India; Northwest - Day 6: Tal Chappar

   For our full day in the Tal Chappar area, we knew we would have to try to find the Indian Spotted Creeper. Some reports we had seen had people searching all day, so knew that we would have to land the bird early in order to make the best of our time in the area generally. We explored an area just a little further away from where we had been the previous evening, apparently the lodge owner had told our driver this was where the last sighting was. The forest was more cleared and open here, but within an hour we had managed to land our bird! The light was pretty awful for photos, but the bird was very showy and sang often whilst we watched. After around 15 minutes it flew across the road and into a field fenced-off by barbed-wire, ending our watch!

  Having scored so early we next moved on to an area of salt pans where we continued to enjoy some good birding. There were no real targets here but the birding was generally very enjoyable with quite a lot of activity. We saw our first wading birds of the trip, with Temmincks Stint and Marsh Sandpiper being the best of it. In the open areas around I had a few new birds with Delicate Prinia and Variable Wheatear, while there were hundreds of Greater Short-toes Larks flying around and feeding on the ground. Also on the lark front we enjoyed a singing Indian Bush Lark and a few Crested Larks. A nice White-browed Fantail wrapped off a brilliant morning.

  Our final stop in the morning was a large quarry excavation surrounded by Acacia scrub. It was getting warm when we arrived here with the sun finally making an appearance. The highlight in this area was a smart male White-capped Bunting, with generally birding being quite slow. I had another lifer here with Rufous-tailed Lark, with two perched singing.

  After lunch and an afternoon break we headed into the Tal Chappar sanctuary itself. The Blackbucks were once again very numerous and we even got to see pairs of males clash horns on a few occasions, which was great to watch. Also on the mammal front we had a Nilgai, a large species of cattle, and a few Wild Boar. Since there are no predators in the sanctuary, it all feels very surreal, like a strange zoo. But the animals are wild, and they were still great to see.

  On the bird front we had some excellent species, with flyover Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, a few Long-billed Pipit and raptor species including Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture and Eastern Imperial Eagle. The highlight was the unprecedented numbers of Greater Short-toed Larks that were flying around, with an estimated few thousand on the move. A few Montagus Harriers were quartering over the grassland, and these would regularly flush large flocks of Larks, while impressive flocks of Ruff also passed through. In the distance there was also a Small Pratincole flying around. An enjoyable days birding and mammal watching! 

Species List:
Tal Chappar: Indian Peafowl, Grey Francolin, Black Francolin, Common Quail, Feral Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Red Collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Red-wattled Lapwing, Kentish Plover, Green Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Ruff, Temminck's Stint, Small Pratincole, Little Grebe, Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Black-winged Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Cinereous Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Montagu's Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Spotted Owlet, Eurasian Hoopoe, Asian Green Bee-eater, White-throated Kingfisher, Indian Roller, Common Kestrel, Rose-ringed Parakeet, White-browed Fantail, Black Drongo, Bay-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, House Crow, Rufous-tailed Lark, Indian Bush Lark, Crested Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Rufous-fronted Prinia, Delicate Prinia, Paddyfield Warbler, Dusky Crag Martin, Red-vented Bulbul, White-eared Bulbul, Lesser Whitethroat, Large Grey Babbler, Common Babbler, Indian Spotted Creeper, Brahminy Starling, Common Myna, Indian Robin, Black Redstart, Siberian Stonechat, Pied Bush Chat, Desert Wheatear, Variable Wheatear, Purple Sunbird, Indian Silverbill, House Sparrow, Yellow-throated Sparrow, White Wagtail, Long-billed Pipit, Tawny Pipit, White-capped Bunting, 

India; Northwest - Day 5: Tal Chappar

   Today was mostly dedicated to driving, as we made our way south from Harike towards our next destination, the town of Chappar and the Tal Chappar Blackbuck Sanctuary. We knew this endeavour would take up most of the day, as we passed through three states (Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan) but we managed to keep our time good and we arrived in Chappar at 16:40 having set off at 08:10.

  We did also make a few stops along the way, generally for birds that our driver picked out along the side of the road. First we had a Red-necked Falcon, which showed nicely before flying over us and perching again but more distant. Next we had a Tawny Eagle and a large kettle of mixed vultures, all commoner species. And then just before we arrived at our destination we had a pair of Laggar Falcons, including the male plucking at a prey item.

  Once we arrived in Chappar we had an hour of daylight to search for the Indian Spotted Creeper which was our main target here. We combed the area but found no sign of the bird, although there were a few nice species on offer such as Rufous-fronted Prinia, a Wryneck and a smart Eastern Black Redstart.

  The highlight of this area was undoubtedly the good numbers of Blackbuck that were wandering through the open woodland. These stunning antelopes were one of me most wanted species for this trip and to have them just wandering around, especially the superb males, was a real treat. The light was a little dull for good photos, but knowing they are so accessible makes me hopeful for more chances. Additionally we found Indian Gazelle in this area, although they were a little more nervous an difficult to approach. 

Species List:
Tal Chappar: Grey Francolin, Eurasian Collared Dove, Red Collared Dove, Red-wattled Lapwing, Red-naped Ibis, Asian Green Bee-eater, Eurasian Wryneck, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Great Grey Shrike, House Crow, Rufous-fronted Prinia, Lesser Whitethroat, Large Grey Babbler, Indian Robin, Black Redstart, 

India; Northwest - Day 4: Harike Bird Sanctuary

   For our second day at Harike we prioritised the search for the Jerdons Babbler, starting in the area where I had found the birds the previous evening. We headed straight to this area, and almost immediately had a Jerdons Babbler perch up but sadly not for long before it dived back into the cover. This continued for the next half an hour or so, where fleeting but good views were had but always too brief for any photos leaving us frustrated. Finally, one bird decided to sing almost unobscured by vegetation and I was able to grab a couple of nice photos.

  We continued birding the general area until late morning. There were a few nice species that we saw such as another Rufous-vented Grass-Babbler, a few Rosy Pipits, a flyover Pallas Gull and thousands of ducks in the channel. We tried to find a couple of other targets in this area but unfortunately drew a blank on those and by 10:30 we decided to head back for some breakfast before heading out again.

  After breakfast we birded another road near the sanctuary where there were more trees bordering the reedbeds. Here we hoped to find the White-crowned Penduline-Tit but although we almost certainly an individual we never saw any. The birding was generally quite slow, with limited activity and mostly species we had seen before. There were two Brown Rock Chats and another pair of Rufous-vented Grass Babblers which responded very well to playback.

  During the late afternoon we birded the area near the canal just down from the main sanctuary car park. This was a decent area but again most of the species we saw were the same we had become familiar with over the previous two days. There was one nice new bird with White-tailed Lapwing, but the undoubtedly highlight of the afternoon was a Smooth-coated Otter in the river, which swam very close to the bank, checking us out, before swimming away.

Species List:
Harike Bird Sanctuary: Greylag Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Shelduck, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Feral Pigeon, Oriental Turtle Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Grey-headed Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Red-wattled Lapwing, White-tailed Lapwing, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Common Greenshank, Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Pallas's Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, River Tern, Little Grebe, Asian Openbill, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Medium Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Black-winged Kite, Shikra, Western Marsh Harrier, Spotted Owlet, Indian Grey Hornbill, Asian Green Bee-eater, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Brown-headed Barbet, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Drongo, Rufous Treepie, House Crow, Common Tailorbird, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Plain Prinia, Zitting Cisticola, Grey-throated Martin, Red-vented Bulbul, Hume's Leaf Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Jerdon's Babbler, Rufous-vented Grass Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Striated Babbler, Indian Pied Myna, Common Myna, Bank Myna, Siberian Stonechat, Pied Bush Chat, Brown Rock Chat, Black-breasted Weaver, Western Yellow Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Rosy Pipit, Tree Pipit, 

India; Northwest - Day 3: Harike Bird Sanctuary

 We actually started the birding section of our northwest trip today. Our two drivers met us at 07:00 and we drove the hour south to the small town of Harike where there is a large wetland with a few target birds. It was hazy and started to rain when we arrived at 09:00, having stopped for breakfast, but it was soon fine enough to head out birding.

The first section of the sanctuary that we visited was near the headquarters and here we hoped to find the rare Sind Sparrow, as well as hopefully other target species if we were lucky. Sadly we did not have this luck and although the birding was enjoyable, we missed all the species we had hoped to find. I managed two ticks here however, with Little Pratincole and Yellow-eyed Babbler, which were both long overdue species for me. Two Sambar and an Indian Jackle were both nice to see as well.

We wrapped up in this section at 12:00 and headed to our hotel, on the way stopping at a small tea stand for a quick bite to eat. It was here that our driver spotted a small group of five Sind Sparrows feeding in the trees adjacent to the road. We were able to get some nice views in the end, once they came lower, with a couple of smart males. With this first target out of the way, we headed to the hotel for an hours rest before setting out again in the afternoon.

In the afternoon we headed to another site on the border of the wetland sanctuary. Here we hoped to find the target species that we had missed during the morning. At first the area did not look especially promising, being mostly wheat fields, but it bordered one of the rivers that flows into the sanctuary, and there were some areas of grassland where we managed to find some of the birds we were looking for.

It did not take us long to find the Rufous-vented Grass-Babbler, with an individual showing immensely well on the side of the road, in response to playback. This was a bird we really needed to find at this site and we were thrilled to have seen it so early on the trip. Next our group got largely separated and I ended up on my own following a rough trail through the elephant grass. Towards the end of this trail, where the grass became much thicker, I found our other main target; the Jerdons Babbler. Sadly it was not as cooperative, and although I got some excellent records, I was not able to get any photos with the brief views I could obtain. In the end I never saw the bird well, and had to leave with the sun descending. On my way out I found another small flock of Rufous-vented Grass-Babblers.

The whole area was very enjoyable to bird in, with lots of common duck species on the river, numbering in the several thousands! Additionally there were commoner Indian species of open country in the fields, such as Spotted Owlet and Yellow-footed Green Pigeon. And as I was leaving the Jerdons Babblers I got quite the shock when a Wild Boar jumped out of the crop next to me. It waited a few moments for me to get some pictures before it scuttled into the elephant grass, rounding off a brilliant first days birding.

Species List:
Harike Bird Sanctuary: Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Collared Dove, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Grey-headed Swamphen, White-breasted Waterhen, Black-winged Stilt, Red-wattled Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Small Pratincole, Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, River Tern, Little Grebe, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Indian Pond Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Black-winged Kite, Shikra, Western Marsh Harrier, Spotted Owlet, Indian Grey Hornbill, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Brown-headed Barbet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Drongo, Long-tailed Shrike, Rufous Treepie, House Crow, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Plain Prinia, Grey-throated Martin, Red-vented Bulbul, Hume's Leaf Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Yellow-eyed Babbler, Jerdon's Babbler, Rufous-vented Grass Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Striated Babbler, Indian Pied Myna, Common Myna, Taiga Flycatcher, Siberian Stonechat, Pied Bush Chat, Streaked Weaver, Scaly-breasted Munia, Red Avadavat, House Sparrow, Sind Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, 

India; Northwest - Day 2: Amritsar

  We had a full day in Amritsar to see some of the sights before we began our birding trip. We returned to the Golden Temple in the morning to see it during the day, and although it was still stunning, it was far better to look at during the night.

  Next we visited a few other temples in the area, both Hindu temples but they were nowhere near the standard of the golden temple. Then we continued to the Wagah border crossing with Pakistan, where they perform a closing ceremony every evening when they take down the flags. It was interesting, with hundreds of people watching the border guards perform their ‘silly walk’ and then take down the flags, but it did go on a bit. On the plus side, I saw House Crow, Black Drongo and Feral Pigeon in Pakistan!

Species List:
Amritsar: Indian Peafowl, Feral Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Red-wattled Lapwing, Little Cormorant, Shikra, Black Kite, Pied Kingfisher, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Drongo, House Crow, Common Myna, 

India; Northwest - Day 1: Arrival & Amritsar

 Today we travelled from the south to the northwest, where we would meet up with three more Spurn birders; Paul Collins, Mick Turton and Steve Guillem, and from there we would explore the desert regions on India. 

  Our flight from Cochin departed just after 09:00 and we would not get to our final destination, Amritsar, until 15:00 including a very narrow transfer in Delhi that we just about made without any issues. Once we arrived in Amritsar we settled in and went out to see the city's most famous site: the Sikh Golden Temple! Unfortunately I was not dressed correctly, so we returned to the hotel and headed out again at night, when the temple was illuminated.

  It was a fantastic structure and well worth seeing. We spent about an hour walking around the sacred pool admiring the temple, and the other holy buildings in the complex, appreciating their beauty. It was well worth the visit!

Species List:
Amritsar: Feral Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Drongo, House Crow, Common Myna, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 13: Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary

   Our final day of birding in the Western Ghats was not one of the finest in our trip catalogue. We had only a couple of targets to try to track down, but Gireesh was no longer with us so we had Jacob, another guide, to take us out in the morning. It certainly did not help that I woke up feeling pretty awful. Having been battling a cold for the best week, today it finally got the better of me, leaving me being very low energy.

  The activity was pretty slow in the area where we went birding, but there were a few interesting birds including a nice pair of Black Baza which was a trip tick for us, and our first Black-naped Monarch. Still, we could not find the Grey-headed Bulbul, which was the species we really wanted despite continuing to bird until 10:30 when the heat and humidity took us back inside.

  After the disappointing morning, we decided to head to the airport after lunch and from there we would be able to prepare ourselves in a relaxed setting for our flight and the rest of our trip. 

Species List:
Thattekad Sanctuary: Grey Junglefowl, Green Imperial Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Pin-tailed Snipe, Little Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Black Baza, Malabar Grey Hornbill, White-throated Kingfisher, White-cheeked Barbet, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Blue-winged Parakeet, Orange Minivet, Indian Golden Oriole, Black-hooded Oriole, Ashy Woodswallow, Ashy Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Black-naped Monarch, Rufous Treepie, White-bellied Treepie, Large-billed Crow, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Flame-throated Bulbul, Green Warbler, Southern Hill Myna, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 12: Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary

   Our priority for the day was the Sri Lanka Bay Owl. We had nothing else on the agenda, and had dedicated the whole morning to finding an individual. With Gireesh we walked through as much habitat as we could, but very quickly our early morning optimism started to fade away as we continued to search without reward. There were a few birds on offer that we were able to pick up, including our first male Malabar Trogons, another Indian Pitta and only my second Indian Blue Robin.   

  It was our very last stop which seemed to be checking just for the sake of it, when I wandered off and spotted a brown lump obscured behind the foliage. At first I thought it must be another Frogmouth, but the shape was strange and began to ponder if Great-eared Nightjars can roost upright. Then the penny dropped! Sri Lanka Bay Owl! The bird we had dedicated the last two mornings to! I called over the others, but the bird didn’t care at all, it never moved for the entire time that we were watching it, sleeping tightly clutching the branch. There was not a window to get a clear shot of the bird facing us, but we got pretty close. And since many people have poor obscured views, this was an absolutely excellent encounter.

  Since it was already 10:30 we headed back for breakfast, and then spent the afternoon relaxing and doing our laundry. I had a bit of time checking out the dragonflies on the edge of the lake, with some stunning species on offer.

  In the afternoon we decided to bird by ourselves, walking along the road to The Nest Resort, which we could bird without a guide. This turned into an excellent decision as we were able to find one of my outstanding targets with Blue-faced Malkoha. They were extremely elusive and never really showed well, but since it was looking like a species that we might miss we were pretty thrilled to see. Other trip ticks included Barn Swallow and River Tern, but overall the birding was excellent and there were a lot of different species to enjoy.

  At night we went out to look for owls and night birds but sadly for the first time we were not alone with another two groups of Indian birders also in the area. Although we saw the Spot-bellied Eagle Owl and Jerdons Nightjar again, overall it became something of a circus, not helped by the fact that nothing responded to playback once again. A very disappointing evening. 

Species List:
Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary: Lesser Whistling Duck, Grey Junglefowl, Feral Pigeon, Common Emerald Dove, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Green Imperial Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Blue-faced Malkoha, Jerdon's Nightjar, White-rumped Spinetail, Little Swift, Whiskered Tern, River Tern, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Purple Heron, Brahminy Kite, Sri Lanka Bay Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Malabar Trogon, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Oriental Dollarbird, White-cheeked Barbet, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Blue-winged Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Indian Pitta, Orange Minivet, Indian Golden Oriole, Black-hooded Oriole, Malabar Woodshrike, Ashy Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Rufous Treepie, Large-billed Crow, Barn Swallow, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Flame-throated Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Dark-fronted Babbler, Southern Hill Myna, Malabar Starling, Common Myna, Orange-headed Thrush, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-Robin, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Grey Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 11: Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary

  For our first full day at Thatekkad we went out birding with Gireesh to an area where we hoped to find the Sri Lanka Bay Owl, but spoiler alert, we failed to find it. This was a shame but we have two more days to try and track the bird down, and in the meantime we did have some excellent birding today, with many species that we wanted to see safely under the belt.

  First we had a male White-bellied Blue Flycatcher male that we found in an area that we were checking for the owl. Next we went to an area where there was an active nest of Legges Hawk Eagle and could see an adult perched in the open canopy and a large chick in the nest itself. Continuing round the corner where a lava flow rises above the canopy and here we managed to find some other goodies, such as Malabar Barbet and Fork-tailed Drongo Cuckoo. We spent some time in this area and had some good birding. As it started to get warmer we returned inside the forest to search for other birds, starting with a roosting Sri Lanka Frogmouth, which was one of my most wanted birds for the day. Gireesh knew where they would be, and so it transpired with one a little concealed but nice and close to the path. The morning continued but birding slowed down as it got warmer, the only other bird of note was a Blue-eared Kingfisher which was fishing as we passed.

  By 10:30 we had wrapped up, with the heat and humidity already too much so we headed back to the room for breakfast and to see out the worst of the afternoon heat. In the afternoon we opted to visit a feeder hide called Eld Hose which saw us visit from 15:00 until 17:30. The hide was absolutely fantastic with birds arriving all the time and showing fantastically well at the feeding site. In the end we managed 26 species at the hide, including some others not actually using the hide facilities. Multiple species of flycatcher were using the hide, including my first Blue-throated Blue-Flycatcher, among Tickells Blue Flycatcher, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher and Rusty-tailed Flycatcher. The best highlights at the feeder however were a handful of Orange-headed Thrushes, ample Malabar Starlings, our first Red Spurfowl of the trip, and a tick for me, and the undoubted highlight an Indian Pitta that came out and started feeding in the open, wagging its tail the whole time. In addition we had a White-bellied Woodpecker come and sit in the rubber plantation behind the hide. An absolutely fantastic!

  At night we went out with Gireesh again to try and find some nightbirds and mammals. Sadly however we turned up absolutely nothing. It is possible that the increase in humidity after dark did it for us, but whatever happened we saw nothing and very little responded to playback. 

Species List:
Thatekkad Sanctuary: Lesser Whistling Duck, Red Spurfowl, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Malabar Imperial Pigeon, Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, White-breasted Waterhen, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret, Legge's Hawk-Eagle, Malabar Trogon, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Common Kingfisher, Blue-eared Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Malabar Barbet, White-cheeked Barbet, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Malabar Flameback, Black-rumped Flameback, White-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-winged Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Indian Pitta, Small Minivet, Indian Golden Oriole, Malabar Woodshrike, Ashy Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Rufous Treepie, Large-billed Crow, Cinereous Tit, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Flame-throated Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Southern Hill Myna, Malabar Starling, Orange-headed Thrush, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-Robin, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Purple Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Grey Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail,

India; Western Ghats - Day 10: Munnar & Thatekkad Bird Sanctuary

   Since we had endured so much trouble at Periyar, and that the morning activites were all booked up, we decided to instead make a small detour and drive back to Munnar before continuing to the Thatekkad Sanctuary, therefore giving us another chance to find the Nilgiri Pipit and a few other birds that we had been missing. We set off from Kumily at 05:00 arriving at the areas we wanted for 07:00.

  We first visited the Gap Road Viewpoint again, hoping that while the area was quiet we might have some of our targets on the rubbish heap before the vendors. Sadly we were not lucky in this regard and despite an hour in the area and searching as best as we could, we ultimately found nothing so decided to continue on our way and check the Lava Flats that had seemed so promising the last time we visited them. The best bird we managed in this area was a skulky Common Grasshopper Warbler!

  We arrived at the Lava Flats at 08:00 and already had some interesting birds with two Indian Scimitar Babblers and two Palani Laughingthrushes. Buoyed by this excellent start we set out across the fields hoping for something to change with our fortunes, but alas it did not. We managed some interesting species such as our first Tree Pipit and a flyover Malabar Imperial Pigeon, but otherwise activity was limited. After two hours, right at the death I flushed a chick of Painted Bush Quail, with the adult quickly scampering under the bushes next to me. This was one of our main targets but it would have been nice to see them better, since I couldn’t refind them afterwards. Finally Gray told me that he had found some roosting nightjars on the rocks, so we headed back down to the area and there we had two Jungle Nightjars roosting under the shade of a rocky overhang. 

  With it now being 11:00 we decided to continue to Munnar and have some lunch there, before checking out our next site. And so at 13:00 on our descent from Munnar we check out an area of tea plantations in the faint hope that we might find a flock of Rufous Babblers. We had hoped to find the species at Periyar but had obviously failed. Despite it being incredibly hot we did manage to find a group of around six babblers that were quite showy in the end. After the disappointment of the morning, we were thrilled with this outcome. 

  The rest of the drive took two hours, taking us down to Jungle Bird Homestay in Thatekkad Sanctuary where we would see out the rest of our trip. We enjoyed the hotel rooftop for the rest of the daylight hours and had some nice species, including a tick for me with Heart-spotted Woodpecker. Additionally we had plenty of flying Brahminy Kites, a mixed flock of Little Swifts and White-rumped Spinetail as well as a Whiskered Tern over the water. 

  After dark our guide, Gireesh, took us out on a walk to look for the local owls that he knew. We started with a near-adult Spot-bellied Eagle Owl chick which he showed us in the twilight, as it was perched up in the bamboo. A massive and striking bird, this was one I had been hoping for on this trip and it did not disappoint. Next we moved on to Mottled Wood Owl. We had to work a little more for this bird, especially since we kept being distracted by the Indian Flying Foxes all around us, but in the end it perched up nicely but frustratingly briefly, giving me my second owl tick of the evening. We finished off the walk back near the first owl, where we had a perched up Jerdons Nightjar and two sleeping Indian Pitta. On the drive back we had a Sambar by the side of the road. So far as night walks go, it certainly wasn’t bad. 

Species List:
Thatekked Bird Sanctuary: Lesser Whistling Duck, Green Imperial Pigeon, Jerdon's Nightjar, White-rumped Spinetail, Little Swift, Asian Palm Swift, White-breasted Waterhen, Red-wattled Lapwing, Whiskered Tern, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Indian Pond Heron, Medium Egret, Crested Honey Buzzard, Brahminy Kite, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Mottled Wood Owl, Asian Green Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, White-throated Kingfisher, White-cheeked Barbet, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Indian Pitta, Indian Golden Oriole, Ashy Woodswallow, Ashy Drongo, Rufous Treepie, Large-billed Crow, Eastern Red-rumped Swallow, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Green Warbler, Southern Hill Myna, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Loten's Sunbird, White-rumped Munia, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 9: Periyar National Park

And so the circus began!

  We went to the ticket office car park where we were supposed to meet our bird guide for the early morning walk. We had not bought tickets as we were told that it would be arrange with the guide once he arrived. But shortly before he arrived, we received a call from him asking us if we wanted to do any other activities, and that because of global warming there were no birds anymore. Although we were a little perplexed by this, we insisted that we did the bird walk and he confirmed he was on his way. Then, just 15 minutes later he cancelled. This threw our entire morning into chaos! We decided to try and get on the 07:00 Green Trail guided walk, but were told that it was all booked up and that we would have to reserve a place on the 11:00. This was all far from ideal but we clearly had no choice in the matter so arranged a place at 11:00.

  In the meantime we decided to walk to the Bamboo Grove area again and try our luck with the Wayanad Laughingthrush there. We managed to make it in, and were told by a local that if we stuck to the road we would have no issues but after 90 minutes one of the park managers came to escort us out, saying that we shouldn’t be there without a guide and that they had seen us on cameras. While it lasted we did have some nice birding, although no sign of the laughingthrush. We had our first White-bellied Treepie here, as well as many of the other endemics we had seen the previous day. On the mammal front we had more Nilgiri Langur, as well as our first Northern Red Muntjac and a brilliant encounter when three Dhole ran across the road in front of us, one even stopping for a second just to bark at us!

  Once we had been escorted out we went for breakfast, before heading back for our 11:00 walk. We had not anticipated much, but were a little more optimistic to learn that we would be the only participants on the walk, so spoke to our guide Prabhu, and asked if he could take us to see the Wayanad Laughingthrush. He agreed, so off we went in a completely different direction to the Green Trail but up a river valley near the Bamboo Grove where we had been during the morning. With the heat we were hardly optimistic but Prabhu seemed fairly competent with birds and soon he thought he heard the call of the Laughingthrushes! Although we were a little dubious at first, we had soon tracked the birds down. They were very mobile and difficult track, but we managed some Ok views before they moved up the hill. Mission accomplished.

  Despite being midday we had a very pleasant walk. On the bird front we ticked Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Malabar Woodshrike and Flame-throated Bulbul, as well as enjoying more White-bellied Treepie and Malabar Grey Hornbill. But the real standouts were the mammals. As we were walking up the valley we had three more, or possibly the same, Dhole cross the path in front of us. In addition we had two Gaur in the forest, including a massive bull.

  With the walk complete at 13:30 we headed back to the hotel for an hours rest before heading back out. This time we walked the main road through the national park, since you did not need a guide to complete this stretch. The forest was very quiet, although we had nice views of Sambar and more Nilgiri Langur. On the bird front the highlight was two rather confiding Orange-headed Thrushes on the path in front of us. Otherwise it was rather disappointing.

  To finish off we returned to the ticket office to try look for some birds there as the light was fading. We did not find the Rufous Babbler we hoped for but had a nice flyby Emerald Dove and a mammal tick with some roosting Indian Flying Foxes. All in all a satisfying end to what could have been a very frustrating and disappointing day.   

Species List:
Periyar National Park: Grey Junglefowl, Spotted Dove, Common Emerald Dove, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Indian Swiftlet, Asian Palm Swift, Red-wattled Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Striated Heron, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret, Medium Egret, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Black Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Jungle Owlet, Malabar Trogon, Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Coppersmith Barbet, White-cheeked Barbet, Malabar Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Plum-headed Parakeet, Blue-winged Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Malabar Woodshrike, Ashy Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Brown Shrike, White-bellied Treepie, Cinereous Tit, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Flame-throated Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Wayanad Laughingthrush, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Southern Hill Myna, Jungle Myna, Orange-headed Thrush, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Rusty-tailed Flycatcher, Loten's Sunbird, Black-throated Munia, Grey Wagtail, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 8: Munnar & Periyar National Park

  We spent the first two hours of the morning birding the roads around Munnar, hoping to pick up some of the targets that we were missing. Although we failed to find them, it was still pleasant birding with a Palani Laughingthrush eating a lizard being the highlight, as well as only our second encounters with Nilgiri Woodpigeon and Blue-capped Rock Thrush. Towards the end of our walk we had a great encounter with a small family group of Indian Black-lored Tits, which came down from the canopy and showed quite well.

  At 09:00 we departed Munnar and drove along the road to Pooppara, along the way making two stops to search for Nilgiri Pipit in open areas of dried lava slopes. It was already hot at this point and our slim chances were already dwindling, but there was always a chance. At the second site we visited there was a brief moment of delight when we did find two pipits together but it did not take us long to work out that they were infact Paddyfield Pipits and not Nilgiri Pipits.

  After this frustrating morning we continued on our way to the town of Kumily near the Periyar Tiger Reserve National Park where we would spend the next two days. We found nice cheap lodging and settled in during the heat of the afternoon before setting out birding. We unfortunately found that the logistics of the park were far from straightforward and we had to spend some time organising ourselves for the following day.

  Once the beurocracy was done we tried to bird an area called Bamboo Grove, a community outside the national park. We were told by guards that it was not possible to enter, which was frustrating but fortunately only one of the many entrances was guarded, so we entered via another pathway. The area was quite lively but our targets eluded us. There were a few commoner species that we picked up such as Malabar Starling and Malabar Grey Hornbill, but for the most part the birds we saw were birds we had become familiar with over the last couple of days. Other non-endemics we saw here were Black-hooded Oriole and Jungle Owlet.

  On the mammal front however we had a nice surprise with a small group of Nilgiri Langur. Sadly they did not stick around for long, or show well but since this was a species I feared that we would miss, it was great that we had been able to see them on our first day here. 

India; Western Ghats - Day 7: Munnar

  We planned to spend the whole day working the forested road down from the village of Pothamedu; the Pallivasal Road and the road up to the Deshadan Mountain Resort. We started the birding at first light and almost immediately found one of our targets with Indian Black-lored Tit. Sadly it was always high up in the canopy and we did not get great views, but still good to have got it seen so early. The road was very birdy all the way along, although mostly common species, but a few new Malabar endemics with Southern Hill Myna and Malabar Whistling Thrush, with an additional tick for me with Tawny-bellied Babbler.

  Once we turned onto the Deshadan Road we quickly gained more target species. First we had a mammal with Nilgiri Bush Squirrel but it did not show well, with showier individuals appearing later during the day. In the same area we had our first Indian Blue Robin of the trip, which was a tick for me. We continued to climb and not far from the top we got our main target for this area with the Palani Laughingthrush. We found two birds which showed very well, sitting out in the open for extended periods.

  By 08:00 we had reached the resort itself, and from here we would climb up the mountain into the grasslands to try and find the rare Broad-tailed Grassbird. Sadly, despite braving the horrendously steep path and searching for 90 minutes we were not able to find the Grassbird. In fact we found very little, with Nilgiri Pipit that is also a possibility here being missed as well. By 09:30 we had called it a day and headed back down into the woodland.

  Unfortunately since we had left the woodland had gone much quieter. After a return to town for some breakfast and then back to the woodland we had gained very little. A group of Dark-fronted Babblers were the best of it, with the only other species of note being another Brown-breasted Flycatcher. We decided to spend the heat of the afternoon back at the hotel rather than punish ourselves in the temperatures, for ultimately little reward.

  In the afternoon we continued along the Pallivasal Road picking up a few birds but overall activity was low. Some species we had only seen on one previous occasion were seen, such as Large-billed Leaf Warbler and Orange Minivet. By finally paying attention, we got Loten’s Sunbird finally with a female feeding on flowers at the side of the road. In the canopy there was a large gathering of the Southern Hill Myna.

  For the last hour of daylight we returned to the Deshadan Mountain Resort Road and had a lot of late afternoon activity. Back at the bushes where we saw our first Palani Laughingthrushes there were now three individuals, as well as an active flock of eight Indian Scimitar-Babbler and lots of common bulbul species. A Malabar Whistling thrush came and landed right in front of me and as I descended, I found a perched Crested Serpent Eagle which rounded off an enjoyable days birding. 

Species List:
Munnar: Grey Junglefowl, Spotted Dove, Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black Eagle, Booted Eagle, Shikra, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, White-cheeked Barbet, Peregrine Falcon, Blue-winged Parakeet, Orange Minivet, Ashy Woodswallow, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Ashy Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Large-billed Crow, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Cinereous Tit, Common Tailorbird, Grey-breasted Prinia, Plain Prinia, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Dusky Crag Martin, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Square-tailed Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Indian White-eye, Tawny-bellied Babbler, Dark-fronted Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Palani Laughingthrush, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Southern Hill Myna, Indian Blackbird, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Pied Bush Chat, Nilgiri Flowerpecker, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Loten's Sunbird, Black-throated Munia, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, White-browed Wagtail, Common Rosefinch, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 6: Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary & Munnar

  Today would see us complete the longest journey of our trip, the seven hour drive from Ooty to the town of Munnar. We had arranged our driver, Shankar, the previous evening with help from Daniel and so at 07:00 we were ready to go. Our day peaked very early when we encountered a massive bull Gaur walking down the middle of the road. We jumped out and were able to get incredibly close, although not too close as he slowly wandered off. A little later we found another group of six Gaur feeding in a tea plantation as well.

  After six hours, including a short breakfast, we arrived at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Here we wanted to make a roadside stop and search for the localised Yellow-throated Bulbul. It being the middle of the day I was not particularly optimistic about our chances. However we persevered with playback, pursuing every Bulbul that we could and after an hour at 13:30 I found a pair. Quickly, I ran to get the others only to discover they had also simultaneously found a pair, these building a nest. Thrilled to have wrapped up our target, we could complete our journey without feeling like we had left anything behind. 

  We did have a few other birds in the area whilst we searched for the Bulbul. It was nice to catch up with White-browed Bulbul here, since we had missed it the previous day when we searched. We also had a fantastic bull Elephant drinking at a lake at the beginning of the protected area, and a discreet group of Tufted Grey Langurs sheltering from the midday sun.

  After Chinnar we continued towards Munnar. Before the town we stopped off at the Eravikulam National Park Ticket Office to look for White-bellied Bush Robin, but were told it was not possible to even enter the car park. Fortunately we could explore the woodland across the street, which was small but had a few birds in it. There was a Niltava Flycatcher male, and my first Brown-breasted Flycatcher as well as a very showy Indian Giant Squirrel. 

  In one of the densest bushes we could find there was a song that sounded very similar to the bush robin but try as we might, the bird would just not come out of the bushes. We persevered however and by climbing down the bank and into the river I was able to spot the bird, confirming it to be our target species. Not long after this, the bird decided to discard its secrecy and sit out in the open singing, offering fantastic views. Strangely one of its feet didn’t have any toes…

  Wrapping up the day we sorted out some accommodation near to the following days birding site and then settled in to relax for the evening. Our accommodation was fantastic, with a beautiful view down to lowland India and a few birds in the garden, including a new species for me with Dark-faced Munia. 

Despite the long drive, it was a very enjoyable day, with some excellent highlights. 

Species List:
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary: Grey Junglefowl, Spotted Dove, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, White-cheeked Barbet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Small Minivet, Common Woodshrike, Common Iora, White-bellied Drongo, Cinereous Tit, Ashy Prinia, Dusky Crag Martin, Yellow-browed Bulbul, White-browed Bulbul, Yellow-throated Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Jungle Myna, Indian Robin, Purple-rumped Sunbird,
Eravikulam National Park Ticket Office: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Indian White-eye, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, White-bellied Blue Robin, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail,
Green Leaf Holidays: Ashy Woodswallow, Dusky Crag Martin, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Indian White-eye, Black-throated Munia, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 5: Mudumalai National Park

  Initially we had planned only a half day more in the Mudumalai National Park area, before we would then travel south in order to breakup our long drive to Munnar in the south. However, we enjoyed the previous afternoons game drive so much that we decided to alter our plans, and have another game drive before heading to Ooty tonight and then completing the long drive in one go tomorrow, which had been our first plan anyway.

  The agenda for the morning was to bird around the national park with Daniel, our guide, and hopefully target the species we wanted. Any mammals we bumped into would be a bonus, with the afternoon drive concentrating on mammals. Our first species, and most important for this site was the Malabar Lark. Helpfully we knew where to go so headed straight there. Along the way however we were waylaid by first a herd of Indian Elephants and then a group of at least Dhole or Asian Wild Dog! The latter especially we were buzzing about seeing, as unlike elephant we had either never seen or only seen on one occasion the Dhole. 

  Once we arrived at the Malabar Lark location it did not take us too long to find a group of three individuals feeding among the rocks, showing nicely and quite confiding at times with a juvenile also in tow. In the same area we were able to find another Indian Pitta, which showed nicely as well but generally stayed deep in cover. Happy with these two species, we continued to another location.

  This next location was full of dead trees with no understorey, but was still quite birdy. We found Black-rumped Flameback and Indian Nuthatch here, as well as other common species. Unfortunately the White-naped Woodpecker that we wanted to find did not show, but we still had some enjoyable birding and in the end we were able top it off with another Indian Pitta!

  Although it was already hot we still had a couple more stops to make. First we visited the village garbage dump for half an hour to look at some raptors that were visiting. We had a smart immature Brahminy Kite and a few Steppe Eagles soaring. And then to wrap up our morning with Daniel we went to target the Jerdon’s Bushlark in a few areas that he knew. The first site did not produce the lark, but we did have a Dhole come and bark at us, as well as a flyover Red-headed Vulture. At the second stop we had a Jerdons Bushlark distant but perched up and singing, as well as Orange Minivet and Pale-billed Flowerpecker, rounding out an excellent morning.  

  Our afternoon drive did not produce much different, although a Large Grey Mongoose was a mammal tick and a nice boost for our mammal trip list. We had a few of the same species we had the previous day, as well as nice views of Malabar Parakeet for a new species. At dusk we came very close to a Tiger, with one being seen not long after we had passed through the area. Despite our best efforts we could not find it and we had to leave it be. At night we did a little exploring, finding another Indian Chameleon, before driving up the hill to Ooty, where we would spend the night. 

India; Western Ghats - Day 4: Ela Blooms & Mudumalai National Park

  Our first port of call today was birding around Ela Blooms in the hopes of finding the rare Banasura Laughingthrush, which only occurs on this mountain. As such, we set off at 07:00 to walk the kilometre trail up the mountain to the area to find the bird. The trail was absolutely brutal and required some effort to complete. Unfortunately when we got to the area, we found it extremely windy and the activity was consequently low. Still, we gave it our best shot over the next two and a half hours but sadly drew a blank. We had a few nice species such as Nilgiri Flycatcher and Saheen Peregrine Falcon but otherwise there was little to write home about. Although it had been enjoyable, it also felt like it could have been so much more.

  At 10:30 we got a lift down the mountain and then from there we got a taxi to our next destination, the village of Masagudi in the middle of the Mudumalai National Park. We arranged a hotel enroute but discovered upon arrival that we wouldn’t be able to go out birding by ourselves due to the danger of the numerous wild animals. Thankfully one of the lads at the hotel was very helpful to our predicament and he arranged for his uncle, Daniel, to come and be our guide and driver in the park. At first we were obviously very sceptical but his uncle actually turned out to be a fantastic naturalist and very competent birder. He knew the park as we drove around and discussed our plans for birding the following day as well.

  Because of this, we arranged a game drive for the afternoon in the hope of seeing some large mammals. We first drove along the hydroelectric road, and along the way had Axis Deer, Wild Boar, Malabar Sacred Langur and a superb male Sambar. In terms of birds it was not bad either, with Yellow-billed Babbler and White-bellied Minivet being the standouts, but other goodies included Yellow-throated Sparrow, Bay-backed Shrike, several Indian Peafowl, White-browed Fantail and just some all round good birding.

  At 17:30 we had completed this road and so headed for the Coffee Plantation road, which Daniel said offered the best chance to see big cats since the habitat was more open than the scrub on the hydroelectric road. Sadly it was not to be, although we added another animal with Indian Hare and an absolutely brilliant bird with Indian Pitta, which perched out in the open before diving into the vegetation. And then as we were leaving the area, just as we crossed the main bridge, we had a Brown Fish Owl sat up and silhouetted against the sky, rounding out a brilliant afternoon.

  Still we were not yet done. I had spoken to Daniel about the possibility of finding Indian Chameleon during our drive and he said that he would take us out to try and find one after dark. And he was good to his word. Although night driving is no longer allowed, he still made an effort. At first it was not looking good, but we reached a nice open area he wanted to check for nightjars and had one individual, but unfortunately we could not identify it to species. We then began our return, scanning when we could, finding first a few Wild Boar feeding in front of a temple, and then an absolutely fantastic Sloth Bear! What an incredible animal and not at all what we had expected to see when arriving here. It was a little distant but even still it was impressive in size! And then to wrap up a brilliant afternoon, Daniel picked out an Indian Chameleon in one of the roadside bushes! Absolutely superb! 

Species List:
Ela Blooms: Grey Junglefowl, Crested Honey Buzzard, Black Eagle, Crested Goshawk, White-cheeked Barbet, Peregrine Falcon, Hill Swallow, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Square-tailed Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Indian White-eye, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Little Spiderhunter,
Mudumalai National Park: Indian Spot-billed Duck, Indian Peafowl, Eurasian Collared Dove, Spotted Dove, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Asian Koel, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, Common Moorhen, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Little Grebe, Asian Openbill, Asian Woolly-necked Stork, Painted Stork, Oriental Darter, Indian Pond Heron, Purple Heron, Black-winged Kite, Crested Honey Buzzard, Brown Fish Owl, Spotted Owlet, Eurasian Hoopoe, Asian Green Bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, White-cheeked Barbet, Malabar Flameback, Plum-headed Parakeet, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Indian Pitta, White-bellied Minivet, Common Iora, White-browed Fantail, White-bellied Drongo, Brown Shrike, Bay-backed Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Large-billed Crow, Eastern Red-rumped Swallow, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Jungle Babbler, Yellow-billed Babbler, Brahminy Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Common Myna, Jungle Myna, Indian Robin, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Purple Sunbird, Yellow-throated Sparrow, Common Rosefinch, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 3: Ooty & Ela Blooms

 We spent our final morning around Ooty back in the Botanical Gardens. We hoped the early morning and lack of people would mean more birds but sadly the birding was still fairly steady and we saw only a few species of note. Hill Swallow was a new species for me, with a small group flying overhead but that was the only lifer for the morning. Otherwise good species included Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher and Nilgiri Flowerpecker. Additional trip ticks included Ashy Prinia and Ashy Drongo, and we added a new mammal with a rat that was feeding in the ditch outside our hotel. 

At 10:00 we headed back to the hotel and arranged our things ready for our taxi to arrive at half-past. Initially it looked like he had not come, but after a quick phone call we discovered he had been waiting just a little down the road and not at our accommodation. Still, the real shock was when about half an hour into the drive, we discovered we were not going to the right village. Fortunately we had not made any significant detour yet, but our driver was still unsure of what to do next. After a call to his boss, the issue was smoothed out and in the end we were still able to make it to our pickup location on time.

The pickup location for our next destination, Ela Blooms, was necessary due to the appauling state of the road required to reach the lodge. We had to travel for half an hour on one of the worst roads any of us had ever endured. Fortunately once we arrived we found ourselves surrounded by stunning forest nestled among the peaks. We were told that it was not possible to take the trail uphill for our main target that afternoon, so instead concentrated on birding back down the road. 

The forest was in good condition and we had our first encounters with some of the  lowland targets for this trip with Yellow-browed Bulbul and Malabar Imperial Pigeon. At the turnoff to the lodge, there was a fruiting tree full of Grey-fronted Green Pigeons and Square-tailed Bulbuls, although this latter species was common throughout, and in the understorey below we had brief views of an Orange-headed Thrush. Additionally there was a group of three Bonnet Macaques and two Indian Giant Squirrels also gorging themselves on the fruits Other birds of interest included our first Crimson-backed Sunbirds, and two nice leaf-warblers with Large-billed Leaf Warbler and Western-crowned Warbler.  

Species List:
Ooty Botanical Gardens: Grey Junglefowl, Feral Pigeon, Spotted Dove, White-breasted Waterhen, Indian Pond Heron, White-cheeked Barbet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Ashy Drongo, House Crow, Indian Jungle Crow, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Cinereous Tit, Ashy Prinia, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Hill Swallow, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Indian White-eye, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Indian Blackbird, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Pied Bush Chat, Nilgiri Flowerpecker, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Common Rosefinch,
Ela Blooms: Grey-fronted Green Pigeon, Malabar Imperial Pigeon, White-cheeked Barbet, Common Flameback, Peregrine Falcon, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Yellow-browed Bulbul, Square-tailed Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Western Crowned Warbler, Indian White-eye, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Orange-headed Thrush, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Sunbird, Grey Wagtail, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 2: Ooty

  Having had the sleep I desperately needed I was ready to get going and birding. We woke up before first light and managed to arrange a tuk-tuk from the town of Ooty to the base of Doddabetta Peak. The road to the summit didn’t open until 08:00, but the barrier was little more than a small piece of fencing that covered about half the road, so we were easily able to walk in and begin birding.

  The walk up the mountain was very enjoyable, with many of our targets being seen as we ascended. We started with a nice Grey Junglefowl on the side of the road, followed by our first Nilgiri Laughingthrush, although more would follow. Next we had a Nilgiri Woodpigeon feeding on frutis at the side of the road almost oblivious to our presence. After this we began to get some of the trickier species, with Nilgiri Flycatcher, Nilgiri Blue Robin and Black-and-orange Flycatcher. All superb birds and important targets for this area. Another bonus on our ascent was a Gaur, which was moving surprisingly stealthy for a large animal through the vegetation making it very tricky to see. 

  Because we had done so well on the ascent, there was very little for us to target at the top. However, we hoped to find the tricky Nilgiri Thrush at a wastewater area behind the car park, where one had been seen the previous week. Despite our waiting and ample activity from the numerous Indian Blackbirds, we never had any joy. Still, there was many other birds to appreciate, especially the numerous Nilgiri Woodpigeons and Nilgiri Laughingthrushes.

  At 10:00 the peak was already very busy and so we decided to take a tuk-tuk back down to the start of the peak and try another location for the Nilgiri Thrush, a small forest fragment just a short walk from the start of the peak. Although there were no trails in this woodland, it was pretty open and we set off exploring, but in three hours we had no sign of the bird. Whilst birding here we enjoyed more of our target species that we had seen earlier, as well as adding Indian Scimitar-Babbler and White-spotted Fantail. Mammals were also good here, with Indian Giant Squirrel and two Large Grey Mongoose, although the latter were very wary and not showy at all.

  Since it was already 13:00, after discussion, we decided to go back to look at the Fantails at the bottom of the valley, since RJS and GS had not seen them, and then call it a day. The Fantails performed well, but it was at this point I finally spotted the bird we had been looking for. Nilgiri Thrush! It was distant and hidden by the understorey, but there it was. Everyone got onto it, but not well and the bird soon vanished. Fortunately, with a little playback, the bird did come back and we all had excellent views of this tricky endemic by the end of our time there.

  We returned to Ooty by public bus, and after a meal we went to the Botanical Gardens near our hotel. The gardens were rammed with people and that made it quite unpleasant to bird. We managed to find a few nice spots where it was quieter but there were only a few birds of interest that we were able to find. A Blue-capped Rock-Thrush was the standout species, with other notables including Nilgiri Flowerpecker and another White-spotted Fantail. Mammals were also good here, with two different Indian Giant Squirrels and a small group of Bonnet Macaques. 

  So far as first days go, it could not have gone better. All the important targets were mopped up, and all showed very well. If the trip carries on in this vein then we ought to do very well! 

Species List:
Doddabetta Peak: Grey Junglefowl, Feral Pigeon, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, White-cheeked Barbet, Indian Jungle Crow, Cinereous Tit, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Indian White-eye, Puff-throated Babbler, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Indian Blackbird, Nilgiri Blue Robin, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, Common Rosefinch,
Thrush Woodland: Grey Junglefowl, Feral Pigeon, White-cheeked Barbet, Malabar Flameback, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, White-spotted Fantail, Indian Jungle Crow, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Indian White-eye, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Jungle Myna, Nilgiri Thrush, Indian Blackbird, Nilgiri Blue Robin, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Pied Bush Chat, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail,
Ooty Botanical Gardens: Grey Junglefowl, Feral Pigeon, Spotted Dove, White-breasted Waterhen, Indian Pond Heron, White-throated Kingfisher, White-cheeked Barbet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, White-spotted Fantail, House Crow, Indian Jungle Crow, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Cinereous Tit, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Indian White-eye, Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Jungle Myna, Indian Blackbird, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Pied Bush Chat, Nilgiri Flowerpecker, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Common Rosefinch, 

India; Western Ghats - Day 1: Arrival

  After a weekend in Amsterdam I headed off for my next travels, this time returning to India but the mountains in the south of the country. It was initially looking like there might not be enough time for me to make the transfer from international to domestic flight in my limited timeframe, but fortunately passport control was not too painful and in the end, I was able to complete my itinerary as originally planned. 

  Once I arrived in Coimbatore in the south, I had an hour to wait before Gray and Rich joined me, and then we could all pile into a taxi and head north three hours to the town of Ooty where we would begin out birding. There was obviously not much birding to be done around the airport, but the roadsides around Ooty were full of Bonnet Macaques, which were incredibly comical to see as monkeys often are! The numbers of these was really quite impressive, with groups settled on nearly every corner! 

  We finally reached our hotel after dark and settled in ready for the next days birding.

Species List

Coimbatore International Airport: Feral Pigeon, Black Kite, House Crow, 

Cromwell Bottom twitching Scaup

   With the weather turned against me for the day, with rain and strong winds, I decided to avoid Soil Hill and instead do my various tasks in Halifax, and then continue along the Cromwell Bottom to have a look at the now three Scaups that have taken up winter residence on the Ski Lake.

  When I arrived I first went to La Casa but couldn’t make out any Scaup on the water, although it was nice to see the Goldeneye still present, and count an impressive 21 Grey Herons dotted around the edge of the lake. With no sign there, I headed down to the canal path to see if they were sheltering on the far side of the lake, the near side from La Casa.

  And that is indeed where I found them, with the three Scaups nestled into a small group of Tufted Ducks. The male Scaup is now looking much more dapper than when I first saw him at the end of the autumn last year, with his grey back now nearly completely moulted through. The females looked much the same. Always good to appreciate these birds locally when I can, especially given the decline in wintering Scaups in the UK.  

-Tufted Duck & Greater Scaup

-Greater Scaup

Species List:
Cromwell Bottom: Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Goosander, Common Wood Pigeon, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, European Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Eurasian Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, 

Leeshaw Reservoir twitching Red-necked Grebe

   On the first of January, whilst I was away in France, a Red-necked Grebe had been found on Leeshaw Reservoir by BV & BS. Obviously, there was nothing that I could do about it, however as it looked like the bird would stick around, as it began to visit other nearby reservoirs such as Stanbury and Ponden, it began to look more and more likely that I might have a chance to see it after all.

  And so, on the 1st February, a month after its first appearance, myself and JJL made the short trip up to Leeshaw Reservoir to see the bird. Time was a little bit short but fortunately, the bird was right there in front of the dam as soon as I pulled up the car. It was actively feeding and spent a lot of time underwater, and it also didn’t help that it seemed to favour the far side of the reservoir. However, in the half an hour we were able to spend there, we got excellent views of the bird. 

The only downside is its apparent reluctance to visit any Calderdale Reservoirs! Still, an excellent bird to see locally.

-Red-necked Grebe

Species List:
Leeshaw Reservoir: Greylag Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Wood Pigeon, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, European Herring Gull, Red-necked Grebe, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, Fieldfare,