INDIA 2010 : Ranthambhore & Soorwal

Nov 13 – For our morning in the park, we were back on the Track 5 where we all got another free massage courtesy of the bumpy road. Our goal was to locate the tiger pair but neither of the dozen canters or gypsy’s (small jeeps) on our track were able to,  in the three and a half hours we have for our game drive.

Avian wise we stopped to check the small pool where we saw the snake yesterday and were surprised to find a Shikra perched above our heads more concerned with looking for its breakfast than us. We did well with raptors locating the White-eyed Buzzard on what must be its favorite perch for this week, and an Oriental Honey Buzzard lazily circled over a valley. Though we got a brief view of a Dusky Eagle Owl in flight after it was mobbed by drongos and treepies,  it was the Brown Fish Owl (above) roosting a massive banyan that was really impressive. As for passerines, there was the usual suspects along with better looks at Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers, Small Minivet and a Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker. A pair of Ruddy Mongoose showed well and were curious when Panjak squeaked,  imitating an injured animal.

It was an early lunch before we jumped into 2 Gypsy’s for the ride through Sawai Madhopur to Lake Soorwal. The town was bustling with people, camels and carts, tractors, motorbikes, and an assortment of other vehicles. Winding our way out of town the streets narrowed and pigs and cows had to be dodged to get by. We would often encounter women in colorful saris (above) on their way to do some chore.

Once on the dirt roads we entered vast expanses of newly sown mustard fields. We would pause often for a Booted Eagle, Indian Roller (above) , a mixed group of Brahminy Starling and Rosy Starlings, followed by a flock consisting mostly of Baya Weavers, with a Streaked and several Black-breasted Weavers and Red-headed Buntings amongst them. In the middle of a newly ploughed field lay a lone male Blackbuck, one of the most stunning antelopes.

While watching a Long-tailed Shrike (above) on a fence post a Wryneck flew in behind it,  landing in a small cultivated patch and began to forage on the ground. This is an elegant cryptically colored bird that is in the woodpecker family. Yellow Wagtails and Chiffchaff soon followed. We passed small villages with ochre walled houses painted with white motifs. Cattle would be in front yard and piles of dung patties stored nearby in dung huts. The children and elders were very friendly with endless welcomes, wishes, waves and “tata’s” (goodbye). Some of the tracks we were on were inundated with water, often having the gypsy’s slipping all over the place and mud up to the axils. Our driver Mohavid and Panjak driving the other vehicle expertly got us though what was for us was a joy ride!

In areas of short grass we came across several Isabelline Wheatears, Hoopoe, Paddyfield Pipit and a skittish group of Yellow-wattled Lapwings.

The monsoon had been very good to this area and the lake was greatly expanded with most of the waterfowl well out in the distance water. We took the gypsy’s up onto the dam and from here scoped the water. We could make out a couple of Dalmatian Pelicans roosting on a mud bar, with a Grey Heron and Great Cormorants. A few Ruddy Shelduck and flocks of Comb Ducks and Ruffs flew over the dam as River Terns patrolled up and down the deeper water along the dam.

The expected group of keen young men (what else would do but hang around the dam waiting for a group of birdwatchers to show up) eagerly looked through the scope at what we were watching. This included Black-headed Ibis feeding in the cultivated side of the dam, Painted-Snipe and a nice pair of Greater Thick-knees. At the last bend beofre leaving the there was mixed flock of shorebirds feeding that included Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew Sandpipers, Temminck’s and Little Stint.