Crimson On Back

The crimson-backed sunbird or small sunbird is a sunbird endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Like other sunbirds, they feed mainly on nectar although they take insects, especially to feed their young. They are tiny birds that are resident and are found in forests but are particularly attracted to gardens at the edge of the forest where people grow suitable flower-bearing plants. They usually perch while taking nectar. Crimson-backed sunbirds make altitudinal movements during the rainy season. They may move to the foothills during the monsoons and move higher up during the dry season. 

The crimson-backed sunbird or small sunbird is a sunbird endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Like other sunbirds, they feed mainly on nectar although they take insects, especially to feed their young. They are tiny birds that are resident and are found in forests but are particularly attracted to gardens at the edge of the forest where people grow suitable flower-bearing plants. They usually perch while taking nectar. Crimson-backed sunbirds make altitudinal movements during the rainy season. They may move to the foothills during the monsoons and move higher up during the dry season. 

They inhabit a variety of evergreen forests but are most common in flower-rich gardens at the edges of forests or plantations. These small birds fall victim to numerous predators, including larger birds, praying mantises and other large insects. The Crimson-backed Sunbirds mostly breed in December through March – but may nest nearly throughout the year in the southern Western Ghats. The male and female build the purse-shaped, moss-covered nest together – although the female takes on the part of lining the nest. The nest is often suspended from the underside of large fern fronds, or thin branch of a low tree or shrub. 

The average clutch consists of 2 eggs which are mostly incubated by the female for about 18 – 19 days. The male assists with feeding the young. Their calls include short chik calls and longer chee-chee-which-chee. The photographs above were taken after the rescue of this tiny colourful male which was stuck in a spider web. Join us on a birding tour to get a chance to experience these tiny beauties.

Join us on the herping session in Coorg to explore the night lives. By Divya Shree, Asian Adventures - India For details, contact us https://linktr.ee/asianadventures

Blue Eyed Bush Frog

Raorchestes luteolus, previously known as Philautus neelanethrus is a frog endemic to western ghats, where it is only known from Karnataka state.These frogs are generally found in coffee plantations nearby the secondary forest areas. The frog has golden brown body with a blue iris, as its name states. Calls of these frogs start from ‘treeeek’ and continues with ‘tink’ for few seconds. This beautiful frog is poorly known. Habitat loss and degradation may be a threat, since the Western Ghats in general are undergoing increased human settlement. Join us on herping in Coorg to witness a wonderful experience.

Join us on the herping session in Coorg to explore the night lives. By Divya Shree, Asian Adventures - India For details, contact us https://linktr.ee/asianadventures

Earth Walks at Haiderpur Wetland

 A Trip Report By Mahesh Rajpoot Asian Adventures - India Dec 04, 2022

The Haiderpur wetland, part of the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, is simply an amazing birding destination, and perfect for our Earth Walks. 

We started our journey from Delhi quite early, at 4:30 AM, carrying a packed breakfast. It is usually a 3 hour journey but we arrived quite late because of the fog. The wetland was not visible because it covered by fog or mist. We started our birding quite late with Ashish, who is a local guide in the area.

 

We first went to the grassland, where we saw Yellow-eyed Babbler, Rosy Pipit in flight, Ashy Prinia, Long-tailed Shrike, Red Avadavat and many flying Red-rumped Swallows. This area is outside the park, where farmers visit their cultivation fields daily. 

After spending time in the grassland, we entered the park. It was a nice walk on the birding trail, and we saw thousands of water birds, including Bar-headed and Greylag Geese, Red-crested, Common and Ferruginous Pochard, Eurasian Wigeon, Great Crested and Little Grebe and many Cormorants. There were few Greater Spotted Eagles soaring in the sky along with a single Black Kite. After some time, a mixed hunting flock seen came quite close: a Black-hooded Oriole catching caterpillars and a Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker was busy on the trunk along other species like Red-whiskered Bulbul, Long-tailed Minivet, Purple Sunbird and Common Chiffchaff etc.

 

After this, we had lunch and took a boat safari in the Ganges River. This boat safari was marvellous because we spotted a super rare Gangetic Dolphin which was coming up a few times from the water to take a breath. The sighting was super, and we clicked some record photos. Besides the dolphin, we also saw got some good photographs of Palllas’s Gull, Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Great Thick-knee, many Black Kites, Pied Kingfisher, Little and Great Cormorants, River Lapwing, a pair of Ruddy Shelduck, many Wagtails etc. 

After the boat safari, we also saw some Common Crane in flight. As it was getting close to sunset, we spent some time taking a few sunset photos, before leaving for Delhi.

For details, contact us https://linktr.ee/asianadventures

A winter morning at Sultanpur National Park

 By Mahesh Rajpoot

Asian Adventures - India
Nov 29, 2022

On November 29th, I had the pleasure of accompanying our guest for a morning of guided birdwatching at Sultanpur National Park, located close to Delhi.

Upon reaching Sultanpur, we first met Sanjay Kumar, the local guide at Sultanpur, at the park gate. The first bird we encountered was the sought-after Sind Sparrows, as they were feeding on grass reeds.  It was a close sighting near the road towards Chandu village. This species is the key species of the park, and one of the main goals of many birders visiting Sultanpur. 

Along the road, we also spotted White-throated Kingfisher, Black Drongo, Red-wattled Lapwing, Long-tailed Shrike and many other common birds.  

After a 15 minute drive we reached the outskirts, a wetland near a cultivated area. Here, we managed to see Eurasian Curlew, Pied Avocet, Common Redshank, Pallas's and Black-headed Gulls, plenty of Black-tailed Godwits, hundreds of Little and Temminck’s Stints and many mixed flocks of water birds such as Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, and Bar-headed and Greylag Geese. Among the other big birds we saw were Greater Flamingo, resting on a small mound. 

While we were returning, we heard the call of a Blyth's Pipit, and it landed in a bush near the water. We managed to see it quite clearly and it was a beautiful sighting. Besides the pipit, we also saw European Starling, Common Chiffchaff, Indian Pied Myna (also called Asian Pied Starling) and a big flock of Black Kites. Some Black-eared Kites and one Osprey were also sitting far away on a dead tree. All in all, we spent about 2 hours birding in the wetland area. 

After this we drove towards the cultivated area and watched some large-sized raptors such as Eastern Imperial Eagle and Steppe Eagle, as well as plenty of Western Marsh Harriers and other resident birds. While we were driving back along the Najafgarh Nehar, we managed to see three kinds of munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Red Avadavat and Indian Silverbill, in the long grass reeds. They were feeding on the seeds of reeds. There is also small wetland down there, where we got three kinds if ibis: Glossy Ibis, Red-naped Ibis on cement poles and Black-headed Ibis along the water, We also saw Knob-billed Duck, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Coot, Grey-headed Swamphen, and Purple Heron. There were also many Barn Swallows flying overhead.

All in all, in this 3 hour birding trip, we saw 83+ species of birds.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S123236232

For details, contact us https://linktr.ee/asianadventures

Earth Walks at Lodhi Garden

 Lodhi Garden is a well-known city park situated in New Delhi. One may not think of an urban park like this one, spread over 90 acres, as a birding hotspot, but green patches like this are great places for urban birding, as well as provide much-needed natural spots in the urban environment. 

We started our birding around 8AM with our guest, who was experiencing birdwatching for the first time! Black Kites were our first species, many on some dead branches near Lodhi’s Tomb, basking in the morning sunlight. A few steps further, we saw Little Cormorants in the water as well as White-throated Kingfisher, both of which were catching fish from the water. An interesting fact is that the White-throated Kingfisher, despite its name, actually rarely eats fish, and usually eats anything from frogs and lizards, to snakes, rodents and even other smaller birds!

Two Indian Cormorants were spreading wings to dry them, and a White-breasted Waterhen was walking near the water. Unlike other water birds, cormorants have to dry their wings as they don’t have oil glands to keep their feathers waterproof. This is an adaptation that actually helps them dive deeper into the water in search of food!

Besides watching birds, Lodhi Gardens is also great for some sightseeing. In the middle of the gardens are the Bara Gumbad (Big Dome) and Shisha Gumbad (Mirror Dome), an amazing sight in the morning light. 

Walking on the trail, we also managed to see Greenish Warbler,Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Purple Sunbird, Alexandrine Parakeet, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Common Tailorbird, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Collared Dove and Common Myna. 

All in all, it was a great short and enjoyable birding visit!

Maddu Thoppu From Coorg

About Maddu Thoppu - A Medicinal Leaf In Coorg

The wet, dark months of the monsoon bring about a mysterious transformation in an otherwise quite unremarkable plant known locally as “maddu thoppu”, medicine leaf (Justicia wynaadensis). 

In Coorg, leaves of this plant are said to hold maximal medicinal properties on the eighteenth day of the Kakkada month of the Kodava calendar (may be in July or August). 

This is the festival called Kakkada Padinett. On this day, madd toppu leaves are said to emit a strange sweet unique fragrance which is not evident a day prior or after that. They are plucked and made into cakes or sweet porridge.

Come to Coorg to be a part of this auspicious occasion and to taste the delicacy.

By Divya Shree, Asian Adventures - India

For details, contact us https://linktr.ee/asianadventures

Herping In Garvale

Herpetology In Coorg 

Garvale is located 35 km from Kushalnagar in Coorg. 

Rich in diversity amidst coffee plantations and forest. People with interest in vivid subjects visit this place to enhance their knowledge about the fauna and flora. Recently having around 7 enthusiastic people we went herping into a forest patch located among the coffee plantation. 

All were waiting for the sighting when a wolf snake crossed our way. Everyone curious and attentive to see more wildlife around and further we were able to spot around 9 individuals of 3 different species, 8 frogs of 4 species, a Porcupine and a Black-naped Monarch roosting. 

We also found many different insects, spiders, crabs, slugs, snails, moths and a variety of plants. 

Join us on the herping session in Coorg to explore the night lives. 

By Divya Shree, Asian Adventures - India

For details, contact us https://linktr.ee/asianadventures