You need to know about this lovely ‘top dollar dream’ tour
Description
Although the smallest state in the country, and a popular beach and party destination, Goa is a favourite destination for birders as well, as it offers a wide variety of birdlife and habitats ranging from coastal area to marshes, woodlands to the tropical jungles of Western Ghats. Goa is a birder’s paradise with many excellent habitats: wide river estuaries, mangrove swamps, marshes, scrub-covered hillsides, arid fields, rich forest reserves at the foot of the majestic Western Ghats and a spectacular bird-thronged lake at Carambolim. We’ll see many species endemic to peninsular India as well as a large number of wintering species from farther north and more widespread Asian birds. Wonderful birds, exquisite beaches, delicious food and the easygoing Goan lifestyle - it is almost too good to be true! The starts will be mostly early in the mornings. We don’t follow a fixed itinerary, as birds are constantly changing feeding and roosting areas according to water levels and other factors; instead the guide will use his expertise to decide our excursions on a daily basis. We will visit all of the main birding habitats of Goa – returning to the most productive several times. The aim will be for the excursions to be good fun, with a relaxed pace and with the accent on obtaining good views of the birds. We may have packed breakfasts most of the days so that we start birding early. On two or three occasions we'll head well inland to the base of the Western Ghats. This involves a drive of two hours or more and an early start – perhaps as early as 04.30. On a number of days, we'll return to our hotel for a break during the heat of the day, and most days we aim to be back at our hotel before dusk. This grade of this tour is relatively easy, and while a couple of the days will be long and tiring, many will not. The walks will not be particularly strenuous. On most days we'd bird from little-used, paved roads. While most of our walks will be of one or two hours in duration, some will be longer, and when we visit Bondla Wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats, we expect to spend all morning walking slowly down the park’s approach road. We'll cover a distance of perhaps four kilometers with the vehicles catching us up at intervals of between one and two hours. Many of these walks will be flat and over good terrain, and we do not anticipate doing any strenuous uphill walking.
On a couple of occasions we'll walk through the fields immediately behind our hotel; in years where the monsoon has been particularly substantial, these fields will be damp underfoot. We'll explore other areas, if we consider this area is too wet. Raptors are particularly well represented in Goa with Black and Brahminy Kites everywhere, and we should also see several spectacular White-bellied Sea Eagles. We’ll visit a harrier roost that contains good numbers of both Montagu’s and ghostly Pallid Harriers and where Booted Eagle and both Greater and Indian Spotted Eagles are common. We also have a couple of reliable sites for Black, Rufous-bellied and Crested Hawk-Eagles. Other excursions will include a backwater river trip in search of crocodiles and the endemic Goan subspecies of Collared Kingfisher and trips to the local craft and flea markets. Finally, we hope to see one of Goa’s avian specialties: Indian Pitta, a much wanted species seen frequently by our guides on previous visits. We may also spend time sightseeing in Old Goa and at the Hindu temple of Mangueshi. All of the sites that we'll visit in Goa are at a low altitude – none are above 400 meters. Please note that during the festive period, the tour may run in reverse order.
Highlights
Pristine beaches
Endemic variety of birds, great birding
Amazing marine life
Excellent seafood
Sightseeing
Spotlight - you need to know what you are paying for?
✔ Accommodation on twin sharing basis in the hotels
✔ Meals as per the itinerary
✔ Guided birding throughout the tour
✔ Permits and entry fee
✔ All surface transfers by a private air-conditioned vehicle
✖ Optional tours/excursions, personal & incidental expenses.
✖ Tips, laundry, phone calls, alcohol, camera fee etc.
✖ International and domestic air fare, visa, insurance.
✖ Anything not mentioned above
Where does Your Tour Start?
Goa Airport
Where does Your Tour Finish?
Goa Airport
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Day 01 : Arrival at Goa Meal: On own Accommodation: Hotel Marinha Dourada or similar
Arrival at Goa Airport. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. This will be our base for much of the following days. After a break we’ll do some local late afternoon birding near the hotel. At Arpora Woods, we search for species such as Ring-necked and Plum-headed Parakeets, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Thick-billed and Pale-billed Flowerpeckers, Oriental dwarf kingfisher, Indian Roller and Orange-headed Thrush, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Oriental Scops Owl, Black-rumped Flameback, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker. We should also encounter White-browed, Red-whiskered and Red-vented Bulbuls, Jungle and Dark-fronted Babblers, Common Woodshrike, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Purple Sunbird, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Small Minivet, White-bellied Drongo, Crimson-backed Sunbird, White-throated Fantail, Spotted Dove, Common Iora, White-rumped Munia, Black-headed Cuckooshrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, and Black-lored Tit.
Overnight stay.
Day 02: Goa Birding Meal: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel Marinha Dourada or similar
On this day visit Baga Fields, on the left hand boundary wall of Beira Mar there is a gateway which leads out to Baga Fields. From here we can walk in the direction directly out towards the front of the hotel for a couple of hundred metres and to the left as far as the Baga river. Species expected include: White-cheeked Barbet, Richards, Blyth’s and Paddyfield Pipits, Pied Bushchat, Common Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Asian Palm Swift, White-throated Kingfisher, Spotted Owlet, Oriental Skylark, Short-toed Lark, Common and Jungle Mynas, Long Tailed Shrike, Pintail Snipe, White-breasted Water Hen, Brown Shrike, Hoopoe, Tree Pipit, Indian Roller, Common Kestrel, Green Warbler, Osprey, Spotted Dove, Wire-tailed and Red-rumped Swallows, Ashy Prinia and Little Swift. Baga Hill is approximately a mile away from the Beira Mar. There are a number of paths up to the top of the hill, but some can be overgrown.
Carambolim Lake is a large expanse of water close to Seraulim railway station. Water can often be low, but the lake is nearly always full of birds. Fort Aguada is approximately eight kilometres south of Baga and has a number of reliable sites for Indian Pitta.
Also visit Mayem Lake, which is about 35km from Baga, has few water birds, but the surrounding forest, which can be explored using a footpath, is the main reason for a visit. The key bird species at Mayem is the Brown Fish Owl, which can often be located in the forest within a couple of hundred metres of the restaurant and accommodation area. Mayem Lake, which is about 35km from Baga, has few water birds, but the surrounding forest, which can be explored using a footpath, is the main reason for a visit. The key bird species at Maem is the Brown Fish Owl, which can often be located in the forest within a couple of hundred metres of the restaurant and accommodation area.
Overnight stay
Day 03: Goa Birding Meal: Breakfast Accommodation: Hotel Marinha Dourada or similar
At Morjim, we watch shorebirds, gulls and terns. Just inland from the beach is a area of trees and scrub surrounding a small village. This area is also well worth checking out. For Brahminy Starling, Plum-headed Parakeets, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Red-vented Bulbul, Long-tailed Shrike, Coppersmith Barbet, Orange-headed Thrush, Scaly-breasted Munia and Barred Buttonquail. We will take a drive to Saligao Zor. This area of woodland with its stream where villagers come to wash clothes is a haven for a range of birds, but especially Brown Wood Owl and Malabar Whistling Thrush.
At Pilerne, not far from Saligao, is a small rectangular lake which is often covered in considerable amounts of vegetation. Red-wattled Lapwing, White-browed Wagtail, Moorhen, Stork-billed Kingfisher, male Painted Snipe, White-breasted Waterhen, Intermediate Egret, White-rumped Munia, Crested Goshawk, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Bronze-winged Jacana, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Black-capped Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher and Little Cormorant can all be found here. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 04: Departure Meal: Breakfast Accommodation
After breakfast, check out from the hotel drop and drive back to the airport for your onward journey. Tour End
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