Saturday, December 20, 2025

Birdwatching during the third week of November.

Winter Arrives Early—and Fierce—in the Abode of the Gods

Abuites will remember November 2025 as a month that rewrote Mount Abu’s weather script. For the first time in over a decade, temperatures plunged well below freezing. On November 18, the mercury dipped to –2°C, only to fall further to a biting –6°C the very next day. After a harrowing and erratic monsoon season, this sudden, severe winter felt almost surreal—yet refreshing. The forests seemed to exhale, relieved by the cold’s crisp certainty.

As always, the weather sets the stage for what draws me outdoors: the birds.

With winter tightening its grip, Mount Abu’s avian world came alive. Raptors ruled the skies, warblers whispered from the undergrowth, and the hills echoed with the quiet promise of a season in full swing. While I didn’t photograph as many individuals as I’d hoped—frozen fingers and fleeting light had their say—the sightings themselves were rewarding.

Highlights of the Week

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus

Common Buzzard — a reassuring winter presence, soaring above the ridgelines.

Long-legged Buzzard — elegant and imposing, a true monarch of open skies.

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) — a thrilling encounter with speed and precision incarnate.

Hume’s Warbler — subtle, secretive, and always a delight to pick out.

Sulphur-bellied Warbler — a lively splash of colour amid the winter browns.

These few captures may not reflect the full scale of what the week offered, but they represent the essence of November birding in Mount Abu: raw cold, clear light, and birds at home in it. Winter has announced itself early this year—and for birders, it has done so with unforgettable flair.

Bird of the Week.

Sulphur-bellied Warbler - Phylloscopus griseolus winter visitor.

Sulphur-bellied Warbler - Phylloscopus griseolus winter visitor. .mp4

Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo winter visitor

Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea winter visitor

Hume's Warbler - Phylloscopus humei Winter visitor

Jungle Babbler - Turdoides striata

Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus winter visitor

Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri

Shikra - Accipiter badius

Spotted Dove - Streptopelia chinensis

Swallows sp mixed bag

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Birding in November 2025:Mount Abu.

Raptors, Warblers, and an Unexpected Lifer.

The unseasonal spell of rain that swept across Mount Abu in the last days of October lingered well into the first week of November. Overcast skies hung low, and each morning carried a faint threat of more rain. But in those brief windows when the weather cleared, I made the most of every opportunity to step out and observe .

As the nights grew cooler and the days turned pleasant, our and arrived in full swing. November has always been a rewarding month for in Mount Abu, but this week felt especially vibrant.

I’ve put together a small collection of the birds I spotted and photographed during this period—and what a satisfying week it turned out to be. The biggest highlight was a : the , a brand-new addition to my Mount Abu checklist and a thrilling encounter I hadn’t expected.

Alongside this special sighting came a steady parade of raptors—

, and

—each offering memorable moments in the field.

The skies and forest were alive with a mix of winter and passage migrants: , , , , and the ever-charming . Two more delightful additions to the week’s list were the elegant and the .

November 2025 reminded me once again why Mount Abu remains such a rewarding birding destination—even when the weather plays its own games.

My next blog will feature the birds of , so keep coming back for more avian beauties from our corner of the .

Bird of the Week.