Wild India ... In Style!

Naturetrek Tour Report 5 - 15 November 2011

Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England

T: +44 (0)1962 733051 F: +44 (0)1962 736426

E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Report compiled by Harsha Jayaramiah

Images courtesy of Tony Watts

Morning Patrol

Bandhavgarh Tiger

Wild Boar, Kanha Lime Butterfly, Bandhavgahr

Tour Report Wild India ... In Style!

© Naturetrek December 11 1

Tour Leader: Harsha Jayaramiah - Local Guide & Naturalist

Participants: Eric Berry

Joy Berry

Richard Herbert

Linda Herbert

Tony Watts

Toni Watts

Day 1 Saturday 5th November

After meeting the group at the airport arrivals from the UK and checking in to the hotel by afternoon, we all

visited Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary nearby. Many winter visitors were already there in good numbers like Common

Teal, Shoveler, and Pintails. We also saw Common Shelduck, Greylag Goose etc. One of the interesting sightings

was in the wooded area - a juvenile Common Hawk-cuckoo being fed by large grey babblers! We also had view

of Sarus Cranes. Two Indian Bluebull Antelopes were also seen.

Day 2 Sunday 6th November

We left early morning to Jabalpur from Delhi and were greeted by House Sparrow and Swifts at the airport. It

was a four hour drive to Kanha, and on the way we saw Open billed Storks, Egrets, Indian Rollers and

Kingfishers. Guests checked into luxury tented accommodation at Tuli and had a quick lunch and we left for our

first game drive.

For everyone it was their first time at Kanha and the park was beautiful. We were greeted by the resident Spotted

Owlets at the entrance, lot of new birds for guests like Racket-tailed Drongo, Grey Hornbills, Cuckoo-shrikes,

and we had great views of Barasingha stags in the meadows, Sambar and Guars. One of our jeeps was at a

different meadow and heard alarm calls of deer and they rushed to get glimpses of a tiger disappearing into the

grass! What a way to start our safari at Kanha!

Day 3 Monday 7th November

The first morning drive beautiful… We reached the centre point for a break and found out that a tiger has been

tracked by elephants and we were getting a chance to see one. Soon enough our turn came and every one went

on the elephants and saw a handsome tiger resting under the tree not far from the road.

In the afternoon drive we saw interesting birds like Shama, Fulvetta, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. Later we came

across jeeps lined up - we could make out some movement and got a glimpse of a tiger! Soon it got up from the

grass and started walking away from us, spray-marking bushes and disappeared in a turn. From there we were on

our way to the gate through grassland when we got a glimpse of a Sloth Bear!

Wild India ... In Style! Tour Report

2 © Naturetrek December 11

Day 4 Tuesday 8th November

Morning was beautiful as usual and the pair of Owlets always greeted us. As we were driving around we heard

alarm calls and saw fresh tracks of tiger, and we got another chance to go on the elephants. This time it was in a

different location and from the elephant guests saw not one tiger but two! The tigress was resting in open grass

and another tiger was in the bush feasting on Wild Boar kill! On our return we were trying to track wild dogs as

we saw fresh droppings but we ended up with no luck. In the afternoon we were trying for wild dogs again but

ended up seeing a clear view of a Sloth Bear!

Day 5 Wednesday 9th November

This was our last morning drive so we decided to go the highest point in Kanha. It was a beautiful drive climbing

up, with lots of interesting birds including Orange-headed Thrush and Red-throated Flycatcher. The view was

beautiful where we had our breakfast whilst watching Red-whiskered Bulbuls, White-eyes etc. On our return we

also saw Wryneck and Oriental Honey Buzzard.

After the drive we said goodbye to the staff of Tuli and headed to Bandhavgarh, through the beautiful landscape

of rural Central India, and reached there late in the evening.

Day 6 Thursday 10th November

Bandhvgarh is different than Kanha, and has its own beauty. The rugged rocky landscape was filled with the

dawn chorus. As we entered we had a great view of a fully gown Sambar Stag, and we also saw Racket-tailed

Drongo, a pair of Malabar Pied Hornbills, and Wild Boar. On the way back we saw fresh tracks of tiger and we

also heard alarm calls. Our other jeep had stopped to look at a Brown Fish Owl when they started to hear alarm

calls of Langur Monkeys and Sambar, and as they waited in anticipation, a tigress appeared from nowhere in the

grassland and walked in full view to the other side – a very good sighting!

The afternoon drive was in a less crowded area of the park and it was fruitful, with new birds like White-eyed

Buzzard, Fan-tailed Flycatcher, and Changeable Hawk-eagle. While exiting we went to look for an antelope, the

Indian Gazelle, and got to see one in the buffer zone of the park.

Day 7 Friday 11th November

In the morning drive we saw Puff throated babblers, Common Woodshrikes, Small Minivets, and a glimpse of a

Flameback Woodpecker. We also saw a whole party of juvenile Red Jungle fowls on the road. On our way back

we saw a Monitor Lizard in a tree hole.

The afternoon drive was also really nice as we could spend a lot of time at one place watching birds – the

highlight was one tree full of colourful Long-tailed and Small Minivets! While exiting we saw a group of Wild

Boar with piglets, feeding on an old kill.

Wild India ... In Style! Tour Report

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Day 8 Saturday 12th November

This was our last day in Bandhavgarh so we decided to see a temple. On our way we had a visual feast of more

than 10 Malabar Pied Hornbills flying off from a tree. We stopped to visit an old cave to see a number of small

Horseshoe Bats. On our way back we could hear roars inside the forest and found out that there were pair of

courting tigers – in the end we could see both male and female tigress resting in the shade after their tiring

activity.

After the afternoon drive we had to catch an overnight train to Agra so we decided to do a shorter drive. So we

did not rush and drove slowly looking at everything around. As we were returning to the park gate to exit early,

to our surprise we saw a tiger sitting on the middle of the road! As it saw us it got up and went inside the bushes,

so we stopped at the spot where it had disappeared and to our luck there was a tigress sitting hardly 10 metres

from us and watching us. She was relaxed and started to clean herself for the next 20 minutes. After that she got

up and went inside the thick bamboo and we also had to leave. We thought ‘wow’ - what a way to end our last

drive!

Day 9 Sunday 13th November

We reached Agra late in the morning and guests checked into the beautiful Amar Vilas hotel with a view of the

Taj Mahal. Post lunch we all met our guide and went to see the Baby Taj which was the inspiration for the Taj

Mahal. From the Baby Taj we saw a pair of Ruddy Shelducks in the river, lots of Black-wing Stilts, Spoonbills

etc. From there we managed to get inside the beautiful Agra Fort and had a quick tour of the place and saw a

new bird again, Indian Chat.

Day 10 Monday 14th November

We woke up early in the morning to see the Taj Mahal and everyone agreed it was totally worth it. Everyone got

their first complete view of the Taj Mahal that day and as the guide was talking it lit up beautifully in the golden

light of the morning! After having a wonderful time there we visited another beautiful place, Fatehpur Sikri,

which was an amazing place, with the story of how Mughals lived at that time.

On our way in the evening everyone was surprised to see so many Bluebull Antelopes and Peacocks in the fields

close to the road. In the night we caught the train to Delhi and stayed there overnight. The next day, early in the

morning, we all said our goodbyes, with great memories of the experiences we had had, in just a few days…

Day 11 Tuesday 15th November

Return to the UK

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Species Lists

Birds ( = recorded but not counted; H = heard only)

November

Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

1 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

2 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis 3 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 4 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger

5 Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster 6 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 7 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 8 Great Egret Ardea alba 9 Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia

10 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 11 Indian Pond-heron Ardeola grayii 12 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 13 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala 14 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans 15 Black Stork Ciconia nigra

16 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus

17 Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus

18 Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus 19 Red-naped Ibis Pseudibis papillosa H 20 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 21 Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica

22 Greylag Goose Anser anser 23 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 24 Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

25 Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos 26 Common Teal Anas crecca 27 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha 28 Northern Pintail Anas acuta

29 Garganey Anas querquedula

30 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

31 Osprey Pandion haliaetus 32 Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus 33 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus 34 Black Kite Milvus migrans 35 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 36 White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis

37 Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus 38 Red-headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus 39 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 40 Crested Serpent-eagle Spilornis cheela

41 Eurasian Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

42 Shikra Accipiter badius

43 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

44 Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata ?

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November

Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

45 Changeable Hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus

46 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

47 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus H

48 Red jungle Fowl Gallus gallus H H 49 Jungle Bush-quail Perdicula asiatica 50 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus 51 Sarus Crane Grus antigone

52 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus .

53 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

54 Common Coot Fulica atra 55 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 56 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii 57 Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus 58 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus 59 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

60 Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus ? ?

61 Rock Dove Columba livia 62 Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis 63 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 64 Red Collared-dove Streptopelia tranquebarica 65 Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis 66 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

67 Yellow-footed Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera 68 Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria 69 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri 70 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala

71 Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus

72 Common Hawk-cuckoo Cuculus varius

73 Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii 74 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis 75 Barn Owl Tyto alba 76 Indian Scops-owl Otus bakkamoena

77 Brown Fish-owl Ketupa zeylonensis

78 Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum

79 Spotted Owlet Athene brama 80 Little Swift Apus affinis 81 Crested Treeswift Hemiprocne coronata 82 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 83 Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis H 84 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 85 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 86 Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis 87 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis 88 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 89 Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris 90 Malabar Pied-hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus 91 Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica H H 92 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala H H H

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November

Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

93 Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla

94 Brown-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos moluccensis nanus

95 Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense 96 White-naped Woodpecker Chrysocolaptes festivus

97 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

98 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

99 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 100 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla madaraspatensis 101 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 102 Oriental Pipit Anthus rufulus

103 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

104 Large Cuckoo-shrike Coracina macei

105 Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike Coracina melaschistos 106 Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus 107 Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus 108 Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus 109 Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus 110 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer

111 Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis

112 Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons 113 Common Iora Aegithina tiphia 114 Common Stonechat Saxicola rubicola 115 Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina

116 Tickell's Thrush Turdus unicolor

117 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis

118 Jungle Prinia Prinia sylvatica 119 Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis 120 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata 121 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

122 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

123 Tickell's Leaf-warbler Phylloscopus affinis

124 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides 125 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca 126 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva 127 Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina

128 Tickell's Blue-flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae H

129 Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope

130 Oriental Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis

131 White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus 132 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata 133 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 134 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata

135 Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea 136 Indian Chat Cercomela fusca 137 White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola 138 Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea 139 Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps

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November

Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

140 Tawny-bellied Babbler Dumetia hyperythra

141 Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinense

142 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi 143 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus 144 Brown-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe poioicephala H 145 Great Tit Parus major 146 Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys

147 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea

148 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

149 Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus H 150 Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus 151 Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus 152 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus

153 Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus

154 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

155 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus 156 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus 157 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus 158 White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens 159 Hair-crested Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus

160 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus

161 Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus

162 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda 163 House Crow Corvus splendens 164 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos 165 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus 166 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 167 House Sparrow Passer domesticus

168 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis 169 White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata 170 Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulata

Mammals

1 Royal Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris tigris 2 Jungle Cat Felis chaus kelaarita or kutas 3 Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta 4 ‘Northern Plains’ Grey Langur Semnopithecus entellus 5 Common Mongoose Herpestes edwardsi

6 Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii

7 Golden Jackal Canis aureus

8 Sloth Bear Merursus ursinus 9 Three-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennarum 10 Five-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus pennanti 11 Gaur (Indian Bison) Bos guarus

12 Sambar Cervus unicolor

13 Barasingha (Swamp Deer) Cervus duvauceli branderi

14 Chital (Spotted Deer) Cervus axis

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November

Common name Scientific name 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 Indian Muntjac (Barking Deer) Muntiacus muntjak H

16 Khincara (Indian Gazelle) Gazella bennetti 17 Nilgai (Blue Bull) Boselaphus tragocamelus 18 Indian Wild Boar Sus scrofa 19 Indian Fox Vulpes bengalensis

Other fauna

1 Common Garden Lizard Calotes versicolor

2 House Gecko species Hemidactylus or Gehyra etc sp 3 Monitor lizard Varanus bengalensis

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Elephant Patrol Green Bee-eater