Western Ghats - 6th December (Day 12)

We had the whole day around the Periyar Tiger Reserve area beginning the day taking a bamboo raft across the dam to an area of forest. The raft consisted of bamboo stems lashed together with string and with bamboo stem seats, it was around 10m in length and while sounding flimsy was actually fairly sturdy but did let on a lot of water. The raft was connected at either bank by rope and was simply pulled across the open water. We wandered a relatively short distance through the forest seeing a few birds including Jungle Owlet, White-bellied Blue-flycatcher, Indian Paradise-flycatcher, Western Crowned Leaf-warbler, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Jungle Babbler, Common Flameback, Malabar Grey Hornbill and best of all a Sri Lanka Frogmouth roosting within a vine tangle. Come late morning we headed back across on the raft and boarded the bus and headed to the Abad Forest Hotel in Kumily where we drank tea but the main purpose was to see a stunning pair of Indian Scop’s-owl roosting beneath the eaves of one of the hotel buildings.

The dam at Periyar Tiger Reserve at dawn

Crossing the dam on a bamboo raft

Crossing the dam on a bamboo raft

Leach sock day

Malabar Grey Hornbill, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Grey Hornbill, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Indian Paradise Flycatcher (male) - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Indian Paradise Flycatcher (female) - Periyar Tiger Reserve

The dam at Periyar Tiger Reserve

White-bellied Blue-flycatcher, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

White-bellied Blue-flycatcher, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Orange-headed Thrush - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Common Flameback of the subspecies malabaricum which is isolated from other populations in extreme NE India and further east to SE Asia -  Periyar Tiger Reserve

Common Flameback - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Common Flameback - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Indian Giant Squirrel - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Sri Lanka Frogmouth - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Birding Periyar Tiger Reserve

Fisherman - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Leachsocks

Bonnet Macaque - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Indian Scops-owl - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Jijo with essential supplies

After a superb curry lunch and a brief siesta at the hotel we walked a loop from the reserve entrance through woodland and grassland and then back through the village. After viewing a Paper Wasp nest, Jijo promptly grabbed a wasp for us to see and on release it made a beeline for my nose and stung me much to the hilarity of Ian. Just around the corner was a cracking Jungle Owlet which took my mind off the sting. It was generally fairly slow going but we came across a mixed flock within one of the woodland blocks containing Bronze Drongo, Greater Racqet-tailed Drongo, Rufous Treepie, stunning White-bellied Treepie and one of our few remaining targets a pair of very confiding Malabar Trogon. A short way on we bumped into a female Grey Junglefowl and then enjoyed a flock of around 40 Grey-fronted Green Pigeon in a fruiting tree. As we walked back through the village Ian announced that his crotch region felt moist and sticking his hands down his trousers pulled out blood soaked fingers – two leaches had managed to attach themselves to, and feast on, his knob. Much hilarity ensued much to the amusement of the locals and in particular to a heavily moustachioed and beetle-nut chewing elderly gentleman. Cold beers and curry back at the hotel passed away the evening after another great day in the field.

Paperwasp just before I got nailed by one on the nose

Jungle Owlet of the subspecies malabaricum and a possible split as Nilgiri Owlet - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Jungle Owlet - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Crested Serpent-Eagle - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Sambar Deer - Periyar Tiger Reserve

White-bellied Treepie, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Grey Hornbill - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Trogon (male) - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Trogon (male) - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Trogon (female) - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Trogon (female) - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Ian snapping the locals

Part of a flock of around 40 Grey-fronted Green-Pigeon, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Asian Brown Flycatcher - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Tickell's Blue-flycatcher - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Our well stocked minibar welcoming us back after a long day in the field

A couple of sound recordings from today, the first is the simple song of Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, here of the nominate race poioicephala which is endemic to the Western Ghats. The second recording is of a perched Malabar Grey Hornbill that was associating with a feeding flock of Greater Racquet-tailed Drone, White-bellied Treepie and Malabar Trogon.

Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)

• Day 1 – International flight from London Heathrow.
• Day 2 – Landed Chennai then flight to Port Blair. Birding on Andaman Islands PM.
• Day 3 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 4 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 5 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 6 – Travel day from Port Blair (Andaman Islands) to Ooty (Western Ghats). 
• Day 7 – Birding Ooty then on to Mudumalai. 
• Day 8 – Birding Mudumalai then drive back to Ooty.
• Day 9 – Birding Ooty and then drive to Munnar.
• Day 10 – Birding Munnar area.
• Day 11 – Drive from Munnar to Periyar Tiger Reserve.
• Day 13 – Drive from Kumily to Thattekkad.
• Day 14 – Thattekkad area. 
• Day 15 – Thattekkad area then travel to Chennai.
• Day 16 -  International flight.

Western Ghats - 5th December (Day 11)

After clearing up in the Munnar area yesterday we headed off to Periyar Tiger Reserve a little earlier than planned and so by 06:30 we were on the road for the 90 kilometre journey with some birding on route. Our first stop was in an area of scrub and forest along the roadside on the Theni Bodimettu Road at an elevation of 790m the view was fantastic and it was still relatively cool at this time. We had a couple of target birds here and the first soon appeared when Jijo played a recording and a pair of smart Yellow-throated Bulbul flew in and proceeded to circle us. Next, a Grey-headed Bulbul, our second target, flew in and perched for all to see, its green plumage contrasting with its blue grey tail making for a distinctive appearance in flight. Also here were Loten’s Sunbird and White-rumped Munia. We continued the descent and near to the small village of Munthal we made another stop. It was far hotter here and we were now at an altitude of 420m and birded an area of acacia dominated scrub. We quickly found a Grey-bellied Cuckoo a species that breeds in the Himalayas and is a winter visitor to the area. A Pitta called from the scrub and playback soon produced stunning views of a superb pair of Indian Pitta perched at head height in the acacia scrub. Also here were a pair of Blue-faced Malkoha, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Jungle Prinia, Oriental Honey Buzzard and Booted Eagle (both pale and dark phase). Travelling south-west through flat plains and through the town of Uttamapalayam it was a relief to see that we would be climbing once more into the hills and the relative cool to reach Periyar Tiger Reserve. We arrived at the Abad Forest Hotel in Kumily at lunchtime, checked in and had our now familiar buffet lunch of various delicious curries.

The hills at sunrise wast of Munnar

The hills at sunrise west of Munnar with a branch of the Anayirankal Dam

The town of Pooparra

The spectacular Theni Bodimettu Road

Nilgiri Jewel Fourring Ypthima striata on the Theni Bodimettu Road

Yellow-throated Bulbul, listed as Vulnerable and found only in Southern India - Theni 

Bodimettu Road

Loten's Sunbird - Theni Bodimettu Road

Grey-headed Bulbul, endemic to the Western Ghats - Theni Bodimettu Road

White-rumped Munia - Theni Bodimettu Road

Booted Eagle (pale phase) - Theni Bodimettu Road

Black-headed Cuckooshrike- Theni Bodimettu Road

Indian Pitta - Theni Bodimettu Road

Indian Pitta - Theni Bodimettu Road

Indian Pitta - Theni Bodimettu Road

We were out in the field again by 15:00 and headed for the Periyar Tiger Reserve entrance where we donned leach socks and were joined by two forest guards for our afternoon walk. The first bird was an actively calling Green Warbler (see recording below) which showed moderately well in the canopy. Next we took in a tree containing two Oriental Scop’s Owl well disguised high amongst the foliage of their chosen tree. We spent the rest of the afternoon in a small valley within the reserve at 900 metres. Here we recorded a number of new species. Flocks of Malabar Parakeet and Plum-headed Parakeet raced through the canopy. Grey-fronted Green Pigeons gave their rather peculiar rising and falling whistling songs from the treetops and Southern Hill Myna dominated the soundscape with their various rising and falling whistled calls. I spent a fair bit of time trying to get views of a small family party of Rufous Babbler but they were pretty elusive - I love Babblers, they have great character. As the sun began to set we positioned ourselves within the bottom end of the valley, a mixed group of Racket-tailed Drongo and the stunning White-bellied Treepie appeared and soon after, just as the light was dying, our main target, a flock of six of the endemic Wynadd Laughingthrush appeared. These birds perched in a low tree preening before going to their night time roost. We headed back to the hotel room and did the days log over a cold beer in our rooms (it is not permitted to drink alcohol in the hotel restaurant) before heading for dinner.

Coffee beans drying in the sun at Periyar Tiger Reserve

Oriental Scops-owl of subspecies rufipennis - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Brugmansia suaveolens, native to South America but widely naturalised - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Lady collecting wood - Periyar Tiger Reserve

 Periyar Tiger Reserve

Entrance to part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve

We spent the evening birding this small valley in the Periyar Tiger Reserve seeing many new species

White-cheeked Barbet - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Parakeet, confined to South-west India - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Parakeet, male - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Malabar Parakeet, female - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Green Warbler winters primariliy in the Western Ghats and on Sri Lanka, it appears to be more arboreal than Greenish Warbler - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Southern Hill Myna, confined to South-west India and Sri Lanka - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Rufous Babbler, endemic to South-west India- Periyar Tiger Reserve

 Birding at Periyar Tiger Reserve

The stunning White-bellied Treepie, endemic to the Western Ghats - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Right at the last few minutes of daylight and beyond the limits of a decent image this group of Wynadd Laughingthrush -  - Periyar Tiger Reserve

Here is the distinctive 'zilip' call of a Green Warbler recorded this afternoon at Periyar Tiger Reserve. The recording has a number of calls while the sonogram shows a single one of these calls. The pitch of the call ranges from around 3.8kHz to 7.8kHz (much as Greenish Warbler) but has at least four distinct elements to the call making it sound lesss clean and crucially the final note is distinct being upward inflected  ('zilip' and not 'chee-wee') finishing at around 6.3 kHz (downward inflected and finishing at 3.8kHz in Greenish Warbler). A recording and sonogram of Greenish Warbler can be heard/seen at the end of this post here.

This is a family party of Rufous Babbler active in the under scrub mainly foraging and interacting.



Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)

• Day 1 – International flight from London Heathrow.
• Day 2 – Landed Chennai then flight to Port Blair. Birding on Andaman Islands PM.
• Day 3 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 4 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 5 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 6 – Travel day from Port Blair (Andaman Islands) to Ooty (Western Ghats). 
• Day 7 – Birding Ooty then on to Mudumalai. 
• Day 8 – Birding Mudumalai then drive back to Ooty.
• Day 9 – Birding Ooty and then drive to Munnar.
• Day 10 – Birding Munnar area.
• Day 12 – Periyar Tiger Reserve. 
• Day 13 – Drive from Kumily to Thattekkad.
• Day 14 – Thattekkad area. 
• Day 15 – Thattekkad area then travel to Chennai.
• Day 16 -  International flight.