Monsoon seemed to slow down a bit and the color of rice fields was changing as the harvest was getting near. The yellow hue was highlighted even more as the morning sun touched the crops. The cacophony of birdsongs complimented the mood as a light breeze would sway the crops in the vast rice fields.  

Bungamati is a beautiful town that overlooks the Bagmati river with swaths of fields on the banks and small patches of jungle that separate the settlement from the fields. This diversity has created a livable habitat for a lot of birds and it is said that mammals like Common Leopard, Yellow-throated Marten, and Squirrels can also be spotted once in a while. 

My couple of visits to Bungamati this month resulted in spotting various species of birds and insects. I had always seen and documented the male Asian Koel as it sang its heart out be it in the forests or outside my house. As I looked into the trees in the distance the well-camouflaged female Asian Koel could only be distinguished by the spots on its back. As the sun rose and lit up the area the shy bird flew away to another tree in the distance and blend itself amongst the foliage.

Black Bulbuls were abundant with their usual cacophony of songs drowning out the songs from other birds. These playful birds flew from one tree to the other and as the songs faded away the soft songs of the Black-lored Tit and the Warblers could be heard.

The Red-spot Jezebel Butterflies were abundant as they flew around the tree line. Perched on the tree branches below were some Oriental Turtle Dove with their usual ghur…ghroo..goo call. The treeline near the gates that lead to the Hayangriva Bhairab Temple and Rato Machhindranath square also had various species of birds perched around. These trees were pretty popular with the Rose-ringed Parakeet and this time around I also got to see a flock of Alexandrine Parakeet.

Blue-throated Barbet also had their favorite branches near the tree top to perch on but on the other hand the Great Barbet preferred sitting on the branches that provided cover. Their favorite call pi…oooo…pi…oooooo could be heard and the reply to the call would also be made from other Great Barbets further in the distance. I could spot a Verditer Flycatcher, Female Scarlet Minivet in the jungle treeline further in the distance. An Indian Golden Oriole flew away as the Scarlet Minivets were foraging around the tree the Oriole was in.

Black Kites were soaring in the blue sky looking for prey, while Black Dorongo were on watch protecting their nesting area. Morning time meant that most of the birds were out and about searching, foraging for food. I could also spot what seemed like Baya Weavers perched on one of the trees as I headed down to the fields.      

As winter approaches I am excited to come back again and document the Steppe Eagles along with the Owls. Hopefully, I can also be able to take some pictures of some Collared Doves that I had spotted a year back but had miserably failed to document it.   

I feel like Bungamati is a gem that needs to be saved and preserved for eternity. Not just its culture and heritage but also its surroundings, the fields, the small patches of jungles, and the banks of the Bagmati river.

Birds:
Black Kite, Alexandrine Parakeet, Blue-throated Barbet, Great Barbet, Black Bulbul, Himalayan Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Asian Koel (female), Common Hoopoe, Long-tailed Shrike, Indian Jungle Crow, Black-lored Tit, Common Tailorbird, Common Myna, Chest-tailed Starling, Baya Weaver, Oriental Turtle Dove, Spotted Dove, Verditer Flycatcher, Indian Golden Oriole, Oriental White-eyed, Great Tit, White-throated Kingfisher, Scarlet Minivet, etc.

Insects:
Red-spot Jezebel, etc.