Gir Camp - some moments shared

Pic by Gauri G

Lioness and cub Pic by Gauri G.

Painted Sandgrouse Clicked by Gauri G.

Painted Stork Clicked by Thiruvengadam E.

Sambar deer clicked by Thiruvengadam E.

April is one of the good months for wildlife sighting. Oikoessence decided to conduct a nature camp to Gir National Park, Gujarat – The last refuge for Asiatic Lions. It is situated in semiarid zone of western part of India and has dry deciduous forest. Although majority of the tourists come here for Lion sighting only the forest bears spectacular range of other flora and fauna. Some of the sightings include birds such as Mountain scops owl, Spotted owlet, Crested serpent eagle, Collared dove, Spotted dove, Black ibis, Rufous tree pie, Peafowl, Plum headed parakeet, Small minivet, Pigmy woodpecker, Grey nightjar, Green bee-eater, Darter, Painted stork and Painted sandgrouse. Mammals - Wild boar, Spotted dear, Sambar deer, Asiatic lion, Neelgai, Stripped hyena. Also, few reptile such as – Skink, Calotes and Crocodile.

Crocodile Clicked by Gauri G.

Indian thick-knee clicked by Gauri G.

Darter clicked by Thiruvengadam E.

Spotted Owlet clicked by Gauri G.

Nightjar Clicked by Gauri G.

Pic by Gauri G.

Waiting to in Clicked by Gauri G.

At Devalia clicked by Gauri G.

Free time Clicked by Dr. Shreya B.

Free time Clicked by Dr. Shreya B.

Group having local breakfast outside Gir National Park Gate

For future programmes please click on the following link
http://oikoessence.blogspot.in/2016/03/oikoessence-programmes-2016-nature.html

Uttarakhand Camp sightings

Campers at Camp Milieu

Hanuman Langur Pic by Rupali G

It was great a treat for our eyes and soul when we were roaming in Uttrakhand. Oikoessence conducted a nature camp for nature lovers at Uttarakhand in April, 2016. We covered Ghatgarh, Sattal, Pangot, Jageshwar and Binsar. Some of the plants that we saw include rhododendrons, deodar, pines, oaks, horse-chestnuts, bhurjapatra etc. The songs of Cicadas could be heard all over the place. The butterflies include cabbage white, emigrant, common crow, Plain tiger, Blues etc., reptiles include Forest calotes, Agamas. Mammals include barking deer, grey mongoose, Hanuman langur and Rhesus macaques. 

Although the focus of the camp was on biodiversity of the area, this time more emphasis was given to birds of the area. Given below is the list of bird sightings –

Russet sparrow

House sparrow

Pic by Prasad G.

Himalayan bulbul

Scarlet minivet

Long-tailed broadbill

Common rosefinch

Crow pheasant

Pin tailed pigeon

Spotted dove

Grey headed woodpecker

Great barbet

White throated laughing thrush

Grey treepie

Jungle owlet

Black crested bunting

Shikra

Crested hawk eagle

Great tit

Oriental magpie robin

Oriental white-eye

Black bulbul

Black crested bulbul

Purple sunbird

Blue throated barbet

Pied bushchat

Striated prinia

Black chinned babbler

Chestnut headed bee-eater

Plum headed parakeet

Laughing thrush

Blue whistling thrush

Grey hooded warbler

Black-lored tit

Common iora

Red jungle fowl

Spotted forktail

White throated thrush

Kalij pheasant

Olive black pipit

Red wattled lapwing

Red billed blue magpie

Whiskered yuhina

Fire tailed sunbird

Chestnut headed bee-eater

 Eurasian cuckoo

Fulvus breasted woodpecker

Striated laughing thrush

Scimitar babbler

Ashy drongo

Greater yellownape

Rufous bellied woodpecker

Common kingfisher

Long tailed shrike

Red billed leiothrix

Grey headed canary flycatcher

White browed fantail

Grey wagtail

Oriental magpie robin

Rufous bellied niltava

Paradise flycatcher

Black headed jay

Black bulbul

Red vented bulbul

Verditer flycatcher

Himalayan vulture

Brown dipper

Oriental honey buzzard

Great hornbill

Blue winged siva

Rufous sibia

Blyth’s leaf warbler

Streak laughing thrush

Ultramarine flycatcher

Crested kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Beautiful nuthatch

White capped redstart

Its breakfast time

In the shadow of Jim Corbett's Mango tree

For future programmes please click on the following link
http://oikoessence.blogspot.in/2016/03/oikoessence-programmes-2016-nature.html