Birding in July 2025: Mist, Monsoon, and Juvenile Delights.

  Mount Abu Birding: Last Two Weeks of July.

 The last fortnight of July 2025 has breezed past in a flurry of misty mornings, cool breezes, and brooding grey skies. This monsoon season, the weather gods have smiled upon our beloved hill station. All our reservoirs are brimming to the top, the waterfalls are in full spate, and the forest canopy wears a lush emerald coat. Here’s the good news. The water table has risen, offering much-needed relief after previous years of parched summers.

 For birders, this time of year is a mixed bag. The dense mist and intermittent rain make photography a challenge, but not an impossibility. When the skies clear, there’s magic to be found. These brief windows of light are enough to capture some of the season’s most heartening sights: fledglings taking their first flights, juvenile birds learning the ways of the wild, and the occasional surprise visitor making a short monsoon stopover.

 It’s also a time for quiet observation—of parent birds still tending to their young, of new calls and uncertain wingbeats. Monsoon birding in Mount Abu is less about ticking off rare species and more about celebrating life in its tender, growing stages.

 Enjoy this small selection I’ve put together from my recent outings. These images are not just about birds—they’re about the mood of Mount Abu in July, the atmosphere that makes this place so special during the rains.

Bird of the fortnight.

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Black-rumped Flameback - Dinopium benghalense

Brahminy Starling - Sturnia pagodarum

Brahminy Starling Mount Abu July 2025.m4v

Brown-headed Barbet - Psilopogon zeylanicus

Brown-headed Barbet - Psilopogon zeylanicus

Common Myna - Acridotheres tristi

Common Myna - Acridotheres tristi

Common Tailorbird - Orthotomus sutorius

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow Mount Abu July 2025.m4v

Green Avadavat - Sporaeginthus formosus

Green Avadavat - Sporaeginthus formosus

Indian Pond-Heron - Ardeola grayii

Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus

Indian Silverbill - Euodice malabarica

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Jungle Babbler - Turdoides striata

Jungle Babbler - Turdoides striata

Oriental Magpie-Robin  Mount ABu July 2025.m4v

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

Short-toed Snake-Eagle - Circaetus gallicus

Short-toed Snake-Eagle - Circaetus gallicus

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Brown Rock Chat - Oenanthe fusca 

White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis

Birding in July 2025:

 Moments in Mount Abu: Mist and Monsoon.

July is one of the wettest months in Mount Abu, and this year was no exception. The skies remained overcast, with dense clouds hanging low over the hills. The landscape vanished beneath layers of mist and fog, transforming Abu into a scene straight out of a monsoon fairytale—but making bird photography a real challenge.

Mount Abu is famed for its rhythmic pitter-patter rain during the monsoon season. Intense downpours often interrupt the light showers, rumbling thunderstorms, and sudden gusts of wind. For birders and photographers, it means playing the waiting game—watching the skies, seeking those brief windows of calm when the rain relents and the light softens just enough to allow a clear shot.

During this monsoon season, I’ve faced variable light, muddy trails, and damp air. Protecting gear and being ready at a moment’s notice was all part of the routine. While some images from this season may not be perfect because of the tough conditions, they capture the essence of the moment—a soaked perch, a bird fluffing its feathers after a shower, or the mystery of a silhouette in the mist.

I invite you to explore the selection I’ve put together—captured with patience and perseverance, and more importantly, with a deep love for Mount Abu’s avian life. Each photograph is not just a visual treat, but a piece of this season’s story—a record of the bird life that thrives even through clouds and storms.

Stay dry, stay tuned, and enjoy the monsoon magic of Mount Abu’s feathered friends.

Bird of the fortnight.

White-throated Kingfisher - Halcyon smyrnensis

White-throated Kingfisher MT ABU July 2025.m4v

Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis 

Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis Mt Abu July

Black-rumped Flameback - Dinopium benghalense

Black-rumped Flameback - Dinopium benghalense

Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata

Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata

Brahminy Starling - Sturnia pagodarum 

Brahminy Starling - Sturnia pagodarum MT ABU July 2025.mp4

Common Tailorbird - Orthotomus sutorius

Coppersmith Barbet - Psilopogon haemacephalus

Coppersmith Barbet - Psilopogon haemacephalus

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow - Cecropis daurica

Green Avadavat - Sporaeginthus formosus

Green Avadavat - Sporaeginthus formosus 

House Sparrow - Passer domesticus

Indian Robin - Copsychus fulicatus

Indian Silverbill - Euodice malabarica

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Oriental Magpie-Robin - Copsychus saularis

Oriental Magpie-Robin MT July 2025.m4v

Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) Falco peregrinus

Red-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus cafer

Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata

Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata Mt Abu July 2025

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Spot-breasted Fantail - Rhipidura albogularis

Spotted Dove - Streptopelia chinensis 

Spotted Dove - Streptopelia chinensis MT ABU July 2025.mp4