INDIA 2010: Keoladeo NP day 3

Nov 19 – The humid, overcast and rainy weather may have finally broken as today turned out to be just as Rajasthan should be at this time of year. Clear, pleasant daytime temperatures and cooler after sundown.

Our two sessions in Keoladeo today was wonderful for the photographers and gave us a few new species. We began by scouring the ground in the nursery area for thrushes and Large-tailed Nightjar but failed to find either. However, with a twinkle in his eye Jag nodded that he a bird. Once again his extraordinary eyes beamed in on the faintest of lumps on an upper tree branch which morphed into a Grey Nightjar (above). He had every reason to be smiling as the position of the bird, along with the background, made it doubly hard to pick out.

Catching movement and branches swaying in a ficus tree full of fruit alerted us to Brown-headed Barbets, Yellow-footed Green Pigeons (above) and Indian Grey Hornbills have a feast.

From the nursery we rode rickshaws to just beyond the temple. There was stop along the way for a most confiding Common Kingfisher at Sappan Mari as well as a pair of roosting Indian Collared Scops Owls tucked into a palm tree.

Around the Keoladeo temple we got a far better look at the Black Bittern, this time perched a bit further out in the open. Walking down the Mansarovar track produced an array of waterfowl from large Comb Ducks and chunky Purple Swamphens to the diminutive Pygmy Cotton Goose. Having seen the Pheasant-tailed Jacanas once again on our way here I was delighted to have as good a look at a pair of Bronzed-winged Jacanas (above) as well. A pair of Black-necked Storks could be seen in the distance on top of a tree where they likely had a nest.

A Long-legged Buzzard put on a nice show for us, circling over the Mansarovar track, and shortly thereafter three Greater-spotted Eagles could be seen soaring around the same area.

Before lunch Jag took us into “the city” as the town of Bharatpur is known, to go shopping for scarves! We negotiated all forms of traffic coming from all directions as we crossed “The City” roundabout. Best described as organized chaos. Bicycles, rickshaws, cars and motorbikes all with horns blaring, and of course the odd cattle of two!! The secret to our success was just to walk and they’ll do their best to avoid us! It was the scarf vendors lucky day, as he made a brisk business from half a dozen foreigners who just wanted to be as fashionable as Jag!

For Tammy and Eric Garganey was their nemesis bird. By mid afternoon we began where we left off on the Mansarover track and soon had two female Garganeys for them. In the tall golden clumps of grasses on the west side of the track there was a mixed flock of Black-headed Munia and Black-breasted Weavers feeding on the seed heads. While the munias were in full regalia the weavers were in non-breeding attire.

A pair of bugling Sarus Cranes alerted us to their proximity and we soon turned our attention to them. As we were watching and photographing them, Arden let us know that a distant female Black-necked Stork (above) was in the process of killing a Moorhen. We watched in amazement as she inflicted further pain by prodding away at her victim, picking it up and repeatedly drowning it. Once that job was completed to her satisfaction she proceeded to pick small bits of meat off the bird carefully avoiding the feathers before picking it up and flying away with it.