Theosophical Gardens, Chennai, India, December 2013

The Botanical Gardens in Chennai sounded like a great place to visit and a couple of conversations with Chennai residents, suggesting that the gardens are slightly unkempt, raised my anticipation. Sadly, as so often happens, neither concierge nor taxi driver could decide where to go looking for the gardens, so I had to fall back on what I know and take a visit to the Theosophical Society instead.

I am told that the grounds cover 260 acres (this figure probably includes Besant Gardens on the other side of Besant Avenue) with the Adyar River running along the northern edge. Despite the very attractive mature woodland, I was strangely drawn towards the river.The water is not accessible though with only occasional glimpses of the islands through the bank side bushes. I had foolishly squandered my visit looking for common birds that I have seen well and frequently on very recent trips to India.

The grounds of the Theosophical Society are only open briefly during the day, so it is important to make the most of a visit. The only passerine seen along the river was a flock of Yellow-billed Babblers.

On my way back to comply with the 16.00 closure, a few woodland birds were seen. In a huge Banyan Tree, which I am given to believe is 450 years old, male Asian Koels seemed to tolerate each other amongst the huge glut of fruit.

A handful of Rose-ringed Parakeets made the trees sound as if they were full of birds. One bird had me reaching for the field guide. At first I thought it was an Ashy Minivet, but it would have been way out of range and no pale outer retrices were visible. I settled reluctantly on the P. c. pallidus form of the Small Minivet as there were no other candidates.

Some beautiful old colonial buildings can be seen as they slowly fall into disrepair amongst the trees. The groundsmen have resisted the inclination to domesticate the woodland with only a couple of roundabouts and meditation areas showing any signs of a gardener's touch. The paved roads are kept clear and occasional patches of undergrowth are cleared by a man with a bush knife and a bullock cart. This relaxed approach leaves a very natural feel.
The grounds are open for 90 minutes in the morning between 08.30 and 10.00, then again in the afternoon for two hours from 14.00 'til 16.00. There is no charge for admission. Two gates are guarded; one just on the southern side of Adyar Bridge at Google Earth ref; 13 0 37.44N 80 15 33.84E)  and the other on Besant Avenue.

Birds seen; 20

Great Egret 1, Little Egret 5, Indian Pond-Heron 2, Black Kite 1, Shikra 1, White-breasted Waterhen 1, Yellow-wattled Lapwing 1, Red-wattled Lapwing, 6, Black-winged Stilt 8, Common Sandpiper 1, Rose-ringed Parakeet 15, Asian Koel 8, Coppersmith Barbet 5, Small Minivet 1, Black Drongo 1, Rufous Treepie 3, House Crow 30, Yellow-billed Babbler 8, Long-billed Sunbird 2.

For a previous post from The Theosophical Society, follow the link below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-theosophical-gardens-chennai-may.html

Visit the dedicated India Page for more posts from Chennai.
Birding Bird-watching Birdwatching in Chennai, Madras, India.
Bird list for Theosophical Society.

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, New Delhi, India, Nov 2013

How many birds can you shake a stick at? Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary just kept on giving today with hardly a moment when a new bird wasn’t trying to grab my attention and make it onto the list. The final tally rounded out at 78(-ish) with 2 red-letter species for my all-time roll.

The day started with the usual hassle of trying to find a driver that knows the way. Confusion arises as there is a New Delhi suburb called Sultanpur, whereas Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is over 50kms and an hour’s drive further on beyond the urban sprawl. Vinod Kumar drove today and we spent 15 minutes before we left trying to make absolutely sure that we were going to the right place, then another 20 minutes waiting at a gas station to fill up for the journey. Despite his lack of knowledge of the countryside beyond the city, Vinod was reassuringly enthusiastic in his use of the horn and displayed an admirable sense of urgency once we were up and running.

We arrived shortly after 07.30 with the sun freshly risen and a slight mist which never quite burned away. The gates were locked and we found that the opening times have been changed. They would not open until 09.00 today and not at all on Tuesdays. This is a new timetable and I was lucky not to have been caught out. Immediately next door is The Rosy Pelican, a tea shop and gardens where I spent a productive hour or so waiting for the sanctuary to open. They have made an unusual selection in choosing a pin-up to advertise their birdy credentials, but there was plenty to see here.

Black-rumped Flamebacks were easy to find. The male, on the right, has a complete red crest while the female, has a bi-coloured black and red crest. Oriental White-eyes flitted through the alien eucalypts and small Phylloscopus warblers teased me with their similarities to each other and aberrant markings when compared to the field guide.

I managed to pin down a constant clicking to the Red-throated Flycatcher and the Greenish Warbler was identified by his rising two-syllable call “chaoo-ee”. Rose-ringed Parakeets were plentiful and approachable. They pair up at this time of year to search for nesting sites, so these two, with the collared male on the right, may have been a bonded couple.

At 09.00 I wandered around to the main gate and stopped to take a quick look at a drab bird in the acacias on the far side of the road. I was on the lookout for a Large Grey Babbler and there was a small flock of them feeding in the trees and on the ground. This is a bird which was absent from the field guide that I used during my formative years of Indian birding and it didn’t stand out from the plate in my new book, so I had never thought to look for it until I noticed it mentioned on an eBird submission for Sultanpur. Separating it from the similar Jungle Babbler was to have been the target task of my day. Mission accomplished!

 A bird guide pointed out a Spotted Owlet just inside the gate which took the pressure off. One lifer, one owl; already a great day. I headed left along the track that skirts the north-eastern corner of the lake. The water is slightly obscured by trees and undergrowth, but most of the action was on the other side of the path where Black Redstarts, Lesser White-throats, Common Tailorbird and Hume’s Warbler were seen. A Common Hawk Cuckoo dropped down before I could get a decent look, but was more approachable on the return journey.

Alarm calls betrayed more small warblers with Blythe’s Reed Warbler and a small flock of Common Chiffchaff keeping an eye out for the young Shikra prominently perched on a dead snag.

A female Nilgai and her two calves splashed across the shallow water towards one of the islands. They wander freely around the sanctuary, but are wary and during the day, they like the security offered by the small islands of the lake.

A spit gives a good opportunity to get closer to the colony of nesting Painted Storks that has been breeding here for many years. It would also allow for good views of the waterfowl if only the mist would lift. The weather can be an issue here sometimes with thick fog hampering viewing during winter mornings. Today it was a bit hazy, and kept the contrast of the photos low, but the storks and their large, greyish young were easy enough to see at about 80 meters beyond the end of the spit.

The Sanctuary management has provided small mounds across the lake for roosting waterfowl. From the end of the spit, lots of ducks could be seen on the open water and there were plenty of Greylag Geese on the flat banks to the south. I was a bit surprised that I had only seen a very few wading birds. Black-winged Stilt are usually easy to find.

One Common Redshank showed its white wing pattern as it flushed from close to the bank, but when I came to look at a small group of leggy birds on a small hump, I saw the longer bill and light stripe above the eye that indicated a Spotted Redshank amongst the White-tailed Lapwings and stilts.

In all, I had only walked a very short distance and scanned across about 50 acres of water, weedy bank and light scrub woodland, but had taken around four hours to do it. Vinod would be waiting to take me back to New Delhi soon, so I had to start thinking about heading home. Back at the gate, I couldn’t resist a very quick foray beyond to see if I could see the cranes that I thought I had heard earlier. I was lucky to run into Sanjay, a naturalist at the sanctuary who pointed out a Brook’s Leaf Warbler which I would have struggled with on my own.

He also knew of a pair of Indian Scops Owls that roost in the gardens, close to where the taxi was parked.

A few of the birds in the list below were seen from the road as we approached the reserve, or as we drove home. They were close enough to include as part of the Sultanpur list, but are italicised for clarity. Lesser Spotted Eagles do not appear as I was unable to confirm them through the mist at distance. I am given to believe that the area around the sanctuary can be very productive, so if you arrive early, it is well worth searching the environs until the gate opens.

Birds seen; 78

Greylag Goose 120, Comb Duck 15, Ruddy Shelduck 15, Gadwall 12, Eurasian Wigeon 6, Mallard 2, Indian Spot-billed Duck 80, Northern Shoveler 10, Northern Pintail 25, Green-winged Teal 60, Common Pochard 8, Grey Francolin 4, Indian Peafowl 6, Little Grebe 4, Painted Stork 150, Great Cormorant 5, Little Cormorant 60, Oriental Darter 2, Grey Heron 4, Purple Heron 3, Great Egret 5, Intermediate Egret 2, Little Egret 2, Cattle Egret 8, Indian Pond Heron 6, Black-headed Ibis 40, Red-naped Ibis 5, Black Kite 6, Crested Serpent Eagle 1, Eurasian Marsh Harrier 1, Shikra 1, Tawny Eagle 1, Eurasian Kestrel 1, White-breasted Waterhen 3, Purple Swamphen 20, Eurasian Moorhen 120, Eurasian Coot 80, Red-wattled Lapwing 4, White-tailed Lapwing 2, Black-winged Stilt 5, Spotted Redshank 1, Common Redshank 1, Eurasian Collared-dove 2, Yellow-footed Pigeon 2, Rose-ringed Parakeet 80, Common Hawk Cuckoo 1, Greater Coucal 2, Indian Scops Owls 2, Spotted Owlet 1, White-throated Kingfisher 2, Green Bee-eater 12, Indian Roller 4, Eurasian Hoopoe 2, Indian Grey Hornbill 1, Black-rumped Flameback 6, Black Drongo 6, Rufous Treepie 1, House Crow 10, Barn Swallow 6, Red-vented Bulbul 1, Common Chiffchaff 8, Brooks’s Leaf-Warbler 1, Hume’s Warbler 2, Greenish Warbler 15, Blythe’s Reed Warbler 1, Common Tailorbird 2, Yellow-bellied Prinia 6, Plain Prinia 2, Lesser Whitethroat 5, Oriental White-eye 35, Large Grey Babbler 20, Jungle Babbler 25, Oriental Magpie Robin 1, Red-throated Flycatcher 15, Black Redstart 6, Bank Myna 2, Common Myna 6, Purple Sunbird 1.

Sultanpur Jheel or Bird Sanctuary can be found approximately 30 Kms to the southwest of New Delhi’s Indira Ghandi International Airport at Google Earth ref;28 28 4.73N 76 53 30.19E

It is open from 09.00 until 16.30, 6 days a week. It is closed on Tuesdays. There are toilets at the sanctuary and a tea shop in the gardens next door. Bring water.

It can still be productive to arrive early as the gardens next door at the Rosy Pelican are very good and the area around the sanctuary is said to have many birds, though I suspect that this may be a seasonal (probably winter) abundance.

Cost for a non-Indian national with a dirty great camera was IR 65. A guide offered me his services at IR 1000 (approx US$ 18), but I usually prefer to look out for myself.

A taxi will have to leave the city and cross the state line into Haryana. There used to be some permit issues in this respect, but there were no problems today. A private hire car can cross without any difficulties. Check with your driver.

A metered journey cost IR 2700 for the return trip and 4 hours waiting. There is a toll on the road of IR 100. A non-metered negotiated journey can be substantially less.

Previous posts from Sultanpur can be found at the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/sultanpur-new-delhi-india.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/sultanpur-national-park-new-delhi.html

Visit the dedicated India Page for more posts from New Delhi including Tughlaqabad Fort, Kalindi Kunj and Merauli.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Bangaluru, India, May 2012

If you use leading questions or Pavlovian prompts in India, you may fall foul of a charming, but confusing cultural tradition. Questions such as “Am I going the right way for…….?” or “will the grounds of Bangaluru Palace be open at 06.30?” invite the answer “Yes”.  Phrasing the question as if you are seeking confirmation rather than information leaves the respondant with no option but to answer in the affirmative. To do otherwise would be impolite. Thus you are more likely to get confirmation of what you hope is true rather than what is actual fact.

Just so that you know, the grounds of the Bangaluru Palace are not open to the public until 10.00, so I had to do a quick about turn and head to Lalbarg Botanical Gardens instead. This misdirection had cost me about an hour and a half and the gardens were already very busy.

I entered from the northern Gate (Google earth ref; 12 57 14N 77 35 07E) and headed south past the floral clock towards the lake. Black Kites, House Crows and Common Mynas are gimmes in most Indian cities and Bangaluru (Bangalore), Karnataka, is no exception.

The first bird inside the gardens posed me some questions. Most accipiters seen on the Indian sub-continent will be Shikra, Accipiter badius, but this one appeared much darker than usual with a darker orange eye than I am used to seeing.

The light mottling on the back was unusual too. I put that down to ruffled feathers, but it flew across to another branch and settled, maintaining the ruffled look. The lack of barring on the tail left me with no other feasible options, so I will plump for Shikra, but would be interested to hear from anyone with more southern Indian accipiter experience.

The whole city of Bangaluru resonates to the rich, low trill of the White-faced Barbet and they seemed especially at home in the gardens. The density of calls meant that they sometimes coincided or overlapped and I could not decide whether a pair was singing in duet or two rivals were trying to disrupt each others’ claim to territory. I could not uncover any evidence or anecdote for either practice, so again, if there are any south Indian specialists out there……..

A small troupe of Bonnet Macacques lazed in a stand of bamboo, hoping for handouts from the Bangaluries(?). Just beyond, steps lead up to the big feature of the gardens, Lalbargh Lake. The banks have been shored up with a stone finish, but Indian Pond Herons and a Little Egret stalked the edges of a few unfinished stretches.

Great Cormorants and Little Cormorants fished in the deeper water or basked in the sun, wings spread wide. Woodland to the side of the lake in the south-western-most part of the gardens is usually quite productive and I found a White-faced Barbet nest here today. An adult visited regularly and another bird popped its head out from time to time as if impatient to know when the next visit might be.

A western lobe of the lake is very shallow and was almost dry in this second week of May. Lotus covers much of the area with thick reeds on the far side. Purple Swamphens tended their chicks among the lotus while a White-throated Kingfisher watched from the trees alongside.

Another familiar sound of the gardens is the hysteria of the Asian Koel. They were very common and obvious today even as midday approached. A female was being courted by a male who brought her gifts of red berries to match her eyes.

Birds seen; 25

Great Cormorant 8, Little Cormorant 6, Grey Heron 1, Purple Heron 1, Little Egret 1, Indian Pond Heron 6, Black-crowned Night Heron 1, Black Kite 120, Brahminy Kite 4, Shikra 1, Purple Swamphen 15, Eurasian Moorhen 2, Red-wattled Lapwing 1, Rose-ringed Parakeet 35, Asian Koel 25, White-throated Kingfisher 1, White-cheeked Barbet 25, House Crow 200, Large-billed Crow 60, Jungle Myna 30, Common Myna 50, Purple-rumped Sunbird 1, White-wagtail 1. 

Seen on walk to palace; Red-whiskered Bulbul 1, Yellow-billed Babbler 2,

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens consists of 240 acres of lush woodland, lake and landscaping close to the city centre. A metered tuk-tuk cost IR60 from the centre of the city, but expect a small surcharge for heavy traffic on the return journey.

Other posts from Bangaluru can be seen below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/bannerghatta-national-park-bangalore.html

Visit the dedicated Indian page for more posts from the area.

Powai Gardens, Mumbai, India. Sept 2011

During this first week of September, adherents across India are celebrating the festival of Ganpati, or Ganesh Chaturthi. It is a moveable feast, but is usually around this time of year. Celebrants parade idols of Lord Ganesh, accompanied by drums, dancing and nevedya offerings, to water and cast him in. Here, he will turn to sand and water before completing the circle and returning to the faithful in his deity form as the benevolent Elephant God.

So as not to distract the faithful and to avoid the crowds that would likely throng the shores of Powai Lake, I took myself to the Renaissance Hotel (Google Earth ref; 19 08 04N 72 54 05E (These co-ordinates may not be pinpoint accurate. Please check this link before you rely on them))  where I hoped that the private frontage onto the lake would afford me some peace and tranquillity, but the hotel was preparing scaffolding, launch ramps and stages for the celebrations with lots of people making lots of noise.

A few birds rose above the industry, notably a Common Tern which was quartering across the lake and made a fly-by close to shore. I was unable to access the shoreline here as an electric fence runs along the bank protecting the hotels’ frontage.

Monsoon rains must have been heavy recently as the ground was very soft and the omnipresent House Crows were easily able to pick into the squishy lawns. A couple of Red-vented Bulbuls showed well, but I quickly decided that it would be better to move on.

Walking out of the Renaissance Hotel along the ranks of tuk-tuks, taxis and buses, I came across Powai Garden which can be seen on Google Earth, described as a Deer Park, on the western shore of Powai Lake. Not knowing if it was a private garden, I popped my head in for a quick look and found a small forest with a large stream running through it. A White-breasted Kingfisher spooked from the railing of a dilapidated bridge and settled on a branch over the river further up.

I suspected that the stream must be the outflow from the lake and debris on the railings of the bridge showed that the level must have been substantially higher just very recently. The South-west Monsoon blesses the area around Mumbai from about mid June ‘til its withdrawal at the end of September. We had landed into a very vigorous shower last night and more rain had been threatening all day.

A path running alongside the river led me a couple of hundred meters upstream to a long high curtain of water cascading over the dam wall. Kids were swimming and catching tiny fish which they delighted in showing me. A path leads up to the top of the dam on either side of the wall; I chose the path to the left. A gate prevented me from walking out onto the dam and a fence was in place to keep me away from the water’s edge, but a good view could still be had out across the lake, with houseboats moored along the banks.

Back in the forest there was very little bird activity. An Ashy Prinia and a Common Tailorbird were seen, but little else apart from the crows and the Black Kites. Among the dragonflies were a Variegated Flutterer and a Green Skimmer. This exquisitely patterned butterfly showed a rich blue upperside, but always settled with its wings closed. Any suggestions will be gratefully received as ever.

Just after 16.00 the rain began again and the biting insects were getting the better of me after I had sweated off all the repellent. Tip for next time; bring the name and address of the hotel as the keycard does not have it and my return taxi driver did not know it. Hotels have reciprocal agreements that set taxi tariffs for journeys to and from. As an example, the hotel rate was IR 350. The return journey by street cab cost IR 55.

“Ganpati bappa, Morya!

Pudhchya varshii lavkar yaa,

Ganpati gele gaavaala,

Chain pade na aamhala!

Species seen;14

Indian Cormorant 1, Little Egret 1, Black Kite 25, Common Tern 1, Asian Palm Swift 1, Dusky Crag Martin 2, Red-vented Bulbul 2, Ashy Prinia 1, Common Tailorbird 1, House Crow 200, Large-billed Crow 1, Common Myna 30, House Sparrow 20, Nutmeg Mannikin 1.

This butterfly seen in the water hyacinth at the edge of the lake also needs a name if anyone knows. If there is no looky-likey to the Grey Pansy, then that is what it is. Confirmation would be well received though.

Other posts from Mumbai may be found by following the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/02/powai-lake-in-mumbai.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/09/powai-lake-mumbai-india.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/03/sanjay-ghandi-national-park-is-obvious.html

Visit the dedicated India page for other Indian destinations

Powai garden, Mumbai, India,

Kalindi Kunj Crescent.

Kalindi Kunj Crescent is a made up name for a spit of land, shaped like an agricultural hook, protruding upstream from the dam across the river Yamuna in New Delhi, India.

Things are never as easy as they should be when hiring taxis on the sub-continent and the problem on this occasion was that the bridge crossing the dam led out of New Delhi and into Uttar Pradesh State. Taxis are not allowed to cross state lines without a special licence, under pain of fine and my driver refused to embark on such a disreputable act. It was easy enough to walk the 600m to the crescent and birds were apparent straight away. Birding from the bridge might have been productive, but cyclists and pedestrians thronged the narrow walkway making it impractical, if not downright dangerous.

Once on the crescent, the noise of the traffic died away and I didn’t see another person until I returned to the bridge. One of the early birds was a small flock of Jungle Babblers. Out on the river, floating mats of weed held Purple Swamphens and Indian Pond Herons. Islands have formed and provided roosting opportunities for European Spoonbills, Black-tailed Godwits and plenty of waterfowl.

G.L. had mentioned Bar-headed Goose from his recent visit here. They did not show today, but were made up for by Greylag and Ruddy Shelduck. The ducks included Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal and Spot-billed Duck.

In the early morning, the crescent allows a good view of the islands to the west, but without the scope, I wouldn’t have picked out the Ruff, River Lapwing or the White-tailed Lapwing.

The crescent itself is a raised path lined with trees and bushes. For the first 300 m or so, the west side has reeds and rank vegetation alongside. I imagine that the appearance of this changes with the seasons and the river level. Google Earth shows huge mats of weed, as much as 200m wide, held back by the barrage. Today, the weed was minimal in comparison.

There is a low wall with a metal fence which shows that the spit is supposed to be here rather than just being an island formed by an agglomeration of weed over the years. This Indian Robin and a Bluethroat favoured the wall and the railing as somewhere to hang out.

In the lower trees were Lesser Whitethroat, Common Tailorbird and Yellow-bellied Prinia. A tiny Phyloscopus sp kept me busy for a while until I decided upon Greenish Warbler.

House Crows are always abundant in New Delhi, and the crescent seemed to have its fair share. They were very noisy this morning and appeared to be following me and calling to mark me out as a threat.

A Spotted Owlet flushed from a low tree ahead and distracted the attention of the crows for a while. The owl looked very discomfited to be attracting so much fuss and dropped onto one of the crows in an effort to shoo it away. Asian Pied Starlings joined in with the mobbing as did a Blyth’s Reed Warbler and a Three-striped Squirrel.

Yellow-bellied Prinias were common all along the length of the spit and were quite confiding and accomodating  in response to a pish.

 About half way along its 700m length, the crescent begins to hook around to the right (east).  A pair of Black Ibis flushed from the water’s edge. Towards the end of the spit, another island has formed and held Grey heron, Glossy ibis and Wood Sandpiper. As I turned around, a large dark shape in a tree caught my attention. It was a Crested Serpent Eagle, which gave me another short respite by taking the noisy crows with it as it flew.

I retraced my steps to get back to the bridge, heading home. As I passed the spot where the owls had been earlier, I stopped to watch the warblers and try to get a few more pictures. An Orange-headed Thrush suddenly appeared in a nearby bush and just as quickly, it was gone.

The river here is quite smelly and the crows were intrusive into what would otherwise have been a very pleasant morning. The birding was productive with over 60 species seen. I had asked my driver to wait for me at the car park at the end of the bridge. This involved a walk of 1.2kms in order to find him again, which was a bit of a drag. It cost IR700 for the return journey and 4 hours waiting.

There were other taxis and tuk-tuks that crossed the bridge as I was walking. In future, if my taxi does not hold the required licence, I will just get him to drop me and use one of the other cabs to get across the bridge.

Downstream, a few sandy islands wallowed in the river like a bather in a bubblebath. From my biology field-trip to a sewage farm at the age of twelve, I recall that foam at the outfall is an indication that the water is clean. There must have been a qualifier to that but I don't remember what it was. The islands held a few River Lapwing and were reported to harbour Small Pratincole further downstream.

Bird species; 63

Great Cormorant 1, Little Cormorant 3, Grey Heron 15, Purple Heron 2, Great Egret 1, Intermediate Egret 3, Cattle Egret 1, Indian Pond Heron 30, Painted Stork 1, Black-headed Ibis 1, Indian Black Ibis 8, Glossy Ibis 15, Eurasian Spoonbill 2, Greylag Goose 40, Ruddy Shelduck 8, African Comb Duck 6, Eurasian Wigeon 500, Gadwall 20, Eurasian Teal 12, Spot-billed Duck 12, Northern Shoveler 500, Black Kite 150, Crested Serpent Eagle 1, White-breasted Waterhen 1, Purple Swamphen 80, Common Moorhen 6, Common Coot 400, Black-winged Stilt 300, Pied Avocet 14, River Lapwing 8, Red-wattled Lapwing 25, White-tailed Lapwing 2, Black-tailed Godwit 15, Common Greenshank 1, Wood Sandpiper 4, Common Sandpiper2, Ruff 60, Yellow-legged Gull 2, Black-headed Gull 2, Eurasian Collared Dove 2, Rose-ringed Parakeet 1, Greater Coucal 2, Spotted Owlet 2, White-throated Kingfisher 3, Hoopoe 3, Plain Martin 8, Red-vented Bulbul 3,  Orange-headed Thrush 1, Bluethroat 1, Indian Robin 2, Yellow-bellied Prinia 8, Common Tailorbird 3, Lesser Whitethroat 6, Blyth’s Reed Warbler 1, Greenish Warbler 1, Red-breasted Flycatcher 2, Jungle Babbler 5, Purple Sunbird 2, Black Drongo 3, Rufous Treepie 2, House Crow 200, Common Myna 8, Asian Pied Starling 12.

Mammal species; 3

Three-striped Squirrel 8, Nilgai 3, Common Mongoose 1.