India - Bharatpur & Chambal

Transcription

1 Naturetrek 25 October - 2 November 2008 Report compiled by Manoj Sharma Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 India - Bharatpur & Chambal Tour Leader: Manoj Sharma Participants: Gordon Bennett Norman McCanch Pamela Pope Gavin Salisbury Eddy Vaes Summary: Bharatpur & Chambal is a Naturetrek tour that focuses on the rich avifauna of famous north Indian birding destinations of Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Keoladeo National Park better known as Bharatpur (name of the nearby town) and National Chambal Sanctuary. There are visits to cultural attractions of Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort and Taj Mahal as one drives through Agra while travelling between the two birding locations. Highlights of the trip included Graceful Prinia at Okhla, Dusky Eagle Owl, Indian Scops Owl, Brown Hawk Owl, Grey Nightjar and Sykes Nightjars at Bharatpur and Pallas s Gull and Black-belled Tern at Chambal. Amongst the mammals and reptiles seen on the tour, Common Palm Civet, Ganges River Dolphin, Nilgai, Indian Flapshell Turtle, Indian Softshell Turtle, Red Sand Boa and Indian Python were the highlights. A total of 201 species of birds, 10 species of mammals and 10 species of reptiles were recorded. Weather Days were mostly sunny with some hazy conditions and daytime temperatures were pleasant to warm. Mornings and evenings were cooler at Chambal. Day 1 Saturday 25th October Flight to India The first day of the tour was spent in flight from Heathrow to Dubai where Gordon joined the group & from Dubai to New Delhi. Day 2 Sunday 26th October New Delhi, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, drive to Bharatpur The group arrived in the early hours of the day & was transferred to hotel Bill Palace. The tour leader met the group at the hotel. We started the day with a short drive to Okhla Bird Sanctuary followed by birding on the Okhla barrage and on the bund close to the temple. At lunch we had our first introduction to authentic Indian cuisine at Chor Bizzare restaurant at the nearby town of Noida. Thereafter we drove for 5 hours to our first main destination on the tour, Bharatpur. On the way we spent some time looking for birds in the surroundings of Shree Mangalam Resort at Kosi. Laxmi Vilas Palace is a heritage hotel that belongs to the relatives of the royal family of Bharatpur, a very pleasant place offering rooms with ethnic interiors and this is where we spent our first 4 nights of the tour. Highlights of the day included Graceful Prinia, Indian Swamphen, River Lapwing and Painted Stork at Okhla, Gull-billed, Indian River and Whiskered Terns at Kosi. Naturetrek January 09 1

3 During the course of the day Rhesus Macaque, Small Indian Mongoose & Five-striped Palm Squirrels were the mammals observed & the only reptile seen was a juvenile Indian Garden Lizard at Okhla. Day 3 Monday 27th October Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur We left early morning after our breakfast at the hotel for our first visit to Keoladeo National Park. In the morning we explored the area around the forest department nursery close to the barrier inside the park and on the trail behind Shanti Kutir. During the afternoon we took the rickshaw ride to Keoladeo Temple. It was a great sight to observe the mixed nesting colonies of Painted Storks, various species of Egrets & Cormorants, Darter, Black-headed Ibis and Black-crowned Night Heron. Some of the birding highlights for the day were Indian Scops & Dusky Eagle Owls, Spotted Owlet, Sykes Nightjar, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Eurasian Hobby, Sarus Crane, Small Pratincole, Masked Wagtail, White-eared Bulbul, Clamorous, Blyth s Reed, Sykes, Booted, Hume s & Greenish Warblers, Red-breasted & Taiga Flycatchers. Amongst other fauna seen during the day were Nilgai, Wild Boar, Golden Jackal, Indian Flapshell Turtle and Indian Monitor Lizard. Day 4 Tuesday 28th October Keoladeo National Park Today morning we took a boat ride at Keoladeo National Park followed by a trail along the park boundary touching Jatoli village. During the afternoon we checked up the nursery opposite the park gate for Brown Hawk Owl & took an electric car drive to Koladhar grassland area. Attractions of the day included a Black-necked Stork, closer views of Sarus Cranes, a male Pallid Harrier, Black Francolin, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Grey Nightjar, Black-rumped Flameback, Olive-backed & Tree Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, Brown Shrike and Red Avadavat. Spotted Deer was a new mammal seen today. Day 5 Wednesday 29th October Bund Baratha & Bayana Today we left with a packed lunch for a day-long excursion to Bund Baratha. This is a reservoir gets its name from the nearby village of Baratha. Situated at a distance of 40 km, one has to reach here by driving through the remote north Indian rural landscape. A stop at the irrigation department inspection bungalow was an opportunity to inspect the resident colony of Indian Flying Foxes that roosts in the Ficus trees. Thereafter we drove up to the dam. In the evening we drove to Bharatpur via Bayana. Highlights of the day included a Tufted Duck, Indian & Red-headed Vultures at Bayana, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Ashy-crowned & Crested Larks, Red-rumped & Streak-throated Swallows, White-browed & White Wagtail (bicalensis race), Blue Rock Thrush & Black-headed & Red-headed Bunting. 2 Naturetrek January 09

4 Day 6 Thursday 30th October Fatehpur Sikri, River Chambal Today morning we drove to Fatehpur Sikri and after visiting the monuments continued our journey through Agra and reached for lunch at Chambal Safari Lodge. Thereafter a drive of 45 minutes took us to the river Chambal. On foot birding followed by a boat ride produced many new species. Some of the interesting species included Osprey, Long-legged Buzzard, Bonelli s Eagle, Great Thick-knee, Kentish & Lesser Sand Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Pallas, Steppe & Brown-headed Gulls, Black-bellied & Indian River Terns, Plum-headed Parakeet, Common Kingfisher and Long-billed Pipit. Marsh Crocodile, Gharial and Indian Softshell & Redcrowned Roof Turtle and Red Sand Boa were seen on the boat ride. Day 7 Friday 31st October Chambal Safari Lodge & River Chambal We took another boat ride in the morning and took a birding walk around the lodge during the afternoon. Common Pochard, Common Buzzard, a Dunlin on late passage, Pied Cuckoo, Desert Wheatear & Common Rosefinch were the new species seen during the day. Day 8 Saturday 1st September Chambal Safari Lodge, Agra & drive to New Delhi We indulged in some birding at the lodge before driving to Agra for visits to Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. During the day we had our lunch at an Only restaurant at Agra. Our train to Delhi was reported to be running late by 3-4 hours and as the group had to reach the airport in time to take the flight to Dubai, we decided to drive for 5 hrs. by road instead. Highlights of the day included a Black-eared Kite at Taj Mahal. Day 9 Sunday 2nd September Flight The group left India on the early morning via a flight to Dubai. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! Naturetrek January 09 3

5 Species Lists Birds 1 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 2 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis 3 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 4 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger 5 Darter Anhinga melanogaster 6 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 7 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 8 Great Egret Ardea alba 9 Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia 10 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 11 Indian Pond-heron Ardeola grayii 12 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 13 Striated Heron Butorides striata 14 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 15 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala 16 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans 17 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus 18 Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus 19 Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus 20 Red-naped Ibis Pseudibis papillosa 21 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 22 Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica 23 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 24 Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos 25 Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus 26 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 27 Gadwall Anas strepera 28 Common Teal Anas crecca 29 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 30 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha 31 Northern Pintail Anas acuta 32 Garganey Anas querquedula 33 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 34 Common Pochard Aythya ferina 35 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula 36 Osprey Pandion haliaetus 37 Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus 38 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus 39 Black Kite Milvus migrans 40 Black-eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus 41 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 42 Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus 43 Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus 44 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 45 Crested Serpent-eagle Spilornis cheela 46 Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 47 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 4 Naturetrek January 09

6 48 Shikra Accipiter badius 49 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa 50 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 51 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 52 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga 53 Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciatus 54 Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus 55 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 56 Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo 57 Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus 58 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus 59 Common Quail Coturnix coturnix 60 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus 61 Sarus Crane Grus antigone 62 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus 63 Indian Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio poliocephalus 64 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 65 Common Coot Fulica atra 66 Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus 67 Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus 68 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus himantopus 69 Great Thick-knee Burhinus recurvirostris 70 Small Pratincole Glareola lactea 71 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus 72 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii 73 Little Plover Charadrius dubius 74 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 75 Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus 76 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago gallinago 77 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 78 Common Redshank Tringa totanus 79 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 80 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 81 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 82 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 83 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii 84 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 85 Dunlin Calidris alpina 86 Ruff Philomachus pugnax 87 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans 88 Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus 89 Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus 90 Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica 91 River Tern Sterna aurantia 92 Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda 93 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 94 Rock Dove Columba livia 95 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 96 Red Collared-dove Streptopelia tranquebarica 97 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 98 Yellow-footed Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera Naturetrek January 09 5

7 99 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri 100 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala 101 Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus 102 Common Hawk-cuckoo Cuculus varius 103 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea 104 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis 105 Indian Scops-owl Otus bakkamoena 106 Dusky Eagle-owl Bubo coromandus 107 Spotted Owlet Athene brama 108 Brown Hawk-owl Ninox scutulata 109 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus 110 Sykes' Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis 111 Little Swift Apus affinis 112 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 113 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 114 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 115 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis 116 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis 117 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 118 Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris 119 Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica 120 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala 121 Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense 122 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark Eremopterix grisea 123 Sand Lark Calandrella raytal 124 Crested Lark Galerida cristata 125 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola 126 Dusky Crag-martin Ptyonoprogne concolor 127 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 128 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii 129 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 130 Streak-throated Swallow Petrochelidon fluvicola 131 White Wagtail Motacilla alba bicalensis 132 Masked Wagtail Motacilla alba personata 133 White-faced Wagtail Motacilla lugens leucopsis 134 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla madaraspatensis 135 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 136 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 137 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 138 Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis 139 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 140 Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni 141 Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus 142 White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis 143 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer 144 Blue Rock-thrush Monticola solitarius 145 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 146 Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis 147 Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis 148 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata 149 Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola 6 Naturetrek January 09

8 150 Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum 151 Clamorous Reed-warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus 152 Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata 153 Sykes' Warbler Hippolais rama 154 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius 155 Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis 156 Brook's Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus subviridis 157 Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei 158 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides 159 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca 160 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 161 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 162 Tickell's Blue-flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae 163 Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis 164 Red-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica svecica 165 Oriental Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis 166 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata 167 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 168 Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maura 169 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata 170 Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 171 Indian Chat Cercomela fusca 172 Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense 173 Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus 174 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi 175 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus 176 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus 177 Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus 178 Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus 179 Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus 180 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus 181 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus 182 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach 183 Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis 184 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus 185 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus 186 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda 187 House Crow Corvus splendens 188 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos 189 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus 190 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 191 Asian Pied Starling Gracupica contra 192 Brahminy Starling Temenuchus pagodarum 193 Rosy Starling Pastor roseus 194 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris 195 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 196 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis 197 Red Avadavat Amandava amandava 198 White-throated Munia Euodice malabarica 199 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus 200 Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala Naturetrek January 09 7

9 201 Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps Mammals 1 Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta 2 Spotted Deer Axis axis 3 Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus 4 Wild Boar Sus scrofa 5 Jackal Canis aureus 6 Comon Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus 7 Small Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus 8 Five-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennantii 9 Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus 10 Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gengetica Reptiles 1 Marsh Crocodile Crocodylus palustris 2 Gharial Gavialis gangeticus 3 Red Crowned Roofed Terrapin Kachuga kachuga 4 Indian Flap-shell Turtle Lissemys punctata 5 Indian Softshell Turtle Aspiderretes gangeticus 6 Northern House Gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis 7 Common Garden Lizard Calotes versicolor 8 Common Indian Monitor Varanus bengalensis 9 Red Sand Boa Eryx johnii 10 Rat Snake Ptyas mucosus 8 Naturetrek January 09