The sweet smell of success

The first proper days birding continued as well as it began following the long overnight train journey. It was a good opportunity to see some birds that are rare visitors to the UK alongside the Indian sub continent species. The common but very smart Ashy Prinia above was enjoying the local delicacy of cattle turd, a feast fit for a King or for building a wall, such is the multi purpose use of this insect attracting nutritious lump. This was indeed be a very rare sight in the UK, but carefully checking those lumps may turn up a rare Wagtail or Pipit?
The star of the show at Mount Abu are the Green things, Munias or Avadavat if you like that fortunately despite being a rare bird nowadays are very easy easy to see in the correct localities at Mt Abu and we enjoyed watching a flock of 30+ birds for over an hour at very close range.

A stunning male RBF, a common species wintering in India and one I've seen many times in Kent though never a male (I was away for the Reculver bird). This species is very common at Mt Abu and easy to see and hear, with many cracking males seen enough to brighten up any day in the UK.

A more typical bird as may be seen closer to home, this is an increasingly rare bird in Kent these days and I've not seen one for over 10 years now!!

A classic Siberian Chiffchaff, 'tristis' that were literally all over the place and many were coming to this stream. A difficult bird to ID in the UK and one that has been the subject of many papers and debates.