One of the Finest Overnite BIRDING trail near Mumbai City - Phansad

TRIP PLAN: BIRDING ROADTRIP

DESTINATION – ALIBAUG – KASHID - PHANSAD – MURUD GRANDPRIX (source - Mumbai Nature Guide by Sunjoy Monga, personal experiences, blogs)

DAY 1

5: 00 AM - Depart from Mumbai towards Alibaug by Car

ROUTE –

8: 00 AM – PITSTOP 1: - DHARAMTAR CREEK BRIDGE - 3 KM From Vadkhal Jn (after Pen, the junction where left road continues as Mumbai – Goa Road) - 5 Mins Pitstop

8:15 AM – PITSTOP 2: - POND WITH HERBAGE 1KM post Poynad

Karlekhind Jn – Saral – Rewas Creek edge – Mandwa – back to Alibag via Kankeshwar and Kihim - 5 Mins Pitstop

9: 00 AM - PITSTOP 3 – KANAKESHWAR TEMPLE HILL (on the Alibaug - Mandve Road)

Take a slight detour (3km to be exact) from Chodi village to the holy Kanakeshwar Temple (close to Kihim). The climb up to the temple of about 700 steps shouldn't take more than 45 minutes. This is called as Alibaug’s Very own mini silent hill station -2 Hours of amazing Trek and Birding Experience

11:00 AM: PITSTOP 4 - DHOKAVDE POND - 5 Mins Pitstop (end of Alibaug - Mandve road)

11:30 AM: PITSTOP 5 – AKSHI BEACH - But first reach Ramdhaneshwar near Alibaug for a Raptor watch before Akshi Beach- 15 Mins Pitstop

12:30 AM: PITSTOP 5 – REVDANDA BRIDGE- 5 Mins Pitstop

1: 00 PM: PITSTOP 6 – MAHUA FARMS RESORT / SEA SHELL RESORT (Near Phansad)- 3 Hours Pitstop for Resting & Lunch

3: 30 PM: PITSTOP 6 – MURUD FORT AND BEACH - Evening snacks at Murud Beach. Visit Fort “Janjira” for Wader and Raptor watch. Back to Resort.

DAY TWO

6: 00 AM: PITSTOP 7 - PHANSAD WLS TREK

Start early morning for Trek at Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary

Visit the Grassland patches and Waterholes (Gunyacha Maal, Chikhalgaan & Phansadgaan) Chikhalgan and Phansadgan are perennial water sources and are also filled with insect & birdlife)

Visit the Sacred Groves (near Supegaon - a great place to see some birds that like to inhabit the fringe of the forest) visit the Periphery of forests .

The Open Grasslands or Mals -the forest suddenly gives way to open grasslands in small pockets through most of the Sanctuary, these make great spots for seeing good fly-pasts and viewing Mammals (though mainly at night).

6:00 PM: DEPART FOR MUMBAI

BIRDING TRAILS : KARNALA - URAN ROAD - NAVI MUMBAI TALAWE - 5th JUNE 2010

These 2-3 Birding sites can be combined for a good Long Birding Morning. Unfortunately because of widespread destruction at URAN, the same cannot be recommended as a standalone site anymore.

NAVI MUMBAI TALAWE SITE MAP - (immediately next to TS Chanakya Building on Palm Beach Road, Vashi)


(Red dot indicates the 2 opposite Talawe sites. The small pond on the opposite side of Navi Mumbai Talawe also can yield good bird sightings)

Karnala Bird Sanctuary Map
(The best Birding site in Karnala is just next to Rest Houses (Some Birds are kept in Cages here) at the Entrance of the Sanctuary. There are benches placed overlooking the forest. Atleast 45 Mins should be spent here. I would recommend taking 2-3 trails which branches out from this site where Cages are kept. One should not climb the hill or go deep in the trail just be in circumference of this Main Site (Cages).

Note - Uran map is not given as one just has to drive on the Uran Road / Jasai area and keep looking for ponds on either sides. The earlier established big ponds are destroyed now.

Trip report by my companion Petros

List of birds observed

1. Little Cormorant
2. Indian Pond-heron
3. Eastern Cattle Egret
4. Great Egret
5. Intermediate Egret
6. Little Egret
7. Eurasian Spoonbill
8. Lesser Flamingo
9. Lesser Whistling-duck
10. Indian Spot-billed Duck
11. Black Kite
12. Crested Serpent-eagle
13. White-eyed Buzzard
14. Purple Swamphen
15. Black-winged Stilt
16. Red-wattled Lapwing
17. Rock Pigeon
18. Greater Coucal
19. Brown-headed Barbet
20. House Crow
21. Large billed Crow
22. Common Myna
23. Paddyfield Pipit
24. Common Iora
25. Common Woodshrike
26. Black-hooded Oriole
27. Black Drongo
28. Ashy Drongo
29. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
30. Ashy Prinia
31. Plain Prinia
32. Red-whiskered Bulbul
33. Common Tailorbird
34. Oriental Magpie-Robin
35. White-rumped Shama
36. Indian Black Robin (Indian Robin)
37. Indian Pitta

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE IMAGES or FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171003&id=536552549&l=89102ff86e

AIROLi CREEK - BIRDING TRAIL - 3rd July 2010

(This trail may be destroyed by the time you would try to go as a "International Consulate Enclave project is being constructed here - on the exact Birding Trail. Check the WikiMapia link by Clicking Here or follow this link - http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=19.1411545&lon=72.9865122&z=15&l=0&m=b&search=IDEB)

AIROLI CREEK - is often touted as one of the best Birding sites 'IN' the city of Mumbai. You dont have to travel far as the creek is easily accessible. Unfortunately rapid real estate construction is happening on one side of Airoli Creek which will impact birding in this area. What remains to be seen is whether the Birding reservoir would be completely destroyed like erstwhile Mecca of Mumbai Birding - URAN.


(Red dots indicate the Birding Trail. One can also get down from the bridge and have a look for birds below the Airoli bridge)

List of birds observed (prepared by companion Petros Isaakidis)

1. Little Cormorant
2. Little Heron (Striated Heron)
3. Indian Pond-heron
4. Cattle Egret
5. Grey Heron
6. Intermediate Egret
7. Little Egret
8. Lesser Flamingo
9. Black-shouldered Kite
10. Black Kite
11. Brahminy Kite
12. White-breasted Waterhen
13. Red-wattled Lapwing
14. Common Black-headed Gull
15. Spotted Dove
16. Alexandrine Parakeet (Aarey)
17. Asian Koel (Aarey)
18. Greater Coucal
19. White-throated Kingfisher
20. House Crow
21. Large-billed Crow
22. Common Myna
23. Asian Pied Starling
24. Little Green Bee-eater
25. Eurasian Golden Oriole
26. Black Drongo
27. White-throated Fantail
28. White-browed Fantail ???????????????
29. Greater Short-toed Lark
30. Zitting Cisticola
31. Grey-breasted Prinia
32. Ashy Prinia
33. Plain Prinia
34. Red-vented Bulbul
35. White-eared Bulbul
36. Yellow-eyed Babbler
37. Oriental Magpie-Robin
38. Indian Robin
39. Red Avadavat
40. Scaly-breasted Munia
41. Black-headed Munia

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE IMAGES or FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW -
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=171003&id=536552549&l=89102ff86e