Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Madhumalai trip report

Elelphant Tusk
Pied Bushchat
Collared DovesSpot Billed Pelican



Shikhra


Scaly Breasted Munia



Small Bee Eater



Dhols & Sambhar face-off



Mongoose



Malabar Giant Squirrel



Garden Lizard (?)



Little Grebe



Large Cormorant



Tusker



Juvenile Elephant



Captive



Dhols



Darter-scape



Langur



Gold Backed Woodpecker Elephant





Copersmith Barbet






Bison



White Bellied Minivet



Shikhra


Darter crested searpent eagle


Trip Report:

Closest town: Masinagudi

Stayed At: Camped at Secret Ivory Resort. Cost Rs. 500 for setting up camp.

Rooms: Rs 1800

Review: Well kept, clean but a tad bit expensive. Ombalan is a nice chap, but perhaps has lost a bit of enthusiasm for wildlife.

Also stayed at: Masinagudi Forest House. Rs. 580

Places to eat:

Safari Hotel. Must go. Absolutely lovely hotel with charming waiters who will regale you with stories of their tiger hunter owner Nawab Shahat Ali Khan. Go there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Contacts:

1. Araikyaswami (Forest Ranger) - ()

Can be coaxed into taking a jeep safari into the core area if you'd rather not take the 35 Rs bus safari. It will be a tad expensive though, A 2.5 hour jeep safari would put you back Rs. 2100. I did not take it this time, but it seems like a good bet for spottings, since you can take the routes less travelled

2. Maasi (Guide) - (9655562656)

Excellent Guide. In depth knowledge of the local birds as well. Would recommend that you contact him directly rather man going through the Resorts. Would perhaps work out quite a bit cheaper.

Bird Sightings:
Kukkere Belluru:

1. Indian Roller

2. Red Vented Bulbul

3. Black Drongo

4. Babbler

5. Greater Coucal

6. Parakeet

7. White brasted Kingfisher

8. Red Whiskered Bulbul

9. Pied Bushchat

10. White Ibis

11. Baya Weaver

12. Brahmini Kite
Bandipur & Madhumalai:

Small Bee Eater

Spot Billed Duck

Whistling Duck (Greater or lesser?)

Indian Robin
Magpie Robin


Purple Sunbird

Scaly Breasted Munia

Small Minivet

Scarlet Minivet

White Bellied Minivet

Great Cormorant

Little Cormorant

Brahmini Starling

Spotted Dove

Plum headed parakeet

Blue Tailed (Malabar) Parakeet

Peacock

White Browed Wagtail

Shikhra

Gold Backed Wookpecker

Coppersmit barbet

Creasted Searpent Eagle

Black Headed Oriole

Common Woodshrike

Bay Backed Shrike

Common Iora

House Sparrow

Mysore:

Darter

Painted Stork

Spot Billed Duck

Little Grebe

White Ibis

Scarlet Ibis

Common Coot

Open Billed Stork

Little Egret

Spot BIlled Pelican

Pied Kingfisher

Animal Sightings:

Leopard

Bison

Spotted Deer

Elephants

Mongoose

Wild Rabbit (Hare?)
Dhols


Sambhars

Langurs

Coordinates of spots for decent sightings:

Water Hole ()