Having just returned from Goa only yesterday, and with other priorities before spending time on the internet I can post only a quick report which might be of help to those going soon.
I am a keen photographer more than a bird lister but the latter has some appeal too ! My wife is a non birder. We book holiday venues which should be suitable for us both hence places like Backwoods are not considered.
For this trip we booked the Royal Orchid Galaxy at Utorda beach S.Goa for 10 nights, the Wildernest Nature resort in the Ghats for 4 nights, and the Marinha Dourada for 16 nights.
The Utorda beach was primarily intended for my wife's benefit but it turned out to be the absolute top of the pile birding photographic site too. There isn't too much information about birding in the south and no one has ever mentioned this beach area, not even the birding guides so I feel I have found somewhere new !!! Walking from Utorda beach northwards as far as you can to the top end of the southern beaches is about 3.5 Kms. The area was basically deserted. The Hyatt hotel is a short distance away but otherwise the beach is occupied only by three shacks, a fishing village and few tourists ( well this was the case early November but I think it will not change too much) The BIG plus was the number of birds. This area makes Morjim pale in significance. We are talking '000's of Brown Headed Gulls as well as Slender Billed, Heuglins and Yellow Legged but not Pallas whilst I was there. Lesser Crested, Slender Billed, Little and Sandwich Terns in good numbers plus one Greater Crested where seen. There were very large numbers of both Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers, a flock of about 700 Lesser Pratincol plus other small waders such as Little Stint,Kentish Plover,Dunlin,Common Sandpiper and Greenshank. In very small numbers I also saw Terek Sandpiper,Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Reef and Little Egret,Pond Egret, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Osprey, Peregrine and an Isabelline Wheatear.
If the fishermen are bringing in their nets you get a ready made feeding station for Braminhy and Black Kites.
The views I had on all these birds are very, very close. Stunning photographic opportunities.
The most unusual was a Brown Noddy which I first saw the night after a cyclone has struck the coast but it was still around 7 days later.A beach bar owner told me there were less birds about than usual because of the bad weather too !!!!
Next stop was the Wildernest. Offering 45+ acres of grounds and pathways plus daily bird watching walks and observation areas, this was the bit I was looking forward to. I can only describe it a an huge disappointment. We booked out after 2 nights. At about £90 per night it was expensive and failed to deliver . The advertised "infinity pool" was about the only thing that met our expectations but that was about it. Not recommended from a birding perspective at all, not only were very few birds seen but the early morning walks were led by a guide that knows less than I do and that is quite an achievement.
We booked into the Marinha Dourada 2 days early and I have nothing but praise for this hotel which offers an excellent level of comfort at a very reasonable price. However, on arrival my heart sank. It wasn't just the recent monsoonal rains which had affected the area, the pools opposite the hotel have been deliberately breached now making them tidal so the number of birds they attract is minimal compared to the same time as last year. Not only have the waders all but disappeared but as the fish all had the opportunity to escape, the resident Osprey is no longer and can be found spending time on a dead palm tree in Baga fields instead.
The local area is being developed still further. There is more encroachment on Arpora woods with more building in front of the night club and although I only went once, the general consensus was it's not as good as it was. Likwise Baga Hill has seen the commencement of more building work and , although still rewarding (including the Malkoha) I wonder for how much longer.
I had two trips out with the super Lloyd Fernandes who is better than any other of the guides I have used or witnessed. Not only is he a good conversationalist on topics other than birds, he has a great sense of humour, is very reasonably priced and always includes a picnic breakfast. PM me if you want details. Not only does he have a small car but also a large bus capable of taking a group out.
Talking of groups, is it me or do they always seem to come in anti social packages ? On several occasions my attempts to communicate fell on deaf ears. You get a feeling that they feel they have paid for the pleasure of being a unit and don't want to share anything with anyone else, even offers from myself of bird locations hardly bought an utterance of thanks. Weird lot and certainly I won't be joining any such tours.
The Marinha Dourada appeared to have lots of birders staying there though and most were a friendly bunch ( except for a certain tour!). The Beira Mer didn't seem to have many birders there on the several evenings I went and it's hardly surprising. I think it's a bit of a dump and the birding isn't as good as it used to be either. The Nazri resort next door offers a better view and a more modern hotel too I would imagine as it is only just being completed ( taking the Beira Mer's view too !)
Carambolin didn't hold as much as it has done but Charoa and Diva islands were good as well as the consistent Zuari river boat trip which is a very pleasant experience.
Hope this is of help to all, Cheers Dave
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