BIRDING
TOURS OF NORTH INDIA
Duration: 13 nights/14 days
Places to See: Delhi - Bharatpur - Delhi
Day 1:Delhi - Bharatpur
You are scheduled to arrive in Delhi by early morning and there will then be
an opportunity to relax and recover after your flight at one of the city hotels.
Those mpatient to sample the new avifauna can join an excursion to the Yamuna
River at Okhla, one of the best birdwatching sites in urban Delhi.
Here on the exposed mud flats we can expect to see a variety of waterbirds and
waders including Little Cormorant, Brown-headed Gull, Black-bellied Tern, Pond
Heron, Red-wattled Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, White-breasted Kingfisher
and many other characteristic Indian species.
Great clouds of Black Kites wheel over the city in the afternoon thermals and
various other raptors drift across the sky although sadly the once abundant
White-backed Vultures are now very scarce following a mysterious viral disease
which has severely depleted their numbers. Passerines around the Okhla barrage
might include several shrike species, Citrine Wagtails, Paddyfield Pipits, mynas
and possibly a few warblers in the bushes.
Okhla is a fine place to gain an introduction to the Indian avifauna and may
even provide a few rarer surprises or perhaps the very local White-tailed Stonechat
and Striated Babbler, two Gangetic specialities. Later we take a four-hour drive
to Bharatpur for the stay of six nights in a hotel just outside the reserve.
Day 2-6 :Bharatpur
Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur is arguably the finest bird sanctuary
in the world. Formerly a shooting preserve of the Rajput Maharajahs of Bharatpur,
it is just 29 sq. km. in extent but holds a remarkable diversity of habitats.
The wetlands - marshes and flooded "jheels" - are contained within
acacia-lined "bunds", or embankments, and irrigated by a system
of canals and sluices.
Around them lie semi-arid grass and scrubland and some excellent broad-leaved
Kadam woodland. Over 350 species of birds have been recorded in the park and
in five days we are likely to see well over 100 of them.
Amongst these will be an unequalled array of wetland species, a great variety
of vultures, eagles and owls, plus numerous small landbirds. As well as birds,
the park has an excellent variety of wild mammals; Nilgai (blue bull), Sambar
and Spotted Deer, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Boar, Asiatic Jackal, Smooth Indian
Otter and two species of mongoose are all common, and this is one of the few
places in India where the rare Fishing Cat may be seen.
At night the howling of the Jackals lends a chill to the warmest of evenings
and a variety of nocturnal creatures begin their foraging including a number
of Indian Porcupines. Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a stunning birdwatching
locality which ranks alongside the best in the world. Amazingly compact, it
provides the kind of spectacle that almost defies description.
The flooded jheels ensure sheltered feeding and refuge for countless thousands
of geese, ducks, storks, herons and waders. Many of the storks, herons and
egrets begin to nest during the monsoon rains which extend into September
and with a protracted breeding season it is usual to see much activity around
the tree-top colonies until well into February.
The only C
rane
to nest at Bharatpur is the impressively huge Sarus, long afforded protection
in India as a sacred bird, but their powerful trumpeting cries are not the
only crane calls to sound across the marshes as flocks of Common Cranes take
advantage of the reserve during the winter months and are sometimes joined
by a few Demoiselle.
The magnificent Siberian White Crane was formerly a regular sight at Keoladeo
but despite being afforded complete protection during their winter sojourn,
these conspicuous birds have been severely depleted by shooting during their
long migration and these days are only irregular visitors. Favouring the edges
of the wetlands, both Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas delicately
pick their way across the aquatic vegetation, Purple Swamphens and White-breasted
Waterhens are numerous and other more secretive crakes may be encountered
by the fortunate observer.
Pelicans are regular visitors, both White and Dalmatian, often soaring in
thermals with great flocks of Painted Storks, Open-billed Storks and raptors.
Birds of Prey at Bharatpur form another great attraction for birdwatchers.
A typical day walking around the reserve will produce dozens of raptor sightings
and the range of species includes Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Imperial, Steppe,
Tawny and Bonelli's Eagles with the possibility of also seeing wandering White-tailed,
Pallas's Fishing and even Golden Eagles. More often to be seen sitting on
a suitable branch than flying, the Bharatpur eagles present many identification
headaches!
Moving away from the wetland habitat there is much to see in the extensive
kadum woodlands and the acres of thorny acacia scrub. These are the haunts
of Dusky Eagle Owls, Spotted Owlets, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Grey Hornbill,
Coppersmith Barbets, Lesser Goldenback Woodpeckers, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch,
minivets, Common-Wood Shrikes and many other forest birds including the elusive
Spotted Creeper. During the winter months, visitors from the Himalayas join
the resident species in these woodlands and it is during this season that
various flycatchers, warblers and thrushes occur to add excitement to the
daily birding.
The charismatic Siberian Rubythroat is a regular visitor to the undergrowth
in the Park as are Olive-backed Pipits, Red-breasted Flycatchers, several
species of thrush and many Bluethroats. Warbler afficionados have plenty to
search for with Clamorous Reed, Paddyfield, Blyth's Reed, Yellow-browed, Moustached,
Cetti's, Smoky and Dusky Warblers all to be anticipated, albeit by no means
all easy to find! As well as the migrants, the Reserve is also host to an
impressive variety of birds typical of northern India, a list which includes;
Grey Francolin, Red-wattled Lapwing, Common Green Pigeon, Red Turtle Dove,
Coucal, Pied, White-breasted and Common Kingfishers, Indian Roller, Hoopoe,
Black Drongo, Pied and Common Mynas, Tree-Pie, Red-vented and White-cheeked
Bulbuls, Jungle and Large Grey Babblers, Indian Robin, Magpie Robin, Citrine
and Large Pied 
Wagtails,
Purple Sunbird, Yellow-throated Petronia, Bay-backed and Long-tailed Shrikes.
Yet more awaits in the more isolated arid corners of the Reserve. It is here
that one or two introduced Blackbuck may be found but of ornithological interest
are occasional appearances by Sociable Lapwing, Indian Coursers and other
dry-country birds. During our stay we will also visit the Chambal River (a
70 kilometres drive) and Bund Baretha - a large reservoir situated 30 kilometres
from Bharatpur. The River Chambal is one of the country’s most beautiful
and least polluted river systems. The National Chambal Sanctuary was formed
to protect this pristine river ecosystem, complete with its varied flora,
aquatic life and avifauna. The Chambal River, which is the mainstay for the
entire wildlife of the sanctuary, harbours a variety of aquatic life such
as the elusive, and endangered, Gangetic Dolphin, Marsh Crocodile, Gharial
or Fish Eating Crocodile, Freshwater Turtles, River Otters and a various species
of fish.
The surrounding environs of the river are a true bird watcher’s delight
offering the chance to add several species not found at Bharatpur such as
Indian River and Black-bellied Terns, Great Black-headed Gull and the bizarre
Indian Skimmer, often to be found resting on sand-bars in mid-river. Passerines
here can include Common Babbler, Tawny Pipit, Sand, Short-toed, Crested and
Rufous-tailed Larks. Bund Baretha is a large reservoir which is also noted
as a good location to find Indian Skimmer and other waterbirds. The surrounding
arid countryside is worth checking for sandgrouse, Indian Coursers, Yellow-wattled
Lapwing,
Eastern Pied, Isabelline and Desert Wheatears along with a number of prinia
species to test identification skills. Bharatpur is fulfilment of an ornithological
dream and even with the time at our disposal there is always so much more
to do and see in this wonderful wildlife sanctuary.
Day 7: Delhi
A day of sightseeing in Agra begins with a visit to the deserted ruins of
Fatehpur Sikri, once the capital of the Mogul Empire, which is situated roughly
half way between Bharatpur and Agra City. Dusky Crag Martins skim over the
red sandstone walls of this ancient place and although the accent is on history
during our visit, birds are always on hand for those members of the party
with less interest in the events of the past. Hoopoes, Brown Rock Chats and
possibly a Blue Rock Thrush might be seen as we walk around and clouds of
Black Kites and vultures circle overhead, the latter likely to include several
Long-billed.
On occasions wintering Wallcreepers find the numerous rocky crevices worthy
of investigation and if we are really lucky we may come upon one of the resident
Eagle Owls. About one hour from Fatehpur Sikri we enter the historic city
of Agra and enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort
but these world-famous buildings are not without ornithological interest for
those reluctant to abandon birding. The Yamuna River here is always populated
by flocks of waders and the skies filled with Black Kites. Possibilities include
Ruddy Shelduck, River Lapwing, Avocet, Marsh Sandpiper, River and Black-bellied
Terns, Great Black-headed and Brown-headed Gulls, Lagger Falcon and Spotted
Owlet.
The quieter corners of the Taj gardens might reveal barbets, Grey Hornbills
and perhaps a few warblers. Omnipresent at every site are the chittering,
inquisitive little Palm Squirrels and a fine mixture of colourful butterflies.
Today though the birds take second place to the magnificent buildings and
prime among these is the breathtakingly beautiful white marble monument of
the Taj Mahal, one of the best known images of India but never a disappointment
in real life. In the evening we will take our train to Delhi (a 3-hour journey).
Here we will be transferred to International airport to catch the plane to
London.
Day 8 : Depart
We depart Delhi late evening/in the early hours of the morning on scheduled
flight back home.
BIRDING
TOURS OF NORTH INDIA - RESERVATION FORM
