Wintibird's attempt to see 900 species of birds in 2011 (1 Viewer)

[wintibird]

And some more from Switzerland, including the Swiss top quality bird: Wallcreeper

27/08/2011 - Neeracherried
778: Curlew Sandpiper

05/09/2011
779: Spotted Flycatcher

07/09/2011
780: Hobby (that's rather late, I usually see them in spring)

10/09/2011 - Cassonsgrat
781: Wallcreeper
782: Dotterel

 

[wintibird]

18/09/2011 - Neeracherried (in pouring rain)
783: Little Stint

20/09/2011 - Nuolenerried
784: Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Together with two Pectoral Sandpipers! My second Buff-breasted and much better than the first one!

25/09/2011 - Swiss Alps
785: Eurasian Pygmy Owl
Always a stunning wee bird!

 

[wintibird]

11/10/2011

786: Bearded Tit

A nice group today in the Rhinedelta, Austria

 

[wintibird]

A strange combination today. I went to the Alps but then a text came in and I had to rush back to Zürich:

16/10/2011
787: Hazelhen - a nice male, good views
788: Sabine's Gull - in Zürich, my first one for Switzerland

 

[wintibird]

Finally some new birds again for the year list. I went seeing the Diver which was first reported on Sunday and the Goshawk came as a bonus
So 110 to go in India!

23/11/2011 - Rheinsfelden, Rhine
789: Goshawk
790: Red-throated Diver

 

[wintibird]

And finally in India.

04/12/2011 - Chennai (formerly Madras)
791: Rose-ringed Parakeet
792: Asian Koel
793: Asian Palm-Swift
794: Common Myna
795: House Crow
796: Indian Jungle Crow

05/12/2011 - Chennai, Theosophical Garden and Adyar Estuary
797: Spot-billed Pelican
798: Indian Pond-Heron
799: Shikra
800: White-brested Waterhen
801: Black-winged Stilt
802: Red-wattled Lapwing
803: Barn Owl
804: Spotted Owlet
805: White-throated Kingfisher
806: Coppersmith Barbet
807: Black-rumped Flameback
808: Oriental Magpie-Robin
809: Yellow-billed Babbler
810: Purple Sunbird
811: Rufous Treepie

 

[wintibird]

Landed in the morning in Port Blair on the Andamans. First I explored Port Blair, a rather uninspiring Indian city.

07/12/2011 - Port Blair
812: Pacific Reef-Heron
813: Pacific Golden-Plover
814: Greater Sand-Plover
815: Terek Sandpiper
816: White-bellied Swiftlet
817: Brown-throated Needletail
818: Collared Kingfisher
819: Red-whiskered Bulbul
820: Brown Shrike

 

[wintibird]

Today I visited Mount Harriet. Nice forest but slow birding, as in most tropical forests. Very hot today.

08/12/2011 - Mount Harriet
821: Andaman Serpent-Eagle
822: White-bellied Sea-Eagle
823: Green Imperial-Pigeon
824: Emerald Dove
825: Andaman Green Pigeon
826: Long-tailed Parakeet
827: Spot-breasted Woodpecker
828: Large Cuckooshrike
829: Scarlet Minivet
830: Andaman Bulbul
831: Black-naped Blue Monarch
832: Andaman Shama
833: Andaman Flowerpecker
834: Olive-backed Sunbird
835: Black-naped Oriole
836: Andaman Drongo
837: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
838: Andaman White-headed Starling (including picture for Opus)
839: Asian Glossy Starling
840: Common Hill Myna
841: Eastern Jungle Crow
842: Crested Hawk-Eagle

 

[wintibird]

In the morning I explored Sippighat, an area of tidal creeks and marshes. In the late evening I did some owling around Chidyia Tappu. Heard 4 species but only saw one.

09/12/2011 - Sippighat and Chidyia Tappu
843: Intermediate Egret
844: Striated Heron
845: Yellow Bittern
846: Lesser Whistling-Duck
847: Andaman Teal
848: Cotton Teal
849: Watercock
850: Purple Swamp-hen
851: Pheasant-tailed Jacana
852: Oriental Pratincole
853: Lesser Sand Plover
854: Marsh Sandpiper
855: Long-toed Stint
856: Pintail Snipe
857: Roseate Tern (a surprise)
858: Red-breasted Parakeet
859: Stork-billed Kingfisher
860: Blue-eared Kingfisher
861: Blue-tailed Bee-eater
862: Black Drongo
863: Oriental Scops-Owl

 

[wintibird]

I needed some sleep in the morning, so I only went to Mount Harriet in the evening. Very nice Woodpecker and Owl.

10/12/2011 - Mount Harriet
864: Andaman Woodpecker
865: Hume`s Hawk-Owl
866: Edible-nest Swiftlet
867: Vernal Hanging-Parrot
868: Small Minivet

 

[wintibird]

Getting closer to the big goal. Unfortunately 1000 is out of reach with my itinerary, as expected.

11/12/2011 - Chidia Tappu and Sippighat
869: Besra Sparrowhawk
870: Brahminy Kite
871: Andaman Woodpigeon (nice picture taken)
872: House Swallow
873: Forest Wagtail
874: Dusky Warbler
875: Oriental Reed-Warbler
876: Alexandrine Parakeet

 

[wintibird]

And the last three days on the Andamans:

12/12/2011 - Mount Harriet and Chiriya Tapu
877: Dollarbird
878: Asian Fairy-Bluebird
879: Ashy Drongo
880: Slaty-breasted Rail
881: Andaman Hawk-Owl
882: Andaman Scops-Owl

13/12/2011 - Chiriya Tapu and North Wandoor
883: Andaman Crake
884: Red-throated Flycatcher
885: Ashy Minivet
886: Lesser Crested Tern
887: Chestnut Bittern

14/12/2011 - Mount Harriet and Sippighat
888: Asian Brown Flycatcher
889: Yellow-browed Warbler
890: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
891: Black-capped Kingfisher

 

[wintibird]

Back to the Mainland. No real birding yet but some common Indian species to add.

15/12/2011
892: Pied Kingfisher
893: Little Green Bee-eater
894: Black-winged Kite
895: Indian Roller
896: Caspian Tern

17/12/2011
897: Red-vented Bulbul
898: Common Tailorbird

 

[wintibird]

Big day out to Kaliveli Wetland, a huge wetland north of Pondicherry. Difficult to reach but surely equals places like Pulicat Lake which are much better known.

18/12/2011 - Kaliveli
899: Indian Shag
900: Little Cormorant
901: Oriental Darter
902: Purple Heron
903: Asian Openbill
904: Painted Stork
905: Glossy Ibis
906: Fulvous Whistling-Duck (a vagrant here!)
907: Indian Spot-billed Duck
908: White-eyed Buzzard
909: Pallid Harrier
910: Grey Francolin
911: Indian Stone-Curlew
912: Grey-headed Lapwing
913: Bar-tailed Godwit
914: Great Black-headed Gull
915: Whiskered Tern
916: Spotted Dove
917: Jacobin Cuckoo
918: Greater Coucal
919: Jerdon's Bushlark
920: Oriental Skylark
921: Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark
922: Red-rumped Swallow
923: Paddyfield Pipit
924: Bay-backed Shrike
925: Zitting Cisticola
926: Plain Prinia
927: Blyth's Reed-Warbler
928: Hume's Whitethroat
929: Tricoloured Munia

And some more from late afternoon at Ousteri Lake:
930: Common Iora
931: White-browed Bulbul
932: Loten's Sunbird
933: Purple-rumped Sunbird
934: Indian Black Robin
935: Common Hawk-Cuckoo
936: Greenish Warbler

 

[wintibird]

An outing to Gingee today, some 50kms away from Pondicherry:

20/12/2011
937: Blue Rock-thrush
938: Yellow-throated Bulbul
939: Indian Eagle-Owl
940: Dusky Crag-martin

 

[wintibird]

And there are still new ones to come in, this time again from a late afternoon stroll at Lake Ousteri, near Pondicherry.

21/12/2011
941: Ashy Prinia
942: Indian Pitta (nicely seen)
943: Black-headed Cuckoo-shrike

 

[wintibird]

This morning I visited Manabakkan salt pans and the Alambara Fort at the coast. A lot of birds this year, Pacific Golden Plovers in extraordinary numbers. And some new ones to the list:

23/12/2011
944: Gull-billed Tern
945: Little Tern
946: Great Crested Tern
947: White-browed Wagtail
948: Black Bittern
949: Brown-headed Gull
950: Ashy Woodswallow

 

[wintibird]

A morning spent at Lake Ousteri (or Ossudu) in some woodland habitat. Nice birding, another four to add.

24/12/2011
951: Pale-billed Flowerpecker
952: Asian Paradise Flycatcher
953: Brahminy Starling
954: Chestnut-winged Cuckoo

 

[wintibird]

Today I visited Vedanthangal, a bird sanctuary south of Chennai (aka Madras). It was packed with birds, Pelicans, Spoonbills, Ibises, Cormorants and many more. Also managed to add some new ones:

26/12/2011 - Vedanthangal
955: Black-headed Ibis
956: Yellow-wattled Lapwing
957: Richard's Pipit
958: Common Woodshrike
959: Pied Bushchat
960: Grey-breasted Prinia
961: Indian Silverbill
962: Indian Golden Oriole

 

[wintibird]

It's getting harder and harder to add new species, but here are two more:

27/12/2011 - Lake Ousteri
963: Indian Nightjar

28/12/2011 - Pondicherry
964: House Swift