Andamans Part 3

Sunday 24^th

Another 4.45 start so we could try for the woodpigeon again. We went to a different forest this time and walked along the main road. One tree was a regular hangout for parrots and pigeons but not the one we wanted. There was the usual smattering of other endemics including an Andaman Serpent-Eagle.

We drove to the entrance of the biological park and feeding on the wall in front of us was a Chinese Blackbird that had been found the day before – the second record for the Andamans. It actually started a small twitch and several other Indian birders were there looking for it. We saw it a number of times as it feed around the car park. 

Chinese Blackbird - an Indian mega-rarity

Indian twitchers searching for the Chinese Blackbird

Found it!

There was also a Crested Serpent-Eagle that was on the ground which had caught a frog. A couple of Five-striped Squirrels became our first and only mammal of the trip.

Crested Serpent-Eagle

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Dollarbird

Long-tailed Parakeet

Short-crested Bay Island Forest Lizard

We stopped for breakfast then visited another bit of forest and as we walked back a pigeon flew over and landed on a tree in front of us – it was the Andaman Woodpigeon (Endemic #19), our last target endemic. It stayed for half a minute then flew off and disappeared into the forest. We considered ourselves very lucky as many birders miss it.

Andaman Woodpigeon

A Large Cuckooshrike was also seen and a Brown-backed Needletail flew over a forest clearing. We made a brief stop by the beach on the way back for a few coastal waders.

Common Sandpiper

In the afternoon we went out at 14.45 and stopped by a marsh with a warning about crocodiles for another attempt at Slaty-breasted Rail. Two individuals called but refused to break cover. 

Stork-billed Kingfisher

At the next wetland there was a Marsh Sandpiper and another calling rail. A flock of 21 Whimbrel flew in. We tried to find yesterday’s bunting again but couldn’t locate it with the flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails. We had an evening off from owling so headed straight back to the hotel.

Monday 25^th

A slightly later start at 5am with the aim of trying to secure more views of the woodpigeon at the same spot as yesterday. Before then we tried the forest around the biological park where we saw some of the now familiar endemics. India’s number 2 lister was there having just flown in from Delhi to look for the Chinese Blackbird. It was still present but we didn’t spend time looking for it. An Andaman Coucal was feeding on the road and perching on the crash barrier giving exceptional views.

Andaman Coucal

We had breakfast at the café opposite the beach where a variety of birds landed on the wires to have their photographs taken. 

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Indian Magpie-Robin

Red Collared Dove

We went back into the forest but there was no sign of the woodpigeon. However, we ran into a large feeding flock that had come into a fruiting tree and got better views and pictures of some of them. We headed back to the hotel for lunch during which there was a short heavy downpour for the second day in a row but it soon cleared up.

Scarlet Minivet

Freckle-breasted Woodpecker (female)

Freckle-breasted Woodpecker (male)

Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters

Green Imperial Pigeon

Andaman Clipper

The afternoon session was our last with Shakti as he had another group to lead from tomorrow. We met up again at 14.45 and visited a new wetland area. In the marsh around the lake there were at least 140 Grey-headed Swamphens and a couple of Chinese Pond-Herons. In the water was our first Water Monitor of the trip and feeding in a little channel was a Blue-eared Kingfisher.

Blue-eared Kingfisher

Chinese Pond-Heron

Water Monitor

We carried on down the road to look for the bunting again but failed to see it, however we did get a couple of Richard’s Pipits in the grassland. Out in the marshes a Black Drongo was another new trip bird as was a Watercock that was seen in flight for two seconds. 

Whiskered Tern

We tried calling out warblers and got responses from Oriental Reed and Pallas’s Grasshopper Warblers but the latter remained hidden. In amongst the Barn Swallows hawking over the grassland was a single Eastern Red-rumped Swallow. As dusk fell some ominous dark clouds appeared as we walked back to the van but they just missed us.

Tuesday 26^th

Overnight a storm came in and thunder rumbled overhead. Our new guide collected us at 5.40 in the pouring rain and we drove down to the ferry for the crossing over the bay. On the way we were briefly held up by a tree that had come down across the road. 

Pacific Reef-Heron on the rain-soaked jetty

We stopped for coffee and even the cows were sheltering from the rain. 

Too wet for cows

We drove to the forest, parked up and waited in the car for the Andaman Crakes to cross the track. After a few minutes two scuttled across too quickly for photos. While we ate our packed breakfast a couple of White-breasted Waterhens slowly ambled across and eventually another crake appeared and slowly walked across the track.

Andaman Crake

White-breasted Waterhen

We moved on to the Slaty-breasted Rail but apart from one short call it wasn’t interested in responding. We tried another site but no one appeared to be home. With the heavy rain coming and going we headed back to the hotel. I had to check out and move to the hotel just up the road (Eastern Gate) which ended up being a much nicer place although the Lemon Tree was perfectly acceptable.

After lunch back at the Lemon Tree we met up again at 2.45 by which time the rain had subsided. We tried a few different sites as well as some of the same ones. Yet again Slaty-breasted Rail called back without breaking cover. We did see a couple of new birds for the trip: Japanese Sparrowhawk and Grey-headed Lapwing.

Japanese Sparrowhawk

Coffee shop

After a dusk coffee stop we went back to the first owl place to try and get better photos of the Hume’s Boobook. We had great views, including a pair sat together on a branch.

Hume's Boobook

The bright lights of Port Blair

Wednesday 27^th.

Our last day. We met at 5.40 and drove the short distance to the forest around the biological station area and spent the morning there. We managed better views of quite a few birds that we’d already seen such as Andaman Shama, Black-naped Monarch, Andaman Bulbul and White-headed Starling. 

Scarlet Minivet

White-headed Starling

Andaman Bulbul

Andaman Shama

Black-naped Monarch

There were even reptiles with several Andaman Day Geckos, a well camouflaged Andaman Great Gecko and a Keelback snake that was sunbathing on the road.

Andaman Day Gecko

Keelback Snake

Andaman Great Gecko

Small Leopard

Tim in action... Neil inaction, while our guide looks on

Sandy beach, this area is popular with locals and tourists

We had our usual packed breakfast (although most of the sandwiches were fed to the local dogs) and an additional freshly cooked omelette. 

Sandwich disposal

There was a lot of bird activity this morning, possibly because it rained so much yesterday. Small and Scarlet Minivets dazzled in the treetops, a couple of Vernal Hanging Parrots hung around in some close trees while the Crested Serpent-Eagle continued scanning for prey from an open branch.

Crested Serpent-Eagle

Vernal Hanging-Parrot

Large Cuckooshrike

Ornate Sunbird

Andaman Drongo

Asian Brown Flycatcher was seen while Asian Paradise-Flycatcher was just heard calling, both being new trip birds. A couple of chickens were joined by an obliging Asian Emerald Dove feeding on the ground by a roadside cafe. Two more new birds were seen before it was time to head back: Indian and Violet Cuckoos.

Asian Emerald Dove

Indian Cuckoo

Violet Cuckoo

Cows resting on a traffic island. They get priority over all traffic, next are dogs, trucks & buses, cars, tuc-tucs, motorbikes, with people at the bottom of the pile. Goats make their own rules up.

Still napping

View over the airport from my hotel room

We went out at 3pm for our last birding adventure and revisited some of the wetland areas. We tried again for Slaty-breasted Rail but we didn’t even hear any calling this afternoon. There were still some other birds to see: White-bellied Sea-Eagle flew over, Yellow Bittern hunted around the reed edges and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters hawked overhead. We also saw two new trip birds – Common Kingfisher and Coot. A cuckoo was called as several different species before we decided to leave its identity unproven for now, perhaps closer examination of the photos may reveal its identity.

Coot

Eastern Jungle Crow on post, House Crows bathing

Yellow Bittern

All too soon dusk had descended and it was time to head back to our hotels and meet later for our last civilised evening meal together. The group trip list was 133 species, out of which 22 were new birds for me.

Thursday 28th-Friday 29th

There was time for breakfast before we were picked up and driven the short distance to the airport. We were soon checked in and this time our luggage was to be transferred for us at Delhi. The first flight soon touched down in Delhi where the smog had abated somewhat and we could see Black Kites instead of murk! 

We now had an 11 hour wait until our next flight so made ourselves as comfortable as possible and found things to do. We had a couple of meals before we were allowed to enter the departure gates. Eventually it was time to board and our flight home took off on time at 02.35 on Friday morning and we landed at Heathrow at 06.25. With the Elizabeth Line now running I had a much easier journey home.