Head south east from the (rapidly spreading) urban sprawl of Pune, and you come across a (now rapidly shrinking) expanse of grassland, scrub and hills interspersed with human settlements. At first glance, you might well agree with the oft used descriptor of wasteland, but look a little closer and you find one of the most spectacular habitats in the country. The sheer diversity of mammal and bird life in these areas is nothing short of astonishing. Every trip, every visit seems to throw up something new for an avid birder or wildlifer. And via this post, I will attempt to chronicle some of my most memorable sightings in the area.
Saswad exploded into our collective consciousness in 2015, when a flurry of incredible photographs (of birds and mammals alike) started permeating through the popular wildlife forums on Facebook. The star of the (slide?) show was undoubtedly the Indian Wolf, with several stunning images of this otherwise seldom seen shadowy predator splashed across social media. Throw in Striped Hyenas, Foxes, Jungle Cats and Chinkara and we were talking about some serious habitat here. Combine that with several Eagle species, falcons, Owls and many larks, pipits and buntings and this was paradise! Over the past couple of years, we have made a fair few trips there, I will give you the highlights from a few of them.
February 2016
Rufous Tailed Lark |
Grey Necked Bunting |
Tawny Pipit |
May 2016
This was my first birding trip after a rather traumatic April. Once again, we made our way to the 'Factory' but this time we knew we had to crest the first hill and climb the second to get to the spot. Striolated buntings inhabit rocky stretches of hills and after some huffing and puffing (me) we got to the base of Hill 2. And at once one of us spotted a bird silhouetted on the topmost rock of the hill. "Striolated Bunting" he said in a raised whisper as we reverently looked up (to the heavens almost). And there it was, a beautiful bird, sitting without a care in the world. Except that it was a Sykes' Lark! He too hastily legged it, no doubt remembering a chore assigned by his better half. We carried on with our quest, only pausing to marvel at one of our members who shot a Rock Bush Quail at close quarters while he was busy answering an emergency call of nature. What a moment to spot a lifer!
Ashy Crowned Sparrow-Lark |
August 2016
Striolated Bunting |
And we were back the next weekend, memorable for two reasons, the number of mammals we found and for a really special raptor. Accompanied by a knowledgeable wildlifer friend who knew the spots, we found Indian Fox, Indian Gazelle and the most prized one of them all - The Indian Grey Wolf. We saw this female cross our vehicle up close and then run unfettered across the rocky valley. Absolutely stunning! But there was more to come. We went to one of the many rocky outcrops and there, almost at the very top, sat the mighty Bonelli's eagle. We couldn't go very close so we contented ourselves with long range record shots. And when we looked at the photos, we found that there were actually two birds, a pair! The second one was so beautifully camouflaged that we couldn't spot her with our eyes. And for a bird the size of an eagle, that is truly remarkable.
Bonelli's Eagles |
September/October 2017
Rain Quail |
Unfortunately, these trips are increasingly accompanied by more than a tinge of anxiety for the fate of this spectacular habitat, due to plans for a new airport. On this planet, human greed almost always trumps (pun not intended) the rights of other living things. And I say greed because in this mad race to 'develop' we are endangering the very sources of our own lives - air and water. Anyways...
Saswad Trip Guide
The Saswad birding area is a vast area around Saswad and the temple town of Jejuri. Saswad is about 35kms (about an hour in the morning) south east of Pune and about 185kms (4 hours) from Mumbai
How to get there
Pune is the nearest major rail and air head, with excellent connectivity across the country. While Saswad and Jejuri are covered by a bus service, you need to have your own vehicle to be able to drive through the area and search for birds.
Where to stay
Pune is the best place to stay, though there is accommodation around Saswad. Varshavan resort is located very close to some of the birding spots and it has a good reputation, though amongst corporate and leisure travellers.
We usually do a day trip from Mumbai and drive back after the morning birdwatching session.
Guides
Unfortunately, there are no guides in Saswad. There are however, many knowledgeable wildlifers and birders from Pune who know the area well. You could hook up with some of them from any of the wildlife forums on Social Media.
Food
Saswad and Jejuri have quite a few small restaurants on the highway where you can pick up a snack or a meal. We usually stop at the Waghapur crossroads where you can get delicious misal-pao and batata vadas.
Other tips
There's very little shade in the area, so please carry caps. Also carry water and some snacks, especially if you're planning to trek away from the road.
Saswad Trip Guide
The Saswad birding area is a vast area around Saswad and the temple town of Jejuri. Saswad is about 35kms (about an hour in the morning) south east of Pune and about 185kms (4 hours) from Mumbai
How to get there
Pune is the nearest major rail and air head, with excellent connectivity across the country. While Saswad and Jejuri are covered by a bus service, you need to have your own vehicle to be able to drive through the area and search for birds.
Where to stay
Pune is the best place to stay, though there is accommodation around Saswad. Varshavan resort is located very close to some of the birding spots and it has a good reputation, though amongst corporate and leisure travellers.
We usually do a day trip from Mumbai and drive back after the morning birdwatching session.
Guides
Unfortunately, there are no guides in Saswad. There are however, many knowledgeable wildlifers and birders from Pune who know the area well. You could hook up with some of them from any of the wildlife forums on Social Media.
Food
Saswad and Jejuri have quite a few small restaurants on the highway where you can pick up a snack or a meal. We usually stop at the Waghapur crossroads where you can get delicious misal-pao and batata vadas.
Other tips
There's very little shade in the area, so please carry caps. Also carry water and some snacks, especially if you're planning to trek away from the road.
Red Rumped Swallow |
Long Tailed Shrike |
Grey-necked Bunting |
Red Rumped Swallow |
Short Toed Snake Eagle |
Sykes' Lark |
Beautiful write up. Thanks for sharing info.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
DeletePls help with the location on map around which I can explore birds and mainly fox.
ReplyDeleteHi, unfortunately there is no real location for these animals. Most of the time we've just driven around the usual areas beyond Saswad.
DeleteA very very good detailed writeup, I know the hillock near the factory area however could not get the Grey wolf I m trying since last one year and more, can you please help me with the location.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Nitin Belhekar
nitin_belhekar@rediffmail.com
8007739922
Thank you very much! Unfortunately there is no real location for these mammals. We've been fortunate to sight them in that area
DeleteGood write-up..Is there any specific place in Saswad where we can spot these birds and wildlife..? Can you please share details.?
ReplyDeleteThanks very much. The area around Waghapur is usually good for birding and wildlife. All depends on luck to a large extent, though
DeleteNice write-up. I stay in Hadapsar, and have passed through Saswad, but did not stop for exploring or for photography. Hope to do so soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
DeleteHi, can you please share location details where exactly you stopped for birding?
ReplyDeleteHi, unfortunately there is no specific spot since these birds move around. But the area around Waghapur beyond Saswad is usually good.
DeleteVery nice information. I am taking students of Symbiosis for the field trip and your article was quite helpful to understand the terrain and fauna of that habitat. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you very much and hope you had a great field trip. Apologies for the late reply
ReplyDeleteCan u tell exactly where is the grassland
ReplyDelete