Winged Wonder Travel Planner - An Offbeat Birding endeavour.

Birding trip report of Maguri Beel and Dehing patkai Sanctuary, Assam, India..

Time - January 2018
Number of participants - 4
Vehicle used - Mahindra Bolero
Habitat - Wetland and evergreen rain forests..

Bird species encountered and photographed are as follows:-

Oriental Pied hornbill
Red headed trogon
Khalij pheasant
Black Necked Grebe
Mallard
Brown cheeked rail/ Eastern water rail
Common Pochard
Ferruginous Pochard
Spot billed duck
Northern Shoveller
Northern pintail
Bar Headed Goose
Garganey
Eurasian wigeon
Red Crested Pochard
Pin tail snipe
Hen Harrier
Marsh Harrier
Siberian Stonechat
Striated babbler
Black faced bunting
Black Crested bulbul
White throated bulbul
Jerdons leaf bird
Blue winged leaf bird
Great myna/white vented myna
Long tailed broadbill
Sultan Tit
Chestnut headed tesia
Velvet fronted nuthatch
Chestnut-bellied nuthatch
Bronzed drongo
Greater racket tailed drongo
Lesser necklaced laughing thrush
Oriental scops owl
Jerdons Babbler
Chestnut capped babbler
White hooded babbler
White tailed rubythroat
White Bellied erpornis

Other wildlife encountered are as follows:-
Hoolock Gibbon
Asiatic Wild Buffalo

A birding trip report to Bhitarkanika Sanctuary, Odisha.
Time - April 2018
Number of participants - 4
Vehicle used - Launch boat
Habitat - Mangrove wetland and marshland..

The bird species encountered and photographed are as follows:-

Mangrove pitta
Black capped kingfisher
Brown winged kingfisher
White Collared kingfisher
Pied kingfisher
Orange breasted green Pigeon
Short toed snake Eagle
White Bellied sea Eagle
Slaty breasted rail
Black naped monarch
Chestnut capped babbler
Pin striped Tit babbler (record)
Green billed malkoha
Orange headed thrush
Black Headed cuckoo Shrike
Ori white eye
Common iora
Watercock (F)
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Common redshank
Terek Sandpiper
Oriental darter
Pacific golden Plover
Lesser sand Plover
Lesser whistling duck
Cinereous Tit
Lesser flameback
Grey headed Woodpecker
Fulvous breasted Woodpecker..

Birding trip report of manglajodi, Odisha.

Time - January 2018
Number of participants - 9
Vehicle used - Hand-rowed and motorised boat
Habitat - Wetland and marshland.

Bird species encountered and photographed are as follows:-
Steppe gull
Peregrine Falcon
Brahminy Kite
Greater flamingos
Indian nightjar
Spotted owlet
Spot billed duck
K**b billed duck
Northern pintail
Northern Shoveller
Common Teal
Eurasian wigeon
Garganey
Ruff
Black tailed godwit
Marsh Sandpiper
Pacific golden Plover
Purple heron
Grey heron
Glossy ibis
Black headed ibis
Whiskered tern
River tern
Little tern
Oriental pratincole
Greater painted snipe
Slaty breasted rail
Ruddy breasted crake
Baillon's crake
Bluethroat
Plaintive cuckoo
Spotted warbler
Clamorous Reed warbler
Blyth's Reed warbler
Yellow bittern
Cinnamon bittern
Brown headed gull
Black headed gull
Palla's gull
Little Grebe
Purple swamphen
White breasted water hen
Watercock
Etc...

Birding and wildlife photography trip report of Bikaner and Talchhappar sanctuary, Rajasthan.

Time - December 2017
Number of participants - 5
Vehicle used - Mahindra Bolero.
Habitat - Deciduous thorn forest, grassland and scrubland.

Birds encountered and photographed are as follows:-
Red Necked Falcon
Lagger Falcon (SA)
Pallied Harrier (M)
Montagu's Harrier (F)
Long Legged Buzzard (SA)
Steppe Eagle (M)
Steppe Eagle (chocolate morph)
Tawny Eagle
Imperial Eagle
Cinerious Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
Eurasian Griffon Vulture
Himalayan Griffon Vulture
Black Shouldered Kite (killing and feeding on desert jird)
Common Crane
Black Francolin
Grey Francolin
Lesser Whitethroat
Bay Backed Shrike
Southern Grey Shrike
Common Starling
Rosy Starling
Larger Grey Babbler
Common Babbler
Eurasian Thick-knee
White Eared Bulbul
Chestnut Sandgrouse
Yellow Eyed Pegion
Stoliczka's Bushchat
Greater Short Toed Lark
Bimaculated Lark
Desert Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Variable Wheatear (picata)
Variable Wheatear (capistrata)
Variable Wheatear (opistholeuca)
Small Minivet
Common Teal
Pied Avocet
Bar Headed Goose
Northern Shoveller
Ruff
Green Sandpiper

Other Wildlife encountered are as:-
Blackbuck
Desert Fox
Indian Fox
Indian Gezzele (chinkara)
Bluebull (Nilgai)
Wild boar
Desert Jird

Trip report for Kedarnath musk deer sanctuary, Chopta/Tunganath bird and wildlife photography trip :-

No. Of participants - 5
Habitat - mostly alpine, montane deciduous and snowy

Birds encountered -

1. Snow Partridge
2. Himalayan Monal
3. Koklass Pheasant
4. Kalij Pheasant
5. Black Francolin
6. Asian Barred Owlet
7. Variegated Laughingthrush
8. Chestnut Crowned Laughingthrush
9. White Throated Laughingthrush
10. Streaked Laughingthrush
11. Snow Pigeon
12. Speckled Wood Pigeon
13. Ashy Wood Pigeon
14. Wedge Tailed Green Pigeon
15. Alpine Accentor
16. Altai Accentor
17. Winter Wren
18. Himalayan Blue tail
19. Yellow Breasted Greenfinch
20. Red Fronted Rosefinch (F)
21. Common Rosefinch
22. Dark Breasted Rosefinch
23. Plain Mountain Finch
24. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
25. Mountain Hawk Eagle
26. Crested Serpent Eagle
27. Lamergier Vulture (distant)
28. Himalayan Buzzard
29. Slaty Headed Parakeet
30. Yellow Billed Blue Magpie
31. Red Billed Blue Magpie
32. Grey Treepie
33. Fire Capped Tit
34. Yellow Browed Tit
35. Coal Tit
36. Grey Crested Tit
37. Himalayan Black Lored Tit
38. Black Throated Bushtit
39. Green Backed Tit
40. Cinereous Tit
41. White Browed Fulvetta
42. Oriental White-eye
43. Grey Breasted Prinia
44. Himalayan Woodpecker
45. Slaty Headed Woodpecker
46. Rufous Bellied Woodpecker
47. Scaly Bellied Woodpecker
48. Brown Capped Pygmy Woodpecker
49. Mistle Thrush
50. White Collared Blackbird
51. Grey Winged Blackbird
52. Scarlett Minivet
53. Rock Bunting
54. Eurasian Jay
55. Black Headed Jay
56. Chestnut Tailed Minla
57. Great Barbet
58. Blue Throated Barbet
59. Maroon Oriole
60. Himalayan Bulbul
61. Black Bulbul
62. Spotted Forktail
63. Brown Dipper
64. Blue Fronted Redstart
65. White Capped Water Redstart
66. Plumbeous Water Redstart
67. Crested Kingfisher (distant)
68. Golden Bush Robin (F)
69. Chestnut Headed Tesia
70. Scaly Breasted Wren Babbler
71. Black Chinned Babbler
72. Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
73. Spot Winged Grosbeak
74. White Tailed Nuthatch
75. Grey Backed Shrike
76. Barwing Flycatcher Shrike
77. Red Rumped Swallow
78. Small Niltava
79. Rusty Tailed Flycatcher
80. Ultramarine Flycatcher
81. Rufous Gorgetted Flycatcher
82. Verditer Flycatcher
83. Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher
84. Green Tailed Sunbird
85. Fire Tailed Sunbird
86. Black Throated Sunbird
87. Purple Sunbird
88. Black Faced Warbler
89. Lemon Rumped Warbler
90. Ashy Throated Warbler
91. Grey Hooded Warbler
92. Russet Sparrow
93. Common Stonechat
94. Rufous Sibia
95. Black Eagle (distant)

Mammals encountered -

1. Himalayan Tahr
2. Himalayan Golden Jackal
3. Barking Deer
4. Himalayan Pika
5. Grey Langur
6. Rehsus Macaque

Presenting hereby another shot of ever elusive Koklass Pheasant from the trip..

A BIRDING TRIP REPORT OF EAGLENEST SANCTUARY, ARUNACHAL PRADESH:-

Habitat - alpine, montane, dry and wet deciduous with thick canopies and nettles outgrowth in major parts

Vehicle used - Tata sumo

4 participants (including one experienced guide) has witnessed more than 150 species barring the common Himalayan ones during the 3rd week of April 2018.

Major highlight species during the trip are as follows:-

1. Bugun Liocichla
2. Blyth's Tragopan
3. Hodgsons Frogmouth
4. Ward's Trogon
5. Black Tailed Crake
6. Long Billed Plover
7. Black Throated Prinia
8. Grandala
9. Blood Pheasant
10. Himalayan Monal
11. Snow Partridge
12. Rufous Breasted Bush Robin
13. White Winged Grosbeak
14. Spot Winged Grosbeak
15. Rufous Backed Sibia
16. Beautiful Sibia
17. Long Tailed Sibia
18. Rufous Sibia
19. Himalayan Cutia
20. Beautiful Nuthatch
21. White Tailed Nuthatch
22. Chestnut Bellied Nuthatch
23. Fire Tailed Myzornis
24. Fire Tailed Sunbird
25. Mrs Gould's Sunbird
26. Green Tailed Sunbird
27. Black Throated Sunbird
28. White Browed Rosefinch
29. Dark Breasted Rosefinch
30. Yellow Bellied Fairy Fantail
31. Alpine Accentor
32. Rufous Breasted Accentor
33. Eurasian Wren
34. White Collared Blackbird
35. Grey Winged Blackbird
36. Crested Bunting
37. Himalayan Buzzard
38. Black Eagle
39. Mountain Hawk Eagle
40. Asian Barred Owlet
41. Collared Owlet
42. Coal Tit
43. Grey Crested Tit
44. Rufous Vented Tit
45. Rufous Fronted Tit
46. Black Throated Bush Tit
47. Yellow Browed Tit
48. Fire Capped Tit
49. Himalayan Black Lored Tit
50. Common Krestel
51. Silver Eared Mesia
52. Long Tailed Broadbill
53. Long Tailed Minivet
54. Grey Chinned Minivet
55. Scarlett Minivet
56. Black Faced Laughingthrush
57. Bhutan Laughingthrush
58. Striated Laughingthrush
59. Grey Sided Laughingthrush
60. Chestnut Crowned Laughingthrush
61. White Throated Laughingthrush
62. Gold Naped Finch
63. Scarlett Finch
64. Dark Sided Flycatcher
65. Ultramarine Flycatcher
66. Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher
67. Ferruginous Flycatcher
68. Pale Blue Flycatcher
69. Slaty Blue Flycatcher
70. Rufous Throated Wren Babbler
71. Scaly Breasted Wren Babbler
72. Red Tailed Minla
73. Blue Winged Siva
74. Bar Throated Siva
75. Ludlow's Fulvetta /Brown Throated Fulvetta
76. Yellow Throated Fulvetta
77. Rufous Winged Fulvetta
78. Golden Breasted Fulvetta
79. Nepal Fulvetta
80. Grey Headed Bullfinch
81. Brown Bullfinch
82. Rufous Vented Yuhina
83. Black Chinned Yuhina
84. Stripe Throated Yuhina
85. Whiskered Yuhina
86. Spotted Nutcracker
87. Himalayan Bluetail
88. Striated Bulbul
89. Mountain Bulbul
90. Black Crested Bulbul
91. White Browed Shrike Babbler
92. Black Eared Shrike Babbler
93. Fire Breasted Flowerpecker
94. Rufous Bellied Niltava
95. Large Niltava
96. Small Niltava
97. Maroon Oriole
98. Rusty Fronted Barwing
99. Streak Throated Barwing
100. Darjeeling Woodpecker
101. Great Barbet
102. Golden Throated Barbet
103. Greater Rufous Headed Parrotbill
104. Grey Headed Parrotbill
105. Black Winged Cuckoo Shrike
106. Bar Wing Flycatcher Shrike
107. Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo
108. Spangled Drongo
109. Barred Cuckoo Dove
110. Asian Emerald Cuckoo
111. Large Hawk Cuckoo
112. Lesser Cuckoo
113. Orange Bellied Leafbird
114. Brown Throated Treecreeper
115. Mountain Imperial Pegion
116. Emerald Dove
117. Blue Capped Rock Thrush
118. Blue Bearded Bee Eater
119. Chestnut Headed Bee Eater
120. Lemon Rumped Warbler
121. Russet Bush Warbler
122. Whistler's Warbler
123. Hume's Leaf Warbler
124. Black Faced Warbler
125. Chestnut Crowned Warbler
126. Brown Flanked Bush Warbler
127. Ashy Throated Warbler
128. Rufous Faced Warbler
129. Yellow Bellied Warbler
130. Grey Cheeked Warbler
131. White Spectacled Warbler
132. Broad Billed Warbler
133. Golden Babbler
134. Rufous Capped Babbler
135. Plumbeous Water Redstart
136. White Capped Water Redstart
137. Blue Fronted Redstart

Other Common birds are not included in this list..

Mammals photographed during the trip -
i. Capped Langur
ii. Arunachal Macaque
iii. Yellow Throated Marten
iv. Mountain Pika

Other bird species that were encountered but couldn't be photographed are as follows:-

138. Green Cochoa
139. Purple Cochoa
140. Red Headed Trogon
141. Red Faced Liocichla
142. Rufous Necked Hornbill
143. Bay Woodpecker
144. Eye Browed Wren Babbler
145. Wedge Billed Wren Babbler
146. Hill Partridge
147. Blue Winged Laughingthrush

Presenting hereby an image of one of the dream lifer ---

A Black Eared Shrike Babbler..
Eaglenest sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, Ind, Apr'18..

SUNDERBANS NATIONAL PARK TRIP REPORT:-

Completed a birding trip of Sunderbans National park. Mix of excitements and frustration. GOT A LIFER FROM THE TRIP - GREY CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKER.(Hopefully one of the fewest sightings from Sunderbans).

Dates :- 16.09.2017 to 19.09.2017

Habitat - Mangrove wetland and coastal plains.

I am extremely thankful to the support rendered by my co-birders in the trip, my family members and friends. Extremely happy to share that all my team members got extremely good shots of the following birds -
Grey Capped Pygmy Woodpecker,
Lesser Adjutant Stork,
Brown Winged Kingfisher,
Black Capped Kingfisher,
White Collared Kingfisher,
Brahminy Kite,
Crested Serpent Eagle,
Changeable Hawk Eagle (dark morph),
Shikra,
Small Minivet,
Eurasian Curlew,
Whimbrel,
Straited heron,
Forest wagtail,
Citrine wagtail,
Red collared Dove,
Purple rumped Sunbird,
Blue Tailed Bee-eater,
Lesser Sand Plover,
Common Sandpiper,
Terek Sandpiper,
River Tern,
Black Bittern,
Streak Throated Woodpecker,
Greater Flameback Woodpecker,
Common Iora,
Oriental White Eye
and many other common birds.
Other wildlife seen in the trip are as -
Spotted Deer, Salt water crocodile, Bengal Monitor Lizard, Irrawaddy Dolphin, Ornate Flying Snake, Indian Mudskipper, etc..

Presenting hereby a shot of an elusive Brown Winged Kingfisher..

Come let's explore the under-explored birding destination with high possibility of birding. Lets visit Nagaland in North-east India for a dedicated birding trip.

For Further details please contact - +91-8763802171 or email at [email protected]

Trip dates:- 14th Oct 2017 to 21st Oct 2017.

Areas to be covered: - Khonoma Tragopan Sanctuary, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Dzuleke village.

Target Species for the trip: -

Some of the exotic species from Nagaland to target for are as follows: -

Blyth’s Tragopan, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Wedge Tailed Green Pigeon, Amur Falcon, Black Eagle, Eurasian Sparrow hawk, Short-billed Minivet, Maroon Oriole, Crested Finchbill, Black-crested Bulbul, Flavescent Bulbul, Burmese Shrike, Rufescent Prinia, Black-throated Prinia, Striated Prinia, Lesser Shortwing, Mountain Tailor Bird, Broad-billed Warbler, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Grey Crowned Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Golden Babbler, Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Pygmy Wren Babbler, Naga Wren Babbler, Grey-sided Laughingthrush, Yellow Throated Laughingthrush, Moustached Laughingthrush, White-browed Laughingthrush, Striped Laughingthrush, Brown Capped Laughingthrush, Assam Laughingthrush, Red-faced Liochichla, Silver-eared Mesia, Black-eared Shrike-babbler, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Manipur Fulvetta, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Nepal Fulvetta, Grey Sibia, Black-breasted Thrush, Chestnut Thrush, Hodgson’s Redstart, Little Pied Flycatcher, Mrs. Gould’s Sun bird, etc.

Mammals like Binturong, Serow, Jungle cat, Barking Deer, Gayal, Pallas's squirrel, Himalayan striped squirrel can be seen in this park.

Birding Trip in Nagaland – Winged Beauties of the tribal land; 14th to 21st Oct 2017.

Areas to be covered: - Khonoma Tragopan Sanctuary, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Dzuleke village.

Located in the Lap of the Japfu Mountain ranges beneath the Dzukou valley, Khonoma is very near to the state capital of Nagaland, 20 Kms from Kohima. The unpaved and uphill road leading to Khonoma offers the most stunning view of the valley. The village itself is a green-covered paradise with emerald paddy fields carpeting the land and small streams flowing through these fields. Inhabited by the Angami tribes, the unique bio-diversities of this region had been on a declining phase due to continuous poaching. But now, they have stopped poaching and logging & have concentrated on the conservation of the fauna of the region. Thus, definitely for a bird-enthusiast this place can yield a good number of rarest of rare species because of these places being under-explored.

Embarking on a wildlife tour, one must not miss out the very enchanting Fakim wildlife Sanctuary as its uniqueness lies not only in the species that are found here but also in the nearby scenic view of the high hills, green valleys and the canyons in between them giving way to in-numerous Rivers. The Fakim Sanctuary in Nagaland is close to the Indo-Myanmar border. The sanctuary lies in the Pungro circle headquarter in Nagaland. The Nagaland Fakim Sanctuary is spread over an area of 642 ha. The Fakim Sanctuary receives high rainfall and its tropical and sub-tropical forest is home to numerous flora & fauna.

The Dzuleke village, located in the southern fringes of Dzukou valley, is also a hidden bird-lover’s paradise and is yet to be explored.

So let’s move on and pave our way for exploring the unexplored.

For More details, information and suggestions please call +91-8763802171/+91-9051786999 or mail to [email protected]

Winged Wonder Travel Planner - An Offbeat Birding endeavour. An offbeat Birding Endeavor - as the name suggests is an initiative to plan and voyage out for bird photography trips in uncommon as well as common places.

Trip report:-

Birding trip in Tso Lhamu – The highest Lake of India, North Sikkim, India…

Dates: - 12.04.2017 to 16.04.2017

Places covered :- Lava, West Bengal, India; Mangan, North Sikkim, India, Thangu, North Sikkim, India, Tso Lhamu, North Sikkim, India.

Participants: - Subhayan Ghosh, Arabinda Mondal, Koushik Goswami, Sandip Mukherjee, Biswajit Koley.

Forests: - Evergreen, Deciduous, Montane.

Key Bird Species Encountered & Photographed:-

The list is exclusive of the heard and seen only species’ and also the commoners.
Snow Pigeon, Collared Owlet, Little Owl, Himalayan Vulture, Plain Mountain finch, Brandt's Mountain Finch, White rumped Snowfinch, Rufous necked Snowfinch, Blanford's Snowfinch, Dark Breasted Rosefinch, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Golden Bush Robin, Pygmy Blue Flycatcher, Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher, Green Tailed Sunbird, Fire Tailed Sunbird, Plain Backed Thrush, Red Headed Bullfinch, Rufous Breasted Accentor, Robin Accentor, Rufous Winged Fulvetta, Small Niltava, Rufous bellied Niltava, Black Throated Tit, Chestnut Headed Tesia, Hoary Throated Barwing, Grey Winged Blackbird, Blue Capped Rockthrush, White Tailed Nuthatch, Red Tailed Minla, Bar Throated Siva, Chestnut Crowned Laughingthrush, Crested Serpent Eagle, Yellow Billed Chough, Rosy Pipit, Red Crossbill, White Collared Blackbird, Grey Winged Blackbird, Black Redstart, Green Crowned Warbler, Buff Barred Warbler, etc.

Key Mammals Encountered & Photographed:-
Tibetan Argali, Plateau Pika, Nepal Gray Langur, Tibetan Gazelle.

Birding photography trip in Sunderbans, the Amazon of India – 16th to 19th Sep, 2017..

Targeted Highlights & species of the trip are - White collared Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher, Brown winged Kingfisher, Mangrove Pitta, Mangrove Whistler, Buffy Fish Owl, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Changeable Hawk-eagle and other commoners. ALSO DEFINITELY THE ROYAL BENGAL TIGER..

For more details please reach us at [email protected] or call us at +91-8763802171.

Winged Wonder Travel Planner - An Offbeat Birding endeavour. An offbeat Birding Endeavor - as the name suggests is an initiative to plan and voyage out for bird photography trips in uncommon as well as common places.