It was only 10:30 in the morning and we had already watched the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, eaten a great breakfast and packed our bags. Packing bags is quite routine now. After two months travelling, we just about have a place for everything. Obviously, we do not have to think about what we are going to pack – we need to pack everything we have brought. That is a great simplification. After a while, you know where everything goes. You can pack quickly and easily spot if anything is missing. This is important because if you leave something in a hotel it is gone forever. Like dropping something off a ship. You will never see it again. I think hotels rarely admit to finding lost items because it is such a pain to try and post it on. Just once, we managed to drive back to a hotel and reclaimed a scarf. More usually, return to the hotel is not an option and they are very unlikely to post something to a foreign country.
We were driving to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and the pragmatically named Birder’s Inn. This hotel is right next to the entrance to the Keoladeo National Park. The area was developed into a duck shooting reserve in 1899. Through the efforts of ornithologist Salim Ali, “The Birdman of India”, it became the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in 1956. It then became the protected Keoladeo National Park in 1982. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 because of the vast number of birds it supports. Over 400 species, including many migratory birds, have been observed there. The wetlands are regulated by a series of dams, dykes and channels. There are even some wells to help in times of drought. These measures also protect Bharatpur settlements from flash floods and provide ample pastures for the locals’ cattle and livestock.
We checked in at the Birder’s Inn, skipped lunch and set off to explore the sanctuary. As usual we needed to have a driver and a local guide. Our transport for this trip was an electric tuk-tuk. I quite like this sort of bird watching. No messing around with hiding places while trying to spot something small and shy. We could just sit back and relax while bimbling along enjoying the view while the guide spotted birds and told us what they were.
Narrow, tarmac roads along the top of the dykes provide good access to the wetlands.
The second type of owl we saw was a Nightjar. These are nocturnal. They often perch lengthwise along a branch, rather than across it, to help with concealment during the day.
The Bronze-winged Jacana was amusing to watch. They have the most enormously long toes and claws. This helps them walk on floating vegetation. Seems to work well but looks strange.
We had seen oriental darters before. They are also known as the snakebird. They hunt fish underwater using its long, straight, pointed bill. Like cormorants, it has semi-permeable feathers and often perches with outstretched wings to dry them after swimming.
The painted storks were amazingly bright. Adults have distinctive pink tertial feathers, which give them their name. Non-breeding adults have duller plumage and bare parts, including a naked orange-red head
In the distance we could spot a black-necked stork. These are endanged and the Bharatpur reserve is one of the few places they can still be found. Adults have a distinctive white and glossy black plumage with a massive black bill and red legs. They build large nests in tall trees or
Late on we spotted a nilgai. This is the largest antelope species in Asia. The name “nilgai” is derived from Hindi and literally translates to “blue cow”.
It was a long afternoon and made for a long day. Very interesting though and I managed to take a few pictures of birds. A good final day in India. Next day we were off to the airport.