Thattekad Bird Sanctuary--Part III

I've arrived to the final part of my recent trip to Thattekad. This session of birding was not only fruitful in terms of lifers and stuffs, but also informative with respect to Thattekad habitat protection and local challenges because of Wild Elephants. 

Like any other place on earth, Thattekad too is fragmented; but not to a great extent. The water source is the Periyar river that looked green and less polluted. Fruits such as banana, pineapple and different types of vegetables are the main source of agriculture here and that attracts lot of elephants. There are a few coffee plantations as well that aren't too great in size. 

Session III:

The day started with couple of Racket Tailed Drongos mobbing Rosy starlings, and a brown brested flycatcher trying to catch its prey. 

Gireesh took me to a cliff where I could find some action..! Early morning mist cleared quickly and the birds started making noise as much as they want to. 

Heart Spotted Woodpecker--notice the heart spot on its right wing. This tiny little woodpecker has sharp beak for pecking small twigs and branches. 


 "That is such a tiny cute looking bird." said one of the foreigner who was a first time visitor to Thattekad. 
Srilankan Frogmouth--the flagship specie of Thattekad. The very reason for many birders to visit this bird sanctuary. The bird blends itself to the surroundings so very well that spotting goes unnoticed very easily. Before I took this photograph, it nearly took me 5 minutes to figure out where the bird was although I was standing at a distance of 1 mtr. 
Frogmouths are active during nights and feeds mainly on insects and rodents.
The bird appeared to be social as I stood in front of this lady for over 10 minutes. Although I was observing its behavior, for her am still a threat and yet it did not move from its position. 
Yet another classic example of camouflage. This is as if some dry leaf has fallen on a branch, but the reality is different. 
A female Frogmouth.
Believe me, this was not easy to spot. This is a male Frogmouth guarding its chick on a tree top. 
An enlarged version of previous pic. You could see how well the bird has blended itself with the tree color.
Another angle that shows the adult and the child frogmouth on a nest. 

Male frogmouth takes care of the offspring while female frogmouth scouts for best nesting locations and also for food. 
Yet another pair of Srilankan Frogmouth. Male frogmouth is gray colored while female frogmouth is brownish in color.
Notice the height difference between them. Male is shorter than the female frogmouth.

Your visit to Thattekad would be incomplete if you had not seen a single Malabar Trogon. This one's a female. 
 I didnt realize how soon the time went past with abundant action around me. I told Gireesh that am extremely happy with whatever species we could spot, but he insisted to hold on for sometime as he wanted me to see something special..! 

The Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher..!

 The hidden Jewel of the forests. This colorful charming bird was a show stopper..! Extremely shy and elusive as compared to others in Kingfisher's family. 
Within a wink of an eye, this bird quickly changed its perch from one twig to another to evade intrusions. I managed to get this shot before it flew away into the canopy since the crowd gathered to watch this beautiful rare bird in action. It certainly didn't appreciate the loud noise of the crowd. 
An epic bird marathon came to end as it was time for me to leave. Thattekad truly made its own spot in my heart with its impeccable habitat and profound list of amazing birds..! I really have to thank Gireesh for his hospitality and kindness towards me. I hope to come back again and again to experience vivid avian culture and increase my lifer's list. :-)

How To Reach Thattekad:

By Train:

BLR >> Aluva (BLR - Ernakulam Express) Overnight journey.
Aluva to Perumbavoor. (By local bus--Distance is 15kms; ETA 20 mins).
Perumbavoor to Thattekad. (By local bus--Distance is 30kms; ETA 45 mins). 
The bus stops right in front of Salim Ali Interpretation Center from where you could walk upto Jungle Bird Homestay. (Gireesh's homestay).

By Bus:

BLR >> Thrissur (Volvo Bus) Overnight journey.
Thrissur to Perumbavoor (By Local bus--Distance is 60kms, ETA 90 mins).
Perumbavoor to Thattekad. (By local bus--Distance is 30kms; ETA 45 mins). 
The bus stops right in front of Salim Ali Interpretation Center from where you could walk upto Jungle Bird Homestay. (Gireesh's homestay).

By Flight:

BLR >> Kochi 
Taxi to Thattekad.



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