“She is reigning the premises of Old Magazine House” — he said. Many people from near and far are coming here to visit her. I hope now you can suitably evaluate her celebrity status. Perched high up on her throne, she watches silently upon her fascinated spectators. She was not there alone, her little one sometimes joined her to catch a glimpse of her mother’s devotees. We were also among these devotees who went to Ganeshgudi in Karnataka to watch her up close. Stay with Footlooseinme to hear the story of this Queen and the Birds of Old Magazine House.
During my last visit to Hampi, we met a few birders just back from Old Magazine House (OMH). (Read about my previous trip to Hampi.) They told us about the queen and also showed us her magnificent pictures. We made a sudden plan to visit the OMH, just after returning from Hampi and try our luck to meet the queen.
Now, you must be curious to know who the Queen is. Who is the centre of all the attractions? Who is the talk of the town? It is the large, magnificent Spot-bellied Eagle Owl. This majestic creature has nested in a large tree trunk within the Old Magazine House property (of Jungle Lodges and Resorts in Ganeshgudi, Karnataka).
Spot-bellied Eagle Owls are one of the largest species of owls in India. The size ranges from 50 cm to 65 cm in length. We were very close to this species in the jungle of Koyna, where we spotted many other owls. But this species lured us deep into the forest with its call but did not show up. So we came here to try our luck and also see the other birds of Old Magazine House in this season. (Read about my owl sighting experience in Koyna.)
The queen spent most of the time with its chick/s in the nest and sometimes came out in the opening to appease her admirers. Immediately after we finished the check-in formalities the naturalist and the other staff waved and called us to a spot. The queen was as if patiently waiting to welcome us on a high branch in the clearing near its nest.
We were enthralled to get her first sight, that too just after reaching the property. They all said it was a sign of good luck. Sighting of owls is considered a good omen by the locals. We were overjoyed and all our tiredness from the long drive vanished in a moment.
We heard from the naturalist that a Great Indian Hornbill has also nested within the property, though a bit covered within the trees. There is also a nest of Malabar Barbet on the tree cavity in front of our room. It sounded like a treasure trove, a nursery for the Birds of Old Magazine House.
After hearing all these exciting nesting details, the regular perch area of the property supposedly lost its charm. Though we did wait for the regular perch visitors, chatting with fellow enthusiasts who also visited there to see the queen. Regular visitors visited the perch and did their daily ritual of splashing water and taking a sip or two before returning back to their trees. (Read my previous post on birding in OMH.) The birding day ended with an equally stunning surprise – ‘an immensely pretty Asian Fairy Blue’.
But it did not come out in the open, nor on the perch nor to the waterhole. It waited in the tree near the perch. It was already dusk so I could not get a good picture of it. But the mind camera did register the image in its memory card for the rest of its life. It was a lifer for us.
The next morning, the surprise came in from a different way. We were relaxing in our room after a not-so-fruitful morning birding session around the property. The naturalist gave us a call saying the Great Hornbill dad is here to feed the family. We rushed outside and this spectacular bird (that we have been searching for, for a long long time) was just in front of us near its nest on a tree in the jungle. It was regurgitating to deliver all his collection to his family inside the tree cavity that was their nest.
Read my previous post on Birdwatching in Ganeshgudi and Dandeli.
Read my previous post on Drive to Dandeli in search of Malabar Grey and Malabar Pied Hornbill.
The female resides within the cavity along with its chicks and it seals the mouth of the cavity with mud and their dropping, just keeping a small opening for the male to provide food. This sealant protects the chicks from predators. Although it was quite far in terms of visual range, it was like a dream come true moment. The bird for which we have travelled to so many places is finally in front of us. Another lifer!
Since then, we got some frequent sightings of the owl. At one time the chick popped up its head from the groove of the tree where the nest is. But before I could capture it shyly went down. That evening we heard some calls from the owls, it seemed to be some communication between the two. Then to our surprise, in the dark, we could see the shadow of two owls (one is the mother and the other is presumably the father of the chick).
The male probably gave some feed to the female and flew away. We assumed that it was the call of the male to which the female replied and then they met. The father gave his hunt to the mother who flew back to the direction of the nest to feed the chick. Their nesting behaviour is now well-known, so this act can not be taken into account, that too, it happened in the dark.
For the rest of our stay, we visited the Timber Depot and saw the regular residents of the woods and a few migratory ones. The tiny Forest Wagtail was the star attraction here. While back at OMH, we did see the nesting Malabar Barbet family, where the busy mother kept feeding its chicks and diligently cleaning the cavity by carrying away their faecal wastes.
The finishing touch was given by an amazing sighting of the Asian Fairy Blue in the trees near the road on our check-out day. We happily photographed it and finally left for our home. Truly they said that the owl brings luck. So, it did bring us luck in the form of so many lifers (being one itself). An outstanding birding trip it was. The rest of the story will be narrated by my photographs. Enjoy the virtual birding session through my photographs of Birds of Old Magazine House.
What a great trip! Some lovely pictures.
Thank you!