Thursday 18 February 2016

3rd February – Bharatpur

After a good nights sleep we made the short trip to the entrance to Bhartpur. The layout was interesting with a long straight roadway running for about three miles to a T-junction. The first mile or so had scrub on either side and was good for birding. We reached a crossroads and carried on where the landscape changed with water on our left and marsh and wet grassland on our right.

Indian Roller
Large Grey Babbler
Indian Spotted Duck
At the first crossroad we saw a Siberian Rubythroat which even though I had seen one in the UK still set the pulses racing. Barred Buttonquail for me was the standout species, being a family of birds that I haven’t seen much of.

There variety of species was special and by the end of the day we logged nearly 120 in total. Special species: in no particular order were Black-necked Stork, White-eared Bulbul, Indian Roller, Brahminy Starling, Sarus Crane, Spotted and Collared Owlets and the impressive Dusky Eagle Owl and a self found Orphean Warbler.

As it was getting on we were given a Rickshaw ride back to the entrance, now I’m big but the little fella that was taking Mike and Jack was on a respirator by the time we got to the entrance.

We boarded the coach and Lokesh announced he knew a site for Painted Snipe and that we still had enough daylight left. We travelled through the backstreets of Bharatpur arriving at a sort of man made watercourse, now though, it was little more than a open sewer, I can’t describe it adequately but you could taste it – not pleasant. However, it was good, very good for waders and we saw several species including Marsh Sandpiper, but alas no Painted Snipe.

Painted Stork
White-throated Kingfisher
Grey-breasted Prinia
Brahminy Starling

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