MOUNT ABU BIRDS MY PERSONAL COLLECTION: #Blue Rock Thrush

Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary

Home to Green Avadavat Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary has much to offer birders who make it up to the “Abode of Gods”. This is part of the most pleasant times of the year. Greenery all around flowing streams and great weather lift the spirits of those who explore the jungle paths. It's that time of year when migratory birds head this way, including raptors, wild ducks and a few other endemic species. The Pied Cuckoo is journeying back to its content during this period. Enjoy the bird I photographed in November.

Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos

A congress of long-billed crows

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros - Male

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Blue Rock-Thrush - Monticola solitarius is not uncommon

Yellow-throated Sparrow - Gymnoris xanthocollis

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita winter visitor common

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius guzuratus

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis sinensis

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis ferrugeiceps

Greenish Warbler winter /passage migrant

Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides winter/passage migrant common

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea cinerea winter visitor

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea cinerea

Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei

Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus

ndian Silverbill Euodice malabarica resident common

Jungle Babbler Turdoides striata sindiana - dispute

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus rufinus winter visitor

Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach

Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis andamanensis

Shaheen Falcon - Falco peregrinus peregrinator

Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus indicus

Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda vagabunda

Shikra Accipiter badius

Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis winter visitor

White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

White-eyed Buzzard - being mobbed by Jungle Crow

White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa - being mobbed by Jungle Crow

White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

White-spotted Fantail-Flycatcher Resident. Common.

White-spotted Fantail-Flycatcher Rhipidura albogularis: Resident. Common.

White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense hypoleucum

Mount Abu Birds from July 2016 to Dec 2016.

It's been ages since I last posted photographs on Mt. Abu my hometown. Hopefully this year I'll be in a better frame of mind and post regularly.

Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba - In flight from below

29 Sept 2016 Mount Abu Raj.

Today I observed an unusual flock of what appeared to be Alpine swifts. There were probably 8 to 10 of them making sorties over my house. I wonder if they will stay the winter out here and are just passing migrants. Even though they were at a great height, I got some pretty decent snaps of them.

Butler (1875) noted the large presence of this species in early September, but they have reported no sightings since.

Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis stewarti

Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus - Female

Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus - Male

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros - Male

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros - Male with prey.

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros - Male

Black Stork Ciconia nigra - Adult in flight from below

Black Stork: Not recorded by Butler (1876). Apparently, someone noted one juvenile Black Stork catching fish from a drying Bander Mayer Lake Mount Abu on 14.March.2003. I had a chance to record several sightings of these birds on 30 Jan 2015. Then Again 4 March 2015. This year I first recorded 3 of them on 23 Nov 2016. Today I recorded two of them.

Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius pandoo

Man of man... I’ve been fortunate to capture this species for the second time this season. Very rare bird to see in this part of the world.

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius pandoo

Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata fasciata - Adult in flight from below

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus - In flight

Brown Rock-chat Cercomela fusca

Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica

Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Gymnoris xanthocollis

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo - In flight from below

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius guzuratus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus - In flight from below

Winter visitor. One bird was observed soaring near Peace Park on 6. xii.2002. Butler (1875) observed that it was “not common”.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus - In flight from below

Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis sinensis - Adult

Green Avadavat Amandava formosa - Adult

Help Save The Green Avadavat Mount Abu

Green Avadavat Amandava formosa - Adult

Green Avadavat Amandava formosa - Adult Pair

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis ferrugeiceps - Adult in flight from below

Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis ferrugeiceps - With prey

Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea cinerea

Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus - Male

Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica - Courtship

Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica - Group

Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica

Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus pica

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia Curruca

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus rufinus - In flight from below

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach tricolour - Adult with prey

Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis andamanensis - Female

Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis andamanensis - Male

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus palpebrosus

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus - In flight

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus - With prey

Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus

urple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus - Male in eclipse plumage

urple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus - Female

urple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus asiaticus - Male in eclipse plumage

Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva - Female

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica - In flight from below

Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus indicus

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri - Male

Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda vagabunda - Adult

Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata punctulata - Adult

Shikra Accipiter badius - in flight from below

Shikra Accipiter badius

Shikra Accipiter badius - in flight from below

Shikra Accipiter badius

Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis - In flight from below

Regular visitors to the dump on the way to Oria. Now that the dump has been terminated and shut down, these birds will cease to visit Abu like the vulture and the Egyptian vulture.