Hi,

Pre-mansoon rain has transformed the color of jungle from brownish-yellow to green. You feel refreshed being there.


We* started the Tungareshwar trail (north side) by 7.30am (A bit late). The first bird we saw was, Indian Grey Hornbill circling overhead. A great start. The bird activity was on high. Various calls coming from all directions. Yellow-eyes Babblers, White-browed Bulbuls, Grey-breasted Prinias, Purple-rumped Sunbirds, Indian Robins, Magpie Robins, Chestnust Shouldered Pertronias, Thick-billed Flowerpeckers, White-rumped Shama and Orange-headed Ground Thrush were vocal. All this at the foothills!!

But the most interesting sighting was of 4 Blue-breasted Quails, probably a family!!


Crab Calotes 1 Calotes 2

As we climbed higher Black-hooded Oriole, Crimson Sunbird, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Brown-headed Barbet, A pair of Black-rumped Flameback, Rufous Treepie, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra were seen. We also saw a Black-hooded Oriole chasing Shikra! Probably its nest was nearby.

Lily flowers have emerged after the first rain. A calotes with a combination of Orange-Black colors was seen along with another calotes of plain black color.

No Cuckoos, no oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, but still, it was an excellent first outing for this years mansoon. I'm sure by July the beauty will be more picturesque as waterfalls will also start flowing, and atmosphere will be more pleasant.

* Animish Mandrekar, Ritesh Bagul, Pallavi Joshi and myself.


Regards
Mandar Khadilkar