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Visit
:
Ranthambore
National Park, Bharatpur, National Chambal Sanctuary,
Nainital & Saatal, Corbett National Park, Sultanpur Lake and
the wetlands of Delhi
16 nights & 17
days
Best time: October - April
Day 01 :
Arrive New Delhi
Arrive Delhi
International airport. You will be met and transferred
to the hotel (day room). Birding at Okhla barrage and
city forest with a guide. Connect overnight train to Sawai Madhopur (railhead for Ranthambore National
Park) at 2145 hours from NewDelhi railway station.
Overnight in train.
Day 02:
Ranthambore National Park
Arrive at 0505
hours and transfer to the wildlife resort. Morning
birding around the resort with a guide. Afternoon jeep
drive in the park with a guide for birding and
tiger-tracking. Overnight in the resort. The birds
that one can expect around the resort are grey
francolin, sirkeer malkoha, painted sandgrouse, Indian
courser, yellow-wattled lapwing, southern grey shrike,
Isabelline wheatear, desert wheatear, variable
wheatear, ashy-crowned sparrow lark, greater
short-toed lark, blue rock thrush, common buzzard etc.
Day 03 :
Ranthambore- Bharatpur
Morning
tiger-tracking with a guide in Ranthambore National
Park. You can have the option of going to the park for
tiger-tracking or visiting the 1000-year old fort. You
will be transferred to the railway station to connect
train to Bharatpur at 1250 hours Arrive Bharatpur at
1535 hours and transfer to the hotel. Overnight hotel.
Day 04-06 :
Bharatpur
Three full days of
birding in Keoladeo Ghana National Park on foot and
cycle rickshaws with a birding guide. Note: one boat
ride will be arranged subject to availability.
Keoladeo National Park has some of the finest wetlands
in the world and is the world heritage site. Over 400
species of birds find a refuge in the 29 square
kilometers of shallow lakes & woodland of the park. A
third of them are winter migrants which breed as far
as Siberia & Central Asia.
Day 07 :
National
Chambal
Sanctuary.
Transfer to Chambal
early in the morning. Morning boat cruise with a guide
to see Indian skimmer, black-bellied tern, large
flocks of migratory waterfowl, cranes such as common,
demoiselle and Saras; fish-eating crocodile and marsh
mugger; Gangetic dolphin; turtles etc. Return by 1500
hours to Agra. Afternoon visit to the Taj Mahal.
Transfer from the hotel in the evening to connect
train to Lal Kuan (railhead for Nainital; 3 hours
drive) at 2130 hr. Overnight in air-conditioned
sleeper train.
Day 08 & 09
:
Sataal
Arrive Lal Kuan at
0830 hours. You will be met and transferred to Sataal
(2 hours). Full day birding with a guide. Two nights
at KMVN Rest House or a tented camp or similar. The
drive is through the forested area of Sataal. One can
see a variety of Himalayan species along the way such
as red-breasted accentor, chestnut-headed tesia,
greater & lesser yellow naped woodpecker, blue-throated
barbet, rufous-chinned laughing thrush, black bulbul,
dark-throated thrush etc.
Day 10 :
Pangot, 15 km from
Nainital
You will be
transferred to Pangot via Nainital. Full day birding
with a guide at China Peak & Kilbury. Overnight at
Jungle Lore Birding Lodge. The entire drive is through
the forested area of China Peak Range via Snow View
Point and Kilbury, the main habitats for excellent
birding. One can see a variety of Himalayan species
along the way such as lammergeier, Himalayan griffon,
blue-winged minla, spotted & slaty-backed forktail,
rufous-bellied woodpecker, rufous-bellied niltava,
khalij pheasant, variety of thrushes etc. Nainital
region supports almost 150 bird species out of which
130 species have been recorded at Pangot and
surrounding areas. The numerous perennial & seasonal
creeks are home to an amazing variety of flora and
fauna including the Leopard, yellow-throated Himalayan
matins, Himalayan Palm Civet, ghoral, barking deer,
sambhar etc.
Day 11 :
Pangot
Another day of
birding at Pangot village, Baggar and Gughu Khan.
These walks can be very rewarding. Overnight stay at
the lodge. One can see crested serpent-eagle, mountain
hawk-eagle, Woodpeckers such as brown-fronted,
stripe-breasted, rufous-bellied etc. Thrushes such as
dark-throated, mistle etc. Striated Prinia can be see
in the terraced fields. Warblers such as Tickell's
Leaf-Warbler, Greenish, Golden-spectacled,
Grey-hooded. Flycatchers such as asian brown,
rusty-tailed, ultramarine, verditer, tickell's blue,
rufous-bellied Niltava etc., orange-flanked bush
robin, blue-capped redstart. Laughingthrushes such as
white-throated, striated & streaked, chestnut-crowned
etc. Look for accentor, upland pipit, blue-winged
minla, whiskered yuhina etc.
Day 12 :
Mongoli Valley-Corbett National Park
Drive early morning
to Bajun (45 minutes) and trek into Mongoli Valley.
The trek will last about 4-5 hours. Packed lunch will
be served. Drive to Corbett National Park from Mongoli
(3 hours) stopping en route to look for Ibisbill.
Overnight stay in a cottage at
Tiger Camp. One can see
crested woodpeckers such as greater yellownape,
scaly-breasted, speckled piculet etc. Large flocks of
slaty-headed parakeets, numerous spotted and oriental
turtle doves, grey bushchat, russet sparrow. Cuckoo:
indian, oriental, large-hawk and eurasian.
Large-billed crow, grey treepie, black-headed jay,
maroon oriole, large cuckoo shrike, tits such as
rufous-naped, black-throated & yellow-browed and
smaller numbers of black-lored and green-backed.
White-tailed nuthatches, chestnut bellied nuthatches
and bar-tailed treecreeper.
Day 13 :
Dhikala Forest Lodge (Corbett National Park)
Drive early morning
to Dhikala tourism zone. Arrive at the main tourist
complex, Dhikala - check in. Afternoon visit to the
grasslands for birding. Overnight stay at Dhikala
Forest Lodge. Birding in the lower jungle track along
the RamGanga river is very rewarding for water birds
such as river lapwings, waders, mergansers and other
waterfowl. While relaxing at the lodge or visiting the
grasslands one can see large-tailed nightjar, jungle
owlet, spot-bellied owlet, grass owl, common and
white-tailed stonechat, black francolin, purple and
crimson sunbird, golden-fronted leafbird,
black-shouldered kite, hen harrier, changeable
hawk-eagle etc.
Day 14 :
Corbett National Park
Morning elephant
safari through the grasslands and dense forests. This
is the best mode of transport for wildlife viewing.
Return at 0900 hours for breakfast and then spend time
till lunch on a watchtower overlooking a water hole.
Drive to Tiger Camp. Arrive Tiger Camp for dinner.
Overnight stay.Some of the best birding areas of
Dhikala are Sambhar Road and Khinanauli. One can
expect to see great slaty woodpecker, great hornbill,
puff-throated babbler, white-rumped shama, pallas's
fish eagle etc.
Day 15 :
Corbett National
Park-Delhi
Morning bird walk
at Kumeria and a walk from Garjia temple to Tiger
Camp. Return for lunch. Afternoon drive to Kathgodam
(2½ hr.) to connect overnight train to Delhi or
connect train from Ramnagar at 2110 hr. Overnight in
train.
One can look for
black bulbul, brown-eared bulbul, brown fish owl,
little & spotted forktail, yellow-bellied and
white-browed fantail, crested laughing thrush,
black-winged cuckoo shrike, little heron, wallcreeper,
red-breasted parakeet, short-billed and long-tailed
minivet, brown dipper, ashy-crowned sparrowlark etc.
Day 16 :
Delhi
Arrive Delhi early
in the morning. You will be met and transferred to the
hotel. Full day excursion to Sultanpur bird sanctuary
(2 hours drive one way) with a guide. Return in the
evening. Overnight stay at the hotel. One can expect
Indian courser, greater flamingo, great white pelican
sarus and common crane, shikra, lesser thick knee,
plaintive and grey-bellied cuckoo, crested serpent
eagle, a lot of other waterfowl etc.
Day 17 :
New Delhi
Transfer to the airport to connect flight back Home.
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