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
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.
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| Sulphur-bellied Warbler - Phylloscopus griseolus winter visitor. |
Sulphur-bellied Warbler - Phylloscopus griseolus winter visitor. .mp4
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| Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis |
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| Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis |
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| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo winter visitor |
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| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo winter visitor |
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| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo winter visitor |
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| Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo winter visitor |
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| Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea winter visitor |
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| Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea winter visitor |
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| Gray Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea winter visitor |
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| Hume's Warbler - Phylloscopus humei Winter visitor |
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| Hume's Warbler - Phylloscopus humei Winter visitor |
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| Jungle Babbler - Turdoides striata |
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| Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus winter visitor |
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| Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus winter visitor |
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| Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus winter visitor |
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| Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach |
%20Falco%20peregrinus%20%200F4A0198.jpg "Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus") |
| Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus |
%20Falco%20peregrinus%20.jpg "Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus") |
| Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus |
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri |
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| Shikra - Accipiter badius |
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| Spotted Dove - Streptopelia chinensis |
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| Swallows sp mixed bag |
%20Falco%20peregrinus%20%200F4A0204.jpg "Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus")
%20Falco%20peregrinus%20%200F4A0198.jpg "Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus")
%20Falco%20peregrinus%20.jpg "Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus")
%20Falco%20peregrinus%20%20%20%200F4A5915.jpg)
