Richard's Pipit
Birding in dream locations is always a difficult proposition especially if you are there holidaying with your family and not for birding. But being the die hard enthusiasts that we are, we usually end up snatching a couple of hours anyways, having a supportive family resigned to our eccentricities of course helps. and so it was that I landed in Manipal having snatched a couple of hours from a family holiday for birding. Delhi Birders' representative Ramit was there to help me see and hear birds. A day before I had managed to get a copy of his book from a professor at the Manipal University and was eagerly looking forward to seeing places like Eshwara Nagar, End Point etc. My driver who was from Manipal was extremely curious because as per him there were no birds to see!
We tried to begin early to catch the early bird, no interest in worms, although in hind sight if I had carried a few I might have managed a decent shot or two. For most parts the birds remained atop tall trees or in thick foliage giving me only a glimpse and an occasional record shot. So we met at Big Boss Restaurant and moved to Eshawar Nagar. As we walked up and down the road that wound around beautiful old houses complete with wild flowers, birds started calling tantalisingly. Ramit would hear a sound, sop and say White Browed Bulbul and I would respond where? After straining for a bit I would manage to locate it and we would move on. Being a Delhi Birder I was not satisfied till I at least got a record shot while Ramit waited patiently as I struggled. I nearly had a foot spa as I tried to get a close up of a Richard's Pipit and was chased by dogs that were probably as scared of me as I was of them! As the day progressed we swapped stories of places we want to go and have visited. Our conversation was interrupted by persistent rustling of leaves. A closer dekko revealed an Indian Pitta hunting for well late worms - if there's such a thing. A Flame Throated Bulbul called but chose not to show itself and a Booted Eagle was chased by a Brahminy Kite. A Marsh Harrier sailed over our heads and Chestnut Tailed Starlings chatted loudly and shared the latest gossip. For over 3 hours we visited 3 different locations that yielded a no. of lifers.
As expected the birding trip ended with a sumptuous breakfast of Masala Dosa, Uttapam and Filter Coffee. Thank you Ramit for taking time out and for your patience.
Over the next 3 days, everywhere we went including the place where we stayed, I managed to sneak in some birding. A full list is given below. I am definitely going back and this time I will go armed with a target list that Ramit will have to help me see and photograph.
Ashy Drongo
Ashy Prinia
Asian Koel
Asian Open Bill Stork
Asian Palm Swift
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Barn Swallow
Black Drongo
Black Headed Gull
Black Kite
Brahminy Kite
Black Headed Ibis
Blue Tailed Bee eater
Booted eagle
Bright Green warbler
Brown Headed Gull
Brown Shrike
Blythe's Warbler
Chestnut Tailed Starling
Common Greenshank
Common Iora
Common Kingfisher
Common Myna
Common Sandpiper
Common Stonechat
Common Tailorbird
Eastern Cattle Egret
Flame Throated Bulbul (heard not seen)
Gold Fronted Leafbird
Greater racket tailed Drongo
Grey Heron
Grey Jungle Fowl (heard)
Grey Headed Bulbul
House Sparrow
House Swift
Golden Oriole
Jerdon's Bushlark (Id to be confirmed)
Jungle Crow
Indian Pitta
Indian Pea Fowl
Indan Pond Heron
Indian Roller
Indian Rufous Babbler
Intermediate Egret
Jungle Babbler
Jungle Myna
Lesser Sand Plover (ID Confirmation needed)
Lesser Whistling Duck
Little Cormorant
Little Green Bee Eater
Little Ringed Plover
Loten's Sun Bird
Magpie Robin
Malabar Pied Hornbill (I heard, my sister saw one)
Malabar Whistling Thrush (Heard)
Nilgiri Flower pecker
Orange headed Thrush
Oriental Magpie Robin
Oriental Turtle Dove
Pallas's Gull
Purple Sunbird
Purple Rumped Sunbird
Red vented Bulbul
Red Wattled lapwing
Red Whiskered Bulbul
Ricard's Pipit
River Tern
Rufous Woodpecker
Red Rumped Swallow
Ruddy Turnstone
RufousTreepie
Scaly Breasted Munia
Skyes' Warbler
Slender Billed Gull
Spotted Dove
Straited Heron
Thick Billed Flowerpecker
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Western Marsh harrier
Western Reef Egret
Whimbrel
White Breasted Water hen
White Browed bulbul
White Cheeked Barbet
White Rumped Munia
White Throated Kingfisher
Yellow Browed Bulbul (heard not seen)
Zitting Cisticola
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