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

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