MOUNT ABU BIRDS MY PERSONAL COLLECTION

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Birding in December 2019 mountabubirds.blogspot.com

Birding in December 2019

Winter skies Mount Abu

4 and 5 December 2019.

Mornings have turned chill and birding under poor light conditions these last few days have put a damper on my birding activity. I'm posting the few birds that I photographed.

Black Stork - Ciconia nigra.

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

Eurasian Crag-Martin

Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus.

Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach

Purple Sunbird - Cinnyris asiaticus

6 December 2019.

The weather was lousy today, overcast sky low light limited bird movement in tote not an ideal day for birding.

Black Stork - Ciconia nigra

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo

Greater Coucal - Centropus sinensis

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

7 December 2019.

Now that the cloud cover has lifted we will probably have our coldest night for the start of our winter season. the night temperature recorded was 2.4 C. In the morning at about 8 am I saw that the temperature was still hovering around 3 degrees. Winter has announced itself by displaying frost through our abode.

Ashy Prinia - Prinia socialis

Eurasian Crag-Martin - Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Greater Coucal - Centropus sinensis

Indian Pond-Heron - Ardeola grayii

Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus

Long-tailed Shrike - Lanius schach

Red-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus cafer

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Birding in December 2019 mountabubirds.blogspot.com

Birding in December 2019

It's the last month of the year 2019. Our winters have set in day temperatures hover between 15 and 20 degrees night temperatures fall below 10 degrees as December moves towards Christmas Abu can expect its frost and temperatures falling as low as -3 degrees. Birding during winters is exciting throughout the winter months. Abu gets a few migratory waterbirds such as Common Pochard, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Moorhen, Gadwall, Green-winged teal, Northern pintail, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, a few varieties of sandpipers, wagtails and cormorants also photographed here. It's the time of year to photograph a variety of warblers, flycatchers and raptors.

I love to do a spot of birding in Gujarat a visit is a must for die-hard birders. To view the places I have visited over the years, click the links below.

Thol Lake Sanctuary a birders delight.

Pareij wetlands an amazing birding destination Gujarat.

Banni Grassland Kutch Gujarat

Blackbuck National Park Velavadar Gujarat

1 December 2019.

Appreciate my birding in the abode of gods 'Mount Abu"

Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata

(Winter visitor )

Bonelli's Eagle - Aquila fasciata

Common Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita

(Winter visitor )

Hume's Warbler - Phylloscopus humei

(Winter visitor )

Hume's Warbler - Phylloscopus humei

Indian Yellow Tit - Machlolophus aplonotus

Jungle Babbler - Turdoides striata

Long-legged Buzzard mobbed by Shikra

It was interesting to see the territorial dispute between the Shikras and the Long-legged Buzzard.

{Yesterday I had witnessed a pair of large-billed crows mobbing the same Buzzard}

The Shikras kept mobbing the Buzzard till they drove him out from their area.

Long-legged Buzzard mobbed by Shikra

Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus

Long-legged Buzzard mobbed by Shikra

Long-tailed Buzzard nicked by shikra

Red-vented Bulbul - Pycnonotus cafer

Shikra - Accipiter badius

2 December 2019

The Ashy Drongo, the Black drongo and plenty of White-bellied drongos can be seen at this time of the year. The Ashy Drongo and Blck drongo are local winter visitors.

Ashy Drongo - Dicrurus leucophaeus

Brahminy Starling - Sturnia pagodarum

Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis

Eurasian Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus

House Sparrow - Passer domesticus

Long-legged Buzzard - Buteo rufinus

Rufous Treepie - Dendrocitta vagabunda

Shikra - Accipiter badius

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Birds Mount Abu November 2019 mountabubirds.blogspot.com

Mount Abu Birds in November 2019.

It’s the end of November. There’s still a scattering of clouds over Abu. Imagine my delight when I looked up into a clearing of cloud cover I spotted 4 vultures circling; they looked like the Indian vultures. Indian vultures here in the Abode gosh! I quickly got out my camera and began photographing. Vultures, especially the Indian vulture to see here after so many years, is a thrill. After I examined the snaps, my initial disappointment of not seeing the Indian vulture but the Eurasian vultures left a void. The Indian vulture was once a resident of Abu and a frequent sight to see a few decades ago.

29 November 2019.