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TRIP REPORT - Colin and Sue Turvey
8TH - 27TH JANUARY 2007
Early 2006 Sue told me she would like to do something special for my
60th birthday in 2007 and was planning a return trip to Bharatpur [
Keoladeo ] where we last visited in 1996.
Included in the trip was to be a visit to Sultanpur reserve near
Delhi, Corbett National park, Bund Barathur, Chambal and Patna.
Unfortunately Bharatpur and Patna were to be dry this year as the
monsoons never reached this area of India. We still had our time at
Bharatpur, but gave Patna a miss.
We are mainly based in Crete, Greece, so our travels were
complicated in obtaining visas. Being foreigners in Greece we could
only get visas for three instead of six months, you also have to
wait a week for the application to be processed. After a lot of
hassle and great expense it would have been cheaper to travel to UK
visiting family and obtaining the visa’s there, however visa’s in
place we went ahead and booked a three week trip through a tour
company in Jaipur, India. they planned an individual package for us
that was to be a relaxed visit to numerous sites in North India. We
were not out to get as many ticks as possible but went with the
intention of enjoying and photographing the wildlife.
ACCOMODATION
Raddison Hotel Delhi 1 night
Camp Forktail Creek, Corbett National Park 3 nights
Lohachor Forest Rest House, Corbett National Park 2 nights
Dikhala Forest tourist centre, Corbett National Park 2 nights
Ashok hotel Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park 4 nights
Chambal Safari Lodge near Agra 4 nights
Oberoi Maidens hotel Delhi 1 night
Night trains to and from Delhi/Ramnagar 2 nights
Indian Moments came up with the package that worked well apart from
a small problem with a guide at Bharatpur which was promptly
rectified late on a Sunday afternoon. Their costs excluded …
flights, tips, lunch and dinners in the Delhi and Bharatpur hotels.
We could not fault their planning help and itinerary from the first
email and have no hesitation in recommending Indian Moments, all
services and everything went as planned.
ITINERARY
January 8th …Arrive Delhi 06.55hrs
9th …Birding at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary
22.45hrs train to Ramnagar
10th …05.00 arrive Ramnagar transfer to Camp Forktail Creek ..Birding
surrounding forest.
11th… Safari Bijrani Range birding on the Kosi River
12th/13th…Lohachaur Forest Rest House, two days birding in the
Mandal Range
14th….Return to Camp Forktail Creek birding forests/ foothills on
the way then Bhakrakot village
Birding camp area
15th/16th….Dhikala Forest Rest House, main tourist centre for
birding and game drives.
17th….Late afternoon return to Camp Forktail Creek depart for
Ramnagar for 21.40hrs train to Delhi
18th….Arrive Delhi 0410hrs, connect train to Bharatpur 07.50hrs,
arrive Bharutpur 10.43. Birding
Keoladeo National Park
19th-22nd ….Birding Keoladeo one day at Bund Barathur
22nd-26th…. Chambal Safari Lodge birding around the lodge , Chambal
River, Wetlands an hour away,
and Bateshwar. After lunch 26th transfer to Delhi
27th ….Last morning birding local Delhi park , transfer to Delhi
airport for 18.30hrs flight home.
Day 1……. 8th January
Arrived Delhi early Monday morning, eventually we cleared the
airport after a hunt for our luggage which had been unloaded from
the plane and left in a huge pile in a corner of the reclaim area.
We found the representative of Indian Moments without any problem
and were soon at the Radisson Hotel. After checking in we headed for
Connaught Place with a trusted taxi driver ….Attar Singh from AS
Taxi Service { tel:mobile 9899599025 }…. to buy our bird books for
the trip before leaving we had only managed to look at an old
Collins book….
We obtained several that we wanted but were unable to get Grimmett
and Inskipps ‘Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent’
and Salim Ali’s Book of Indian Birds’ we did manage to get them
later in the gift shop inside the Bijrani reserve section of
Corbett.
We bought books at UK value of £100+ for half that price, it really
is a worthwhile saving obtaining your fieldsguides here, the
drawback though is nothing to study before leaving and the extra
weight going home.
Although not actively birding we saw the following in and around
Delhi
Black Kite c.200+,
Jungle Babbler,
Bank Myna,
Cattle Egret,
Black–winged Stilt,
Rose–ringed Parakeet,
House Crow,
Hooded crow.
Day 2 ….9th
We set off at 09.00 and arrived at 10.30 at the Sultanpur reserve. We
had to wait whilst a guide was found… this was the only site that
one was not arranged for us. Eventually Sanjay Sharma arrived, a
local naturalist with a veritable knowledge of the reserve { Tel:
01242015717 & mobile 09812470521 } by this time we had an hour on
our own and had wandered into the reserve. Trying to identify many
small birds alien to us was a challenge we spent more time with
heads in books than actually birding and it was with some relief
that Sanjay arrived. We had an exciting day here to kick off our
trip with seventy two species seen on a leisurely tour of Sultanpur.
Back to the hotel Shower and pack to get the overnight train to
Corbett. Our contact for Indian Moments arrived on time for our
journey to Delhi railway station where we caught the Ranikhet
Express/5013 at 22.45hrs. We were lucky and found we had a
compartment to ourselves in a two tier car, most unusual !
Drongo, Common Flameback, Great Cormorant, Little Cormorant,
Greylag,
Goose Bar-headed Goose,
Hoopoe, Coot,
Moorhen, Barn Swallow,
Pintail,
White-throated Kingfisher,
Cattle Egret, Little Egret,
Intermediate Egret,
Great White Egret,
Koel, Indian Myna,
Bank Myna, Rose–ringed Parakeet
Jungle Babbler, Rufus Treepie,
Red Avadavat, Grey Francolin,
Black-rumped Flameback,
Painted Stork 1,
Indian Robin, Plain Prinia,
Bay Back Shrike, Black Shouldered Kite
Great Spotted Eagle, Red-wattled Lapwing,
Spoonbill, Gadwall,
Teal, Spot-billed Duck,
Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Crow Pheasant,
Coucal, White-tailed Lapwing,
Wood Sandpiper, Paddy Bird,
Darter, Black-necked Stork,
Red- vented Bulbul, Pied Bushchat,
Indian Silverbill,, Black Redstart,
Redstart, Stonechat,
Rufous-tailed Shrike, Bush lark,
Purple Sunbird, Tawny Pipit,
Stone Pipit, Oriental Skylark,
Indian Roller, House Crow,
Hooded Crow, Lesser Short-toed Lark,
Kestrel, Collared Dove,
Oriental Honey Buzzard,
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker,
Oriental Magpie, Robin, Woodchat Shrike,
Rock pigeon,
Spotted Owlet,
Coppersmith Barbet, Purple Heron,
Grey Heron, Lesser Whitethroat
Whitethroat, Common Starling,
Purple Swamphen, Mallard,
Yellow-wattled Lapwing
- Vanellus marabaricusis, above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammals:
Striped Squirrel,
Neelgai,
Chital.
Day 3…….. 10th
The train arrived two hours late [ 07.00 ] due to the usual North
India fog, we were met by Davish from Camp Forktail Creek and were
given large army surplus blankets. We settled into the back of one
of their safari ‘Gypsy’s’, This was going to be a cold journey ! our
arrival timed well, with the coldest nights experienced in India for
5 years !!!!! we birded along the route as daylight dawned and were
fairly chilled on our arrival an hour later at camp, where we were
greeted by the owner Ritish with a nice welcoming hot cup of Chai or
coffee with spiced biscuits heated over charcoal before being shown
to our tent. Whilst having chai we watched the numerous birds that
live in and around the camp.
There is no rush here at Forktail and the hospitality is fantastic,
all the staff make you feel like long standing friends on arrival
and nothing is too much trouble.
Sue felt unwell here and we had to return to Ramnagar to see a
doctor. That was an experience in itself… a full waiting room, us
ushered in without waiting, Davish interpreting, Sue’s consultation
took place in front of several other patients ! problem discussed,
tests done, prescription made out all in an hour and very little
cost. Her urine infection was the talk of Ramnagar.
Again Forktail could not have done more and Ritish’s wife Minakshi
was wonderful support to Sue. We did little birding on our first day
here and rested up for Sue, a night of little sleep on the train
then four hours in a Gypsy had taken its toll on her. Later that day
Minakshi moved us to a cottage style mud hut as they expected the
night to be even colder and it would be better for Sue.
So relaxing around camp we watched and listened to the sounds of the
jungle with a days count of twenty six species.
Sightings for the day.
Blue Whistling Thrush, Large Billed Crow,
Forktail, Red-vented Bulbul,
Himalayan Bulbul,
White-throated Kingfisher,
White-capped Water Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart,
Blue Throated Barbet, Lineated Barbet,
White Eye, Crested Kingfisher,
Grey Bushchat,
Black Kite,
Rufous Treepie, Egyptian Vulture,
Large Grey Babbler, Jungle Babbler,
Rufous-bellied Niltaver, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker,
Long Tailed Shrike, Hoopoe,
Crag Martin Fantail,
Black Redstart, Red-wattled Lapwing.
Mammal:
Fieldmouse
Day 4……. 11th
A safari trip to Bijrani range inside the Corbett reserve was
organised, this would entail two hours looking at wildlife and with
a chance of seeing Tiger.
We were woken at some unearthly hour, still pitch dark but raring to
go, we had coffee and hot biscuits warmed over a small charcoal
burner and set off to be at the gates due to open at 06.30. Sue felt
a rather groggy but did not want to miss out on her birding.
We had forgotten to take our passports and the official at the gate
wanted to check that all was in order with our bookings. Thankfully
due to filling in immigration forms at the airport I remembered our
passport numbers. As these details had been forwarded to Indian
Moments prior to our trip the guards’ already had the numbers so all
that was required was a confirmation and thankfully we were duly
waved through…. Govind Singh our guide and Balamda Singh our driver
for our stay with Camp Forktail Creek set off watching tracks on the
road and sighting birds that we had difficulty seeing, they call
Govind, ‘Eagle Eye’, he pointed out birds we would never hope to see
in the cover.
We had a wonderful morning here, with a picnic breakfast. We also
managed to get the bird books that were unavailable in Delhi also a
book on flowers of India in a small shop within the range near the
Safari Elephant quarters.
Although this was meant to be a two hour game drive we never saw
Tiger, missing one by a few minutes. We found pugmarks on our tyre
tracks minutes after returning along the same track we had just
passed over.
Stood alongside the gypsy 4x4 having breakfast was a bit nerve
wracking at first as there were tiger pugmarks all round but we
honestly felt safe with our guide and driver.
As we were exiting the park we found a dead Rhesus Macaque monkey
that had just fallen from a tree
onto the road.
After Bijrani we Birded the escarpment over the Kosi River and a
small village ……along with the route back to Camp Forktail .
An Indian Bucket shower, dinner, a chat around the campfire
completed our first real full day in this fantastic area of India.
Thirty seven species today.
We saw.
Stork-billed Kingfisher, White Browed Wagtail,
Common Sandpiper, Blue Whistling Thrush,
White Wagtail, Golden Oriole [heard],
Red Jungle Fowl, Paddy Bird,
Changeable Hawk Eagle,
Dark Grey Bushchat,
Oriental Magpie, Robin, White Rumped Vulture [Nest & pair],
White-throated Fantail, Tailerbird [heard],
Flycatcher, House Swift,
Swallow,
Crested Serpent Eagle,
Jungle Owlet, Spotted Owlet,
White-rumped Munia, Red-wattled Lapwing,
Black Kite,
Plumbeous Water Redstart,
White-throated Kingfisher, Grey Treepie 5,
Gold-fronted Leaf bird, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker,
Spotted Forktail, Green-tailed Sunbird,
White-capped Water Redstart, Brown Dipper,
River Lapwing, Brown Rock-chat,
Little Forktail Wallcreeper,
Streak-throated Woodpecker
MAMMALS:
Rhesus Macaque, Langur,
Barking Deer [heard], Sambar,
Chital,
Tiger pug marks & Scat Leopard tracks
Jackal 2
Langur
Monkey -
Presbytis
entelus,
above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Day 5………12th
Another early start with birding around camp before breakfast,
followed by birding along the riverbed and road near the camp then
on to Lohachaur Forest Rest House in the Mandal Range of Corbett
Park where we were to spend the next two nights . Our cook and two
helpers set off before us and with Govind and Balamda again at the
helm we departed for the long trip into this quiet area of the
jungle. A slow drive along very rough roads, lunch at a river
watching a Grey–headed Fish Eagle watching us from a dead tree
opposite was amazing. We had seen no other human presence for miles
we later arrived at the rest house an old forest bungalow where we
were to spend our two nights. The Rest house has a moat to keep the
elephant out, unfortunately this stops at the road and a wooden bar
is placed across !
We met the forest workers who live in this camp area then went off
for a walk with our guide. A bit disconcerting as we were not armed
and Elephant, Leopard, Tiger and Bear are in this area. ….on our
walk, forever stopping to look to the rear with the dread, or
excitement, of seeing any of the four above mentioned animals we
proceeded on our way to about a mile from the rest house before
returning on a slightly different route. We never saw any mammals
[we heard Sambar alarm calls from the forest! ] but the birding was
good and we arrived back in camp just as darkness fell .
A fantastic candle lit dinner for two was followed by coffee on the
veranda listening to the night sounds.
We suddenly realised at 8pm that we were on our own, it was pitch
black, no moon….. where was everyone ? suddenly we felt very
exposed out there …..read, a Jim Corbett book on man-eaters before
you go… it will strike fear into you if your out there in the dark
on your lonesome. We entered the rest house comprising our bedroom a
lounge and a small back room. Looking into the back room there were
five, white shrouded, immobile bodies on tables !!! with a single
lit candle ….it looked like a morgue …it was in fact our team and,
at 8.15pm all tucked up and asleep. Oh well this looked the norm so
we set to and locked up securely and retired to our room. There is
no hot water or heating here and it was bloody freezing, we slept
fully clothed …….
Forty two species today:
Oriental Pied Hornbill, Common Buzzard,
Sparrowhawk, Hoopoe,
White Throated Fantail,
Grey Bushchat,
Stonechat, Red-vented Bulbul,
Babbler, Red-wattled Lapwing,
Red-throated Flycatcher, Red-rumped Swallow,
Crested Bulbul, Grey Treepie,
White-tailed Rubythroat, Rufous -bellied Niltava,
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Long-tailed Minivet,
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Black-hooded Oriole,
White-throated kingfisher, Spotted Forktail,
Plumbious Water Redstart, White-capped Water Redstart,
Long-billed Thrush, Small Niltava,
Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Barred Owlet,
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker,
White-throated Laughing Thrush,
Kalij Pheasant, Red-billed Leothrix,
Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Whiskered Yuhina,
Common Green Magpie, Lesser Fish Eagle,
Drongo, Grey Wagtail,
Brown Dipper, Grey-headed Fish Eagle,
Rock Pigeon, Cetti’s Warbler. Mammals:
Rhesus Macaque, Langur
DAY 6 …….. 13th
After our early night ! we awoke at 3am after a good six hours sleep
raring to go. However no one else was awake so we lay huddled in the
cold of the night until we heard the forest come to life before we
emerged ourselves.
We were off into the forest on foot again this time with the gypsy
driven by Balamda following, mammals Sambar and monkeys, lots of
tracks of bear and Tiger….. we followed the sound of alarm calls
across the river as a possible tiger made its way upstream … plenty
of wonderful birds and a picnic lunch filled our day , followed by
another great meal and now full of knowledge on the ways of forest
folk we retired to bed at 8pm !!
We saw
Little Heron, Long-tailed Shrike,
White-browed Wagtail, Crested Kingfisher,
Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-throated Barbet,
Ashy Bulbul, Grey Wagtail,
Scarlet Minivet, Grey Bushchat,
Little Heron, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker,
Changeable Hawk Eagle, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike,
Brown Dipper, Spotted Forktail,
Little Forktail, Plain Martin,
Lineated Barbet, Himalayan Bulbul,
Black Bulbul, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch,
Whiskered Yuhina, Green-tailed Sunbird ,
White-tailed Nuthatch, Kalij Pheasant,
Red-billed Leothrix Tickells, Leaf Warbler,
Rufous-bellied Niltava, Slaty-headed Parakeet,
Chiffchaff, Goldcrest,
Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, Bar-tailed Treecreeper,
Black Drongo, Brown Fish Owl,
Wallcreeper, Red- billed Blue Magpie, Emerald Dove, Blue-winged Minla,
Grey capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler,
White-tailed Nuthatch, White-browed Wagtail,
Silver-eared Mesia,
Mammals
Sloth Bear tracks, Tiger tracks, Porcupine tracks,
Rhesus Macaque, Langur, Sambar
DAY 7 ………14th
After breakfast it was time to make our long way back through the
forest to Camp Forktail Creek where we were looking forward to the
promise of hot water. We took a slight detour into the hills after
leaving this area of the Corbett reserve in the hope of seeing the
Himalayan mountain range but visibility was very poor and we were to
be denied this pleasure. We did get to see a mixed group of Vulture
soaring over the valleys and had another outdoor lunch surveying the
camp and villages from the hills. We observed small groups of women
and girls carrying loads of animal feed on their heads that they had
harvested from the forests seemingly miles from anywhere, we were
told some walked a round ten miles from their villages on this daily
task.
Back in camp after dinner a chat to the others staying there
relating our days in the forest and hopes for the rest of Corbett.
We saw twenty two species ……
Grey Capped Woodpecker, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker,
Red-breasted Parakeet,
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch,
Black chinned Babblers, Rock pigeon,
Blue-winged Milna,
White-throated Fantail,
Long-tailed Shrike, Scarlet Minivet 5,
Stork-billed kingfisher,
2 Grey Bushchat,
Blue Whistling Thrush, Mountain Hawk Eagle,
Himalayan Bulbul, Plain Prinia,
Changeable Hawk Eagle, Blue Throated Barbett,
Slaty-headed Parakeet, White- browed Wagtail,
Grey Wagtail, White-capped Water Redstart,
Plumbious Redstart, Red-billed Leothrix,
Rufous-bellied Niltava, Long-tailed Minivet,
Striated Laughingthrush,
White-crested Laughingthrush,
Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Steppe Eagle,
Tawny Eagle,
Himalayan Griffon Vulture,
Swift, Plain Martin,
Emerald Dove, Ashy Bulbul,
Lesser Fish Eagle, Black-lored Tit,
Lesser Rackett-tailed Drongo, Blue Rock Thrush,
Red breasted Woodpecker, Eurasian Griffon Vulture,
Cinereous Vulture, Jungle Crow.
Cinereous Vulture -
Aegypius
monachus, above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammal:
Rhesus Macaque Langur
DAY 8 …………15th
Up again before dawn ready for the first awakenings of the forest,
the gentle knock on the door and Indian voice “six o’clock saar..
maam” We were already dressed and ready to go, so down to the tea
area and a walk to Bharkrakot village, for a spot of birding with
Ritish and Govind before breakfast.
Today we were to head for Dhikala for two nights looking for Tiger,
Elephant and the fantastic birding there.
Dhikala is the main tourist area of Corbett and there are lots of
restrictions, with walking permitted only in designated areas.
Accommodation and food here is basic and the maximum stay allowed is
two nights.
This would entail an all day trip into the forest again, we stopped
for lunch overlooking the crocodile pools, viewed elephant herds in
the grassland area and finished the afternoon watching a pair of
Tiger mating. We had to move away from our view point of this
experience as a small group of female elephant and a very junior
male wanted to go across the river towards the far off forest for
the night, we were in their way.. as soon as they had passed by we
relocated ourselves at our viewpoint and another car joined us as we
watched the male tiger head in the direction of the elephant that by
now were crossing the river … the tigress was somewhere behind her
mate in the long grass and we were sure the tiger was going to
attack the young male as it left the safety of the herd and slowly
headed towards it …he was by this time crouched ready to attack but
the little tusker decided against any brave move and as the tiger
emitted a low growl he tore off to the safety of the herd. The
tigress then slowly emerged from behind the male and they provided
us with some brilliant shots of the pair sat together along with
some previous distant blurred mating pictures. By this time it was
getting dark and we had to race to the Dhikala complex before we
were in serious trouble. The gates to the compound are locked at
dark and the electric fences turned on …any guide or driver is in
danger of losing his licence if not back in time …………so leaving this
pair of tiger sitting just across the river we regretfully headed
back. An awesome experience, we were so very lucky, some tourists
had also been out all day and never saw any mammals apart from
Chital deer and monkey.
We saw fifty seven bird species …………
Sparrowhawk, Green Magpie,
Grey Treepie, Great Tit,
Long- tailed Minivet,
Velvet–fronted Nuthatch,
Blue Laughingthrush, Rock pigeon,
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo,
Red-vented Bulbul,
Rufous-bellied Niltava, Common Buzzard,
River Lapwing, Crested Kingfisher,
Eurasian Crag Martin?, Grey Bushchat,
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Scarlett Minivet m& f,
Nepal Wren, Babbler, Crested Serpent Eagle,
Wallcreeper, Blue-winged Minla,
White-tailed Rubythroat, Black Stork 3,
White-tailed Eagle, Grey Wagtail,
Peacock,
Mountain Hawk Eagle,
Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul,
Pallas’s Fish Eagle [on nest], Black- shouldered Kite,
Red Headed Vulture, Peregrine Falcon.
White-capped Water Redstart, Grey-headed Fish Eagle imm,
River Lapwing,
White-browed Wagtail,
Great White Egret, Blue-bearded Bee-eater,
Black-hooded Oriole,
Long-tailed Shrike,
Pied Kingfisher, Jungle Crow,
Pied Bushchat, Brown Shrike,
Grey-breasted Prinia, Striated Prinia,
Hen Harrier f, Spotted Dove,
Black Francolin,
Long-billed Pipit,
Red Avadavat, Red-rumped Swallow,
Bluethroat, Black-necked Stork 2,
Cattle Egret.
Red-whiskered Bulbul
-
Pycnonotus
melanicterus,
above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
White-tailed
Rubythroat -
Luscinia
pectoralis,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Wild Boar, Jackal 2,
Mugger Crocodile, Garial Crocodile,
Mahseer Catfish,
Stone Carp, Sambar,
Rhesus Macaque, Langur,
Barking deer, Hog Deer,
Wild Elephant 2 herds [30+ ], Chital,
Tiger a pair mating then stalking young male elephant.
Sambar Deer -
Cervus
unicolor
, above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Pair of tigers -
Panthera
tigris, above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
DAY 9 ……………..16th
After another cold night [slept fully clothed again] we were woken
at 05.45hrs with a pot of chai to be ready for the Dikhala compound
gate opening at 06.30….still dark…..very foggy…..very very cold and
frosty…. We headed into the grasslands area before returning for
breakfast, watching the sunrise through the fog and frost was
amazing, we never spotted Tiger but added Jungle Cat and Mongoose to
our list.
After breakfast we again headed out in the gypsy, no time to rest
here, so much to see and do in such a short time We headed into the
forest area instead of the grasslands in the hopes of some different
birds species, we saw many tiger pug marks but as before breakfast,
no tiger, lots of deer and birds feeding in the Sal forest area.
So back to the compound for lunch, a nice hot vegetable curry….
followed by an elephant safari trip across the river.
We have ridden elephants in India before and the experience can be
daunting as there is not much to hold onto or rest your feet on, the
howdah’s are very basic. The first 15 minutes were as usual a bit
scary as we tried to find a way to hang on, look through the
binoculars and point the cameras. We also had to go down some steep
slopes and cross the river. After a while we got used to the motion
again and got back to viewing the wildlife.
We shared the elephant with two middle aged Indian ladies who spent
most of the time talking, the mahout forever telling them to be
quiet, after a while they also started belching and farting!!
elephant motion is very good for trapped wind…and so with silent
chuckles, we continued, the sound of the elephant pulling and
thrashing the grass as he ate on the move, the creaking of the
howdah, venting of wind , which by now was emitting from the
elephant as well, will live with us for a very long while.
Again, along came lady luck, as the mahout told us in a whisper
….Tiger… and as we looked in the direction of his pointed finger
there was a big male just visible 4-5 metres away, laying low in the
tall grass with teeth barred and emitting a very low growl he slowly
rose and walked past us, coming as close as three metres. We
followed slowly for some minutes and had some leisurely time to view
and take photos of him; our mahout thought he saw another tiger off
to the right but only a fleeting glimpse, maybe our pair from the
day before.
Our mahout by now had stayed out too long, as the other two
elephants that had come along with us had already left to return to
the compound, we were told to hang on as the elephant was made to go
at a fast pace, almost a run back before he got into serious
trouble……our two hour safari was two and a half and it was dark as
we arrived back As we entered the compound our mahout was telling
all in earshot very loudly that we had seen tiger and everyone
crowded around wanting to see any photos and share the experience,
we were again virtually the only people to have seen tiger on this
day also. We were told we were blessed and lots of Indians came up
to touch us with the hope of luck brushing off to them also. A day
that will not be forgotten.
Our guide Govind was really pleased for us and we believe he had a
hand in the extra half hour elephant safari. It has not gone
unnoticed the respect that all the other guides have shown towards
him and we were privileged to have had his skills provided for us.
An invite from the two ladies and their husbands, we would be most
welcome to visit them in Poona and Lucknow when we revisit India..
and would we send them some photos of the tiger, how could we not.
Later we would duly sent prints and a disc of Corbett pictures.
We were lucky with the quality of our photos here as we had on the
big 200-500 Tamron lens. Sat on an elephant with no stable base all
photos had to be taken handheld, next time a smaller zoom or prime
lens will definitely be fitted instead.
Our Elephant
and Mahout, above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
We saw thirty eight species of bird
Changeable Hawk Eagle, White- throated Laughingthrush
Indian Peafowl, Weaver bird nests 40+ no birds,
Kalij pheasant m, Hen Harrier f
Great Cormorant, Cattle Egret,
Pair of Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Common Sandpiper,
Greenshank, River Lapwing,
Grey Heron, Great White Heron,
River Tern, Pied Kingfisher,
Black-shouldered Kite, Red-rumped Swallow,
Himalayan Griffon Vulture, Cinereous Vulture,
Woolly-necked Stork, Red-headed Vulture 12,
Black-winged Stilt, Little-ringed Plover,
Little Bittern, Citrine Wagtail,
Common Ringed Plover, Osprey,
Pond Heron, Redshank,
Stone Curlew, 2 Ruddy Shelduck,
Common Teal, Crested Lark,
Olive-backed Pipit, Kestrel,
Collared Falconett, Bulbul 100’s coming to roost in Elephant grass.
Osprey -
Pandion
haliaetus, photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Cinereous Vulture -
Aegypius
monachus, above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Pallas's
Fish
Eagle -
Haliaeetus
leucoryphus,
above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Pallas's
Fish
Eagle -
Haliaeetus
leucoryphus,
above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Sambar, Chittal,
Jungle Cat, Mongoose,
Hog Deer, Tiger,
Garial Crocodile, Mugger crocodile,
Chital, Sambar,
Rhesus Macaque, Langur.
Jungle
Cat -
Felis
chaus,
above photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
DAY 10……………17th
Another very cold night and as yesterday we were up at 05.45 to go to
the area east of the compound with a visit to the watchtower
situated a short walk away from the main compound , we however took
the Gypsy.
A very unnerving climb up past the marauding monkeys who sense the
people with food and literally tear it out of their hands. Up at the
top we surveyed the grass area where the day before we had our tiger
experience. Lots of noise up here from chattering Indian tourists
who were busy trying to beat off the monkey attacks with large
sticks. Govind came quietly up to us and pointed upriver….there was
our third sighting in three days… a large tiger sat in the river
towards the opposite bank about 300 metres away, we watched as he
crossed to our side, then Govind rushed us down and into the Gypsy,
tearing down the track we came to near where he thought the tiger
would emerge, however we were not to see him from the road but heard
him call in the forest to our right, we had just missed him. The
roars told us there were two tigers in there and it was probably the
same male we had seen with his mate. A quick drive to the road
parallel to the one we were on with the hope they would emerge for
us. We stayed absolutely still on the Gypsy for over half an hour
listening and waiting. Two Jackal came rushing out of the forest
going past us with a look of wonderment that we would be right in
the way of the tigers, but although we could hear them we never had
the close up from the vehicle. To hear their roars was enough
though, the sound echoed around us and that experience alone was
fantastic in itself, we did not need to see them .
A return to the compound for breakfast and to pick up our luggage
before we headed on the long track back to Camp Forktail Creek
birding on the way. We sighted lots of new bird species on route
back and spent the evening around the camp fire with others that had
been to different areas of Corbett, re-telling our stories before
departing for Ramnagar station and our night train The Corbett Park
Link Express /5014A for Delhi arriving at 04.10 and our onward train
to Bharutpur.
Corbett National Park and Camp Forktail Creek have been fantastic,
the people, the culture and hospitality in this area has given us
some of our best experiences of India. We were truly sad to leave
and could have spent the whole of our trip here. We will return,
with Pangot and other birding areas to be included.
If you are reading this Ritish, Minakshi, Govind, Balum and all
concerned at Camp Forktail Creek, a big thanks for the experience
….watch out we are coming back.
Dhikala
compound Corbett NP, photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
We saw only fifteen species of bird today
Crested Serpent Eagle, Red-breasted Parakeet 50+ flock,
Black Francolin, Pallas’s Fish Eagle,
Steppe Eagle Juv, Lesser Fish Eagle,
River Lapwing, Stork-billed Kingfisher,
Kalij Pheasant 3f 1 m, Black-shouldered Kite,
Nepal Wren Babbler, Himalayan Flameback,
Fulvus-breasted Woodpecker, Black-throated Tit,
Spotted Forktail.
Lesser
Fish
Eagle -
Ichthyophaga
humilus,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Kalij Pheasant -
Lophura
leucomelanos,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Black
Francolin -
Francolinus
francolinus,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Wild Boar, Sambar,
Tiger 1 plus lots of alarm calls and Tiger X 2 heard,
Jackal 2,
Rhesus Macaque, Langur,
Chittal.
DAY 11………………….18th
New Delhi - Bharutpur
We said our goodbyes to a couple we met at Camp Forktail who were on
the Delhi train with us and were duly met by a representative of
Indian Moments who took us from Delhi Station to New Delhi Station
for our train The Golden Temple Mail/ 2904 to Bharutpur at 07.50hrs.
We were shown to our platform where the rep. offered to stay with us
until our train, an offer we declined, we settled ourselves to the
two and half hours wait, with the crowds increasing we became part
of the station life for a short while. We love the Indian rail
system and people watching at the stations, is almost as good as
birding, the sights sounds and smells are terrific. This station had
something else though and the crush and pushing seemed somehow sort
of threatening, New Delhi station is not one of our favourites.
Whilst waiting we watched the Black Kites soaring above and we
noticed they did not try taking any of the many rats on the rail
lines, what did amaze though was the House Crow Corvus splendens one
of which swooped down grabbed a large rat taking it struggling to
the platform roof opposite, where we watched it kill and devour it ,
not once did a Black Kite [ and there were many] come and try to
take it. Proving that these are truly scavengers. Should House Crows
be classed as raptors ?
We took in the sights on our three hour trip before we were met at
Bharutpur station by what turned out to be our guide for Bharutpur….Baney
Singh and who turned out to be a real pain.
On the way from the station we stopped to change currency and find a
pharmacy to obtain some antibiotics for Sue and then onto the Ashok
Hotel, better known as the Forest lodge inside the Keoladeo National
Park.
Stopping at this place was a big mistake, there are better hotels
and guest houses outside the park area. The staff did their best
under difficult conditions here, but the hotel is really showing its
age .
We had a short nap before taking off for a couple of hours in the
reserve.
We knew there was a lack of water, but after our visit in 1996 when
the place was teaming with birds the place looked desolate, however
we were determined to make the most of this terrific “wetland” site
that we headed off into the undergrowth that is usually flooded and
we still managed to see 36 species.
Birds
Black Kite, House Crow,
Hooded Crow, Bank Myna,
Pond Heron, Black-winged Stilt,
Cattle Egret, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo,
Black Drongo, Black stork,
Great White Heron,
Booted Eagle,
Sarus Crane, 4 Rose-ringed Parakeet,
Egyptian Vulture, Greater Coucal,
Greater Spotted Eagle, Red-rumped swallow,
Oriental Magpie, Robin, Jungle Babbler,
Peafowl, Brown Hawk Owl,
Grey Francolin, Spotted Owlet,
Collared Scops Owl,
2 White-breasted Waterhen,
Red-wattled Lapwing, Indian Roller,
Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank,
Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Crane,
Spot-billed Duck, Sarus Crane 2,
Bar-headed Goose, 7 Red-rumped Swallow.
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Bats, Jackal.
DAY 12 ……………………….19th
After a night of awakenings ….Jackals howling outside [wonderful]
the staff clumping about all night chasing the monkeys away [not
so].
After breakfast at 07.30 we headed off again into the reserve with
our guide Baney Singh who was proving to be a burden rather than a
help. Constantly talking loudly on his mobile phone, wandering off
and unable to even identify a common Kestrel. We walked until 14.30
before a lunch break back at the hotel…No lunch was ready as a coach
party was running late.
It turned out we had to contend with a large party of American
students on a cultural tour of India who behaved like the place was
their campus back home shouting and playing ball inside and out,
mealtimes were also arranged around them, causing problems with
arranged trips, because breakfast was laid on an hour later than
posted !.
Not impressed we had a sandwich and coffee and got out.
Back in the reserve we went in search of Nightjar, here our guide
got really frustrating as he searched the area in vain ….no problem
for us if they could not be found, but a problem to Baney , who
with another guide proceeded to beat the bushes and leaf litter with
sticks to find the elusive birds. We left this area by rickshaw and
headed for a small area that had a pump extracting water from a
borehole. The last time we where in this area the place was alive
with birds, trees covered with Painted Stork …this visit was a sad
sight with only 15 species of water bird. Lots of Indian tourists
about, some playing transistor radios. More like Alton Towers than a
World Heritage Nature Reserve….oh well back to the hotel and the
noisy students.
Forty four species ticked today
Ruddy Shelduck, Spot-billed Duck,
Shoveler, White-tailed Lapwing,
Indian Courser, Kestrel,
Black Drongo, Indian Roller,
Paddyfield Pipit, Yellow-wattled Lapwing,
Skylark, Barn Swallow,
House Swift, Red-headed Vulture,
White-breastedWaterhen, Spotted Owlet,
Dusky Eagle Owl, 2 Booted Eagle,
Asian Pied Starling, Common Tailorbird,
Greater Spotted eagle, White-eared Bulbul,
Greenshank, Redshank,
Black- winged Stilt, Common Snipe,
Bluethroat, Bay-backed shrike,
Grey Heron, Little Grebe,
Moorhen, Glossy Ibis 3,
Chiffchaff, Imperial Eagle,
Pied Bushchat, Steppe Eagle,
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Rock Pigeon,
Spotted Dove, Purple Sunbird,
Black-necked Stork, Greater Coucal,
Spoonbill, Grey Francolin.
White-eared
Bulbul -
Pycnonotus
leucotis,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Jackal, Indian Python 2.
DAY 13……………………………20th
After a noisy night ….this time domestic cats fighting … we set of
for breakfast at 07.30 only to be told again it was being served at
08.00 for the students. If only someone had thought to tell other
guests. As we were due to leave at 08.00 we badgered the staff to
knock something up for us and we headed off into the reserve again
By 11.30 we had had enough of our guide and his skills or lack of
them and headed off to the hotel where we told Mr Singh that he
could have the afternoon free.
Lunch out of the way [the food was really not too bad here] and we
headed off to have a look at the Salim Ali Centre and walk on our
own… what an experience. If we return again to visit we definitely
do it without a guide, we saw more birds whilst on our own. We were
still in the middle of the reserve as night fell and started on the
long straight road back, we met an Indian with a recorder and Bat
detector, listened to Spotted Owlet creating a din as several did
their thing in a nearby tree. Tonight we saw our first Nightjar
species unknown as it flew crisscrossing the road in front.
Forty nine bird species
Brown-headed Barbet, Plain Prinia,
Black Redstart, Rufous Treepie,
Grey Treepie,
Red-wattled Lapwing,
Carrion Crow, Asian Brown Flycatcher,
Black-rumped Flameback,
Black Drongo,
Jungle Babbler, Long–tailed Shrike,
Grey Francolin, Spotted Owlet 2 + 4,
Greater Coucal, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon 38,
Oriental Magpie, Robin, Pied Bushchat,
Rose-ringed Parakeet, Ashy Prinia,
Red-vented Bulbul, Greater Spotted Eagle,
Large Grey Babbler, Lesser Whitethroat,
Bay-backed Shrike, White-fronted Kingfisher,
Grey Heron, Cattle Egret,
Black-winged Stilt, Ruddy Shelduck,
Spot-billed Duck, Shoveler,
Great White Egret, Small Minivet,
Brown Shrike, Spotted Creeper,
Brooks’s Leaf Warbler,
Black-necked Stork,
Indian Roller, Red-rumped Swallow,
House Swift, Eurasian Collared Dove,
Asian Pied Starling, Sarus Crane 4,
Laughing Dove,
Spotted Owlet [mating and calling as dusk fell ],
Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Nightjar [unknown, flew in front in the dark].
Black-rumped
Flameback -
Dinopium
benghalense,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Yellow-footed
Green
Pigeon -
Treron
phoenicoptera,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Bats ? Wild Boar
Jackal Neelgai
Palm Squirrel
DAY 14………………………………...21st
Breakfast and a packed lunch saw us waiting outside for our guide,
as we were off to Bund Barathur a site an hours drive away that had
water. Bund Barathur is a must to visit anyway, even if there is
water at Keoladeo. It’s a nice trip with plenty of birding on the
way; we also had arranged a detour on the way back to see
Slender-billed Vulture.
Oh dear, there is definitely a personality clash here, our guide
still tells us he is to accompany us to Chambal and then onto Delhi
….and although we told him no way, he was adamant…..and so the day
was to get worse whilst in his presence. We should have telephoned
Indian moments that Sunday morning when he wanted to take his nephew
along with us but refusing to include his family in the trip made
him more awkward and his manner was really getting us down,
disturbing the birds and not at all interested in his job, having no
bird field guide, never once looking through his binoculars! And
always calling us to tell of birds we were already looking at !! We
will definitely not be recommending Baney Singh.
On our arrival back in Bharutpur we put in a call to Indian Moments
where they told us no problem and arranged for a driver in the
morning to take us to Chambal Safari Lodge. Our guide would not be
going and it was never intended that he should apparently!! Well
done Indian Moments for the very prompt action.
Bund Buratha and another 48 species
Black Drongo, Moorhen,
White-fronted Kingfisher, Coot,
Black-winged Stilt, Peafowl,
Oriental Magpie Robin Rose-ringed Parakeet,
Pond Heron, White Wagtail,
Redshank,
Jungle Babbler,
Ashy Prinia, Cattle Egret,
Plum-headed Parakeet, Black Ibis,
Northern Pintail, Hoopoe,
Red-wattled Lapwing, Red Crested Pochard,
Tufted Duck,
Bar-tailed Godwit,
Cotton, Pygmy-goose, Shoveler,
Comb Duck, Great Cormorant,
Indian Cormorant, Little Cormorant,
Glossy Ibis, Bronze-winged Jacana,
Purple Moorhen,
Spoonbill,
Plain Martin, Common Snipe,
Eurasion Wigeon, Common Pochard,
Eurasian Curlew, Greylag Goose,
Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier,
Intermediate Heron, Whiskered Tern,
Asian Openbill Stork, Purple Sunbird,
Slender-billed Vulture, Bay-backed Shrike,
Yellow-eyed Babbler.
Black
Ibis -
Pseudibis
papillosa,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Fruitbat.
DAY 15 …………………………………22nd
All packed to be on our way we headed out to wait for our driver who
arrived at 08.30.
Although it was nice to be on our way, it was a shame that our dream
return here was to see the terrible decline in this site…awful. All
that can be hoped for, is good rains in the future, we do not
believe that pumps will do the job as they will only bring deep
water to the surface without nutrients and food for the wildlife and
will probably be detrimental to the water table as well.
Our driver to Chambal had no knowledge of birds but spoke good
English and his driving skills were brilliant, we were so pleased
when he informed us later that he would accompany for the rest of
our trip.
From Bharutpur to Chambal we had to drive through Agra where we saw
the Taj Mahal in the distance, bringing back memories of our 1996
visit. As our previous trips to India were either beach or cultural
we gave the Taj a miss and continued in search of the wildlife.
We arrived at Chambal Safari Lodge at 11.30… after the concrete block
at Bharutpur this place is idyllic. We were greeted warmly by Ram
Pratap Singh the owner and camp staff and shown to our cottage,
these eco friendly cottages are really roomy and comfortable and
after a very nice lunch and drink we headed off for a walk in the
lodge area with our very enthusiastic new guide Dalveer.
Dalveer hand paints T shirts with birds and the Chambal logo, he can
also imitate birdcalls for a wide range of species his knowledge and
enthusiasm is inspiring We feel our holiday is back on track after
Bharutpur. A small pool produced several wader species and the
arable land around the lodge was rich in birdlife with sixty species
seen in the afternoon.
On our walk we came across a huge carcass of a bullock in a field
nearby with a lot of stray dogs fighting and enjoying a rare meal,
not a pleasant sight for the squeamish. All around there were
Egyptian Vultures waiting for their chance, they were unbelievably
close, not at all worried about human presence and gave us the
chance to get some good photos of all ages of this small scavenger.
After a good afternoon birding we sat around the campfire after
dinner chatting with the other birders and met a BBC film crew with
John Aitchinson doing a documentary about the Ganges [due out in
July/August]
A late evening walk looking for Civet Cat we heard them but did not
get a sighting and during the night they could be heard scampering
over the roof above.
Birds seen today, seventy species
Whitethroat, Oriental Magpie Robin,
Black-winged Stilt, Redshank,
Cattle Egret,
Grey Heron 30 in a tree on road,
Osprey, Black Kite,
Red-wattled Lapwing, Black Drongo,
Asian Pied Starling, Peafowl,
Rock Pigeon, House Crow,
Pond Heron, Indian Spotted Eagle,
Long–tailed Shrike, Rufous Treepie,
Black Shouldered Kite, Little Grebe,
Indian Roller, Hoopoe,
Bank Myna, Booted Eagle,
Kestrel, Eygptian Vulture,
Collared Dove, Jungle Babbler,
Brown Hawk Owl, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia,
Red-throated Flycatcher,
Yellow-wattled Lapwing,
Large-billed Crow, House Crow,
Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper,
River Lapwing, Shoveler,
Pintail, Greenshank,
Yellow Wagtail, Green Sandpiper,
Temminck’s Stint, Asian Openbill,
Black-headed Ibis, Redshank,
Little Cormorant,
White-throated Kingfisher,
Indian Silverbill, Honey Buzzard,
Spotted Owlet,
Brown-headed Barbet,
Indian Grey Hornbill, Red Collared Dove,
Olive-backed Pipit,
Large Grey Babbler,
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Bank Myna,
Common Myna, Asian Pied Starling,
Bramhiny, Starling, Black-shouldered Kite,
Long-tailed Shrike, Stonechat,
Southern Grey Shrike, Red-necked Falcon,
Bay-backed Shrike, Little Pied Flycatcher,
Plain Prinia, House Sparrow.
Common Myna
-
Acridotheres
tristis,
photo
by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Fruit Bat ……resident in camp
Civet Cat … none seen although they ran all over the roof through
the night !!
DAY 16 ………………………….23rd
Up at 07.00 for coffee, with a pre breakfast walk again with Dalveer.
You have to be prepared for the culture shock as the locals head
into the open for their daily ablutions’ you definitely have to
watch your footing here ….. nuff said. Beware in this, the most
populated state in India… Uttar Pradesh.
Today we would head to the river Chambal, our journey for our boat
trip on the river was to last about an hour.
We passed lots of camels heading to and from the river carrying
their loads of wood. Brick kilns with small donkeys carrying huge
loads of bricks to distant storage areas, many schoolchildren
walking miles to school and busy villages teeming with people
…wonderful sights and sounds.
The boat trip turned out to be about an hour and a half long, it got
very warm this morning after the chill of the night and we shed
layers of clothing ….we still dressed as for Corbett….we saw a wide
variety of wildlife including the endangered Gharial Crocodile there
are few of this species left with ever declining numbers and
although we never saw the even rarer Gangetic Dolphin we did get to
see the splash of one as disappeared below the water …you have to be
facing the right way at the right time to catch even a glimpse of
one of these beauties. We were also lucky enough to see Osprey, a
single Greater Flamingo and Great Thick- knee
The afternoon was spent lazing around our cottage and the dining
area. Since leaving Crete we had virtually been on the go for ten
days so a little relaxing birding in the safari Lodge with cups of
tea was definitely required, we settled in for the afternoon with
Anu Dhillon Singh, Rams wife and spent a pleasant time chatting and
birding….. we watched the Fruit bats as they set off in the late
afternoon from a tree near to our cottage, Hoopoe dust bathing at
our feet and the Jungle Babblers that have gotten into the habit of
raiding the sugar bowls and a Bengal Fox as it made its way through
the sparse undergrowth,
After dinner that night we again looked for Civet Cat but once again
they were not obliging us and we had to be content with their noisy
journeys across our roof at night. We never did get to see one.
Todays spots thirty four species
Asian Koel [pair], Brown-headed Barbett,
Coppersmith Barbet, 2 Tree Pipit,
Black Redstart,
Comb Duck,
Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail,
Shikra, Brown Rock-chat,
Boat trip
Chambal:
Bar-headed Goose, Black-bellied Tern,
Great Crested Grebe, Red-crested Pochard,
Ruddy Shelduck, Little Cormorant,
White-browed Wagtail, Pallas’s Gull 1,
Great Thick-knee, Temminck’s Stint,
River Lapwing, Lesser Whistling-duck,
Grey Heron,
Greater Flamingo 1,
Kentish Plover, Dunlin,
Painted Stork 4, Sand Lark 3,
Long-legged Buzzard, Osprey 1,
Common Sandpiper, Desert Wheatear,
Kestrel, Black Kite.
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Garial Crocodile, Marsh Crocodile,
Turtle… several species, Jackal,
Fruit Bat, Bengal Fox.
DAY 17 …………………………24th
Trip to Wetlands
Today should have been our trip to Patna Bird sanctuary, but as with
Bharutpur there was no water, so Ram Pratap arranged for us to go to
an area of wetland, we and Dalveer were guinea pigs to see if the
birding was any good in this area for future trips…again not much
water here but there were canals and some good birding along the
way.
Our guide and driver were not too sure of the route so lots of stops
as we saw various potential sites which put us behind schedule.
Our first stop was at a bridge over the Chambal River somewhere
north of the lodge where we had our only pelican sightings as
sixteen flew north along the river, a beautiful sight as they flew
through the mist in V formation…. we found twenty two bird species
here. We also witnessed a funeral procession and cremation at the
riverside here, where we were ushered quietly by.
We stopped at various places on the way as we spotted Sarus Cranes
in agricultural fields. At one stop two Sarus Cranes allowed fairly
close intrusion as they ritually danced , whilst photographing these
a Greater Spotted Eagle landed in the only tree around, right where
we were located ..Another great sighting.
Moving on we found a field with c30 Black-headed Ibis and a Wooly-necked
Stork.
At the wetlands we again found the surrounding land dry but we
managed another sighting of three Darter, Marsh harrier and a pair
of Black-necked Stork with a very young barely fledged bird that was
being fed by the male as the female sat perhaps one hundred yards
away taking an afternoon nap. The large canals here quite empty of
birds
Lunch over and it was time to return to camp, we stopped on numerous
occasions as we sighted birds. A Painted Stork stood alongside the
road and allowed really close up views and some nice photos.
Thereafter it was a dash all the way back to camp, Ram Pratap was
phoning wondering/worried were we were. The drive back was not the
best of drives, the driver, after a stop at a roadside kiosk to buy
something !!! to chew and thereafter seemed to be on a high, drove
like a man possessed, our Indian Moments driver was with us and he
also turned a whiter shade of pale…
Relief, safely back at camp at 16.15hrs a few coffees, dinner on our
own, exhilarated and tired after another brilliant day we crashed
into to bed for 22.00hrs. All the other birders had moved on and the
BBC were still out filming along the Ganges tributaries.
The days sightings another 48 bird species
Great White Pelican [16 in flight ], Kentish Plover,
Little Cormorant, Citrine Wagtail,
Temminck’s Stint, Barn Swallow,
Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture,
Sand Lark, Wood Sandpiper,
River Lapwing Grey Heron,
Ruddy Shelduck, Kingfisher 2,
Ruff, Little Ringed Plover,
Rufous–tailed Shrike, White-eared Bulbul,
Black Ibis, Peafowl,
Grey Wagtail,
Red-headed Bunting,
Painted Stork, 8 Bronze-winged Jacana,
Sarus Crane 2+ 6+2 +4,
Greater Spotted Eagle,
Black-shouldered Kite, Greater Couca,
Black Drongo, Pond Heron,
Woolly–necked Stork, Kestrel,
Black-headed Ibis 30+, Paddyfield Pipit,
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, Hoopoe,
Indian Roller, Pied Bushchat,
Darter 3, Marsh Harrier m&f,
Bluethroat, Black-necked Stork 1 m+1 f + 1 very young bird being fed
by male,
Short-toed Snake Eagle, Crested Lark,
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark,
Painted Stork I sat at roadside,
Booted Eagle, Crested Bunting m&f.
Wooly-necked
Stork -
Ciconia
episcopus,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
River
Lapwing -
Vanellus
duvaucellii,
photo by and
© Colin & Sue Turvey
DAY 18………………………………….25th
Another boat trip was planned for today. Up at 07.00 ready for the
transfer to the river at 08.30 and a trip downstream this time
looking for Indian Skimmer, luckily seeing c30 and getting to see
them skimming. Not too many other bird species seen this morning but
got to see a nice Pallas’s Gull and a River Tern as they flew low
over our heads. Missed out on the Gangetic Dolphin again, lots of
Mugger and Garial crocodile on the sand bars and river banks.
After lunch back at camp we were asked if we wanted to take a trip
to Bateshwar with its 100 Temples and maybe another boat trip, we
accepted hoping to add a few more species to our list. Not too many
birds here either, we added Black-bellied Tern and had the amazing
sight of 70 Painted Stork circling overhead before descending to the
river right in front of us.
Nineteen bird species seen
Sand Lark 35+, River Tern,
Pied Kingfisher, Ruddy Shelduck,
Pallas’s Gull m, Great Thick-knee 2,
Little-ringed Plover, Red-wattled Lapwing,
Spoonbill, Indian Skimmer 30,
Whistling Duck 60+, Black Ibis,
Desert Wheatear, Egyptian Vulture,
Black-bellied Tern,
Jungle Babbler,
Painted Stork c70, Redshank,
Greenshank.
Mammals, Reptiles n’ Fish
Garial Crocodile, Mugger Crocodile,
Turtle [several species ].
DAY 19………………………………….26th
Our last day today so we were up early to take advantage of the
morning walk around the lodge, we had some good photo opportunities
today with some nice close birds and a few new to our list.
Unfortunately in the haste to pack and download photos the camera
memory card was removed from the laptop before the pictures of the
morning had finished downloading and we ended up loosing some very
nice pictures of the last seventeen birds listed below. A lesson
learned here.
After lunch we departed for the six hour drive to Delhi, a very
tiring drive it was too, we arrived at about 18.00 and were really
grateful that we had an excellent driver.
There were really some amazing sights on the journey, tractors
pulling trailers laden with cauliflower loaded into very tall
pyramids with no securing straps or netting, how they ever stayed on
as they bumped and twisted their way along remains a mystery. Delhi
traffic at night is horrendous, driving has to be seen to be
believed and it’s a wonder that any car survives without a dent.
We arrived worn out at the Oberoi Maidens hotel…. bizarrely
luxurious after our tents and cottages… for our one night stay in
this old colonial hotel. There happened to be wedding celebrations
in the grounds so a noisy night seemed on the cards.
Seen at Chambal in the morning thirty one species:
Tree Pipit, Hoopoe,
Indian Grey Hornbill, Black Drongo,
Indian Robin, Black-shouldered Kite,
Southern Grey Shrike, Ashy Prinia,
Plain Prinia, Little–pied Flycatcher,
Stonechat, Cattle Egret,
Bramhiny, Starling, Bank Myna,
Bay-backed Shrike, Indian Silverbill,
Brown-headed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet,
Red Collared Dove, Grey Francolin,
Honey buzzard [pair], Peafowl 2,
Spotted Owlet, Oriental Skylark 2,
Black Ibis 6, Indian Bushlark 1,
Indian Roller, Pied Bushchat,
Black Kite, Long-tailed Shrike,
Asian Koel [pair].
DAY 20 ………………………………….27th
After sorting out our packing ready for our flight we decided a
quick walk in the grounds and a local park for some last minute
spotting. A nice few hours strolling around, unbelievably not being
harassed, before we returned to the hotel to wait for our driver to
take us to the airport .
Jackdaw Black Kite…. to many to count,
House Crow, Rose-ringed Parakeet,
Red-vented Bulbul, Brown-headed Barbet,
Collared Dove, Indian Grey Hornbill,
Shikra
At the airport we quickly got our bags security checked then had
them shrink wrapped for 150 rupees, a bonus as we were checked in
through to Athens with a stop of thirteen hours before our
connecting flight, so our bags would be sat somewhere at Bahrain
whilst we were checked into an hotel courtesy of Gulf Air due to the
long stopover. We even managed a bit of birding on the coach back to
the airport as we passed some coastal mudflats. All we managed were
some distant waders though….oh and a very large sculptured falcon on
a roundabout
A fantastic trip and experience with 296 bird species seen, superb
sightings of Tiger and Wild Elephant
THANK YOU INDIA.
Colin & Sue Turvey
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