Avian Beauties of Kasauli- Grey Drongo

We were on our journey back from Mani Mahesh, Chamba, while sitting over a parapet  I spotted the red eyed bird.
The ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus) is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is found widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia with several populations that vary in the shade of grey, migration patterns and in the size or presence of a white patch around the eye.

Vernacular Name 

Kashmir: Gankots, Telakots, Bengal: Neel finga, Lepcha (Sikkim): Sahim, Sahim pho, Bhutan: Chechum, Gujarat: Rakhodi koshi, Tamil: Erattai valan kuruvi, Telugu: Budidarangu aitrinta, Malayalam (Kerala): Kakkattampuran, Karnataka: Boodu bhujanga.

Description

Length 12 Inches, including 6 tail 6 inches. Sexes alike. The whole upper plumage dark indigo (  in field appears black with a slender forked tail and is only distinguished from the King Crow with difficulty, bu the more slender build, unless closer enough for the lighter duller color of the upper part is recognizable) with a high gloss;the lower plumage dark grey;a blackish patch in front of the eye.
Iris red; bill and legs black.
Tail long, slender and widely forked at the end, the outer feather curling upwards.

Distribution and reference

The ashy drongo breeds in the hills of tropical southern Asia from eastern Afghanistan east to southern China and Indonesia. Many populations in the northern part of its range are migratory. Charles Vaurie described subspecies beavani (after Robert Cecil Beavan) as the population that breeds along the Himalayas that wintered in peninsular India. However later workers include this as part of longicaudatus which also has a population that breeds in central India.In winter, the species is particularly fond of hill forests.E. C. Stuart Baker described stevensi which Vaurie considered as being either beavani or hopwoodi of the eastern Himalayas. To the east of the range of hopwoodi is mouhouti of Thailand and Myanmar. To the north of this range are leucogenis and salangensis (both migratory mainly to areas further south but also known to the west in Nagaland) while bondi is found to the south. Along the southeast Asian island chain, there are number of insular populations including periophthalmus, batakensis, phaedrus, siberu and nigrescens. The nominate form is said to be found on Simalur, Java, Bali, Lombok, Palawan, and Balabac Islands.

Identification

Subspecies longicaudatus of India (which includes beavani of the Himalayas that winters on the peninsula, with one breeding population in central India that Vaurie separates as longicaudatus in the restricted sense) is very dark and almost like the black drongo although this bird is slimmer and has a somewhat longer and less-splayed tail. It is found in more tall forest habitat, has dark grey underside lacking the sheen of black drongo. The iris is crimson and there is no white rictal spot. Subspecies leucogenis and salangensis have a white eye-patch as do several of the island forms that breed further south. The calls are a little more nasal and twangy than that of the black drongo.

Behaviour & Ecology

The ashy drongo has short legs and sits very upright while perched prominently, often high on a tree. It is insectivorous and forages by making aerial sallies but sometimes gleans from tree trunks.They are found singly, in pairs or small groups. During migration they fly in small flocks.

A common call that they make is described as drangh gip or gip-gip-drangh.They can imitate the calls of other birds and are capable of imitating the whistling notes of a Common Iora.

The breeding season is May to June with a clutch of three or four reddish or brown eggs laid in a loose cup nest in a tree.

Beauties of Kasauli - Himalayan bulbul

Pycnonotus leucogenys

Crested like the famous the popular cartoon character 'Johnny Bravo',this species is widely distributed in the Himalayan foothills and rightly called as Himalayan Bulbul instead of its other name 'White-cheeked Bulbul', that is often confused with the White-eared Bulbul of the West India with almost similar appearance, but which is now a separate species (lumped together earlier).
The word 'Bulbul' is a Persian name for Nightingale, which featured extensively in their poetry, infact the Bulbul was called "Persian Nightingale" in the ancient era (probably because Bulbuls were popular cage songsters in Persia just like the Nightingales in the far west). Shimla Hills and Kasauli in particular is full of these pretty bird.The bird is better known as a singing bird, but its dance over the twigs made the comparison with Johnny Bravo well deserved.
The Himalayan bulbul (Aves Tennantus) is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. If they are mixed with humans from a young age, they will become friendly to humans. It is found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent as well as some adjoining areas. It is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan. It is the national bird of Bahrain.

Size and appearance

Himalayan bulbul length is about 18 cm, wingspan of 25.5 to 28 cm and the weight of an average of about 30 g. Bird's head, throat, and crest are black and white . The back side, and a lengthy tail are brown, the underside and pale yellow . Both sexes have the same color. The song is a beautiful 4-piece whistle, which resembles an accelerated oriole whistle.

Housing

Himalayan bulbul habitat are at the and forests, and in the rich shrub layer. He also appear gardens and roadsides. Sometimes you can also find him in the gardens and parks where human visitors, who would leave food. This invites flies and other insects that are its main food.

Breeding

This bulbul is preparing a small cup-shaped nest, made of herbs, roots and twigs. the nest is usually built in the bush or low tree branch. The female lays usually three eggs, which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks leave the nest 9–11 days old. Flips are evaluated as two or three during the summer. During the breeding of this bird is very combative towards other birds.

Nutrition

This bulbul eat insects and other small invertebrates, and berries, fruits, seeds, buds and nectar.

Leave your sins not you underwear

This is what a very expected scenario in most of places where the word "Yatra" gets attached to a pure and serene place, I am heading on an excursion yeah of course the Mani Mahesh Lake Yatra 2014 and for that I am going to share some of the do's and don'ts which one must adhere to not because of that its a code but because of common sense. Atleast the people known to me should know

Environment

Tread softly  stick to trails and recognized camping areas. Avoid creating new tracks, or damaging the environment in any way. Follow the adage: take only photos ( if you must shoot use a camera), leave only footprints.
Pack it in, pack it out  avoid taking tins, glass, or plastic containers and bags unless you plan to carry them back to a major city. 
Conserve water quality  wash away from water sources, and always use local toilet facilities when available. Bury all organic waste at least 30cm below the ground and 50m away from water sources.

Conserve natural resources  what few resources there are belong by right to the locals. Always ask permission before using anything along the trail. It is illegal to disturb wildlife, remove animals or plants, or buy wildlife products.

Safety

1. Beware of altitude sickness  use the buddy system to watch for symptoms of altitude sickness. Make sure everyone remains fully hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, everyday. Stay together along the trail, and communicate frequently with everyone.

2. Be safe  carry an extensive first-aid kit and know how to use it. Have multiple plans for emergency evacuation and designated decision makers. Leave your itinerary details with someone responsible at home. 

3. Be self-reliant  don’t assume you will receive help or assistance. Ensure your group has extensive field-craft and navigation skills. Research thoroughly, is your route appropriate for your party? Do you have the necessary skills, experience, resources and equipment?

4. Remain hydrated  drinking between two and four litres of water per day will help prevent altitude sickness and improve your body’s recovery time.

5. Don’t rush  there are no prizes for coming first on the trail and rushing will probably over-stress your body and may increase your chances of suffering from altitude sickness. Frequent stops to drink water and rest often become photo opportunities and a chance to chat with locals.

6. Trekking poles  that more people aren’t impaled by absent-minded trekkers swinging their poles is amazing. Be aware of the pole tips, especially when crossing bridges or negotiating narrow or steep trails.

7. iPod use  rather than listening to the noise of life along the trail some people prefer to plug in to an iPod. Doing so puts you at greater risk from animals and rock fall.

8. Common courtesy  the trail is often busy, especially at steep or difficult sections. A common courtesy is to give way to people walking up-hill, or to those who are obviously struggling or carrying a very large load.