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!
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,
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