Bird trek at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur

Bargi Dam

Bay Backed Shrike

Savanna Night Jar

Common Kingfisher

The pictures above have been taken by Mr. Jagat Flora based in Jabalpur.


The birding that day was interesting and we saw many birds. Some good finds were:


Oriental Turtle Dove, White Eyed Buzzard, Long Billed Pipit, Tawny Babbler, White Bellied Minivet, Black Naped Monarch, Racket Tailed Drongo, Sulphur Bellied Warbler, Crested Serpent Eagle, Bay Backed Shrike, Savanna Night Jar, Red Jungle Fowl and Crested Tree Swift.     

Bird Watching at Barha

Thanks to Holi we are able to indulge in more birding - me and my friend Bittu. Yesterday we visited the Barha Reserve Forest in the evening. The expedition was quite successful and the fine weather regaled us. 

We saw

Coppersmith Barbet by Neeraj Vegad

Yellow Crowned Woodpecker
Common Rosefinch
Orange Breasted Green Pigeon
Coppersmith Barbet
Red Jungle Fowl
Black Naped Monarch
Brahminy Starling
Greenish Warbler
Hume's Warbler
House Sparrow
Red Throated Flycatcher
Pied Buschat
Common Stonechat
Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
Plum Headed Parakeet
Rose Ringed Parakeet
Honey Buzzard
Black Shouldered Kite
Tickell's Leaf Warbler
Tawny Babbler
Racket Tailed Drongo
Black Drongo
Jungle Babblers
Indian Roller
Hoopoe
White Breasted Kingfisher
Little Cormorant
Cattle Egret
Striated Heron
White Eye
Black Redstart
Spotted Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Black Winged Stilt
Temminck's Stint
Red Wattled  Lapwing
Spotted Dove
Laughing Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove
Little Green Beeeater
Common Myna
Grey Breasted Prinia
Ashy Prinia
Plain Prinia
Common Iora
White Eyed Buzzard
Pariah Kite
Streak Throated Swallow
Tree Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Common Tailor Bird
Purple Sunbird
Red Vented Bulbul

These birding trips are exciting and relieve stress.They challenge your memory and other cognitive skills. The exercise does good to your health. And the peace and tranquility in the forests accords peace to the mind. The striking birds affirm one's faith in nature and assure that the World is real.

Black Capped Kingfisher in Bandhavgarh

Black Capped Kingfisher

The picture taken by Teerath Singh proves the presence of this bird in Bandhavgarh National Park in MP, India. The black capped kingfisher is a coastal tree kingfisher its presence here is a surprise. With more and more bird watchers reporting their finds our understanding of avian distribution in India will be more accurate. 

Bandhavgarh is an excellent birding destination in Central India. But it is more popular as tiger safari destination and is less known for its wonderful avian splendors. 

Sunday Birding at Dumna in Jabalpur

It appeared to be dull birding day. I had gone alone to Dumna Road. The dense forest around the Khandari Lake is well preserved. This is what is known as Dumna Nature Reserve. The reserve forest outside the reserve is in a mess. Since years this beautiful forest patch has been subject to the woodcutters axe.   

I did see some interesting feathers:

Bay Backed Shrike
Long Tail Shrike
White Eyed Buzzard
Common Stonechat
Indian Robin
Common Chiffchaff
Grey Francolin
Jungle Bush Quail
Black Redstart
Red Breasted Flycatcher
Chestnut Tailed Starling
Rosy Pastor
Shikra
Black Drongo
Plum Headed Parakeet

Great Tit
Roseringed Parakeet
Common Tailorbird
Plain Prinia
Grey Breasted Prinia
Ashy Prinia
House Sparrow
Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
White Naped Woodpecker
Black Rumped Flameback
Indian Roller
Brahminy Myna
Common Myna
Purple Sunbird
Paddyfield Pipit
Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark
Rufous Tailed Lark
White Browed Wagtail
Red Wattled Lapwing 

A day well spent but the forest destruction appalled me. A large junk of land has been given to IIIT institute. A five star hotels in being planned besides the expansion of airport which will devour more natural land. 

This is development????????