INDIA: TIGERS, TAJ, & BIRDS GALORE JANUARY 30–FEBRUARY 17, 2018 Tiger crossing the road with VENT group in background by 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 INDIA: TIGERS, TAJ, & BIRDS GALORE January 30–February 17, 2018 By Machiel Valkenburg This tour, one of my favorites, starts in probably the busiest city in Asia, Delhi! In the afternoon we flew south towards the city of Raipur. In the morning we visited the Humayan’s Tomb and the Quitab Minar in Delhi; both of these UNESCO World Heritage Sites were outstanding, and we all enjoyed them immensely. Also, we picked up our first birds, a pair of Alexandrine Parakeets, a gorgeous White-throated Kingfisher, and lots of taxonomically interesting Black Kites, plus a few Yellow-footed Green Pigeons, with a Brown- headed Barbet showing wonderfully as well. Rufous Treepie by Machiel Valkenburg From Raipur we drove about four hours to our fantastic lodge, “the Baagh,” located close to the entrance of Kanha National Park. The park is just plain awesome when it comes to the density of available tigers and birds. It has a typical central Indian landscape of open plains and old Sal forests dotted with freshwater lakes. In the early mornings when the dew would hang over the plains and hinder our vision, we heard the typical sounds of Kanha, with an Indian Peafowl displaying closely, and in the far distance the song of Common Hawk-Cuckoo and Southern Coucal. On and around the many lakes we found Cotton Pygmy- Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Red-naped Ibis, Gray-headed Fish-Eagle, and a large selection of shorebirds including Wood Sandpiper and Common Greenshank. In the dense forests we found several Black-rumped Flamebacks and Coppersmith Barbets. One tree in particular proved very interesting; we had good looks at Plum-headed Parakeets that were in perfect morning light and showed very well. Moreover, we found Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Black-hooded Oriole, Long-tailed Minivet, and Indian Scimitar-Babbler. The best sighting of the park belonged to the emperor of the forest. On almost every drive we had a sighting of a tiger. A young cub playing on the road for several minutes was a splendid experience, and the last one belonged to a female tiger lying around 20 yards from our jeep, giving prolonged views. It remains the best mammal of Asia for me! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 India: Tigers, Taj, & Birds Galore, 2018 At the lodge we discovered a nest of Barn Owls with two almost fully grown chicks that were ready to fly off to discover the world for themselves. In the garden of the lodge we heard and saw Lesser Whitethroat, Taiga Flycatcher, Jungle Owlet, and Chestnut-shouldered Petronia. We also scoped a nice Verditer Flycatcher. The stay in the Baagh was, as always, a pleasure. The meals were fantastic, with fresh vegetables from their own garden, perfectly seasoned. Their excellent cooking in combination with a garden full of butterflies and all sorts of little mammals makes our stay a pleasure every time. I am already looking forward to my next visit. Yellow-throated Marten crossing the road in Corbett, by Machiel Valkenburg We left Kanha and transferred back to Delhi. From Delhi we moved north towards Corbett National Park. We stayed a few nights outside the park to focus on the birdlife. Along the Kosi River it took us a while to find an Ibisbill, but our hard work paid off, and we were rewarded with scope views of this fantastic wader. More common birds of the region also received their portion of attention: Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Water Redstart, River Lapwing, Greater Cormorant, and Ruddy Shelduck. A close Blue Rock-Thrush proved very obliging and was savored by all. Golden Jackal in Kanha NP by Machiel Valkenburg Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 India: Tigers, Taj, & Birds Galore, 2018 When we reached the Ganges River we witnessed the ceremonies of the local Hindus. The river is regarded as the most important river in their religion, a string of hair from the god Shiva herself. Many people were interested in watching us and even making some selfies with our group. All in, a good atmosphere, which meant it was a lot of fun for all. Around our lodge, located on an idyllic spot, we birded the forests in the vicinity and focused mainly on the moving mixed feeding groups. Most of the groups were a mixture of Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Oriental White-eye, Indian Nuthatch, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, and Himalayan Bulbul. The gems we found were Orange-breasted Leafbird, Greater Flameback, and a Tawny Fish-Owl. During breakfast we had fun with a particular group of curious White-crested Laughingthrushes. During the meal we heard their typical noises, and when approaching we saw one of them fighting off an intruder—himself! His reflection in the window made him want to scare off this gorgeous competitor! We had excellent looks and made some sweet pictures with an iphone. Up close and personal with a Mugger Crocodile by Machiel Valkenburg Soon after entering Corbett Park we photographed extensively the gorgeous Kalij Pheasants. In the mixed feeding flocks, the best birds discovered were Red-billed Leiothrix, Blue-winged Minla, and Whistler’s Warbler. Several loud-calling Great Hornbills crossed the valley and gave some superb views. Here we were lucky as well, with three Great Slaty Woodpeckers that performed exquisitely in the morning sun. We enjoyed prolonged scope views of this superior woodpecker. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 India: Tigers, Taj, & Birds Galore, 2018 River Tern on the bank of the Chambal River by Machiel Valkenburg In the famous grasslands of Corbett National Park we focused particularly on birds while the forests received as much attention in search of the tigers. We had fun with groups of chattering Whiskered Bulbuls, a rare Aberrant Bush-Warbler, skulky Slaty-blue Flycatcher, and some obliging Rusty-cheeked Scimitar- Babblers. Two species of bunting showed surprisingly well; both Crested Bunting and Chestnut-eared Bunting were seen near the car and out in the open. Also in Corbett we were fortunate with several sightings of tigers. Two times we saw a nine-month-old cub pass the road. The finale came from a female that crossed the road leisurely in front of us. These elegant animals will never get boring! Another memorable spectacle in Corbett is provided by the many species of woodpeckers. We enjoyed walkaway views of almost all of them, but the Himalayan Flameback will stay forever in our minds. It was foraging very near us, and we studied its facial pattern and admired its gorgeous dark-red back and bright red crest! After the wonderful time in Corbett, it took a long drive to get to the magical city of Agra. The long-awaited visit to the Taj Mahal was another highlight on this already very good trip. We witnessed local craftsmen work the marbles, and then visited the Agra Red Fort. This large defense structure was more proof of the greatness of the rulers of those times. The wetlands of Keoladeo National Park near the city of Bharatpur were the final part of our tour. The long road into the park was a birder’s heaven. Many, many species of birds presented to us within hand’s-reach. We welcomed with joy the views of the many Painted Storks, Black-headed Ibis, Purple Herons, Indian Spot-billed Ducks, and Eurasian Spoonbills. Along the road, we found many White-eared Bulbuls having a conflict with several Common Babblers, while the Gray Francolins passed by unworried. Due to the many waterfowl, the sky was full with many species of raptors; Greater Spotted Eagle, Indian Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, a single Eastern Imperial Eagle, and rare for the region White-tailed Eagle were seen. We recorded over 100 species of birds while birding the first day in the park. The second day we headed for an arid zone between some rural villages. The women were bringing water from the well to clean and cook. We admired their beautifully colored clothing while across the road we found a group of four Indian Coursers. Also, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark with many Greater Short-toed Larks and a single Bimaculated Lark were found. All-in-all, some good birds that were new for the list. After Bharatpur, we drove back to Delhi and ended our tour with a lovely dinner in the Radisson Blu. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 India: Tigers, Taj, & Birds Galore, 2018 Purple Heron foraging in Bharatpur NP by Machiel Valkenburg Kalij Pheasant posing wonderfully in Corbett, by Machiel Valkenburg Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 India: Tigers, Taj, & Birds Galore, 2018 I want to thank all the participants for their positive efforts and their warm company—you all were a pleasure to travel with. This tour would not have been the same without the endless support from our local Indian guide, Harrish. You are wonderful my friend, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. BIRDS: This Checklist order, and common and scientific names are those given by James F. Clements in The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition, Cornell University Press, with all current updates. Possible or debated species splits and alternative Common and Scientific names (particularly those of the Oriental Bird Club) are given in ( ) or included in heavily bordered boxes. (I) = introduced species. (E) = Endemic. Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae Lesser Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna javanica Graylag Goose Anser anser Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus Comb Duck Sarkidiornis