Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Birding at Sinhagad Valley, Pune

Captains Log; Star Date 0101.2018

Verditer Flycatcher
Captains Log; Star Date 2503.2016

Sinhagad Valley just off Attekar Village and at the base of the Sinhagad Fort at Pune is a small but good birding destination owing to the agri village and forest cover around the Sinhagad area.

Oriental White Eye

You can park your vehicle in one of the paid parking points or park towards the end of the road, short of the turnoff to the Fort, if there’s space left.

For the Fort you need to take the right and climb up.

Pipit

For birding you need to head left and then turn left again towards the small huts and temple. If you keep heading straight you’ll end up under a forest cover, though that’s where I got a glimpse of the elusive Asian Paradise Flycatcher.

Two small water points next to the temple proved to be a good point to just sit and watch the birds come over for a sip on a hot day.

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Beyond the huts you can head up and down the different paths crisscrossing the agri fields and along the base of the hill.

Small Minivet (M)

Birds spotted -
  1. Asian Paradise Flycatcher (F)
  2. Small Minivet
  3. Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher
  4. White-browed Fantail
  5. Oriental White Eye
  6. Oriental Magpie Robin
  7. Indian Robin
  8. White Breasted Kingfisher
  9. Purple Sunbird
  10. Laughing Dove
  11. Pipit
  12. Red-whiskered Bulbul
  13. White cheeked Barbet
  14. Green Bee-eater
  15. Plum-headed Parakeet