Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

Well it was certainly worth all of the effort involved to get here as our first morning session on the Indian peninsula resulted in a kaleidoscope of superb birds, endemics of all denomination and specialities galore combined with good views of most things. A short drive from the lodge and a ten minute walk through the forest brought us to an open area within Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary and around a large tree we had Malabar Parakeet, Ashy Drongo, Cinereous Tit and Lesser Hill-Myna. Moving up the rocky slope led us to a wonderful vista across the canopy of the surrounding forest where the all of the magic took place. We literally didn’t know where to turn next as new birds kept appearing at a fast and furious pace. A Blue-bearded Bee-eater was one of the stars of the morning and looked wonderful through the scope although a bit too distant for photos, but closer at hand Small (Crimson-backed) Sunbird, Flame-throated Bulbul, Greenish Warbler and Blyth’s Reed-warbler were much appreciated. 

Common Hawk-cuckoo

A Common Hawk-cuckoo was called in nicely, then a Black Baza was scoped at the top of a tree, both Indian and Black-hooded Orioles showed well and Malabar White-headed Starlings put in constant appearances. Other goodies included Dollarbird, Plum-headed Parakeet, Verditer and Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Black-headed Cuckooshrike and Orange Minivet. A trio of woodpeckers also made their way onto our lists with Black-rumped Flameback, the spectacular White-bellied Woodpecker, and Malabar Flameback. Overhead a flock of Indian Swiftlets were joined by a cruising Indian White-rumped Spinetail and several stunning Brown-backed Needletails. 

White-cheeked Barbet

More endemics were also seen on the treetops and several Malabar Grey Hornbills were nice, Grey-fronted Green-pigeons obliged, along with White-cheeked and Malabar Barbets as well. Dragging ourselves away from all of the action was hard but ample compensation came in the shape of a day roosting Sri Lanka Frogmouth just a metre away, Fork-tailed Drongo Cuckoo, a closer Malabar Grey Hornbill, and along a quiet forest track a few of the group managed to get on a calling Grey-headed Bulbul. 

Malabar Grey Hornbill

There was also a trio of Oriental Honey-buzzards soaring overhead, Asian paradise-flycatcher, both Asian Brown and Brown-breasted Flycatchers and Jungle Owlet, but an extremely obliging Indian Pitta really stole the show. 

Oriental Honey-buzzard

Indian Pitta

It came straight into the tape and perched inside the bushes on a tree stump. And there it stayed for ages, even coming out into the open for a minute and allowed my best photos of this species so far. So what a morning and we then returned to the lodge for lunch and a rest over the hottest time of the day before setting out in the mid-afternoon…. 

White-bellied Treepie

And we continued our success with cracking views of several White-bellied Treepies – a much-wanted endemic as the saying goes! Also had a pair of very confiding Malabar Trogons that came into the tape, as well as Crested Serpent-eagle, Bronzed Drongo, and Crested Treeswift. 

Malabar Trogon

We returned to the lodge in the dark for a 7pm dinner and then set out again for some night birding. And pretty successful it was too, with an Indian Scops-owl called in first, followed by a pair of Jerdon’s Nightjars and ending up with a Brown Hawk-owl teed up in the scope to end proceedings. 

Goodbye to the Andamans

Today was mainly a travelling day but we managed to fit in a quick visit to the marshes before breakfast this morning. 

More Andamans Scenery

Didn’t actually see a great deal but still added Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe and more importantly, a Watercock as well. We then spent the rest of the day flying to Cochin via Chennai and arriving at the wonderfully named Soma Birds Lagoon Resort around 9pm. 

Mount Harriet

A great days birding began at the base of Mount Harriet with an Andaman Serpent-eagle perched in a dead tree, and with Forest Wagtail and a few other species also present. 

Andaman Serpent-eagle

We began walking from here and soon notched up plenty of other endemics with imaginative names such as Andaman Coucal, Andaman Cuckooshrike, Andaman Shama, Andaman Drongo, Andaman Treepie, Andaman White-headed Starling, Andaman Flowerpecker, Andaman Woodpecker, Andaman Bulbul etc. Well you get the picture. It was a very ‘birdy’ walk this morning and the forest was being kind to us, and we even picked up a wintering Two-barred Warbler high up in the canopy giving its distinctive call and a perched Besra. 

Mount Harriet NP Entrance (and Jeff)

However, the undoubted highlight happened just before 10.30am when we finally caught up with our last endemic, Andaman Cuckoo-dove, a bird we’d more or less given up on. Vikram, our excellent guide picked this little beauty up perched up in a big tree and as soon as everyone got onto it - it flew off. Success! We’d cleaned up on all of the endemics! 

Also got this record shot of Andaman Crake crossing the road - twice!

Andaman Crake

So we continued walking up until we reached the restaurant area at the top of the hill and celebrated with some moderately cold soft drinks and waited in the shade of a large tree for lunch to be served. Afterwards we drove back down to the marshes and had an enjoyable afternoon notching up some padders for the list, beginning with Slaty-breasted Rail. At our next spot we spent a while trying to tease out a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler (Rusty-rumped Warbler) and also Black-browed Reed-warbler and Oriental Reed Warbler – species you just don’t see on the mainland. A Chestnut Bittern flew up out of the marsh and our only Edible-nest Swiftlets of the trip flew over. Leaving here we then checked out some wet paddyfields and had more luck with two Long-toed Stints spotted amongst a flock of Lesser and a single Greater Sandplover, Little Ringed Plovers, Pacific Golden Plovers, Spotted and Common Redshank, Common Greenshank and some Wood Sandpipers. 

Andaman Barn Owl

So a really good day and we finished off with Andaman Barn-owl perched in a Palm tree to end the day’s proceedings.

In Search of Andaman Crake

A 4.30am departure saw us get onto a local ferry which took us across the bay and as we reached the other side the heavens opened and it rained for quite a while as we drove to a great patch of forest. Along the way we passed some marshes where a couple of Pacific Golden Plovers were present. 

Nice Andamans Scenery

Nice view on the Andamans

By the time we reached the forest the rain had eased to a light drizzle and off we went with brollies in hand along the road in search of Andaman Crake. Over the course of the next couple of hours we made several attempts at luring one in, but all to no avail. It was a little disheartening to say the least as the little trails we followed inside the forest were becoming muddier and muddier. Eventually, we did get a decent view after a very brief showing earlier in the morning. This time it walked across an open area before crossing the path below us and everyone heaved a huge sigh of relief. And that was it, apart from a perched Indian Cuckoo that Jeff found and a few other previously seen species – a pretty slow morning. So we drove on to some pools and scanned the exposed mud for waders, with both Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank and more Pacific Goldies present, along with several Striated Herons. As we scanned the pools on the other side of the road, where Stork-billed Kingfisher was seen, 6 Andaman Teals flew in and landed right in front of us. Wow! With that excitement over we spent a few minutes getting to grips with an Oriental Reed-warbler before heading off to the mangroves. Here we called in a Mangrove Whistler almost immediately and also had views of Dusky and Thick-billed Warblers before the rain came in again and we headed back to the hotel for lunch. 

Afterwards we returned to the same forest as yesterday and walked along the road, seeing virtually nothing. But once the sun set we called in an Andaman Scops-owl within a few minutes which totally blew my mind. We followed this up with a brief flyby of an Andaman Barn Owl.