30 Dec 2013

30 Dec 13 - A Cracking Woodpecker On The Last Morning At Jungle Hut

Back to look for the Jungle Bush-quail we saw late on the previous afternoon. While we saw them again, unfortunately I still failed to get any photos. Before we reached the Jungle Bush-quail site, we visited a small woodland where there were several Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers & Indian Chestnut-bellied Nuthatches, both of which we had been keen to see.
Indian Grey Francolin
Spotted Dove
Spotted Owlet: The adult keeping an eye on the fully grown chick
Spotted Owlet: Like all youngsters, the fully grown chick wants more independence
Hoopoe: At least this January's Hoopoe was in a nice place, rather than a grotty housing estate in Poole as last January's Hoopoe was
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker: I was really pleased to see this diddy Woodpecker as I had managed to miss it on the first Indian trip
Tree Pipit
Large Cuckoo-shrike: The barring indicates this is a female, a male would have unbarred underparts
Red-breasted Flycatcher: The pale based bill & extend of the orange on the breast helps separate this from the similar Taiga Flycatcher
Indian Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch: Another recent Indian Split from the Himalayan & South East Asian Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch
Pale-billed Flowerpecker: The distinctive coloured bill separates this from the black billed Nilgiri Flowerpecker
Indian Golden Oriole
Yellow-throated Sparrow: Also known as Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, but I prefer the original name I learnt for this species
Yellow-throated Sparrow: Not all individuals show the yellow throat
Local hut: This local farmer's hut was very basic
Mammals were represented by fleeting views of this Black-naped Hare & some domesticated Water Buffalo.
Black-naped Hare
Water Buffalo
We left Jungle Hut late morning, for the hour long drive back up the ridge to Ooty. It is a long winding road & stopping is not allowed. However, there is a viewpoint car park about a third of the way up the hill, allowing a stop.
Little Green Bee-eater
Bonnet Macaque: The local Macaques were just hanging around the car park as they know there is easy food this way
Lizard sp: Several individuals of this cryptic Lizard were seen on the rocks around the viewpoint
The road to Ooty: There are many hairpin bends along this road. Note, our car in the mirror
The Road to Ooty: A close up of the car
 The upper slopes of the Ooty road: The lower slopes are dry arid bushes & trees similar to Jungle Hut, but the upper slopes are mainly Eucalyptus & Conifers