Birds of Dandeli

Tweak here and a queak there. Berries on trees are an absolute treat for birds in Dandeli. There is some or the other tree bearing fruits across the year which hosts hornbills, parakeets, pigeons, myna's etc. Hearing bird calls in the morning mist rejuvenates your soul completely and is a blissful experience

The Kali River provides food in abundance for Kingfishers, River terns as well as other migratory water birds.

Was in dandeli on 1st & 2nd Nov. Was able to spot almost 40+ species of birds along with naturalist H Shashidhar. Highlights of sighting were Blue fairy bird, Nilgiri wood pigeon and the Great Malabar pied hornbill. Could capture some of them in lens,as record shots at least The rest of the list is as follows.

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shekhru (nikoned)

1. Yellow footed green pigeon (nikoned)
2. Pompadour green pigeon (nikoned)
3. Nilgiri wood pigeon (nikoned)
4. Jungle myna (nikoned)
5. Brmahni myna
6. Cloropsis (nikoned)
7. Rufous wood pecker
8. Plum headed parakeet
9. Lesser flamed backed woodpecker (nikoned)
10. Golden backed woodpecker
11. White necked stork
12. Bronze winged jacana
13. Sparrow Hawk
14. Yellow throated sparrow (the one which Salim ali had cut) (nikoned)
15. Juvenile (yellow throated sparrow) (nikoned)
17. Asian Fairy Bluebird
18. Heart spotted woodpecker
19. Three toed woodpecker
20. Serpent eagle
21. Paradise fly catcher
22. Pied Bushchat
23. Malabar Grey horn bill (nikoned)
24. Malabar pied hornbill (nikoned)
25. Small minivet (nikoned)
26. Rqt tailed drongo
27. Spangled drongo
28. Small blue kingfisher
29. Pied kingfisher
30. White breasted sea eagle (nikoned)
31. Crested lored tit (nikoned)
32. Green beeeater
33. Iora (nikoned)
34. White breasted munia (nikoned)
35. Dabchick
36. Lesser Whistling Teal
37. Golden Oriole
38. Black hooded oriole
39. Night jar
40. Cormorants
41. Sandpiper (nikoned)
42. Darter
43. Common Wood Shrike (nikoned)
44. Hoopoe
45. Malabar whistling thrush

46. Bramhni Kite (nikoned)

47. Kite (nikoned)

Equipment:

Nikon D80-Sigma 150mm prime+1.4TC (210 F4)

Lalat-Dhanashree..the mystic blend

On 19th Oct, Sanjeev along with Ashiwini Bhide-Deshpande performed at Tilak Smarak mandir in Pune. In the first half, both of them performed solo where he presented a powerful Miyan ki Todi. His voice was extremely sharp and mesmerizing which aggravated the curiosity to hear him in jugalbandi or in jasrangi jugalbandi. Ashwini B-D took over Nat bhairav and in parallel Sanjeev intercepted her with Madhuvanti. It was a fabulous attempt and was extremely fascinating to hear. The duo did not stop over here.
After quenching this thirst, the audience was yet to come out of this aroma, they started with Lalat(Ashwini BD) and Puriya Dhanashree. Imagine either of them located in Japan(Sun rise) and the other one performing in the USA at the same time. i.e. Sunrise and Sunset. Bandish...maie re shyam shyam shyam japat enthralled the audience. Not only the vocalists, but tabalji and harmonium also joined the jugalbandi and was absolute cherry on top of cake.
They ended with Bhairavi. It was a different experience of hearing morning raga and evening raga in the afternoon at 12:30 pm.......
enjoyed it thoroughly...
-Ameya Godse