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.
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,
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