INDIA 19 Jan – 14 Feb 2007

Report by Stijn De Win

GUJARAT – JAIPUR – AGRA – OKHLA – CHAMBALRIVER – BANDHAVGARH AND KANHA

ITINERARY    19 January Morning flight Bangkok – Delhi with Air India (1,5 hours delay), Delhi Hotel Blue.    20 January Pick up Sara at domestic airport, taxi to Nizzamudin train station for night train to Ahmedabad    21 January Arrival Ahmedabad in morning and bus to Bhuj, pick up in evening and drive to Cedo centre.    22 January Morning birding Banni grassland + lagoon.  Afternoon at Fulay for Hypocolius and evening again Banni.    23 January Naliya grassland areas, Indian Bustard etc.  Small area of thorn-scrub in evening on way back.    24 January Morning in thorn-forest for White-naped Tit.  Afternoon taxi to Dhrangadra.  Evening drive to lodge near Little Rann of Kutch.    25 January All day jeep drive in Little Rann of Kutch.  Asiatic Ass etc.

Male Tiger at Kanha NP                                Nine months old cup at Bandhavgarh NP.

26 January Early morning bus Dhrangadra – Junagath (5h30-11h30).  Internet, ATM and lunch in Junagath.  Taxi to Sasan Gir.  Rajestri Guest House. Walk along river next to village.    27 January Morning safari Gir NP, 7h-9h20, route 3. (3015Rs for 4 persons, no Lion) Walk along river near village. 11h30-13h40 (hot!) Evening safari, 15h30-18h30, route 2. (3015Rs, no Lion) Motorbike night drive.    28 January Morning safari Gir NP, 7h-10h30, agriculture/village! Route + route 3. (3015Rs, no Lion) 7 km Lion walk in Gir NP, 12h10-13h50  (1000Rs only if seen, we paid!) Walk along river. (16h30-18h30) Taxi to Junagath, Relief Hotel.

Asiatic Lion at Gir NP, 12m away while we were on foot, no armed guard with us!                       Indian Bushlark.

29 January Climb 4000 steps (+ 750m altitude) to main temple complex on Girnar Hill.  Sara climbed the 5000 steps to the top.  This got us stiff for the next 6 days! Taxi to Diu.  Alishan Hotel.    30 January Morning walk to Diu fort. 14h00 ricksha to Una, 15h25 taxi to Bavnagar    31 January Taxi to Velavadar NP and on to Ahmedabad (12h00) In evening, start on night train to Jaipur.    1 February Arrival 8h00 Jaipur train station.  Visit Amber fort/palace, coffee day and subway. Train to Agra 16h00, late arrival at Agra. Hotel the Oasis.    2 February Morning Agra town. 12h20 start to Chambal Safari lodge with taxi, arrival 13h45.  Start drive to Chambal river 14h20.  River boat trip 15h00-18h00. (2500Rs/person) Dolphins, Skimmers, Black-bellied Tern…

Indian Skimmers                                            and Gharial at the Chambal River Sanctuary.

3 February Morning birding on Chambal lodge grounds + surrounding fields and village pond. Drive back to Agra at noon. Evening visit to viewpoint for Taj Mahal on opposite site of the Yamuna river.    4 February Visit Red fort , Agra.  Evening train to Delhi. (second sitting class!)    5 February Delhi.  Sara to airport 23h00 and back to Belgium. Hotel Blue    6 February Visit Okhla Island with taxi 7h00-12h00. In evening night train to Katni. (for Bandhavgarh)

At the Red Fort in Agra.                                                                                 Taj Mahal

7 February Arrival at Katni 10h30 (2h20 delay), taxi to Tala (1250Rs, 2h20 drive) Evening safari Bandhavgarh NP, 15h00-18h00 Stay at Kum kum home.    8 February Morning safari 6h30-10h30, Tigers! At noon walk near hotel. Evening safari.    9 February Morning safari, mother Tiger with 2 cups on kill (Sambar)! Rest of day birding on foot along road to Umaria and along stream from NP-gate.    10 February Rain in morning and walk along road to Umaria. Taxi Tala (Bandhavgarh) to Khatia (Kanha), 10h00-15h15 Evening walk on Kanha nature trail, 16h00-18h00 Barasingha resort.   11 February Morning safari Kanha NP, to Soph grassland, 6h30-12h00.  Gaur and Swamp Deer. At noon walk along river near Wild Chalet. Evening safari.    12 February Morning safari, Mukki range and Kanha grasslands. Male Tiger. Evening safari to Kanha grasslands, rain and cold. 8 Gaur seen.    13 February Due to rain park was closed in morning.  It cleared up later and they opened certain tracks at 8h45.  Male Tiger from elephant. Left Kanha NP 11h00 and start drive to Jabalpur at noon.  Arrive Jabalpur 15h15, café coffee day and train to Delhi at 18h00.    14 February Arrival with train Delhi Nizzamudin 16h00 (4,5 hours late!)    15 February Morning flight Delhi to Frankfurt.  High speed train to Dusseldorf.  Car to Belgium.

Asiatic Wild Ass, Little Rann of Kutch.                  Indian Bustard, Greater Rann of Kutch.

BIRD LIST List follows Grimmett, Inskipp, Inskipp, Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. xPainted Francolin ; pair Kanha NP xGrey Francolin ; common Kutch (Kutch=Bhuj-Naliya area) , few Chambal Safari lodge Common Quail ; pair Banni Kutch Barred Buttonquail ; two Bandhavgarh NP Red Junglefowl Indian Peafowl Greylag Goose ; Okhla xBar-headed Goose ; 100+ Chambal river, few Okhla Lesser Whistling Duck ; Kanha NP only Ruddy Shelduck ; Chambal river Common Shelduck ; Chambal river, Agra Comb Duck ; pair Chambal safari lodge (village pond) Cotton Pygmy-Goose ; Kanha NP Gadwall ; Kanha NP only Eurasian Wigeon ; Little Rann Spot-billed Duck ; Chambal river Common Teal Northern Pintail Northern Shoveler Tufted Duck Rufous Woodpecker ; one Kanha NP Yellow-crowned Woodpecker ; pair Chambal safari lodge grounds Black-rumped Flameback ; Chambal safari lodge, Kanha NP White-naped Woodpecker ; Bandhavgarh and Kanha NP Brown-headed Barbet Coppersmith Barbet xIndian Grey Hornbill ; Chambal, Bandhavgarh and Kanha Malabar Pied Hornbill ; two Bandhavgarh Common Hoopoe Indian Roller Common Kingfisher White-throated Kingfisher Green Bee-eater xCommon Hawk Cuckoo ; Bandhavgarh and Kanha Asian Koel Greater Coucal Rose-ringed Parakeet Plum-headed Parakeet xWhite-rumped Needletail ; group Kanha NP Pallid Swift ; A large pale brown swift seen in Kutch was believed to be this species. Asian Palm Swift House Swift Crested Treeswift Brown Fish Owl ; one Bandhavgarh daytime xMottled Wood Owl ; pair at roost Bandhavgarh gate, 1 mobbed by Jungle Babblers Kum kum house garden (Tala-Bandhavgarh) Jungle Owlet ; 3-4 Kanha NP Spotted Owlet Brown Hawk Owl ; pair at roost Chambal safari lodge grounds Indian Nightjar ; heard Gir Nightjar spec. ; Banni, Gir Rock Pigeon Oriental Turtle Dove Laughing Dove Spotted Dove Red Collared Dove Eurasian Collared Dove xYellow-footed Green Pigeon ; common xIndian Bustard ; 1 male grasslands near Naliya Sarus Crane ; one from train south of Delhi, few from car near Ahmedabad Common Crane ; large numbers Kutch, Little Rann White-breasted Waterhen Purple Swamphen Common Moorhen Common Coot xChestnut-bellied Sandgrouse ; Kutch Common Snipe Common Redshank Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Green Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Temmincks Stint Little Stint Ruff Greater Painted-Snipe ; one female seen well Bandhavgarh xIndian Courser ; 6-7 Kutch Eurasian Thick-knee ; 2 pairs Kanha NP Black-winged Stilt Great Thick-knee ; 6 Chambal river Little Ringed Plover Yellow-wattled Lapwing ; few Kutch and Kanha NP River Lapwing ; Chambal river Red-wattled Lapwing White-tailed Lapwing ; 3 Okhla xCaspian Gull (formerly with Yellow-legged, Larus cachinnans) ; few Chambal river Pallas’s Gull ; hundreds Chambal river Black-headed Gull ; Okhla Gull-billed Tern xRiver Tern ; Banni Kutch, Gir, Chambal river and lodge

Rufous-tailed Shrike, Gujarat.                                                                                          Green Bee-eater

xBlack-bellied Tern ; 5 Chambal river xIndian Skimmer ; approx. 45 Chambal river Osprey ; Gir Black-shouldered Kite Black Kite Egyptian Vulture ; Gir, Chambal and Bandhavgarh White-rumped Vulture ; few Kutch and 2 ad, 2 juv. Kanha NP, approx. 10 Dhrangadra town Long-billed Vulture ; approx. 20 both at Girnar hill (Junagath) and Bandhavgarh Eurasian Griffon ; few Kutch Red-headed Vulture ; only one Kanha NP Short-toed Snake Eagle Crested Serpent Eagle Eurasian Marsh Harrier ; Little Rann, Okhla Pallid Harrier ; 10s Kutch incl. males Montagu’s Harrier ; 10s Kutch incl. males Shikra Oriental Honey Buzzard xWhite-eyed Buzzard ; few Gir, one Kanha NP Common Buzzard ; one Kutch Long-legged Buzzard ; several Kutch Greater Spotted Eagle ; two Kutch Banni Tawny Eagle ; one Kutch Banni Steppe Eagle ; common Kutch Banni Changeable Hawk Eagle ; Gir, Bandhavgarh, Kanha NP Common Kestrel Red-necked Falcon ; one Chambal river Laggar Falcon ; one Little Rann Peregrine Falcon Little Cormorant Great Cormorant Little Egret Western Reef Egret ; Kutch Intermediate Egret Cattle Egret Indian Pond Heron Grey Heron Purple Heron Little Heron Yellow Bittern Cinnamon Bittern Greater Flamingo ; few Little Rann Lesser Flamingo ; 100s Little Rann Glossy Ibis ; Kutch Black-headed Ibis ; Kutch, Chambal Black Ibis ; Kutch, Gir, Bandhavgarh, Kanha Eurasian Spoonbill ; Chambal, Little Rann Great White Pelican ; 10s Little Rann Dalmatian Pelican ; approx 10 Little Rann incl. 1 ad breeding plumage (red! pouch) Painted Stork ; few Chambal Woolly-necked Stork ; 3 birds each at Gir, Bandhavgarh and Kanha, one from train south of Delhi White Stork ; single at Banni Kutch Black Stork ; single at Kanha NP Black-necked Stork ; 2 soaring near Lala bustard sanctuary, Kutch Lesser Adjutant ; 3 Bandhavgarh xRufous-tailed Shrike, isabellinus ; common Kutch, 1 Okhla, few Kanha xBay-backed Shrike ; few throughout Long-tailed Shrike Southern Grey Shrike ; 2 Kutch, 1 Chambal Rufous Treepie ; common House Crow Large-billed Crow Black-hooded Oriole Large Cuckooshrike Small Minivet ; Kutch and Gir

Jungle Babbler near Chambal.                            Steppe Eagle, Greater Rann of Kutch.

Scarlet Minivet White-browed Fantail ; Gir, Bandhavgarh, Kanha Black Drongo Ashy Drongo White-bellied Drongo Spangled Drongo ; Kanha only Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Black-naped Monarch xMarshall’s Iora ; Kutch Common Woodshrike Blue Rock Thrush Orange-headed Thrush, x cyanotus spp of the peninsula, 2 at Kanha NP xTickell’s Thrush ; 4-5 Bandhavgarh (White Tiger lodge grounds and surroundings) and 1 Kanha (Wild Chalet resort grounds) xDark-throated Thrush, atrogularis ; 4 Bandhavgarh and 3 Kanha (same spots as Tickell’s) Asian Brown Flycatcher Red breasted Flycatcher ; common xUltramarine Flycatcher, superciliaris ; 1 male Bandhavgarh, 3 males Kanha nature trail Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher Bluethroat Oriental Magpie Robin Indian Robin Black Redstart Siberian Stonechat xWhite-tailed Stonechat ; several pairs Okhla Pied Bushchat xBrown Rock-Chat ; 3 Amber fort Jaipur, 1 Red fort Agra, few en route Agra area xVariable Wheatear ; several Kutch Desert Wheatear ; common Kutch Isabelline Wheatear ; few Kutch Brahminy Starling Rosy Starling ; common Gujarat and 1000s coming to roost in the evening at Ahmedabad train station was an impressive sight Asian Pied Starling Common Myna xBank Myna ; small numbers throughout trip, not Kanha Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch ; 2 Bandhavgarh xWhite-crowned Penduline Tit ; 1+2 Okhla, surprise bird of the trip! Great Tit Sand Martin ; common Kutch Plain Martin ; Chambal Dusky Crag Martin ; Kutch, Girnar hill, Gir NP Barn Swallow Wire-tailed Swallow ; Kutch, Gir, Chambal, Bandhavgarh Red-rumped Swallow xWhite-eared Bulbul ; fairly common Kutch Red-vented Bulbul xGrey Hypocolius ; 3 males Fulay Kutch xRufous-fronted Prinia ; few Kutch Grey-breasted Prinia Jungle Prinia Graceful Prinia ; few near Velavadar Plain Prinia Ashy Prinia Zitting Cisticola Oriental White-eye Rusty-rumped Warbler ; 1 Okhla Paddyfield Warbler ; Kutch Banni, Okhla Clamorous Reed Warbler ; Kutch Banni Striated Grassbird ; 1 Okhla Booted Warbler ; 2 Kutch Lesser Whitethroat ; several Kutch Orphean Warbler ; few Kutch Common Tailorbird Common Chiffchaff xSulphur-bellied Warbler ; 1 Bandhavgarh Tickell’s Leaf Warbler ; 1 Kanha NP Hume’s Warbler ; Chambal safari lodge, Bandhavgarh Greenish Warbler Tawny-bellied Babbler ; Bandhavgarh Yellow-eyed Babbler ; 1 Kanha NP Common Babbler ; Kutch Banni xStriated Babbler ; common Okhla xLarge Grey Babbler ; common in agriculture around Chambal safari lodge Jungle Babbler Brown-cheeked Fulvetta ; few Kanha NP xIndian Bushlark ; fairly common Kutch, few Chambal lodge area Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark xRufous-tailed Lark ; 2 en route Bhuj-Dhangadhra, 1 Little Rann Bimaculated Lark ; few Kutch Greater Short-toed Lark ; very common Kutch Sand Lark ; few Chambal river Crested Lark xSykes’s Lark ; 10+ Kutch area Oriental Skylark ; several Okhla Thick-billed Flowerpecker Purple Sunbird House Sparrow Chestnut-shouldered Petronia White-wagtail White-browed Wagtail Citrine Wagtail Yellow Wagtail Grey Wagtail Paddyfield Pipit Tawny Pipit Tree Pipit Olive-backed Pipit xBlack-breasted Weaver ; 1 Okhla Baya Weaver Indian Silverbill White-rumped Munia Crested Bunting ; 1 Kanha NP Grey-necked Bunting ; common Kutch area

Amber Fort at Jaipur.                                                          Sunset on the Chambal River.

MAMMAL LIST   Chital  (Axis axis) ; common Gir, Bandhavgarh, Kanha Swamp Deer (Cervus duvaucelli) or Barasingha ; only site for this species in Central India is Kanha          NP ; approx. 40 Soph Grassland, few at both Kanha Grassland and Mukki range. Sambar (Cervus unicolor) ; Gir, Bandhavgarh and Kanha, and 1 ‘kill’ by Tiger Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) ; Kutch, Gir, Little Rann, Velavadar Indian Muntjac (or Barking Deer) (Muntiacus muntjak) ;  few Gir and Kanha Chinkara (or Indian Gazelle) (Gazella bennetti) ; few Kutch grasslands Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) ; 100s Velavadar Gaur (Bos frontalis) ; Kanha NP, up to 8 incl. male and young, most in the Kisli gate area, seen on             all 3 days of visit. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) ; 2 Little Rann (white tail tip) Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) ; one Gir Indian Hare (or Black-naped Hare) (Lepus nigricollis) ; one Kutch Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) ; one Kutch from car in morning, one near Chambal safari lodge in             daytime Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) ; 2 males Gir, seen on foot only about 10-12m away. Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) ; mother with 2 cups, 9 months old that were almost as big as             the mother, seen from elephant at Bandhavgarh ; 2 males at Kanha NP, one from elephant             and another one from jeep. Asiatic Ass (or Khur) (Equus Hemionus) ; approx. 50 Little Rann Hanuman Langur (Semnopithecus entellus) ; Gir, Bandhavgarh and Kanha Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) ; Bandhavgarh Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) ; Gir, Bandhavgarh and Kanha Ganges Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) ; 2 on Chambal river boat trip Flying Fox spp  ; colony at Chambal safari lodge Large Bandicoot-Rat (Bandicota indica) ; Kutch Tree-striped Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) ; Gir, Dhrangadra etc.   REPTILES Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) ; one 3m long Gir, one big Chambal river boat trip Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) ; loads on Chambal river sand banks

Stijn De Win / Birding2asia.com has published this information page on 3 September 2009.