MOUNT ABU BIRDS MY PERSONAL COLLECTION

As a nature lover, bird watching has always fascinated me. I’ve been taking pictures of birds since I was in school in Mount Abu, where I learned about the local birds and their nesting habits. I learned to identify birds chiefly by their calls. I’ve been taking pictures in the wild for several years."Explore the diverse bird life of Mt.Abu with my detailed blog post: See the rare species in their NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. Experience the ecosystem of this INCREDIBLE MONTAINOUS region" Welcome to Abu.

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Birding in the Third Week of October 2025

Third week of October — crisp mornings, soft light, and the joy of spotting warblers and flycatchers again in my beloved Mount Abu.

The third week of October brought a calm charm to — the weather that makes pure joy. Mornings were fresh and bright, and the nights whispered of winter’s approach.

This week, I focused my efforts on spotting , especially and , that make brief but memorable stopovers here. The and were busy flitting through the and , while the and added their own soft notes to the woodland chorus. The and the , both dainty and alert, made their graceful appearances — a genuine delight for the patient watcher.

High above, like the and patrolled the skies, a reminder that the was in full swing.

The weather held through most of the week — mild days, crisp evenings, and the soft glow of October light filtering through the trees. It was great for calm walks, photography, and enjoying the forest's sounds.

Then came the last week, one that will go down in the annals of Mount Abu as one of the wettest in memory. The skies opened, drenching the hills and silencing the birds for days. For a place that usually dries out by late October, it was an odd, offbeat twist — nature reminding us, once again, who decides the rhythm.

Still, for me, those few clear days in the third week — with their mix of warblers, flycatchers, and high-flying raptors — remain among the most rewarding moments of this October.

As the rains fade and the chill deepens, November promises new arrivals — , , and raptors from afar. Mount Abu’s birding story continues, and I look forward to sharing the next chapter soon.

Bird of the week

Taiga Flycatcher - Ficedula albicilla

Taiga Flycatcher - Ficedula albicilla Oct 2025 Mt Abu

- Dicrurus leucophaeus

Ashy Drongo - Dicrurus leucophaeus

- Psilopogon zeylanicus

Brown-headed Barbet. Oct 2025 Mt Abu..m4v

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo Oct 2025 Mount Abu..mp4

Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita

Common Chiffchaff Oct 2025 Mt Abu..m4v

Common Tailorbird - Orthotomus sutorius

Spilornis cheela

- Ptyonoprogne concolor

Dusky Crag-Martin - Ptyonoprogne concolor

- Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Eurasian Crag-Martin - Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus

- Motacilla cinerea

- Centropus sinensis

Greater Coucal - Centropus sinensis

- Turdoides striata

- Apus affinis

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

- Prinia inornata

- Cinnyris asiaticus

Red-breasted Flycatcher Oct 2025 Mt Abu..m4v

Red-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus cafer

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis

White-throated Kingfisher Oct2025 MT Abu..m4v.

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Birding in October 2025 -- Mount ABu.

Migrants, Raptors & Clear Skies in Mount Abu.

October in has always held a quiet magic of its own. The rains withdraw, the skies open up in brilliant blue, and the sanctuary shifts gears from monsoon moods to winter rhythms. For birders like me, this is the month when every walk becomes a story — the season of travellers, , and surprise sightings. was no exception; in fact, it may well be one of the most memorable in recent years.

The second week of October arrived with the weather that makes every birder itch to grab a camera and head for the hills. After an erratic monsoon, Mount Abu settled into clear skies and crisp mornings. The hillsides echoed with birdsong; the air carried a fresh nip, and the forests felt alive and expectant.

The migrants appear. One mist-softened morning, while scanning the canopy, I caught sight of the delicate flutter of a — a species I had first documented here on 17 October 2022. Seeing it again felt like a long-overdue reunion. Around it, the woods stirred with , their soft calls threading through the branches.

Then came the bright charmers — , flicking through low shrubs like tiny, restless flames. stitched the water's edge with their rhythmic bobbing. Even the elusive offered a brief, precious glimpse before vanishing into the thickets.

Above the treetops, the drama only intensified. A traced lazy circles over the valleys. A magnificent cruised past with the confidence only an apex hunter possesses. And in one swift, breathtaking pass, the sliced through the sky, leaving only a memory of speed behind.

Each sighting felt like a page from a larger story — one written by winds, seasons, and ancient instinct. does that: it slows you down, sharpens your senses, and rewards patience with moments that linger.

, meanwhile, played out differently this year. The expected tourist rush never arrived. I found the calm refreshing, though many locals were disappointed. With quieter roads and gentler days, the hill station slipped into a peaceful rhythm — one that seemed in tune with the returning migrants.

Bird of the week.