I accompanied my friend to ‘Sinhagad valley’ on Saturday morning. I started from home at 5:30 AM and reached my friend’s place. Two more friends joined in and we all headed for the valley.
‘Sinhagad’ or ‘Sinhagad Fort’ valley is an amazing place for bird watching. In monsoon, there is a stream which flows by the fields and on another hand there are dense trees. Local people use this way to climb up the fort. Valley has now become famous among the birders. All you have to do is – search for a suitable place, sit quietly, set your gadgets (camera, bino, etc) and you could have darshan (glances) of all varieties of the feathered beauties.
I have my friends who have spent hours and hours in valley to get desired shot of ‘Asian Paradise flycatcher’ and believe me friends, it is no more less than doing meditation. 
I have been there twice and that was among some of the best bird watching activities I have done. We reached the base and had tea at local hotel. We climbed up and entered the valley. We scattered in search of different birds. We saw a Crested Serpent Eagle hovering in the sky.
Here is the list of some of the birds found in Valley:
- Ashy Prinia
- Jungle Prinia
- Pied Crested Cuckoo
- Scaly breasted Munia
- Red Munia
- Red whiskered Bulbul
- Red vented Bulbul
- Purple Sunbird
- Black Drongo
- White-breasted Kingfisher
- Common Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Blue napped Monarch flycatcher
- Asian Paradies Flycatcher
- Ticklle’s Blue Flycatcher
- Ultra-marine Flycatcher
- Fan-tailed Flycatcher
- Red-throated Flycatcher
- Cattle Egret
- Green bee eater
- Little Bee eater
- Tailor bird
- Black-winged Kite
- Marsh Harrier
- Eurasian Black bird
- Magpie Robin
- Grey Babbler
- Crested Bunting
- Indian Robin
- Golden fronted Leaf Bird
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Dove
- Oriental White-eye
- Orange Headed Thrush
- Common Iora
- Small Minivet
- Jungle Babbler
- Jungle Mynah
- Tree Pipit
- Yellow Sparrow
And the list is never ending… Along with these birds there are different types of lizards like Garden Colates, etc.
This time I used my binocular more than my camera. Bird watching being the first love, I clicked very few snaps and did more of watching. It is intense pleasure to see these birds. 
After spending good amount of time in the valley, we decided to take its leave. We went to same hotel and had breakfast before returning.
This was a pre-monsoon visit and I am desperately looking forward for my monsoon visit to Sinhagad valley. Undoubtedly ‘Sinhagad Valley’ is birder’s paradise!!! 
For more snaps visit – http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruhiclicks/tags/sinhagadvalley/
Dear madam..Ruhi,
Please allow me to introduce myself, ….I m a associate professor , with 15 years of charitable practice n consultation, am a salaried employee of the D.Y.Patil Group and have an avid interest in trekking ,fishing, bird watching, adventure….natural history in all. I have visited bhimashankar more than 15 times, harishchandragadh, dhak bahiri etc. I have worked at the heart of naxal land i.e. gadhchiroli . I have been selected in the Indian army twice.
Kindly give me a feedback on the route to be taken for visiting sinhgad valley. How do I proceed from pune, which village or hamlet is a land-mark, what are the points to be seen…..eg. waterhole, cliff, plateau, meadow etc. Are there basic amenities available… or i have to carry camping gear. I visit places of my interest with a troupe of like minded people who are dare devils….are ….nomads.
looking forward to your reply in anticipation.
Regards Dr.Joy
Hello,
Could you indicate where exactly is Sinhagad valley( say on google maps) ?
with regards
Amol