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South Goa Trip Report Nov/Dec 2017 (1 Viewer)

Hi

I have attached a trip report from a holiday based at Cavelossim in South Goa.

Following from two trips North Goa in 2004 and 2007 I went to Cavelossim in 2011 and posted a trip report that can be found here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=217666

This time I was lucky enough to stay for four weeks and birded extensively around Cavelossim with trips to Cotigao, Zuari River trip, Backwoods and an incredible overnight at Old Magazine House near Dandeli, Karnataka.

The report is really aimed at those wanting to explore somewhere away from the main birding areas, especially if wanting to combine a beach holiday with some fabulous birding just a short walk away.

Ian
 

Attachments

  • South Goa Nov Dec 2017.pdf
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Excellent detailed report Ian, thanks for sharing. We will certainly consider South Goa in future on the strength of this. Should I assume that you find the Dona Silvia resort to your taste?
 
What an excellent report , thanks for taking the time to share so much detail. As it happens I'm off to South Goa in the not too distant future and staying fairly close between Cavelossim and Carmona so your report couldn't have been more timely although perhaps the majority of places you share are a bit too far to walk to on foot and that is what I intend doing for the 2 weeks we are there.
Interesting comments about the seabirds and cyclones though. I have only stayed in the South once before, in November 2009, just after some fairly rough storms out at sea. The beach at Utorda was covered in birds. Thousands of them.Still fairly new to bird watching I posted a shot on my blog of both a Greater Sand Plover and a Heuglin's Gull. I had miss ID'd the GSP, it turned out it was a Caspian Plover and there was a debate between viewers if it was Caspian or Oriental. The former was a rarity, the latter even more so. No one even mentioned the Gull until a few weeks ago when I received an email from someone in India asking me if it was OK to use some of my pictures as the Heuglin's has recently been confirmed as the first ever Baltic Gull sighting in India and my blog was the source of that sighting. Talk about the Accidental Birdwatcher! Another ( same bird?) was photographed by a German guy further up the coast at Morjim the following year. Sadly I no longer have the photos as all my shots from 9 years of travelling were lost when I dragged the files from one external hard drive to another ( always copy and paste is the motto for the future) and even the blog is no longer picture rich as I declined to pay the Photobucket annual fees to share photos on line but it was indicative of the interest in Goan and Indian birding that I had about 20,000 views of both my Keralan and Goan blogs around that time.
I returned to the same stretch of beach on a day trip during my last visit to Goa in 2010 but at a different time of winter, there was still quite a few birds but nothing like the huge numbers and varieties of that first visit. It looks like the beginning of the season when the chances of a cyclone bring birds ashore is the time to go but my other half would prefer reassurances that instead of being sand blasted on the beach she would have nothing but calm sunny weather.
 
Great report.
Brought back a lot of great memories!
I used to spend hours wandering around the scrubby area to the north of the hotel. First thing in the morning loads of birds would be heading to the boggy well watered Dona Sylvia lawns.
The Donna Sylvia was a lovely hotel with lots of gardens and birds around the apartments.
 
Alf, we found the Dona Sylvia to be excellent, my wife loved it as well which meant I could go birding with a clear conscience, not the most economical way to stay in Goa but we loved the all-inclusive although aspect we still often ate at the beach shacks and restaurants - Cavelossim is highly recommended wherever you decide to stay. In fact my wife is already looking at another four weeks for next winter.

Dave, I remember reading your report before I visited in 2011 and you may recall we spoke on the phone when I went to Sri Lanka last year. Ironically I was looking for your listed trips just this past weekend; I found Bulgaria - is that the latest? (We also conversed on SafariTalk regarding your Namibia trip report. Sorry to read about your lost pictures.....but then again what a great excuse to revisit some of your previous destinations to take them again!

Pratincol, I also used the info I picked up from your Cavelossim reports. I'm surprised there are still so few birders in the South, we keep banging the drum but they still seem reluctant to venture away from the North. Never mind though, it won't be overcrowded any time soon!
 
Dave, I remember reading your report before I visited in 2011 and you may recall we spoke on the phone when I went to Sri Lanka last year. Ironically I was looking for your listed trips just this past weekend; I found Bulgaria - is that the latest? (We also conversed on SafariTalk regarding your Namibia trip report. Sorry to read about your lost pictures.....but then again what a great excuse to revisit some of your previous destinations to take them again!

Agghhhh sorry Ian. My memory ain't what it used to be, my apologies and of course I now remember.
Yes Bulgaria is indeed my last post. We recently completed a land tour /cruise of the Far East as it was Claire's turn to choose. We visited temples and palaces through Cambodia,China,Vietnam,Thailand,Singapore and the Golden Triangle in India. Eye wateringly expensive by our usual budget and hard work as so much travelling was involved.From a birding perspective it was very disappointing with a mere 39 species photographed and only a few more identified as we spent little time outside of cities except when travelling at speed on coaches and train. I wasn't expecting much and that's how it panned out, didn't even take a big lens with me. I haven't written a blog and probably won't bother as there are so many places involved but little wildlife interest. I will say though walking on the Great Wall of China when few people were about and witnessing sunrise at the Taj Mahal are pretty special and sometimes it's only fair that I don't get it all my way.
Still I have Goa to look forward to in the not too distant future as well as some other interesting spots too.
 
Alf, we found the Dona Sylvia to be excellent, my wife loved it as well which meant I could go birding with a clear conscience, not the most economical way to stay in Goa but we loved the all-inclusive although aspect we still often ate at the beach shacks and restaurants - Cavelossim is highly recommended wherever you decide to stay. In fact my wife is already looking at another four weeks for next winter.

Dave, I remember reading your report before I visited in 2011 and you may recall we spoke on the phone when I went to Sri Lanka last year. Ironically I was looking for your listed trips just this past weekend; I found Bulgaria - is that the latest? (We also conversed on SafariTalk regarding your Namibia trip report. Sorry to read about your lost pictures.....but then again what a great excuse to revisit some of your previous destinations to take them again!

Pratincol, I also used the info I picked up from your Cavelossim reports. I'm surprised there are still so few birders in the South, we keep banging the drum but they still seem reluctant to venture away from the North. Never mind though, it won't be overcrowded any time soon!

Glad to have been of help.
I never saw one other birdwatcher there on my visit. Good to learn it is still quiet and unspoilt there.
 
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