Summary:  Another highly successful visit to Goa, with 281 species of birds observed (plus a further two ‘heards’), which makes for one of the highest totals in recent years.  Highlights surely included two Sri Lanka Frogmouths roosting together, both Oriental Dwarf and Blue-eared Kingfisher on the same stream, a stunning pair of Malabar Parakeets lit up in the evening sunlight and a twitched Great Thick-knee, with I suspect Blue-tailed Bee-eater make a late run for top honours as well. Combined with excellent Goan food, reliable transportation and local assistant guides, the group participants then made the tour, with weather ‘turning out nice again’ day after day after day,   

Saturday January 28^th :  12 participants plus tour leader David Rosair met up at Gatwick Airport eagerly awaiting take-off and departure for Goa.

Sunday January 29^th :  After an uneventful flight with superb views over the Middle Eastern deserts, we touched down in Goa at 17.30 hours in bright late afternoon sunshine.  Quickly through customs we were soon transferring by coach to the Beira Mar Hotel, Baga, experiencing our first of many superb Indian sunsets.  Upon arrival and settling into our balcony rooms, we convened at the bar and enjoyed some welcomed Kings beers – again the first of many!  Having outlined the birding programme for the coming two weeks and following our first Goan evening dinner it was time for bed.

Monday January 30^th :  With dawn around 06.45 hours, many of us were gathered around the swimming pool overlooking the famous Baga Fields.  In the dim but gathering light Baillon’s and Ruddy-breasted Crakes were observed, along with the first of the ubiquitous Brahminy and Black Kites.  Soon in full warming sunlight both Green and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters appeared along with White-throated Kingfisher, Indian Pond Heron, Long-tailed Shrike and House Crow, all of which would become very familiar during the coming days ahead.  Walking across the Baga Fields produced the usual ID challenges in separating Richard’s, Paddyfield and Blyth’s Pipits, with Eastern Stonechats and Pied Bushchats welcome additions, followed by Long-tailed Shrike, Oriental Magpie Robin and Koel.  What a list and only 08.30! 

Back to a hearty breakfast and time to lounge around the pool or bird from our balconies and acclimatise to the very warm temperatures, rapidly soaring after 10.00 hours towards 34 C.  Late afternoon we used the local taxis to venture to Aguada Fort, superbly situated overlooking the Mandovi River estuary with Panjim in the distance. Here unfortunately the leader managed to fall, breaking not his ankle but his telescope, a severe blow so early on in the tour. However with plenty of ‘scopes still available the situation proved not quite so desperate as had first been envisaged and soon we were ‘scoping a small pool of water, quietly attracting Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, White-throated Fantail, Orange-headed Thrush and even Indian Peafowl, whilst two magnificent White-bellied Sea Eagles soared majestically overhead.   A terrific first day in the field, with more Kings and Kingfisher beers consumed at the Beira Mar during the evening.

Tuesday January 31^st :  There is nothing more magical than an Indian dawn, as we all experienced this morning standing on the bridge at Candolim over the tributary of the Mandovi River.  As the sun rose, the first Brahminy and Black Kites appeared wheeling lazily overhead along with the common House Crows. From the mangroves Blyth’s Reed Warblers called, with several Little Herons feeding below and a superb Black-capped Kingfisher perched ready to pounce at any moment.  Following breakfast, (the inevitable egg or cheese sandwiches) we strolled along the river bank, and through light woodland.  Four Spotted Owlets, Asian Brown Flycatcher, several Indian Golden Orioles, White-cheeked Barbet, Greater Flameback and an unusual Brown Shrike were all recorded, but pride of place certainly belonged to a pair of stunning Plum-headed Parakeets. Having again rested up in the heat of the day, we visited the charming village of Saligao in the late afternoon, where behind the fresh water spring we gazed at a superb Brown Wood Owl high up in the tree canopy, whilst a pair of White-bellied Drongos rounded off another great day’s birding. Many of the group later that evening dined out, experiencing and enjoying excellent local Goan food washed down with the inevitable Kingfisher beer.

Wednesday-Sunday February 1^st –4^th :  At 05.30 we set off for the famous Backwoods Camp, joined by Loven, one of the three Backwoods partners who would be acting as our local guide.  And so followed five memorable days – away from the hustle and bustle of the ‘strip’ and to the quietness and beauty of the forest and scrub set below the Western Ghats some 90 kms. inland – the real ex-Portuguese Goa.  Our introduction soon after dawn to this wonderful region was no less than sixteen Malabar Pied Hornbills and twenty Malabar Grey Hornbills all gathered in just two fruiting Indian Silk Cotton trees – a fabulous sight. Walking the entrance track to the camp itself was almost over-awing.  Chestnut-shouldered Petronias, Black-throated Munias, Bronzed Drongo, Crimson-fronted and Coppersmith Barbets and the super endemic Malabar Parakeets were all well ‘scoped before entering the new world of our camp. A dozen or so tents and huts camouflaged in the forest complete with en-suite facilities and prime birding was to be our home for the next four nights.  After the first of many excellent breakfasts we explored the immediate area surrounding the camp and were treated to our first views of the “Heart-stopping” Woodpecker. Following our obligatory afternoon siesta Mountain Imperial Pigeons, Vernal Hanging Parrots, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Crimson-backed Sunbirds and White-rumped Needletails were all observed around the Tamdi Surla Temple area.   

Dawn tea and biscuits along with Indian Pitta has a certain ornithological ring to it, and so it was behind the kitchen at the Backwoods Camp.  This was followed by an amazing mid-morning raptor watch towards the Western Ghats, with no less than ten species recorded including a superbly close perched White-eyed Buzzard followed by soaring, Oriental Honey Buzzard, two Rufous-bellied Eagles, Mountain Hawk Eagle, displaying Crested Goshawk and a single Besra.  Everyone then deserved and enjoyed the excellent vegetarian lunch with more birds in the afternoon…upstream from the famous Tamdi Surla Temple were observed Forest Wagtail, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Brown-breasted Flycatcher and both Blue-eared and the diminutive Oriental Dwarf Kingfishers.  The luck of our ‘charmed’ group!  And still to come after dinner was spotlighting nightjars, with both Grey and Savannah Nightjars seen on the ground and in flight.  What a day!

Most of the next day was spent exploring the forest habitat in the vicinity of the camp, the highlight surely a pair of Sri Lanka Frogmouths tightly roosting together in the centre of a bamboo tree – perhaps the highlight of the tour itself?  Slowly more forest birds were recorded including White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Velvet-fronted Nuthatches, Scarlet Minivets, Brown-cheeked Fulvettas and Black and Black-crested Bulbuls all boosting the list.  Mammals featured heavily, with Three-striped Squirrel, Langur Monkey, Bonnet Macaque and the superb Malabar Giant Squirrel.

Soon after dawn the next day saw the group in position on the road leading down from the main entrance to Bondla WS.  Slowly ascending the road produced Greater Spotted Eagle, Little Spiderhunter, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike and Crimson-backed Sunbird, whilst during welcome coffee and biscuits at the restaurant mid morning was added a flock of Jungle Babblers and a beautiful Spotted Deer. Back at the Camp butterflies were featuring heavily, with Common Crow, Common Jezebel, Common Mormon and Striped Tiger all observed during “siesta” time.  A late afternoon return upstream above the Temple produced a stunning female Malabar Trogon and two rarely recorded Hill Mynahs….next!

Alas, the final morning at Backwoods.  Quietly strolling around the adjacent forest before breakfast paid dividends with two White-bellied Woodpeckers seen, their presence given away by their slow, deep ‘drumming’.  What a bird!   A final visit to the Temple area produced three Brown-backed Needletails and so after lunch the return journey to the strip, arriving back at the Beira Mar Hotel around 16.30.  What an amazing experience at Backwoods Camp.

February 6^th :  A free morning for all the group gave the opportunity for birding from the hotel balconies, with Black-shouldered Kite, Paddyfield Warbler and a Streaked Weaver amongst the many Baya Weavers all observed as new species for the Trip. An afternoon twitch along the Chapora River produced a stunning Great Thick-knee with the gull roost at Morjim Beach holding at least 15 Pallas’s Gulls along with plenty of Slender-billed and Brown-headed Gulls, the adjacent scrub yielding Barred Buttonquail and an unexpected Bay-backed Shrike.

February 7^th :  A short taxi drive at dawn to the nearby Club Cabana proved extremely worthwhile, with the watching at fruiting trees again paying off.  ‘Catch-up’ species included Crimson Sunbird, White-browed Bulbul, Grey-breasted Prinia,

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker and an attractive flock of Tawny-bellied Babblers. After breakfast several group members discovered the excellent bookshop in the centre of Calangute and treated themselves to a copy of “Birds of the Western Ghats”, before heading off in the afternoon on our second twitch of the tour to some paddies nearby Siolim. This very quickly produced the bird – a splendid Grey-headed Lapwing.  The wader count was looking good!

February 8^th :  Assembled soon after dawn on the rocky sparsely grass-covered area of Dona Paula beyond Panjim soon produced the target species for the area – several Oriental Skylarks, Ashy-crowned Sparrowlarks and a single Yellow-wattled Lapwing to add to our wader tally, a vagrant Desert Wheatear being a real surprise. Nearby Santa Cruz marshes gave us a stunning perched Greater Spotted Eagle and a distant Indian

Cormorant before returning for lunch and escaping the heat of the midday sun. An afternoon visit to Carambolim Lake boosted the duck species, with Lesser Whistling Duck and Cotton Pygmy-Goose, along with hundreds of Purple Swamphens and plenty of Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas. Nearby we enjoyed two Brown Hawk Owls roosting high up in the trees in the local village, whilst the mudflats on the river held an excellent flock of Black-headed Ibis. Timing is of the essence and so suitably positioned on the rooftops overlooking the Synergenta (ex. Ceiba-Geigy) factory, several Darters appeared along with a flock of thirty-five Openbill Storks above our heads. Flying in at dusk to roost in the factory grounds, the ‘open’ bills were clearly visible.

February 9^th :  A full day out, with pre-dawn seeing the group on the 06.30 ferry to Charao Island and very soon observing a flock of perched Orange-breasted Pigeons at Mayem Lake in the soft early morning light.  Two distant Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters heralded the start of a frustrating morning, with the finding of a Crested (Changeable) Hawk Eagle’s nest and the visible tail of the sitting bird.  Patience was rewarded for the lucky few who eventually observed the head, crest and underparts.  A stunning Large Cuckoo-shrike was found adjacent the restaurant before heading back onto Charao Island, firstly ‘scoping a distant Lesser Adjutant Stork and then a large flock of mixed waders, all put up by a striking male Pallid Harrier hunting low over the shallow muddy pools.  Thousands of Pintail with two Gadwall and a single Eurasian Wigeon rounded off another enjoyable day as we took the return ferry amidst a stunning sunset over the Mandovi River.

February 10^th :  Perhaps the most relaxing of the tours on offer – a boat trip up the Zuari River…and two Collared Kingfishers in the bargain cannot be bad, enhanced with Crested Terns and an unexpected Blue-faced Malkoha.  Nearby Batim Lake held thousands of Lesser Whistling Duck, sprinkled with plenty of Garganey, Shoveler and a single Pochard and Little Grebe, all boosting the tally very nicely. Saying “farewell” to Loven we returned to the Beira Mar Hotel for a free afternoon, some of the group walking out into the Baga Fields and recording Hoopoe and Short-toed Lark.

February 11^th :  Sadly the final full day in Goa.  A few keen members took a taxi down south to Velim Lake and were rewarded with five White-backed Vultures (a species sadly lacking in evidence now), whilst others returned to Morjim Beach and

found several Heuglin’s Gulls amongst the more numerous Caspian Gulls. A flock of nine Indian Pratincoles on the saltpans adjacent the Marinha Dourada Hotel definitely ranking as a welcome bonus!  And so the group gathered in Calangute for drinks and a very enjoyable and social final dinner, reminiscing on the fortnight’s birding.

Feb. 12:  Time to pack, last minute birding and shopping, one persistent member walking out over the Baga Fields and rewarded with a Stoliczka’s Bushchat, the status in Goa to date rather uncertain as to how many confirmed sightings.  Early afternoon  all the group members took taxis to Dabolim Airport where we surprisingly quickly cleared check-in and customs and patiently awaited our flight call to Gatwick.  On time, we took off at 18.00 hours, arriving:

Feb. 13:  Safely back at Gatwick at 01.00 hours.  Another superb WildWings trip.