Re: (delhibirdpix) Dighal on Sunday

HI Bill,

Dighal is in Haryana about 70 odd KM from Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. I learnt on this trip that it is the largest village in Haryana. RG has other photos of the Lark and I hope that he will post them. I am posting two images of what we IDed as SInd sparrow. Please correct us if we have incorrectly ided the bird.

Regards

Vineeta

On 1 July 2013 17:25, Bill Harvey <billharve@gmail.com> wrote:

Delightfully colourful report Vineeta! Great see good numbers of Sarus still occurring in densely populated areas. One hopes the traditional love of the species will always protect it in India.

I don't think I have ever been to Dighal but am I right in thinking it is in UP? If so I think Sind Sparrow would be a significant range extension. And perhaps also Rufous-tailed Lark?

Those with more recent knowledge please correct me if I am wrong.

regards Bill

On Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 11:06 AM, vineeta dixit <vineeta.dixit@gmail.com> wrote:

Ramgopal, Geeta and I began our journey to Dighal at 5.30 AM, with RG emphatically stating that we had too much of Basai and in any case I am not too enamoured with Sarus. Little did he know that he would get to see not one or two by 26 different individuals with one group as large as 20. While I jumped with joy he looked on with faint amusement. Since Sarus was not our initial target then what were we looking for. Well we went all the way to see Oriental Pratincoles' nesting and we were rewarded as we saw several pairs with nests and eggs. One even tried to pull wool over our eyes by pretending to be hurt though we were nowhere near its nest! They flew overhead, called out to each and even skulked behind ploughed earth which camouflaged them perfectly. What a sight. From sight I recall my fright as I nearly stepped over a snake (which Rakesh assured me was rat snake and therefore non poisonous) while trying to get close to Sarus.

As the sun continued to heat up, we moved on to check out other nests, namely those of Egyptian Vulture and Eurasian Eagle Owl. As we waited for the Mother/Father vulture to return to nest some gender based remarks were shared good naturedly alongwith breakfast consisting of Sandwiches, Egg Roll, poha, south India Mathri (Geeta to provide exact name and pronunciation), lychee, tea and masala soda. Given our preoccupation with food and speculation about gender of the hardworking parent, neither turned up and the baby kept its back towards us through out. We therefore proceeded to the owl location where the remains of the nest showed that it had been occupied till recently. A little patience gave excellent sightings of the owl pair.

Other key highlights included Painted Snipe pair out in the open, several fantastic and up close and personal sightings of Black Francolin, beautiful nests and antics of Baya and Black Breasted weaver, nest and fly past of Coucal, Large Grey and Jungle Babblers, Peafowl, Rufous Tailed Lark, Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark, Crested Larks, Spotted Owlet, Asian Koel, Sind Sparrow, Pied and Common Kingfisher, all storks - Painted, Woolly Necked, Open Billed and Black Necked and Balck and Black headed Ibis, tons of Little grebe and spot billed and an occasional comb duck.

Fellow Birders please add if I missed out something. From last week's trip, I missed out on Spoonbill and Thicknee at Basai.

My apologies for the picture size of Sarus. This was the biggest group I could get in my frame

 

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Vineeta Dixit

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Vineeta Dixit

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