Zuari River

 

We arranged the trips with Pramod at Backwoods by e-mail before leaving the UK. Amanda likes boat trips; hence the two journeys. However, it is a good way to spend the hot afternoon, in the shade with a breeze on the river. With a week between trips, we were picked up at the Marinha Dourada at 2.30 pm on both days and enjoyed both high and low tide. The first trip started and returned to Agassaimo, near the mouth of the Zuari and with exposed mud banks nearby we were soon watching waders, including several Terek Sandpiper. We had good views of at least 3 Collared Kingfisher and ended the day with all six of the more common kingfishers.

The second trip, at high tide, started much further up the Cumbajua Canal, east of Old Goa. This time we had at least 5 Collared Kingfisher with one particular pair giving excellent and prolonged views. We saw a single Marsh Mugger Crocodile on this trip and had close views of 12 roosting Black-headed Ibis, Oriental Darter and numerous egrets and herons. We returned to Agassaimo were we had excellent views of Great Crested Tern and a smaller number of Lesser Crested Tern on wooden piles driven into the river bottom and apparently used by the local fishermen. We saw 43 species on the two trips and thoroughly enjoyed being out on the river.

 

 

Bird List

 

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