Rajasthan November 2015 (1 Viewer)

This was a cultural and nature tour around Rajasthan arranged by Indian Panorama www.indianpanorama.in
Chambal Safari Lodge.
This lodge is about a 5 hour drive from Delhi.
Very nice rooms and food. However food and drink are very expensive by Indian standards. Lunch and dinner were £10 each, Beer £5 G&T £5. We did find out further into the trip that these prices are not unusual in Rajasthan!
It was interesting walking around the grounds with Palm Civet, Nilgai, Brown Hawk Owl, Spotted Owlet, Jungle Babbler, Red breasted Flycatcher and Shikra all seen.
The Chambal River trip was very good with many Gharial and Mugger crocodiles. Also Bar-headed Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, 4 Egyptian Vultures, Black Ibis, Great Thick knee, Blue Rock Thrush, Pallas’s Gull, Pied Kingfisher and Grey Francolin.
Indian Skimmers had not yet arrived, which was disappointing.
We went to the Sarus Crane Wetlands. There were many Sarus Cranes, Black-necked Storks, Woolly necked Storks and Painted Storks, also Indian Swamphen, Ashy crowned Sparrowlark, Citrine Wagtail, Indian Roller and Rufous tailed Shrike.
Keoladeo Ghana, Bharatpur.
We stayed at Birder’s Inn, about 200 metres from the park gate, which can be recommended. Cycle Rickshaws are available outside the hotel at 100 rupees per person per hour. They will hold two comfortably.
Entrance fee to the park is 500 rupees.
Our guide, Babu, showed us around and all the usual birds were present. Highlights were Greater Spotted Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Dusky Eagle Owl, Spotted Owlet, Scops Owl, White eared Bulbul, Sarus Crane and Yellow footed Green Pigeon.
We made 2 visits and recommend the early morning one as the afternoons are very busy with non birding Domestic tourists.

Ranthambore.
We stayed at Ramthambore Regency Hotel which proved a very good base. We had pre arranged three safaris by Jeep (Gypsy. No Tigers were seen and the animals seemed a bit low in numbers. We visited Zone 6 twice and Zone 3. The guides are geared up to look just for tigers so trying to get them to stop for birds was difficult. Brown capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Rufous Treepie (very tame), Bluethroat and White bellied Drongo seen.

Kumbalgargh and Ranakpur.
We visited Udaipur, the fort at Kumbalgargh and then drove to Ranakpur and stayed at Aranyawas Cottages. Huge rooms overlooking a stream. The food was not exciting here and the restaurant was like a works canteen.
Walking around the area I saw Rock Bushquail, Ashy Prinia and Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher.
Godwad Leopard Safari Camp.
This is a luxury tented camp. Superb large tents with electricity, air conditioning, running water, hot shower and flush toilets. The food and service were both excellent.
At the Leopard stake out we saw a female and 2 cubs. Birds seen in the area were Variable Wheatear, Chestnut shouldered Petronia, Common Babbler, Pied Bushchat, Wryneck and Grey Francolin.

Mount Abu.
We stayed at Silver Oak Hotel. This is a Travelodge style hotel. Food is available but they do not have a restaurant so it is served in your room or on the patio. Not very good for breakfast when the temperature is 5C!
This is the area for the endemic Green Munia (Green avadavat). Other reports suggested around Oriya Village. We went there and searched fields opposite the school to no avail. We saw Black Redstart and Desert Wheatear.
Next morning we went to Trevor’s Tank. This opens at 9 am and entrance is 300 rupees per person plus 200 for the car. The driver took the car to the tank and I followed on foot. Birding was slow only seeing Oriental Turtle Dove, Yellow eyed Babbler, Whiskered Bulbul, Yellow lored Tit and Pygmy Woodpecker. We carried on past the tank to the right and took the track to the Animal Watching Hut. Around the hut we saw 4 Indian Scimitar Babblers. Back at the car, which was parked at the tank, a man approached us and, through our driver, offered to take us birding. He claimed he could show us Green Munia, which he recognised when I showed him a picture. We agreed and settled on a price of 600 rupees. The man is Mohan Lal. He does not speak English but knows the birds. Ask for him at the entrance.
He took us about 3 kilometres to Sal Village which is in a valley. The sides of the valley are covered in small trees and Lantana scrub. Mohan quickly pointed out a bird and it was a juvenile Green Munia. Several more appeared low down in the Lantana, then a male popped up and a few females. In all there were about 30 juveniles, 3 males and 3 females in the scrub. The valley was very “birdy” and would warrant longer investigation. Other birds seen: - Tree Pipit, Ashy Prinia, Brown headed Barbet, Petronia and a possible White capped Bunting. (It flew off before I could identify it properly.)
Jodhpur.
We stayed at Pal Haveli. Superb rooms and food but the many flights of stairs with deep-tread steps were difficult to climb, especially as the restaurant is on the roof!
We intended to visit the carcass dump here but, according to locals, it no longer exists. Driving around 18km outside the city we found a lake behind the temple in Barli village. (Bheruji Temple and Badli Bheruji Pond) This was full of ducks, waders and Egyptian Vultures.
30 Egyptian Vultures, 500 Ruff, 60 Garganey, 30 Pintail, 60 Black headed Ibis, 2 Spoonbills, 30 Gadwall, 1 Temminck’s Stint, Black Kites 30 Shoveler, 30 Teal and a few Ferruginous ducks.

Keechan.
This is the famous crane feeding site near Phalodi. The villagers have constructed a concrete viewing area with seating overlooking the lake with the cranes on the other side about 50 metres away. A charge of 10 rupees is made. This site appears to be on the general tourist circuit as a coach load of French tourists turned up to take photos and quickly depart. There was a steady stream of Indian tourists also.
About 1500-2000 Demoiselle Cranes were present at 11a.m. with birds continually flying in. A few ducks and waders were also present.
Gajner.
Our hotel was Gajner Palace. Another superb heritage hotel with hundreds of Ring-necked Parakeets flying around. The lake in front of the palace was full of the usual ducks, Little Grebe and Coots. We took a safari around the reserve in the early morning at 3000 rupees for a jeep for 4 people. This was good for animals with Nilgai, Indian Gazelle, Blackbuck, Wild Boar and Jackal seen but birds were very disappointing. No Sandgrouse or Larks seen. A few close Oriental Honey Buzzards appeared in trees near the entrance.
Jorbeer Carcass Dump.
This is outside Bikaner and a little difficult to find. We went to the Camel Research Centre and asked the locals for directions. Everyone seemed to know where the site was and after crossing the railway line near Bikaner East station we eventually found the dump. The circling Kites and Vultures could be seen some distance away.
On the approach road to the dump there were a few Southern Grey Shrikes and a flock of about 100 Yellow eyed Pigeons amongst the scattered trees but they were very elusive and did not allow close approach.
The dump has a sign at the entrance gate which was unmanned bit with a padlock (not locked). Our driver was worried if he drove in someone might turn up and lock the gate not realising we were inside. He drove about 200 metres and we walked while he returned outside the gate. The smell is quite overpowering and there are numerous feral dogs about. Although they looked aggressive they did not bother us, but we were still wary of them.
Thousands of birds were present, in the air, on the ground and in every tree and bush. Most were Black Kites and Egyptian Vultures with hundreds of Steppe and Tawny Eagles. A few Cinereous Vultures and about 50 Eurasian Griffons were present but we did not see any White naped or Indian Vultures.
Conclusion.
A very good tour with 5 “lifers” for me. Green Munia, Dusky Eagle Owl, Bengal Weaver, Black Ibis and Bar headed Goose.
The surprise was the lack of larks and sand-grouse. We did not see any large vultures anywhere in Rajasthan other than at the carcass dump.

Some photos to go with report

1 Ashy crowned Sparrowlark
2 Black necked Stork
3 Sarus Crane
4 Indian Roller
5 Grey Francolin

More photos

6 Bluethroat
7 Shikra
8 Tickell's Flycatcher
9 Common Babbler
10 Green Munia

Last few

11 Oriental Honey Buzzard
12 Vultures at Jorbeer
13 Steppe Eagle
14 Red headed Vulture at Ranthambore

Great report with fantastic photographs. Many thanks for posting.

Thank you. Was a great trip/