It was yet again time for team “The Nemophilist” and its Green tribe to do the annual birding pilgrimage of Dandeli. Dandeli for birders is such a place that one cannot have enough of it even if you have been there multiple times. The reason behind this wow factor is the fact that every time Dandeli manages to produce something special for birders.
This year again Dandeli managed to hold its reputation. If last year the show stealer was a White Bellied Woodpecker, this year it was Crimson backed Sun birds and a tree that were the cynosure of attraction.
We located a tree full of ripened figs, it was a tree of Ficus mysorensis. The rest of the it was just standing beneath the tree and just waiting and watching the flocks of birds come and go to accepts the gifts of the tree and give it a return gift by spreading the tree to the far and away corners and cores of the woods of Dandeli
In this process of observing the birds coming and going from the tree, we also became witness to the holy arrival of the Pollinator in-chief, the Great Hornbill in its all glory. It announced it arrival by making huge sound of wings displacing the air.
On a single tree we could see Southern Hill Myna, Malabar Barbet, Pampoudour Green Pigeon, Imperial Green Pigeon, Yellow footed green pigeon. Asian fairy blue bird, Heart spotted woodpecker, Copper smith Barbet, Oriental pied hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill.
There were times when we could see 20 plus hornbills sitting on nearby trees and arriving one by one to get there share of the feed.
It is due to such scenes Dandeli keeps its hypnosis going for the birders
Here is the Full Bird Checklist of Dandeli Birds
1 Ashy Drongo
2 Ashy Woodswallow
3 Asian Fairy-bluebird
4 Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
5 Black-headed Cuckooshrike
6 Black-hooded Oriole
7 Blue-capped Rock-Thrush
8 Bronzed Drongo
9 Brown-capped Woodpecker
10 Brown-capped/Gray-capped Woodpecker
11 Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
12 Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
13 Chestnut-tailed Starling
14 Common Woodshrike
15 Coppersmith Barbet
16 Crested Serpent-Eagle
17 Crimson-backed Sunbird
18 Dark-fronted Babbler
19 Golden-fronted Leafbird
20 Gray Junglefowl
21 Gray Wagtail
22 Great Hornbill
23 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
24 Green Imperial-Pigeon
25 Heart-spotted Woodpecker
26 Indian Paradise-Flycatcher
27 Indian Peafowl
28 Indian White-eye
29 Indian Yellow Tit
30 Lesser Yellownape
31 Little Spiderhunter
32 Malabar Barbet
33 Malabar Gray Hornbill
34 Malabar Pied-Hornbill
35 Malabar Starling
36 Malabar Woodshrike
37 Nilgiri Flowerpecker
38 Pale-billed Flowerpecker
39 Plum-headed Parakeet
40 Red-whiskered Bulbul
41 Small Minivet
42 Southern Hill Myna
43 Spotted Dove
44 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
45 Vernal Hanging-Parrot
46 White-cheeked Barbet
47 White-rumped Munia
48 White-throated Kingfisher
49 Yellow-browed Bulbul
50 Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon
51 Ashy Drongo
52 Chestnut-tailed Starling
53 Green Bee-eater
54 Indian Roller
55 Jerdon’s Leafbird
56 Orange Minivet
57 Plum-headed Parakeet
58 Rose-ringed Parakeet
59 Taiga Flycatcher
60 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
61 White-rumped Shama
62 Yellow-browed Bulbul
63 Flame throated Bulbul
64 Wire tailed Swallow
65 Red Rumped Swallow
66 Chestnut shouldered petronia
67 Brown Fish Owl
68 Purple Rumped Sunbird
69 Tickel’s Blue Flycatcher
70 Brahminy Kite
71 Black Shouldered Kite
72 Cattle Egret
73 Oriental Honey Buzzard
74 Pampadour Green Pigeon
75 Common Kingfisher
Mammals
1 Pair of Indian Jackal
2 Sambhar Deer
3 Indian Giant Flying Squirrel
4 Malabar Giant Squirrel
Insects
1 Giant Wood spider
2 Tarantula