My first birding experience in the Shevaroys

Narration and photographs: Selvaganesh K, teacher and a well-known birder from Valparai, Coimbatore.

Recently, my college friends (who aren’t birders) planned a reunion and it was decided that we all can spend a few days in a hill station which none of us had been before. Yercaud in Salem district was the closest option. So we all decided to take a break and visit Yercaud.

A RUFOUS WELCOME

We arrived at Yercaud in the last week of November and stayed in Oyla Cottages. Later in the evening, ears felt like they are hearing Rufous Babblers Turdoides subrufa. I was pleasantly surprised by this warm welcome and hence I recorded the call to confirm it first. No sooner, I saw a Rufous Babbler on sentry duty. I took few pictures and checked Salem eBird to know more about the previous sightings. Though there was couple of sightings, it lacked media. Quickly, I made a checklist and uploaded the image. Next morning, I started early.

CALL CONFUSION

I am quite convinced that I heard Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus but some corner of my mind is still doubtful whether it could be Malabar Barbet Psilopogon malabaricus. I have recorded the calls and have to work on finding it. Similarly, had confusion with the Flowerpeckers. Later when I got a good view, I confirmed it to be a Nilgiri Flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor. It was surely surprising to see one of the Western Ghats endemics in good numbers.

LITTLE GREEN JOBS

Surprisingly, I was able to hear both Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus and Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides together. If it was in Western Ghats, say, there would be ten Greenish Warblers and just two Green Warblers. However, in Yercaud, I felt their numbers were more or less equal.

SHRIKING DIFFERENCE

In Valparai, I used to see good number of Long-tailed Shrikes Lanius schach but here I didn’t see any. Just saw couple of Brown Shrikes Lanius cristatus. This was one of the notable differences to me.

HIGH COUNT ALERT

While travelling in the Kuppanur road, I was delighted to find Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus, Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus and White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens in the same spot. I also got a beautiful Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhyncha.

Travelling further downwards, I saw some Swifts flying above. They were Crested Treeswifts Hemiprocne coronata in good numbers. Since I had seen them plenty of times in Western Ghats, there was no difficulty with the identification. Though they were more, I counted thirty individuals and entered only thirty in the checklist which happened to be the highest count of Crested Treeswifts in Salem eBird so far. The habitat was slightly scrub jungle and dry evergreen forest. It was in such similar habitats, I saw these birds in other locations previously.

PIED LIFER IN THE PARTY

Next day, friends wanted to visit the various tourist destinations around. I happily ditched their request and started to bird. I searched online for rental bikes and found one at ‘Friends Cabs.’ It was Rs. 800 INR for 7 hours. I have been searching for my black and white lifer, the Pied Thrush for quite some time. I had an eye out for it since my arrival at Yercaud but haven’t had any luck until…

As soon as I caught and travelled in the Kiliyur Waterfalls Road for some distance, I was bestowed with an excellent ‘Mixed Hunting Forest Party’ of birds near a coffee plantation. You name it; I got it! From Fulvettas and White-eyes to Thrushes and Flycatchers, I felt like I was in the middle of a mini Western Ghats! Finally, before the party left the location, my lifer Pied Thrush Geokichla wardii arrived and gave a treat to the eyes! I also had a feeling that I saw Nilgiri Flycatcher Eumyias albicaudatus and a Rusty-tailed Flycatcher Ficedula ruficauda but they didn’t make it to the checklist as I couldn’t positively confirm their identification. Please see the complete checklist here.

LET’S BIRD RESPONSIBLY

The accessibility to some good patches is well connected by roads. I didn’t enter or step in many places as I didn’t know whether it was a public or private land. If local people or a local birder were with me, it could have been great. So like we always do in Valparai, I just did my birding from roads because entering into forests without proper permission from the Forest Department is an offence. It is also unethical birding. Let us all be responsible birders!

I don’t know much about the threats revolving around these birds and their last remaining wonderful habitats here in Yercaud but it is place that should certainly be protected. If people of Salem want to see some Western Ghats birds, you really don’t have to travel here. You have a special hill range named Shevaroys, right on top of your heads!

Overall, I got 75 species of cool and colourful birds during my stay. Highlights were Banded Bay Cuckoo, Rufous-bellied Eagle, 2 species of Bee-eaters, 3 species of Barbets and Thrushes (each), 4 species of Flycatchers, 5 species of Woodpeckers and Drongos (each), and many more!

Note: Looking forward to a proper trip soon to explore more because honestly, I didn’t plan this one for birding. Believe me, guys!