I am continuing with birds and my trip to Bharatpur's Keoladeo Ghana National Park, sometime back. This time more with just images Shikra can be easily seen at Keoladeo. It is most common small hawk but an aggressive hunter, can be found almost everywhere in the neighbourhood. Like Shikras, marsh harriers are also found worldwide. They are raptors of medium size in the harrier family. Watching them fly is fascinating when they make a V in low flight. Look for them at KNP. You know Keoladeo is also famous for its turtles! Read them about here- The giant turtles of Keoladeo National Park Darters are also called as snake birds owing o their long thin neck which has a snake like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. There are large number of oriental...
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Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur in Rajasthan has always been the numero uno of India’s bird sanctuaries. One of the oldest and the most acclaimed one. It is also close to hearts of all birders as it was the playground of India’s most known birder, none other than Salim Ali for more than half a century. Visiting this park is always a thrill for serious bird watchers. Watching birds here need some good planning. I will be discussing tips for good experience of bird watching at Keoladeo in few posts. Here is the first one on means to travel inside the park and the charges associated with them. Firstly, it is a bird sanctuary, not a tiger reserve. Hence no safaris are needed here. Since we don’t have normal wildlife, else than deer family, reptiles and predators are v...
Read MoreThey are the true 'love-birds'. Always found in pair and always remain loyal to each other. Hardly we recognise bird species with these qualities but our guide or naturalist- as they liked themselves to be called as, was more than beaming in explaining Sarus Cranes to us in this manner. But it was really so amusing to hear all this, though we had already heard about crane couple 'singing' and dancing together and seen some amazing photographs earlier too. Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur has been one of the favourites to watch this amazing bird, although they can be found in Gangetic plains. There number is decreasing constantly everywhere, including Keoladeo, due to various threats. Hence it was on top of my bucket list while going to this amazing bird sanctuary. Our naturalis...
Read MoreFor many people visiting to a wildlife sanctuary or a national park, what matters most is a good trip to the park, but it certainly helps if you get a comfortable place of stay after a tiring trip to park. Sunbird hotel at Bharatpur gives many reasons for a pleasant stay. Too many plus for a hotel which normally won't fall into the big brand category. Actually, to my surprise it was few of those hotels which hardly gave any reason to complain or even dissatisfied with. When we checked in, the staff said that we were being given the two best rooms in the property and we couldn't have disagreed. For a place like Bharatpur, this hotel has one of the best location you can ask for. Property is just five minutes walk from the main gate of Bird sanctuary. Hotel is located in th...
Read MoreKeoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur has been the earliest and most popular of bird sanctuaries in India so much so that until few decades back whenever plans to visit a bird sanctuary will come in mind, name Keoladeo used to prop up almost instantly. But this park, popular for its cranes and once a critical wintering ground for endangered Siberian cranes, is also known for its giant soft shelled turtles. Park has seven species of turtles. The number of turtles is very good, in few hundreds. There are many myths and folklores associated with these turtles, but indeed there lifespan is very good. In that sense many turtles here are said to be living here for more than couple of hundred years. Now the catch is that this park doesn't have perennial source of water. It depends lot on m...
Read Moreहवा में ठंडक कम हुई है। लेकिन सर्दी अभी गई नहीं है। हजारों किलोमीटर दूर सुदूर उत्तर के यहां से भी ज्यादा ठंडे इलाकों से प्रवासी पक्षी भारत में कई जगहों पर अभी बसेरा बनाए हैं। ऐसा वे हर साल करते हैं। बड़ी लंबी व दुष्कर उड़ान के बाद उनका अपने तय ठिकानों पर हर साल आना, वाकई कुदरत का बड़ा हैरतअंगेज करिश्मा है। अब जरा कल्पना कीजिए कि साइबेरिया (रूस, चीन व उत्तर कोरियाई इलाकों) के अमूर फॉल्कन हर साल 22 हजार किलोमीटर दूर अफ्रीका में प्रवास के लिए जाते हैं और इस दौरान वे बीच में भारत के उत्तर-पूर्व में नगालैंड में थोड़ा आराम करते हैं। यहां से अफ्रीका जाने के लिए यह पक्षी समुद्र के ऊपर चार हजार किलोमीटर की उड़ान बिना रुके भरता है। ऐसे ही कई पक्षी भारत में प्रवास के लिए आते हैं। दुनियाभर के पक्षी प्रेमी इस मौसम में भारत आते हैं, परिंदों की इस खूबसूरत दुनिया का नजारा लेने के लिए। बर्ड वाचिंग के श...
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