TRIP REPORT  : NILGIRIS  : 23rd - 25th JANUARY 2001
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  Govind Kumar ,  P.O Box 88, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  Email : gkumar99@emirates.net.ae
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This is a brief account of a three day birding excursion to the Nilgiris in 
SW India in January 2001. Based in Ooty I Made day trips to birding sites in 
the area using Kazmierczak's Birdwatchers Guide as a reference. 114 species 
of birds were seen or heard during the trip and a few mammals.
 
Itinerary

23/1/2001   Cairnhill Reserved Forest - Botanical Gardens 
24/1/2001   Central Potato Research Station,Muthorai-Naduvattam Shola-Nadugeni  
25/1/2001   Kalhatty - Sighur Ghat - Masinagudi - Theppakadu.

Travel and accommodation 

 I stayed at the TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu in Ooty  ( adequate but rather dirty and 
the water heater did not work)and hired a Maruti Van ( flat fee Rs 1,100 daily 
with no restrictions as to time ) for longer trips out of town . For sites 
within town I used  auto-rickshaws.

Journal 

23/1/2001        

 I spent over two hours in the degraded remnant shola patch at the Cairnhill 
Reserved Forest 3 km from town on the Avalanche  road. Birds seen included 
Black and Orange Flycatcher, Scaly Thrush, Tickell's Leaf Warbler,White-spotted 
Fantail, Common Rosefinch and Grey Junglefowl. I sat quiety on a track at the 
edge of the shola and waited for birds to emerge. A striking male Indian Blue 
Robin approached to within four feet, rummaging in the undergrowth . The 
highlight was a White-bellied Shortwing that appeared unexpectedly on the track 
just a couple of feet to my right to pick up a worm and almost took me by 
surprise. It flew a short distance into the undergrowth and remained perched on 
a low bough for three minutes, affording excellent views.The beady red iris, 
dumpy appearance and shortish tail were pointers. It was of the nominate 
subspecies ' major' but appeared to have more rufous in the underparts than shown 
in illustrations.

    I failed to see Kashmir Flycatcher which is said to winter in the area. It might 
just be a  passage migrant here, stopping over en route to wintering grounds in 
Sri Lanka. An afternoon visit to the Botanical Gardens was disappointing. The best 
birds were seen at the very top of the hill , in what appeared to be a private garden 
adjoining the garden boundary. Here I saw a pair of Eurasian Blackbirds of the race 
'simillimus' , Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Grey Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, 
Crimson-backed Sunbird, Greenish and Tickell's Leaf Warblers in a bird wave.                
                 
24/1/2001

An early morning visit to the forest opposite the Central Potato Research Institute 
at Muthorai,6 km from Ooty produced some excellent birds including two Nilgiri 
Laughingthrushes,(the only ones of the trip)Indian ScimitarBabbler, White-cheeked 
Barbet, Common Rosefinch and White-bellied Shortwing . The best bird was a solitary 
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon in the canopy of a tall tree. Good views  at eye levelwere 
obtained by ascending a steep path from the main road.
       Next stop was the Naduvattam Shola, 30 km from Ooty on the Gudalur road. I 
birded at promising sites en route. A seasonal lake outside Ooty had Long-tailed Shrike, 
Indian Pond Heron, Little Egret, White-browed Wagtail and White-breasted Kingfisher.
       In a small shola 12 km from Ooty, there was a superb male Nilgiri Flycatcher, 
Black Bulbul, Common Rosefinch and Blyth's Reed Warbler. A sparsely forested hill 
24 km from Ooty produced a magnificent Bonelli's Eagle sailing over the hillside and 
Ashy Woodswallow.
       The road into the Naduvattam Shola begins 2 km before Naduvattam town to the 
immediate right of the Forest Range office. Informal permission seems to be necessary 
to access the shola . I was stopped and questioned by forest Dept. personnel but allowed 
to proceed when I explained that I only intended to watch birds. Good birds seen here 
included two Black and Orange Flycatchers, White-bellied Shortwing, Scaly Thrush and 
Puff-throated Babbler. Indian Swiftlets flew overhead and Greenish Warblers seemed to 
be everywhere. In the shola, there were atleast two troops of Nilgiri Langur, each 
numbering around 15 animals.
        Birds seen between  Naduvattam and Gudalur included Pacific Swallow and 
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater.I continued beyond Gudalur to Nadugeni from where I took the 
road to Nilambur. The road was in appalling condition and full of pot-holes. Birding on 
the road was fantastic. Greater Flameback ( a small group of 3 drumming on a roadside 
tree), Emerald Dove, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Ruby-throated Bulbul, Vernal Hanging Parrot, 
Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta and White-bellied Tree pie were some of 
the species seen.
       There was good  rainforest on either side of the winding mountain road albeit 
degraded in places. I took a path into the forest on the right side of the road about a 
kilometre beyond the Kerala Border Checkpost.  
         The path descended steeply into a valley and was covered by dried leaf litter. 
It was dark and gloomy and there were elephant droppings everywhere. I walked for about 
twenty five minutes before the sound of cracking branches and the fear of encountering 
an elephant forced me to beat a retreat. Good birds seen here were Orange-headed Thrush 
(white throated subspecies cyanotus), Scarlet Minivet, Yellow-browed Bulbul, 
Puff-throated Babbler and Malabar Whistling Thrush. 
   Back on the road, I followed up calls of Great Hornbill and managed to see two birds 
in the canopy of a forest giant. I also saw a small party of Malabar Grey Hornbill and 
Hill Myna.  Stopping for a cup  of tea at a roadside stall at the checkpost, I had great 
views of a Malabar Giant Squirrel at close range and a little Draco flying lizard that 
glided from tree to tree.  It was the most magical moment in a largely satisfying trip. 
I had last seen this incredible creature along the banks of the Servalar river and  
again in the Kannikatti highlands of the Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in March 1985.
  I found a nest of the Crimson-backed Sunbird just off the road with a female in 
attendance. About the size of a human palm, it was suspended from a palm frond about 
12 feet above the road.
         The Nadugeni site is in Kerala and if one approaches from the Tamil Nadu side 
as I did,one must ensure that the vehicle,if hired, has an Inter-State permit, to avoid 
unneccessary hassles.    

 25/1/2001
 
          An  early 6 AM start brought me to Kalhatty and the checkpost at the upper end 
of the Sighur Ghat.From here, I walked downhill for about 10 kilometres enjoying the dawn 
chorus and the cool, bracing mountain air. I failed to see  Painted Bush Quail but had an 
Indian Blue Robin (another male), a superb Common Flameback drumming on deadwood, 
Orange-headed Thrush , Indian Scimitar Babbler, a female Nilgiri Flycatcher, Common 
Rosefinch, a male Tickell's Blue Flycatcher , Crimson-throated and White-cheeked Barbets , 
Malabar Parakeet and Vernal Hanging Parrot. Nearing the bottom of the Ghat, Jungle Babbler, 
Tawny-bellied Babbler and Black-headed Cuckoo Shrike were seen.
         I descended to the plateau beyond the Sighur river and searched the scrub between 
the Vazhaithottam turnoff and Mavanalla for over two hours in the hope of seeing White-bellied 
Minivet. I dipped on the Minivet but the scrub held an astounding variety of birds and I 
added over 40 species in this time. There were parties of Blue Peafowl, Grey Junglefowl, 
a group of twelve Crested Treeswifts in a tree with many more flying around, Golden and 
Black-hooded Orioles, Brown-capped Pygmy and Yellow-crowned Woodpeckers, Yellow-footed 
Green Pigeon,White-bellied Drongo, Bay-backed and Brown Shrikes, Jerdon's Bushlark, 
White-browed Bulbul, Common Woodshrike,Blue-winged Leafbird and Chestnut-shouldered 
Petronia. I also saw several groups of Chital,Bonnet Macaque and a Black-naped Hare .
        After a short halt at Masinagudi for breakfast, I proceeded to Theppakadu. 
Changeable Hawk-eagle,Bronzed Drongo, Blue-faced Mallkoha and Plum-headed Parakeet were 
among birds seen at Theppakadu  while Grey-headed Bulbul was heard in the bamboo stands 
along the Moyar river. I also saw a party of Common Langurs and had distant views of Elephant .