Last weekend Jungle Buddies hosted a forest hike at Matheran Hill station in search of some of the unique avian diversity it offers due to its elevation and it’s being an eco-sensitive region.

The plan was to explore some of the lesser-known trails of the region. As we started the very first bird to grace us with its presence was an Indian blue Robin female, this set the tone for the day and the excitement of our #Junglebuddies heightened for the rest of the hike. The endemic Crimson backed sunbird male started showing off its bright colours in the sunlight, Indian paradise flycatcher was showcasing its diving skills, by diving in a water puddle multiple times to catch hold of its morning breakfast. The trio of rare leaf warblers (Tytler’s leaf warbler, Hume’s leaf warbler, Yellow-browed leaf warbler) giving our #Junglebuddies enough time to capture them while constating shifting from one branch to other branches. Olive-backed pipit marking its presence while scanning the forest floor. As we walked further the canopy had given way to open sky and as soon as we looked, we came across a majestic Black Eagle appeared heading straight towards us and then circling a few times very closely before disappearing into the valley, soon a Crested Serpent Eagle flew very close past us. “What a moment it was”!!! said one of our jungle buddy. 

Malabar Giant Squirrel could be seen high in the canopy at multiple junctures of the hike. While heading back a Blue-capped rock thrush caught our attention with the massive size of its kill a grasshopper, swatting it multiple times on the tree to try to consume it. The cherry on top for us were 2 individuals of Forest Wagtails as we ended the day with some of the most beautiful memories. 

We thank all of our #Junglebuddies for the patience and efforts they put to make these outings successful.