Foxy has a cunning plan onwards and upwards.

[Galana]

That cruise is certainly living up to your Cunning Plan.

I would settle for either Black-capped or Collared Kingfishers plus the Pigeons for a trip.

[Dave Williams]

In my topsy turvy Big Years I'm leaving an hidden number trail which is all over the place but it's not an attempt to launder the figures.

Here's another one I missed from Carambolim Lake, a juvenile.

538)Oriental Darter

Oriental Darter.   538 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Next up was my third outing with Lloyd. This time there were three of us, a nice chap from Bolton came along too. He, like me was escaping the sunbed for a while!

I can't tell you were we went, it wasn't far from state capital Panjim and it's where the Bollywood stars favour having holiday homes , most of which are deserted for the majority of then year.

On the way there I spotted a 542)Greater Coucal, a common if furtive bird. I saw them frequently around the hotel but usually briefly.

Greater Coucal. 542 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Zim Girl]

Fantastic pictures, the orange breasted pigeon is beautiful!

[Dave Williams]

The very first bird spotted on arrival at the new site was just that,

543)Crested Serpent Eagle

Crested Serpent  Eagle  543 by Dave Williams, on FlickrA good bird to see but not the best for photography and that for me was the order of the day unfortunately.

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

This was a lifer, ah well it is what it is!

544)Vigor's Sunbird

Vigor's Sunbird.  544 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Only slightly closer

545)Rufus Treepie

Rufus Treepie.  545 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

A flock of predominantly female 546)Plum-headed Parakeets were around and about for the duration of our stay but I did manage one male

Plum-headed Parakeet.  546 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

as the females are Grey-headed!

Plum-headed Parakeet.  546 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

A pair of 547)Jungle Owlets had been calling earlier but were very difficult to detect. Guide Lloyd managed though.

 

Jungle Owlet.   547 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Possibly my favourite ion the day was 548) Racquet-tailed Drongo. It was a bird I saw on three of my four outings but this was the best views.

Racquet-tailed Drongo.  548 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited March 29, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

From the deeply wooded area Bollywood homes we next went to an area of marsh land which offered a couple of additions.

Female 549) Pied Bushchat

Pied Bushchat.   549 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

And overhead on the wires a 550)Siberian Stonechat

Siberian Stonechat.  550 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Another on the wires was 551)Indian Roller

Indian Roller.   551 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

And my last addition from outing No 3 was what was once a Lesser Spotted but is now and 552)Indian Spotted Eagle

Indian Spotted Eagle.   552 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[BRACQUENE]

Great pictures Dave : Love that Indian Roller and the Drongo is a beauty !

[Galana]

Well done on the Vigor's Sunbird.

[xelas]

No Bollywood superstars spotted?

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful photos!

[Dave Williams]

19 hours ago, xelas said:

No Bollywood superstars spotted?

 

I wouldn't know one if I saw one Alex! 

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

I wouldn't know one if I saw one Alex! 

I am told both genders sing in a higher pitch and they are far from Dimorphic with the females often particularly less angular...

[PeterHG]

Excellent additions again! Are you sure #543 is not a crested serpent eagle? 

[Galana]

1 hour ago, PeterHG said:

Are you sure #543 is not a crested serpent eagle? 

Well er, spotted! The crest is visible.

[Dave Williams]

3 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Excellent additions again! Are you sure #543 is not a crested serpent eagle? 

 

Testing you were watching Peter! You are correct and it was already noted as that so I'm not sure why I gave it the wrong title! In auto mode again thinking about what might have been!

[PeterHG]

54 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

In auto mode again

That seems to be my permanent mode these days...;)

[Dave Williams]

And so to  continue my trip report, this was my fourth and last outing with guide Lloyd Fernandes and the destination was Bondala, a slightly higher elevation than previous outings and the possibility of some new birds. I had contacted Lloyd via Messenger a long time before we set off for Goa asking if a) he was available and b) telling him what I would love to see and where I would like to go. Top of my wish list for seeing was Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. Why that one? It's in the name, it's a Kingfisher so should be attractive and it's a rarity. It has been on the top since my very first trip to Goa when I heard someone saying they'd seen one at Backwoods Camp. I had also heard they were seen around the Old Magazine House too so both these places were considerations, especially the latter as it had been personally recommended by @Soukousas he was there last November with @Xelas and gave it the thumbs up. They didn't see the Kingfisher but they did see some good birds.

Looking at the map, Backwoods was just about doable in a day, the Old magazine House probably not as it was well over 3.5 hours to get there.  Claire wasn't interested in an overnight stay there and I decided I wouldn't leave her alone at the Lagoa Azul although we made so many friends there asking her to keep her company would not have been an issue. Anyway, the decision was made. I wasn't going.

Bondala was the last outing and as we set off I said to Lloyd "what chance the Oriental?" to which he said "Possibly". I said if I saw not a single bird besides it woulds be a great result and off we went.

I had read Alex and Martin's trip report and they too visited Bondola. Their birding haul there wasn't that impressive from what I'd read and mention of deeply forested woodland filled me with apprehension. Would it be another of those frustrating guided trips were photography was not ideal?

Ah well too late now it was what it was!

The first stop was an open area, and the first bird was I think a lifer!

It sounds exotic but it's a drab little bird and it was a tiny dot in my viewfinder. Thank goodness for 45mp and my 100-500 plus 1.4 teleconverter. They stayed bolted together all day. With hindsight not always the best plan where light is limited but at distance, essential.

553)Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

 

Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker.  553 by Dave Williams, on Flickr