Mr. Gopalakrishnan– Executive Member – TNS- reports on their field trip to Ralliah Dam and Kunjapanai, Kotagiri Range.
Team: Gopalakrishnan, Viswanathan, Meignanamurthy, A.V. Senthil, Lathish, Ponnusamy.
We- Myself, Mr.Viswanathan, Mr.Mei, AV Senthil,r.Lathish & Mr.Ponnusamy –made a birding trip to Ralliah dam near connoor and to the Kunjappanai RF on 31.03.03 We started early in the morning as planned and reached Aravenu around 7.00AM . Had coffee with some nice Bonda there and took the Aravenu-Vandicholai road. This route is spotted with villages and tea plantations. After a few kilometres we have stopped in a vantage point and to our pleasant surprise we saw a Crested Serpant Eagle perched in a nearby tree overlooking the velley. At the same time we have spotted a Black Eagle gliding over the mountain peak in the opposite side. It was a pleasant and encouraging start up and proceeded our journey. On the way we have spotted Black Eagle too.
We reached the Ralliah Dam around 9am . It was a calm place with less human activity. There in the entrance area, we watched/photographed a great tit building a nest in a roadside tree . The dam site is also with lot of bird acivity .After enjoying few hours in the area, we proceeded towards Kothagiri and had our lunch in a roadside restaurant.
On the way downhill we stopped at Kunjappanai forest check post, got permission from them and went inside the RF. It is a birders and Nature lovers paradise with lot of Birds, insects and butterflies. We spent around one hour there and started our journey back home.
Birds sighted during the trip:
1. Black Eagle
2. Crested Serpant Eagle
3. Yellow Wagtail
4. Eurasian Black Bird
5. Hill Myna
6. Red Whiskered Bulbul
7. Nilgiri Flycatcher
8. Great Tit
9. Small Minivet
10. Babbler
11. Pied Bushchat
12. Magpie Robin
13. Spotted Dove
14. Oriental White Eye
15. Eurasian Collared Dove
16. House Sparrow
17. Eurasian Golden Oriole
18. Hoopoe
19. Black Drongo
20. Rocket Tailed Drongo
21. Malabar Trogon
22. Yellow Browed Bulbul
23. Scarlet Minivet
24. Bronzed Drongo
25. Grey Wagtail
26. White Rumped Shama
27. Vernal Hanging Parakeet
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