India 2016

The Rest

Having divided everything so far into animal types, this post is a sweep up of everything else we saw in India, at least as far as the natural world goes.

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I've no idea what this is growing at Ranthambore, but it's an interesting plant.

Mugger Crocodile at Ranthambore

Another Mugger Crocodile and an unperturbed pond heron.

Found in the modern Japanese bit at Sarnath near the large statue of Buddha. A flat-headed grasshopper of some sort.

Granite Ghost - Bradinopyga geminata

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We saw quite a few different species including several big exotic looking species that never settled long enough to get a decent photo. Identification is more difficult without an India butterfly field guide, but I've done what I can with the help of a good website - Butterflies of India www.ifoundbutterflies.org.

Not a clear picture - it was taken from the train window during one of our many
delays. Common Jezebel - Delias eucharis

Not yet identified

Dark Blue Pansy - Junonia orithya ocyale

Possibly a Dakhan Yellow Orange-tip - Ixias pyrene sesia

Not yet identified but could be a Bath White

A bit pale but probably an Oriental Mottled Emigrant - Catopsilia pyranthe

Oriental Common Grass Yellow - Eurema hecabe - probably.

Oriental Peacock Pansy - Junonia almana almana

Possibly Indian Common Mormon - Papilio polytes romulus

Oriental Blue Tiger - Tirumala limniace

Chinese Lemon Pansy - Junonia lemonias lemonias

Small Birds

This post consists of small birds that don't fall into the bird of prey or water bird categories. You can argue with my size category or expect me to use standard categories like passerines or something, but all I'm doing is keeping the post size manageable, and they are all pretty anyway.

Coppersmith Barbet - Megalaima haemacephala - a striking bird and reasonably

common. This one was at Bharatpur. It gets its name from its call which has been

likened to a coppersmith hammering metal. Like woodpeckers they dig out nest holes

in trees.

Indian Robin - Saxicoloides fulicata - definitely not red-breasted, but red-vented.

Possibly the most striking bird we saw, that's why

it gets two photos. Brahminy Starling - Sturnus

pagodarum - found at Bharatpur.

Brahminy Starling - Sturnus pagodarum - found at Bharatpur.

Oriental Magpie Robin - Copsychus saularis - Delightful if a little grumpy looking

Purple Sunbird - Nectarinia asiatica - very flitty, not a poser.

Purple Sunbird - Nectarinia asiatica - This one in full breeding plumage outside the hotel in Ranthambore.

White-eared Bulbul - Pycnonotus leucotis

Red-vented Bulbul - Spizixos canifrons -

Red-throated Flycatcher - Ficedula parva

Large Grey Babbler - Turdoides malcolmi - There are

7 pages of babblers in the bird book, but this is a common

one and easy to identify. We saw these at our first lunch

stop on the way to Jaipur. This one posed at Bharatpur.

Common Myna - Acridotheres tristis - at Agra. We also saw the Bank Myna
(Acridotheres ginginianus) but I only got blurry photos.

Medium-sized Birds

There is quite a range of bird types that fit into this medium category, from pigeons to cuckoos with crows and bee-eaters to boot.

Crows

The stunning and remarkably tame Rufous Treepie -

Dendrocitta vagabunda - Easier to photograph when

not perched on your hat!

Rufous Treepie - Dendrocitta vagabunda - that beak looks like pewter.

Large-billed Crow - Corvus macrorhynchos - also called the Jungle Crow. This

one at Bharatpur

Doves

Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis - presumably called so from its call.

This one showing its subtle blue wing patch, in the hotel garden at Varanasi

where we also saw the Ashy Prinia and a Common Tailorbird that didn't stop

for photos.

Yellow Footed Green Pigeons - Treron Phoenicoptera - at Bharatpur

Others

One slightly ruffled Green Bee-eater - Merops orientalis - at Bharatpur

Greater Coucal - Centropus sinensis - never out of shadow and in focus at the same time. At Bharatpur where we also saw the equally red-eyed Asian Koel.

Common Hawk Cuckoo - Hierococcyx varius - I think.
There are a number of similar cuckoos in a not very well
illustrated book. Where's Richard Lewington when you
need him?

Common Hawk Cuckoo - Hierococcyx varius - from
the front. At Bharatpur.

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Psittacula krameri - not a natural setting but they do get everywhere. At Bharatpur.

Relatively scarce and shy Eurasian Thick-knee - Burhinus oedicnemus -
At Bharatpur.

Birds

We had plenty of opportunity to see the avian fauna of India in both Ranthambore and Bharatpur, as well as chasing a few round the hotel gardens when daylight and time permitted. This is really a very small subset of Indian birds many more of which may be found in the warmer tropical parts of India. We managed to see 5 or 6 birds of prey, including a booted eagle and a crested serpent eagle that didn't hang around long enough for a portrait session, unlike the Black Kite that perched opposite the Hotel Continental (the grotty one).

Black Kite - Milvus migrans

Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus - Ranthambore

Spotted Owlet - Athene brama -seen at Bharatpur

A departing Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus - Bharatpur

A distant Osprey - Pandion haliaetus - Bharatpur

The same osprey in flight, but still distant

Sadly, with the exception of the Spotted Owlet, all the above birds could have been seen in the UK.

Of water birds, there were many, from moorhens to painted storks, though again we only managed to get a few that were prepared to pose nicely.