Birding in India

 

From January 14 to February 20, 2015 we joined six Ottawa
friends on a birding trip to northern and southern India.

 

Happy gang!

 

Our road transportation was by minibus

 

Minibus

 

The northern leg started in Delhi, went up to Pangot in the
foothills of the Himalayas, and ended in Jaipur where we
flew south to Cochin

 

Northern India

 

In the south, we visited a number of national parks
before ending in Bengalaru (Bangalore) for the flight home

 

Southern India

 

 

The bird list for the trip ended up with just over 480 species, including...

 

Common Myna

Common Myna

 

Oriental Magpie Robin

Oriental Magpie Robin

 

White-throated Laughingthrush

White-throated Laughingthrush

 

Red-vented Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul

 

 

We visited a number of cultural sites such as...

 

Red Fort, Delhi

Red Fort

 

Red Fort interior

 

Humayun's Tomb, Delhi

Humayun's Tomb

 

And - of course - the Taj Mahal, Agra

Taj Mahal

 

Marble inlay

 

 

We also saw some birds...

 

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul

 

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush

 

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

 

...and mammals, such as...

 

Rhesus Macaque

Rhesus macaque

 

Spotted Deer

Spotted Deer

 

Stripe-necked Mongoose

Stripe-necked Mongoose

 

 

Did we mention that we saw some birds?

 

Bar-headed Geese

Bar-headed Geese

 

Red-wattled Lapwing

Red-wattled Lapwing

 

Pond Heron

Pond Heron

 

Asian Openbill

Asian Openbill

 

 

We saw three tigers...

 

The first tiger exploded from tall grass while we were
on an elephant safari in Jim Corbett National park - it
happened much too quickly for any photographs

 

Elephant safari

 

However, the second tiger was much more stationary

 

Tiger!

 

Tiger?

 

But then, in Nagarhole National Park, at the edge of a river,
we found a tiger that had killed a Gaur ("Indian Bison" - the
the largest wild bovine in India) . We think he looks kind of
smug about the whole business!

 

Tiger with Gaur

 

Tiger leaving to chase deer

 

 

There were more birds...

 

Rufous Treepie

Rufous Treepie

 

Bay-backed Shrike

Bay-backed Shrike

 

Blue Whistling Thrush

Blue Whistling Thrush

 

Southern Grey Shrike

Southern Grey Shrike

 

 

The traffic had to be seen to be believed!

 

Traffic...

 

...traffic, and...

 

...more traffic!

 

And, just how many people do fit on a motorcycle?

Indian Peafowl

Hint - This isn't even close to the record!

 

 

Some of the birds also had to be seen to be believed!

 

Indian Peafowl

Indian Peafowl

 

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

 

Common Hoopoe

Common Hoopoe

 

 

As did some of the other wildlife, such as...

 

...a Gharial!

Gharial

 

And - over there - next to the log - is a...

Rock Python

 

25-foot Rock Python!

Rock Python

 

Rock Python

 

 

Some of the faces of India...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, now for something completely different?

 

Lesser Whistling-ducks

Lesser Whistling-ducks

 

Sri Lanka Frogmouths
Male (L) and Female (R)

Sri Lanka Frogmouths

 

Oriental White-eye

Oriental White-eye

 

 

Just one of many temples...

 

Temple

 


 


 

 

Finally, just a few more birds...

 

Brahminy Starling

Brahminy Starling

 

Indian Roller

Indian Roller

 

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

 

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet

 

 

...before we see sunrise over the Himalayas
(about 300 km away)

 

Text

 

Two happy birders

Two happy birders

 

The End