Corbett outside of Dhikala

This was trip number 4 to Corbett but the first one where I didn't stay at Dhikala. Also joined the group with the BNHS for the second time since Ladakh. It was a long and pleasant drive from Delhi with a little light birding on the way. As we checked into the resort nearby, the first thing we saw was a checkered keel-back swimming off in the artificial waterways. That started off another good trip. The ground rules were set, no chasing tigers except when we were sure, and the next 4 safaris across Durga Devi, Bijrani, Jhirna and Dhela.

 

What started with a nice trip soon devolved into a mad race for getting the maximum number of bird species that we could spot. Of course, the birds were very obliging as well. Each of the areas had their distinct landscapes and presented some differences in the bird-life to be seen. With about 100 species within 4 safaris, the trip was quite a success. I would still miss the open grassland views of Dhikala but the forest itself does keep you entertained all the time.

Among the mammals, we did chase a call for a bit, but the tiger in Corbett continues to elude me. Elephants though were around to see along with the regular ungulates and primates, though a few barking deer and jackals also made their appearance. The highlight of the trip though for me were the watching the white crested laughing thrushes and the great hornbill holed up in its nest, though there were other attractions like the pitta, rock thrushes, dancing peacocks and thick-knees.

Corbett in the rains

The trip to Corbett was out of the blue with Anuroop posting about last minute cancellations on facebook. Being just a weekend trip in the end of summer, I was in it for the birding while the rest were there for the elephants in the grasslands. With rumors of Dhikala shutting for good due to the court hassles, this seemed like an ideal time for a last stay there.

The stay was mostly comfortable except when on the second day we had to shift rooms and the new room had an insect problem. Fortunately there was a spare room and we had to shift in the evening again as the room had by then been covered with insects.Other than that Dhikala is still one of the best places to wake up and get out to watch the morning from.

One of the safaris was washed out due to heavy rains but the rest were quite a success despite the overcast conditions. With elephant being out in numbers and with a mildly pleasant weather, the trip was never boring. Even the safari in which it rained out, provided some interesting forest landscapes to photograph.

Birds were of course not as much as in the winter but still quite a variety, with quite a few Indian pittas, thrushes, starlings, dollarbirds, black francolins, ospreys, grassbirds and other residents. A bunch of monitor lizards kept crossing our paths. A hog deer also made an appearance late evening on a safari. A lot of birding happened while getting in and out of the park and we moved at a snail's pace there. A couple of tawny fish owls were the last thing we saw on the way out.