The last week of April 2026 felt like the season turning a page.
Summer announced itself at first, then all at once. By midweek, the heat had settled in. The plains below were already shimmering in that familiar, unforgiving haze, but up here in Mount Abu, there was still a sense of refuge—still that feeling that you could breathe, that the hills were holding the line, at least for now.
Birding, however, had to adjust. The mornings became precious. I found myself out earlier than usual, chasing that brief window before the sun grew harsh and the UV turned brutal. Evenings, too, offered some relief, though by then the forest felt tired, as if everything living had already spent its energy surviving the day.
Photography took a bit of a backseat this week. Not for lack of birds, but because life in the trees had shifted gears. Most of the resident species were deep into their routines—feeding chicks, guarding nests, or going about courtship. There’s a certain rhythm to it, less showy perhaps, but far more purposeful.
Still, some moments stayed with me.
The familiar call of the Indian Blackbird broke the early morning silence. Small flocks of Indian White-eyes move through the foliage, never still for long. The Tawny-bellied Babbler, ever so discreet, would reveal itself through the undergrowth if one were patient enough to see it. And then, overhead, the unmistakable presence of the Oriental Honey-buzzard, circling with that effortless command of the thermals.
But perhaps the most poignant sighting of all was the Grey Wagtail. There’s always something about seeing it this time of year. It arrives early in the winter and lingers longer than most, and by late April, you know it’s almost time. Watching it now feels like watching the closing chapter of a season—one last reminder before it slips away.
As I walked back, the heat started rising from the ground, and a quiet hope lingered in the air—that these hills would keep their cool a bit longer, that Mount Abu might avoid the worst of what’s already gripping the plains below.
For now, at least, the mornings still belong to the birds.
Here, I have presented a day-to-day photographic diary, highlighting the best bird sighting of each day during the last week of April.
22 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea Last but not least, the Gray Wagtail, it's the first winter migrant to land up here in Abu and the last one to leave. |
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| Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea |
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| Common Rosefinch - Carpodacus erythrinus |
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| Eastern Cattle-Egret - Ardea coromanda |
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| Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis |
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| Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis. |
23 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus |
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| Red-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus cafer |
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| Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus |
24 APril
Bird of the Day.
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| Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus |
Oriental Honey-buzzard April 2026 Mt Abu. m4v
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| Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus |
25 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Indian Blackbird - Turdus simillimus |
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| Indian Blackbird - Turdus simillimus |
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| Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis |
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| Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis |
26 APril
Bird of the Day.
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| Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos |
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| Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis |
27 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis |
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| Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis |
28 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Brown-headed Barbet - Psilopogon zeylanicus. |
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| Brown Rock Chat - Oenanthe fusca |
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| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
29 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Tawny-bellied Babbler - Dumetia hyperythra |
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| Indian White-eye - Zosterops palpebrosus. |
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| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
30 April
Bird of the Day.
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| Indian White-eye - Zosterops palpebrosus |
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| Indian White-eye - Zosterops palpebrosus |
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| Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis |
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| Eastern Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica |
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| House Sparrow - Passer domesticus |
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| Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus |
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| Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus |
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| Tawny-bellied Babbler - Dumetia hyperythra |
─── About the Author ───
Ains Priestman is a passionate birder, nature observer, and photographer based in Mount Abu in the ancient Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan. Through his Mount Abu Birding Diary, he documents the changing seasons, bird migrations, and the everyday wonders of wildlife in and around the hill station.
Armed with his trusted Canon EOS 7D Mark II, he captures moments from the forests, wetlands, and rocky landscapes that make Mount Abu a unique haven for birdlife. His writings combine field observations, photography, and reflections on the natural rhythms of the “Abode of the Gods.”
Mountain & Ski Resorts
Through this blog, he hopes to inspire readers and fellow birdwatchers to appreciate and protect the rich biodiversity of the Aravalli Hills.
Another page closes in the Mount Abu Birding Diary, but the hills are always writing the next chapter.
Happy birding from Mount Abu. 🐦
%200F4A4704.jpg "Yellow-throated Sparrow (Gymnoris xanthocollis)")
