Hi everyone!
This Thursday morning saw 7 of us to turning up for a highly productive session of birding on the auspicious occasion of diwali.
And it seems that the birds welcomed our visit as we saw an adult Eurasian Hobby before even stepping out of the car! The bird remained perched in the open for several minutes and only flew away when we got too close. On entering the park we noticed that the trees were aquiver with Lesser Whitethroats, Grey Headed Canary Flycatchers and a host of Warblers.
We turned right now onto a flimsy bamboo trail. However, all eyes were quickly focused on a distant rather odd looking raptor. It had a powerful dark tipped yellow beak and a crest that went down the back of its neck. The bird showed almost completely unmarked underwings and tail in flight. A juvenile Changeable Hawk Eagle! These powerful hunters are vagrants to the Delhi area.
Enthused by this fine sighting, we trekked with renewed vigour through the reedbeds. A few Red Munias chirped joyfully as they flew overhead. Soon a White Tailed Stonechat perched on a tall clump of grass while a highly obliging Yellow Bellied Prinia preened itself on some low reeds nearby.
As we neared the Banyan Tree, Striated Babblers became the dominant species. A cryptic looking bird perched atop a reed stem turned out to be a Wryneck! On a far off patch of floating vegetation, Pied Avocets gleamed through the haze while a Whiskered tern gave us a casual flypast. Some Citrine Wagtails added a hint of colour of even as a Purple Heron poked its head out of the hyacinth.
We started to head back now and were quickly greeted by the Changeable Hawk Eagle, this time in flight at close range! Nearby Taiga Flycatchers and a Blyth's Reed Warbler called away to glory.
We continued on our way back but it seems there was one more Diwali gift waiting for us as a Spotted Dove turned up close to the gate! And so with happy hearts we had our breakfast in true Delhibird fashion and even spotted some Darters in the process.
A Diwali morning well spent with a tally of 75 species, including one lifer for me.
23 October, 2014
Udiyaman
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