HEAT AND DUST ,BIRDS OF MUMBAI.

Arrived at Heathrow on tuesday morning from the heat of Mumbai to the frozen wastes of the UK in just over 9 hours.It was a bit cool to say the least and it got colder as we got into Kent.
I have spent the last couple of days sorting through the 1500 or so photos,don`t worry most of them were rubbish so you won`t have to suffer too much.
This post covers the first week of the holiday in Mumbai itself and a couple of visits to nearby reserves.
From the terrace of our friends flat there were quite a few birds to be seen regularly including golden oriole and numerous black kites.

GOLDEN ORIOLE

BLACK KITE
A visit to Sanjay Ghandi National Park was like visiting an exotic Brockhill Country Park,where we saw various birds and butterflies.

COPPERSMITH BARBET

INDIAN POND HERON

LONG TAILED MINIVET

LONG TAILED MINIVET female

BLACK DRONGO

BLACK HOODED ORIOLE

PURPLE SUNBIRD

SOME BUTTERFLIES OF MUMBAI as yet unidentified.
Back at Mahim Bay there were egrets galore, Great ,Little ,Intermediate and Western Reef could all be seen feeding on the tide line.

WESTERN REEF EGRET.

INTERMEDIATE EGRET.
There were also Gull Billed ,Little and Common Terns here.
At the Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill in the middle of the city another butterfly haven was found and a long tailed shrike,purple rumped sunbird common mynahs were all quite at home alongside the numerous crows and black kites.

COMMON MYNAH

LONG TAILED SHRIKE

PURPLE RUMPED SUNBIRD

PURPLE RUMPED SUNBIRD

This butterfly I christened the EMERALD TREMBLER because it never stayed still but eventually more by luck than judgement ,Igot it.

That just about finishes off the first part of the holiday, coming soon is 5 days in Goa.