Diwali Celebrations and Bird Observations

Greetings from Mount Abu! Before I dive in, let me wish you all a very Happy Diwali! May this festival bring you and your loved ones joy, prosperity, and warmth. Cheers to good health, happiness, and a bright New Year ahead!

Greetings from the Abodeof Gods Diwali Greeting

As the monsoon season wraps up, Mount Abu’s landscapes are lush and vibrant, setting a perfect backdrop for Diwali celebrations. Today, the town sparkles with lights and colourful fireworks, and soon it will hum with the energy of holidaymakers arriving in droves to celebrate in this sanctuary of natural beauty.

Bird enthusiasts have had a rewarding time in the last week of October. With clear skies and pleasant weather, I’ve focused on observing the warblers, flycatchers, and a few magnificent raptors that have arrived for their winter stay. While only a handful of ducks have settled in, we expect more to appear as water levels drop, creating ideal feeding conditions for them.

I have organized pictures taken on these productive birding outings to celebrate this joyful season. Join me in celebrating the avian wonders of Abu this October!

Bird of the Week

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Alpine Swift - Apus melba

Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata

Booted Eagle - Hieraaetus pennatus

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita

Common Pochard - Aythya ferina

Common Woodshrike ephrodornis pondicerianus

Dusky Crag-Martin - Ptyonoprogne concolor

Eurasian Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus

Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea

Greenish Warbler - Phylloscopus trochiloides Mt Abu Oct 2024.mp4

Hume's Warbler - Phylloscopus humei

Indian Pond-Heron - Ardeola grayii

Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Little Cormorant - Microcarbo niger

Little Swift - Apus affinis

Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach

Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

Purple Sunbird - Cinnyris asiaticus

Red-breasted Flycatcher - Ficedula parva

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Siberian Stonechat - Saxicola maurus

Tree Pipit - Anthus trivialis

Western House-Martin Delichon urbicum

White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis.

Yellow-throated Sparrow (Gymnoris xanthocollis)

Shikra - Accipiter badius

October birding: Migrating birds, raptors, and clear skies.

The third week of October brought delightful weather, making it a perfect time for birdwatchers and travellers alike. The hillsides of Mount Abu resounded with birds' melodious songs, and the air had a crisp feel to it.

Excitement filled the air as we happily received a variety of migratory birds, including the charming Greenish Warblers, vibrant Red-breasted Flycatchers, agile Tree Pipits, graceful Gray Wagtails, and the ever-elusive Lesser Whitethroats. Among these seasonal visitors, majestic raptors like the Common Buzzard, Bonelli’s Eagle, and Sparrowhawk graced the skies, captivating birdwatchers with their aerial prowess. Seeing these seasonal visitors in their natural habitat is an indelible memory, highlighting the splendour of nature’s rhythms.

With the influx of tourists expected during Diwali, birders capture winter migrants at Mount Abu.

In honour of this energetic season, I have put together a compilation of bird pictures from the third week of October. Let’s indulge in the captivating beauty of Abu’s bird species together.

Bird of the week