A Good Day!

The day got off to a flyer with a pair of really confiding Indian Scimitar-babblers calling back to my ipod before breakfast! 

Malabar Whistling-thrush

After our best breakfast to-date and extremely close views of a perched Crested Goshawk, Malabar Whistling-thrush and Grey Junglefowl we headed up to Eravikulam National Park via use of the park’s shuttle bus service which ferried us and thousands of local Indian tourists as well during the course of the morning. 

Eravikulam National Park

But it didn’t seem to put the birds off and after admiring the fantastic scenery and the endangered  Nilgiri Tahr, had a close encounter with a pair of Kerala (Grey-breasted) Laughingthrushes that perched up nicely for us. 

Nilgiri Tahr

Kerala Laughingthrush

We walked uphill for about a kilometre and spent some time in a shady, damp area where a couple of Black-and-orange Flycatchers showed closer than yesterday’s bird. A White-bellied Blue Robin was also seen, and Nilgiri Flycatcher was also quite obvious. 

Black-and-orange Flycatcher

Other birds up here included Black Eagle, Long-tailed Shrike, Dusky Crag-martin, Hill Swallow, Plain Prinia, Tickell’s Leaf-warbler and Blue Rock-thrush. It was quite astonishing when Sudeesh asked the shuttle bus driver to stop for  minute as he had spotted an Indian Jungle Nightjar perched on a branch above the road, much to the amusement of the locals on board. But a great spot anyway. 

Indian Jungle Nightjar

Returning to the hotel for a quick lunch we then headed up to the Gap Road and spent a while searching for Painted Bush-quail at the rubbish dump area and succeeding in finding a couple of Nilgiri Pipits before continuing on. 

Nilgiri Pipit

At a certain spot we tried for Yellow-throated Bulbul and nailed it within 2 minutes! What a result! 

Yellow-throated Bulbul

So we returned along the same route, stopping to spotlight a pair of Brown Fish-owls and finally made it back to the lodge for 7.30pm.