Goa, India
February –
2006
| Authors: | Chris Cameron |
| | Julie Dawson |
Introduction
We wanted to visit India and a tourist package to Goa seemed
to be a reasonable introduction. We found a reasonably cheap package on Teletext, staying at the ‘O Pescador’
Hotel in Dona Paula, for one week, Bed & Breakfast. Searching for trip reports we came across frequent references to the
Backwoods Forest Camp and so booked a two night tour with them because this looked like our best bet for getting a look at
Indian forest wildlife.
Logistics
The flights were from Gatwick so we decided to stay near the airport overnight.
We got very lucky when we found The Forest B&B at www.theforestbandb.co.uk . We are happy to recommend
The Forest very highly. The welcome is exceptional, the home baking splendid and the breakfast unmissable. The en-suite that
room we stayed in was delightful with a huge bed and a bath that was almost as big. If you are considering staying there (parking
is included) we would suggest that the extra money for the superior room will turn out to be money well spent, but we suspect
that even the standard rooms are much more pleasant than most similarly priced establishments.
Our budget for the holiday was about £1500 and our
expenditure broke down as follows:
| Package | £650 | |
| The Forest B&B | £65 | |
| Visas
for India | £60 | |
| Petrol | £39 | |
| Meal, Crawley | £48 | |
| Breakfast,
Northampton | £14 | |
| WH Smith, Gatwick | £13 | |
| Bar, Gatwick | £4 | |
| Vodka,
Gatwick Duty Free | £20 | |
| Taxi,
Goa | £10 | |
| Cash from ATMs | £443 | (includes the
stay at Backwoods) |
| TOTAL | £1336 | |
20th
February 2006
We collected
our bags at the airport about an hour before sunrise and rather than wait for the transfer coach we found our tour rep and
told her that we were getting a taxi straight to the hotel. The taxi cost £10 and the driver was happy to take Sterling
(we checked beforehand). There was no ATM at the airport but there was an exchange office that seemed to offer unattractive
rates.
Our first bird in India was
an Indian House Crow that we noted pecking around some roadside stalls that were just setting up as we made our way to the
hotel. It was still dark when we arrived and we checked in quickly, showered and ate a couple of sandwiches that we’d
brought from England. We could have spent an extra £10 each for meals on the flights, each way, but were told that they
were obliged to provide them whether we paid or not, so we took the risk and hedged our bets with the sandwiches. In the event,
meals were provided, so we saved nearly £40 on the package.
We sat on our balcony after showering and changing, waiting for the day to begin. There were several large palm trees
in the hotel grounds and lots of shrubs so it looked quite promising for birds, of which plenty were already calling –
more House Crows and several more interesting calls as well. We debated having a nap after the long flight but decided that
we weren’t really tired enough and there was a whole new country waiting, so as soon as the Black and Brahminy Kites
started to appear in numbers, we grabbed our cameras and binoculars and went for a walk.
O Pescador is quite pleasantly situated on a small headland at the mouth
of a river, so we walked down the hill towards the sea. Before leaving the hotel we’d had glimpses of several birds
that were common in the area, Asian Koel, Greenish Warbler and Blyth’s Reed Warbler. We recorded details about all these
species but didn’t immediately identify them.
Down at the Dona Paula headland a large tern passing by escaped identification but Common Sandpiper, Indian Pond
Heron and Little Heron were rather more obliging. Several hirundine species were present. Wire-tailed was familiar from Africa
but the others proved harder to id. Oriental Magpie Robins were easy to find and extensive notes were taken about a couple
of Sunbirds that we found.
The day
was warming up rapidly so we agreed to head back inland a little to where we had been told we would find a cash machine. This
proved quite fortuitous because on this short walk we saw a species of bird that we did not see again during the holiday –
a pair of Black-lored Tits in the grounds of the hotel next to O Pescador - and a pair of Blue-winged Leaf Birds further up
the road in a noticeable large tree. We looked for these birds several times afterwards but with no luck. We also got a positive
ID on one of the calls that we had been hearing since before dawn – White-throated Kingfisher – a very common
bird around Goa.
It’s hard to
get far in Goa with binoculars without attracting the attention of a taxi driver. We’d hoped to arrange for a guide
before we set off but hadn’t had time, but we were ‘found’ by a driver who knew where birds were as we walked
to the bank. He claimed to know a lot about birds, which was not really true but he did suggest that the Black-lored Tits
were unusual, so he might have been reasonably observant. We agreed that he would drive us to Carambolim Lake after we’d
got our cash, as we didn’t have any firm plans for the day.
En route to the lake we drove alongside the Panjim River were we noticed a quite exceptional number of herons, egrets
and kingfishers in the mud and on breakwaters and other wooden structures. One particular kingfisher stood out and a quick
look at the field guide showed that this was Collared Kingfisher. This might have been quite an unusual sighting because most
birders visiting the area seem to have to work rather harder than this to find this species. We passed along this road several
times during the following week but didn’t see anything like this profusion of birds again.
Some reports have suggested that Carambolim Lake is in decline as a bird-watching
destination, which may be true but on our visit it was full of birds with both good numbers and plenty of variety. Asian Openbill,
Purple Swamphen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Green Bee-eater, Red-wattled Lapwing, Gull-billed Tern, Glossy Ibis, Wood Sandpiper,
Lesser Whistling Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose and Black-headed Munia were amongst the species identified.
The final highlight of the day was an adult White-bellied Sea Eagle over
O Pescador at 5 p.m.
For our evening
meal we wandered down into Dona Paula where there are a few pleasant restaurants near the quayside. We’re both curry
enthusiasts and weren’t disappointed by our first experience of local cuisine.
21st February 2006
Our taxi driver had suggested that we would see lots of birds if we took
one of the river trips so we let him drive us through Panjim to join the “Crocodile Dundee River Cruise”, aka
“Jake the Snake Boat Trip”. To be honest we wanted to see a crocodile too. We didn’t really need to take
the cruise because a large croc swam across the river whilst we were waiting to be ferried over, but since we were there and
there seemed to be plenty of birds about, we joined it anyway. Unsurprisingly there were lots of herons, kingfishers and waders
about but the definite highlight for us was a family group of Indian Peafowl that someone spotted on the forest floor.
After the boat trip we returned to O Pescador and decided
to take a stroll from Dona Paula to Panjim along Miramar beach. We needed cash to pay for the trip to Backwoods Camp and the
ATM near Dona Paula was not working so it seemed like a good excuse for a longish walk.
The first bird of note that we found on the way to the beach was a Long Tailed
Shrike in coastal bushes near the first path that we found to take us from the road to the beach. Further along we found a
good number of small waders that allowed us to approach to within a few metres. These were predominantly Kentish Plovers with
a good number of Greater Sandplovers amongst them.
The beach itself was quite lively, with few tourists but many local people either enjoying the beach or working on
the various boats that were pulled up on the sand. When we decided we’d walked far enough we headed back to the main
road to look for an ATM. We walked alongside a sports field where there were a couple of Hoopoes and several pipit-like birds.
There were also a lot of police and security personnel about and when we tried to walk across the field to get a closer look
we were stopped and told that we were not allowed in the area. We subsequently found out that there was a big political rally
with a member of the Gandhi family making the main address the following day, hence the security presence.
22nd February 2006
We were picked up by the people from Backwoods Camp
well before dawn (we were lucky because we were the final pickup and some of the other guests had been on the bus for over
an hour by the time it got to us) and made good time to the camp itself. We walked the last kilometre or so whilst our luggage
was taken on and had an hour or so of very pleasant forest birding. The first birds we saw were a small and vocal party of
Greater Flamebacks. These were followed by such diverse species as Purple Sunbird, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ashy Drongo, Green
Flowerpecker, Common Iora and Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, as well as a Malabar Giant Squirrel and an unidentified snake.
The camp itself is a rather splendid idea. Large canvas
tents, each with a pair of cots and an electric light and tall enough to stand up in, adjacent to a small shower room/toilet
that is open to the sky. The tents are set at intervals in the forest, off paths that lead to the communal area and bar. The
tents are all named after birds and we were given the one called Heart-spotted Woodpecker.
After sorting our formalities we set of on our first proper birding excursion.
The group was fairly small, about 14 in total, with groups from Wales, Nederlands and Denmark and a single Swedish Birder,
as well as an English couple. First stop was a raptor watch point in a valley surrounded by well-wooded hills. Birds came
thick and fast with Eurasian Golden Oriole and Malabar Pied Hornbills putting in an appearance before the first bird of prey
showed itself – a Besra that gave good views in a nearby tree. Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra and Crested Goshawk arrived
in quick succession with White-rumped Needletail and Ashy Woodswallow keeping the non-raptor interest going. A Mountain Hawk-Eagle
and a Great Hornbill rounded things off.
Back
to Backwoods for lunch (most of the food is vegetarian and fairly lightly spiced) where Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Brown-cheeked
Fulvetta and Orange-headed Thrush were added to the growing list. Backwoods Camp had had a mini-invasion of this latter, very
attractive species a few days earlier. The staff there said it was not a species that they saw frequently in normal circumstances.
A quick unguided stroll after the lunch brought us in contact with a party of Black-faced Langurs – a rather attractive
monkey that is probably the species most frequently seen in Goa.
One of the best reasons for going to Backwoods Camp is the pair of Sri Lankan Frogmouths that is almost guaranteed
there. They would be impossible to find without a guide although they are quite close to the communal area. After lunch half
of the party had exceptional telescope views of these extraordinary birds during a walk around the local area. Rufous Treepie,
Vernal Hanging Parrot, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Scarlet Minivet, Malabar Trogon and Pompadour Green Pigeon were amongst other
birds seen on this walk.
From the
forest we walked into a landscape of small fields and paddies with trees, hedges and scattered small woodlands. White-rumped
Munia, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Crested Tree Swift contrasted with Grey Wagtail and Eurasian Blackbird. A Forest Wagtail
flew over and Chestnut Headed Bee-eaters were well seen. A pair of Plum-headed Parakeets were seen by everyone except CC who
was looking in the wrong direction.
23rd
February 2006
An early start
saw us at the Maharaveda Temple, a short drive from the camp, shortly after sunrise. CC and JD somehow overslept and we arrived
at the temple after the rest of the group who were already ticking the first birds of the day. There was a Taiga Flycatcher
in bushes near the temple and there were birds all around as we set off for a walk through the forest, along the course of
the river. Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Brown Breasted Flycatcher, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Asian Fairy Bluebird and Hill
Mynah were amongst the goodies seen early on and we were all fascinated to see a Malabar Flying Lizard. Also of interest was
a small venomous snake, a Bronze-backed Tree Snake that glided off the path and into a bush, from where it regarded us with
some disdain.
A Black Eagle was glimpsed
as it soared above the canopy and Black-naped Monarchs and Scarlet Minivets added a touch of glamour. Both Blue-eared and
Oriental Dwarf Kingfishers were welcome additions to the list as was the wonderfully named Mountain Imperial Pigeon.
A second Bronze-Backed Tree Snake was seen in the riverbed
in front of us and as we were looking for it, another one was noted. These snakes (there were probably 4 or more in a small
area) seemed much more aggressive then the first one we’d encountered. One of the party decided that he wanted some
real close-up photos of these snakes and seemed quite oblivious to the threat postures they were assuming as he approached
ever closer with camera and tripod. Unfortunately his partner was standing alongside the snakes forcing everyone who wanted
to get by to step in between herself and the reptiles – an uncomfortable moment both for the humans and the snakes.
In general the behaviour of most people in the group was excellent, but every now and then there were examples of selfishness
like this, or when somebody decided that the best way to get a good look at a new bird was to stand right in front of you.
A Malabar Whistling Thrush was heard and then seen,
but the calling female Indian Blue Robin proved difficult to spot, with a few members of the party getting very brief views
of the bird flitting through the dense undergrowth. Another large raptor overhead was an Oriental Honey Buzzard and whilst
watching this we found several Indian Swiftlets as well. After all this we felt that we had earned our lunch!
Back at the camp we had a search for the Indian Pittas.
There were at least two being seen frequently, but we had no luck. We did however come across another Rufous Treepie and a
Bonnet Macaque.
Our afternoon walk
took us to another area of fields and woods and provided another interesting range of birds. Black-throated Munia, Great Hornbill,
Rufous-bellied Eagle, Red-wattled Lapwing, Spangled Drongo, Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher and White-rumped Needletail provided
various degrees of entertainment and ID challenges and a fly-through Stork-billed Kingfisher caused great excitement.
We relocated to a heathy looking hillside, found a
comfortable place to stop and were soon interrupted by a trio of Sambar Deer. Shortly after this we heard the call of Savanna
Nightjar and located this bird as it flew between the two groups that had formed, no more than 10 metres apart. Another nightjar
started calling almost immediately and this was identified as Grey Nightjar. It was also seen well by the entire group.
24th February
Our first stop was the Barabumi High School. Of immediate interest was a
dukhunensis race White Wagtail. We set off from the school and soon found a female Black-headed Cuckooshrike, followed soon
after by a Large Cuckooshrike and a Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike. A Greater Racket-tailed Drongo was a welcome sight and a
pair of Plum-headed Parakeets remained at the top of a tree to allow everyone to get a good look at them. Loten’s Sunbird
was the most interesting of several sunbird species seen.
We then walked along a river to a site known for Brown Fish Owl. This bird proved very elusive and the guides worked
hard to get everyone into a position from which they could see it, with satisfactory results.
After breakfast we returned to the area near the temple and explored another
part of the forest. Good views were obtained of a Mountain Hawk Eagle perched in a treetop and there were Dusky Crag Martins
overhead. Butterflies included Common Sailers and the stunning Blue Mormons.
After this it was time to leave Backwoods and return to out hotels. The Welsh and Dutch contingents were staying
at the well-known Beira Mar Hotel and had told us about the marsh there and a few good birds that were almost guaranteed,
so we decided to spend a few hours there and get a taxi back.
The staff at the hotel were very helpful and agreed to look after our luggage and so we found a table near the pool
with a view of the marsh, ordered some lunch and settled down with some drinks and our scopes to see what we could see.
New species came fast with more familiar birds like
Rosy Starling, Common Snipe and Little Ringed Plover mixed with Scaly-breasted Munia, Baya Weaver, Brahminy Starling and Blue-tailed
Bee-Eater. As the afternoon wore on, rails and crakes started to appear on some of the small pools. Slaty-breasted Rail, Ruddy-breasted
Bittern that appeared with the very last of the daylight and was well worth the few pounds that we paid for a taxi back to
Dona Paula.
For dinner we went in to
Panaji (Panjim) and tried a restaurant recommended by our driver, who agreed to pick us up later. The staff in the restaurant
suggested stuffed Pomfret. Pomfret is a popular local fish and it was stuffed with prawns. We decided to follow their advice
and were presented with a huge plateful of food that would have fed 6 people and made us feel somewhat guilty, in a country
were so many have so little. The prawns alone would have been enough for us. It was, nonetheless an excellent meal, well prepared
and very fresh. Several people we spoke to advised against eating out and said that we should stick to hotel food. Fortunately
lots of visitors ignore this and recognise that there is an alternative to Subway and Pizza Hut.
25th February 2006
An early walk from O Pescador towards Panaji and then right at the main road,
following the coast was quite rewarding. A Tailorbird was located quite quickly and we finally got some really good views
of the common Asian Koels – the female of which was rather more interesting in our opinion. We found Red-vented Bulbuls
in the first open patch of land after the roundabout and then saw a couple of birds that we spent a lot of time looking at,
because they should almost certainly not have been in the area. We were nonetheless convinced that we were watching Grey-breasted
Laughing Thrushes. They were in the area around the ‘power substation’.
When we reached the Ciudade de Goa Hotel we took the beach path. This drops
down a rather steep and heavily wooded slope and we found a surprising number of forest birds in this area. Highlights included
White-Browed Bulbul, Common Iora, a male Indian Blue Robin (very unexpected) and on the final bend before the beach several
White-throated Fantails. This small area looked as if it would reward further exploration and we missed several species.
We had been told that the Goa Carnival was taking place
in Panaji in the afternoon so for once called it a day and went into town to enjoy the festivities. There was an interesting
contrast between the many corporate floats and the large numbers of examples created locally, lots of which were promoting
environmental and health themes or other political issues. These latter seemed more in keeping with the real spirit of the
carnival.
There were thousands of seats
set out, under shelters, so we found ourselves a couple near to a cold drinks seller and settled down to watch the fun. We
did notices at one point that we were getting wet and thought that maybe someone nearby had a water pistol. When we couldn’t
see anything we looked up and saw dozens of crows in the trees. These were flying down to the nearby river, bathing in the
decidedly grubby and polluted water there and then returning to the trees to shake themselves dry. We realised that we’d
been breathing in this spray for quite some time. Fortunately no obvious health problems resulted from this.
26th February 2006
We had agreed with one of the local taxi drivers, Joaosinho
that we would spend the day together, visiting the Dr. Salim Ali bird reserve and exploring coastal northern Goa. Joaosinho
said that he knew a few places where we might see birds, although he didn’t claim to be an expert.
Our first stop was an open area of fields and scrub
a little further on from the Ciudade De Goa Hotel. This proved very productive and we spent a couple of hours criss-crossing
the location just after dawn. The first bird of interest was the locally uncommon Yellow-wattled Lapwing and a Desert Wheatear
was easily identified as it flew around the walled dusty area that had apparently been used for the political rally a couple
of days earlier. Several lark and pipit species were seen and a bit of hard work added Oriental Skylark, Malabar Lark, Richard’s
Pipit, Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark, Blyth’s Pipit and Tawny Pipit as well as Black-headed and White-rumped Munias.
A quick visit to a cliff-top spot
recommended by Joaosinho produced lots of kites and a bonus Egyptian Vulture and a Loten’s Sunbird.
Our next stop was the Dr. Salim Ali bird reserve where
Joaosinho found us a guide with a dugout canoe. We saw plenty of common water birds from the canoe but the guide was not as
much of an expert as he would have had us believe and the best of the birds were a single Greater Adjutant and another Stork-billed
Kingfisher. The canoe did allow us to get a good close up look at a Marsh Crocodile, though.
On returning to the reserve entrance we decided to take the path along the
river’s edge, through the mangroves. Some locals told us that this path is no good for birds anymore but we found it
the best area of the reserve that we saw. Insect repellent is an essential here. We found a spot where the open water and
a muddy margin was visible. A small flock of Lesser-crested Terns flew past and a pair of Terek Sandpipers fussed about at
the water’s edge. Eurasian Curlew, Grey Plover and Lesser Sandplover added to the list.
We then had a longish drive to the far north of Goa to the delightful Querim
Beach where Joaosinho had said we would find some birds. In addition to getting the best sightings of our life of a Common
Kingfisher – a male was a regular visitor to a rope attached to the jetty, often coming almost within arms reach, there
was a substantial flock of gulls on an exposed sand bank in the river. A prolonged search with the scopes confirmed that these
were predominantly Brown-headed and Caspian Gulls with a handful of Pallas’s Gulls (sadly all in winter plumage but
easy to pick out because of their size) and a single breeding plumaged Black-headed Gull.
On the return journey we stopped to look at a large flock of kites and found
another Egyptian Vulture. A large and rather pink snake slithered across the road as we were driving back and JD had time
to grab just one snap in the fading light before it disappeared into the undergrowth. A slight broadening of the body below
the head is suggestive of a cobra species but we’ve been unable to identify it to date. The photo is in the Goa gallery.
That was about it for Goa. 200 species in a week with
only 2½ days of professional guiding seems pretty good. One or two surprises as well. Backwoods was definitely the
highlight but we were also quite pleased with the birds we saw in the vicinity of Dona Paula.
Conclusion
Whilst a known birdy location like the Beira Mar hotel is likely to produce more species, Dona Paula certainly has
some attractions for the visiting bird watcher, not least because it is much quieter and more peaceful than the Calangute/Baga
area. We were very comfortable wandering around the local area and did not receive much in the way of hassle. Taxis
and motorised ‘rickshaws’ are readily available around the whole area and are cheap by UK standards.
We ate out most evenings, either in Panaji or in Dona
Paula itself. When we had lunch it tended to be in the hotel (the food there was actually quite good) in between morning and
afternoon excursions. Restaurant meals were of a consistently high standard.
The trip to Backwoods is well worth the effort and will guarantee to add some birds to your list that won’t
be seen in coastal areas. The tended accommodation is not luxurious but is comfortable and you’ll feel close to nature
– but if a leopard passes through the camp at night you probably won’t notice.
