Goa 2016 (2 Viewers)

[Mark Newsome]

Anybody been out in Goa recently, or heading there soon? I'm there in late January and early February, can't wait!
Recent sightings (from Goa Facebook groups) include Greater Flamingo at Morjim and presumably same bird later on the R.Zuari, Grey-headed Lapwing nr Panjim, plus the usual wintering birds.

Any recent gen from visiting birders?

Mark

 

[JD47]

Hi Mark
Going first 2 weeks in February ,likewise can't wait , some info on E-bird as well , keep us updated and vice versa, staying in Arpora.
JohnD

 

[Stuart Ling]

Hi Mark,
I'll be there again for three weeks from Feb 11th so we should have some up to date gen on this site soon. Did you opt for the visa on arrival and if so how smoothly did it work for you. I'm planning on dong mine in the next couple of days.
Keep in touch

Stuart

 

[Mark Newsome]

Hi Mark,
I'll be there again for three weeks from Feb 11th so we should have some up to date gen on this site soon. Did you opt for the visa on arrival and if so how smoothly did it work for you. I'm planning on dong mine in the next couple of days.
Keep in touch

Stuart

I did the etourist visa from the Indian Embassy website. The form was relatively easy as was uploading the photo, copy passport etc, but paying was a real pain. Couldn't get payment website to come up for 4 days, but it eventually worked (after doing whole lot again). Plenty of known issues with the payment side of things when I searched round on web.

 

[JD47]

Hi Stuart
I also did the e tourist visa , we are going with a group of friends so I did all 8 visas on the one night all were granted within 24 hrs except one but that was a problem with forgetting password for their card for paying, re applied the next day no problem better than previous visa application and cheaper.
JohnD

 

[Mark Newsome]

Hi Mark
Going first 2 weeks in February ,likewise can't wait , some info on E-bird as well , keep us updated and vice versa, staying in Arpora.
JohnD

Where are you staying John? I'm at the Marinha Dourada in Arpora until 7th Feb.

Mark

 

[JD47]

Hi Mark
So am I, from the 31st January, will have to meet up.
JohnD

 

[trw]

If anyone is going to South Goa around Cavellosim I can provide some information.
For some unknown reason everyone goes birdwatching in North Goa-we didn't see a bitrdwatcher all week!
How exactlty do you upload a photo on the evisa?
What was the cost?

 

[JD47]

Hi Pratincol
Visas about £42 ,you pay in US 60$ and small admin fee, to load photo scan one onto your PC ,then click to load, as long as it is the correct file size you are allowed to adjust photo to fit , quite easy really even for me. Site tells you if it's wrong anyway.
JohnD

 

[Mark Newsome]

Hi Mark,
I'll be there again for three weeks from Feb 11th so we should have some up to date gen on this site soon. Did you opt for the visa on arrival and if so how smoothly did it work for you. I'm planning on dong mine in the next couple of days.
Keep in touch

Stuart

8

I did the etourist visa from the Indian Embassy website. The form was relatively easy as was uploading the photo, copy passport etc, but paying was a real pain. Couldn't get payment website to come up for 4 days, but it eventually worked (after doing whole lot again). Plenty of known issues with the payment side of things when I searched round on web.

 

[trw]

Hi Pratincol
Visas about £42 ,you pay in US 60$ and small admin fee, to load photo scan one onto your PC ,then click to load, as long as it is the correct file size you are allowed to adjust photo to fit , quite easy really even for me. Site tells you if it's wrong anyway.
JohnD

Thanks
No computer expert!
So what photo is it scanning?
The one you get done to precise meaurements say at Timsons or somewhere similar.
Do you then have this scanned on the website?
Thanks

 

[JD47]

Hi Pratincol
Most of us used photos which where printed for last years visa application, but one of the party just used a photo from their phone taken against a white background, you just adjust it when you get to this part of the visa application.
JohnD

 

[trw]

Hi Pratincol
Most of us used photos which where printed for last years visa application, but one of the party just used a photo from their phone taken against a white background, you just adjust it when you get to this part of the visa application.
JohnD

Thanks-very helpful.
Sounds a daft question but how do you scan?
Do you need a special scanner?

 

[Brian Stretch]

Anybody been out in Goa recently, or heading there soon? I'm there in late January and early February, can't wait!
Recent sightings (from Goa Facebook groups) include Greater Flamingo at Morjim and presumably same bird later on the R.Zuari, Grey-headed Lapwing nr Panjim, plus the usual wintering birds.

Any recent gen from visiting birders?

Mark

Hi Mark,

I'll be at the Marinha Dourada 28th Jan until 11th Feb and can't wait either!

Brian
_________________
Worcester Birding

 

[Stuart Ling]

Thanks for the visa feedback, it confirms what I've read eleswhere that the payment process is the most annoying part. Still, no trip to India would be complete without an evening swearing at the Indian Embassy website.
Back to the birds, there's a couple of recent trip reports from Hannu Jannes (Birdquest) and David Walsh (Ornitholidays) on their respective websites. The latter has some interesting reports including Sand Lark at Morji, Jungle Prinias at Aguada and Nilgiri Flycatcher at Netravali.
The Greater Flamingo is still around, being seen off Dona Paula on 11/1.

Stuart

 

[Mark Newsome]

Thanks-very helpful.
Sounds a daft question but how do you scan?
Do you need a special scanner?

A standard desktop scanner is the easiest, and save as PDF format. Otherwise, you could take a photo of the passport with a digital camera, and use Photoshop etc to convert/save as PDF.

Mark

 

[Mark Newsome]

Thanks for the visa feedback, it confirms what I've read eleswhere that the payment process is the most annoying part. Still, no trip to India would be complete without an evening swearing at the Indian Embassy website.
Back to the birds, there's a couple of recent trip reports from Hannu Jannes (Birdquest) and David Walsh (Ornitholidays) on their respective websites. The latter has some interesting reports including Sand Lark at Morji, Jungle Prinias at Aguada and Nilgiri Flycatcher at Netravali.
The Greater Flamingo is still around, being seen off Dona Paula on 11/1.

Stuart

Sand Lark is a damn good record! Hope they reappear at Morjim. Odd how Ornitholidays report just mentions a flock of Jungle Prinias in passing, with no comment on status (very rarely reported).

Brian/John - see you at the 'Barracuda bar' at the Marinha D. after sunset for a Kingfisher and a catch-up!

Mark

 

[trw]

A standard desktop scanner is the easiest, and save as PDF format. Otherwise, you could take a photo of the passport with a digital camera, and use Photoshop etc to convert/save as PDF.

Mark

Thanks-very helpful

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I'm in Goa now, staying in Candolim, but my wings have been clipped a bit in the last Couple of days after the dry cough that stared when we arrived on Friday turned out to be the onset of flu. After we got back from Carambolim on Sunday lunchtime I took to my bed and slept. Yesterday, fourth day of the trip added precisely no birds to the trip list because I slept for 20 of the 24 hours, venturing out only for light meals at the hotel restaurant.

Anyway that's enough of the self pity. I dragged myself out for an hour after breakfast today and added Blyths pipit before retiring knackered.

I've not made it to Baga or the Marinha Dourada this trip yet, but I'm told that the Marinha Dourada pools are full to the brim with water, just as they were when we were there last year, and useless for waders.

Off for lunch now, then an afternoon of dossing in bed. If I'm up to it tomorrow I'll head for Baga and let you know what's what.

Regarding visas, we got ours the old way by posting our passports off to the High Commission after my wife lost patience with the E visa website. We went through arrivals in no time at all because we could turn right instead of left at the gate. Those who went left had E visas and we heard endless complaints later on the bus from people who spent an age queuing for photos and fingerprints to be taken. This no doubt explained the hour and a half we sat on the bus waiting for fellow travellers.

 

[Mark Newsome]

I'm in Goa now, staying in Candolim, but my wings have been clipped a bit in the last Couple of days after the dry cough that stared when we arrived on Friday turned out to be the onset of flu. ....

Oh dear, not the best start to a holiday! Fingers crossed you pick up pretty soon.

I'll be interested to know how Baga fields is at the moment, and what effect the building of the new sewage works had. Arpora Pools has been tidal last few years - they never repaired the breached bund seperating them from the river. Therefore the pools are usually pretty full. The smaller mangrove surrounded pool to the west of the big pools is often more interesting than the main pool - Yellow Bittern, Slaty-breasted Rail etc last time I was there.

Looking forward to any further updates (health permitting..!)

Mark