Tuesday, March 3, 2015, New Delhi

We spent one last morning in Bharatpur before driving back to Delhi
(Image courtesy of VENT)
(Click on images to enlarge)

It was raining as we walked to breakfast this morning in Bharatpur. (Apparently, all this out-of-season rain is due to a cyclone that went up into the Bay of Bengal and upset the normal weather patterns.) After breakfast, we set out for the national park again. This time, instead of the bicycle rickshaws, we rode on little electric carts to go to a more distant part of the preserve (Python Point), an area of dry acacia woodlands. By the time we got there, the rain had stopped. We spent the morning walking the trails finding many delights. Dion was eager to get us raptors and succeeded in doing so, but identifying the eagles soaring up high doesn’t do nearly as much for me as getting a good look at a perched raptor down where I can really see it. I was pleased with the Black-shouldered Kite—such an elegant bird with its glowing red eyes—and with the immature Shikra sitting on a dead tree almost as well camouflaged as a frogmouth. I enjoyed the group of eight Yellow-footed Green-Pigeons sitting in the tree with the Black-shouldered Kite, clearly not disturbed by the presence of such a small raptor.

Yellow-footed Green-Pigeons, Keoladeo National Park

Black-shouldered Kite, Keoladeo National Park

We came across a wonderful ruined hunting lodge that had belonged to a maharaja. It was interesting to see how the trees had taken over the brick walls of the moat surrounding the lodge. I suppose the moat was there to keep away the tigers. Nowadays, tigers appear in this park only when they are old and have been run out of their territories in other preserves. It must be difficult for them to make their way here, as there are no corridors connecting Keoladeo to other preserves (and Keoladeo is well-walled to keep out cattle).

Hunting lodge, Keoladeo National Park

The most beautiful new bird of the day was the Bay-backed Shrike. Another very nice new bird was the Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, which gave us good looks as it perched atop a snag.

Bay-backed Shrike, Keoladeo National Park

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Keoladeo National Park

Yellow-eyed Babbler (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

We hunted a long while for the Yellow-eyed Babblers, finally getting a really satisfying look, which we deserved for having all gotten caught up on acacia thorns getting to them. You will note from the photo that they do not have yellow eyes, but you might just be able to make out the yellow nostril.

Chestnut-shouldered Petronia (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

And we finally got a look at a Chestnut-shouldered Petronia that I felt I could actually count (we’ve seen them almost every day). I certainly did not make out the chestnut shoulders, but I did finally see the yellow spot under the chin that is the more useful fieldmark. Our last new bird of the morning was a flock of Red Avadavats (good name) flitting about.

As we waited for the carts to return for us, we got to enjoy the sight of Jackals lying in the pathways, two in one direction and one in another. There was also a Spotted Deer stag with a really impressive rack of antlers.

Golden Jackals, Keoladeo National Park

Spotted Deer stag, Keoladeo National Park

Indian Roller in flight (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Then we got what was perhaps the best bird of the day for me, an Indian Roller doing a display flight very low above us. Calling and dashing about in the air, it ended with the aerial barrel role that gives it its name and that I’d never witnessed before. (But, alas, I haven’t been able to find a video for you.)

We were back at The Bagh in time for a quick lunch before departing for Delhi. We spent the next many hours getting there, passing through rural towns and past brickworks and other small industry with people working very hard. The first couple of hours were over a road that could barely handle buses, but from then on we were on a modern motorway. As the motorway passed through lush green fields, I couldn’t help worrying about how many small farmers’ holdings must have been taken over in order to build the road.

Street Scene along our way

Brickworks

As we neared Delhi, we passed the new city of Noida (“New Okhla Industrial Development Authority”), still mostly under construction but already housing much of India’s high-tech industry. The new apartment blocks are surprising in their density, tall and very close together. There appears to be little room for street life. I wonder whether they may be repeating the mistakes of America’s urban renewal of the 1960s and 1970s? On the other hand, Okhla does have a bird sanctuary. Note the yellow cloud looming in this photo; by the time we got to Noida we could tell we were nearing Delhi.

Noida Expressway (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Just as we were going over the water-hyacinth-clogged Yamuna and getting stuck in the Delhi rush hour, Dion called out a small flock of Red-naped Ibises flying over. I got my bins on them but they were silhouette birds for me, so I couldn’t make out the red heads or the white wing patches. Nevertheless, they are such oddly shaped ibises that I feel confident of the identification. I am still hoping for a more soul-satisfying look, however. From then, we had a couple of really dreary hours stuck in traffic to go just a few miles. We were finally back in our same room at the hotel by shortly after 7. I got the Mac set up and the backups started before taking a very quick shower and going down to dinner. All the others except Kaaren and Stephanie had to leave for the airport at 10. I was immensely grateful not to be flying halfway around the world tonight. I made myself stay at the table until everyone had finished eating so that I could say a proper goodbye before heading up to bed. Just when the others were leaving to start their long flights home, Lee and I were turning out the lights.

Red-naped Ibises in flight (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

My birds for the day: