Feathered Bipeds & Me.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
12/11/2004: TG Halli Birding
Nick Lethaby, who was on his usual year-end business trip to India, Praveen & self planned a half-day birding trip to the southern banks of the TGHalli (short for Thippegondanahalli) reservoir, known to be a haven for wintering harriers.
As planned, we met up at Koshy’s on ST Mark’s road at 6:45am, and set off to TG Halli. After reaching there, we got off the car just off the main road & walked towards the reservoir. The first sighting of the day was a lark sitting up in a tall shrub. After scoping it, we found it was a jerdon’s bushlark. When we reached the reservoir, the sight that we saw was both good & bad news. Good news first. There was lot of water. Ok, here is the bad news. More water means less ducks. As usual, I walked ahead of Nick & Praveen, and while walking back after an unsuccessful attempt at shooting a weird-looking paddyfield pipit, I had a small fall, falling on my bum, my shoe having slipped on the wet grassy slope. Luckily nothing happened. I gathered myself up & scrambled to join Praveen & Nick, who had by now walked more north-westward, along the length of the reservoir. Soon we could spot a small flock of ~20 bar-headed geese. Seeing us, they took off. Not far from the bank, on a tree that overlooked the reservoir, a female kestrel sat, facing away. I slowly crept up to attempt a snap, but my stealth was useless against its keen senses.
Soon again I found myself walking ahead. I spotted a “pied” harrier flying about ahead of me. I shouted “pied harrier”, only to be corrected by Nick later, who pointed out the black wing bar, distinctive of the male montagu’s harrier. All I could manage of this one was a single speck-in-the-frame shot. Walking a bit ahead I got pretty close to a couple of Little Ringed Plovers but the shots I could obtain were disappointing. Returning to a point good for getting the harriers fly in close, I sat on the ground, hoping to hide my figure among the low shrubs. The montagu’s harrier female did come in, but couldn’t get a shot. The female & the male were flying together. Were they a pair?
Later we went towards the other end of the long reservoir. There we saw a small group of rufous-tailed larks, which was another “tick” for Nick. We saw some suspicious sandmining, which I documented on film. While walking back to the car, a tawny eagle came and landed on the old nest-site. Soon it took to the air and soared for a few minutes right above us, giving us ample time to view the features.
The last sighting of the day was a white-phase booted eagle we saw while driving back. By 12:15pm, we were back at MG Road.
As planned, we met up at Koshy’s on ST Mark’s road at 6:45am, and set off to TG Halli. After reaching there, we got off the car just off the main road & walked towards the reservoir. The first sighting of the day was a lark sitting up in a tall shrub. After scoping it, we found it was a jerdon’s bushlark. When we reached the reservoir, the sight that we saw was both good & bad news. Good news first. There was lot of water. Ok, here is the bad news. More water means less ducks. As usual, I walked ahead of Nick & Praveen, and while walking back after an unsuccessful attempt at shooting a weird-looking paddyfield pipit, I had a small fall, falling on my bum, my shoe having slipped on the wet grassy slope. Luckily nothing happened. I gathered myself up & scrambled to join Praveen & Nick, who had by now walked more north-westward, along the length of the reservoir. Soon we could spot a small flock of ~20 bar-headed geese. Seeing us, they took off. Not far from the bank, on a tree that overlooked the reservoir, a female kestrel sat, facing away. I slowly crept up to attempt a snap, but my stealth was useless against its keen senses.
Soon again I found myself walking ahead. I spotted a “pied” harrier flying about ahead of me. I shouted “pied harrier”, only to be corrected by Nick later, who pointed out the black wing bar, distinctive of the male montagu’s harrier. All I could manage of this one was a single speck-in-the-frame shot. Walking a bit ahead I got pretty close to a couple of Little Ringed Plovers but the shots I could obtain were disappointing. Returning to a point good for getting the harriers fly in close, I sat on the ground, hoping to hide my figure among the low shrubs. The montagu’s harrier female did come in, but couldn’t get a shot. The female & the male were flying together. Were they a pair?
Later we went towards the other end of the long reservoir. There we saw a small group of rufous-tailed larks, which was another “tick” for Nick. We saw some suspicious sandmining, which I documented on film. While walking back to the car, a tawny eagle came and landed on the old nest-site. Soon it took to the air and soared for a few minutes right above us, giving us ample time to view the features.
The last sighting of the day was a white-phase booted eagle we saw while driving back. By 12:15pm, we were back at MG Road.
posted by Job K Joseph, 3:07 AM