India - Bharatpur & Chambal

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1 Naturetrek 27 December January 2009 Report compiled by Manoj Sharma Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: W:

2 India - Bharatpur & Chambal Tour leader: Manoj Sharma Participants: Tim Corke Liz Cornish Jim Coyle Lynda Pritchard Richard Scriven Penny Scriven John Law Andrea Law David Wilkinson Qiling Xu Introduction Bharatpur & Chambal is a Naturetrek tour that focuses on the rich avifauna of the 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 the cultural attractions of Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort and Taj Mahal while travelling between the two birding locations. Highlights of the trip included Saras Crane at Kosi, Indian Spotted Eagle, Dusky Eagle Owl, Indian Scops Owl and Painted Snipe at Bharatpur, and Brown Crake at Bund Baretha, Indian Vulture at Bayana, Indian Skimmer, Pallas s Gull and Black-belled Tern at Chambal. Amongst the mammals and reptiles seen on the tour were Common Palm Civet, Ganges River Dolphin, Nilgai, Red-crowned Roof Turtle, Marsh Crocodile & Gharial were the highlights. A total of 196 species of birds, 15 species of mammals and 6 species of reptiles were recorded. Weather Mostly cold weather with foggy mornings, pleasant days & cold evenings Day 1 Saturday 27th December Flight to India The first day of the tour was spent in flight to New Delhi. Day 2 Sunday 28th December New Delhi, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, drive to Bharatpur The group arrived in the late morning & the tour leader met the group at the airport. We started the day with a drive to Noida for lunch at Chor Bizzare restaurant. This was followed by some birding on River Yamuna at the Okhla barrage. 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. Naturetrek July 09 1

3 Highlights of the day included Bar-headed Goose, Spot-billed Duck, Saras Crane at Kosi, White-tailed Lapwing, Rhesus Macaque & Five-striped Palm Squirrel. Day 3 Monday 29th December 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 along the reserve boundary near Jatoli Village. During the afternoon we took the rickshaw ride on the main road 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, Grey Nightjar, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Indian Grey Hornbill, Brown-headed Barbet, Black-rumped Flameback, White Wagtail (leucopsis ssp.), White-eared Bulbul, Blyth s Reed & Greenish Warblers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Greyheaded Canary Flycatcher, Siberian Rubythroat and Red-spotted Bluethroat. Amongst other fauna seen during the day were Jackal, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Nilgai, Indian Flap-shell Turtle & Monitor Lizard. Day 4 Tuesday 30th December Bund Baratha & Bayana Today we left with a packed lunch for a day-long excursion to Bund Baratha. This is a reservoir which 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 roost 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 Cotton Pygmy Goose, Indian Vultures at Bayana, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Brown Crake, Ashy-crowned & Crested Larks, Red-rumped Swallow, White-browed & Masked Wagtail, White Wagtail (bicalensis ssp.), Common & Large Grey Babblers, Blue Rock Thrush, Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, Nutmeg Mannikin and Hanuman Langur. Day 5 Wednesday 31st December Keoladeo National Park This morning we took a trail behind Shanti Kutir and looked for the Greater Painted Snipes at the drain close to Bharatpur town. The afternoon was spent on rickshaws on the main road to Keoladeo temple. We also took some trails around Sapan Mori. Attractions of the day included a Glossy Ibis, Red-crested Pochard, White-eyed Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Temmink s Stint, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Wire-tailed Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Booted Warbler, Bay-backed Shrike, Wild Boar and Indian Hare. 2 Naturetrek July 09

4 Day 6 Thursday 1st January Fatehpur Sikri, River Chambal This morning we drove to Fatehpur Sikri and after visiting the monuments continued our journey through Agra and reached Chambal Safari Lodge in time for lunch. 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 Great White Pelican, Red-naped Ibis, Osprey, Long-legged Buzzard, Greater Spotted Eagle, Great Thick-knee, River Lapwing, Little & Kentish Plovers, Caspian Gull, Black-bellied Tern, Indian Skimmer, Asian Koel, Greater Short-toed & Sand Larks, Desert Wheatear, Theobald s Tomb Bat, Ganges River Dolphin, Redcrowned Roof Turtle & Marsh Crocodile. Day 7 Friday 2nd January Chambal Safari Lodge & River Chambal We took another boat ride in the morning and took a birding walk around the lodge during the afternoon seeing Black-eared Kite, Bonelli s Eagle, Jungle Bush Quail, Brown Hawk Owl, Tree Pipit, Orange-headed Thrush, Rufous-fronted Prinia, Taiga Flycatcher, White-browed Flycatcher, Isabelline Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike, Jungle Cat and Common Palm Civet. Day 8 Saturday 3rd January 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. In the evening, we drove for 5 hours to Indira Gandhi International airport, New Delhi. The group leader parted company with the rest of the group members at the airport, bound for home. Day 9 Sunday 4th January Flight The group left India on an early morning flight. 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 July 09 3

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

6 48 Shikra Accipiter badius 49 Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 50 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa 51 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 52 Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata 53 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga 54 Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciatus 55 Booted Eagle Aquila pennatus 56 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 57 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus 58 Jungle Bush-quail Perdicula asiatica 59 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus 60 Sarus Crane Grus antigone 61 Brown Crake Amaurornis akool 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 Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis 69 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 70 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 71 Great Thick-knee Burhinus recurvirostris 72 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii 73 Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus 74 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus 75 White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus 76 Little Plover Charadrius dubius 77 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 78 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 79 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 80 Common Redshank Tringa totanus 81 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 82 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 83 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 84 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 85 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 86 Little Stint Calidris minuta 87 Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii 88 Ruff Philomachus pugnax 89 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans 90 Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus 91 Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus 92 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus 93 Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica 94 River Tern Sterna aurantia 95 Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda 96 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 97 Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis 98 Rock Dove Columba livia Naturetrek July 09 5

7 99 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 100 Red Collared-dove Streptopelia tranquebarica 101 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 102 Yellow-footed Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera 103 Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria 104 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri 105 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala 106 Common Hawk-cuckoo Cuculus varius 107 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea 108 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis 109 Indian Scops-owl Otus bakkamoena 110 Dusky Eagle-owl Bubo coromandus 111 Spotted Owlet Athene brama 112 Brown Hawk-owl Ninox scutulata 113 Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus 114 Little Swift Apus affinis 115 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 116 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 117 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 118 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis 119 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 120 Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris 121 Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica 122 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala 123 Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense 124 Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark Eremopterix grisea 125 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla 126 Sand Lark Calandrella raytal 127 Crested Lark Galerida cristata 128 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola 129 Dusky Crag-martin Ptyonoprogne concolor 130 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 131 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii 132 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 133 White Wagtail Motacilla alba leucopsis 134 White Wagtail Motacilla alba baicalensis 135 Masked Wagtail Motacilla alba personata 136 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla madaraspatensis 137 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola 138 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 139 Syke's Yellow-wagtail Motacilla flava beema 140 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 141 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris 142 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 143 Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni 144 Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus 145 Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus 146 White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis 147 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer 148 Blue Rock-thrush Monticola solitarius 149 Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina 6 Naturetrek July 09

8 150 Rufous-fronted Prinia Prinia buchanani 151 Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis 152 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata 153 Blyth's Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum 154 Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata 155 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius 156 Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis 157 Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei 158 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides 159 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca 160 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 161 Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla 162 Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis 163 Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope 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 White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola 173 Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus 174 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi 175 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus 176 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus 177 Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus 178 Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus 179 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus 180 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach 181 Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis 182 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus 183 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus 184 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus 185 House Crow Corvus splendens 186 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos 187 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus 188 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 189 Asian Pied Starling Gracupica contra 190 Brahminy Starling Temenuchus pagodarum 191 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 192 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis 193 Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus 194 Red Avadavat Amandava amandava 195 White-throated Munia Euodice malabarica 196 Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulata Naturetrek July 09 7

9 Mammals 1 Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta 2 Hanuman Langur Semnopithecus entellus 3 Sambar Cervus unicolor 4 Spotted Deer Axis axis 5 Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus 6 Wild Boar Sus scrofa 7 Jackal Canis aureus 8 Jungle Cat Felis chaus 9 Comon Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus 10 Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis 11 Five-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennantii 12 Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus 13 Short-nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx 14 Theobald's Tomb Bat Taphozous theobaldi 15 Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica Reptiles 1 Marsh Crocodile Crocodylus palustris 2 Gharial Gavialis gangeticus 3 Red Crowned Roofed Terrapin Kachuga kachuga 4 Flap-shell Turtle Lissemys punctata 5 Monitor Lizard Varanus bengalensis 6 Northern House Gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis 8 Naturetrek July 09