Asian Fairy Bluebirds - Thattekad, Kerala

Another species enjoyed from an especially idyllic outcrop of black volcanic lava flow in the forest (which we came to know as the rock - more from here anon), Asian Fairy Bluebirds were hard to come by elsewhere on the continent, but performed beautifully here in the early morning light.

 

 

 

 

Dollarbird vs. Leafbird, Kerala

More comprehensive entries to follow from Thattekad Bird Sanctuary when time allows, but for now, two more photogenic species from the reserve....

 Dollarbird

Golden-fronted Leafbird

 

 

 

super soaraway sunbirds

Thattekad was great for the full suite of local sunbird species - Loten's, Purple, Crimson-backed & Purple-rumped - often close-up, attending flowering plants in forest clearings. While it's impossible to capture their real beauty on camera, they a least gave me the chance to try on multiple occasions.

male Crimson-backed Sunbird (above); male Purple Sunbird (below)

 

 

 

 

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Kerala - part two

Greater Flameback (of the Western Ghats endemic subspecies socialis)

We soon hit a routine over our week in Thattekad, which (roughly speaking) consisted of a pre-dawn, starlit breakfast brought to us on the balcony, out soon after, and the rest of the day divided between birding in the reserve and lounging around at the homestay, often with the family, eating delicious home-cooked Keralan food and, well, more birding. Hard to beat. 

Yellow-browed Bulbuls - a common and colourful endemic

Grey-headed Bulbul - an endemic of the Western Ghats, supposedly very shy and restricted to dense undergrowth; in truth, very forthcoming if you know where to look....
 

Heart-spotted Woodpecker - not even close to qualifying as endemic, or even very scarce, but easily one of the birds of the trip....
 

Large Hawk Cuckoo - result

Plenty more from Thattekad to come.....
 

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, India - Dec 2011

male Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Back to the trip..... from Kumily and Periyar, we headed north through the lush, varied greens of the Keralan forest, weaving north through the Ghats until we reached Thattekad Bird Sanctuary five hours later (formerly the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, after the great man's pioneering studies here many years ago).

rolling up at the homestay, with a typically warm welcome from Sudah

After searching for a suitable place to stay at Thattekad, we were resigned to having to fork out whitey tourist prices for accommodation several kilometres outside the reserve (the accepted situation here) - far from ideal, but seemingly the only choice. Until, that is, the internet provided once again, and like a vision, Junglebird Homestay appeared before us.....

 

A perfect place located within the reserve, occupied by four generations of the same lovely family, surrounded by great habitat (and great birding), with delicious home-cooked food, and hosts who know the birds and the sanctuary better than anyone. A revelation.

Rufous Treepie vs. Chameleon on the homestay roof

Malabar Woodshrike

Typically, we made the most of our good fortune and ended up spending over a week here - an amazing place, and plenty more to follow.

Plum-headed Parakeet

Brown-breasted Flycatcher

 

 

Verditer Flycatchers

 

Indian Pitta

Booted Eagle

male Malabar Grey Hornbill

Darter

pulling mussels from a shell

Forgotten shots from last month, from beneath the south wall of Bridlington harbour. Always a wonderful place to get up close to feeding waders of various species, including Purple Sandpipers and Knot (as pictured here). Both are breeders on the high Arctic tundra, and many of both call the English East coast home during the depths of winter.

 

 

 

 

Breads for the Meds

Despite the generally crappy, blustery conditions on the cliff top in Scarborough, no less than three Mediterranean Gulls played nicely for us - at least, with a little gluten-based persuasion. Although the youngster seemed more interested in a discarded apple core (see below) - obviously not from around these parts, then.