The start of a new year brings hopes for more sightings and documentation of flora and fauna than the previous year. November 2024 marked the 100th edition of this monthly segment, What I Saw, and this year will also mark the 10th anniversary of PrakritiNepal.com. Over the years, this blog has slowly evolved into a growing repository of Nepal’s diverse flora and fauna. I hope to continue this journey and showcase the beauty and biodiversity of Nepal in the days ahead.

January was a particularly busy month, as I was engaged in a training program that kept me indoors more than usual. The sessions were held in one of the halls at Tribhuvan University, and while walking to and from class, I would often hear the loud squawking of parakeet flocks perched high in the trees. The species I observed included the Alexandrine Parakeet and the Rose-ringed Parakeet. Additionally, I spotted a Long-tailed Shrike, Oriental Magpie Robin, and Red-vented Bulbul in the area.

Wild-bee-hive-in-RSR

During the last week of January, my schedule finally eased up, allowing me to visit Riverside Springs Resort (RSR) in Kurintar—one of my favorite places to relax and connect with nature. The lush vegetation behind the large swimming pool attracts a variety of birds and mammals, making it a hotspot for wildlife observation. My connection with this place goes back 9–10 years when I first sighted species such as the Black Francolin, Sirkeer Malkoha, Indian Hare, and Civet Cat in and around the property. However, with increasing construction and development in Kurintar, much of the wilderness has shrunk. Fortunately, the RSR property still provides a relatively undisturbed habitat where these species can thrive.

Upon arriving in the afternoon, I took a walk around the expansive area behind the swimming pool, which also includes the RSR Farms. As I entered the Passion Fruit and Scarlet Clock Vine tunnel, the first bird I spotted was a Crimson Sunbird, drawn to the vibrant Scarlet Clock Vine flowers. Further ahead, I noticed a couple of Pied Bushchats actively foraging in the farm area, likely due to the abundance of insects. These Bushchats remained in the area throughout my stay.

  • Scarlet-Clock-Vine-in-RSR
  • Fern-in-RSR

Later in the afternoon, I explored the grassland section of the property, where I observed warblers, several Grey-breasted Prinia, and a Long-tailed Shrike. As dusk approached, I was thrilled to spot a Lineated Barbet perched high on a distant tree—my first sighting of this species at RSR. This discovery heightened my excitement, and I looked forward to spotting more new species over the next few days.

After dinner, I searched again for nocturnal critters in the farm area. I managed to document at least five species of spiders, along with a cricket and a couple of moths. I stayed out until midnight, hoping to encounter more insects and amphibians before finally calling it a day.

I’ll be sharing more about the species I observed in February’s What I Saw segment. Thank you for following and supporting the blog!

Below are some of the species of flora and fauna I was able to see and document in the month of January.

Bird:
Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Oriental Magpie Robin, Himalayan Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Crimson Sunbird, Pied Bushchat, Lineated Barbet, Black Drongo, Chestnut-tailed Starling ♂ ♀, Pied Bushchat ♂ ♀, Grey-breasted Prinia, Spotted Dove, Rufous Treepie, River Lapwing, Long-tailed Shrike, White-browed Wagtail, Blue Whistling Thrush, Cattle Egret, etc.

Insect:
Tetragnatha Sp. Spider, Common Tiger butterfly, Indian Cabbage White, Cricket, Moth from the Iridopsis genus, Moth from the Creatonotos Sp., etc.

Plant:
Scarlet Clock Vine (Thunbergia coccinea), Banyan (Ficus benghalensis), Fern, Peepal Tree (Ficus religiosa), Indian rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo), Simal (Bombax ceiba), Ferns, Utis (Alnus nepalensis), etc.

Thank you,
Ajay Narsingh Rana