CHAKKIMOR BIRDING ON 28.11.12 by Rima Dhillon

THE  KALKA BYPASS HAS MADE CHAKKI MOR EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO US CHANDIGARH BIRDERS.THE TRAUMA OF BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC JAMS HAS PASSED INTO THE REALMS OF UNPLEASANT MEMORIES. NARBIR ,DR.DEEPAK AND I DECIDED TO CELEBRATE GURPURAB WITH THE DAWN CHORUS FROM OUR  WINGED FRIENDS.

WE LEFT CHANDIGARH AT 5.40am SO AS TO BE IN PLACE FOR THE DAWN CHORUS.THE WARM RAYS OF THE YET INVISIBLE SUN HAD TURNED THE MOON INTO A  SHINING GOLDEN ORB HANGING LOW IN THE WESTERN SKY.THIS BREATHTAKING SIGHT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE MELODIUS SONG OF THE BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH AS IT WOKEUP TO A FRESH NEW MORNING.FOR ME IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HERALDER OF A NEW DAY, FOR AS FAR BACK INTO MY CHILDHOOD AS I CAN REMEMBER .AS IF THE AVIAN WORLD WAS WAITING FOR JUST THIS SIGNAL ,THE SURROUNDINGS SOON CAME ALIVE WITH FURTIVE MOVEMENT IN THE VEGETATION.

THE BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH WAS THE FIRST BIRD TO BE SEEN AND HEARD AND WE WERE TO SEE IT AT ALMOST EVERY TURN OF THE ROAD FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.

THE KALEEJ PHEASANT WERE SEEN AT FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ALONG THE ROADS ALWAYS IN PAIRS OF  MALE AND FEMALE ,EXCEPT ONE WHERE THERE WERE ONLY TWO MALES.

THE MIXED FLOCK OF ORIENTAL WHITEEYE ALONG WITH BLACKCHINNED BABBLERS AND LEMONRUMPED WARBLERS WERE IN A FEEDING FRENZY IN THE WILD BLUE FLOWERS COVERING THE HILLSIDE.

THE WILD APPLE TREES WERE PLAYING HOST TO A LARGE FLOCK OF HIMALAYAN BULBULS, THEIR COUSINS THE BLACK BULBULS AND THE REDVENTED BULBULS ALONG WITH THE WHISKERED YUHINA AND A LONE RUFOUS SIBIA.

AS USUAL THE RUSTYCHEEKED SCIMITARBABBLERS COULD BE HEARD APLENTY BUT NOT SEEN TILL WE CAME UPON  A FLOCK OF REDBILLED LEIOTHRIX . ALARMED AT OUR APPROACH THEY FLEW HELTER SKELTER INTO THE THICK BUSHES ALONG THE HILLSIDE AND UNWITTINGLY LED US STRAIGHT TO THE SCIMITARBABBLERS QUIETLY BREAKFASTING ON BUGS UNEARTHED  FROM BENEATH FALLEN LEAVES.

THE” MAD LAUGHTER” OF THE RUFOUS CHINNED LAUGHINGTHRUSHES AND THE WHITECRESTED LAUGHINGTHRUSHES ALONG WITH THE PLAINTIVE CALLS OF THE GREAT BARBET ADDED TO THE MUSIC OF THE MORNING.

IN ALL A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE GURPURB, BY ENJOYING, THE BOUNTIES OF NATURE AND ROUNDING OFF WITH A SANDWICH AND LUKEWARM TEA FROM MY THERMOSE.

BIRDLIST FOR THE DAY:

1.BLUE WHISTLING THRUSH

2.ORIENTAL WHITEEYE

3.KALEEJ PHEASANT

4.RUFOUS CHINNED LAUGHINGTHRUSH

5.STREAKED LAUGHINGTHRUSH

6.WHITECRESTED LAUGHINGTHRUSH

7.BLACK BULBUL

8.HIMALAYAN BULBUL

9.REDVENTED BULBUL

10.GREYHEADED WARBLER

11.LEMONRUMPED WARBLER

12.BLACKCHINNED BABBLER

13.JUNGLE BABBLER

14.GREAT TIT

15.BLACKTHROATED TIT

16.GREYBREASTED PRINIA

17.TREE PIPIT

18.ORANGEFLANKED BUSHROBIN

19.WHISKERED YUHINA

20.INDIAN ROBIN

21.WHITECAPPED WATERREDSTART ( RASMUSSEN -WHITECAPPED RIVER CHAT)

22.BLUECAPPED REDSTART

23.PLUMBEOUS WATER REDSTART

24.RED JUNGLEFOWL

25.FULVOUS BREASTED WOODPECKER

26.ROSEFINCH –PINKBROWED?

27.RUFOUS SIBIA

28.RUFOUS TREEPIE

29.PLUMHEADED PARAKEET

30.ROSERINGED PARAKEET

31.VERDITERS BLUE FLYCATCHER

32.GREY BUSHCHAT

33.CHESTNUT BELLIED ROCKTHRUSH

34.GREAT BARBET (HEARD)

35.RUSTYCHEEKED SCIMITARBABBLER

36.LARGEBILLED CROW

37.REDBILLED LEIOTHRIX

38.WHITETAILED FANTAIL FLYCATCHER

39.COMMON ROCKCHAT

40.SHIKRA

41.HOUSE SWIFT

42BLACK KITE