Bird Sanctuary sans water

Bharatpur is one of the best known bird sanctuaries in north India. There hasn't been much rain but this being the season for migratory birds there it seemed like a place to check out. Got there by bus and already had a guest house booked which was cheap while also being really nice. Had an hour of daylight left when I reached there so walked in to the park. Cycle rickshaws are also an option and I saw a lot of people using it to carry equipment while walking. Caught a few sambhar, boars and jackals other than some babblers, barbets, parakeets, mynas, bulbuls, peacocks, starlings and kites. Had to hunt around for a place to eat but then was not much of a problem.

The next day decided to take a cycle rickshaw. The drivers there are trained and they can recognise most birds very easily. Also they have an idea of what to find where, so a guide or a rickshaw is recommended. Early morning pickings were great. Saw owls, owlets, kites and shikras as well and in the slightly wet areas saw a black necked stork, egrets and grey herons other than the water fowl and ducks. The area where pythons are found was empty and just managed to see some prints and holes but on the way back saw a tortoise. A temple nearby also has a grand collection of turtles which the pujari feeds. He also takes care of a few deer and peacock though I did see his assistants driving a sambhar off with a stick.

The final day was more eventful, found a dusky eagle owl nest with the huge bird standing nearby. Saw a spoonbill and an orange headed thrush (quite rare). Among animals along with the jackals, boars and deer, we saw a jungle cat hunt some rodent and a hare running about as well. Kingfishers, hoopoes and the other common birds were of course ever present. I would certainly like to go back some time when there is water as from what I heard, this was about 10 percent of the birds that where there last year this time. Sure enough the migratory birds arrived in delhi zoo told the entire story. The painted storks colony and the pelicans show how different it can be. They were far more than in Bharatpur.