MBC walk to Karnala

Karnala fort - The pinnacle is a welcoming sign to birders.

 Winter is here in all its glory. And 40 birders joined in for yet another excellent birding day with Mumbai Birdwatchers Club on 27th Nov. This time the destination was Karnala bird sanctuary near Panvel. Karnala fort located within the sanctuary is a big draw for hikers in monsoon and winter. As one nears the sanctuary the thumb like pinnacle is a welcoming sign. The tiny hamlets and fields are taken over by the deep green of the forest as one travels along the Mumbai-Goa highway which divides the sanctuary in two.

After the usual introductions, the birders were split in two groups to be led by Saurabh Sawant, Amey Ketkar, Rujuta Phadke and Shashank Dalvi. The two trails, Mortakka and Hariyal, are popular amongst birders. The Mortakka trail is the shortest and easiest and has a winding circular path. Both groups were to bird on this trail but in opposite directions to avoid crowding.

In my past visits to Karnala I have observed the most number of birds just as one enters the sanctuary. And today was no different as we had a succession of sightings only a few meters from the main gate.

We started the walk with the sighting of a pair of Puff-throated Babblers skulking in the undergrowth. Usually these nondescript birds are difficult to spot as they remain hidden in the shadows and are more often heard than seen. Their call is easy to remember, it’s a very sweet rendition of “I will beat you”. The Puff-throated Babblers were quickly forgotten for views of a Brown-cheeked Fulvetta. This is yet another skulker but the lure of the early worm seemed to have brought it out in the open.

The air was full of bird song as the sunlight hit the trees. The yellow of the Black-hooded Oriole that we saw next was as bright as the golden sunlight. The mix deciduous forest of Karnala was sporting some yellowing Haldu trees as well. All along the trail we had excellent views of Ashy Drongos and Bronzed Drongos, quite a few of them flit amongst the trees drawing our attention with their antics.

Bronzed Drongo - Their smaller size compared to other drongos and glossy wings are an identifying feature.

White-naped Woodpecker female - One of the highlights of the trail.

However the day was dedicated to woodpeckers as we saw a Yellow-fronted, Brown-capped Pygmy and later along the trail a White-naped Woodpecker. The woodpeckers were observed gleaning for insects along the main trunk of the tree.

The leaf warblers, Green and Greenish, were also gleaning for insects. Unlike the woodpeckers they were seen searching for food in the leaves and smaller branches. Niche feeding like this reduces direct competition amongst birds which feed on the same tree.

Grey-fronted Green Pigeon - Though I prefer it's old name, "Pompadour Green Pigeon"

Soon we left the open trail and entered the forest, and saw a lone female Grey-fronted Green Pigeon. She sat atop a bare tree with her face towards the rising sun and sang sighingly. Endemic to the Western Ghats, the Grey-fronted Green Pigeon is usually seen in small flocks as they feed on fruits in the tree canopy. Another endemic bird which gave us excellent views were a pair of Thick-billed Flowerpeckers. The pair was quite gregarious, indicating that they were probably nesting nearby. So we quickly moved away to enjoy the sight of a Red-throated Flycatcher.

The heat had increased by now and we hoped to see some raptors taking advantage of  the thermals. But apart from a Crested-serpent Eagle, the raptors were the dip of the day.

Our most notable sightings for Karnala were the migratory Verditer and Ultramarine Flycatcher. Both species travel from Himalayas down south for the winter.

Karnala offers something to everyone, be it nature, history or adventure. However, this tiny sanctuary is threatened by unruly picnickers blind to it’s rich history. Earlier the forest department had initiated a deposit system against any plastic that one carried inside. But the large number of people visiting the sanctuary seems to have deterred the continuation of this practise. The recent news of widening the Goa-Mumbai highway passing through the sanctuary is also disheartening. Hopefully continued visits by MBC and other nature organisations will help put a light on the rich heritage of Karnala, that future generations may hear birdsong with as much joy as we did.

The old must fall for the new to rise.

MBC Bird walk at Bhuigaon

What a fantastic birding day! This was the thought in every birder's mind as the trail by Mumbai Birdwatchers Club ended at the Bhuigaon beach in Vasai. Around 40 passionate birders gathered to explore the hitherto unknown area of Bhuigaon. The mosaic of paddy fields, interspersed by wetland, scrub land, and seaside habitats gave us a superb variety of birds, and we all came back with a list of 75 bird sightings.

White Stork - an uncommon winter visitor

Mumbai Birdwatchers club has recently revived their activities. It’s aim is to offer a common platform to amateur birders to further their interests.The fourth birdwalk in this season was held at Bhuigaon in Vasai on Sunday, 20th Nov. Though not a very known trail, Bhuigaon is a popular birding destination for well known birders like Amol Lopes, Kuldeep Chaudhary, M. V. Bhakta, Sachin Marti and Varun Satose who reside in this area. The trail was led by senior and experienced birders like Saurabh Sawant, Rujuta Phadke, Varun Satose, Amol Lopes, Kuldeep Chaudhary, and M. V. Bhakta.

The weather was cool and pleasant when we started our walk, a welcome respite from the October heat. The approach road leading towards the seaside passed through Bhuigaon. It was lined by large opulent bungalows surrounded by small gardens. The gardens gave us views of Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, Purple-rumped Sunbird, and Pale-billed Flowerpecker trying to catch the early rays. The village suddenly gave way to paddy fields, interspersed by marshes and scrub land. Apart from the usual suspects like Red-wattled Lapwings, Common Sandpiper, the whole egret range, Great to Little, we also saw Little ringed and Kentish Plovers feeding in the nutrient rich mud.

A Striated Heron in flight brought our gaze back towards the skies, as we saw a gorgeous Black-shouldered Kite hovering in the distance. An Oriental Honey Buzzard was our next sighting. It showed off it’s unmistakable pigeon shaped head and tail markings as it was relentlessly chased by a murder of crows out for its life. Though both our sightings of Osprey were hazy and far, it was a satisfactory feeling to know they are well fed and that the fish are biting in this area.

It helped that our necks were craned towards the sky looking at an Oriental Skylark, when there was a sudden shout of “Falcon” from Saurabh. Lo and behold a handsome male Amur Falcon flew right over our head giving us a superb view of it’s pied underparts. As fast as it came, the falcon quickly disappeared from view. No doubt it was making it’s way across the ocean onward to its winter grounds in Africa. These tiny birds are one of the longest bird migrants in the world. They breed in the Amur river basin between Russia and China and undertake a journey of 22,000 Kms to their wintering grounds in Africa. They are passage migrants in India, which made this sighting very special as they are only seen for a short period of time during the beginning of winter.

Another notable sighting was of a Short-eared Owl as it circled overhead with a Marsh Harrier in tow. The sighting could be quickly confirmed as photographers produced pictures of this beauty in flight.

Short-eared Owl

The paddy fields produced for us Paddyfield Pipits, a trio chased each other merrily. Two Tree Pipits sat watching their antics from an electric wire. The sun was quite bright by now and the Tree Pipits were bathed in perfect light. This helped everyone observe the yellow wash and striations on their chest which distinguishes them from other pipits.

Tree Pipit showing off striations and yellow wash on chest

Siberian Stonechat, Booted and Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Long-tailed Shrike and an uncommon Red-headed Bunting confirmed that migration was well under way.

The rich countryside gave us ample sightings and we ended up spending nearly 2 hours covering a stretch of 2 kms. By now the sea was beckoning and by 9:30 a.m. we ended up on the a clean beach littered with Little Ringed, Greater and Lesser Sand, and Kentish Plovers, running helter skelter in the sands. Ruddy Turnstones, Terek and Curlew Sandpipers and a lone Sanderling were amongst our notable sightings by the grey Arabian sea.

We ended the day with a vote of thanks to all the participating birders. Some of the birders quickly headed over to the nearby saltpans for another uncommon sighting of White Stork, a widespread winter visitor to the Indian subcontinent. In the past there have been some very uncommon records from the Vasai area, like White-tailed Lapwing, Crab Plover, and very recently the White Stork. Local birders with their sustained efforts have come up with a list of 250 birds and a birding app “Vasai Birds”. It is vital that this region receives popularity as a birding destination. MBC hopes that their efforts to bring light to such unknown areas will help in their conservation as the city rapidly takes over the last bits of green and converts it to a dreary grey.

Terek Sandpiper with unmistakable orange legs and slightly upcurved beak