Noggan Man - This Week in Birdland 1st

This Week in Birdland

1st - 7th Feb 2026

Another excellent week’s birding on the dunes with 6 new bird entries for The Arambol Project including one new for me or rather my first proper sighting of the amazing Indian Pitta. This literally flew past me and then into a ditch where it allowed me just a few seconds to try and capture it.

Most of this week’s best action was to be had in the banyan trees in and around ‘Soul’. The hornbills were out again but the figs they have been feasting on of late are running out and they were not hanging around for photos. I managed to get some nice shots of both Coppersmith and White-cheeked Barbets, which are always easy to hear and hard to see, for me at least. Also, there is a small Purple Sunbird (F) nesting at the side entrance and its nest is quite incredible and has been made out of the scraps of the bamboo fencing surrounding 'Soul' (look but please don’t touch).

Whilst having breakfast at Anand Sagar we spotted some Small Minivets which were at quite a distance and also snapped a beautiful Small Egret fishing in Mandrem Creek on the way home. In some of the brush midway inside the dunes I managed to snap both a Clamorous Reed Warbler & Ashy Prinia for the site. Neither of these are particularly rare but I have not seen them often enough here on the dunes to get a decent picture before. As if that wasn’t enough, the Spotted Owlet can still be seen at the Arambol end of the dunes.

Ali