Bhigwan camp Report

Bhigwan has always been a fruitful destination for nature lovers. OikoEssence conducted camp to Bhigwan on 12^th -13^th March, 2020. We were little disappointed this time as the number of  visitors that are not keenly interested in birding/nature is increasing with a great speed in this small place and disturbing the sustainable life of the village. No doubt local villagers are doing a great job by introducing the birds visiting to Ujjani dam water to nature lovers but they must think about keeping some rules and regulations with the help of forest department for sustainable tourism. We were in small group and managed to see following -

(Photographs courtesy- Shripad B. & Rupali G.)

A.Insects

Butterflies

Plain tiger caterpillar on Rui plant Clicked by Rupali G

1. Cabbage
2. Plain tiger
3. Striped tiger
4. Emigrant
5. Common crow

B.Birds

1. Common Coot
2. Little cormorant
3. Grey heron

   

   Grey Heron Clicked by Rupali G

4. Purple heron
5. Little egret
6. Intermediate egret
7. Black headed ibis
8. Glossy ibis
9. Black winged stilt
10. Asian Openbill 
11. Little ringed plover 
12. Pond heron 
13. Yellow wagtail
14. Long tailed shrike
15. Red wattled lapwing
16. Indian Robin
17. White throated kingfisher 

    

    Grey Heron with Catch. Clicked by Swati M.

18. Paddy field pipit

    

    Paddy field pipit Clicked by Shripad B.

19. Ashy crown sparrow lark
20. Wood sandpiper
21. Black drongo
22. House sparrow
23. Rudy shell duck 
24. Laughing dove
25. Pied bushchat
26. Eurasian marsh harrier 
27. Osprey
28. Peregrine falcon
29. River tern 
30. Whiskered tern
31. Brown headed gull (?)
32. Northern pintail (?)

    

    Brahminy Mynah Clicked by Swati M.

33. Eurasian spoonbill
34. Small pratincole
35. Northern shoveller
36. Purple sunbird
37. Brahminy starling 
38. Brahminy kite
39. Green bee-eater
40. Purple moorhen
41. White breasted waterhen
42. Citrine wagtail
43. Black tailed godwit
44. Greater flamingo
45. House crow
46. Indian nightjar
47. Red vented bulbul
48. Pallas's gull 
49. Woolly necked stork
50. Painted stork
    
51. Western reef egret
52. Black winged kite
53. Black kite
54. Asian Pied starling
55. Garganey

C. Reptile

1. West Indian leopard gecko

MORE PICS

Spoonbills Clicked by Swati M.

Brahminy duck Clicked by Swati M.

Common Coot  Clicked by Rupali G

Painted stork Clicked by Shripad B.

Pond Heron Clicked by Swati M.

Woolly necked stork Clicked by Rupali G

Gull Clicked by Shripad B.

Purple moorhen Clicked by Rupali G

Greater Flamingo Clicked by Shripad B.

Brown headed gull Clicked by Rupali G

Small Pratincole Clicked by Rupali G

Garganey Clicked by Rupali G

Bar-headed geese Clicked by Rupali G

Black kite Clicked by Rupali G

Marsh Harrier Clicked by Swati M.

Tamarix Spp. flowers Clicked by Shripad B.

Bhigwan Camp 13-14 March, 2020

EVENT INFORMATION

This is a good season to observe migratory birds here in Maharashta. Ujani - A Man-made dam on Bhima river near Bhigwan attracts lots of migratory birds. To name a few - plovers, sandpipers, flamingos and the list goes on...

Grab this opportunity to observe and photograph these lovely feathered friends.

Our tentative itinerary is as follows

Day 1 - 13th March - Leave by bus at 6.30am from Swami Narayan temple, opposite Dadar Station (East). Breakfast on the way. Reach Home-stay in Kumbhargaon in afternoon. Lunch. Rest. Small walk followed by Boat ride. Come back in the evening tea. Discussion. Dinner.

Day 2 - 14rh March - Early morning boat ride. Breakfast. Leave for Mumbai. Lunch and evening tea on the way. Reach Dadar by 7.30pm depending upon the traffic.

Charges: Rs. 5500/-

Inclusions - Private vehicle travel from Mumbai to Mumbai (Non-AC).

                    Food - 2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner, 2 evening tea.

                    Stay - one night at home stay. (Non-AC)

                    2 boat rides, Guides and expertise charges.

Exclusion - Anything that is not listed in 'Inclusions'. Please not we do not give or encourage packaged drinking/bottled water.

For Further details and booking call us on - 7700911182 / 8433769487.

Click on ticket URL to book your seat. Please give us a call before you buy a ticket/s. The number is restricted to 12 participants only.

Townscript URL for details and to book tickets: https://www.townscript.com/e/bird-watching-at-bhiwan-302124

Check out Last year's sightings her:

https://oikoessence.blogspot.com/2019/05/bhiwan-birding-camp-sightings.html

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