INDIA 2010 : Arrival in Delhi

Nov 8 – My flight arrived in New Delhi in the wee hours of the morning. By the time I had cleared customs, found my bag, and made it through traffic the short distance to the hotel, I was finally got to bed at 3:30am!

Roaming the hotel grounds in the mid-day heat I found as many butterflies as birds! House Crows and Jungle Babblers were the most conspicuous birds along with the calls of Hume’s Warblers and Purple Sunbirds. Butterflies included Peacock Pansy, Great and Danaid Eggfly (above), Plain Tiger and Leopard (don’t I wish it were the mammals), Emigrants and Grass Yellows lazily flying near various nectar sources.

Following an afternoon nap, the activity had picked up and the slightly cooler temperature was a bit of a relief. Red-whiskered Bulbuls outnumbered and out-called Red-vented Bulbuls. Beautiful Rufous Treepies were chasing each other in a game of tag into thick shrubs. Overhead, Common and Bank Mynas as well as flocks of Rose-ringed Parakeets were flying to roost. In the lush and well manicured gardens I was surprised to see a White-breasted Water Hen (above) walking along the top of a line of ficus bushes, 8 feet up, but in all likelihood it was just looking for a good roosting place, away from lurking cats.

There was a steady parade of pigeons drinking out of the swimming pool – at least something was using it! Amongst them, one with a hooked bill (above). Could this be an undescribed New Delhi subspecies?

Later in the evening it was back to the airport to pick up Eric, Tammy, Arden, Sherry, Janis and Vicki, all of whom looked fit following their long flight from the US.