From Misty Hills to Blistering Plains.
What’s up with the weather?
After an unseasonal and rain-soaked May, June 2025 brought another surprise—an early onset of the monsoon! The first week started with extreme heat, especially impacting the Mount Abu foothills under the summer sun’s glare. The long-awaited monsoon season finally began in mid-June, transforming the landscape and invigorating bird activity.
As all birders know, come rain or shine—be it summer, winter, spring, or monsoon—our passion keeps us going. There’s no “off-season” for birding.
In early June, I birded around Mount Abu, my cherished hometown in the Aravalli Hills. The usual suspects were out, along with a few surprises brought in by the changing weather. On June 7th, I braved the intense heat of the plains and made my way down to **West Banas Dam**—a rewarding visit that, despite the soaring temperatures, yielded some exciting sightings.
A special mention goes to my niece, **Crescentia**, for her keen eye and excellent birding around the West Banas Dam. Her contributions added depth to our collective birding records for the month.
I’ve compiled a collection of bird photos and sightings from Mount Abu and the dam area, which is shown below. I hope you appreciate this brief look at June’s diverse bird life.
Stay tuned—as the monsoon deepens, I’ll be sharing more posts soon, covering the backlog of June’s birding adventures. Much more is yet to come!
Bird Of the Week
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| Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata |
Bonelli's Eagle June 2025 Mt Abu.m4v
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| Indian Paradise-Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi |
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| Indian Paradise-Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi |
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| Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus |
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| Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus |
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| Indian White-eye - Zosterops palpebrosus |
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| Indian White-eye - Zosterops palpebrosus |
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| Indian White-eye - Zosterops palpebrosus |
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| Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus |
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| Jungle Babbler - Turdoides striata |
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| Little Cormorant - Microcarbo nige |
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| Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus |
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| Oriental Honey-buzzard - Pernis ptilorhynchus |
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| Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis |
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| Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis |
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| Tickell's Blue Flycatcher - Cyornis tickelliae |
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| White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis |
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White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis
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If you’ve enjoyed this curated glimpse into the avian wonders of Mount Abu, you’re in for another treat.
Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll take you on a birding journey to the West Banas Dam in Sirohi, Rajasthan—a lesser-known gem teeming with bird life. From waterfowl to raptors, the diversity here is truly remarkable.
Come back tomorrow and feast your eyes on the feathered beauties of Sirohi!
