Last Sunday (24th Feb) we had a great time, observing the Common Grey Hornbills. Fortunately, it was still cool early in the morning and being sunny, the hornbills were sunning themselves and grooming and were least bothered by our presence. One of the birds was an adult bird with a fully developed casque and darker bill and the second bird had a rudimentary casque with paler bill.
A new bird in the campus – the Yellow-footed Pigeon – was seen at Asthachal on 26th February. A colourful bird, this is a fruit-eater, which tracks down fruiting Ficus trees and wanders a great deal. A few months ago, this species had turned up at Diguvapalem and reported (with photos) by Nandhu. I have never seen this in RV before and am glad not just see it but also able to catch it meditating (see the picture) at the Asthachal!
Dr Santharam
