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Backpacking Birding.
For a Birder like me, all I need a pair of binoculars and a place to bird.
I have this dream to go birding all over the Country and try to see as many as birds at a stretch - hitchhiking. Work here and there, three to five month on road. But this will take some time, I have to prepare properly. Whatever it is, it’s not just ticking of birds but the whole experience in travelling n birding.
Early this month i got my leave which i was not prepared , as holiday season train tickets were not available. I wanted to visit some new places and do some birding. My friend Jayanth had plans to do trip in Gujarat to Velavadar and Kutch, so i was planning but for some reasons he had to change his plan. I however thought of a backpacking birding trip to back home.
So it took more than two weeks, three states, four sanctuaries, truck, rickshaw, bike, train and twice more than 26hrs continues bus journey to reach home. From Kanha to Bangalore.
From Kanha to Pench form there to Nalsarovar near Ahmadabad, Velavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary. To Goa straight from there, for few Western Ghats endemics and some waders at the beach ;-). And finally to Agumbe rainforest for the King Cobra and back home. The one thing i missed in this whole trip was a wide angle lens. I made new friends and saw new birds.
I reached Ahmadabad on 7th evening after spending sometime at Pench and taking 28hr bus ride. Some how i liked the city, the old part of the city with the kite festival coming soon, everywhere there were very colurfull kites . Next day early morning i left for Nalsarovar which was just an hour and a half bus ride away. I saw very interesting birds on the way itself. 50+ Pelicans on the road side fields, Cranes, Harriers Wow!. I didnot expected that. Met Kasim at Nalsarovar who was Jayanth's contact, he is a boat man and a guide.
He had work in the city so his son took me out. I totally did 7hrs on the boat - birding. The whole water body is fantastic its more than 100sqkm! with small islands here and there.
Flamingos are main attraction for regular tourist and one can see more after March. I got lifers like White tailed and Grey headed Lapwings, Greater Spotted Eagle, Eurasian Curlew , Common Starlings and many more.
Gulls were common they were coming close to boats for food. Common Coots were in plenty .
Best was to see common cranes close and in numbers and their calls.
Water is very shallow from 2ft to 4ft and clear, you can see the weeds and the fishes. The people around the camp are mainly maldaris who graze buffalos and few fishing communities. Having lunch in one of the place was excellent. I just spent only one day there but need to visit again for few days for more birds. Total 60 + birds was great for a day. Next time with proper optics like birding scope it will be even better.
Early this month i got my leave which i was not prepared , as holiday season train tickets were not available. I wanted to visit some new places and do some birding. My friend Jayanth had plans to do trip in Gujarat to Velavadar and Kutch, so i was planning but for some reasons he had to change his plan. I however thought of a backpacking birding trip to back home.
So it took more than two weeks, three states, four sanctuaries, truck, rickshaw, bike, train and twice more than 26hrs continues bus journey to reach home. From Kanha to Bangalore.
From Kanha to Pench form there to Nalsarovar near Ahmadabad, Velavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary. To Goa straight from there, for few Western Ghats endemics and some waders at the beach ;-). And finally to Agumbe rainforest for the King Cobra and back home. The one thing i missed in this whole trip was a wide angle lens. I made new friends and saw new birds.
I reached Ahmadabad on 7th evening after spending sometime at Pench and taking 28hr bus ride. Some how i liked the city, the old part of the city with the kite festival coming soon, everywhere there were very colurfull kites . Next day early morning i left for Nalsarovar which was just an hour and a half bus ride away. I saw very interesting birds on the way itself. 50+ Pelicans on the road side fields, Cranes, Harriers Wow!. I didnot expected that. Met Kasim at Nalsarovar who was Jayanth's contact, he is a boat man and a guide.
He had work in the city so his son took me out. I totally did 7hrs on the boat - birding. The whole water body is fantastic its more than 100sqkm! with small islands here and there.
Best was to see common cranes close and in numbers and their calls.