Third Sunday Trail-17th March 2013 - Bird List

Here is the list as prepared by Kishan and Sheshadri
Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis)
Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
White-cheeked Barbet (Megalaima viridis)
Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
Small Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus)
Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)
Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)
Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
Little Brown Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus)
Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus)
White-bellied Drongo (Dicrurus caerulescens)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker (Dinopium benghalense)
Tickell's Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)
Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)
Pariah Kite (Milvus migrans)
Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)
Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
Jerdon's Chloropsis (Chloropsis cochinchinensis)
Black-throated Munia (Lonchura kelaarti)
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
Purple-rumped Sunbird (Nectarinia zeylonica)
Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica)
Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
Shikra (Accipiter badius)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Blyth's Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum)
Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata)
Greenish Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides)
Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus)
Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)
Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus)
Black-naped Monarch Flycatcher (Hypothymis azurea)
Asian Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae)
Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)
Blue-headed Rock Thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus)
White-throated Orange-headed Thrush (Zoothera citrina cyanotus)
Small Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris)
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) ?
Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike (Coracina melanoptera)
Indian Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii) Call
Unid Nightjar
Unid Pipit
Pasting herewith the observation noted by Sheshadri which is copied from his post on bngbirds@yahoo.com
"Thanks Kishan for the list.I thoroughly enjoyed the trip! Apart from seeing several birds up close,
met up people who I hadnt for quite some time! ( Of course meeting several new as well!)

Some additions/Corrections to the list.Some of us saw a big brownnish colored raptor fly by at quite a height and I thought it to be a booted eagle going by the white 'engine bars' near its neck. On checking with photographs, it turns out to be most likely a Tawny Eagle.

The munia seen were the white rumped munia L. striata and not the black throated! .The chloropsis was most probably a Gold fronted

There was also a bird, the size of a female blue capped rock thrush and pale brown to tawny color sighted by Ullas, TS Shrinivasa and several students from MCC. The bird was shot when it was preening itself and the head is not clearly visible in the photograph. Will post the details of this once it becomes clear what it was.

A pair of oriental Honey buzzards (OHB) were seen on a Eucalyptus tree with a nest. One bird was an adult and the other a Juv. Both birds took off on seeing some of us approach the tree to get a better look. Geetanjali
pointed out that the juv looked like a changable hawk eagle (spizaetus genus) however, by seeing them for about 10 mins we concluded it was indeed a OHB.

While editing a wiki article on this bird, I noticed that there is indeed and entry which says the Juv of OHB is known to appear like that of a larger spizaetus Juv in order to avoid being predated! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_Honey_Buzzard

Several trees were flowering and had attracted several birds! They broke the monotony of the dry parched landscape.
Regards
seshadri "