Sunday, August 19, 2012

2012-08-15-Talawe

Talawe is a regularly visited birding spotted by me but this time the difference was that we tried to explore it in the afternoon.

Being a cloudy day we decided to start as early as 3pm to start birding.
In other seasons it would be difficult to start birding so early due to harsh sun felt in the open grassland of Talawe.

It started with around 20-30 house sparrows right on the path.

House Sparrow

Then the usual ashy and plain prinia calls started with a plain prinia seen carrying a grassblade indicating that some were starting to nest while a month back also we had seen lot of prinia activities with nesting material.

Plain Prinia

Plain Prinia

Plain Prinia


There were the pied startlings, redshanks (4-5) , greenshanks(4-5), common sandpiper, caspian terns, gull billed terns, cormorant and brahminy kite flying around the water bodies.

The flowering and butterfly activity has started picking pace.
There were lot of silver cox combs, sesbania and another type of shrub with big white flower along the water front.




Silver Cox Comb

Terda

Sesbania

Ran Til


We saw common grass yellow, peecock pansy and dragon flies.

Dragon Fly

Common Grass Yellow

Dragon Fly

On the small plateau there were lot of small purple flowers with their buds dripping with purple colored water.




Little ahead were scaly breasted munia.

Scaly Breasted Munia





They were feeding on the seeds of a grass within the silver cox comb.

Scaly Breasted Munia


Scaly Breasted Munia


Scaly Breasted Munia

Scaly Breasted Munia

Scaly Breasted Munia

Saw a flock of 10-15 black headed munias flying past and a flew baya weavers.
Not many red munias this time.

As were about to call it a day and return back we heard a sharp call from the other end of the plateau and we saw a pied crested cuckoo. This was a surprise.

Going ahead was a bigger surprise with a pair of common babblers.
This was the first time I think common babbler is being reported from Talawe.

Common Babbler

Common Babbler

There was also yellow eyed babbler, common kingfisher and also saw a flying glimpse of a painted snipe female.

As also experienced Talawe has always something new to offer!!

To have a look at more photos please see visit my album

2012-08-15-Talawe
Some landscape pics taken with my HTC phone!!