The many insect hunting explorations I have had the pleasure of undertaking all over India, in connection with my research project, financed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Delhi, have provided splendid opportunities to form impressions (though fleeting) of the bird life of these areas.  I have already given an account of my birding in the Pindar Valley (Garhwal Himalaya) and I will deal here with my observations in a  little-known area of the Sahyadri Range, more popularly known as the Western Ghats. 

    Mudigere is a medium sized village with a population of approximately 5,000 people, situated at a height of nearly 3,000 feet and located some 35km west of the famous Hindu temple of Belur, in the Chikmagalur District of Karnataka State.  It is known mostly on account of the plantations that surround it, mostly of coffee, tea and cardamom, and since it lies on  the Bangalore—Mangalore highway.  The weather is pleasant even in summer and it receives around 80-100 inches of rain annually, some 40% of it falling in July and August.  The soils are acid loams and paddy is the main food crop grown here.  Besides coffee, tea and cardamom, citrus, sapota, vanilla, cocoa, mango, pepper, cinnamon, pineapple, banana and jackfruit are also cultivated.  The forest is thick and luxuriant, though it is being exploited in some areas, especially around Mudigere.  It can be called moist deciduous and abounds in a rich variety of tree species, especially Dalbergia latifiolia (Rosewood), Pterocarpus marsupium, Artocarpus hirsuta, A. lakoocha, Terminalia paniculata (and several other species of this genus), Santalum album (Sandalwood), Trema orientalis, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Garuga pinnata, Bischoffia javanica, Diospyros melanoxylon, Olea dioica, and several species of  Ficus.  Teak (Tectona grandis) is not very abundant here.  Exotic Eucalyptus spp. trees have been planted and the common shade tree in plantations is an Erythrina.  A small Date Palm, probably Phoenix acaulis, occurs commonly on open grassy land, devoid of forest.  The Mudramane forest here is known for its large stands of Sandal trees.  There are many streams here and the Hemavati and Yagachi Rivers originate from the hills nearby, emptying finally into the Krishanarajasagara Reservoir in Mysore District a few hundred miles to the south-east.  The University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, has a Regional Research Station located at Mudigere.  It is about 150 acres in extent and most of the tree crops mentioned above are grown here. 
   
    I reached Mudigere on May 21st  1976 around 2 p.m. (1400 hrs) in the afternoon, having boarded the Dharmasthala bus at Bangalore around 0730 hrs that morning.  It was the height of summer, but Mudigere was quite pleasant, and it was a relief once we entered the cool ghats area, called ‘malnaad’ in Karnataka, from the dry heat of the ‘maidaan’ or plains tract.  Mr C. Siddappaji, the Assistant Entomologist located at the University Research Station, and an interested naturalist, was waiting to receive me, and soon we were out in the field, having dumped my belongings at the University Guest House.  It is always a pleasure to meet planters and others on the ghats, who seem to be genuinely delighted to receive the company of a guest, and no wonder too, since they must feel the pangs of loneliness in their estates, so far from “civilization” as it were. 
  
    The insect net was soon swinging away and eyes and ears tuned to any signs of a feathered creature.  The research station buildings are beside the main road, the plantations located behind them in a valley with fairly steep slopes.  A small stream flows through the valley at its lowest point.  Most of the original tree growth remains and there is much dry leaf litter on the ground.  The staccato calls of the Large Green and Crimson-breasted Barbets greeted us as we entered the valley and we could spot Greater Racquet-tailed and Black Drongos higher in the trees above us.  Orange Minivets chirped away while the melodious whistle of the Iora never failed to engage our attention.  We were delighted to spot Hill Mynas among teams of Jungle Mynas, both of them being very vociferous.  Golden-backed Woodpeckers were seen scaling the large branches of the tall trees and then flapping and gliding in that characteristic fashion from tree to tree.  Also noticed, in those inevitable ‘hunting parties’ associated with the jungle, were Red-whiskered Bulbul, Gold-fronted Chloropsis, Yellow-cheeked Crested Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Black Drongo. 

    I will divert a little here to write about the “Mystery of the Moving Crest” of the Yellow-cheeked Crested Tit [see Newsletter for Birdwatchers, 16(9): 2, 5 & 16(10): 15].  Mrs Sarah Jameson actually hit upon the explanation when she opined—“Perhaps the truth of the matter is that the crest moves about depending on the mood of the bird !”  Field observational problems such as these have a perfectly obvious final solution, not finding a place in most bird reference books owing to lack of space and/or their seeming unimportance.  If any of our readers have kept a Cockatoo (a bird typical of the Australian Biogeographical Region) as a pet, they would have hardly failed to notice the many positions the crest occupies, from absolutely depressed to extremely erect when the tips of the leading feathers point in a forward manner.  They would also have associated this change of position of the crest with the temperament of the bird: recumbent in a subdued state and magnificently upright when excited and calling.  Though I should think that the crest of the Yellow-cheeked Crested Tit does not assume a flattened backward position at any time, the ‘direction’ of the crest does vary in disposition and alignment, being controlled voluntarily by the bird, in response to its ‘moods’, if we can use that term.  Such problems prompt me to impress upon all bird watchers the merits of maintaining a field notebook . . . . .oh ! oh ! there we go again !  Anyway, there are at least six very good reasons which I will enumerate in a future article of mine and return promptly now to the subject of this one. 

    Around Mudigere and the adjacent open fields and clearings, the following birds reign supreme: House Sparrow, Jungle Crow, House Crow, Rufous Tree Pie, Indian Myna, Cattle Egret, Spotted Dove, Koel, White-breasted Kingfisher, Small Green Bee-eater, Black Drongo, Brahminy Starling, Jungle Myna, Iora and Magpie-Robin.  A couple of White-backed Vultures were seen soaring above the village, and I must have missed quite a few other common birds of the open areas here, but having only two days to myself at this place, it will need more field work to compile a fairly representative list.  Pariah Kites were conspicuously absent. 

    Next morning we trudged downhill from the research station, in a southerly direction, passing Nimbemule, Haley Mudigere, Mudramane forest, and Hoysala village, to our destination, the Chitrakoota Estate, some six miles away.  It took us a good four hours at a slow pace with frequent stops either for insect collecting or for bird watching.  The Mudramane Forest, which we traversed, is a drier, more secondary type of jungle, with a large stand of  Sandalwood trees, for which it is known. 

    Halfway to the estate we stopped for a breather beside a bend in a small stream, flanked by a high bank on one side and soft, wet sand on the other.  There was just a trickle of water and here and there along the stream thick grass grew on the exposed sandy  bed.  Here I noticed a couple of individuals of the nymphalid butterfly, Cirrochroa thais, called the Tamil Yeoman in Wynter-Blyth’s BUTTERFLIES OF THE INDIAN REGION (1957).  These fast-flying, almost ebullient, orange-brown butterflies made their presence felt, alighting on the damp sand or on the bare, hard soil lit by the hot sun farther away from the stream.  I captured both of them in  my net but kept only one, releasing the other on account of its rather ragged, worn condition.  Earlier, I had sighted some Malabar Tree Nymphs, Idea malabarica, floating about amongst tree tops in shady groves, at a height out of reach of my net.  These graceful, almost apparitional Danaidae are local creatures, hardly common except in certain patches of thick, moist or damp forests.  The common name is most apt, since they clearly show the attributes of wood nymphs, the delicate grace typifying the tutelary goddesses termed ‘nymphs’.  By the way, if any reader possesses a copy of Brigadier W.H. Evans’ IDENTIFICATION OF INDIAN BUTTERFLIES (2nd edition, 1932), in good condition, that he/she could sell to me, I would appreciate hearing from him/her. 

    As we approached the Chitrakoota Estate, I spied an Ashy Swallow-Shrike making aerial sallies from its perch on top of a very tall, leafless, Artocarpus hirsuta tree, after anisopteran dragonflies.  It would return to its lofty perch in order to devour the hapless insect.  Mr K.P.C. Thejasvi, who owns this coffee estate, is an extremely keen naturalist, besides being a very enthusiastic photographer as well.  He maintains his estate like a veritable sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife, and,  needless to say, the animals repay his concern for them by inhabiting the area both in numbers and in variety.  Blessed with a critical mind, a curiosity of his habitat, and a home in idyllic surroundings, he has a large collection of his own wildlife photographs embracing orchids, fungi, insects, and birds, to mention just a few nature groups.  Among these were some striking photographs of an Ashy Swallow-Shrike feeding its young. 

    It was nearing two in the afternoon when we reached the estate and it was only after a simple but sumptuous lunch that we ventured out into his domain to sample the wildlife.  In one low-lying area behind his house where the path crosses a small stream, he has constructed two obscure looking hides to watch birds that come that spot in plenty, either for a drink or for a bath.  It was here that, in the space of a little more than an hour, I managed to observe several extremely interesting forest birds.  As soon as we approached the hides, we could see that bathing was on in full swing—rows of White-eyes lining up on the rootlets jutting out  from the bank for their chance to have a dip in one of the pools in the stream, which was a little more than a trickle at most places.  Magpie-Robins and Yellow-browed Bulbuls interrupted the little White-eyes for a quick bath.  I also got a short but adequate glimpse of a Ruby-throated Bulbul having a quick dip, all of the time Red-whiskered Bulbuls were very vociferous in the thickets nearby.  The sun slowly receded from this part of the estate and in the reduced light I captured three Tree Nymphs that were probably looking for a place to settle for the night.  I also spotted a White-throated Ground Thrush rummaging amongst the fallen leaf litter, and then located a nest of a nasute termite (‘white ant’), consisting of a dark, carton-like material built on top of a tree-stump about 4-5 feet above the squelchy, soggy ground.  I had been attracted to this nest by a Rufous Woodpecker which I had frightened off it. On closer observation, I could see that one side of the termite nest was hollowed out by, in all probability, the woodpecker.  The ‘soldier caste’ of the curious termites of the Nasutitermitinae (Isoptera) have reduced mandibles, which are replaced, in function, by a cone-like snout on the head, through which they squirt an irritating fluid which serves to discourage their enemies.  These termites were found on the nest and I deduced that the woodpecker may have been feeding on them.  But why the cavity in the nest ?  Was the woodpecker excavating a nest hole for its young ?  So far, the Rufous Woodpecker has been known to feed and nest in the tree-nests of the ants, Crematogaster spp., with whom they share a sort of peculiar relationship.  Though the HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN (Vol. 4, pp. 179-181) does not mention its feeding on termites, Henry (A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF CEYLON, p. 122) says it searches termite hills for insects.  However, the interesting question now is—does this woodpecker nest in the tree-nests of termites ?  A pair of these shy, but beautifully coloured woodpeckers were seen hanging around this termite nest. 
 
    We then moved nearer the stream and located a large gathering of yellow-and-brown tree frogs under a fallen log.  Our attention was now diverted by an Emerald Dove alighting noisily on a small tree nearby.  Then came the climax before the curtain of darkness fell on this forested valley—an uninterrupted and satiating sight of a pair of Fairy Bluebirds, sitting on a stout vine overhanging the stream.  The superb shades of blue, combined with the velvety black of the male, kept us entranced and enchanted, taking turns to grab the one pair of Japanese ‘Yashica’ binoculars to get a fabulous sight of one of the true gems of the forest. 

    Returning to the estate bungalow, we came across a Monarch Flycatcher flying to its sleeping place, and a Little Scalybellied Woodpecker to a huge tree in the fading light.  We were reluctant to leave this treasure-house of natural sights, yet the blood-sucking mosquitoes, and the darkness which had fallen, compelled us to say goodbye.  The drive back to our university guest house in Mr Thejasvi’s jeep was utilized in animated conversation and eerie tales of ghosts (funny how the human mind turns to these creatures of our imagination, in precisely such an atmosphere !).  Soon we were bidding farewell to our host for the day, which had, indeed, been one of those unforgettable ones.  Next morning I was on the bus back to Bangalore, my mind full of the wonderous events of the previous two days on this section of the magnificent Western Ghats of peninsular India. 

   In the following list, all 36 birds (* = endemic species) seen during my trip to Mudigere are enumerated, along with their SYNOPSIS/HANDBOOK numbers and current scientific names, or the benefit of readers :    

44.     Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis Linnaeus 
185.   White-backed Vulture, Pseudogyps bengalensis J.F. Gmelin 
537.   Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis Scopoli 
542.   Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica Linnaeus 
590.   Asian Koel, Eudynamys scolopacea Linnaeus 
735.   White-breasted Kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis Linnaeus 
750.   Small Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis Latham 
782.   Large Green Barbet, Megalaima zeylanica J.F. Gmelin* 
792.   Crimson-breasted Barbet, Megalaima haemacephala P.L.S. Müller 
802.   Rufous Woodpecker, Celeus brachyurus Vieillot 
808.   Little Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, Picus xanthopygaeus J.E. Gray 
819.  Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, Dinopium benghalense Linneus* 
963.   Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot 
977.   Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus paradisaeus Linnaeus 
982.   Ashy Swallow-Shrike, Artamus fuscus Vieillot 
994.   Brahminy Starling, Sturnus pagodarum J.F. Gmelin * 
1006.  Indian Myna, Acridotheres tristis Linnaeus 
1009.  Jungle Myna, Acridotheres fuscus Wagler 
1016.  Sahyadris Hill Myna, Gracula indica  Cuvier* 
1036.  Rufous Tree Pie, Dendrocitta vagabunda Latham 
1049.  House Crow, Corvus splendens Vieillot 
1057.  Jungle Crow, Corvus culminatus Sykes* 
1081.  Orange Minivet, Pericrocotus flammeus J.R. Forster* 
1098.  Oriental Iora, Aegithina tiphia Linnaeus 
1104.  Gold-fronted Chloropsis, Chloropsis frontalis Pelzeln* 
1109.  Fairy Bluebird,  Irena puella Latham 
1116.  Ruby-throated Bulbul, Pycnonotus gularis Gould* 
1118.  Red-whiskered Bulbul, Pycnonotus jocosus Linnaeus 
1144.  Yellow-browed Bulbul, Iole indica Jerdon* 
1465.  Black-naped Monarch Flycatcher, Hypothymis azurea Boddaert 
1661.  Oriental Magpie-Robin, Copsychus saularis Linnaeus 
1734.White-throated Ground Thrush, Geokichla cyanotus Jardine & Selby* 
1809.  Yellow-cheeked Crested Tit, Parus xanthogenys Vigors* 
1838.  Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Sitta frontalis Swainson 
1933.  Temminck’s  White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosus Temminck* 
1938.  House Sparrow, Passer domesticus Linnaeus