Goodbye Time, Keoladeo Ghana National Park -Day 3

             116, 117, 118.... Sitting in a cycle rickshaw, I was counting the number of species we saw in two days, as we headed towards the park.118, not bad, but when it comes to sighting birds, I am very greedy so I was just checking on what more can be spotted.And finally decided that the plan for the day was to try and see whatever I missed on the first day and of course photograph as many of them as possible.

                Reached park in 10 minutes and immediately started birding as we had time only

till afternoon.Checked a few bids off our list enjoyed watching them in the golden hours of the morning.On proceeding further a beautiful Indian Peafowl was waiting to greet us.Standing on a perfect perch it looked brilliant.A Riot of colours.

Indian Peafowl(Pavo Cristatus)

             Moving ahead, we were on a constant lookout for new birds hoping to get something new because even birds were very active during these early hours of the morning.And our search ended when we saw a flock of Yellow-Footed Green Pigeons roosting on a huge tree.Though we had seen them on day one, today the light was amazing and hence a good news for photographers.Without wasting a single minute, we started clicking and we knew we had some good shots.

Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon(Terron Phoenicoptera)

Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon(Terron Phoenicoptera)  roosting

             We spent almost half hour watching and photographing these colourful pigeons and even ended up concluding that it was a "chlorigastor" subspecies.Credits to the expert accompanying us.Then finally we decided to proceed as we had a lot of areas to cover before noon.Moving ahead, loud calls of Grey Francolin stopped us.We had heard the calls on the first day as well but were unable to locate them as these are very shy and secretive birds.But today the call was so loud that I decided to track this bird and guess what, I succeded.Could only manage a record shot because I couldn't go any closer to the bird.There is a funny story related to its call.The local cycle-rickshaw guys call it "Kapil Dev bird" because when it calls it sounds as if it's saying Kapil Dev.I didn't find it much similar.You can check its call here:

Grey Francolin Call.

Grey Francolin (Francolinius Pondicerianus)

             Following this we saw a lot of forest birds which we had seen on the first day new additions to the list were: Grey Francolin, Black Redstart(M & F).Also, we saw and photographed a lot of water birds.Instead of me telling about them let's just see what we got here.

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

Garganey (Anser querquedula) Female

Garganey (Anser querquedula) Female

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis Falcinellus)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

           

             Just before we decided to stop for lunch, we saw a raptor flying past us.It was identified as Bonelli's Eagle.This eagle which falls in Aquila genus is a large bird of prey like other eagles.This mighty eagle's sighting was indeed awesome and an addition to our list as well.

Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata)

             We were happy and discussing this sighting when suddenly we saw another Aquila eagle hovering right above us.Our joy knew no bounds, it was a double bonanza for us it was a Booted Eagle, a large bird of prey from Accipitridae family.There is a fun ID feature about this bird, its white shoulder patches, which birders often refer to as "Headlights".You can see its headlights in the image.Delighted by these two wonderful sightings we proceeded happily for lunch.

Booted Eagle (Aquila Pennata)

             Lunch was rather quick as we wanted to see as many birds as possible.So instead of resting after lunch started searching for birds around the place.And little did I know that a wonderful opportunity to photograph a rather common yet not so common bird was right in front of me.I saw a Common Hoppoe foraging on the ground and best part was nobody knew he was there.I told my fellow photographer friends about it and immediately sat down and went on a clicking spree.Such opportunities are when one can experiment with the camera settings and we all did just that.Soon a lot of photographers hurdled it.But it didn't seem to care it was busy foraging and feeding.I don't even know how many photos I clicked.but some of them came out really well.

Common Hoppoe (Upupa epops)

Common Hoppoe (Upupa epops) Anting

             We were also lucky to witness a behaviour of this bird called "Anting" in which birds lie on the ground and let insects get on their body.These insects secret acids like formic acid which helps these birds.You can read more about it here :Anting.This particular individual was there for more than an hour, entertaining photographers.We finally decided to leave this bird alone.When you decide to leave a bird alone that means you have had a sighting for a lifetime.I am sure birders will agree with this.

             It was almost 2 PM, time to head back to our hotel.We were about to leave when a fellow birder, pointing to a Common Myna, asked me "Do you have a good photo of this bird?" I thought for a minute, and my answer was "No". So I decided to quickly get some shots.And I was pleased with the results. 

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

             I was happy with the overall sightings that day plus some good images was a bonus.But there was something more for us.On our way back we stopped at a place because 3 Glossy Ibis were sitting in wonderful light on an open mount.Everyone clicked their hearts out. and the results were pretty good.

Take A Bow 

                 Our final thing for the day was a visit to the museum inside the park.Anything written about Bharatpur is incomplete without the mention on Sarus Cranes.These are the tallest flying birds in the world.We could only get a glimpse of these birds on field as they were very far.But nonetheless we could see the sarus crane in the museum though not real, this life-size crane was gifted to the museum by Swarovski and is studded with gems.We can only guess its worth.

Life-size Sarus crane statue

            So, here I was standing at the main entrance of the park.Frankly speaking I didn't want to go back home.Those three full days of birding were the best days till now.Every birding day is special, even if you don't see anything it feels wonderful to be in the company of nature.I had no choice, it was time to head back home but with a lot of memories and stories to tell and not to forget an amazing bird tally of 122 species in two days.I had fulfilled my dream to visit this place.I started my return journey, promising myself to visit this place again.  

              That was all about my 3-day visit to Bharatpur and Chambal.I had a lot of fun, learnt a lot of new things, met so many new like-minded people.In short it was a brilliant experience. I hope you enjoyed going through this series.I hope I will have many more such experiences to write about in future. That's all for now.Subscribe if you want to read more.Comments and suggestions always welcome. See you next time. Enjoy some more images. Happy Birding! Cheers!

Couldn't resist clicking this cutie

Dr. Salim Mouzuddin Abdul Ali -"The Birdman of India" 

A day in the Territory of Bandits- National Chambal Sanctuary,Dholpur

               After an exciting and eventful first day at Keoladeo National Park with forest birds and waterfowls, it was now time for second day of our trip i.e. our visit to National Chambal Sanctuary, Dholpur.A new day, with new habitat and new birds.This place is situated about 90 km from Bharatpur and famous for a healthy population of critically endangered Gharials.However, the main attraction for me wasn't the gharials, but a bird found there, not a very rare species but the one selective about its habitat.

               The National Chambal Sanctuary is located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.The place is now co-administered by these three States.The Chambal river cuts through mazes of ravines, hills and many sandy beaches.We all know Chambal was famous for the bandits but how many of us know about this sanctuary? Even I didn't, till I visited. 

            The day broke, we got up and got ready with our gears waiting for our vehicle to arrive.It was a lovely morning and we witnessed a beautiful sunrise, there's something about every sunrise, something that just can't be confined in words.I guess when they say "A picture is worth a thousand words" this is what they mean.

Golden hours at Bharatpur

            Finally after waiting for some time our vehicle arrived and we started off which turned out to be an amazing day.Everything was going well till a few kilometers before the place our vehicle broke down, that caused some delay but that actually boosted my level of excitement.After all this we finally reached.A small boat was waiting to take us on a journey to witness some of the elusive beauties that place held.I was awestruck by that marvelous place.As we started our boat ride we progressed through the magnificent ravines of Chambal.One must visit the place to experience the tranquility.

Magnificent ravines of Chambal

            My wait was finally over when we reached a spot which had several sandbanks which happen to be the favorite roosting place for the elusive bird which I was waiting to see 'The Indian Skimmer'. These gorgeous birds prefer habitats like rivers and estuaries.We stopped our boat at a comfortable distance so as to not disturb the birds.As soon as we stopped, all the photographers went on a clicking spree though this was a state of a short-lived elation as they flew and perched on the other side of the banks.Nevermind, blessing in disguise was ,an opportunity to get some flight shots and we utilized it to its fullest.

Indian Skimmers in-flight

             So, you'll say what's so special about these skimmers? Can you guess anything from its name, yes it's related to skimming.These birds have short upper mandible(upper part of its beak) and longer lower mandible.They open their beak and while flying above the surface of water skim through it.There are many birds which have such peculiar feeding/nesting habits which really amuses me.

Ready to skim

            These birds are listed as vulnerable as their population is on a decline and the leading reason is habitat loss, sad indeed!Chambal is a great place to see these birds, last year a solitary bird was sighted near Uran, Mumbai.But I was happy to see them, again a lifer for me and we counted a healthy number of skimmers that day, 59, to be precise, which was great.After that now it was time for other birds and, not to forget the Gharials.

Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis)

            Venturing deep into those calm waters of Chambal, we focused on other birds like Bar-headed geese, Greater flamingo, Ruddy shelduck.After all these, we finally saw one Black-bellied tern which is listed as endangered species by IUCN.These birds are similar to whiskered terns but distinguished by a deeply forked tail and black lower belly.I could only manage a record shot, never mind there is always a next time.

Black-bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda)

             I am already short of words to describe these winged beauties, which anyway won't do justice to their superb colours, so let's just enjoy them through pictures. 

Bar-Headed Goose (Anser Indicus)

Wondering why bar-headed? see this

            Let me interrupt here, because this species deserves some attention.These migratory geese are the residents of Mongolia, Russia etc. and they winter in Indias subcontinent hence widespread during that period .They are one of the highest flying birds in the world, there are records of them flying above Mt. Makalu, fifth highest peak on earth and an unconfirmed record from Mt.Everest highest peak on earth.Migration is a subject studied by numerous scientists from all over the world still there are so many things about it which are not yet known to science. 

Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelli)

Just chilling

            Addition to the list was spotted owlets which were seen roosting in the rocks.Throughout this whole write-up, I have ignored the gharials like anything and they deserve a few lines, so here is a little something about the gharials.

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), also known as the gavial, and the fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian of the family Gavialidae, native to the Indian Subcontinent. The global gharial population is estimated at fewer than 235 individuals, which are threatened by loss of riverine habitat, depletion of fish resources and use of fishing nets. As the population has declined drastically in the past 70 years, the gharial is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

The gharial is one of the longest of all living crocodilians, measuring up to 6.25 m (20.5 ft). With 110 sharp interdigitated teeth in its long thin snout, it is well adapted to catching fish, its main diet.The male has a distinctive boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an earthenware pot known a ghara.

Gharials once inhabited all the major river systems of the Indian Subcontinent, from the Irrawaddy River in the east to the Indus River in the west. Their distribution is now limited to only 2% of their former range. They inhabit foremost flowing rivers with high sand banks that they use for basking and building nests. They usually mate in the cold season. The young hatch before the onset of the monsoon.

The gharial is one of the three crocodilians native to India, the other two being the mugger crocodile and the saltwater crocodile.

SOURCE- Wikipedia.

Mugger crocodile(Crocodylus palustris)

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)

            Our boat ride was of mere three hours, but we were lucky to sight so many things including birds and other wildlife, that was all for the day and we started our journey to our hotel, everyone was happy and content.Seriously one must start birding for the sheer joy it gives you.I have got very few opportunities like these to spend a lot of time in jungles or sanctuaries but, I am sure these experiences enrich you as a person and teach you to appreciate the treasure that we possess in our country in the form of wildlife.I am waiting  for many such experiences in coming years.

So that's all for this week I hope you enjoyed reading.Subscribe, like, share if you want to read my future posts and feel free to comment and suggest improvements if any.Till then happy birding!Cheers!

Into The Paradise - Keoladeo Ghana National Park,Bharatpur Day-1

             If you are an Indian you probably have already heard about this place and if you are a birder then this place is definitely on your wishlist (If not, you better add it).When someone says Bharatpur first thing comes to your mind is "Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary" which is now known as "Keoladeo-Ghana National Park" (Keoladeo from Lord shiva temple and Ghana which simply means thick,dense referring to the vegetation inside the park).Even a non-birder will tell you that migratory birds visit this place every year. Being a birder, I was very excited to visit this place as it hosts as many as 366 species of birds, majority of which were lifers* to me.

              Finally, the most awaited day arrived.Reached there by 7:30 AM checked into our hotel and after a hearty breakfast of mouth watering Aloo parathas started off for our first day of birding.Exhilarated, as this was my first experience of day long birding. 

Park Entrance

                 Birding started as soon as we left our hotel and if you are a birder then you are likely to agree that wherever we go we start spotting birds(happens to me at least).The thing I loved the most (apart from the habitat and birds, of course) was the mode of transport. Bicycles and Cycle Rickshaws are an integral part of the park and the good thing is because the driver's livelihood depends on it, they have become quite good at spotting and identifying birds.

A typical morning in the park

Brief history of the park:

The sanctuary was created 250 years ago and is named after a Keoladeo (Shiva) temple within its boundaries. Initially, it was a natural depression and was flooded after the Ajan Bund was constructed by Maharaja Suraj Mal, the then ruler of the princely state of Bharatpur, between 1726–1763. The bund was created at the confluence of two rivers, the Gambhir and Banganga. The park was a hunting ground for the maharajas of Bharatpur, a tradition dating back to 1850, and duck shoots were organised yearly in honor of the British viceroys. In one shoot alone in 1938, over 4,273 birds such as mallards and teals were killed by Lord Linlithgow, the then Governor-General of India.The park was established as a national park on 10 March 1982. Previously the private duck shooting preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur since the 1850s, the area was designated as a bird sanctuary on 13 March 1976 and a Ramsar site under the Wetland Convention in October 1981. The last big shoot was held in 1964, but the Maharajah retained shooting rights until 1972. In 1985, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site under the world Heritage Convention. It is a reserve forest under the Rajasthan Forest Act, 1953 and, therefore, is the property of the State of Rajasthan of the Indian Union. In 1982, grazing was banned in the park, leading to violent clashes between local farmers and the government.   

SOURCE-Wikipedia.

Some more details: 

Situated in Rajasthan, easily accessible by rail/road from Delhi/Agra/Mathura.

• Nearest Railway Station: Bharatpur junction (5 km).
• About 40 km from Agra and 60 km from Mathura by road.

A lot of good stay options available nearby.

Best time to visit: October -March.

Park Timings: Sunrise-Sunset.

Keoladeo (Lord Shiva) Temple from which the park gets its name

Scripture in the park which says 4206 birds were hunted on Nov 20th,1917 ..HUGE isn't it?

                   I simply loved the place, the atmosphere and everything about it.As we moved further in we saw a family of Spotted Owlets taking a nap.Owls and owlets are mostly nocturnal. They prefer to roost during the day someplace safe where they are well camouflaged.

Spotted Owlets(Athene Brama) roosting

               On our way to the nursery, where a lot of scrubland birds can be sighted Grey francolins were in plenty and very vocal, though we couldn't see any because these small guys are very shy and secretive. Reaching the nursery, we saw some more spotted owlets followed by Indian grey hornbill, Oriental white-eye, Long-tailed Shrike, rose-ringed parakeet etc. We could also spot Orange-headed Thrush which again is a very shy and secretive bird.Then we had some wonderful views of Black-Rumped Flameback  but cherry on the cake was the sighting of Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher we got amazing views of this little beauty.This cute little bird has yellow underparts, grey head and squarish tail.

Grey-Headed Canary Flycatcher(Culicicapa ceylonensis)

                    After such hearty sightings of forest birds, we proceeded further.Main attractions of the park; water birds, were waiting for us. Before we stopped for lunch we saw a lot of ducks like Little Grebe, Northern Shoveller, Common coot, Common Teal, Spot-billed ducks, Lesser Whistling ducks, Knob-billed duck etc. I was very happy as half of these birds were lifers for me and I am sure birders will understand this lifer feeling.

Eurasian coot(Fulica Atra)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 

Knob-Billed Duck (Sarkidiornis Melanotos)

                      After all these sightings, it was almost 1 PM when we stopped for lunch at the canteen area.During lunch, we were accompanied by squirrels and Jungle babblers, exceptionally bold individuals all of them.Got an interesting (not very good) shot of one such individual showing its Nictitating Membrane. It is a thin membrane present in birds and some mammals you can read more about it here.

Jungle Babbler (Turdoides Striata) Nictitating Membrane

                       Just after finishing our lunch instead of resting I decided to go around the canteen and try seeing some more forest birds and I was rewarded with some good shots of Brahminy Starling and Bank Myna and a grey-headed canary flycatcher again.

Brahminy Starling(Sturnia Pagodarum)

Bank Myna (Acridotheres Ginginianus)

                      After lunch, we were all charged up and now it was time for..Guess what? Yes, some more birds.. :D we had very good views of Pied kingfisher, Greylag goose, Bar-headed goose, Rufous Treepie, Painted Stork, Oriental magpie Robin, Greater-Spotted Eagle, Grey heron, Purple Heron, Darter, White-tailed Lapwing etc.

Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittula Krameri)

Greylag goose (Anser Anser)

Painted Stork (Mycteria Leucocephala)

                     It was 6 PM almost so we had to start our journey back to the main gate on our way back we sighted a shikra quietly sitting on a tree.This small bird of prey belongs to the accipiter family.

Shikra (Accipiter Baduis)

                        Apart from birds we also saw some mammals like nilgai (Blue bull), Jackal and reptiles like Indian monitor lizard.So overall it was a great day, a lot of lifers for me.With a hell lot of memories and with two full memory cards we returned to our hotel tired, happy and with a lot of curiosity and excitement for Day 2.

Some more images :

Indian Monitor Lizard (Varanus Bengalensis)

Nilgai a.k.a Blue Bull (Boselaphus Tragocamelus)

Sunset from the park

*LIFER: A term used by birders. If you see a bird for the first time in your life then it is a LIFER for you. Simple, isn't it? ;-)

              So guys, that's it for this week keep watching this space if you want to read about day 2 and 3  I hope you enjoyed reading :D Drop your comments/suggestions. See you next week, till then Happy Birding...Cheers!