After a long flight, delayed by 2 hours, we eventually arrived in Goa and made our way straight to the hotel. In the airport car park we saw a female Eurasian Golden Oriole after hearing it call and watched high flying hirundines- to be identified on another day. Along the way, we had our first look at what were to become very common during the trip, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, assorted egrets and White throated Kingfisher. Later, whilst enjoying refreshments by the hotel pool, we watched a flock of White rumped Munias among the climbing vegetation. Before we left for Baga for the evening meal, we met Lloyd who was to be our guide while we were based at the Marinha Dourada. After the long days traveling, an early night was called for ready for the first days real birding.

We headed off to Carambolin Lake and the surrounding area. This site regularly proves to be a very productive one and today we were to excel with 95 species seen. On the approach to the lake, we were treated to especially good views of Plum headed Parakeets and Blue tailed Bee-eaters but perhaps the highlight of the day was a low fly-past of around 20 Asian Openbills. We were also very lucky to see a Pompadour green Pigeon perched in the open, rather than their usual positions deep in foliage. The birds came thick and fast before we even reached the lake! Carambolin was a sea of white water lilies enhanced by the white of Little, Intermediate and Great Egrets, while there literally hundreds of Purple Swamphen. Around the lakeside, we had many butterflies and dragonflies- a beautiful scene. Naturally there were many kingfishers in this habitat and we recorded Common, Pied, White throated, Black capped and Stork billed - all this was before we had our first Lloyd-prepared alfresco breakfast and very welcome this was, the homemade mango jam being certainly appreciated. A Black hooded Oriole was in the tree above us and both Bronze winged and Pheasant tailed Jacanas treaded among the lily pads.

Later we were treated to an overflying White bellied sea Eagle and by the end of the day we had notched up 12 species of raptor (including 4 types of eagle) and 12 assorted waders. All the while Black and Brahminy Kites circled above us but already were being ignored by the group as being common! Another highlight was a pair of Brown hawk Owls and a cute Spotted Owlet which was perched on the side of a chopped branch. An excellent days birding with Carambolin even excelling its reputation for its bird population and so good was it that several members of the group had different highlights of the day.

Today started dull although very humid. Our first stop was on the way to Morjim Beach when a Spotted Owlet was seen perched on top of an old palm trunk. A pair of Black rumped Woodpeckers also provided excellent views for everyone. Then on to Morjim Beach for a check of the waders, terns and gulls which frequent this area. Group members quickly became proficient in telling the Greater from the Lesser Sand Plovers as the birds scampered on the sand. Small Pratincoles were known to be in the area and it wasn't long before a flock of about 50 were seen- a pity they were disturbed and flew off before we could get closer. Most of the terns were Lesser crested with only a couple of Great crested although joined by around a dozen Sandwich. As expected Brown headed Gulls were prominent but there were a few Slender billed, Heuglin and Black headed - the reported Pallass Gulls were not found. A walk nearby provided a roosting Black crowned Night-heron and numerous Green and Blue tailed Bee-eaters flew to and fro. After an excellent lunch at a beachfront restaurant we went to Saligao Zor but we failed to find the Brown wood Owl. While the bulk of the group then headed back to the bus, a small group stopped by a small pool under tree cover. This proved very rewarding by our finding Tickell's blue Flycatcher, Emerald Dove, White throated Fantail, Asian paradise Flycatcher and a Malabar whistling Thrush. A hectic last few minutes birding before we returned to the hotel.

We set off for Cortalim on the banks of the Zuari River where we were to board our boat for a morning trip on one of the tributaries - but only after our "off the bus" breakfast. This is a kingfisher trip and it wasn't long before we had the first Common Kingfisher, followed by a White throated. A group of 5 Whimbrel flew over the boat but then a big surprise when we had a Collared Kingfisher. This was the main target bird on the river but the surprise was that it was here on the main stretch rather than in one of the quieter side creeks - very welcome it was. Two Woolly necked Storks circled high above us as well as two Lesser Adjutants. Several of the trees along the riverbank were decked out with numerous egrets. A group of Terek Sandpipers were perched on a low branch while above them sat a pair of Pied Kingfishers which brought up the 6th specie of kingfisher. On the way back we began to think we would miss seeing a Mugger Crocodile but our excellent captains eagle eye saw one through the trees on an embankment. It was only a small one he said but it was over 6 feet long!! We eventually saw an Osprey as we neared the end as it perched up on one of the final fish posts. The final interesting sighting was a Praying Mantis as it hitched a lift on the boat for the last half mile or so.

We spent the final part of the day scouring the ricefields around Santa Cruz and the number of Black winged Stilts was noteworthy. The boat trip is always a pleasant relaxing way to spend a mornings birding and is rightly very popular with groups and it was very satisfying to see all 6 of the available kingfishers.

Our main site today was to be Mayem Lake, a beautiful lake set among tree covered surrounding hills. On the way we saw a colony of huge fruit bats, looking like black bin bags hanging from the trees! Nearer Mayem, Rick called out a Peafowl and we were very surprised to see it perched half way up a large electricity pylon- hardly a suitable habitat. Once at Mayem, we had our routine pre-breakfast walk along the east side of the lake and saw Black hooded Oriole and White cheeked Barbets. Our first Bronzed Drongo was checked as it fed on the hillside above us. A Crested serpent Eagle first perched on the opposite side of the lake and then flew over to our side. Puff throated Babbler and Red throated Flycatcher (synonymous with Red breasted Flycatcher) were also added to the triplist. Post breakfast, the group made the same track but then continued down the west side and highlights included Crimson backed Sunbird, a real specialty in a Blue eared Kingfisher, Changeable hawk Eagle and Small Minivet, everyone marveling at the latters colours in the sunshine. The restaurant facilities left much to be desired and had clearly deteriorated in the last year, although the food was satisfactory. We then visited a nearby wetland where we had an audience of curious young schoolboys. We saw a Richards Pipit, a genuine (!) Ring necked Parakeet and most of the group caught a brief sight of a Baillons Crake as it flew across a water channel. We then headed back to the hotel via the Chorao Island ferry and at the end of the day our trip total stood at 142.

We drove the short distance to Arpora Forest and on arrival saw Alexandrine Parakeets and on scanning the hillside we saw a Common Langur monkey looking back at us! We had a number of good species here with a Besra (very good perched views), a Rufous Treepie, Black headed Cuckooshrike and Bar winged Flycatcher-shrike. Our second species of Fantail (White browed) stayed a while in a narrow track to allow very good views. However, the best thing was when a huge Black Eagle circled low right over us with its wings held in typical V-shape and widespread fingers. In the afternoon after a lengthy R & R in a restaurant while there was a shower of rain, we drove to Baga Fields before ending the day on the pool deck at the Beira Mar Hotel. In the fields we had a couple of flocks of Brahminy Starlings and a Peregrine was closely watched by a couple of pigeons as they all perched on the wires. From the pool deck, we were lucky to see a Ruddy breasted Crake which, unusually, remained in the open for some time. A snipe was also confirmed as a Pintail when it flew off in characteristic fashion. Then as dusk fell, the days birding ended superbly when 3 Greater Painted-snipe came out of cover.

Pilerne Lake was our first destination - a picturesque lake partially hidden from the road- and this was alive with kingfishers. There were Stork billed, Common, Pied and the ubiquitous White throated. New species for the trip comprised Lotens Sunbird, Kestrel and a Booted Eagle. However, today we heard of two new species with calls of Red whiskered Wotsit and a White throated Doodah - not sure whether these will be accepted by the Rarities Committee, though!! Later we moved to Dona Paula and a very unpromising site this appears to be as you arrive with its bare and black rocky hillside and which is now being seriously encroached by road and property development. This is a great pity as, despite its appearance, it is a noted site for the odd rarity and a special place for the uncommon Yellow wattled Lapwing and Ashy crowned sparrow Lark. As we got out of the bus, a delightful pair of Grey breasted Prinias sang close by. It then took a while before we saw any bird but this turned out to be a very confiding Ashy crowned sparrow Lark which remained in position for a long time as it stood with a large insect in its mouth. As there was no sign of the Yellow wattled Lapwing, we checked the other side of the road and Liz Maddock soon picked out a pair of them not too far away. I think this site can only have a limited future with the amount of development disturbance and it remains to be seen what will happen to the Sparrow Larks and the Lapwings, so in the circumstances we considered ourselves fortunate to have seen both species on this occasion.

We went the short distance to Calangute Spring and birded a woodland track. A Greater spotted Eagle stood in a field where it clearly had had a successful attack on prey. New birds came in the form of Nilgiri Blackbird (a paler version of our own Blackbird and a seasonally different coloured bill) and a Pale billed Flowerpecker. There also seemed to be a large number of beautiful butterflies in this area and with the help of Jeans book, a number were able to be identified. Apart from the usual kites, we also saw Steppe Eagle, Crested serpent Eagle, a juvenile Bonellis Eagle and the pale phase of Booted Eagle. One particular mangrove tree was full of birds - Blue winged Leafbird, Indian yellow-cheeked Tit (previously called Black lored Tit), Black rumped Flameback, Small Minivet and Common Iora. It is always exciting to come across such a feeding flock. We then got out of the heat of the day at a restaurant, which initially didn't look too inspiring, but the service and the food were good and beautifully presented – and it was embarrassingly cheap! After the extended lunch, we headed to Divar Island where the target birds were harriers. Virtually as soon as we got off the ferry landing we had a Marsh Harrier, followed by a Hen Harrier. A flock of Greater short-toed Larks flew over the fields but were prevented from coming closer by the football game going on near us. Then we saw the first Pallid Harrier (a female) and we had a wait before we saw the fine, elegant plumage of the male. There seemed to be harriers in the air all around us. An Oriental Skylark sang beautifully as it soared and plummeted. By the end of the first week, the species total stood at 173.

Fort Aquada (a former prison) is situated further south down the coast - a clifftop site with mixed woodland and shrubs. As we approached the summit we saw first a male Peafowl and then a female with 2 chicks. Both Coppersmith and White cheeked Barbets pumped out their incessant (but different) calls from wires and treetops. Out at sea, we spotted 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins rising to the surface and diving. As for the birds, there appeared to be Golden Orioles everywhere. A pair of Small Minivets showed off their gorgeous plumage in the morning sun. We were then very fortunate to see a Blue faced Malkoha in open view- fortunate in that the Malkoha is a secretive bird and good views are most uncommon. We then drove to the fort itself, spotting on the way, a perched female Blue capped Rock Thrush, a wintering visitor to this stretch of western India. Again we took advantage of a restaurant's facilities to escape the midday sun. A short visit to Arpora produced Booted and Steppe Eagles with another Small Minivet, Common Woodshrike and Tickell's blue Flycatcher.

Today we had a half-days birding at Carambolin Lake and around its area, a site which had been so productive for us earlier in the trip. Numerically, if yesterday was the day of the Golden Oriole, then today was undoubtedly the day of the raptor. We saw both Greater spotted and Lesser-spotted Eagles (the latter now split and renamed Indian spotted Eagle). Other eagles noted were Steppe and Crested Serpent while smaller raptors included Besra, Shikra, Osprey, Marsh Harrier and Oriental honey Buzzard. By the side of the lake we had a skulking Paddyfield Pipit and in the trees behind us were Rufous Woodpecker and a Brown Shrike. There were also a couple of Black rumped Flamebacks in the area. Each day we are still adding to the triplist total and today another 6 were added.

We left early for our first day at Backwoods Camp. As usual, we stopped off a little way before the entrance for us to start birding while the coach took our luggage into the camp. We had excellent views of the lovely Asian fairy Bluebird, Verditer Flycatcher and the Crimson backed Sunbird - a fine selection of beautifully coloured plumaged birds. After breakfast, we walked into the forest and almost immediately saw a couple of feeding flocks where we had some difficulty getting everyone onto the birds because there were so many. The Racquet tailed Drongos were much appreciated as were the Velvet fronted Nuthatch and Heart spotted Woodpecker. Other woodpeckers included Rufous, Black rumped Flameback and the tiny Brown capped Pygmy. The Malabar Giant Squirrels proved a talking point and the Boniface Macacque and Common Langurs caused a mix of emotions around the camp! An afternoon siesta was very enjoyable, especially after the very early start, before we went for a late afternoon walk near the Tambdi Surla Temple. Here we saw Black Bulbul, Crimson fronted Barbet and a Vernal hanging Parrot. Several Mountain imperial Pigeons flew over and these comprised our 200th species. An early night was taken.

Our pre-breakfast walk took us to an open area adjoining a school and we occasionally had to field a ball from the cricket game going on. Our first good bird was a Black headed Cuckooshrike and, unusually, a Vernal hanging Parrot atop a tree in the sunlight- unusual because very often the only view of this species is when you hear them call as they fly swiftly overhead. Then our first hornbills- a pair of Malabar pied shortly followed by a pair of Malabar grey. Later, we walked in the forest near the camp and were delighted to see a couple of Sri Lanka Frogmouths as they sleepily looked back at us. The afternoon walk took us well past the Tambdi Surla Temple and out into the forest beyond and along riverbeds. A Malabar Trogon (a female) was quickly spotted by Leio, our guide. Two other new species followed, namely, Brown breasted Flycatcher (a very close view) and Dark fronted Babblers. Then Leio heard the soft call of an Indian blue Robin. When it eventually came out of the undergrowth, the whole group really appreciated what a lovely bird this is. The search for the Oriental dwarf Kingfisher proved unsuccessful although Leio very briefly had it in his binoculars. We did though see a fine male Malabar Trogon. It was now getting quite dark and on the way back, we saw Jerdons Nightjar perched and then flying in the flashlight of Leio and so headed back to the coach. However, Loven, another of the Backwoods guides, spotted the eyes of another nightjar as he shone his torch as we drove along- this time it was a Grey Nightjar - a very good end to another very good day's birding.

We spent the morning in Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary. Among the first birds seen was a flock of Chestnut tailed Starlings and among these, were a few of the white headed race which has recently been granted separate status as Malabar Starling. A Little Spiderhunter kept zooming to and fro until eventually he flew close enough for us to see the long down-curved bill. Previously, the Bar winged Flycatcher-shrike had been seen by only half the group but one here allowed everyone to see it. The only outstanding drongo, the Spangled Drongo, then flew into a tall bamboo and waited long enough for the whole group to see its wonderful tail streamers. A single Crested Treeswift flew over, its long tail streamers very evident. As we were having breakfast, a tame White rumped Shama lingered close and the largest butterfly in India, the Southern Birdwing, flew by. A Greater Flameback played hard to get before we all eventually got decent views of it. Deeper into the forest thicket, a Grey Junglefowl strutted slowly although it proved difficult for all to see. On the way back to Camp, another Grey Junglefowl crossed immediately in front of the bus. In the afternoon we went searching for the Spot bellied eagle Owl as a pair were known to be in the area. Leio found the male and we waited a little distance from it and took it in turns to look through the scope so as not to disturb it. In the late afternoon, we had a second unsuccessful attempt at finding the Oriental dwarf Kingfisher while some of the group remained around the Tambdi Surla Temple where they saw a fine White bellied blue Flycatcher. Diana had earlier been surprised to find a Jungle Owlet just above her chalet while Jean and Isobel had a lingering close-up view of a Heart spotted Woodpecker.

Our last day birding, not only in Backwoods Camp, but also in Goa. On a pre-breakfast walk we saw a Heart spotted Woodpecker inside the camp and a couple of Black rumped Flamebacks were also seen. Then along a trail, a Red Spurfowl dashed across, quick enough for most of the group to miss it unfortunately. Leio then spotted another female Malabar Trogon, this time low down in the scrub and at most about 15 feet away. As it flew into the open, we were able to see the exquisite feathering of this lovely bird. Another fine sight was the glistening, shimmering colours of a male Crimson backed Sunbird in full sun. After breakfast, we went a short distance for a spell of raptor-watching and this proved very successful with 7 different species recorded in an hour or so. These included, new for the trip, a juvenile White-eyed Buzzard, a juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle and Mountain hawk Eagle. We also saw in the nearby compound a huge wasps nest, about 10 feet long, hanging from a tree. Whilst all this was going on, a female Purple-rumped Sunbird was busily building her nest.

The weather had not been too kind to us in that because of the late finish to the monsoons, the temperatures were higher than they should have been and the humidity was especially high. The weather had also resulted in many birds remaining farther north. Despite all this, the trip had been a tremendous birding success with 233 species seen, the highest achieved of all the previous Goa trips. We had seen the remarkable diversity of birdlife and the exotic plumages of many of the birds. We had seen 17 different raptors, including 12 types of Eagle, the owl species were well represented as were the waders. The success of any trip, of course, is often down to the local guides and here we were fortunate to have two excellent ones in Lloyd and Leio. They were patient with us, their knowledge of the area was tremendous and their identification skills were noteworthy. What were the highlights and the bird of the trip? Well a straw poll at the final meal resulted in a variety of answers to both questions and perhaps this reflected just how good the birding is in Goa. The title of the trip was "Goa, the Indian Birding Spectacle" and I believe it lived up to its reputation.

Apart from the large number of birds we saw, we also saw many species of gorgeous butterflies and the following are those accurately identified:-

• Grey Pansy
• Chocolate Pansy
• Lemon Pansy
• Blue Tiger
• Plain Tiger
• Common Leopard
• Staff Sergeant
• Common Jezebel
• Common Mormon (Romulus Form)
• Blue Mormon
• Grey Count
• Dark Cerulean
• Common Wanderer
• Common Indian Crow
• Pointed Pierrot
• Common Lacewing
• Southern Birdwing
• Crimson Rose
• Lime Butterfly
• Rustic

• Mongoose
• Snake (unknown species)
• Malabar Giant Squirrel
• 3-Striped Palm Squirrel
• Water Buffalo
• Wild Pig
• Mugger Crocodile
• Bottle-nosed Dolphin
• Praying Mantis (2 species)
• Common Langur Monkey
• Turtle (sp)
• Boniface Macacque
• Fruit Bat