Tuesday, September 19, 2006
NANAJ STORY
NANAJ
To me this grassland has been heaven on earth.In 2001 was my first visit when an old tree (outside the guest house) welcomed me with me with first sightings of the black rumped flameback. There were roostings of spotted owlet just behind the guest house dining hall. I would sit on the back steps staring at them for hours together and they would roll up their big eyes at me thinking what a fool I am??(probably) GIB were always there -sometimes in pairs or threes.
I used to get up at 5.30 a.m with the calls of the common hawk cuckoo.
IN 2003 -MY NEXT VISIT
The old tree had been cut off and so no woodpecker to welcome me.The spotted owlets were there to say hello and I did get up up with good morning calls of the hawk cuckoo.
IN 2006
Plastics to welcome you. Construction at nanaj town with fields being cultivated with sag trees and neem trees everywhere. On the right side trench, outside the entrance of guest house there was sooo much plastic thrown which pained me. Spotted owlet roost had gone and so were the morning calls of the common hawk cuckoo.No small minivets and the common Iora song to hear in the morning. Did see the hawk cuckoo and the small minivets later in the day. Lots of large grey babblers,common mynas,brahminy starlings,and rose ringed parakeets were seen and heard through out the day.In spite of this loss the king of nanaj lives on and so does the fascination of the place for me.
will try to give you the detail report.
We were 4 of us -lata,roda,nilima and myself.
Our routine would be to get on the machaan by 6.30 a.m. on 16,17 and 18th morning (just before we left for mumbai.) Daily morning we did see at least 2 GIB'S.
16th bird highlight list-marsh harrier female,montagu's harrier female ,red neck falcon and chestbellied sandgrouse -group of 4 in flight.
On 17 the we went looking for Indian courser but it eluded us and in spite of our search could not locate it anywhere. We decided to go to solapur siddeshwar nature park. We were welcomed by small minivets 4 in number
Indian grey hornbill
hoopoe
painted partidge group of 4
greater coucal immature
eurasian ring doves
laughing dove
black drongo
common kestrel
long tailed shrike
plain pirinia
ashy pirinia
zitting cisticola
common tailorbirdlarge grey babblers (too many in nanaj area as well)
purple rumped sunbird female
2 red foxes peeped up from the den the male then gave a full view before disappearing into the bushes.
From there we proceeded to hiraj area 3kms away from sholapur. It is a private land with an old ravine. This is the place we saw 2 huge eurasian eagle owl. we stared and owl stared back this went for more than half hour till some locals passing by frightened it and forced it to fly.
In one of the crevices there were 3 spotted owlets cutely standing at alert. 2 bonneli's eagle circling up above us.
As we were returning back one forest gaurd sidheshwar(his name) caming running to say he had spotted 7 GIB NEAR OUR ROADWAY I have tried to capture 6 with my small digital sony.
This was magical moment -I will never forget.Very close to actually see all features with naked eye. there were 2 males -one looked very alpha
and remaining 5 females
The last day was even more promising.
Morning I was at the manchan when there were 2 shows unfolding-one on ground and another in the air.
there was a pack of 4 wolves teasing about 200 black bucks and actually caught a kid black buck.One of them dragged it behind a big tree where the pack was feasting and lots of jungle crows were atop a tree just to grab the tidbits.
while this was on One male pallid harrier circling around my machaan swooped down on Indian bushlark on the ground. The bush lark was lucky and the harrier without its breakfast.
what a marvelous end to my trip.
the bird list is long -63 species since way back we stopped at ujjani dam where there was a flock of painted storks and 3 wooly necked storks .
not so good pix
will write my check list in another posting.
living life joyfully
ketki
