Birding in Bharatpur

During the Republic Day weekend we went to Bharatpur, after a relaxed drive & a quick lunch, we met Maan Singh & YES..............it was time to go to the park.

As we entered the park we could see the Grey Night Jar, then our attention as usual shifted towards the resident King & Queen.......... The Dusky Eagle Owl. She was sitting in a nest (which was build by the Painted Storks !!) kept putting her head out sometimes............... though this time i could not hear their deadly calls !!

A Black Bittern suddenly made a fleeting appearance & kept us engaged.......

As we cycled on, we could see thousands of ducks, but Comb ducks seemed to have taken over the place & there were a lot of Glossy Ibis......

We could hear the ducks just taking off in thousands, that immense flutter of the wings as you can see was been caused by a Marsh Harrier. We could see the Harrier chasing the ducks. In the end it missed all the ducks, it actually ended catching a fish & was trying to find a place to quietly relish on the fish, when a painted stork came by & took the fish away from the Harrier. After all the effort, the Harrier was left high & dry !!

The next day i did manage to get a 2 minute video of another Harrier attack on the ducks!!

We could see the Black Shouldered Kite hovering for a long time, but was not lucky to see him swoop on a prey. Had great views of an Imperial Eagle, so with a Lesser Spotted Eagle & Greater Spotted Eagle

The second day the park was really getting crowded, there were just too many people inside. We decided to do birding outside the park. Maan Singh said we can try for the Painted Snipes, Yellow Wattled Lapwing & the Indian Courser.

We could see the Painted Snipes quite clearly, pretending to hide themselves, looking at us curiously & ready to fly away...........

Though we missed the Indian Courser, we managed to see The Desert Wheatear, i did have to crawl on my knees to get near it. We saw the Yellow Wattled Lapwing also.

We hoped to do an early start to the birding the next day, but as we opened our windows in our rooms we could see nothing, but fog !! Neverthless we cycled in the park for sometime but birding & identification was nearly impossible, as the sun started to peek out we could see this majestic Steppe Eagle....... but that was it, it was time to say goodbye to Bharatpur once again !

I was hoping to see a Osprey.......... but that was not to be & i did miss the Common Crane & also the Curlews.

Well there is always something to look forward to next time around !!

The birds we were able to identify :

1. Grey Francolin (Partridge)
2. Lesser Whistling Duck
3. Greylag Goose
4. Barheaded Goose
5. Ruddy Shelduck
6. Comb Duck
7. Gadwall
8. Spotbilled Duck
9. Northern Shoveller
10. Pintail

11. Common Teal
12. White Breasted Waterhen
13. Purple Moorhen
14. Common Moorhen
15. Common Coot
16. Pheasant Tailed Jacana
17. Bronze Winged Jacana
18. Little Grebe (Dab chick)
19. Darter
20. Little Cormorant

21. Indian Cormorant
22. Great Cormorant
23. Little Egret
24. Grey Heron
25. Purple Heron
26. Great Heron
27. Intermediate Egret
28. Pond Heron
29. Black Bittern
30. Glossy Ibis

31. White Ibis
32. White Spoonbill
33. Painted Stork
34. Open Bill
35. Black Necked Stork
36. White Necked Stork
37. Black Winged Stilts
38. Ruff
39. Red Shank
40. Green Shank

41. Painted Snipe
42. Sandpiper
43. Green Sandpiper
44. Little Ringtailed Plover
45. Brown Crake
46. Sarus Crane
47. Red Wattled Lapwing
48. Yellow Wattled Lapwing
49. Flameback
50. Indian Roller

51. Eurasian Golden Oriole
52. ed Breasted Fly Catcher
53. Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher
54. Brown Shrike
55. Long Tailed Shrike
56. Common Wood Shrike
57. Large Grey Shrike
58. Large Grey Babbler
59. Roufous Treepie
60. Black Drongo

61. Ashy Prinia
62. Plain Prinea
63. Common Chif Chaff
64. Blue Throat
65. Black Headed Munia
66. Peacock/fowl
67. Desert Wheatear
68. Grey Hornbill
69. Red Collared Dove
70. White Throated Kingfisher

71. Pied Kingfisher
72. Small Blue Kingfisher
73. Lesser Coucal
74. Rose Ringed Parakeet
75. Collared Scops Owl
76. Dusky Eagle Owl
77. Spotted Owlet
78. Grey Night Jar
79. Shikra
80. Black Shouldered Kite

81. Eurasian Marsh Harrier
82. Lesser Spotted Eagle
83. Greater Spotted Eagle
84. Imperial Eagle
85. Booted Eagle
86. Crested Serpent Eagle
87. Steppe Eagle
88. Egyptian Vulture

"......... and the shadow of the day
will embrace the world
in gray
& the sun will set for you........ "

bharatpur

Maan Singh, Bharatpur, Birding guide par excellence

The first time i went to Bharatpur was 3 years back. I was new to birds & birding. Infact we were doing a project in school on birds. Priyanka didi & Manish bhaiyya got me really interested in birds, they got me hooked, it was one of the best projects i had done in school. Then my parents got for me the "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Richard Grimmett" which is like a bible for birds & id's etc. I used to read it for hours, sleep with it, wake up with, walk with it etc.

My school (mirambika) also has a lovely campus, i started to identify birds. Then there is a park in front of my house, there also i started to identify birds. Once we went for a walk with Priyankadidi & Manishbhaiyya, then he thought us how to identify the birds by their call. While we were doing the project i got a chance to visit Bharatpur (Keoladeo Ghana National Park)

We were quite tentative about how to go about birding in the park since it was our first time. We asked for a guide et al, then we needed to hire a cycle rickshaw to go inside the park since it is a long walk. Then this person with a cycle rickshaw walked up to us & told us he will take us in. That was my first meeting with Maan Singh.

Within 5 minutes we realised that he was much better guide than the actual birding guide that we had hired. That day evening while walking back from the park Maan Singh actually spotted an Osprey, it was unbelievable for me to be able to see an Osprey & we realised the guide had not even spotted it.

So the next day morning when we were going back to the park we decided we do not need a guide, Maan Singh himself is a super birding guide. So that is how i came to know Maan Singh. Since then whenever we go to Bharatpur we go into the park with only Maan Singh. He obviously is a much respected person, his skills in identifying birds are just fantastic, his eyes are so sharp, he knows their calls, he knows the behaviour of the birds very well, he has a feel for them, plus he is also very relaxed as a person & great company to be cycling with, when he regales us with stories about birding, about the state of the park, how it is been run etc.

Maan Singh, age 47, Rickshaw No. 5, has been in Bharatpur since 1981. In 1981, Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary was given the status of National Park. He was trained by Dr Salim Ali when he used to come to Bharatpur, he also has attended many seminars & workshops with Dr Salim Ali

Maan Singh earns about Rs 5,000/- a month on an average. He is also very environmentally conscious & gets appalled with visitors who come into the park & litter, he also has a lot to say about the kind of vegetation which was there in the park, which is more mono culture than bio diverse, he is happy with the changes which are taking place to replace the awful "ganda babul" trees.

Water in the park is critical, he throws his hands up in despair when he explains the politics behind the water distribution. His life is also dependent on it, if there is no water in the park, then there will be no birds, if there are no birds, then there will be be no visitors, if there are no visitors to the park, then he will have no work & no earnings.

Maan Singh

14, Madhav Galli,

Near Ganga Mandir

Bharatpur. 321 001

Bharatpur Rocks ! Oct 2008......... & The Dusky Eagle Owl

Expectations were running high in me when I heard from my parents that we are going to Bharatpur during the Diwali break. We reached Bharatpur in around 4 hours, checked in to the hotel, had lunch…………. It all seemed to take too long & I was getting restless. I just wanted to head into the Keoladeo Ghana National Park !!

But there was one problem; we could not find Maan Singh. We had called his contact telephone number & requested them to pass on the message to Maan Singh. But obviously he had not got the message. Maan Singh has always been an integral part of my trips to Bharatpur. Birding is so enjoyable with him, he has so much insight into birds, plus he knows the park inside out, plus he knows my favourite birds, plus he knows the likely places where they might be !!

We looked out for him trying in vain to locate his whereabouts. With disappointment writ large on our faces we boarded another cycle rickshaw, but I was hoping to bump into Maan Singh somewhere in the park. But luck was with us & lo behold, we saw him very soon & I was happy to hop into his rickshaw though I did feel sorry for the other rickshaw driver. However, my father compensated him for his time so at least he did not lose any earnings.

The high for the first day was to see the Dusky Eagle Owl, the call of it was just awesome. Imagine listening to the call on a dark moon less night alone!!! That surely will give me the goose bums !!

We did a quick round of the park. Scopps Owl was simply a treat to watch.........

So was also the peace in which the Night Jar was sleeping on a branch.



The next day we spent about 4hrs in the park in the morning, The high point was the Saurus Cranes, one of them was sitting on a nest, the Pheasant Tailed Jacanas & the Bronze Winged Jacanas, we looked hard to see the floating nests, but couldn’t see any.

We went again to the park after a quick lunch. Had great views of a couple of Eurasian Hobby’s. A first time view of a Lagger Falcon. Then we had a close look at the Heronary. It was amazing to see the Painted Storks, the Cormorants, the Spoon Bills & the Darters share the same nesting spaces. Maan Singh showed us how the adults of Painted Storks would protect the chicks of the other species. Also how the adults protect the chicks from the sun by spreading out the wings etc. We also saw chicks which were just a week old.

The concentration which is writ large on the face of the Purple Heron, or the Night Heron, or the little Green Heron, or the Grey heron, just sitting quietly in wait for prolonged periods of time, without moving even a bit, alert & agile, & when they spot a prey, in one amazing striking elongation of the neck they catch the fish. And if it is a big fish then it flips it in the air & takes it in head first. I was privileged to see a Purple Heron do just that.

It was almost sunset when we were coming out of the park. We heard a jackal call, suddenly Maan singh jumped out from the rickshaw & said It is a Hyena !! Our eyes closed in on the Hyena. It was huge. Bigger than a German Sheperd dog, it crossed the path right behind us. I could not believe my eyes, I could not believe what I saw………. a Hyena. It was a truly awesome moment. By the time my mother got out of the rickshaw & adjusted the camera the Hyena was gone. But the picture will always remain in my mind………. A Hyena been barked at & chased by Jackals, & it crossing the path just 15 ft away from me. Truly a rocker moment !!

The next day we were in the park by sunrise. This time Maan singh took us through a different path. I was dying/ hoping to see an Osprey, I did see something which I thought was an Osprey, but it was too far away to even identify. Then we were cycling along quietly, then we saw a Greater Spotted Eagle. Actually it was only a dress rehearsal of things to come.

Just a few metres ahead, my eyes popped out in wonder when I saw a Steppe Eagle…………… (Correction, by Ramit: It is a Bonneli's Eagle)

It was so close, it was unbelievable, to see this beautiful bird sitting just a few metres away. I enjoyed the couple of minutes in its company, before it flew away. We cycled ahead, not believing my luck , I was still in daze thinking of the Steppe Eagle. (Sorry, actually Bonneli's Eagle)

Suddenly Maan Singh again stopped & pointed to my right, there again on my right hand side was one of my all time favourite birds : The Crested Serpent Eagle.

It was sitting in the sun, obviously 'had a dive in the water, so was sitting with the feathers spread out. I have never seen an Eagle so, so relaxed & did look at us many times, but was not bothered about our presence, he continued to sit where he was . We eyed him for about 20 minutes, till we decided to say good bye.

So that was it !!

After two & a half days of intensive birding, it was finally time to leave. Bharatpur rocks, it just rocks. I used to wonder the last two years when I used to hear that there is no water in the park, i used to worry & feel helpless. But i felt so humble to see nature rejuvenate itself to offer a nesting & a breeding place for all these species who come in sometimes all the way from Europe & Mongolia.

I hope to go back in December or January (hopefully with some of my friends) when all the birds arrive & when Bharatpur is at its best.

As of now here is the list of birds i saw :

1. Magpie Robin
2. Bank Mynah
3. Common Myna
4. Brahminy Myna
5. Pied Myna
6. Drongo
7. Laughing Dove
8. Green Pigeon
9. Jungle Babbler
10. Peacocks/hens
11. Hoopoe
12. Chestnut Shouldered Petronia
13. Rose Ringed Parakeets
14. Yellow Vented Bulbul
15. Coucal
16. Large Green Barbet
17. Coppersmith
18. Green Bee-eater
19. Indian Roller Bird
20. Golden Oriole
21. Pygmy Woodpecker
22. Flame Back
23. Red Wattled Lapwing
24. White Breasted King Fisher
25. Small Blue King Fisher
26. Rufous Tree pie
27. Pied Bush Chat
28. Clamorous Reed Warbler
29. Brain fever Bird/ Common Hawk Cuckoo
30. Koel
31. Pied Crested Cuckoo
32. Grey Partridge/ Francolin
33. Red Throated Fly Catcher
34. Grey Headed Canary Fly Catcher
35. Grey Night Jar
36. Painted Storks
37. Great Egret
38. Little Egret
39. Pond Heron/ Paddy Bird
40. Little Heron
41. Night Heron
42. Purple Heron
43. Darter/ Snake Bird
44. Great Cormorant
45. Little Cormorant
46. Indian Shag
47. White Ibis
48. Glossy Ibis
49. Spoon Bill
50. Saurus Crane
51. Common Moorhen
52. Purple Moorhen
53. Bronzed Winged Jacana
54. Pheasant Tailed Jacana
55. Black Red Start
56. Lesser White Throat
57. Long Tailed Shrike
58. Scopps Owl
59. Spotted Owlets
60. Dusky Eagle Owl
61. Spot billed Duck
62. Lesser Whistling Ducks
63. Coots
64. Comb Duck
65. Common Teal/ Pygmy Goose
66. Crested Serpent Eagle
67. Marsh Harrier
68. Black Shouldered Kite
69. Shikra
70. Lagger Falcon
71. Eurasian Hobby
72. Greater Spotted Eagle
73. Oriental Honey Buzzard
74. Bonneli's Eagle

Finally as i leave; i hope to , i just hope to...........see the Siberian Cranes coming back sometime !!