Mayani Bird Sanctuary - A Dry Spell

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Another One Bites the Dust

Mayani Bird Sanctuary

If you live in Maharashtra state, one of the frequently talked about go-to destination is Maharashtra’s Valley of Flowers. Maharashtra’s Valley of Flowers is located in Kaas Plateau of Satara district, approximately 280 kms (5 hours by road) from Mumbai. In the months of August-September hundreds of wild flowers and shrubs bloom for a total period of only four to five weeks. Kaas Valley of Flowers had become a hot-spot for nature lovers and botanists.

In September 2013, towards the end of the monsoon season, I visited Satara and finally got to see and experience the Kaas Valley of Flowers. Without doubt, it was a very beautiful and scenic place even if a bit over-hyped in my humble opinion. I also visited the beautiful Thoseghar waterfalls which was about 26 kms from Satara.

 Kaas Valley of Flowers 

Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary - Image Slideshow

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Trip Summary

Travel Destination – Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu

Travel Date – 14^th Jul 2013

Animal sightings –Indian squirrel.

Bird sightings –Common Myna, Rufous Treepie, Common Hoopoe, Asian Koel, Rock Pigeon

Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, TN - When Water Runs Dry

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When Water Runs Dry
Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary

It was July 2013 and I was in Thiruvanathapuram on a short vacation. I was itching to visit a wildlife/bird sanctuary in the monsoon season and spend a day or two improving my photography skills. After some brainstorming my cousin suggested Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

I searched online and found Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary, in Thirunelveli district, to be a good choice. The Sanctuary was around 140 kms away from Thiruvanathapuram. Google Maps indicated a drive of approximately 2.5 hours. The online images of the birds taken at the Sanctuary were very encouraging. The sanctuary attracted a lot of migrant birds incl. Flamingos, Storks, Pelicans, Ducks etc. In peak season, the birds numbered in the lakhs!

Ranthambhore - A Trip To Remember.. Forever. - Image Slideshow

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Trip Summary

Travel Destination – Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan

Travel Dates – 27^th Oct 2011 to 29^th Oct 2011

Animals sightings–9 species: Tiger, Sambar Deer, Spotted Deer, Nilgai (Bluebull), Chinkara (Antelope), Langur, Ruddy Mongoose, Wild Boar, Indian squirrel, Crocodile.

Bird sightings – 17 species: Peacock, Red-wattled lapwing, Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Little Cormorant, Black Stork,  Rufous treepie, Black Drongo,  White-throated Kingfisher, Intermediate Egret, Common Kingfisher, Common Babbler, Wooly-necked Stork, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Pond Heron, Changeable Hawk Eagle

Ranthambhore - A Trip to Remember.. Forever. Day 3

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Day 3 – 29 Oct 2011

I was up and ready on the last day of my trip. The events from the previous day had led me to believe that I was gifted with a lot of luck, when it came to tiger sightings. But that belief did not last long as I waited for the canter. The park gates open at 7 am, but there was no sign of the canter even by 8 am!

The canters are released by the forest department only after all the seats are filled. Therefore, if all the 21 seats in a canter were not sold, the remaining passengers had to wait patiently at their hotels. Further, the canters pick up passengers from their respective hotels. This can further delay one’s safari, especially if you have fellow passengers who do not know the meaning of punctuality.

Morning Safari

By the time the canter entered the park gates, it was close to 8.30 am. We had lost about 1.5 hours of safari time. My last safari was not looking good.

In the next half an hour, we spotted Langur monkeys, Sambar deer, Spotted deer and a Ruddy mongoose. 

Ground Inspection - Grey Langur

Ranthambhore - A Trip To Remember.. Forever. Day 2

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Day 2 – 28 Oct 2011

I woke up early on Day 2. My eagerness and enthusiasm had not been dampened after Day one. And to my absolute delight, my morning safari was booked on a jeep/gypsy. This miracle was due to the fact, that, a couple of guests had to back out due to health reasons. With due respect to those guests, it was a good omen for me. 

Safaris on Gypsies offer better wildlife sightings than Canters due to multiple reasons   
1. Gypsies/Jeeps enter the park on time as there are only 6 seats to fill. On the other hand Canters have 21 seats and filling up these seats can take time
2. Gypsies/Jeeps make far lesser noise than canters and therefore do not scare away the wildlife
3. Gypsies/Jeeps can access narrower paths and are more manoeuverable.

Morning Safari

We entered the park gates at 7 am sharp. We had been allotted Zone 1 for the safari. As soon as we entered the zone, the naturalist was on red alert. He could sense that there was an element of tension in the air. And then the alarm call of a Langur monkey shattered the silence. We were now more or less sure that a predator, either a Tiger or Leopard, was in the area. We strained our eyes to spot any movement.

The next 15 minutes of the safari will be etched in my memory for the rest of my life!!!

A Tiger came out of the foliage and crossed the path in front of the gypsy. “Tiger! Tiger!” whispered the naturalist. The blood rushed to my head, I was breathless and my mind went numb.. Excitement was at it’s peak!

The Tiger was absolutely beautiful and majestic. The Tiger sat on one corner of the path. We twisted and stretched to get the best view. The cameras started clicking fast and furious. By now, we had been joined by a couple of more gypsies. The Tiger observed the tourists on each gypsy carefully. My heart was pounding but my Index finger did not stop pressing the camera shutter.

Momentous Occasion - My first tiger sighting in the wild - Tiger T-39

Ranthambhore - A Trip To Remember.. Forever. Day 1

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Day 1 – 27 Oct 2011

I had reached Ranthambhore the previous night and checked in around midnight. The late check-in and lack of sleep did not prevent me from getting up early in the morning for the morning safari. As I sipped my morning tea waiting for the safari vehicle, I grew restless and impatient. The anticipation and high expectations were perhaps getting to me. 

About the Safaris

The safaris are conducted by the Rajasthan Forest Department. The park remains open from October to June and remains closed for the monsoon season (June/July to September).

Safari Timings in Ranthambore

Safaris in Ranthambore are scheduled in the early mornings and late afternoons. Each safari lasts for about 3.5 hours.

Period                                 Morning Trip                      Evening Trip

October                            7:00 am to 10:30 am        2:30 pm to 6:00 pm

November to January     7:00 am to 10:30 am        2:00 pm to 5:30 pm

February to March           6:30 am to 10:00 am        2:30 pm to 6:00 pm

April to mid-May              6:00 am to 9:30 am          3:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Mid-May to June              6:00 am to 9:30 am          3:30 pm to 7:00 pm

Safari Vehicles in Ranthambore

The safaris are conducted either in gypsies (8-seater open jeeps) or canters (21-seater open trucks). The gypsies are the preferred mode for most tourists as they are much quieter and enter the park on time, as there are only 6 seats to fill. These factors greatly improve the chances of sighting tigers. The bookings are on first-come-first-serve basis.

Advance Safari bookings can be made online (ideally, book well in advance) at http://www.rajasthanwildlife.in/. 

Ranthambhore - A Trip To Remember.. Forever. Oct-2011

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Day 0

It was October of 2011 and the Diwali vacations were fast approaching. I had not finalized any vacation travel plans in advance due to work exigencies. About one week prior to the vacations, my planning finally started.

Even though beaches were my favourite holiday destination, I wanted a different kind of holiday experience. 

Beach? …. No

Bagha Beach - Goa

Birding in Goa - A boat-ride on the Zuari river: Image Slideshow

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Trip Summary

Travel Destination – Zuari River (Cumbharzua canal)

Travel Dates – 10^th Dec 2012

Animals sightings–Crocodile, Indian Fruit Bats (Flying Foxes)

Bird sightings –25 species - Greater Crested tern, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Peregrine Falcon, Brahminy Kite, Red-eared Bulbul, Asian Koel, Barn Swallows, Common Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Osprey, White Ibis, Common Redshank, Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-capped Kingfisher, White-collared Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Oriental Magpie Robin, Little Cormorant, Common Greenshanks, Eurasian Curlew, Blue-tailed bee-eater, White-bellied Sea eagle.

Birding in Goa - A boat-ride on the Zuari river

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Birding trip

It was December 2012 and I was in the process of finalizing my travel arrangements to Goa, to attend the marriage of a good friend. I’ve always had a fascination with Goa, which persisted in spite of having visited Goa on numerous occasions. My attraction for Goa lay in it’s beautiful beaches, the laid-back attitude towards life, the tourist-friendly atmosphere … I could go on and on.

 Goa's main attraction - Beaches