Fly and flop, Goa Mk 2 November 2023

[Dave Williams]

My return to the Jasminn Hotel and my sense of having achieved something positive made all the difference to the overall enjoyment of our trip.

I had told Claire that I would like to walk the length of the beach we had done on our first day before I went off but now it didn't seem to matter.

I did do a couple of very short walks from the hotel but found little worth photographing. For the first couple of weeks we had had Purple-rumped Sunbirds visiting the flower pots on the wall surrounding the pool. In the final week I realised that another sunbird was visiting too.It was different , a bright red chest but otherwise very scruffy and balding. Obviously moulting.

For once I was prepared when they made a visit and I was able to capture some images.

Not a lifer as such as I had seen my first in March but then very distance.These views were more like it.

Vigors Sunbird.    Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The male Vigor's was less co-operative than the female who came down to feed in the bushes at my level.

Vigors Sunbird      Goa 2023 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Very satisfying!

So that rounded it off.

Not a bad trip at all.

We will I'm sure return to Goa although personally I fancy Kerala again first. I haven't been there for over 14 years. Sri Lanka is also on the return list.

Much depends on travel time and the cost of flights but I think a DIY package is my preference. We'll see.

Next off we head to my favourite medium haul destination. Guaranteed winter sun, a swimming pool and sun bed for Claire and great birding for me.

Watch this space.

Happy Christmas all!

Dave

[Galana]

Thanks for an interesting and varied report. I had real problems in working out where the business end of the Viper was in the first short. It was only when you mention the lizard breakfast that I spotted its tail and worked back from there to find the snakes yellow eye. Great camouflage.

Put it in a plastic bottle. Makes a change from a ship in bottle.

Gambia is it?

[TonyQ]

Sounds like a good trip @Dave Williams.

You are very brave driving yourself in India.

You did very well in Backwoods, and got beautiful photos in all the places you went.

Is it The Gambia next by any chance?

[Dave Williams]

@Galana and @TonyQ. You got it, back to the Smiling Coast.

Amazingly It's been 5 years since I was last there. I hope things haven't changed too much, who knows what went on during the covid years and there will no doubt be a loss of local birding habitat to explore but we'll see . 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Dave Williams

[xelas]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:12 AM, Dave Williams said:

Next off we head to my favourite medium haul destination. Guaranteed winter sun, a swimming pool and sun bed for Claire and great birding for me.

The Gambia?!