Birding Trip Report Northern India Asia Birding Ecotours

TRIP REPORT: COMPLETE NORTHERN INDIA AND CULTURAL EXTENSION

21 February - 10 March 2009

Written and guided by Duan Biggs

February 21 – Delhi and the Okhla Sanctuary

Those that arrived on the 20th of February (Pierre and Bronwyn), met the rest of the group (Neville, Edith, Wenda and Chris) at the Delhi airport before we started making our way to the Hanumyan tomb, our first exposure to the impressive Moghul architecture. The birding kicked off at the tomb parking lot with the impressive Brown-headed Barbet. Our first of very many Roseringed Parakeet were seen, as was a roosting Spotted Owl in the Tomb gardens. After the tomb we made our way to Delhi’s most famous birding site – the Ochla sanctuary. Walking the road along the dam wall we encountered the colourful Coppersmith Barbet and Ashy Prinia below in the shrubs. The water bodies of Okhla were teeming with birdlife as usual – Northern Shoveller, Greylag Goose, Little Grebe, Eurasian Widgeon were dabbling on the surface. The shoreline held Great White Pelican and Eurasian Spoonbill whilst a flock of Brown-headed Gulls circled above. We made our way to the far end of the sanctuary, and in the tall wetland vegetation we picked up on our first of many Pied Bushchat, as well as the striking Greater Coucal. Ruff and Common Snipe perched on the riverbank. After some effort, our local guide Ranbir managed to find the range-restricted White-tailed Stonechat whilst chasing up a group of scarce Striated Babblers on route. Our day was not yet done. We spished a Yellow-bellied Prinia out of the reeds and in the setting sun were treated to a flyover Egyptian Vulture. Our first day delivered new mammals in the form of the ubiquitous Rhesus Macaque as well as our first Nilgai, also known as Blue Bull – a sizeable antelope species.

February 22 – Delhi to Chambal Sanctuary

An early departure had us stopping midday at Mangalam midday – a set of wetlands alongside the main road. Here we had two regal-looking Sarus Cranes, Gadwall and Common Teal to add to our lists. Graceful Prinia was in some tall reeds and Wooly-necked and Painted Storks flew overhead. We were fortunate to have another look at the Striated Babbler and this time everyone got onto a flying Egyptian Vulture. We arrived at the Chambal Sanctuary after a hearty lunch at the Chambal Safari Lodge. The road into the sanctuary passes through semi-arid acacia scrub and was teeming with birdlife – Common Babblers, Indian Robin, Sulphur-bellied Warbler, Rufous-fronted Prinia and the seldom-seen Jungle Bush Quail. The sand and gravel plains on the banks of the Chambal river held a plethora of Larks, including Crested, Hume’s, Sand and Greater Short-toed. Also present were Desert and Isabelline Wheatear. On the riverbank near to where we boarded the boat was Kentish and Little Ringed Plover, River Lapwing and Temnick’s Stint. As we entered the water we were treated to River Tern, Indian Skimmer, Great Thick Knee and Pallas’s Gull. We continued upstream and enjoyed sightings of the odd-looking Gharial. Bird of prey-wise we enjoyed a fly-over Short-toed Snake Eagle. The Bar-headed Goose is a lovely bird and we marvelled at the flocks flying by. Upon returning to our launch to head back to the lodge we were fortunate to sight the difficult-to-see Gangetic Dolphin.

Febraury 23 - Chambal Safari Lodge and the Taj Mahal


The timeless Taj

An early morning walk around the wooded grounds of Chambal Safari Lodge delivered our first group of exquisite Little Green Bee-eaters. The trees were alive with birds including the noisy Asian Koel, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, Hume’s Warbler and the stunning Plum-headed Parakeet. As we continued we added a group of Large Grey Babbler’s to our list, whilst watching the local Oriental Honey Buzzard being marauded by Large-billed Crows. We marvelled at a large roost of Indian Flying Foxes. During breakfast a pair of Yellow-wattled Lapwing flew over and perched on a nearby field. Breakfast was finished in a hurry to track down these lovely birds. We left Chambal Safari Lodge and headed for the Taj Mahal, dubbed as ‘simply the most divine building on the planet’ by Indian travel guidebooks. We did stop for a close-up view of an Indian Roller on the way. The Taj enthralled all – it is a uniquely majestic piece of architecture. In the Yumina River below the Taj we sighted a group of Ruddy Shelduck. After a relaxing lunch in Agra’s only revolving restaurant we slowly made our way to Bharaptur with some stops to purchase local crafts en route.

February 24 – Bund Beretha

An early departure from Bharatpur saw heading for the legendary Bund Beretha. Our first set of stops, at numerous small irrigation and waterways delivered the striking Yellow-eyed Babbler, our first of many White-breasted Waterhen, Common Rosefinch and Tawny Pipit. We all enjoyed better views of a group of Large Grey Babbler. A stop at the wetland systems below the dam wall at Bund Beretha delivered the exquisite Bronze-winged Jacana. We ascended onto the large, dated dam wall and marvelled at the plethora of waterfowl, waders and other wetland species below. New and exciting species for our lists included: Indian Cormorant, Garganey, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Asian Openbill, Eurasian Spoonbill and Gadwall. We moved onto the far side of the dam wall where we descended on some steps into a patch of riverine forest. Here, we stumbled upon a group of Olive-backed Pipits whilst a petite Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher called from the canopy above. The day was warming up and with Ranbir in the lead, we made our way through patched of acacia thicket to the now unused Bund Beretha Palace. The palace was built in the mid 1800s by the local Maharaja – and still stands regal over the plains below. Groups of Red-rumped Swallow were flying around the palace on above the road leading to it. Pairs of Brown Rock Chat hopped about the crumbling palace walls. It had become quite hot and Ranbir led us into the palace courtyard for some shade and a welcome packed lunch. Here we met Ali Baba, caretaker of the palace who boiled us some water for tea. The time had become to find more birds. We descended from the palace, and enjoyed views of the iridescent male Purple Sunbird. The birds were still fairly quiet and we took a brief siesta in the shade of a large tree. Upon starting up again, the action had improved: Spanish Sparrow, Bluethroat, White-eared Bulbul, Orphean Warbler, and for those who appreciated Tringa a genus, good views of Common Redshank. Frolicking and spishing about the edge of some reeds brought out a Clamarous Reed Warbler. We drove onto the bridge at the dam wall and Ranbir led us to sightings of Brown Crake, Grey Wagtail and Dusky Crag Martin. As it had now cooled down a fair bit we took a walk in the wetlands below the dam wall and spent some time trying to get a visual on a vocalising Smoky Warbler. We forgot about the Warbler once we found a cracking close up group of Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas whilst a somewhat out of range Northern Goshawk passed by overhead. In the late afternoon we made our way to Bayana, where we enjoyed distant views of Indian Vulture, and a superb close up look at Shikra perched above our van. As the sun set over the ancient villages and forts around us, we made our way back to our hotel in Bharatpur.

February 25 – Keoladeo National Park and Fatephur Sikri

Another early start saw us searching for Indian Courser on a bare patch of land between our hotel and the entrance to Keoladeo National Park. No Courser in sight – but we did manage to locate Yellow-wattled Lapwing and a group of Ashy-crowned Sparrowlark. The group was also treated to lovely views of the attractive Oriental Magpie Robin. We made our way to the entrance to Keoladeo National Park and to the area around the nursery and the temple. At the start of our walk we had brilliant close up views of Nilgai. Bharatpur and Keoladeo National Park is Ranbir’s local patch, and he proudly and quickly located roosting Grey and Large-tailed Nightjars and a Rufous Treepie in the trees above. Ashy Drongo, another Shikra, Hume’s, Greenish and Blythe’s Reed Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat – a remarkably common species at this time of year, followed this. We strolled across to the paths at the opposite end of the entrance barrier and were delighted to pick up on our first Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, as well as better sightings of Bluethroat. We had also entered raptor territory – within a short space of time we notched up Greater Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Imperial and Booted Eagle. We walked along to the famous wetland ponds where we enjoyed flocks of Sarus Crane, close up views of Spotted Redshank, Comb Duck and Ruddy Shelduck. We returned to our hotel for lunch and in the afternoon we visited Bharatpur Fort and old-town and the majestic Fatephur Sikri palace and adjoining mosque. Fatephur Sikri was built by the Moghul emperor Akbar – only to be deserted after only 7 years of occupation.

February 26 – Bharatpur and return to Delhi

At the crack of dawn we got onto our Bicycle rickshaws and travelled to the entrance to Keoladeo National Park in true Indian style. A stop on the main road between the entrance gate and the so-called centre-wheel provided for exquisite views of Orange-headed Thrush. Shortly thereafter we picked up on Tickell’s Thrush (Indian Grey Thrush is a more apt name for this rather solemn-coloured bird). As we neared the centrewheel we were treated to another magnificent display of waterfowl, herons, storks and waders. Productive ponds, contained feeding frenzies of 100s of Painted Storks, Great Egrets and Eurasian Spoonbills among others. Indian birders are the best I know in the world at finding nocturnal birds in broad daylight. True to form, Ranbir located a Collared Scops Owl at a roost, shortly followed by Dusky Eagle Owl on a nest. We all enjoyed the quintessential ‘spotted’ immature Greater Spotted Eagle perched nearby. At the tower at the centre wheel we had a group of very distant Pelicans, either Dalmatian or Great White – but alas – they were too far away to identify. After enjoying the centre wheel tower it was onto some more acacia thicket birding – this time with Dusky Warbler as the highlight, in a party with Lesser Whitethroats, Greenish and Hume’s Warbler and Common Chiffchaff. Ranbir smiled with delight as he finally located us a Black-necked Stork which he promised earlier in the morning. A large group of Common Cranes followed. We returned to our hotel for a scrumptious Indian lunch before hitting the busy road back to Delhi.

February 27 – Delhi via the Ganges crossing to Sat Tal

An early start saw us departing Delhi at 0630, after an early breakfast to beat the morning rush hour traffic. In Delhi’s eastern outskirts, we passed by a large dump. The skies over and around the dump and nearby power station were filled with Black Kites – whilst many more were perched on the power pylons and cables against the rising sun. We estimated that there at least 5000 to 10000. After 3 hours of travelling we reached the impressive crossing of the Ganges River at Gajraula. The crossing at Gajraula epitomises the true India – make-shift tractors, over-crowded busses and sleek new SUVs cross the river above, whilst below people are engaged in timeless scenes of tradition. We reached the foothills of the Himalayas around mid-morning and started climbing our first of many steep mountain passes. The agricultural lands just below the foothills delivered brief sightings of Long-legged Buzzard. As we ascended we picked up on our first Himalayan Griffon before passing through the picturesque mountain town of Nainital. We arrived at our lovely safari-style Alpine lodge in Sat Tal for a late lunch. After lunch we walked on the road up above the camp for a spectacular 2 hours late afternoon birding in which we notched up a whopping 18 new species for our trip list. A pair of grandiose Great Barbets started the show and our afternoon list soon included Blue Rock Thrush, Grey Bushchat, the gaudy Red-billed Leothrix, the outstandingly blue Verditer Flycather, White-throated Fantail, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush and Streaked Laughingthrush. Looking down a steep valleyside we located a pair of Kalij Pheasants much to everyone’s excitement. In the shrubs nearby Himalayan Bulbul and the colourful Grey-hooded Warbler entertained. We returned to our lodge and after dinner I tried to locate a vocalising Mountain Scops Owl with Ranbir’s help – but to no avail.

February 28 - Sat Tal to Nainital

The first bird on our morning walk was the scarce (at least during the season of our visit) Black-throated Sunbird. Soon thereafter we located a group of noisy White-throated Laughingthrush, followed by the impressive Grey Treepie and a small of group of Tree Pipit. After some effort we were successful in luring a Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler from some thick mountain scrub. This bird’s name says it all. Ranbir led us into the so-called “Accentor fields”. Here after, a fair bit of effort from Ranbir the group delighted in Bill Oddie’s quintessential CMF - Siberian Rubythroat. A pair - showing beautifully. Also in the “Accentor fields” were Grey-breasted Prinia and Chestnut-eared Bunting. Ranbir led us into the valley below the “Accentor fields”. Here we notched up a male and female Slaty Blue Flycatcher, Golden-spectacled, Buff-barred and Whistler’s Warbler, and our only Common Nightingale of the tour. Not far beyond – a group of Rufous-breasted Accentors and Rock Buntings were feeding on a bare patch. A little further down still, an excited Ranbir pointed us to a Chestnut-headed Tesia hopping about in the open. Unfortunately, not everyone got onto it before it darted off as Tesias tend to – but for those who saw it. Wow! Ranbir delved deep into thicket along the stream and flushed an Emerald Dove. On our way out of the valley we picked up on a group of Black-chinned Babblers as well as another Aberrant Bush Warbler. We headed back to our lodge for coffee and breakfast. After breakfast it was down to the dam wall at the bottom of Sat Tal valley for a delightful birding feast. It started with a colourful Yellow-bellied Fantail and another group of White-throated Laughingthrush. After some effort, we located a White-browed Scimitarbabbler in the growing bird party. More species kept appearing and next up was the aptly-named Blue-winged Minla as well as Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch. In the trees above we all managed to get clear views of the Slaty-headed Parakeet. Ranbir called us back up the path 200 metres. He had heard a group White-crested Laughingthrush. After a tad of searching, a large group of these wonderful birds noisily appeared. This species turned out to be the favourite of many on the tour. The birds kept coming. Both Greater and Lesser Yellownape in the same tree provided a neat comparison of these two audaciously coloured Woodpeckers. The excitement continued. Ranbir shrieked with delight as a Coral-billed Magpie flew over and landed in a nearby tree. After following the Magpie, for a little while, and everyone had good views we started walking back to our van. However, we were not yet done. We encountered another group of birders that had picked up on a Rufous-bellied Niltava – another exquisitely coloured species. The real surprise came in the form of a Eurasian Woodcock walking around in the open in the midday sun! Obscene. It really was time to head back for lunch. After lunch we travelled the mountain passes back through Nainital and to the Jungle Lore Birding Lodge situated at above 2000m in altitude. On the high ridges on the way to our lodge we had our first vista over the snow-capped high Himalayas in the distance. The mountain pass was still covered in patches of snow and ice from a snowstorm a few weeks prior to our visit.

1 March - Pangot and the Pheasant search

A predawn start this time after some hearty morning coffee in the chilled mountain air saw us heading on our first attempt at the range-restricted and very tricky Cheer and Koklass Pheasants. Our search for the Pheasants took us on an awe-inspiring mountain pass up Vinayak road to 2500m above sea level. En route, we enjoyed sublime views of the high Himalayas in the distance. The recent snowfalls had cleared the skies of the dust and cloud. Our Cheer Pheasant stake-out looks over ancient terraced fields in the valleys far below. It was a windy morning and we had to find a wind-protected spot to pick up on some of the higher altitude species. A mixed feeding flock (or shall we say Tit flock) delivered Yellow-browed, Green-backed, Black-throated and Grey-crested Tit. Near to the party of Tits we had a Himalayan Griffon do a very close fly-by. A flock of Altai Accentors flew past and landed in a tree to allow for better views. Higher up still we

located our first Long-tailed Thrush. It was a memorable morning but we had no luck with the Pheasants. Over lunch we had a pair of Indian Black Eagles flying over. After lunch we made our way down the Baggar valley. A pair of Peregrine Falcon patrolled a cliff face above. Lower down we had success in locating Russet Sparrow and brief views of Smoky Warbler. Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler was vocalising in dense undergrowth but did not show itself, nor did the Blue-throated Barbet. We returned to our mountain lodge whilst watching the setting sun over the Ganges plains far below.


Koklass and Cheer Pheasant track

2 March The Baggar Valley

We had an entire day dedicated to enjoying the birds the idyllic Baggar Valley. In the upper slopes just below our lodge we had Green-tailed Sunbird, Bar-tailed Treecreeper and Brown-fronted Woodpecker. At the stream-crossing below the Peregrine cliff Ranbir located a Long-billed Thrush hiding in a patch of dense undergrowth. It took him some time to get all of us onto this almost Snipe-like bird. Along the same stream we enjoyed Blue-capped Water Redstart as well as Phylloscopus feast: Buff-barred, Ashy-throated and Lemon-rumped Warbler. A pair of Pink-browed Rosefinch perched on some stream-side rocks and whilst a pair of Chestun-crowned Laughingthrush remained elusive for quite some time before everyone enjoyed a good view. A bright flash of red and yellow in the canopy above were a pair of both Long-tailed and Scarlet Minivets. We continued downwards and located a soaring Upland Buzzard and Grey-crowned Prinia. A pair of White-capped Water Redstarts were darting up and down the stream where we stopped for lunch. A little lower down from our lunch stop Ranbir found the spectacular Fire-tailed Sunbird and Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike. A calling Blue-throated Barbet refused to show itself. Back up the Baggar valley we went stopping again at the Smoky Warbler site for a brief try of our luck. No luck with the Smoky, but we were treated to a group of Yellow-breasted Greenfinch. We returned to Jungle Lore Lodge for a brief afternoon coffee, before the more ardent tickers headed up to “woodpecker point” to see what else we could find. A delicate Orange-flanked Bush Robin perched on the forest floor as we walked into the forest had already made the outing worthwhile. We spent quite some time tracking down a vocalising Owlet before and we treated to glorious views of Asian Barred Owlet staring at us from the canopy above. Grey-winged Blackbird and a bird party containing Spot-winged Tit and the higher altitude White-tailed Nuthatch followed. A Northern Goshawk flew over, as did a Common Raven. As we returned to our lodge in the last rays of afternoon sun, a Large-tailed Nightjar was calling from the forest nearby and a male Blue-capped Redstart provided for lovely views.

3 March –Koklass Pheasants and the Kosi River

The zealous Pheasant-finders were up pre-dawn once again for another stab at the Koklass and Cheer Pheasants. Our efforts were rewarded – a stroll up the mountain pass ahead of our van delivered excellent views of a pair of Koklass Pheasants. We breathed a sigh of relief before working a nearby bird party which contained Himalayan Woodpecker. Also seen were Goral (a species of Mountain Goat) and Lammergeier.

Our luck did not hold with the Cheer Pheasant which eluded us once again. It was time to pack our bags and head back down the steep mountain passes towards the Kosi River and the nearby Corbett National Park. A stop at Sadiya Tal delivered both Little and Spotted Forktail, much to the delight of the group. In the later afternoon we called in at the Corbett Falls where we were treated to the immaculate Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, the much sought-after Speckled Piculet, Asian Brown Flycatcher and Lineated Barbet. We arrived at the famous Kosi River Barrage with just enough light to spare to locate the resident Wallcreeper. Unfortunately, we had flight views only. A huge amassing roost of White-browed and White Wagtails along the barrage impressed. We arrived at the stylish Tiger Camp and enjoyed a lovely buffet feast for dinner. After a long day, Pierre was the only one with the energy to join me in chasing after a vocalising Brown Hawk Owl. We were treated to lovely close-up views.

4 March – Kosi River and Elephant-back Tiger hunt in Corbett

Birding started on the road from Tiger Camp to Dhangari Gate, our entry point into the legendary Corbett National Park. Our mode of transport had changed from our trusted van to open jeeps provided by Tiger Camp. Along the road we added Chestnut-tailed Starling, Alexandrine Parakeet, Spangled Drongo and Chestnut-headed Bee-eater to our growing lists. We took a walk into the Kosi River where we located Red-whiskered Bulbul and enjoyed stunning views of a perched Crescent Serpent Eagle. A river-side cliff face, carved out by the torrent that is the Kosi River delivered another Wallcreeper. Longer and better views this time, particularly as the bird came down into the riverbed itself to feed between the rocks and pebbles. Soon after relishing the Wallcreeper we entered into Corbett National Park – the oldest in India, named after its namesake: the famous Jim Corbett. The National Park hosts a rich array of bird species and we had better looks at the Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike and a startlingly plumaged Crimson Sunbird perched right next to our jeep. Ranbir’s stakeout for Tawny Fish Owl delivered (after some help from another birding group we must admit). Soaring Red-headed Vultures added to our list as did a group of striking Crested Treeswifts and an aerial flock of White-rumped Needletail. We ground to a halt for a small bird perched atop a dead tree that turned into a petit Collared Falconet. The colourful Golden-fronted Leafbird also delighted. After lunch we embarked on a memorable search for Tigers on elephant-back. We located fresh signs of tiger in the form a kill, spoor and droppings – but alas, no tiger. We returned to our accommodations at Dikhala in the late afternoon.


Our elephant-back Tiger adventure in Corbett

5 March Corbett National Park to Riverine Woods

Getting to Riverine Woods

Our early morning drive took us along Sambhar Road to Khinnanaul – an area where Tiger is frequently seen. Sightings on the drive included Hannuman Langur, Sambar and more Spotted Deer. The morning drive was dedicated to Tigers but we did manage to find some new birds in the form of Greater Flameback and Rufous Woodpecker. Our excitement grew as we heard a Tiger grunt in the distance. Our jeep raced to a good position, where our tiger-tracker thought it may cross. Luck however, was not on our side and we did not get a visual of the “Giant Striped Cat”. Having spent a good deal of time searching for the Tiger we headed into the Chaur grasslands where Ranbir found us a pair of range-restricted Hodgson’s Bushchat and we also located Tawny and Paddyfield Pipit. Due to the rather ‘odd’ gate and time restrictions in Corbett we had a few hours to relax at Dikhala Lodge which overlooks the Ramganga river below. A kill by tigers the night before had now attracted a swarm of vultures. Although we had not seen the Tigers, we did delight in the results of their handiwork – Cinerous and Red-headed Vulture appeared together with Eurasian Griffon and the now scarce White-rumped and the odd Egyptian Vulture. Whilst watching the feast of Vultures a Black Stork started circling above. It was time to leave Corbett and we exited again at Dhangari gate Although we had not seen Tiger in Corbett we did not do badly on the mammal front: Barking Deer, Indian Muntjiac, Spotted Deer, Sambar and Wild Boar were all sighted. A few more impressive mountain passes got us to the turn off to Riverine Woods notching up Orange-bellied Leafbird en route. Here, we had to cross the bumpy Ramganga river three times which entailed lifting our feet so they did not get wet (picture)! The wettish ordeal was worth it as Riverine Woods is stunning. Pierre and I took a walk along the river in the late afternoon light and managed to find another Spotted Forktail and to add Crested Kingfisher and Savanna Nightjar to our lists.

6 March – Riverine woods, Kumeria and return to Delhi

We enjoyed a lovely morning walk in the scenic surrounds of Riverine Woods. Great excitement abounded as a Great Hornbill flew over in the early morning light. Ranbir tried to get us onto a Greyish-flanked Bush Warbler in a dense patch of shrubs but had no luck. A little further on we had Black-throated Accentor but once again only Ranbir got onto a pair of White-tailed Rubythroats. Brown Dipper, one of the species we were hoping for was not to be found and we returned back to the lodge for a delicious breakfast before embarking on the road to Mahan. Perched above us in the trees on the way was a Mountain Hawk Eagle. A brief stop at the Mahan crossing delivered more views of Chestnut-headed Tesia as well as Puff-throated Babbler. Time was catching up with us and we made a dash for Kumeria – our last hope for the Brown Dipper. Ranbir and I with the help of the group scrutinised every rock and pebble, until at last we found a Brown Dipper perched dead still in a shadow of a large boulder. We could all get up close and enjoy it. Nice one. The time had come to return to Delhi – but not before a hearty lunch at Tiger Camp and a closer view of a nesting White-rumped Vulture…

Rajastahn Cultural Extension

7 March – Delhi to the Desert Resort, Mandawa

Another early morning departure out of Delhi to beat the morning traffic saw us head past the ultra-modern hi-tech office parks on the outskirts of the city on a new multilane freeway. For a little while it felt like we were in the Silicon Valley. The true India returned soon enough as we turned off the main road towards Mandawa and the bumpy roads and rickety, unpredictable traffic returned. We arrived in our spectacular desert resort just before a scrumptious lunch. After lunch our cultural guide joined us in touring the extraordinary murals of Mandawa. These murals were crafted by the Marwari merchants of the 17 th to 19 th century. The Marawaris went on to play an important part in India’s struggle for independence and building up Indian industry and business through the 20 th century. It was the cultural extension but Pierre and I could not stop ourselves from doing some birding in the expansive resort grounds in the late afternoon. The highlight was certainly the range-restricted Rajastahn special the Stolizka’s Bushchat. Other highlights included a good sighting of Jungle Bush Quail and Bay-backed Shrike.

8 March – Mandawa to Jaipur

Some of the group embarked on a morning walk around the resort grounds which delivered Lesser Whitethroat, a stunning Citrine Wagtail and a Green Sandpiper. All were close up and allowed for excellent photographic opportunities. After breakfast we headed for the city of Jaipur founded in 1727 by the Kwachwaha. Jaipur is the cleanest and neatest of the larger Indian cities on our itinerary. After checking into our austere guest house we visited the imposing Amber Fort just to the north of the city – originally built just over 1000 years ago. The fort is on a mountaintop and offers spectacular vistas of the surrounding area. After a few hours we exited the fort past a bare patch of land which functioned as a makeshift cricket pitch – a common phenomenon in India. We were pleased to find a single Variable Wheatear near one of the long boundaries. On our way back to Jaipur city we stopped at the Jal Mahal water palace which stands empty most of the time and is only used by the Maharaja for a weeks in summer. The lake held a plethora of migrating waterfowl and waders including Little Ringed Plover in full breeding plumage. We returned to our accommodations at the Shahparha house to a scrumptious dinner.

9 March – Jaipur

After seeing how good the Jal Mahal lake was for waterbirds, we returned to the lake fringe for a stint of early morning wetland birding and thornveld birding. Mostly, we enjoyed further and in some cases better views of species seen earlier on the tour with a White-browed Fantail in some thickets being a notable exception. A nearby Rufous Treepie allowed for stunning photographic opportunities as did nesting Black-winged Stilts and Little Grebes. After birding we made our way to the City Palace which lies at the heart of Jaipur’s historic Pink City. Our group was intrigued by the Jantar Montar Astronomic Observatory built in the 1700s and was one of the world’s leading astronomic observatories at the time. It was time for some shopping and a few large factory outlets provided for fabrics and clothes not easy to find back home. After a delicious lunch and a few beers we visited the Jaighar Fort which housed the world’s largest cannon for a period of time. This was followed by the Nawargarh fort which went has changed purpose from a fort to a palace a couple of times. The eight secret passageways which enabled the Maharajah to visit one wife without the others knowing amused all. The Nawargarh fort provided excellent views over the city of Jaipur in the late afternoon. We returned to our hotel for an early dinner due to the early start required for the extension to the Kathmandu Valley on the following day.


View over Jaipur from Nawargarh fort

10 March – Jaipur to Delhi

We started early on our last day for our flight to Kathmandu for our extension tour in the Kathmandu valley. We allowed plenty of buffer time for any ‘uncommon’ traffic jams we may have encountered en route. An “uncommon traffic jam” in India is defined by the locals as one in which people turn off their cars and get out to see what is going on. We only encountered one “uncommon traffic jams” and got the airport in good time for our Kathmandu Valley Extension tour.

Total Species Count: 364

Tour Participants:

Pierre and Bronwyn Hofmeyer

Neville and Edit Steyn

Chris and Wenda Redfern

International Guide: Duan Biggs

Local Guide: Ranbir Singh