Drive from Hyderabad to Bidar
Trip 4: 06-Jan-2025
Our 1st Bidar trip was in 2014, when we were just starting with our birding adventure. Since that 2014 trip, a lot has changed in term of our birding and photography. That time I was carrying Canon 70D with Canon 400mm f/5.6 prime lens. Now I'm using Canon R5 with Canon 400mm f/4 prime. That's a significant improvement and upgrade in photography gear. We are much better birders now and we are far more skilled in photography than what we were 10 years ago. And that is quite evident from the quality of the images that we click these days. However, a lot of credit goes to mirrorless Canon R5 and the 400 f/4 glass.
It has been 5 years since I last been to Bidar and the planning for this trip happened just all of a sudden. The JLR property is an ideal place to visit if you are a bird lover. Not only you will find the variety in the different types of species, but more than that you will find all of these species in numerous numbers in itself. This gives you enough chances to click each of them to your heart's content. Their naturalists are good enough for beginner birders but not that knowledgeable for advanced birders like us. I still went out with them one morning for the nature walk, not because of their knowledge about the birds but because I feel nice if somebody is alongside me when I spot a bird.
Enjoy the pics below, that I clicked on this trip.
 |
| Yellow-wattled Lapwing |
 |
| Purple Sunbird male |
 |
| Common Kingfisher |
 |
| River Tern |
 |
| Common Tailorbird |
 |
| Ashy Prinia |
.jpg) |
| Small Minivet male |
 |
| Common Rosefinch male |
 |
| Little Grebe |
 |
| White-spotted Fantail |
 |
| Tickell's Blue Flycatcher |
 |
| Purple Sunbird female |
 |
| Grey-breasted Prinia female |
 |
| Blyth's Reed Warbler |
 |
| Oriental White-eye |
 |
| Oriental Magpie Robin |
 |
| Indian Robin female |
 |
| Common Iora female |
 |
| Ashy Drongo |
.jpg) |
| River Tern |
 |
| Little Cormorant |
 |
| Great Cormorant |
 |
| White-breasted Waterhen |
 |
| Indian Pond Heron |
 |
| White-browed Bulbul |
 |
| Indian Golden Oriole |
 |
| Green Bee-eater |
 |
| Indian Peafowl male |
.jpg) |
| Common Tailorbird |
 |
| White-browed Wagtail |
 |
| Long-tailed Shrike |
 |
| Blackbuck male |
 |
| Blackbuck female |
.jpg) |
| Blackbuck male |
Trip Summary: 1st Trip to Bidar Dated 02-Sep-2014
Distance: 140 + 140 KM (
Click here for Google Maps)
Birds Spotted: 50+ (22 New Species for me - taking me to 196 species overall)
After so many years in Hyderabad, finally discovered a weekend trip which is definitely worth revisiting. Bidar is highly under-rated when it comes to bird watching and photography. People visiting here are so contented with Blackbuck sighting, Boating, Kayaking, Coracal Ride, Historical Monuments, Forts, etc. that Birding takes a back seat. Tourists hardly spend any time exploring the area for possible bird sighting probably because of lack of interest in this topic.
However, for me, the sole purpose of this visit was to spot as many bird species as possible. By the graciousness of the rain gods, a little bit of effort from my end and at last some wonderful luck on my part, I was able to spot and click more than 50 different species of birds (with 22 species which I have never clicked before)
I always feel that luck just seems to find its way into my camera. This trip was no surprise either. It felt as if whichever direction I turn my head - there's a different bird perching on the branches. Enjoy the pics below, I really want to visit this place once again and this time probably will stay for more than 1 day.
 |
| Coppersmith Barbet |
 |
| Indian Silverbill |
 |
| Baya Weaver male (br) |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
