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.
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...
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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 ...
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 ...
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Flapping its wings at perch to swat-off a pesky Black Drongo ...
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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.
Larger numbers of Common Kestrel can be observed right through the day, hovering above the grasslands.
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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.
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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 ??
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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 ...
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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 ...
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
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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
.jpg)
.jpg)
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 ...
.jpg)
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 ...
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Pallid Harrier ...
.jpg)
.jpg)
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 ...
.jpg)
.jpg)
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 ...
Indeed,a raptors' paradise.
ReplyDelete'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.
ReplyDeleteMagical.'
- Magical writing too