A British Birdwatcher in Pune

Aundh: Base Camp

I caught a flight from UK to Mumbai but did not spend long there, departing for Pune the next morning to start my work there as soon as possible. I stayed in MBT's private accommodation in the suburb of Aundh, in a pleasant area where the house gardens and a nearby large compound allowed me to see plenty of typical Indian species. Indeed there were some species that I saw there that I did not see anywhere else on my visit (e.g., Common Bustard-Quail and Yellow-Eyed Babbler) and there were some others that were surprises so close to the city (Black-Naped Hare, Blossom-Headed Parakeet).

Most of the common species around the house are not seen in the UK. For instance, we have no parakeets, mynahs, sunbirds, wren-warblers, bee-eaters, koels, and no hornbills nor any close relative. Species we do share include House Sparrows, Town Pigeons, some of the sandpipers and their close relatives, Common Swallow, Kestrel, and many of the ducks. In continental Europe there are more groups shared in common. Some birds common in India occur in only small numbers in the UK (e.g., Little Egret, Golden Oriole), while Blyth's Reed Warbler, which seems a common winter visitor in forest and suburbs, is a very rare breeder in Europe and has occurred as a vagrant only a few times in the UK.

Sinhagad Forest

My first trip outside Pune took me to a patch of deciduous forest at the base of the Sinhagad hill, where with the help of my expert friends I saw many species, including a close view of Crested Hawk-Eagle, White-Bellied Drongo, Yellow-Throated Sparrow, Paradise Flycatcher, and Tree-Pie. Here was the only snake I saw on my entire trip - a Russell's Viper which had been killed and suspended from a wire fence. Bonelli's and Steppe Eagles were seen on the return journey, plus a large roost of Flying Foxes. On the Khadakvasla dam there were a few water-birds including Pheasant-Tailed Jaçana, Spotbill and Cotton Teal with the other species of duck which are also easily seen in Europe.

Mula-Mutha & Kavdi

The following day (Republic day) I went with Yogesh to the Mula-Mutha sanctuary in central Pune, on the river-bank just below the confluence of the two rivers which give it its name. However, uncharacteristically thick morning mist hid almost everything from view. Giving up on this place we journeyed down-river to Kavdi, where the mist eventually lifted in mid-morning.

Various waders were seen, plus River and Gull-billed Terns, Bluethroat, and many White and Yellow Wagtails of several races. I saw a Common Indian Mongoose run across the track. In the afternoon, I visited the Sinhagad fort high on a hill, where vultures were seen at close range along with the upland specialists Blue RockThrush and Alpine Swift - both these last being fairly common in the mountains of Southern Europe. It was very nice to see thousands of people at the fort enjoying themselves in such a good-natured way.

Mahabaleshwar: The Western Ghats

The following weekend there was again a public holiday (Id) and I was taken by Rahul and Swapna to Mahabaleshwar, a hill-station in the Ghats. Here there was both moist evergreen forest and more open upland habitat. On the way there we saw a bird in roadside scrub which we later identified beyond doubt as a Thick-Billed Warbler with the help of a field-guide I had brought from the UK.

Pune University Campus

I visited the Campus of Pune University a few times. Other birdwatchers have stayed on the campus and given excellent accounts of its bird-life. It contains some good wooded areas and open grassland, though its pond seems to be declining in interest compared with earlier accounts.

I had really stunning views of a pair of Common Grey Hornbills feeding each other fruit and inspecting holes in tree-trunks. There were little groups of Small Minivet, plus Common Iora, Spotted Owlet, Ashy-Crowned Finch-Lark, Palm Swifts. This was the only place where I saw Jungle Mynahs. I was pleased to see a small flock of Indian Tree Pipit, which as Olive-Backed Pipit is a highly sought-after vagrant in the UK.

Eastern Expedition: Diveghat to Varvand

Rahul took me to an area East of Pune which he had researched and about which he has published a paper. This has hill country at Diveghat, lakes at Patas, dry country at Bhuleshwar, and dry country, irrigations and a dam at Varvand.

Solapur: Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary

Through Rahul's contacts, we got in touch with Dr Ninad Shah at Solapur, who was able to take us round the Great Indian Bustard sanctuary at Nannaj. On our way from Pune to Solapur, we saw both Indian Fox and Indian Jackal crossing the road by the light of our headlights.

Hipparga Dam

Solapur also has an excellent dam at Hipparga, where the typical water and water-side birds were enhanced by sightings of Pale Brown Shrike, a big flock of Short-Toed Larks mixed with Small Skylarks, a Peregrine Falcon perched on the ground and a couple more Montagu's Harriers. One of the Solapur birdwatchers who kindly accompanied us had difficulty in starting his two-wheeler as night fell - however this was a blessing in disguise for me as when we eventually set off we put up a Common Indian Nightjar from the track.

Bhigvan Dam

The next day we returned to Nannaj as we wanted to see Wolf, but were unlucky. We stopped at Bhigvan dam on our return journey to Pune. By the main highway we saw a large flock of Flamingoes and other water-birds. The sunshine coming low over our shoulders gave our views an incredible clarity. We moved to the Forest Department Nursery where we encountered some new species associated with open woodland, including the only Woodpecker (a Mahratta) that I saw in all my time in India.

Akshi Beach: Coastal Finale

I knew that my return to the UK would take me to the coastal part of India (at Mumbai) and wondered if I could see coastal species there, but Rahul advised me of Akshi beach near Alibag, which would be more productive. I was able to take some time on my way back to Mumbai to detour via Alibag and I was not disappointed.

Reflections