Birds birds and more birds.......in Keoladev Park
Trip Start
Oct 13, 2009
1
80
82
Trip End
Jan 01, 2010
Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The plan here was to have a rest and go into the national park. Well I managed that!
First day had a lie in, finished my book, had a chat with a few more guests (Aussies who were just starting their trip) Did a last swap of books - they got my Willian Dalrymple and I got their copy of 'Last Chamce to See' book co-authored by Douglas Adams about endangered animals and birds. Should be a good read!
Then decided to pop into the town (guesthouse on outskirts very close to the national park) and see the fort. After a very bumpy and dusty auto rickshaw ride got to the fort and the museum only to find that most of it was closed - government holiday after Christmas. Bugger! Had a quick walk round the bits I could see....not a lot so it was a v quick walk! The rest of Bharatpur didnt look at all interesting on the auto ride and I had reached the point where I really couldnt be bothered to go in search of a couple of temples in the town. Maybe I missed out on something but considering how many temples I have seen on this trip I doubt it! Yep by this point I really was tired so headed back to the guesthouse and chilled for the rest of the afternoon.
Next day after another long chat with more guests (including some who were just starting an 18 month round the world trip....now that is a good idea!) over breakfast I headed into the Keoladev National Park (a world heritage site...hurrah!) In years gone by this was a hunting spot for the local Maharajah but luckily no longer. One bonus with this park is that no cars or jeeps are used to get around. You walk, cycle or use bicycle rickshaws. This means not only is it quieter for you the animals and birds are not frightened off by engine noise so there is more chance you will see things.
Within a few minutes of getting into the park my guide was spotting birds.Had a quick rickshaw ride and then went further into the forest on foot: saw a cute owlet sat in a tree, few other birds mostly spotted by my guide - camaflaged very well - so it took me a while to spot some of them! Here we spotted two kinds of Nightjar (Grey and a Long Tailed) which are rare according to guide. Not a bad start then!
Back on the rickshaw and went further into the park. Spotted a lone jackal and a few other animals. Mongooses some of which were standing up on their hindlegs and having a look round....very cute. Also a couple of Niglai - deer like creatures, the male of the species has a grey/blue coat completely different to the female who has the usual brown colouring.
Then reached the lake, the monsoon this year wasnt that great but there is still some water in the park so still a lot of birds around. Had a walk round he lake, spotted a spoonbill which completely fascinated me for a few minutes. It's beak perfect for the habitat where it eats. Heron, duck. ibis, goose all on the lake. Still lots of other birds in the trees and bushes around the lake. One of the best a black shouldered kite which I first spotted in a tree and later saw soaring over the park on the lookout for food. Vulture, crested serpent eagle (v good!) beautifully coloured kingfishers and parakeets and many many more. I later got a list of all the birds I had seen from my guide - in total 53 different types. Not bad for one morning! List is available if anyone is mad enough to want a copy! There are over 200 bird species in the park some migratory others resident so still have a few more to spot.
After a great morning made our way into a quieter area of the park and my guide was trying to find something on the ground. Rickshaw stopped he had spotted something......off I got and wandered over to where he was....a snake! The park is renowned for its pythons and this one had come out of its hole (they share them with porcupines allegedly) and was sunning itself on the ground. It wasnt very big probably a metre or so and wasnt venamous. They do have cobras in the park which are venamous but this one was a 'harmless' python. Not too sure it would be that harmless if it clapped it's jaws on you but at least no poison! Whilst I was taking photos of the snake, bravely going a bit closer with each photo I could hear my rickshaw driver fighting his way through the grasses nearby. Then heard a shout and I was summoned. Down the bank by the side of the road only to find myself in grasses which were over my head! Battled my way through them for a while and then found the driver who took me a bit further and then I was confronted by the mother of all snakes! This one had used its weight to flatten the grasses and was again sunning itself. Estimate - about 4 metres long. YIKES!!! I got a bit closer but I wasnt getting that close to this one....it was huge! After a few minutes decided to get the hell out of there I wasnt going to annoy this snake.........
More birds spotted on the way out of the park. Sorry no decent photos of birds. They wouldnt stay still long enough!
All in all a very good day.....
