Mr. Ferry Ossendorp, from the Netherlands.
Pune Trip Report
The only trouble with us birdwatchers is that we try to watch birds everywhere. Whether it’s a family trip, a sightseeing visit, or even work-related travel, we try to get some birding done somewhere, no matter how little or how much.
I had the pleasure of birding with such a gentleman, Mr. Ferry Ossendorp, from the Netherlands. In Pune accompanying his spouse on her work visit, he asked if we could spend the two days he was here birdwatching, and I eagerly put together a quick plan. Through a combination of email and phone conversations, we coordinated our two-day birding session.
DAY 1:
On Tuesday (the 3 rd of December), I met Ferry at his hotel, The Ambassador, at 6.30 AM. The first site we were visiting was the Sinhagad Valley, a mosaic of teak plantations and rice paddies in the shadow of Pune’s famous Sinhagad Fort – a mere half an hour’s drive from Pune. The area is often frequented by forest birds and, in the winter, especially plays host to a variety of flycatchers. En route to Sinhagad, we took a quick stop at Khadakwasla Dam to see some aquatic birdlife. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rains in Pune this season, the reed beds on the edge of the reservoir, which are usually great habitats for a few rallids, were submerged. Since the sun was not completely up, we could not see anything apart from the closest birds, a few Indian Pond Herons and Eurasian Coots, and a Common Buzzard that was flying along the edge of the lake.
We finally reached Sinhagad Valley and took a walk inside the wooded area. Many birds were seen, and even more heard, as soon as we crossed the small stream that forms a sort of boundary to the fields. From Common Ioras and Plum-headed Parakeets to Plain and Ashy Prinias, Greenish Warbler, Yellow-throated Sparrow, and large flocks of Scaly-breasted Munias, a myriad of birds were there to welcome us.
As the sun rose higher and the day became warmer, we were hoping to see the Changeable Hawk-Eagle, a common sight in the Valley. However, luck was not on our side with this particular species However, we were lucky with several flycatchers, including Verditer, Taiga, and Red-breasted Flycatchers, and a female Indian Paradise Flycatcher. After a little bit of lamenting about not being able to see the beautiful male of the species, Lady Luck shone down on us when we reached the stream on our way out. Noticing a few busy photographers, we went a bit closer to investigate and were rewarded with a wonderful display by a male Indian Paradise Flycatcher, the dream catcher for most birders and photographers visiting Sinhagad in the winter.
We took a quick pit stop at the village on our way out for a cup of tea and proceeded back to Khadakwasla Dam to see if we would have better luck with the water birds. We managed to spot a Brahminy Kite, a somewhat uncommon raptor for the Pune area, as well as a few waterfowl in the distance. However, we failed to see any of the Cotton Pygmy Geese, definitely the cutest and most sought-after of the denizens of Khadakwasla.
We then proceeded to the Saswad region, a vast grassland on the outskirts of Pune. Being a little late in the day, however, there was not much activity of the smaller grassland birds. We managed to see Black-winged Kites and a Short-toed Snake Eagle in flight, but it seemed the other avian predators of Saswad, the Indian Eagle-Owl, Steppe Eagle, and Bonelli’s Eagle, eluded us on that day. We did have a spot of luck with spotting a few Chinkara (also known as Indian Gazelle or Bennett’s Gazelle) in the distance.
Scanning a few of the grassland patches on foot, however, we were able to get better views of some of the small birds, especially the variety of swallows flying around us. A Blue Rock Thrush stood almost waiting to welcome us at the first spot we investigated, and at the second, larger spot, we were rewarded with some very bold and very photogenic Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Larks. We also managed to spot Grey-necked Buntings in a nearby bush, but unfortunately could not get closer to photograph them.
We were even rewarded with a sighting of the Common House Martin in a mixed flock of swallows. Of course, the bird was very familiar to Ferry due to their common homeland continent, but it is an uncommon bird, bordering on rarity, for the Pune region, and a lifer for me.
With lunchtime having long been past and our tummies rumbling, we decided to move for lunch, before Ferry had to get back to Pune. Stopping at the Kanchan Restaurant on the Pune-Solapur highway, we enjoyed the delicious, if somewhat spicy, flavors of a Maharashtrian ‘thali’. It was interesting to find out that Ferry enjoyed spicy food, of course drawing the line at the famous Marathi ‘thecha’ – an accompaniment made of mashed green chilies, garlic, and onions, dressed
with lime juice.
On our drive back to Pune, we passed the time comparing birding notes of all the places we had collectively been to, including Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe, as well as a quick discussion about what I had planned for us the next day before we reached The Ambassador.
DAY 2:
Wednesday began the same way as the previous day with me meeting Ferry at his hotel at 6.30 AM. For this day, I had restricted our birding to a single site: the Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. There were 2 main reasons for selecting only this site: it was further away from Pune then the previous day’s locations, and I felt we could get some better-quality birding done if we concentrated on one location.
Mayureshwar is one of India’s smallest wildlife sanctuaries, created especially to protect the Chinkara (Indian Gazelle). It lies on the outskirts of Pune and is made up of a scrub habitat – a rolling grassland with small Acacia trees and bushes, and a few small ponds dotting the landscape.
On the way to Mayureshwar, we stopped at a small lake, a reservoir for the nearby villages. While we didn’t have any luck with rallids, we were rewarded by sightings of Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Indian Grey Hornbills, Marsh Sandpiper, a variety of egrets and herons, and we even got close sightings of a hunting female Shikra!
We then proceeded to Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. While the entire sanctuary is quite easily covered by vehicles, by a network of dirt roads and paths, we decided to park the car in one place and explore the area on foot. While the grassy patches were not very rewarding at first, the trees and bushes were a different story. Large flocks of Small Minivets, a few Bay-backed Shrikes and Common Woodshrikes, and even a large number of Sykes’s Warblers. We even managed to spot a large subadult Steppe Eagle sitting in one of these small trees, waiting for the air to get warmer so it could start soaring.
We then heard a Grey Francolin calling and decided to go after it. However, on our way to the area where the calls were coming from, we were often distracted, once by a Greater Coucal (considered a good omen by locals), and once by a flock of very friendly Baya Weavers. The francolin continued to tease us with its ‘teeter-teeter call but refused to let us see it.
While we were waiting to hear the francolin call again, we noticed a flock of about 10 birds flying overhead. A look through the binoculars confirmed what I suspected: Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse!! Waiting to see where they would land, their zigzagging flight and changes in direction had us walking in every direction too! Finally, we saw them land on a bare patch of dirt some distance away and decided to move closer to them.
Creeping closer and closer, and of course, distracted by larks and pipits on the way, we were rewarded with some pretty good views of these perfectly-camouflaged terrestrial beauties. Perfectly satisfied with the sandgrouse, we decided to get back into our car and move ahead to scan another few spots.
The next spot we checked out was a little rocky patch next to a village. While scanning the landscape, we managed to spot Grey-necked Buntings again. However, in trying to follow them, they proved as elusive as the buntings from the previous day. However, we also got some Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Larks that were as bold as the ones we saw yesterday, this time a male with a small chick.
We then proceeded to a nearby watchtower so we could get a better look at the landscape. From our elevated viewpoint, we saw a few small lakes. Thinking we could have better luck with the sandgrouse there, we decided to get back in the car and proceed to the nearest one. Stopping where we would have to continue on foot to the first small lake, we were rewarded with yet another great experience: a large flock of 150+ Short-toed Larks surrounded the car and were foraging on the ground, oblivious to how close the car was to them. Once the flock was done and moved on, we got down and walked to the water.
Our plans didn’t work out as well as expected. We didn’t see our expected flock of sandgrouse stopping for a drink and, apart from some Red-wattled Lapwings and a few Rufous-tailed Larks, there weren’t that many birds around. Somewhat disappointed we started walking back to the car. However, Lady Luck shone on us again. As we were walking a flock of 7-8 Indian Coursers flew down and settled on the ground just in our path!! We steadily crept towards them and were rewarded with some very clear views, and a few blurry photos, before they decided we had gotten close enough and flew away.
Thoroughly satisfied with our day at Mayureshwar, I realized we still had some time left before we had to head back to Pune, so I suggested visiting a small wetland spot I knew on the way. Heading out of the sanctuary and back onto the highway, we stopped for lunch and then proceeded to Kavdipat, a small village near the Mutha River on the outskirts of Pune.
The flow of the river slows somewhat at the village, making it a great spot for small waders. Since it was afternoon and the sun was high, there was not much waterfowl activity on the water. However, we did have great luck with a large flock of River Terns, a variety of waders including sandpipers, stints, and plovers, a variety of ibises and egrets, and even a Booted Eagle and a Marsh Harrier flying overhead. The biggest surprise, however, were a few Yellow-wattled Lapwings in the water, a bird normally associated with dry scrub habitats and a species we had strangely missed in both the scrub areas we visited.
All in all, two days of intense birdwatching during a non-birdwatching trip was hopefully a great experience for Ferry, but was amazingly rewarding for me too!
Birds seen and heard:
- Grey Francolin
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Common Pochard
- Tufted Duck
- Garganey
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Indian Spot-billed Duck
- Eurasian Teal
- Northern Pintail
- Little Swift
- Greater Coucal
- Asian Koel
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Spotted Dove
- Rock Dove
- White-breasted Waterhen
- Grey-headed Swamphen
- Eurasian Coot
- Little Grebe
- Black-winged Stilt
- Yellow-wattled Lapwing
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Little Ringed Plover
- Ruff
- Temminck’s Stint
- Little Stint
- Common Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Indian Courser
- Whiskered Tern
- River Tern
- Woolly-necked Stork
- Painted Stork
- Little Cormorant
- Glossy Ibis
- Black-headed Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- Little Egret
- Indian Pond Heron
- Eastern Cattle Egret
- Intermediate Egret
- Great Egret
- Grey Heron
- Purple Heron
- Black-winged Kite
- Crested (Oriental) Honey Buzzard
- Short-toed Snake Eagle
- Booted Eagle
- Steppe Eagle
- Shikra
- Western Marsh Harrier
- Brahminy Kite
- Black Kite
- Common Buzzard
- Eurasian Hoopoe
- Indian Grey Hornbill
- Indian Roller
- Common Kingfisher
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Green Bee-eater
- Common Kestrel
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Plum-headed Parakeet
- Small Minivet
- Common Iora
- Common Woodshrike
- Black Drongo
- White-spotted Fantail
- Indian Paradise Flycatcher
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Bay-backed Shrike
- Great Grey Shrike
- House Crow
- Indian Jungle Crow
- Cinereous Tit
- Rufous-tailed Lark
- Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark
- Indian Bush Lark
- Mongolian Short-toed Lark
- Sykes’s Warbler
- Blyth’s Reed Warbler
- Common Tailorbird
- Jungle Prinia
- Ashy Prinia
- Plain Prinia
- Dusky Crag Martin
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Common House Martin
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Red-vented Bulbul
- Red-whiskered Bulbul
- Greenish Warbler
- Indian White-eye
- Large Grey Babbler
- Jungle Babbler
- Rosy Starling
- Common Myna
- Jungle Myna
- Oriental Magpie-Robin
- Indian Robin
- Verditer Flycatcher
- Taiga Flycatcher
- Red-breasted Flycatcher
- Blue Rock Thrush
- Pied Bush Chat
- Siberian Stonechat
- Purple-rumped Sunbird
- Purple Sunbird
- Baya Weaver
- Indian Silverbill
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Yellow-throated Sparrow
- House Sparrow
- Grey Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- White-browed Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Paddyfield Pipit
- Olive-backed Pipit
- Grey-necked Bunting