After all our efforts yesterday, almost predictably, a pair of Painted Bush-Quail arrived for breakfast this morning, twice in fact, and it was nice to see a female. We left Ooty at 8am driving to Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary where we arrived at around midday in the hope of seeing a roosting Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl. It was nice to chat to some local birders who were there doing an Owl survey, although it was rather concerning that they hadn't seen any, blaming the recent increase in the number of Macaques as the likely reason as they frequently chase away roosting Owls. One of the rangers accompanied us for a mile's walk to an area of tall riverine forest where we searched but in vain. The ranger told us that rather than being the Macaques to blame, the local tribe had cut down the favoured branch of the Owl when collecting honey around a month earlier, and the Owl hadn't been seen since. We then walked back to our car and continued the drive to Munnar arriving after dark.
Eastern Cattle Egret 20
Black-winged Kite 1
Painted Bush-Quail 2
Grey Junglefowl 1
Indian Peafowl 2
Spotted Dove 2
Brown-throated Needletail 1
Hill Swallow 10
Red-rumped Swallow 10
Red-vented Bulbul 2
Bay-backed Shrike 1
Indian Blackbird 1
Indian Black Robin 10
Greenish Warbler 2
Nilgiri Plain Flowerpecker 1
Black-hooded Oriole 1
Jungle Myna 6
Painted Bush-Quails at Logan's Lodge, Ooty
Male Indian Blackbird at Logan's Lodge, Ooty
Riverine forest at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
