India Part 4

Tuesday 25th

We did our own pre-breakfast walk up the track behind our hotel, seeing some of the same birds as yesterday and the only Asian Emerald Dove of the trip. After breakfast we drove to the Eravikulam National Park and walked up the path accompanied by dozens of other tourists. It’s most well known for its population of Nilgiri Tahr, a type of goat. We’d been told none had been seen for four days but we tracked down a small herd within an hour and then spent ages showing them to people.

Our guide, along with many general tourists

Nilgiri Tahr

Also in the non-avian category were Large-scaled Pit-Viper and Anamalai Spiny Lizard whilst on the birding front were Palani Laughingthrush and Hill Swallow but we couldn’t find Nilgiri Pipit. 

Anamalai Spiny Lizard

Large-scaled Pit-viper

Palani Laughingthrush

White-bellied Shortwing

After lunch back at the hotel we had another walk around the grounds then drove a little way to a small town where we stopped for coffee. There was a Blue Rock Thrush on the opposite roof and a couple of Black-headed Munias on the overhead cables.

Blue Rock Thrush

Election flags

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Indian Black-lored Tit

The posters and flags were up along the main road as we were in the middle of the state election campaign. The Communist Party has been in charge of Kerala for many years but we did not get a sense of whether that was about to change or not.

Bonnet Macaque

Daybreak from our hotel balcony

Sunset

Wednesday 26th

We checked out after breakfast and drove to Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. We went for a walk with the local ranger who showed us a roosting Indian Nightjar, then two of us climbed halfway up the lookout tower but saw little apart from a couple of Indian Peafowl.

butterflies

Tea country

Watchtower

Sandalwood Tree, a valuable local crop

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Indian Nightjar

Oriental Honey-buzzard

Juvenile Pied Cuckoo

Large Grey Babbler

Tufted Grey Langur

We carried on driving, crossing into Tamil Nadu. It was a long drive so there was no further opportunity to do anymore birding in the afternoon. We stayed at Accord Highland hotel in Ooty, a former colonial hill station at an altitude of 2,200m.

India Part 3

Sunday 23rd

We drove a couple of kilometres to the edge of town and got the shuttle bus into the Tiger Reserve. We donned our leech socks (they have spares for those who don’t have any) which were definitely needed as we saw quite a few and had several on our shoes at the end. A local guide hauled us across the river on a bamboo raft and we went for a walk around. 

on the bamboo raft

It felt a bit odd walking in a tiger reserve with an unarmed guard so we were hoping not to bump into any large stripey cats! Among the birds we encountered there were Malabar Parakeets, Brown-breasted Flycatcher, Grey Junglefowl, Yellow-browed Bulbul and Puff-throated Babbler.

Porcupine tracks; we also found a quill

Red-wattled Lapwing

Back across on the raft to the centre, we had coffee in a caged café – to keep the monkeys out, not any stray cats! 

On the lookout for an easy snatch

Enjoying a healthy snack...

White-browed Wagtail

Across the lake was a distant Legge’s Hawk-Eagle, along with six Black Baza and three Black Eagles. We then walked the 5km back to the car park, birding along the way, seeing Red Spurfowl and Jungle Owlet.

Jungle Babbler

Jungle Myna

Completing a hat-trick of jungle birds - Jungle Owlet

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Sambar feeding in someone's front garden

This is what happens when you cross a tortoise with a cafe!

We had lunch back at the hotel and then went back into the tiger reserve, getting the bus there and walking straight back. We abandoned the walk about halfway back as it started pouring with rain.

Monday 24th

It was still raining as we checked out of the hotel after breakfast. We had a long drive ahead but managed a couple of roadside stops along the way, getting Rufous Babbler, Nilgiri Flycatcher and Jerdon’s Leafbird. We stopped for lunch in a nice restaurant with views over the countryside and spent most of the time finding moths on the windows! 

A selection of unidentified moths

Afterwards, we climbed up into tea country although the rain and low cloud were still around. 

Highlands

Tea country

We reached the Deshadan Mountain Resort in Munnar mid-afternoon at 1,600m and went birding around the hotel where we saw our first Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Woodpigeon and White-bellied Blue Robin. 

Nilgiri Woodpigeon

Square-tailed Bulbul

After dark we drove to a local spot to try for Bay Owl which we heard but couldn't get close to as there were Elephants feeding in the river, however we did see another Indian Scops Owl. 

Indian Scops Owl