Punjab - Lohri Celebrations and Dasuya Forest

India has a unique feature of 'Unity in Diversity'. She homes many religions that brings variety of festivals and it adds to her beauty. We at OikoEssence, decided to start our New year 2020 camping with celebration of 'Lohri' festival in Punjab. We got a nice homestay in Amritsar called 4N Homestay. We are thankful to this family who allowed us to be a part of their family's traditional Lohri celebration.

Next day after the celebrations we moved to Dasuya forest for Birding. There is Talwara Dam nearby  which is on the boundary of two states - Punjab & Himachal Pradesh. We are grateful to Dasuya Forest Department for helping us in conducting this camp.

Sharing the list of sightings (All the waders are from Talwara region of Dasuya forest)

Amritsar 

 1. Rose-ringed parakeet

2. Black drongo

3. Common myna

4. Black kite

5. Bank myna

6. Rock pigeon

7. White throated kingfisher

8. Large billed crow

9. House crow

 Dasuya

1. Great cormorant

2. Indian cormorant

3. Little cormorant

4. Grey heron

5. Little egrate

6. Intermediate egrete

7. White throated kingfisher

8. Black kite

9. Eurasian wigeon 

10. Common coot

11. Common shelduck

12. Ruddy shelduck

13. Spot-billed duck

14. Red wattled lapwing

15. Common moorhen

16. Purple swamphen

17. White-browed wagtail

18. Common sandpiper

19. Plumbeus water redstart

20. Indian robin

21. Little grebe

22. White wagtail

23. Common pochard

24. Brown headed gull

25. Crow phesant

26. Rose ringed parakeet

27. Jungle babbler

28. Eurasian marsh harrier

29. Little ringed plover

30. Palm swift

Dassua day 2

1. Red vented bulbul

2.Red whiskered bulbul

3. White eared bulbul

4. Plum-headed parakeet

5. Rufous treepie

6. Black rumped flameback

7. Long tailed shirke

8. Laughing dove

9. Spotted dove

10. Purple heron

11. Cattle egret

12. Barbary falcon

13. Red avadavat

14. Scaly breasted munia

15. Ashy prinia

16. Plain prinia

17. Great tit

18. Black redstart

19. Ferruginous duck

20. Red crested pochard

21. Northern pintail

22. Northern shoveler

23. Griffon vulture

24. Common teal

25. River tern

26. Red jungle fowl

27. Small button quail

28. Oriental white eye

29. Blue whistling thrush

30. Common myna

31. Indian grey hornbill

32. Asian pied starling

33. Red napped ibis

34. Gull billed tern

35. House sparrow

36. Black shouldered kite

37. Eurasian collared dove

38. Grey breasted prinia

39. Yellow crowned woodpecker

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Desert National Park, Bikaner, Jodhpur - Rangilo Rajasthan camp

Pic by Gauri G

Rajasthan has always been favorite destination for many tourists. OikoEssence had a nature camp to Desert National Park. We got to see some awesome desert landscapes, flora and fauna.

The Group

Pic by Rupali G

Being in Rajasthan,one should not avoid visiting heritage sites and off-course enjoying local food and cultural dance!  We visited Desert NP, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Gajner, Jorbeed, Khichan, Jaisalmer and enjoyed every moment of it. Sharing some photographs and list of sightings of the camp. We are grateful to local guide Anwar and Researcher Dr. Ravikiran for introducing us to this wonderful sight of nature.
Below is the list of sightings noted during the camp

Pic by Rupali G

Birds

1.    Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus)

2.    Bimaculated Lark (Melanocorypha bimaculata)

3.    Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)

4.    Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor)

5.    Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)

6.    Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)

7.    Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

8.    Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)

9.    House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

10. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis)

11. Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)

12. Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger)

13. Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis)

14. Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax)

15. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

16. Common Teal (Anas crecca)

17. Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)

18. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

19. Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

20. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)

21. Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

22. Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

23. Variable Wheatear (Oenanthe picata)

24. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

25. Common Coot (Fulica atra)

26. Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

27. Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus)

28. House Crow (Corvus splendens)

29. Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)

30. Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)

31. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

32. Ruff (Calidris pugnax)

33. Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)

34. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)

35. Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

36. Shikra (Accipiter badius)

37. Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

38. Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

39. Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

40. Rock pigeon (Columba livia)

41. Indian Pond heron (Ardeola grayii)

42. Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

43. Indian robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus)

44. Spotted Red shank (Triga tetanus)

45. Oriental magpie robin (Copsychus saularis)

46. Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)

Mammals

1.    Chinkara (Indian Gazell)

2.    Blackbuck

3.    Nilgai

4.    Indian Hare

5.    Hanuman Lagur

6.    Wild boar

7.    Desert Fox

Grey Mongoose

Photographs

Pic by Gauri G

Pic by Shreya B

Pic by Shreya B

Pic by Shreya B

Pic by Shreya B

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Gauri G

Pic by Gauri G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G

Pic by Rupali G