Birding around Sakleshpur

Birding in the Western Ghats in India is something that I had wanted to do for quite some time, especially given the natural surroundings and of course the birds. So when my friend Ajit mentioned of having spent a lovely holiday with his family in a homestay in Sakleshpur, I could not wait to go.

First, what is the Western Ghats? Well, it is a mountain range that stretches from the state of Kerala to the state of Gujarat. It is also known as Sahyadri. It roughly covers an area of 140 sq. kms. in a stretch of 1600 kms parallel to the western coast of India. It is considered as one of the eight “hottest hot-spots” of biological diversity in the world. It contains a large portion of the country’s flora and fauna, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. So now you know why any nature enthusiast would earn to visit it. Thankfully we got to see many of them 😀 .

Sakleshpur is a hill station located in the Western Ghats, specifically in the Hassan district in the state of Karnataka.

I had Kumar as companion for the trip. The trip was an overall 3 days (including travel to and fro from Bangalore). We effectively got 2 full days at Sakleshpur, reaching by noon on the first day and leaving around noon on the third. And what a packed 2 days it was! All that we did was literally bird, except for the meal times and sleeping at night 😀 . We were up and out before first sunrise on both the mornings. There is nothing like hearing the bird songs at dawn, especially that of the Malabar Whistling Thrush and the Puff-throated Babbler. I am not going to give a day-wise report. Rather I will summarise our sightings from the trip.

I have to start with the king and queen, or rather a species that a lot of people yearn to see in these parts; the Malabar Trogon. They were very easy to see during our stay at the homestay (more details of it later in the post). In fact, we got a little tired (I can’t believe I am actually saying this!) of spotting them in almost every birding session we did 😀 . There was a breeding pair in the property itself. The best sighting was when we were having lunch and the pair decided to perch at a eye level in a shrub opposite us. Of course, we did not have our cameras with us 😦 . By the time Kumar scrambled and got them, the birds had moved to a different perch. Here are a couple of pictures of the pair:

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Another bird that we would hear often and at times spot, was the Indian Scimitar Babbler. When you catch a glimpse of them, there is no ignoring their beauty.

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One of the most colourful birds has to be the Orange Minivet. Here is a female one:

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Giving it competition is the winter migrant, the Black-naped Oriole.

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One of the endemics is the Malabar Woodshrike. Quite a vocal bird I must say!

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Another of the endemics is the Crimson-backed Sunbird. Here is a male and a female of it:

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A bird that cannot be ignored is the Indian Paradise Flycatcher, especially when the male flies around in front of you. Here is a male and a female:

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With plenty of trees around, there are bound to be Woodpeckers. Here is a male and female of a Greater Flameback:

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But the one that stole my heart was the Heart-spotted Woodpecker. Here is a male and female of it:

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A number of Warblers had also made their winter migration to these parts. We saw the Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Green Warbler, Greenish Warbler and the Western Crowned Warbler. None of them obliged for decent photos (as if they ever do 😀 ). So here is what I could manage:

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We also got to spend decent amount of time observing a visiting Asian Brown Flycatcher going about have a bath on a leaf that had water from rain showers.

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A couple of other birds that are a sight to see are the endemic White-bellied Treepie and the Asian Fairy-bluebird.

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Not to be left were some of the other “commoners”; the Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Common Iora, Golden-fronted Leafbird and the Indian Peafowl.

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We were happy to see a few House Sparrows as well around; a sight not common for city dwellers nowadays.

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Of the birds that we had to strain to see were the White-rumped Needletail and the Little Swifts. One can also get to the Brown-backed Needletails in the region.

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An early morning bird is the Rufous Babbler. They are pretty shy birds and tend to stay in the undergrowth.

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In raptors, we got to see the Oriental Honey Buzzard, Crested Serpent Eagle and Eurasian Kestrel in the skies. A Crested Goshawk however obliged us with views of it perched on a tree branch on a foggy morning.

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Another of the endemics is the Malabar Hornbill. We would see them coming to raid a fruiting palm tree in the evenings.

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A bird that will surely be heard and seen a lot of times is the Vernal Hanging-Parrot, India’s only Parrot. But most of the time they will up on the tree canopy. So for me to get some very close to one is considered a blessing :-D. Here are a couple of photos of one that felt pity on us:

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Another winter visitor in these parts is the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater; a stunning bird when you get it in the right light!

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A bird high on my list for the region was the Grey-headed Bulbul, another endemic of the region. I heard several of them calling on the first day. But it was only on the morning of the third day that I got to see a few of them finally. Phew!

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It is not just the birds that are enchanting here. One can several numerous types of butterflies and moths too. Here are a couple that I was able to photograph in between searching for birds.

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One can also get to see wonderful play of lights as well as interesting plants.

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Useful Information

Sakleshpur is a great place not just for birding but as a short getaway for the entire family. The region has a lot of homestays in all budgets and many in coffee plantations. Homestays are a great way to experience the place. Different ones offer different levels of comforts and facilities. So it is best to decide what is needed for you and your group and then select the homestay accordingly.

We had chosen to stay at a homestay called Mugilu, a couple run enterprise located inside a coffee estate. They themselves stay in the property. We found it to be a nature lovers paradise. The cottages are nicely constructed to blend in with the nature and provide great views. They had also left half of the estate entirely for nature to grow as it wanted. The place was a magnet for birds and butterflies! Mind you, there are no usual “distractions” like television and cable TV; a treat as far as we were concerned. I would definitely recommend visiting it.

Wherever one may end up staying, make sure to walk around. Again bird photography may not be easy, given that the tree cover is pretty dense. If you are visiting in the winter, like we did, then expect mist in the first half.

The road to Kadumane Estate is also a great place to bird. Look out for the Wayanad Laughingthrush and Rufous-bellied Eagle enroute. If you can get permission to bird in the Kadumane Estate, then there is nothing like.

Winter is a good time to visit. Being in the hills, it does get chilly. So take some light warm clothes. Rainy season can be difficult as it can rain very heavily. A lot of homestays close down during the rainy season as well.

Most importantly go with intent to slow down and take things as they come. Have no expectations. You will automatically find yourselves slowing down in the midst of nature.