Fly and flop, Goa Mk 2 November 2023

[Dave Williams]

This was my second trip to Goa this year, both package tours taken with TUI. The first had us staying for 4 weeks in the very commercialised and touristy North Goa in March, this time we headed South .

There was a reason for going north earlier in the year. Claire wanted to do some shopping, and the north is the best place for that. We opted to stay in the Arpora area which is away from what I consider the rather tacky Baga-Calangute and to a certain extent Candolim strip. Claire wanted to replace some stolen jewellery lost in a burglary last year but others in our hotel were there for various medical procedures which are a fraction of the price of getting them done privately in the UK. Goa is also a great place for buying spectacles or even getting an MRI scan cheaply! There are also some fantastic restaurants too and traditionally there are several bird guides working the area who will arrange trips from your hotel or whatever.

The downside is that the whole area has changed dramatically since my first visit in 2005. Local birding sites have been totally destroyed, the locality generally more populated with tourists, both domestic and international, than ever before.

So, for our second visit we booked in to a modest 3* hotel, Jasminn in Betalbatim in the south. The hotel looked good value and the area around the hotel exceptionally green which I hoped would offer some camera time for me whilst Claire topped up her tan.

Situated some distance from the beach the hotel offers an on demand shuttle transfer and I was looking forward to taking advantage, not for the beach but the possibility of the birds.

I was returning to the site of my claim to fame as the "Accidental Birder". Yes, how many birders would give their right arm to be the one who finds a very first of the species ( albeit a sub-species in my case which admittedly adds a little tarnish!) and has their name in lights forever. I give a wry smile as I certainly don't claim to be a birder, I'm a wildlife photographer and as such am viewed by some elite birders as a lesser being!

What's even more amusing to me is I didn't even know that I had achieved this unique sighting until 9 years after the event!!!

https://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB_14_1_Williams_Gottschling_BalticGull.pdf

 

The question was, could I repeat my claim to fame with another famous sighting!

This was Utorda beach in 2009.

Utorda Beach, South Goa 2009 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

There has been a recent storm in the South China Seas and there were thousands of birds sheltering on the beach for the first few days of our visit.

Utorda Beach, South Goa 2009 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

Actually, when I look back it's quite an achievement to having picked out a single bird out of that lot!

Anyway, on our first full day I headed down to the beach with Claire with an optimistic frame of mind.

It wasn't quite what I expected or hoped to find!!!

Utorda Beach , South Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Oh well, it's a long beach, might be something somewhere further along and at worst it was a pleasant walk.

Within 20 minutes I was on to something, a pair of Western Reef Egrets fishing the outgoing tide.

Western Reef Egret.  BY472 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Some excellent action opportunities

Western Reef Egret.  BY472 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

with the bird intent on the catch rather than paying attention to me getting closer.

Western Reef Egret.  BY472 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Once the fish was consumed though they put some distance between ourselves by flying further away. No matter it had been a great start.

A little further on we came across a small group of 8 roosting Lesser Sand Plovers. At least a new bird for my ongoing Big Years which has developed in to a sort of late life list!

Lesser Sand Plover.  BY538 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

A pair of Gull-billed Terns flew past

Gull-billed Tern BY469 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and numerous House Crows seems to enjoy the beach too, hoping to scavenge what the tide left behind no doubt.

That was about it though so we went and had a beer at the nearest beach bar, which was further than we realised from out shuttle pick up point.

Short on time for our appointed booking I failed to stop and put my sandles back on and as a result was to pay the price of walking several miles in bare feet on sharp sand!

The resulting blisters had my mobility restricted for several days!@

TBC.

[Galana]

A great start. Despite the changes I am looking for a repeat of your early 'fame' and hope that the 'flop' in your title is not a bad omen.

[JimS]

"Though a good series of photographs were obtained during the trip, all of them were lost except for the one available in a blog"

 

Oh dear!

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, JimS said:

"Though a good series of photographs were obtained during the trip, all of them were lost except for the one available in a blog"

 

Oh dear!

Actually I found the folders  again a couple of years later on an external hard drive I didn't realise I had which is where I found the shots above. I decided best leave it where it was, too many images to search through and for no gain really.

[Dave Williams]

4 hours ago, Galana said:

A great start. Despite the changes I am looking for a repeat of your early 'fame' and hope that the 'flop' in your title is not a bad omen.

 

Don't expect too much Fred! I did a lot of flopping!!

[michael-ibk]

Didn´t know you had your own Gull Dave, cool!

 

Looking forward to your report, great photos of the Egret.

[Atravelynn]

17 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

This was my second trip to Goa this year, both package tours taken with TUI. 

Now how many people can say that?

 

I was returning to the site of my claim to fame as the "Accidental Birder". Yes, how many birders would give their right arm to be the one who finds a very first of the species ( albeit a sub-species in my case which admittedly adds a little tarnish!) and has their name in lights forever.

Even fewer  can say THAT.

 

What's even more amusing to me is I didn't even know that I had achieved this unique sighting until 9 years after the event!!!

https://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB_14_1_Williams_Gottschling_BalticGull.pdf

Better late than never.

 

The question was, could I repeat my claim to fame with another famous sighting!

That would be quite amazing but if you do, I hope you can claim fame sooner than in 9 years.

 

 

Short on time for our appointed booking I failed to stop and put my sandles back on and as a result was to pay the price of walking several miles in bare feet on sharp sand!

The resulting blisters had my mobility restricted for several days!@

A little suffering for your fame.

Fabulous bird shots then and now.

 

 

[Dave Williams]

Our hotel in Goa turned out to be an excellent choice. The rooms were clean and spacious, the staff very helpful and friendly and spoke were our fellow guests, well most of them anyway. There were not that many Brits staying there, only a dozen or so at any one time but over the three week period we saw many different faces. One of the best aspects of the hotel was it was quiet, very quiet. We had the pool and sun beds to ourselves most days, most people seemed to head down to the beach for the day or head off on excursions.

Me? After blistering my feet badly on the first day, followed by developing a bad cough and cold( no, it wasn't covid) as well as suffering jet lag the result was I spent a lot of time snoozing under an umbrella but being the brave soldier I am I hobbled off locally to see what was about either after breakfast or before sunset. It was very disappointing really. The surrounding area was well wooded but entry was impossible as it was all private gardens. What I did see, I had mostly already seen on my earlier trip in March but I did get a couple of opportunities to improve on my snaps.

A Rufus Treepie

Rufous Treepie by Dave Williams, on Flickr

A Black-rumped Flameback

Black-rumped Flameback by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Purple-rumped Sunbird by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I decided to catch the shuttle bus down to the beach as I'd spotted a lagoon with lots of Lesser Whistling Ducks on it.

Lesser Whistling Duck.   Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

That one was almost oven ready!

On the lily pads a Bronze-winged Jacana family.

Bronze-winged Jacana.   Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

with three chicks, their feet bigger than their body!

Bronze winged Jacana.   Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

A Red-wattled Lapwing did the usual alarm calling which sent everything scurrying for cover.

Red-wattled Lapwing.   Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

but at least the Common Kingfisher stayed nicely posed

Common Kingfisher.    Goa India by Dave Williams, on Flickr

One new bird for the year was this Indian Spot-billed Duck which sadly never landed but at least I got a record for my Big Year(s)

Indian Spot-billed Duck.  BY628.      Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

After a few days I lost heart and ended up not even touching my camera. Claire and I met up with some friends who had arrived in India before us and were really enthusiastic about what they had seen. It was their first trip to the sub-continent and I had helped them put together their DIY package. They had found inexpensive flights with Gulf Air, then travelled to Arpora,North Goa where they took a few trips with my guide, Lloyd Fernandes. Next they went to Backwoods Camp, a birding spot up in the hills of the Ghats and now ended up in Betalbatim. 

Backwoods Camp was my suggestion, it's somewhere I have always wanted to visit ever since my first trip to Goa in 2005. Back then there was quite a community of foreign birders who used to meet every evening at a certain hotel with gardens backing on to open ground. A great spot to end the day with a beer and to find out who had seen what and where. A couple of guys told me they were off to Backwoods for three nights but a few days later only one had returned. The other liked it so much he spent the rest of his trip there !

They had seen the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher...now if that doesn't conjure up an attractive image I don't know what would. Certainly not Black-backed Kingfisher by which it has now been re-named! Anyway, I'd seen the Kingfisher in Bondla reserve in March so that objective had been met but I was envious of what my friends had seen on this visit.

Apathy still remained until one evening as I was sat having a chilled beer on our hotel balcony this magnificent Shikra landed a mere 30 feet away. Spluttering beer, I dashed stealthily ( if that's possible) in to our room and opened my camera bag, reassembled the lens and hoped the bird was still there. 

It was!

My heart was beating a bit faster as a result of the adrenaline rush only a wildlife photographer will understand!

Shikra.        Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

I was ready for my next adventure which was inspired by fellow ST'er @xelas. 

For years I have sworn anyone who rents a scooter in India...or anywhere else for that matter ....needs their head testing. I stand by that! However, I know Alex is an avid self driver and has driven in Sri Lanka which is not dissimilar. I'd met a 90 year old Brit in March who had a little Smart car to get him to a restaurant every night.

If they could do it so could !!

TBC

Edited December 7, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Zim Girl]

Gorgeous picture of the Kingfisher.

[Dave Williams]

As it happened, I'd planned my car hire before leaving for Goa. To make sure all was OK and legit I had purchased an International Driving Licence and I was indeed asked for it by the local car hire company. For just 1500 rupees per day, that's about £15, I had a decent sized manual gearbox Suzuki hatchback which was plenty big enough for 4 adults.  One advantage for us Brits is that in India they drive on the left, well some the time anyway! I decided to avoid any built up areas as much as possible so that had us heading south along country roads for the first day. Other than attempting putting the car in to reverse whilst searching for 6th gear which the car doesn't have, and turning the windscreen wipers on when indicating instead of the indicator lights everything went well. My slightly battered car suggested not everyone escaped unscathed though! I have to say, it was great fun and good to have the freedom to go where you choose. 

By the second day I was well and truly in the groove and driving with confidence which is essential if I'm honest. Indian drivers tend to be aggressive, entitled and generally have adopted the rules of the road to suit themselves. My guide contact Lloyd long ago explained the Highway Code in India. "Might is right" so "when in Rome" as they say I went for it. I even took on the competition in Goa's second city. Busy roundabout? No problem. If you don't give way someone else has to and so it goes. I must admit though I never did know if I was insured, I was told in the event of an accident or being stopped by the police "phone this number" as I was given no paperwork. Fortunately I never had to!

Although we had a car for two days we didn't find anything much to photograph. We visited Mollem National Park hoping to drive the 6km route that's open to the public only to find that we couldn't use our credit cards, we tried several without success, and our offer of cash was refused as unacceptable. Seems a bit ridiculous that on a day when we appeared to be the only visitors they turned us away! Next stop after a drive through the lower hills of the Ghats was Bondla reserve but by the time we got there it was too hot and sunny for anything much to be out and about. My two friends had visited the previous week so they had already been and they forewarned me that the road was being dug up on one side to allow some sort of pipeline to be put in. Apparently the favoured ditch the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher made his territory has been destroyed which is a tragedy. No point in paying to go in to the park we just turned around at the gate and left.

So that was it for self drive but I though it worth mentioning that it's highly recommended!

The car went back because I had another idea for the following day, a booze cruise! No way I was driving there . I have been getting reports that the Zuari river boat trip , once a firm favourite is now not what it once was. The duration of the trip has been almost halved and the cost double to 2000 rupees. The bird guides usually build that in to a days guiding . I was lucky in as much I got some good views of a couple of target species when I took the trip in March but my friends saw very little when they went the week before.

I'd tried the booze cruise before , both the morning cruise and the evening one but both with a different company. This time we booked with Betty's Cruises which sails out of Cavelossim. I have to say, I don't think I have had better value entertainment anywhere.

For a mere 1200 rupees, £12, you get a five hour cruise which first takes you out to sea before returning to sail up river.

The target in the sea are the Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphins and they duly obliged even if they they were rather lethargic!

Indo-Pacific humpbacked Dolphin. Goa by Dave Williams, on Flickr

For me though the highlight was a White-bellied Sea Eagle that I spotted at distance circling a fishing boat.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle.  Goa by Dave Williams, on Flickr

It dived, talons at the ready

White-bellied Sea-Eagle.  Goa by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and caught a very large fish which it carried back to land to consume.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle.  Goa by Dave Williams, on Flickr

At the estuary mouth there were Lesser Crested Terns

Lesser Crested Tern. Goa BY630 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and a couple of Brown-headed Gulls, both new species for my Big Year.

Brown-headed Gull Goa.   BY631 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

As we sailed up river the drinks came out. Firstly a large and delicious Mojito! I couldn't resist a second and a third for that matter!

Then the food started to arrive, Chicken Satay on skewers. Yum!

Next some big prawns in a spicy sauce complete with a bread bun to mop up the juices. Yum,Yum!

By now I was back on beers which were again distributed freely.

Next up was the main course of grilled fish, rice and salad and that was followed by a fruit salad.

Untitled by Dave Williams, on Flickr

All delicious...what a bargain.

Further up the river we saw more birds on the sandbanks most of which I had seen already this year so I wasn't too bothered about photos. I was busy enjoying the food.

I can't recommend the trip enough so if you are ever in Goa make a note!

It's great day out.

TBC

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Kitsafari]

just enjoying the photos! yikes, how could you forget your sandals?!!

[Dave Williams]

5 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

just enjoying the photos! yikes, how could you forget your sandals?!!

 

I didn't forget them, I just didn't put them on. I suffer from a lack of feeling in my feet ,which may later have been a blessing, so I didn't realise how bad the damage was until it was too late!

[Galana]

20 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

in India they drive on the left, well some the time anyway!

Only applies when they have no real need to drive in the middle, the right lane or even the 'wrong lane' of  dual carriageway. American Scientists have declared that the gap between two, or more, conflicting Indian cars is smaller than the finest technical measuring instruments at M.I.T can compute.

Great photos.

[Atravelynn]

Glad your cold passed and your feet healed.  Speaking of feet, those jacana chick feet are unbelievable.

[xelas]

On 12/7/2023 at 8:30 PM, Dave Williams said:

So that was it for self drive but I though it worth mentioning that it's highly recommended!

My hero! A tortoise behind a wheel driving around India!! The hare has covered itself by its ears in shame and is contemplating which country could counter such a brave feat.

 

[Dave Williams]

Just over two weeks had passed and I was starting to feel a little frustrated in as much we had travelled a long way and from a bird photography point of view I didn't have a lot to show for it. Our friends had now gone home and left me with the thoughts of what might have been.

Backwoods Camp had impressed them. For me it was a long time itch that needed scratching, and the itch was getting more irritating each passing day.

That was it. I decided, subject to Claire's agreement, that I was going for it.

I'm extremely lucky in that I have the most supportive partner anyone could wish for and she told me to go with her blessing. From that point of view I'd chosen the perfect hotel. With few European guests, we were on familiar terms with most of them so leaving Claire alone wasn't too much of an issue. She wasn't going to be alone.

I got in touch with Backwoods, and the owner/guide Loven came back with a price. 6000 rupees all in accommodation, food and guiding per night plus 5000 for the return taxi. The deal was done. I would disappear for 2 nights, three days!

It's a 90 minute drive to Backwoods from where our hotel is but as promised Loven was there at 5.30am to pick me up. A quick coffee and snack stop on the way would keep us going until breakfast around 9.30-10-00am because the minute we arrived at Backwoods we started the first guided trip. There were two other guests , a couple from the USA who were birders rather than photographers. Although Justin had a camera he had forgotten to pack a battery charger which was a bit of a disappointment no doubt so he was conserving what power he had left. He didn't seem that bothered, they were definitely listers rather than photographers.

Having seen and captured images of Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher in March I had just one southern Indian species to see, Blue-eared kingfisher. It was top of my wish list and unbelievably it was the first bird we saw!

Blue-eared Kingfisher. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

It looks almost identical to the Common Kingfisher, the only difference is the bill is larger.

That didn't take long. I told Loven I'd go back to the hotel now!

Good birds kept on coming though, albeit not exactly frame fillers.

Malabar Barbet

Malabar Barbet by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Asian Fairy-bluebird by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Great Hornbill

Great hornbill. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Fork-tailed Drong-cuckoo

Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Flame-throated Bulbul

Flame-throated Bulbul by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Square-tailed Bulbul

Square-tailed Bulbul by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Red-headed Bunting

Red-headed Bunting by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Thick-billed Flowerpecker

Thick-billed Flowerpecker by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Purple Sunbird

Purple Sunbird by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

This wasn't a bad haul for the first few hours! Ok, the photos were record shots but I had 6 "lifers" in that lot. Amazing considering the number of trips I have had to Southern India.

We headed back to Backwoods for breakfast and I was delighted to find another lifer outside the front door!

Orange-headed Thrush

Orange-headed Thrush by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and some cracking views of Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

That was more like the photographic opportunities I was hoping for!

The Giant Malabar Squirrel was so close I couldn't fit it all in the frame!

Malabar Giant Squirrel by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Backwoods is set in a forest adjoining Bahgwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary so it's fairly pristine forest especially in the sanctuary. Despite the sun it's also light restricted because of the trees but more of that later.

After breakfast we were free to wander locally but Loven having been up before 4am to fetch me went for a sleep. I tried to do likewise but failed. I sat and watched a nearby wall that has a drinking station on it but not much showed up.

As the sun started to retreat Loven took us out in the car in search of a few target species.

We stood in a field and viewed distant birds through the telescope

Black-throated Munia

Black-throated Munia by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Malabar Parakeet

Malabar Parakeet. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Malabar Grey Hornbill by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Baya Weavers

Baya Weaver by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Two more lifers but more record shots. When I hoped we'd get closer we actually set off the opposite direction. Ah well, I was in the minority here.

We found a few species that made my companions happy but were not of much interest to me although the Malabar Pied Hornbill would add to my Big Year anyway.

Malabar Pied Hornbill by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I wandered off to search for the Malabar Whistling Thrush I could hear, the others were trying for a better view of the Blue-faced Malkoa. None of us achieved our objective.

Next it was off to a place where Loven had made his own. It was a way off the road and down a farm track leading to open ground. It was getting pretty dark but Loven has the eyes of an Owl. He sees things I can't and neither could my two fellow birders.

Target No 1 discovered and by torchlight I got a record shot of Jerdon's Nightjar.

Jerdon's Nightjar by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and close by he found one of my all time favourite birds, Sri Lankan Frogmouth. This one was close but the views were obscured by leaves .

Sri Lanka Frogmouth by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Low shutter speeds, high ISO and the help of Topaz de-noise at least gives a record shot.

It had been an interesting first day , not often I get that many lifers in a day but a bit frustrating from a photography point of view. Overall though I was very happy, not a bad haul .

The provided evening meal was very good but by 8.30pm it was over. Everyone went to bed so I decided I might as well too.

No conversation, no internet, nothing to read. Might as well turn the light out!

It was a long night even though I was up at 6.00am for the morning walk. When you nod off too early you spend a lot of time waking up on what seems every hour of the night.

Still, mentally I had a lot to mull over.

All was well.

TBC

Edited December 10, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Ginny]

@Dave Williams   I love the kingfisher...just beautiful!

[Dave Williams]

9 hours ago, xelas said:

My hero! A tortoise behind a wheel driving around India!! The hare has covered itself by its ears in shame and is contemplating which country could counter such a brave feat.

 

The tortoise is long gone, the beast behind the wheel was a reincarnation of something much more assertive!

Rhino by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

16 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

a reincarnation of something much more assertive!

and  thick-skinned to make up for the lack of carapace. (not in real life I trust.)

[Dave Williams]

Day 2 at Backwoods Camp and after a quick coffee it was out for our first walk which basically followed a path up a heavily wooded river valley.

My inner senses told me this was not going to be my kind of trip. Photography was not really an option even if we saw something and after about a kilometre we hadn't seen a thing. I seem to recall Indian Blue Robin was the target but it wasn't playing ball.

We stopped at two spots by the river and on the second I decided I wasn't going any further. I sat on a rock and waited to see what might appear whilst the other three carried on the walk.

Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I was perfectly happy sat there for an hour, in the distance I saw Malabar Whistling Thrush, Grey Wagtail and Blue-eared Kingfisher which was more than the others saw so I hadn't missed out. On the walk back we found a single Brown-breasted Flycatcher, another lifer  so something to show for the walk anyway

Brown-breasted Flycatcher.  BY654 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

After breakfast we headed out to another spot to search for raptors.

Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Yes, through a telescope again. 

Loven did find us a Legge's Hawk-eagle, and another lifer but it was at least 800m away and probably more.

Legge's Hawk-Eagle.   BY656 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

A pair of Red-vented Bulbuls were closer and another addition for my Big Year score.

Red-vented Bulbul.  BY655 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

On the drive back to Backwoods we ran over a Green Vine Snake which survived unscathed . Loven hadn't time to brake when he spotted it but as soon as we stopped he went to pick it up and put it safely on a nearby bush.

Green Vine Snake. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Needless to say they are harmless to humans!

Come  4 o'clock it was time to go out again but I announced I decided I'd stay at Backwoods and see what turned up at the watering spot on the wall. That was more my scene. If anything came near there it was pretty close.

It turned out to be a good decision.

Malabar Whistling Thrush

Malabar Whistling Thrush by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Yellow-browed Bulbul

Yellow-browed Bulbul by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Dark-capped Babbler

Dark-capped Babbler by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and Indian Paradise Flycatcher were all earlier visitors, some showing better than others.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher.  BY658 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Black-naped Monarch Flycatcher was next up but it was getting later and the light more challenging than ever.

Black-naped Monarch Flycatcher by Dave Williams, on Flickr

When the male White-bellied Flycatcher turned up I was down to 1/25th of a second shutter speed to try and keep the ISO limited to 3200.

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher BY660 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The female at least showed out in the open space between me and the wall

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher fem by Dave Williams, on Flickr

By the time the Puff-throated Babbler turned up I was shooting at 1/25th of a second and ISO 8000

Puff-throated Babbler by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I was trying everything to try and maximise what little light there was.

Orange-headed Thrush. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

ISO 3200 but 1/4sec for that one of the Orange-headed Thrush. The slightest movement and the image is blurred. I also tried winding my zoom lens in a little from 500mm to 450mm . That gave an extra stop of light from 7.1 to 6.3. The R5 has an in body 1.6 crop mode which gives you the equivalent reach of using a teleconverter which would have been a no go in that light.

Finally the Brown-cheeked Fulvetta flock moved in for their bath time.

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta by Dave Williams, on Flickr

By now I was sat in total darkness and I couldn't even see the birds the light outside was so poor but a modern camera can so I relied on that to see what was out there. Up to ISO 8000 and 1/20th of a second shutter speed the image is not that acceptable it's so grainy.

Run through Topaz denoise and it's not too bad as a record.

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta by Dave Williams, on Flickr

You can even crop the image if you feel the need.

Brown cheeked Fulvetta.  BY661 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

It had been a satisfying session, when the others came back they didn't report having seen anything special so I hadn't missed out again but on the other hand I had discovered a few things to try when it comes to poor light.

Once again, dinner was over by 8.15 and it was off to bed only this time I hardly woke at all before the alarm was due to ring at 6.00am for my final morning.

It hadn't been a remarkable day by any means but it was nevertheless satisfying. I was in the minority so it was only right that Loven prioritised seeing as many species as he could for his other guests.

TBC

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

Another day, another 6.30am outing and the target species was Malabar Trogon. It was a bird I have only ever seen once and briefly too so I hoped for some good views but before we arrived in the target area we stopped for some distant views of a couple of new birds for the trip, Orange Minivet

Orange Minivet.   BY662 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and Malabar Starling.

Malabar Starling.   BY573 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I hoped to be closer than that if and when we located the Trogan. I say if because apparently it isn't a good time of year in November when the birds tend to be rather reclusive.

The designated area was back on the bridge where Loven found us the Blue -eared Kingfisher but this time he found us another "lifer" Blue-capped Rock Thrush 

Blue-capped Rock Thrush.   BY663 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Never mind the Trogon, this is a stunning looking bird.

Blue-capped Rock Thrush.   BY663 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

I was delighted the views were excellent and the bird stayed for ages too keeping me occupied taking shots whilst Loven went in search of the primary target.

At the bridge though we had another tick for the trip, a distant Stork-billed Kingfisher

 

Stork-billed Kingfisher.   BY664 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

A Striated Heron posed nicely upstream

Striated Heron by Dave Williams, on Flickr

whilst a Little Egret fished directly below us.

Little Egret by Dave Williams, on Flickr

After a while Loven returned and beckoned us to follow, he'd located the Trogon further up stream.

Strangely I was the first to spot it but immediately called it as my mistake, a Rufus Treepie. 

In actual fact I wasn't wrong on the Trogon but it was a female which is similar in colours to the Treepie, and a first for me.

Malabar Trogan BY665 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The bird showed well for a moment before flying off across the river. We headed back to cross at the bridge and there we located a pair of males too.

Malabar Trogan.   BY665 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The views not as good but nevertheless less a great result.

Looking up through a gap in the trees I spotted an Eagle that excited Loven, one of his favourites it turns out...Rufus bellied.

Rufus-bellied Eagle.   BY666 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Unlucky for me I had headed off to seek a patch of open sky whereas the bird had shown really well from the original position. Ah well, can't have it all and it was the second lifer of the day!

It had been quite a session and on the drive back for breakfast I told Loven all we needed was another snake to make my day.

After breakfast we got one and right outside the Backwoods kitchen!

The Hump-nosed Pit Viper is venomous and this one had been seen by one of the staff who is terrified of snakes but also appears to be a snake magnet. Sounds like Claire!

Lizard breakfast by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Loven waited for the snake to finish it's breakfast, a Lizard, before moving it out in to the open

Hump-nosed Pit Viper. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Made for a good photo opportunity while he went in search of a suitable receptacle to put it in. He came back with a plastic water bottle which was half cut through which he then opened up and with a stick encouraged the snake in to the bottle before closing it up again. The snake was ridiculously close to his hand but he seems unconcerned for his welfare, more that of the snake which he then re-located away from the accommodation.

He said a bite wasn't fatal but sooner him than me being that close!

This had been quite a morning but there was more to come before my taxi was due to arrive later.

A short walk in Backwoods grounds and I got sone distant shots of Vernal's Hanging Parrot, and for a change hanging! We'd seen quite a few but always upright.

Vernal's Hanging Parrot.   BY667 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The target bird had been Grey-headed Bulbul which we found but I failed to photograph due to the dense foliage of the surrounding trees.

I had better luck with the Heart-spotted Woodpecker, another bird I'd only ever seen once before but this was much better.

Heart-spotted Woodpecker.  BY669 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

And that was that. My return to the Jasminn Hotel was by taxi and I was back there by early afternoon.

The trip had been very successful. The itch was well and truly scratched and although I had some frustrating moments you can't expect everything to be there on a plate.

20+ "lifers" in two and a half days is great going in my book!

I could return home to the UK later in the week feeling that the whole trip had been very worthwhile.

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Dave Williams

[xelas]

On 12/10/2023 at 6:29 PM, Dave Williams said:

It looks almost identical to the Common Kingfisher, the only difference is the bill is larger

Not exactly true, Dave. Otherwise it would not be named Blue-eared .

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

Not exactly true, Dave. Otherwise it would not be named Blue-eared .

That’s a very astute observation Alex , I never thought of that😳🤔😳

[Atravelynn]

20+ Lifers and some snakes to boot.  It took me a couple of reads to figure out what the rhino was doing in there.  Got it.  So your extra time at Backwoods Camp was possible with just a simple additional booking while your wife spent more time in Goa in less rustic accommodations?  You chose wisely in my opinion.  She'd probably say the same for herself.

[Dave Williams]

9 hours ago, Atravelynn said:

20+ Lifers and some snakes to boot.  It took me a couple of reads to figure out what the rhino was doing in there.  Got it.  So your extra time at Backwoods Camp was possible with just a simple additional booking while your wife spent more time in Goa in less rustic accommodations?  You chose wisely in my opinion.  She'd probably say the same for herself.

 

She certainly agrees with you! I have taken her to a few of my desirable spots before, she knows what to expect and what to avoid!!

Backwoods is a great experience but not for everyone. She was happier left behind!

I used to think that some friends of ours were odd in as much as they went on separate holidays...he plays golf, she's an avid scuba diver.

I have come to their way of thinking and although we take lots of holidays together I go away at least once a year, and usually twice, without her.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder as they say.