Unlike the previous trip, where we had gone on road, we took the train this time. The shatabdi was quick and comfortable getting us to Sawai Madhopur in the late evening. The next morning safari was on a canter in zone 3 where sightings had been good over the past few days. Although we were able to find a tigress in the distance, since it was on a route not allowed, we were shown a quick glimpse and scurried away. The afternoon was in a jeep through zone 4 and although we heard a few calls, we were not able to find any large predators. Birds on the other hand were plentiful and being on a jeep allows for a much more relaxed safari. A crested serpent eagle and a brown fish owl wrapped up our day.
The next morning safari was through zone 2. With just our driver for company we did more birding throughout the trip. As we got ready to move out of the park, we heard reports of a tiger in the common area. With over 10 canters and 20 jeeps hounding the poor beast, people screamed and jumped for a glimpse of it. The nearby vehicles on the other hand tried to maintain their distance blocking the others while tourists tried to fit in the poor tiger into their selfies. For a while it tried to hunt, but the commotion destroyed any hope of it being able to stalk a spotted deer which owed the school kids big time for the alarm call and the get away. The evening was spent at zone 6 where our guide commented on how the sheer number of tourists was turning it into a carnival rather than a safari. Not much to see in that trip except for landscapes.
The final day's plan was updated on the previous safaris. We were tired of the tiger show and the middlemen charging exorbitantly for the rides. We were told about a nearby dam which would allow for some birding and later maybe a trip to Chambal. Had an option for the fort as well but we were not too keen considering the crowds. The dam on the other hand turned out to be a good find. Most unexpected sighting at the dam was that of Indian skimmers there. The other birds were pied kingfishers, ducks, waders, greater thick knees and eurasian thick knees in the nearby village. While traveling through the roads closer to zone 7 and 8, we were also able to see a lot of chinkara.
The Chambal trips deserve another post so won't detail it out here. However the trip was much better owing to the change of plans on the final day. Some of the other visitors later showed us more photos of tigers and jeeps battling for space. It is a tiger or nothing in Ranthambore as the guides find it difficult to tell a cormorant from a darter. A trip's time would be cut short if a tiger was seen. The vehicles would certainly not stop for birds in most cases and overall it felt like a badly maintained zoo with touts rigging the show rather than a forest safari.
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