Travel Nature shots: April 2011

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Goa March-April 2011

Pale-billed Flowerpecker and Spoladea Recurvalis now been identified

Pale-billed Flowerpecker

Spoladea Recurvalis

Thursday 21 April 2011

For my first trip abroad my partner Mandy decided she would like to return to India as she as been there 4 times previous to this.
So with everything booked Dona Paula would be set to be our home for 2 weeks and was just brilliant for birding doing our own thing not using guides just booked a friend of Mandy's,Agnello was booked to be our driver for the final week for 1200 rupee's a day and another friend we booked was Dominic for the use of his boat for a day to take us out into the Arabian Sea.
I wasn't sure i would manage with the heat not dropping below 27 degrees at night and getting over 35 degrees on some days it was hard work but well worth it.
I still have Lizard,Frog,Snakes and Butterflies to be identified and will add photo's once the ID is confirmed.
Just like to thank my partner Mandy for a real good trip.

Day 1 Let the Birding Commence

Well after a 10hr flight from Manchester we arrived at Dabolim Airport at around 1 in the morning local time followed by a 40min drive to Dona Paula where we would be staying for the next 2 weeks.
We decided to stay around the hotel and take things easy for the first day.
Birds found around the grounds included
Common Tailorbird
Pond Heron
Black & Brahminy Kite
House & Large-billed Crow
Western crowned Warbler
Brown-headed Barbet
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Common & Black-capped Kingfisher
Red whiskered Bulbul
Common Sandpiper
Jungle Myna
Eurasian Crag Martin
Wire-tailed Swallow
Asian Koel
Greenish Warbler
Gull-billed Tern
Whit-bellied Sea Eagle
Asian Palm Swift

Not a bad start to the holiday,just hope it keeps it up.

View from our Balcony

Pond Heron

Brahminy Kite

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Day 2 British Cemetery

Well up and out at 6.20 already 35 degrees.We started off around the grounds of the hotel birds included
Brahminy & Black Kite
House & Large-billed Crow
Common Sandpiper
Pond Heron
Magpie Robin
Golden Oriole
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Jungle Myna
Black Drongo
White-browed & Red whiskered Bulbul
Common Tailorbird
Asian Palm Swift

God with this heat would i cope with it but the humidity made it worse,after Breakfast we set off upto the British Cemetery where i was promised by Mandy some great birds and she wasn't wrong,But the Cemetry itself was locked up.
Birds included
Magpie & Indian Robin
Red wattled Lapwing
Black & Brahminy Kite
Eurasian Crag Martin
Wire-tailed Swallow
Ashy Prinia
White-rumped Munia
House Crow
Gull-billed Tern
Purple-rumped Sunbird
White-cheeked Barbet
Ring-necked & Plum-headed Parakeet
Common Myna
Black-rumped Flameback
House Sparrow
Red-whiskered & White-browed Bulbul

with the heat getting too much we set back to the hotel for some cold drinks and more birding by the pool.
With Wire-tailed Swallow
Eurasian Crag Martin
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Gull-billed Tern
Osprey flew high over
Pond Heron
Large-billed & House Crow
Common Sandpiper

with the heat starting to drop and being more comfortable we left the cameras behind and went for a stroll down to the Harbour
House Crows ever present
White-browed Wagtail
Osprey
Common Sandpiper
Gull-billed Tern
Wire-tailed Swallow
Rock Pigeon

Magpie Robin

Common Sandpiper

Golden Oriole

House Crow

White-cheeked Barbet

Red whiskered Bulbul

Red wattled Lapwing

Indian Robin - female with food

Indian Robin - Female at nest

Three striped Palm Squirrel

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Mandy - chilled out birding

Day 3 Fun on The Arabian Sea

With Dominic a friend of Mandy's she has know for several years who just happens to own a boat,so we booked him for this morning due to arrive at 9.00 so we had a relaxing breakfast until then.

On his arrival we boarded and set off for a island in the Arabian sea for some hand line fishing but with a White-bellied Sea Eagle nest near by my focus was on them more than catching lunch.
After about a hour we set off for a private beach for BBQ King fish which was gorgeous,I soon set about having a look around and found myself all alone in part of a jungle with nothing but Bird calls.
Birds found
Brahminy & Black Kite
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Gull-billed,Whiskered & River Tern
Pond Heron
White-breasted Kingfisher
White-browed Fantail
Red-wattled Lapwing
Common Sandpiper
Wire-tailed Swallow
Red whiskered Bulbul
House Crow
Brown headed Gull
Greenish Warbler

On our return we had 4 hump-backed Dolphins,not bad for 1200 Rupee's each (£14)
included food and drink.With a good day had we just relaxed for the afternoon around the pool with a big bottle of Bud and Mandy had fresh lime soda her favourite.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Black Kite

Dominic taking his boat back to the Harbour

Day 4 British Cemetery & South Miramar Beach

Today we started off around the Hotel grounds finding
Little Heron
House & Large-billed Crow
Red Whiskered & White-browed Bulbul
Wire-tailed Swallow
Common Sandpiper
Black-capped Kingfisher
Brahminy Kite
Asian Koel
Purple-rumped Sunbird

After breakfast we set off for the British Cemetery and arrived after about a 30min walk.
Here we found
Red-wattled Lapwing
Jungle Myna
Black & Brahminy Kite
Indian & Magpie Robin
Ring-necked Parakeet
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Common Tailorbird
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
House Crow
Ashy Prinia
White-browed & Red whiskered Bulbul
Golden & Black-hooded Oriole
Greenish Warbler
Jungle Babbler

From the top of the road we could see plenty of Gulls & Terns on the Beach so decided to have a walk down
and have a nose around on there,on the way down a Ruddy Mongoose crossed the path.
Birds at the beach included
Black & Brahminy Kite
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Black headed Gull
Brown headed Gull
Gull-billed,Sandwich & Crested Tern
Pond Heron
Cattle Egret
Common & Wood Sandpiper
Wire-tailed Swallow
Eurasian Crag Martin
House Swift
House Crow