Nature Walk at Maddur Tank, Hampapura

Post date: Sep 29, 2012 5:56:09 AM

Date: 07.10.2012

Duration: 07.30 -12.00 hr

Weather: Cloudy and sunny

Participants: 17 members

Habitat:

Rain-fed Tank, occasionally gets water from Varuna Canal - Failed Monson almost dried the tank.
Foothills of Malleswara Gudda (hillock) and agricultural fields –poor rainfall affected the crop as well as scrub vegetation

Sightings:

Highlights:

Sighted solitary Great Thick-knee/Great Stone Plover Esacus recurvirostris away from rock strewn rivers in Mysore Area in tank bed, camouflaged with black soil background.
Three Eurasina Spoonbill Platelea leucorodia were foraging something unknown in ploughed field, while rest of co-foragers like Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans, Painted stork Mycteria feucocephala, Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis were relaxing
Normally found pair of White-bellied Minivet Pericrocotus erythropygius was without male bird.
Some Winter & Local Migrants observed;
- Pied crested Cuckoo, Clamator jacobinus
- Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus
- Eurasian Golden Oriole, Oriolus oriolus
- Little-ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius
- Blyth's Reed-Warbler, Acrocephalus dumetorum
- Common Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca
- Bay-backed Shrike, Lanius vittatus
- Brown Shrike, Lanius cristatus
- Common Swallow, Hirundo rustica
- Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava
- Booted Warbler, Hippolais caligata
Butterfly activity was poor, may be due to prevailing dry weather; however, Yellow Orange Tip Ixias pyrene, Plain Orange Tip Colotis eucharis, Small Orange Tip Colotis etrida, Small Grass Yellow Eurema brigitta and Tailless Lineblue Prosotas dubiosa were in good numbers and very active.