Birding around Bangalore

procrj · 15th February 2021, 17:24

Surprised not to see a thread for this on TBHP and hence decided to start one. I have been sporadically going on bird walks for the last couple of years and its been a lot of fun for me. The camaraderie among those that join such walks is generally very good and you do get to learn a lot about the birds, their habitat and behavior. Added advantage is the early morning fresh air and view of sunrise. Decided to be more regular starting this year and hence starting this thread.

The binocular has been my trusted ally on these walks most of the time but off late, the old nikon D3000 and the tamaron 70-300 have started joining the binoculars as well. Planning to use this thread to share past and future experiences and encourage other Bangalore birding enthusiasts to also share their experience.
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Date: Dec 2020
Location: Around Gulakamale Lake - https://goo.gl/maps/8W6gfMT8aB1RbbbX6
While the lake does have the usual cormorants and the painted storks, we decided to drive a little ahead of the lake to a temple and walk across a farm.

Black winged Kite

Indian robin

White browed wagtail

White browed bulbul

Laughing dove

White Bellied Drongo

Open billed stork

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Date: Feb 2021
Location: Turahalli Tree Park - https://goo.gl/maps/BcjMzHh6Q818pgWx8
Decided to join the Great Backyard Bird Count 2021, which is basically an global initiative where thousands of birdwatchers all across the world look for birds for four days in February each year. It’s great fun, and it helps create a snapshot of where birds are. As you can see from the list of birds (only a small list as compared to what the regular birders were able to see), this place was teeming with avian life.

Indian Bush Lark

Green bee eaters

Small minivet

Indian Koel - male

Indian robin

Golden Oriole

Yellow eyed Babbler

Yellow beaked Babbler

Zitting Cisticola

Red Whiskered Bulbul

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Date: Feb 2021
Location: Muthanallur lake - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUSZttDXybfyaQbP6
This was an awesome morning with some amazing views of the lake. The lake by itself is pretty large and we were able to cover only about 20% of the walk around the tank bund. A large part of the lake has been taken over by water hyacinths and you can see water hens and moor hens strutting around. Lots of pond herons keep vigil all over the lake and colonies of darters, cormorants have nests around here. We were also able to spot the nest of a black kite and saw a couple of lesser flameback woodpeckers flying around. We were lucky to spot a couple of spotted owlets soaking up some sun. The farms adjacent to the tank provide ample space for all kinds of bird life. For me the star was a beautiful Indian Grey Hornbill.

Indian Grey Hornbill

Black Kite

Juvenile Bramhini Kite

Spotted Owlet

Brown Shirke

Lapwing in flight

Coppersmith Barbet

Rose ringed parakeets

Small minivet

Ashy Prinia

Indian Roller

Aditya · 16th February 2021, 04:33

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

rhsakarp · 16th February 2021, 11:57

Thank you so much for starting this thread, just got interested in this, was reading up.
Drove to few lakes over the past weeks, saw so many interesting birds.
Can you please recommend a good pair of binoculars, confused with so many options out there

Liverpool · 16th February 2021, 12:01

Lovely pictures. I love birds!!!
I was in Bangalore last September. Me and my brother went to OMH Dandeli. It’s a birding heaven. You must visit if you haven’t already. This is the prime time to watch birds. Keep those pictures coming.
Cheers!!

deepakhon · 16th February 2021, 12:07

Loved the pictures! I stay very close to Turahalli forest. I am not familiar with the nomenclature of these beautiful birds. I see these birds daily during my morning walks. So beautiful they are!

smsrini · 16th February 2021, 12:32

The bngbirds facebook page is a good source to know of scheduled walks and birding events in and around Bangalore. They recently held the GBBC'21 on 13th and 14th Feb with good participation.

Regular bird walks in Lalbagh on the 2nd Sunday of each month.

cheers!

aradhya · 16th February 2021, 12:40

Ramakrishna Mission in Ragihalli is a wonderful place for Birdatching. The SwamiJi who runs the school/ashram has great knowledge about birds in the locality. I have gone for birdwatching there a few times.It was really interesting.

SPEEDY_RACER · 16th February 2021, 13:48

I was a regular bird photographer visited in an around kabini, Nagarhole and Dandeli along with my UK Manager who was into bird Photography and we used to roam around the places mentioned above, he recently moved to Dubai and now i am not having a good company to do the photography. I am happy to start if Bhpains can make it as a team and start it again.

Few snaps of my photography.

smsrini · 16th February 2021, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPEEDY_RACER

I was a regular bird photographer visited in an around kabini, Nagarhole and Dandeli along with my UK Manager who was into bird Photography and we used to roam around the places mentioned above, he recently moved to Dubai and now i am not having a good company to do the photography. I am happy to start if Bhpains can make it as a team and start it again.

Few snaps of my photography.

Amazing photos. what gear do you use ?

SPEEDY_RACER · 16th February 2021, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by smsrini

Amazing photos. what gear do you use ?

I have a Canon 6D, with 100-400 IS lens(which is sold), currently i am using 70-200, and when ever i go for birding photography i rent out the tamaron 150-600 lens.

procrj · 17th February 2021, 08:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhsakarp

Can you please recommend a good pair of binoculars, confused with so many options out there

My first one was a cheap chineese one that wasnt too great. Decided to upgrade in 2020 and picked up a Celestron 10x50 at 3.5K INR IIRC after all discounts, very happy with the decision as its easy to use, clear and feels pretty solid as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liverpool

OMH Dandeli. It’s a birding heaven. You must visit if you haven’t already.

I have been planning a trip to OMH for sometime now but something always seems to come up. Hopefully I get to got there soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepakhon

I stay very close to Turahalli forest.

Lucky you, get the ebird app on your phone and start tracking these beauties during your walks

Quote:

Originally Posted by smsrini

The bngbirds facebook page is a good source to know of scheduled walks and birding events in and around Bangalore.

Yes bngbirds was my first stop when I started to explore birding around Bangalore, and is a good place to start for anyone who is interested but new to birding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aradhya

Ramakrishna Mission in Ragihalli

Didnt know this but I was aware that Raghihalli forest is another good place for birding, which is on my to do list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPEEDY_RACER

kabini, Nagarhole and Dandeli along with my UK Manager who was into bird Photography

Great clicks, especially the heart spotted woodpecker and the waxwing. Kabini, Nagarhole, Dandeli are great spots for birding but needs a lot of Vitamin M and dedication to get there often just for birding. Over the last 6 months, I have visited Nagarhole, Bandipur, Kabini a few times and thoroughly enjoyed the birding as well as the wildlife they offer. Do check my Jungle trips Tlog (Experiencing the wild - Trip to the Jungles of Karnataka) for more details.

A few of my clicks from the jungles of KA.

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Crested Hawk Eagle

Oriental Darter

Serpent Eagle

Magpie Robin

I was planning to use this thread to identify and share birding opportunites in 50-75 km radius from Bangalore, which can be completed during a weekend morning. I am more than happy to post details of upcoming birding trips here if folks are interested in joining.

rhsakarp · 17th February 2021, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by procrj

I was planning to use this thread to identify and share birding opportunites in 50-75 km radius from Bangalore, which can be completed during a weekend morning. I am more than happy to post details of upcoming birding trips here if folks are interested in joining.

That is awesome, please do share, very interested ! Thank you.

Jaguar · 23rd February 2021, 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by procrj

I was planning to use this thread to identify and share birding opportunities in a 50-75 km radius from Bangalore

I got some birding opportunities 50-75 inches from my bed

All pics are straight out of the camera, Canon 500D with a 55-250.

Any help in identifying these birds and the berry/fruit they are eating would be much appreciated.

procrj · 23rd February 2021, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I got some birding opportunities 50-75 inches from my bed

Lucky you!

Black bird is an Asian Koel Male, probably a juvenile given the small size.
Brown big bird is a Black Kite
White bird is a cattle egret
Brown & white bird with the spiked feathers on its head is a Red Whiskered Bulbul - do try and listen to their song if you can. Sample here - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/72234
Small brown bird with yellow breast - Female Purple Sunbird, The male is beautiful purple bird when in light. Watchout for him as they are usualy seen in pairs.

Purple Sunbird - Male

Fruit/Flower - not sure about it.

ninjatalli · 11th May 2021, 10:07

Guys, I was on my morning run around the mangroves parallel to the Eastern Express highway (Bombay, not Bangalore) when I saw this fellow.

Looked young and was moving away from me but not flying away either. Looked around - didn't see any nests. Is he a young chick (how old?) and would be unable to fly? The thought crossed my mind but he flapped his wings once when I got close to him so left him alone.

Also what bird is he? An eagle?

15th February 2021, 17:24	#1
procrj Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,849 Thanked: 5,737 Times	Birding around Bangalore Surprised not to see a thread for this on TBHP and hence decided to start one. I have been sporadically going on bird walks for the last couple of years and its been a lot of fun for me. The camaraderie among those that join such walks is generally very good and you do get to learn a lot about the birds, their habitat and behavior. Added advantage is the early morning fresh air and view of sunrise. Decided to be more regular starting this year and hence starting this thread. The binocular has been my trusted ally on these walks most of the time but off late, the old nikon D3000 and the tamaron 70-300 have started joining the binoculars as well. Planning to use this thread to share past and future experiences and encourage other Bangalore birding enthusiasts to also share their experience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Dec 2020 Location: Around Gulakamale Lake - https://goo.gl/maps/8W6gfMT8aB1RbbbX6 While the lake does have the usual cormorants and the painted storks, we decided to drive a little ahead of the lake to a temple and walk across a farm. Black winged Kite Indian robin White browed wagtail White browed bulbul Laughing dove White Bellied Drongo Open billed stork ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Feb 2021 Location: Turahalli Tree Park - https://goo.gl/maps/BcjMzHh6Q818pgWx8 Decided to join the Great Backyard Bird Count 2021, which is basically an global initiative where thousands of birdwatchers all across the world look for birds for four days in February each year. It’s great fun, and it helps create a snapshot of where birds are. As you can see from the list of birds (only a small list as compared to what the regular birders were able to see), this place was teeming with avian life. Indian Bush Lark Green bee eaters Small minivet Indian Koel - male Indian robin Golden Oriole Yellow eyed Babbler Yellow beaked Babbler Zitting Cisticola Red Whiskered Bulbul ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Feb 2021 Location: Muthanallur lake - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xUSZttDXybfyaQbP6 This was an awesome morning with some amazing views of the lake. The lake by itself is pretty large and we were able to cover only about 20% of the walk around the tank bund. A large part of the lake has been taken over by water hyacinths and you can see water hens and moor hens strutting around. Lots of pond herons keep vigil all over the lake and colonies of darters, cormorants have nests around here. We were also able to spot the nest of a black kite and saw a couple of lesser flameback woodpeckers flying around. We were lucky to spot a couple of spotted owlets soaking up some sun. The farms adjacent to the tank provide ample space for all kinds of bird life. For me the star was a beautiful Indian Grey Hornbill. Indian Grey Hornbill Black Kite Juvenile Bramhini Kite Spotted Owlet Brown Shirke Lapwing in flight Coppersmith Barbet Rose ringed parakeets Small minivet Ashy Prinia Indian Roller
	(28) Thanks

16th February 2021, 04:33	#2
Aditya Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 20,089 Thanked: 86,544 Times View My Garage	Re: Birding around Bangalore Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!
	(2) Thanks

16th February 2021, 11:57	#3
rhsakarp BHPian Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Bangalore Posts: 67 Thanked: 141 Times	Re: Birding around Bangalore Thank you so much for starting this thread, just got interested in this, was reading up. Drove to few lakes over the past weeks, saw so many interesting birds. Can you please recommend a good pair of binoculars, confused with so many options out there
	(1) Thanks

16th February 2021, 12:01	#4
Liverpool BHPian Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Guwahati Posts: 38 Thanked: 85 Times	Re: Birding around Bangalore Lovely pictures. I love birds!!! I was in Bangalore last September. Me and my brother went to OMH Dandeli. It’s a birding heaven. You must visit if you haven’t already. This is the prime time to watch birds. Keep those pictures coming. Cheers!!
	(1) Thanks

16th February 2021, 12:07	#5
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,441 Thanked: 77 Times	Re: Birding around Bangalore Loved the pictures! I stay very close to Turahalli forest. I am not familiar with the nomenclature of these beautiful birds. I see these birds daily during my morning walks. So beautiful they are!
	(1) Thanks

16th February 2021, 12:32	#6
smsrini Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,129 Thanked: 443 Times View My Garage	Re: Birding around Bangalore The bngbirds facebook page is a good source to know of scheduled walks and birding events in and around Bangalore. They recently held the GBBC'21 on 13th and 14th Feb with good participation. Regular bird walks in Lalbagh on the 2nd Sunday of each month. cheers!
	(1) Thanks

16th February 2021, 12:40	#7
aradhya Newbie Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1 Thanked: 2 Times	Re: Birding around Bangalore Ramakrishna Mission in Ragihalli is a wonderful place for Birdatching. The SwamiJi who runs the school/ashram has great knowledge about birds in the locality. I have gone for birdwatching there a few times.It was really interesting.
	(1) Thanks

16th February 2021, 13:48	#8
SPEEDY_RACER BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 423 Thanked: 267 Times	Re: Birding around Bangalore I was a regular bird photographer visited in an around kabini, Nagarhole and Dandeli along with my UK Manager who was into bird Photography and we used to roam around the places mentioned above, he recently moved to Dubai and now i am not having a good company to do the photography. I am happy to start if Bhpains can make it as a team and start it again. Few snaps of my photography. Attached Thumbnails
	(13) Thanks

11th May 2021, 10:07	#15
ninjatalli Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,026 Thanked: 17,780 Times View My Garage	Re: Birding around Bangalore Guys, I was on my morning run around the mangroves parallel to the Eastern Express highway (Bombay, not Bangalore) when I saw this fellow. Looked young and was moving away from me but not flying away either. Looked around - didn't see any nests. Is he a young chick (how old?) and would be unable to fly? The thought crossed my mind but he flapped his wings once when I got close to him so left him alone. Also what bird is he? An eagle?
	() Thanks