Rao Jodha Desert Park

'Write!' exhorts the Muse

while I seek an excuse

or wait for the right cues

from fitful trips and birding news.

So to Rao Jodha desert park

floating above Jodhpur's raucous bark.

Puzzled by the ID of a confusing lark

yet snaffling a spotted flycatcher ere dark.

Searching for the elusive crimson tip butterfly

its unceasing flight rather than being shy

thwarts attempts at photographs I try

rewarded finally when patiently still I lie.

A lizard emerges from a rocky chink

snake-eyed lacerta or common skink?

As criss-crossing rivulet-riven pathways link

perches the crimson dropwing a dragonfly pink.

Crimson-tip 

Spotted Flycatcher

Lacerta or Skink?

Crimson Dropwing

sahdevsingh2004@yahoo.co.in

Raptors of Tal Chhapar

 October - November 2012.
As the sun sets over the grasslands of Tal Chhapar, the harriers begin their thrilling show.
This is the famous harrier roost.
For a few days (or weeks in a season) at the most, this daily spectacle has enthralled visiting birders over the years.
 The monsoon has nurtured a sudden explosion of grasses in these arid flatlands at the edge of the Thar Desert. Tens of harriers, mainly on passage migration, hunt the plethora of grasshoppers, crickets and locusts, during the day. At dusk they roost on the ground.
I have deliberately put away the camera, determined to just experience this with the binoculars.
These elegant, long-winged raptors glide low over the ground, checking suddenly with splayed tail-feathers and dangling talons, the narrow supple wings arching to arrest momentum. In mid-flight they abruptly dive to the ground, sometimes flushing another harrier already at roost.
Magical.

Sunset at Tal Chhapar ...

A large proportion of the harriers are Montagu's - a few males, but most females or juveniles.
The larger Eurasian Marsh Harriers are easily distinguishable in this swirling vortex, but I struggle with the Pallid Harriers. Only one male is clearly identifiable by its unmarked pale grey plumage.
The rare Hen Harrier (rare for Rajasthan that is) has also been reported from here.

Earlier in the day we had observed a Long-legged Buzzard from close quarters. This is a juvenile...

Long-legged Buzzard

Long-legged indeed in full stride ... the rufous capri pants swirling in the breeze !

The much smaller and widespread White-eyed Buzzard, in my experience, is surprisingly uncommon here .
Here is a juvenile, hence without the tell-tale white iris of the adult ...

White-eyed Buzzard

Photographs of the Common Buzzard have been appearing from here, including those of a dark morph, so we are really happy to find it perched obligingly in plain sight, but not allowing close approach. A lifer for me ...

Common Buzzard

Flapping its wings at perch to swat-off a pesky Black Drongo ...

To many birders, probably what is really unique about Tal Chhapar is the variety of falcons.
The list is superb - Laggar Falcon, Merlin, Red-necked Falcon, Common Kestrel, the rare Lesser Kestrel, and the diminutive Eurasian Hobby.
Here the hobby hunts right through the day as we have seen, though in my experience this species is rather crepuscular in other areas.

Eurasian Hobby

Larger numbers of Common Kestrel can be observed right through the day, hovering above the grasslands.

Common Kestrel, female ...

We were lucky to notch-up the rare Lesser Kestrel, sometimes observed on migration through here. The male was distinctive in  flight with its bluish-grey wing panel. My birding companion was even luckier to have a Lesser Kestrel come and perch almost on top of his head on a electricity pole towards the west of the park near the salt pans.

One of my favourite raptors is almost a certainty if you visit here.
 The Laggar Falcon.
This large falcon, the size of a Peregrine, loves to show-off its aerial prowess.
Actually a pair of them, that we have seen over other visits. They will suddenly appear out of nowhere. Powerful, narrow falcon wings scything through the air as they spar with the other raptors in the air. They love to harass the kestrels, while the harriers are contemptuously swept past.

Montagu's Harrier ...

Pallid Harrier ...

When this male Pallid Harrier, with its languid, yet buoyant, flight overflew us from close, we were quite sure of the ID from its underwing pattern. Yet, at perch it showed a contrastingly darker upper grey breast, compared to its white belly, confusingly like the Hen Harrier ??

The Tal Chhapar checklist of eagles is impressive.
My personal observations only include - Steppe, Imperial, Tawny, Short-toed Snake Eagle and Bonelli's.
But photographs have appeared recently of the White-tailed Eagle !
 This huge 'sea-eagle' or 'fishing-eagle' perches on the ground for hours next to the tiny water-bodies in the park. Remember, this is hundreds of kilometers from a large river or lake !

From what I know, all the species of vulture from India (except the Lammergeier), have been observed here. So tick marks for the Red-headed, Eurasian and Himalayan Griffon, White-backed, Long-billed, Egyptian and Cinereous Vultures.
Over the rubbish tip at Sujangarh nearby, we thought that the larger vultures were mainly Long-billed, but later analysis of some  record photos I took, suggest that this could be a Eurasian Griffon ...

The hawks are represented by the Eurasian Sparrowhawk and the Shikra.

The erstwhile rulers of the Rajputana State of Bikaner built this hunting lodge ( now mostly derelict) here overlooking the grasslands to hunt Black-buck and Chinkara in years gone by. Now it is a sanctuary and a raptor paradise....

And not only raptors, this special place also harbours other rarities.
Sociable Lapwing, Stoliczka's Bushchat, Yellow-eyed Pigeon, Spotted Creeper among others.

Hope to see you again when we talk of those creatures next time ...

Bhainsrorgarh - Part 2

We are being very well fed-and-watered by our hosts Rajvir and Hemendra of Bhainsrorgarh, Rajasthan at a private location outside the forest.

 The picnic is a rare chance for the younger generation (represented today by 7 cousins) to experience a 'camp' meal. Everyone pitches in. Essential cooking ingredients have been brought from the Fort. This includes the mutton and flour for the 'battis'. The menfolk are in charge of the 'maas' which is cooked in a large handi over a open wood fire. The ladies are adept at creating 'katoris' from the tender leaves of the 'Flame of the forest' (Butea monosperma), woven into cup-like shape with pliant stems. At this time of the year the fresh leaves have a soft furry texture.

Soon the meat is simmering away and the rest of the prep is left to the staff. 

We drive a few miles into the forest to Lohariya-ka-talab. A covey of Jungle Bush-Quail cross the track  

between our vehicles. It is now late in the morning so our chances of seeing any game is slender. These forests once sported plentiful cheetal, sambhar, wild boar, sloth bear and leopard.

  

As we approach the lake through the surrounding forest, a pair of courting White-eyed Buzzards are dwarfed by a pair of Crested Serpent Eagles in flight. Another large Eagle makes cameo appearances through the densely-packed mature trees of Tendu, Arjun, Churail, Dhokra, Siris and others. This individual has not taken kindly to our intrusion. And we soon discover why. It appears to have built not one but two nests in a stately Arjun tree. We are careful to allow it some space. I manage a hurried record shot of this handsome creature.

Changeable Hawk Eagle

This is not a commonly encountered raptor in Rajasthan. One would possibly chance upon it in a mature forest - but several visits to Rajasthan's Sanctuaries has not thrown up even a single record for me over the years, so this is special.

The forest abutting the lake is green and vibrant, almost like a mirage in this harsh, sun-bleached rocky terrain. It is now almost noon and the heat is enervating. Yet the water and the leafy trees have attracted a multitude of birds. The forest rings with their calls and they are quite unaffected by our presence in their midst. 

Male Paradise Flycatchers, both adults (above - white) and juveniles (below - rufous) dodge and twist through the thick foliage. They are vying for the attentions of the few females in this part of the forest.

Trusting White-browed Fantail Flycatchers,Common Woodshrikes and Oriental White-eyes are mixed in with comparatively wary Golden Orioles.  White-bellied Drongos make graceful sallies after insects. I had recently seen web-posted pictures from a nearby forest of Chestnut-tailed Starlings so am not surprised to see a small group of them here, high up in the trees. Another unusual bird to find in Rajasthan.

 Now that the senses have tuned out the commoner birds like the Petronias, the different Mynas, Silverbills and others, I become more aware of a relatively friendly, yet unfamiliar flycatcher. 

This individual keeps peering at us shyly from close quarters, and I am able to get good views, but no bells are ringing ! So, the best is to take a few shots and see if one can ID it later ...

Spotted Flycatcher (... ID corrected later to Asian Brown Flycatcher)

This is a lifer for me.  The Spotted Flycatcher is usually sighted during Passage Migration in March and October - and most of the photographs are from Kutchh (Gujarat) ; so this is an unusual record to find one here in the peak of summer (21st May 2012).

This oasis at the parched edge of the forest has naturally drawn the kingfishers. 

Pied Kingfisher

Common Kingfisher

Happy has picked up the calls of Crested Tree Swift. He points out their distinctive flying profiles above, but I am only able to catch glimpses through the binoculars - a lifer for me, but dissatisfying since they don't actually perch today.

Oriental White-eye on Flame of the Forest

The lake is full of amphibians. Both times that thunder from a dust-storm rumbled in the distance, with an answering chorus of calls, scores of bullfrogs would suddenly appear on the surface.

And if you walked down to the lake's edge, the smaller frogs would jump anxiously at the last instant from almost underfoot and go skittering away into the water. 

The lake itself shrinks to a fraction of its size in the summer. The vegetation and feed in and around the water have drawn the usual suspects including River Terns, Egrets, Ibis ( White and Black), Storks ( Painted and Open-billed), and Lesser Whistling Ducks. Also a pair of Sarus Cranes - always a lovely sight.

We now have word from Camp that lunch is ready. So we move away from this enchanted forest, leaving the languorous langurs to their daydreams ...

A mongoose scurries away after a furtive drink of water. The lake and forest are left to their rightful denizens.

sahdevsingh2004@yahoo.co.in

Birding in Chhatra Sagar, Nimaj - Part 1

We are seated at an enormous hearth-style dining table which is laden with non-vegetarian delicacies. Having already enjoyed fish kebabs over drinks in the open air, now we are eagerly tucking into biryani; an assortment of mutton preparations including 'lal maas'; succulent legs of chicken tandoori; and various local dishes from Marwar that the Nimaj kitchen is justly famous for. All of this rich fare is wonderfully counterbalanced by the 'khata' and the dry rotis. And just when you try and persuade your hosts that you possibly cannot eat any more, out comes the piece-de-resistance - a wickedly sweet and flavorful 'upside-down pineapple cake'. One of many memorable desserts that we would enjoy over the next two days.

We are at Chhatra Sagar, Nimaj at the invitation of Nandi and Harsh. Our birding antennae are tingling with news of all the rarities that have been seen here lately.

Next morning we are all up well before dawn. Summer is already well entrenched in the cities by mid-March, but here the breeze is still cool as it wafts in across the lake, bringing with it the calls of the distant birds.

Chhatra Sagar at dawn...

My top target bird for this trip would have to be the Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis. Pronounced 'gos-hawk', as Somendra points out; and a favourite of falconers. This is a rare winter migrant to parts of Rajasthan. But Nandi has been seeing it here lately, and leads us quietly to a grove of trees overlooking a large open scrub. Despite our careful approach, a large 'hawk' is flushed from its (typical) ambush perch. The strong barring on underparts and underwing, long barred tail, and just its large size makes it a definite 'tick' as a lifer for me.

What an amazing start !

We now skirt the edge of the lake along the embankment of the dam. Several River Terns (which have been calling all night) rise and dip as they hunt for fish, competing with three species of Kingfishers - Common, White-throated and the Pied.

River Tern...

Several animals have come to the edge of the lake to drink - mainly Nilgai, but there are also some Wild Boar.

We now enter the grasslands - once extending across vast swathes of Rajasthan, but increasingly under pressure now for agriculture and urbanisation. This unique habitat is a favourite of many families of birds - both resident and migratory. We quickly notch up all the usual suspects - several Larks, Pipits and Chats.

Paddyfield(?) Pipit ...

Indian Bushlark ...

Ashy-crowned Sparrowlark

But it is clear that many winter visitors have already left for their Northern homes. The checklist here has several species one may occasionally see when birds are on passage. Sure enough a flock of Common Rosefinches are flushed from a flowering Roheda tree, the males already showing much rose in their plumage.

Several of the family's pet dogs have been following us quietly, well-trained when serious birders are afoot ! But a terrier cannot quite restrain himself any more. He has to show the guests one of his 'tricks'. This starts with his usual springy gallop, but then he can maintain the same pace and rhythm on three legs, and then on just two ! I'm told he can even alternate the two legs by using the fore and hind on the same side or one on either side - what a show-off !

As we exit the grassland for sandy, stony scrub the birdlife changes abruptly. Shy Rufous-tailed Shrikes just do not allow close approach, unlike their commoner cousins the Southern Grey and Long-tailed. Another good bird for me as I have just a single sighting earlier in Bharatpur.

A solitary Indian Courser in the green grass closer to the lakeshore, shows up his striking head markings.

We have been observing a 'ring-tail' quartering low over the ground some distance away. Quite clearly a juvenile Harrier - but the jury is divided whether Pallid (which would make it a new bird for me) or Montagu's.

Harrier - probably juvenile Montagu's ...

Other, larger raptors have started appearing as the sun climbs higher - Booted Eagle and Eurasian Marsh Harrier. Also the first of the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse flighting in for their drink of water for the day. With their distinctive call and unique flight silhouette, they settle close to the shore of the lake.

We are now at the Eastern margin of the lake, relatively close to the (200+) Bar-headed Geese feeding on the grass. Somendra decides to stalk closer using what little cover there is available comprising thorny bushes and boulders. For some reason the Geese are somewhat wary, but he does get close enough for some flight shots with his big lens.

Somendra and Geese ...

Bar-headed Geese in flight ...

It is now past noon and the sun is hot as we turn back for Camp. A single trumpeting-note heralds the arrival of 4 Sarus Cranes as they fly past us on silent wings. Parents and two juveniles. The male juvenile is already taller than his mother. What a beautiful family, always staying close together whenever we observe them over the next two days.

Sarus Crane family ...

And so we wind down our first morning's birding. While we tuck into lunch, a White Wagtail catches prey just a few feet away...

Do join me again as we continue with our birding at Chhatra Sagar ...





Cheers !

Bird courtship behaviour

Summer approaches.
Most of our winter migrant birds have left. Amongst the last to leave this year again are the Rosy Starlings. And amongst the first of the summer arrivals as usual are the Golden Orioles.


Birding is thin in Rajasthan at this time of the year, so am really looking forward to our trip to the Himalayas in May 2011.

Of course, with birds (as in all of Nature) nothing comes to a standstill at any time. The hot months are when many of our resident birds breed. In general, I am loath to hanging around nest sites. So, even though we have observed many nests being constructed these past few weeks, I really do not have any images to upload here. What I do have is some records of interesting courtship behaviour and an uncommon feeding (at least to me) video.

Have a look at these two images (from a full series of 6) of a pair of White-browed Wagtails .




This was at Smriti Van (see earlier Post) in Jaipur. Both birds were excitedly vocal when I approached them. Soon they flew closer and perched on the newly constructed cement wall of the water-filteration plant. One individual kept ducking his head, while the other appeared to look disinterested in the proceedings. And then the male did something I've never seen before.

He executed a perfect headstand and forward roll !

I was too surprised to photograph this the first time, but caught him on his second attempt.

I'm not sure what his lady love thought of his bizarre antics because she soon flew away...




The second courtship behaviour episode is that of a pair of Alexandrine Parakeets. These birds nest in fairly good numbers at Grass Farm Nursery, Jaipur on tall trees.


Salim Ali's books describe this behaviour beautifully, so I am not going to even try and do so here. I think this photograph is a fairly typical pose of a lovestruck couple. There is much eye contact as the male extends his foot towards the female 'pawing' at the air, and tries to liplock with her ...







Next is a short video of one of our commonest birds feeding. The Red-wattled Lapwing. But I can't recall having observed this technique before.




'On the art of hunting insects hiding under leaf litter' ....








Cheers !

Sahdev

Fishing in the Desert

We are five anglers in an old SUV heading out South from Jaipur. It is a March morning some years ago, and our destination is a Dam on a major seasonal river a few hours away. The trip has been cobbled together at short notice and our hosts are only indirectly known to us, but they are local bigwigs and we hope we can depend on them to get us to the right spots on the river and host us for the night. None of us have actually fished in this area before so our chances are uncertain. Which is actually one way of doing such a trip, and we end up having great fun !

Our target naturally is the Mahseer (Barbus tor), but there should also be Silund (Silonia silondia) and Sowal (Ophicephalus striatus) – all of which do take artificial lures likes spinners, spoons and plugs. These rivers also harbour enormous Goonch (Bagarius bagarius) down in the bottom of deep pools. Tales of fish caught over the years are traded as the beer starts flowing by 11 am. D christens me ‘Kalbeliya’ for the trip, I presume for the printed black shirt I have on. I dare not complain. D is the biggest of our Party. He is a very big gentleman and surely double my size and can whack the golf ball 300 yards with a 3-iron. My miseries are compounded when cigarette smoke fills the car – I don’t smoke but all my companions do. Traffic is fairly heavy and we make slow progress. We are stuck behind a truck which sports a colourful painting of a buxom young lady, and printed beneath is ‘ZALIM JATNI’. This prompts someone to jump out at the next village to buy a CD with Rajasthani folk songs. One particular ditty with a decidedly bucolic and bawdy flavour is the favorite. Now we are really in the groove.

We arrive at the RV point and are met by our hosts, two brothers. Excellent, they have lunch packed in a big tiffin box and are keen to move straight on to the river. The younger brother is driving their car, a brand new sedan made by the Americans in India. We follow in his wake as he blasts through the traffic in town. Soon the tarmac disappears and we are on a rough track as we approach the river. Stones and mud are effortlessly negotiated at high speed by our Rally Driver, and we are soon left far behind. Anyway we can’t get lost since the track leads straight down to the water. We cross the river over an old stone bridge built on arches which is often fully submerged in the monsoon.

Our hosts have commandeered a boat and we tuck into lunch sitting by the rough jetty. Fiery mutton curry and rotis. Additional hot green chillies for some. A group of Cormorants are beating for fish in the shallows. They flap their wings splashing the surface and draw a semi-circle closer to the bank. Small fish thus herded are then quickly scooped up when the circle closes.

We start to get our fishing tackle together. Light rods and spinning reels. The boatman has to be cajoled to get going - I suspect he wants more money. Once we are actually cruising over the placid surface we realize that the banks are now moving further and further away as the river fans out. The dammed river has created a huge lake and all around is water. Ducks are common, but the waders on the sandbanks are already too far away to identify.

We start casting from the boat, careful not to impale the spectators with the steel barbs on the lures. No luck. I change lures. We cut the outboard motor, thinking this could be disturbing fish around the boat. Still not a single bite. One rod tries running the lure deep. We try trolling as the boat is rowed forward.

Our Rally Driver has been observing all this quite patiently. He now decides to break out a fresh bottle of whisky ! Steel mugs are passed around. Our boatman has a resigned look on his face.

As we drift closer to the dam, which is still several miles away, we pass the first of the fishing boats. These are similar to our own, flat-bottomed and sturdy. The fishing teams are all Bengalis. Loincloths and vests are standard attire. Our hosts hail one over. They approach reluctantly. The Fishing Contractor’s name is bandied about and a few fish are demanded to be handed over. Quite clearly fish is on the menu for dinner and our hosts appear not to have any faith in our ability to catch any today. Soon we have a few choice specimens drawn forth from the hold of the fishing boat and deposited flapping into ours. But the Captain of the unlucky boat wants some assurance that he will be compensated. So an IOU is signed on the wrapper of a Bidi packet.

As we return to the bridge we notice that several of the stone piers have youngsters perched on ledges jutting over the water. They all have lines dangling using some kind of bait on single hooks. On the bank an Army officer is calmly pulling out fish after fish – he already has a sackful of small ones !

What have we been doing wrong ? The sun is well set and light is fading as we decide to now fish along the bank. Suddenly my line is pulled heavily and I am on. I am careful playing the fish as I only have a 8 lbs. line. But after the first pull the fish allows itself to be reeled in relatively tamely. I know I do not have either a mahseer or silund as they are fierce fighters. But as soon as I drag it up the sandbank below the bridge, the length of the fish prompts someone watching to call out in the vernacular – that’s a big one! Music to any angler’s ears. It is a 12 lbs. Lanchi (Wallagonia attu) – almost 41/2 ft. long. This is the fresh-water shark. I am very careful removing the lure which it has swallowed deep. It has a huge flat mouth which is armed with small, thin razor-sharp teeth.

Soon the other rods are also into fish but only more Lanchi for today. I try to false-hook one of the bamn (eels) which curl through and around the vegetation in the shallows just off the bank but without success. We have fish, and so partly damaged egos now placated we decide to call it a day.

Our hosts are gracious in putting two rooms at their Haveli at our disposal. A bacchanalian evening is enlivened with many jokes and much conviviality. The freshly caught fish and the pirated fish are prepared into delicious dry kebabs and a passable curry. Just before dinner the lights in the village go out. It is a power cut. We may have to eat in the dark and then sleep without fans. Not when you have the Rally Driver around ! And he owns this place. When a few phone calls do not elicit the proper response from the Power Sub-Station, he is off again in the car muttering dire warnings. The lights come right back on in a few minutes.

Of course we had adjourned at night resolving to get to the river at dawn. No chance of that. Morning blues after all the fun the night before is inevitable. We are only able to get to another spot on the river downstream of the dam by 9 am. This area is quite interesting. Many pools line the bank of the original rivercourse. The limpid shallow water is clear enough for us to see fish swimming lazily. Reeds and bull rushes line the islands. A kingfisher flashes past to a perch overlooking the water. It is a Stork-billed Kingfisher, one of the rarest of our Kingfishers from these parts. A Bronze-winged Jacana steps gingerly over lily pads always staying close to cover.
We try a few casts here but there are too many places to get the lure snagged and the fish are not biting. So we head back to our spot near the Bridge from the evening before and manage to catch a few more Lanchi. Then it is time to bid our hosts goodbye and we head back to Jaipur

The Mystery Raptor

While going through my Birding Diary from the past few months I came across my notes about the Mystery Raptor, and I thought I would post these in the hope that some reader may be able to help identify the bird.
We were on a overnight condolence visit to the Fort of C in South - West Rajasthan, and so Birding was not quite on the agenda, and none of us were carrying binoculars or cameras.
It was late June 2009 and the weather was hot and humid, with the monsoon yet to arrive.
The village around the Fort of C is small, and there is scattered cultivation and a few pockets of trees(mainly Khejri) in typical sandy terrain. The Western horizon is broken up by low and isolated hills. The Fort itself is fairly extensive, but with several sections uninhabited for years.

H had mentioned that he had observed a smallish raptor on most evenings well after sunset, flying around the walls of the Fort, and low over the surrounding village huts and khejri trees.
Just as we were discussing these crepescular habits , the mystery raptor made an appearance at 7:30 pm. With the light fading fast, the raptor started to make quick circles of the Fort. We could clearly observe the narrow pointed wings, longish tail narrowing towards the end,overall dark appearance, powerful neck and head on fairly slim body, flight very quick with continuous flapping of wings, pigeon sized.
It was while I was observing, silhouetted against the Western sky, the erratic flight of a pipistrelle (small bat), another larger object struck it ! The raptor had his prey. We all clearly heard the soft sound of impact, even from over 70 yards.
The raptor (with prey held firmly in its talons) flapped hard to maintain height. It tried to alight on the tops of nearby trees, but was foiled by roosting peafowl already perched on each of them.
As it flew around the Fort and over, we scrambled up to the ramparts, and then to the highest terrace, but lost sight of the raptor.
Much discussion followed about the possible identity and to the possible nesting / roosting sites of the raptor, but it was clear that we did not have enough information to confirm the ID of the species.
I had to leave the next morning.
Luckily the raptor made a rare appearance at 9 am. However, this was just a swift and single flypast almost directly overhead , allowing only a fleeting glimpse of the profile and underparts. H commented that the underbody and underwing were fairly pale with dark markings. I was quite sure I got a flash of yellow on the side of the face - possible eye pouch, bill colour? Upperparts appeared grey.
Same swift flapping flight, narrow pointed wings and long narrow tail.

Later ....
We have had reports and better sightings from C of possibly the same raptor, and we do have a possible ID. If you can pick up on any of the information above and let me have your feedback as to the ID, I would look forward to hearing from you at sahdevsingh2004@yahoo.co.in