knee. We scanned the whole area with negative results. At this point, we were not sure which bird to go after! We all decided to look for Pied Imperial-Pigeons, which we had seen the previous day flying above us. We spotted Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis), Dollarbird and Crested Serpent-Eagle on the way. It was dark before we got there. We barely managed to get a record shot of the Pied Imperial-Pigeon. Third day was a total disappointment.

Waders on shore

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Andaman Cuckoo-Dove

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Day 4 (Wednesday, 23rd Jan 2019 - Hut Bay & Kalapathar Beach): Last day at Little Andaman. We left to see the sunrise and saw the Mandarin Duck for one last time. We also spotted Oriental Reed Warbler(lifer), Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis), White-rumped Munias (Lonchura striata) and glimpses of Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus) in the reeds. It was a brief but good session. We wanted to look for Beach Thick-knees again. We tried a different place this time. We could see Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva), Lesser Sand-Plover, Little-ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) and Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus). Our next destination was Kalapathar beach, a beautiful beach with limestone formations dotted all along. We spotted Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa), Andaman Bulbul again and a couple of Collared Kingfishers. We saw Ring-legged Fiddler Crabs and Mudskippers in the salt-marshes. We went back to our hotel for lunch. We saw a tussle between White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) and crows there.

Oriental reed warbler

Post lunch, we decided to go for the Nicobar Pigeon again. The gate at the check post was open this time and it saved us a good 5 km of walk. We could see a Nicobar Pigeon as soon as we entered its habitat. I could clearly see it in the camera viewfinder. but, before I clicked the shutter, it flew away! We saw two more pigeons but failed to photograph them. We returned to our hotel and packed to leave early in the morning next day.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

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Andaman Bulbul

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Day 5 (Thursday, 24th Jan 2019 Chidiya Tapu) We reached Port Blair by 1.00 p.m. the next day. Had a quick lunch and left to find the Mangrove Whistler(lifer). We had a good sighting after looking for 10 mins. We also observed Glossy Swiftlet and Edible-nest Swiftlet flying in the sky there. Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters (Merops leschenaulti) and Collared Kingfishers were also seen.

Mangrove Whistler

We went for a nocturnal session after the evening tea. We could hear calls of two nightjars in the same place as before. We spotted one very close to us, It sat on that perch for at least 20 minutes. Next was Andaman Scops-Owl, again and Humeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hawk-Owl. We only heard calls of the Andaman Scops-Owl. We left the place and went after the Humeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hawk-Owl. It was seen hunting in an open field, not bothered by our presence. It was a brief but good session.

Hume's Boobook

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Andaman Nightjar

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Day 6 (Friday, 25th Jan 2019 - Bamboo Flats, Shoal Bay & Ograbraj) We reached Chatham Pier to catch the first ferry at 5.00 a.m. to reach Bamboo Flats. We stopped at a lake, where we observed White-bellied Sea-Eagles diving and picking up meat and chicken wastes thrown into the lake. Next to the lake is a marsh, where we spotted Yellow Bittern, Black-browed Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus bistrigiceps) (lifer), Oriental Reed Warbler and an unidentified Sparrowhawk. Later, we went to Shoal Bay. This place was buzzing with activity. We spotted Andaman Bulbul, Andaman Coucal, Andaman Treepie, two Black Bazas, many Andaman Drongos and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos feeding in a dumpyard. Green Imperial Pigeons were seen too. Many Asian Fairy-bluebirds and Andaman Bulbuls were feeding on a fruiting tree.

A couple of Andaman Cuckooshrikes (lifer) were seen hunting. Freckle-breasted Woodpecker was seen at a close proximity and a good number of Glossy Swiftlets were seen flying in sky.

Andaman Cuckooshrike

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Andaman Treepie 23

Vol.2 Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2019

We went to see White-breasted Woodswallow next. It perches on a particular branch regularly and we were able to photograph it well. We also saw a Vernal Hanging-Parrot (Loriculus vernalis) couple nesting on an electric pole. A subspecies of Brown Shrike(Philippine) was also seen there.

White-breasted Woodswallow

Brown Shrike (Philippine)

We visited Ograbraj in the afternoon. We spotted a good number of Common and Pin-tailed Snipes feeding in a waterlogged field. A Slaty-breasted Rail also walked past quickly!

Slaty-breasted Rail 24

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Day 7(Saturday, 26th Jan 2019 - Sippighat, Chidiya Tapu) Wetlands formed at Shippi ghat after the Tsunami and are now inhabited by a mix flock of birds. Long-toed Stints(lifer) were seen here. We saw them in good number. We also saw Pacific Golden Plovers, Pacific Swallows (Hirundo tahitica)(lifer) and Whiskered Terns there. We visited Chidiya tapu again to look for Andaman Wood Pigeon and hoped for better pictures of Long-tailed Parakeets. At the park entrance, we saw them feeding on Chiku fruits along with a couple of Vernal Hanging-Parrots. Andaman Woodpecker was seen inside the park. Andaman Wood Pigeon was also seen flying higher up in the canopy. Andaman Coucal and White-headed Starlings were seen very closely too. Andaman woodpecker

Long-toed stint

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In the afternoon, we decided to visit Shippi ghat hoping to see Red-throated Pipit. We saw Changeable Hawk-eagle(lifer) perched nicely in the open on a tree next to the road. We saw two Red-throated Pipits(lifer) in a wetland nearby. We also saw Red-necked Stints in a flock of Lesser Sand-Plovers there.

Changeable hawk-Eagle

Red-throated Pipit We decided to go after the Andaman Crake (Rallina canningi) after this and do one last nocturnal session. We went to a place close to Chidiya Tapu. We sat quietly on the forest floor waiting. It was seen thrice, but all we could manage were a few record shots due to low light. We tried to search for Andaman Scops-Owl one last time. We were lucky to spot it immediately and we took some great pictures!

Andaman crake

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Final Day (Sunday, 27th Jan 2019 - Shoal Bay) We had only half a day on hand, so we decided to visit Shoal Bay to see the Andaman Crake (Rallina canningi) in good light. While we were waiting for it, we spotted Andaman Cuckoo-Doves (Macropygia rufipennis) feeding on a fruiting tree. We moved to another place for the Crake. Again, while waiting for this bird, a Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes) perched in the open in front of us giving us some good pictures. Green Imperial-Pigeons (Ducula aenea) and Olive-backed Sunbirds (Cinnyris jugularis) were seen again.

Our flight was scheduled for 1.00 p.m, so we made a move from Shoal bay. Birding with focus on Andaman endemics can be done in 5-7 days. Since the islands are prone to rains, it is always better to have a couple of days extra as cushion. It was a memorable trip with 45 lifers! This trip helped me in reaching a count of 750 Indian bird species!

Black baza

AMEENPUR UTSAV WORLD WETLANDS DAY CELEBRATIONS - 2019 Harikrishna Adepu The Ameenpur Biodiversity Heritage Site Management Committee celebrated the World Wetlands Day on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Pedda Cheruvu, Ameenpur. The event was headed by Mrs. Tejdeep Kaur Menon, Director General of Police, Telangana Special Protection Force. The highlight of the celebration was the Photography Competitions in three thematic categories relating to images shot exclusively at Ameenpur only. The three thematic categories are: Birds, Flora and Fauna and Landscape.

Thanks to Mrs. Tejdeep Kaur Menon, and the Telangana State Special Protection Force, who adopted the Ameenpur lake, for their tireless efforts to get it declared as a Biodiversity Heritage Site. It is the first and only urban lake declared as a Biodiversity Heritage Site in India. On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, a medical camp for children of Government Junior College and Schools of Ameenpur Mandal was conducted 28

at Ameenpur. Photography, Painting, Essay writing,

Quiz,

Singing,

Dancing

and

Skit

competitions were conducted to increase the awareness

the

importance

nature

conservation among the upcoming generations. The competitions were on a topic, “The driving need to rejuvenate forests and lakes as they are our life givers and their degradation means the end of existence of life on planet Earth”.

For High School 8th, 9th & 10th Classes (One team from each school), the competitions were held in Quiz, Skit, Group Singing, Dancing and Painting on the theme of “Preservation of Wildlife and rejuvenation of Nature”. For the children of Govt. and Private Schools located in Ameenpur Village at the Ameenpur lake bund. Water colours, papers, paint brush, pencil and eraser were

provided

each

competitor.

The Competition was held for three categories of participants - School Students, College goers and

Seniors

thereafter.

Apart from the Photography Competition, the following competitions were done on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 09.30 am onwards as below: For Colleges, the competitions were held in Quiz and Essay Writing in English & Telugu languages. One team of 3 students from one college competed

the

Quiz

contest. 29

The Essay writing competition was on the topic, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The driving need to rejuvenate forests and lakes as they are our life givers and their degradation means the end of existence of life on planet Earthâ&#x20AC;?. It was held both in English and Telugu.

Prizes were given for

different languages of School and Junior College categories separately.

This will be an annual event and will be conducted every year to celebrate the World Wetlands

Day.

Along with the competitions, a Medical camp was conducted by the Malla Reddy Group of Hospitals for all faculties including Pediatrics, Eye, Dental, Orthopaedics, General etc. About 1000 persons attended the camp, out of which, 750 were children. The Lawrence & Mayo Opticals India Pvt. Ltd. conducted the Eye camp for distribution of spectacles under the aegis of Sri Sathiish Rao, member of HBP and HR Manager of Lawrence & Mayo. 150 persons had registered for free distribution of glasses

this

occasion.

All Pictures for Ameenpur UTSAV-2019 article are from Hyderabad Birding Pals Facebook page.

Birding at Coringa, Hope Island and Kakinada Gopalakrishna R

Kakinada welcomed us with a blow of humid misty air. We reached a river bank where a boat had been arranged for us for the birding along the mangroves. The bank was a fish collecting point, had a strong stench of the decomposing trimethylamine, the rotten fish odour to everything that was around. The small unconsumed fish served as a feast for the crows who fought with each other to get the biggest one.

On a Saturday evening of January 12th, 2019, racking our heads to exploring new places for birding in our list, an inspiration ignited by Sriram made us drive all the way till Kakinada, Coringa and Hope island for birding. The so called We, included Ashis, Phani and myself, headed out dashing on the Vijayawada highway just to find out that as it was the Sankranti time the traffic was very congested. All we could see ahead was the big black worn out tyres of trucks each time we overtook to charge ahead. We realized that there was no point dashing, so we resorted to beginning the in car discussions as to what all that could be sighted for the region. Ashis filtered the ebird reports of the region to what few that remained as his lifers, which were the same for us too. We reached at East Godavari district, at Sriramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place at 4 in the morning and continued our journey to Kakinada with Kumar Kanchu (KK) as well.

Picture: Gopalakrishna R

A little brown crake happily came out to feast on the worms which were feeding the fish debris, caught my attention. It was a rare brown crake because unlike others, this was much more familiar with humans and the fear factor was at its lowest. No one dared to lift their cameras as the weather was foggy and the light was poor as they happily saved gigabytes on their memory cards. Meanwhile Sriram and KK prepared their Bazookas, Phani stood by the river bank watching the water hyacinth floating along with the egrets and pond herons happily. Ashis, the little one, as usual, walked by the insects cheering them up as well. We were then joined by Master Chetan, Kalyan Ineni and Sai Srinivas Vemuri for the boating. 31

It was now an hour’s drive to the Hope island. The only movement to watch was a few fish which chose to fly like birds. The misunderstanding of the boatmen of our desired destination extended our ride by half an hour. We were greeted at the Hope island by the fast moving red ghost crabs and some turtle carcasses.

Picture: Sai Srinivas Vemuri

As we began our boating all bird calls were deafened by the ‘sweet’ rhythmic sound of the boat motor, reverberating in our head and driving us ahead. We came by a few little green herons (striated herons as they are called now) and ordered to switch off the engine so that we may slowly drift closer to get some photographs. The striated heron being too smart outperformed our plans to photograph, by hiding in the bushes. The silence was all peace when the boat was this silent but the silent peace was shattered by the boat engine refusing to start for a while. Later on the bird calls stopped again. We further ahead were lucky to spot the black capped kingfisher who was happy to pose for a few shots. While we reached the estuary, we were greeted by a few caspian terns and whimbrels. A couple of Golden jackals noted us pass by.

Picture: Gopalakrishna R

It looked hopeless the instant we landed at Hope island and therefore we all walked in different directions. It wasn’t for long before we started to see the seabirds. We then encountered several Palla’s gulls, western reef herons, ruddy turnstones, a group of great egrets, whimbrels, sand plovers, caspian terns, brown headed gulls. etc. Walking in the sand was tiring. And in after a couple of hours we came back to the boat to return to Kakinada.

Picture: Sriram Reddy

We had our lunch and headed for some local birding around Kakinada which brought us one of the best sightings for the day. Picture: Sriram Reddy

We were greeted by over 300 indian skimmers with their bright orange beaks all around us.

Picture: Kalyan Ineni

We headed straight to the place where they landed. The area was packed with over a thousand plovers, a dozen curlews, whimbrels gull billed terns etc. We spent a couple of hours watching the skimmers rest, skim, fly, filling up our memory cards and our memories as well. We observed the head twist of the skimmer with the fish caught and then it swallows it in air and back skimming for the next. It was a very much cherished moment. Following this sighting we packed our filled cameras, enjoyed the sunset and headed back to Hyderabad.

Picture: The Bird River

The checklists as follows

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51662961 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51662750 https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S51663192

33 33

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A wealth of knowledge in a dead bird Ajinkya Supekar

During his voyage on the H.M.S. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beagleâ&#x20AC;?, Charles Darwin, the renowned naturalist, collected more than 450 bird specimens when he visited the Americas and the Pacific islands. Galapagos finches, also called Darwinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finches, were a part of this collection. The study of these well-known specimens is often credited as the inspiration for his ideas on evolution. A bird specimen includes the skin, feathers, eggs, and skeletons of a bird. Bird skins are specimens kept flat on their back with the skin, plumage and external parts and leaving the flesh. As opposed to taxidermy where specimens are stuffed and mounted, bird skins are easier to store, transport and study. Since the dawn of 18th century, during the colonial era, many enthusiasts have collected such exciting specimens from across the world. They have now found a place in prominent museums. What started for aesthetic reasons has today become a significant source of information on birds. Increased maritime activity, exploration, and colonialism favoured the growth in the collection. Ornithology thus established itself as a scientific discipline and expanded to the present form.

Passenger pigeon. Source: Wikipedia

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Not just Darwin, the father of Indian ornithology, Allan Octavian Hume, collected some 60,000 bird skins and over 20,000 eggs, all of which he gave to the British Museum. The leading wildlife research organisation of India, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), houses 29,000 bird specimens. The ‘Birdman of India’, Dr. Salim Ali, collected bird specimens in his various surveys across India and had distilled these findings into his pioneering works—The book of Indian Birds and the ten-volume magnum opus, The Handbook of Birds of India and Pakistan. Bird specimens also serve as a primary means of discovering new species. The data from these specimens are useful in studies of bird taxonomy, geographic variation, anatomy, morphology, sexual dimorphism, age/gender characters, moulting, population biology, bird migration, social behaviour, conservation, and identification. Analysis of these specimens has also revealed evolutionary changes in them.

The identity of it was confirmed when the DNA samples from the egg were compared with DNA taken from the toe of a 140-year-old Jerdon’s Courser skin from Tring museum in the United Kingdom. Apart from ecology, a recent application of bird specimens is in identifying birds involved in aeroplane bird strikes where aircraft engineers would like to know which bird crashed into the engine so that they can modify the design and take precautions to keep these birds away. The discovery of new species of birds, their interesting behaviours and their role in the environment suggest that not everything is known about them yet. The preserved specimens, rich with vital information, play a more significant role in helping us understand them.

Pink headed duck. Source: Wikipedia An interesting application of a bird skin put to use involves a rare discovery of the egg of Jerdon’s Courser. This critically endangered bird has a small range in South India and not too much is known about it. Dr. Alan Knox found the uncatalogued egg in the drawers of a university museum. Laughing Owl. Image : Te Papa

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Notable Sightings in January Lesser Kestrel Sighted by Sriram Reddy at Rollapadu

Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small bird of prey. It is slightly smaller and slimmer than a Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). It shares a brown back and barred grey underparts with the larger species. It's a passage migrant to Indian sub-continent. It's habitat is open grasslands and cultivation lands and it's globally threatened. This bird is regularly sighted in Rollapadu, Andhra Pradesh between Nov-Feb period. 36

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The Mountain Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula badia), also known as the Maroon-backed Imperial Pigeon or Hodgson's Imperial Pigeon, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family. They can be difficult to spot, since they spend their time usually in high canopy and usually fly fairly high over the canopy. It was found in Nelliampatty, Western Ghats, Kerala perched on a fruit bearing tree and moving along the branches. Two of them were spotted on the same tree, the birds were going to the top of the tree checking out the area and coming down.

Mountain Imperial-Pigeon Sighted by Shashi Kotte at Nelliampatty, Kerala 37

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The Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura) is a passerine bird native to the Indian subcontinent. Also known as Nawarang, this colorful bird inhabits scrub jungle, deciduous and dense evergreen forest. It breeds in the forests of the Himalayas, hills of central and western India, and migrates to other parts of the peninsula in winter. It is usually shy and hidden in the undergrowth where it picks insects on the forest floor. Mainly terrestrial it roosts commonly in low trees at night. Sized 18-20 cm it has a small stubby tail. It has a distinctive two note whistling call which is heard at dawn and dusk.

Indian Pitta Sighted by M Srinivas at Osmania University - Hyderabad

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The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as the Great Indian Hornbill or Great Pied Hornbill is one of the larger members of the Hornbill family. It is found mostly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

It is mostly frugivorous (fruiteating) but sometimes feeds on small mammals, reptiles and birds too. It has a wingspan of 60 inches and weighs between 4-5 kilograms. The sound produced by its wings while flying can be heard from a distance. The sound is sometimes likened to the starting of a steam-powered locomotive. The Great Hornbills are found in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesian Island of Sumatra.

Great Hornbill Sighted by Shashi Kotte at Nelliyampathy, Kerala

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The Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) is one of the largest parakeets. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries. It is predominantly green with a light blue-grey sheen on the cheeks and nape (back of the neck), yellow-green abdomen, red patch on the shoulders and massive red beak with yellow tips. Adults are sexually dimorphic. Adult males have a black stripe across their lower cheeks and a pink band on their nape. Adult females lack both a black stripe across their lower cheeks and a pink band on their nape.

-M Srinivas

Alexandrine Parakeet Sighted by M Srinivas at Pakhal - Warangal 40

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Usually found in well-shaded forest, or along the path in coffee plantations or in clearings of the forest. Its distinctive plumage sets it apart from the other Wagtails. The Forest Wagtails (Dendronanthus indicus) wag their tail sideways which is different from other wagtails which wag their tail up and down. It usually visits Manjeera every winter. -M Srinivas

Forest Wagtail Sighted by Sriram Reddy at Manjeera - Telangana

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Peregrine Falcon is a large crow-sized and a widespread bird of prey. Found almost all around the earth bearing The Arctic, Tundra, High Mountains and the rain forests. This raptor usually feeds on other small birds The female species are considerably larger than the male. The Peregrine Falcon is popular for its dive speed while hunting its prey. It can reach speeds of 322 Km/hr. The highest recorded speed of the bird is 389 km/hr.

Peregrine Falcon Sighted by Mvn Vinay at Shamirpet Lake - Hyderabad 42

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Black-capped Kingfisher Sighted by Sriram Reddy at Koringa - Andhra Pradesh

It's a resident in mainly coastal parts of India especially in mangroves. Large mainly coastal kingfisher with coral-red bill. Has black cap, white collar, deep purplish-blue upper parts. This is regularly sighted in Koringa wildlife sanctuary in the mangroves.

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The orange-breasted green pigeon is a pigeon found across tropical Asia south of the Himalaya across parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Like other green pigeons, it feeds mainly on small fruit. They may be found in pairs or in small flocks, foraging quietly and moving slowly on trees. Orange-breasted Green Pigeon is a stocky, medium-sized pigeon, typically 29 cm in length. The face, back wings and belly are bright green, with a grey rear head and nape.

Orange-breasted Green Pigeon Sighted by Mangesh Thakur at Uma Maheswaram - Telangana

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The greater hoopoe-lark (Alaemon alaudipes) , is a passerine bird which is a breeding resident of arid, desert and semi-desert regions. Birds are seen singly or in pairs as they forage by running or walking in spurts, probing and digging the ground. They feed on insects and other invertebrates, small lizards and seeds. This lark is large, long-legged and slender-bodied with a distinctive down-curved bill.

Greater Hoopoe Lark Sighted by GS Rao at GRK, Gujarat 45

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The Malabar woodshrike (Tephrodornis sylvicola) is a species of bird usually placed in the family Vangidae. It is found mostly in the western part of the Indian Subcontinent. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the large woodshrike.

It was spotted at Nelliyampathy(Western Ghats), it was found on a tree close to a large fruit-bearing tree on which many bird species were spotted. The bird was flying around and coming back to the same spot again and again.

Malabar Woodshrike Sighted by Balakrishna Marar at Nelliyampathy, Kerala

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Greater Short - Toed lark Sighted by Bhaarat Vyas, Mahabubnagar, Telangana

Greater Short - toed lark (Calandrella brachydactyla) is a small pale lark. It is dark - streaked, greyish brown above and white below with short bill that is pinkish with grey culmen, rounded head, long tertial feathers largely hide the wings at the rest. It has pale supercilium, dark patch on each side of its neck, and largely unstreaked belly distinctive in most plumage and dark tail. Keeps low to the ground, runs quickly. Southern most population are migrating in winter. They prefer crop land and dry pastures with short shrubs even they prefers drier areas. This is common bird of dry open country and cultivation. It feeds on seeds and insects. In Telangana it has been recorded for the 1st time from Mahabubnagar Area and I am delighted to be part of this rare sighting.

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Indian Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii) found in peninsular India and in forest habitat only. They have long curved yellow scimitar shaped bill which give them the name. In past it was treated as White-Browed Scimitar-Babbler which are found in northern part of India. But now it has been separate as individual species. The most distinctive feature is the long- curved yellow bill which is blackish at the base of upper mandible. It has a striking head pattern with a long white supercilium and black band running beneath the eye. The white throat and breast contrast with the dark greyish brown on the upperpart and dark grey to black underpart. The tail is broad long and graduated.

They have short rounded wings and they are weak fliers and really seen flying in the open. They used to eat insects and berries. They can be difficult to observe in the dense forest but like many babblers they are noisy birds and the bubbling call is the best characteristics to identify them. Its Leucistic plumages are also recorded. Their distinctive call which is an antiphonal duet produce by pairs within the small groups. These species are mostly found in South line of India.

Indian Scimitar-Babbler Sighted by Raghunathan in Mallela Theertham. 48

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Black-Crested Bulbul Sighted by M Srinivas at Gubbala Mangamma - Telangana

Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus flaviventris) is a member of Bulbul family. It is found in Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. As the name suggests the head of the bulbul is black with the black crest. The rest of the body is of different shades of yellow. Both male and female are similar in plumage. The younger bird can be identified by its duller colour. These birds are found in dense forest and scrub areas. They build their nest in bushes. They feed on fruits and insects. We found this species in Gubbala Mangamma Thalli Kshetram. Where the habitat is a dense forest. We were looking for Malabar Trogon as that was lifer for us in Telangana, but suddenly we spotted two bulbuls with the black head and crest on it. We were really happy to identify the species on the field itself, due to its typical head and underpart pattern which is yellow colour. 49

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Scarlet Minivet Sighted by M Srinivas at Gubbala Mangamma, Telangana

Scarlet Minivets (Pericrocotus speciosus) are usually found in tropical forest. They are common resident breeding birds in forest including gardens especially in the hilly areas. Male of Scarlet Minivet has orange with black upperparts along with the head and scarlet underparts, tail edges rump and wing patches. The female is usually yellow with greyish olive upperparts. They have strong dark beak with long wings. There is considerable geographic variation in the species. As many as nineteen subspecies have been described.

Scarlet Minivet catches insects in trees. It flushes insects out of foliage by beating its wings hard. It forms small flocks. It can also be found by its pleasant whistling. The nest are high up on the tree top. The nest is cup-like shape woven with small twigs and spider webs to increase the strength of the nest. Green colour eggs are laid. Incubation is mainly by female, but both birds help to raise the offspring. We have spotted Scarlet Minivet in Gubbala Manganna Thalli Kshetram. 50

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Sirkeer Malkoha Sighted by Bhaarat Vyas at Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Sirkeer Malkoha (Taccocua leschenauitii) it is also called as Sirkeer Cuckoo. They are found in dry scrub forest and open wood land habitat. They forage singly or in pairs mainly on or close to the ground creeping between grasses and bushes, often they found in rocky habitat wherein they feed lizard, insects, berries and seeds. They are very silent and both the sexes are identical in plumage. They have long tail, largely olive brown on the upper part with distinctive curved red bill tipped in yellow. The greenish glossy is visible on the wings and dark part of the tail feather. The tail is graduated and tipped broadly in white. The upper tail covert are long. The chin, throat and breast are pale. The eyes have curved and long bristles around the eye but not behind it and that resembles the eyelashes. The legs are grey. The breeding season varies from March to August. It has been identified on the filed in Ahmedabad which was lifer to me. After creeping into the bushes it came in open and provided the good images.

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Isabelline Shrike (Lanius Isabellinus) is the member of shrike family. Previously it was considered into red-backed shrike or red-tailed shrike. The genus name Lenius is defined from Latin word "Butcher" and shrikes are also considered as "Butcher Bird". It is called burger bird because of its feeding habits. Generally it hangs the prey on the thorny bushes and shrubs, even we find it on the barbed wire and eat. It feed large insects, small birds, rodents and lizards. It breeds in open cultivated habitat and preferably found on thorny bushes. The plumage of Isabelline is sandy colour which depicts its name. It has a red tail. It sometime confuses with brown shrike on the field. But we can identify by the upperpart which is not brown the mask is diffused and not complete. The species has been identified by Mohit Joshi in Osmansagar Lake. It not common in southern part of India.

Isabelline Shrike Sighted by Mohit Joshi at Osman Sagar, Hyderabad 52

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Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) Telangana 53

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Andaman Masked Owls (Tyto deroepstorffi) Little Andaman - Andaman 54

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White-Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) Neknampur - Hyderabad 55

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White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus) Bangalore Outskirts - Karnataka 56

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Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) Rollapadu - Andhra Pradesh 57

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Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Ameenpur - Telangana 58

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Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) Sangareddy - Telangana 59

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White-crested laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus) ChakkiMod - Himachal Pradesh 60

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Black Capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) Koringa - Kakinada - Andhra Pradesh 61

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Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum) Nelliyampathy - Kerala 62

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Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) Hyderabad - Telangana 63

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Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) Gorewada lake - Nagpur 64

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Eurasian Coots (Fulica atra) Ameenpur - Telangana 65

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Malabar parakeet (Psittacula columboides) Thattekad - Kerala 66

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Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) Bharatpur - Rajasthan 67

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Indian Skimmer By Sriram Reddy