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INDIA TIGERS, TAJ & BIRDS GALORE FEBRUARY 4–22, 2020 One of the Bengal Tigers crossing the road in the grassland near Dikhala (Photo M. Valkenburg) LEADER: MACHIEL VALKENBURG LIST COMPILED BY: MACHIEL VALKENBURG VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM BY MACHIEL VALKENBURG Another tour full of highlights in magical India! This trip had everything, from many gorgeous sightings of colorful tropical birds to being eye-to-eye with an adult male tiger. This was finished off with delicious Indian (not spicy ) food and ancient history, including the biggest symbol of love in the world, The Taj Mahal. We started our tour in the political capital of the country, the busy metropolis of Delhi. A domestic flight and a five-hour drive brought us to the wonderful Kanha National Park, the birthplace of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. During the three full days we enjoyed in the park, we made two safaris every day to find the most wanted mammal of the country, the powerful tiger. We found two tigers, with the first sighting being so close that we could have almost touched this ferocious cat. It is a feeling to be felt before it can be believed. I have seen tigers many times on many tours in India, but every time I get a tiger in my bins or viewfinder I get a big rush of enjoyment and pleasure. The second tiger we found was a female that was strolling through the fields and some wooded areas. Several times we witnessed how she marked her territory by raising her tail and spraying some urine on the bark of the trees. Bengal Tiger, resting in Kanha NP (Photo M. Valkenburg) We birded around the excellent lodge where we found many Taiga Flycatchers, Hume’s Warbler, and Lesser Whitethroats that were wintering in the garden; soon they will move north again to their breeding areas in Russia. Some typical Indian birds like the splendid Indian Golden Oriole and the bright green Jerdon’s Leafbird were around and scoped several times. In the field in front of the lodge we encountered many birds including Indian Nuthatch, Brown-headed Barbet, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, Ashy- crowned Sparrow-lark, Oriental Skylark, and Large Cuckooshrike. Yellow-wattled Lapwing was very common with over 25 birds seen in a short period of birding. Finally, we drove back to Raipur to board our domestic flight that brought us back to Delhi. The road to Raipur is good birding with many Indian Rollers, White-eyed Buzzards, and Green Bee-eaters. We left the urban areas of Delhi behind us and departed for the north and the foothills of the lush green Himalayas. We spent the first nights around the entrance of the park with some very special birds. The numbers of woodpecker species and individuals seen here were high with an amazing record of 17 Great Slaty Woodpeckers but also the Greater Flameback and Greater Yellownape, which were simply great! At Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 India: Tigers, Taj & Birds Galore, 2020 the Kosi River we sought and sought, but without success, for an Ibisbill. The Rosy Pipits, Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantails, and Chestnut-breasted Buntings, however, were cool too. Close views of a Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail (Photo M. Valkenburg) Our stay of three nights in the Dikhala Forest Reserve was the major highlight. This basic lodge is centrally located in Corbett National Park; sleeping here gives us the freedom to be close to the wildlife every morning from the break of dawn. We took great advantage of this, and after arrival we took a jeep drive into the grasslands. We came across a small group of female Asian Elephants led by an adult matriarch. Again, many birds were seen, with Yellow-eyed Babbler, River Tern, and Pallas’s Fish-Eagle being the top scores, the latter having a nest near the road and allowing top views in good light. The star of this particular afternoon was, again, a big adult male tiger that strolled down along a dusty road, close to our accommodations. He turned around several times and looked at us, giving a soft growl now and then. Seeing the tiger in its natural habitat in a respectful and calm approach is for sure one of the best wildlife experiences out there. The best thing about both Kanha and Corbett parks is the strict control on the numbers of people allowed to enter the park. As we experienced on this trip several times, we were all alone with a tiger instead of having to fight for a spot to get a glimpse of the biggest feline in the world. During the morning drives the birding is the best, and we had a splendid time with the many Himalayan species occurring around the park. We found many foraging flocks; these flocks mostly move around with Graceful Prinia, Red-whiskered Bulbul, White-throated Fantail, Himalayan Bulbul, and Common Woodshrike making up the biggest bunch of the group. The better birds that we found were the amazing Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher, White-tailed Rubythroat, and Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler. We found many raptors perched in the tops of the trees, with Collared Falconet, Lesser Fish-Eagle, Mountain Hawk- Eagle, and Changeable Hawk-Eagle being the best birds. Other perched birds included Plum-headed Parakeet, Slaty-headed Parakeet, and Black-throated Thrush. The best experiences came during the final moments of our time in the park. We started with a hooting Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl; after playing the tape for only a few seconds, it soared in and perched right above us, a new bird for yours truly. The quantities of the gorgeous Kalij Pheasants are usually higher, but this year we definitely came a lot closer than usual with several groups feeding right next to the jeeps; we could have almost touched them! The final awesome bird was a pair of Great Hornbills that were Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 India: Tigers, Taj & Birds Galore, 2020 foraging on a fruiting tree; we were, again, up-close-and-personal with such a magical bird. For over thirty minutes we enjoyed and studied every move the birds made. What a great way to end our time in this great park. One of the top birds of this trip was this excellent Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl (Photo M. Valkenburg) After leaving this wonderful park, we headed south again by way of the most magical monument in the name of love: Taj Mahal. We enjoyed and watched this World Heritage Site during sundown and sunrise before moving to the Chambal River Estuary. The boat ride is always a top attraction on our tour, and this time it was again a spectacle. Up close we enjoyed the Gharial and Mugger Crocodiles as they enjoyed the afternoon sun. The best birds included the endangered Black-bellied Tern, Blue Rock-Thrush, and Indian Skimmer. We had great views of the Ganges River Dolphin, which was a pleasure to connect with again after not having seen it for several years. The last days of the tour were spent in the lush marshes of the Bharatpur National Park. By rickshaw we moved through the park enjoying the many birds at close range. The best birds in the park were, for many of us, the plentiful Painted Storks, the gorgeous Indian Spot-billed Ducks, lots of foraging Purple Herons, interesting Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, or wonderful Brahminy Starlings. In the air an array of raptors preyed on the many wildfowl with Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle, and Indian Greater Spotted and Bonelli’s eagles being the best ones. It is always a trick to find a master skulker like Black Bittern; we found several Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 India: Tigers, Taj & Birds Galore, 2020 during the days in Bharatpur, while both Cinnamon and Yellow were found earlier. Our three nights were in the famous Bagh Lodge, which offers some great birding in the early mornings, always good for a nice surprise. Our very last excursion and our very last bird in the garden was a very rare bird for the region: a tiny Fire-capped Tit, which inhabits the mountain regions of the Himalayas. Another goodie was the lovely male Orange-headed Thrush that enjoyed a bath in one of the small canals. Several species of owls used the garden to rest, with the Brown Boobook (Hawk-Owl) being very obliging! Our very obliging Great Hornbill from Corbett National Park (Photo M. Valkenburg) On our last day we drove back to Delhi, where the tour concluded in the Radisson Blue Hotel near the international airport. During our final dinner we remembered the great experiences of the tour, and we came up with a group top three: 1. Painted Stork; in large numbers in Bharatpur National Park. 2. Great Hornbill; a 30-minute experience of a pair feeding when driving out of Corbett NP. 3. Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl; extended close views of a daylight owl are always amazing! I’d like to thank all the participants for joining our Tigers, Taj and Birds Galore tour. We had a lot of good laughs and shared some magical moments out in the field. India, as always, was everything you’d expect from one of the top destinations on the planet for wildlife. The number of tigers we encountered on this trip was phenomenal, and many times we were all alone to savor the moment and make it very personal. Thanks, and I look forward to traveling with you all again in the future somewhere else in Africa or Asia! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 India: Tigers, Taj & Birds Galore, 2020 Brown Boobook in the Bagh Hotel garden (Photo M.
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