Ranthambhore (June 2023) - The annual pilgrimage

That there are more posts on Ranthambhore in this blog, than any other wildlife destination, is not a coincidence. Much as I love every single place I have been to in this wonderful country of ours, Ranthambhore definitely claims ownership to a sizeable sliver of the heart. It's not just about the tigers and the people here, it is also a place where people near and dear to me like to congregate. The fact that it was my brother's favourite place on the planet is the proverbial cherry. And inevitably, the summer trip was planned with friends and family, with a wildlife debut for dear friend Ganesh Kumar.

His first safari began in the shadows of the imposing Ranthambhore fort, the route for Zone 2 snaking around the back of the fort towards the home of Arrowhead, one of the most visible tigresses in the park. Just not that morning. We drove further to look for Noorie or her 3 sub-adult cubs with no luck and then Hemraj took us to the extremities of the zone to seek out T60 or Ghost. She certainly lived up her name, as we saw fresh pugmarks and heard many urgent alarm calls but saw no tiger. We drove back with slightly drooping shoulders to take one chance on the otherwise reliable Noorie. Her territory was quiet too till out of nowhere a jeep comes towards us saying the tigress is on the move. And in a few minutes, Ganesh got his first tiger sighting on his maiden safari. Queen Noorie walked the catwalk for us, got a drink of water, though not as close as we'd like (no greed there!) but a lovely sighting nevertheless. And in a couple of minutes, a humdrum safari transformed into one buzzing with excitement. And that is the magnetic power of Pantera Tigris.

Appetite whetted, Ganesh was ready for more. That afternoon saw us in Zone 3, the 'heart' of the park with its stunning lakes and old ruins, the domain of Riddhi, Queen of the Lakes. She had seized the throne after overthrowing her mother Arrowhead in a largely non-violent coup. That afternoon, her entire area was totally quiet; deer grazing peacefully, the giant crocs on the lake shores lying motionless and even the normally playful langurs in a stupor. And then Rajesh, in our other jeep had a premonition that we would encounter Ganesh, the dominant male tiger (not to be confused with the aforementioned Ganesh Kumar) in the outer reaches of the zone. They went to scratch that itch while we hung around the lakes, lost in our own individual thoughts.  

Sudden alarm calls broke the reverie and we drove to the source, the border of Zones 2 & 3 to find a host of vehicles on the Zone 2 side excitedly pointing at something in the undergrowth. Hemraj's eagle eyes caught it at once, a few supine stripes in the grass in front of us. They eventually morphed into a full tiger, who gave us a fleeting glimpse before descending into a waterhole, out of our sight but not of the lovely folks in Zone 2. Hemraj thought it was Arrowhead, given this was part of her territory and we were grateful that our record of seeing her in every single trip since 2014 was intact.

In all of this, our other jeep was still absconding. And something told me that the reason for that involved stripes. And we got confirmation as a volley of calls rebounded from the other side. Something was on the move! We made our way there to find our friends escorting a tiger along the lake shore. Rajesh said it was Arrowhead, and a closer glimpse confirmed that. So who was the tiger we saw in Arrowhead's territory? Could it be Riddhi, making the old switcheroo with her mother? A lot of conspiracy theory type questions started to float in our minds. Hastily, however, we suspended the questions for now and focused on the tiger in front of us.

She came. She saw. She killed.

Arrowhead proceeded to walk through her old stomping grounds, right in front of our stationery jeeps. Ganesh (friend, not tiger) could not believe how close she was! Her catwalk came to a rather abrupt end as she suddenly stopped and pounced on something along the lake shore. It was an Indian Flapshell Turtle; I'd never seen a tiger kill a turtle before! Not that my reaction mattered to her as she spent the next hour demolishing her prey right in front of her audience. With a twist though - she had her back to us and her face hidden behind a bush, as she chomped away. Talk about feline table manners! And so, Ganesh had chalked up a kill (and a rather unusual one at that) in only his second safari. How about that for a debut day? Turns out he wasn't quite done yet.

One of the accompanying jeeps (a VIP vehicle with a forest guard in it) got news that Riddhi over on the other side was now in the open and he kindly passed that message along. We left Arrowhead to her meal and zipped towards her daughter. And there she was, lying in the open on a grassy patch, evidently in the mood to put on a show. She did her routine, some mock stalking, followed by a couple of rollovers and some air-football. Finally, resting her head on her front paws, she looked up at us, almost to remind us that it was time to go back home. Which we duly did, wallowing in the unadulterated delight that comes with a couple of amazing tiger sightings!

With a great high, sometimes comes a little low. And the next morning proved an exercise in maybe's as we hunted all over Zone 4 for Shakti and her cubs or for an old favourite, T41 or Laila. Early in the morning Rajesh in our other jeep spotted a tiger heading into the undergrowth and we all waited at the waterhole on the other side, waiting for her to appear. Given no sign of her, we headed to the border of Zone 4/5 and almost as soon as we got there, we heard what were definitely tiger snarls. Given the length and intensity, there seemed to be quite a battle going on in the thickets. Hemraj surmised that it could be Shakti's family fighting over a kill. Lots of audio but no video, not even for the good folks across the border in Zone 5. The three things of note - A pair of beautiful Painted Sandgrouse which made up for the absconding tigers, Ganesh experienced his first 'tigerless' safari and our other jeep got a good sighting of Pantera pardus.

That afternoon's safari would be in Zone 1, a part of the park that has a slightly complex relationship with us. Despite some fine sightings over the years, it still remains our least favourite part of Ranthambhore. We sailed in, patiently waiting for some action or signs of activity. A Golden Oriole performing some stunning acrobatics at a waterhole was the highlight of an otherwise uneventful first couple of hours. Our other jeep had departed towards the gate when a Monitor Lizard peeked from within a hole in a dhonk tree and we decided to take a few photos. And almost at once, loud sambhar alarm calls shredded the silence and raised adrenaline levels. The predator was evidently close by and on the move, but totally invisible to us, even to the eagle-eyed Hemraj. With a sigh, we headed towards the gate, with only a few minutes left till time was up. And about a kilometre from the gate, the jungle teased us again with alarm calls on the hillside to our left. We slowed down, looked for anything that moved, but apart from the sambhar that called (and promptly stopped), there was nothing! We drove on, but Hemraj stopped, looked at his watch and said 'We have time. Turn back'. And so we did, looking at the hillside to our right this time.

And then Hemraj looked left and said "Leopard"! And to our delight, a beautiful leopardess was clambering up the rocks on our left. She had probably crossed the road once we had passed the first time around. Now she stopped, looked at us and decided she wanted her portrait taken. So she perched on a rock and stared as if to say, 'Show me what you got'. There was irritating foliage in the way of a clear frame, but we managed some satisfactory photos. With literally minutes to go, our safari had gone from totally 'meh' to 'wow'! And Ganesh (friend, not tiger) had his first encounter with old Spots.

The final morning saw us back in Zone 2, with more familiar news. Arrowhead was absconding, Noorie was missing and T60 was ghosting. A far-off leopard on a gallop ensured the cat quotient was alive and (barely) kicking. But what salvaged the show was old Bruin, the Indian Sloth Bear. We saw two of these chaps, sniffing for termites and then taking apart a termite mound with a nonchalance that was truly awesome and not a bit humbling. These were nearly four feet high, but his giant claws just went into action and then his nose and tongue ensured that breakfast was served to his liking. And that set up the final safari nicely.

The last hurrah

The last safari is almost always our best. There is no logical explanation why, but it just happens that way. This time we licked our lips at the prospect of Zone 10. With 6 resident tigers and a few more 'guests' it was one of the park's most happening spots. We were in search of the resident queen Aishwarya and her new consort, the massive male Jai. They'd made a kill that morning and there was a good chance that they would spend the afternoon wallowing in a nearby waterhole. In the heat of summer, tigers cool down after a big meal with a leisurely dip. Before we got to them however, we chanced upon another tiger sitting rather forlornly in a thicket - it was the female from Aishwarya's previous litter, evidently excluded from the banquet happening less than a kilometre away. We sympathised, but had very little else to give her, including time. We had to see the power couple.

And as we reached said waterhole, we saw the female walk through the trees and gently immerse herself neck-deep in the water. His Highness followed a few minutes later, but preferred to lie down at the water's edge instead. We could see that he'd had an enormous meal (and so had she!) so the need to cool off and digest was paramount for both. And that was most of the rest of the afternoon. He snoozed in various positions, she exited the water to snooze, we waited. A small movement from either of them provoked a flurry of shutters  from the paparazzi, but that was all too fleeting. And just when we were ready to give up, she woke up, waltzed into the pool and did some yoga poses to make her audience happy. He was still being a lazy so and so, evidently having eaten the lion's (tiger's?) share of lunch. And even when he did get to his feet, he was slow and ponderous, no doubt torn between berating himself for going off his diet and salivating at the prospect of another go at the kill.

He proceeded to walk around, showing off his massive frame (and his still distended belly!) to his admiring fans and then sat down like the regal creature he was. She joined him by his side and they both spent a very content, if silent few minutes while we all got a few pictures. As we left, we reflected on the fact that we'd spent nearly 3 hours with two magnificent tigers, a true 'Ranthambhore' sighting. Once more, this wonderful forest and its amazing tigers did not disappoint. I consider myself truly blessed to have the privilege of being able to see these amazing animals in their natural habitat.

The ranks of the believers have swelled by one more - Ganesh (friend, not tiger) has finally seen the light and is now a convert. In fact, he has already started planning for his next trip. Long may that continue!

Ranthambhore Trip Guide

Getting there

Ranthambhore is arguably the 'most easy to access' Tiger Reserve. Sawai Madhopur (SWM), the adjoining town, is a major junction on the Mumbai to Delhi/Jaipur trunk line hence train connectivity is excellent. From Mumbai, the Delhi August Kranti Rajdhani is the best option (leaves Mumbai at 17:10 and reaches SWM the next morning at 05:30) and on the way back it leaves SWM at 20:45 and gets into Mumbai at 9:45 the next morning. There are a number of options to Delhi, including the August Kranti.

Jaipur (140 kms) is the nearest big city and airport, a comfortable 3 hour journey on largely good roads.

Stay

Ranthambhore has it all. From budget hotels to home stays to mid range to full-on opulence, you can get the whole nine yards. 

For those who prefer a home-like ambience, the best is Tiger Home, an 8 room place (www.ranthambhoretigerhome.com) built by Hemraj Meena, a local who is one of the park's finest naturalists. A personal friend, Hemraj's dream had always been to have a place of his own where he can host wildlife lovers. And Tiger Home does exactly that. It's a really comfortable 10 room house with air-conditioned rooms and all the mod cons. Excellent home cooked food and very helpful staff make you feel genuinely like you're at home. And the best part is the company, Hemraj's experiences are incredible and you could well hear all about his stories with Ranthambhore's amazing tigers.

At the mid-level, the Ranthambhore Regency is a superb option. It is comfortable, offers facilities like a pool and a bar and has some awesome food. And the hospitality of the Jains is incomparable.(ranthambhor.com). Their new place Sawai Vilas (sawaivilas.com) is exquisite and a must-consider if you're looking for a luxury stay

Other luxury options include Taj Hotels' Sawai Madhopur Lodge, Oberoi Vanyavilas and Amanbagh. 

Safaris

Ranthambhore offers two types of safaris - gypsy (6 seats) and canter (approx 20 seats) Unlike most other parks, here the bookings are on a seat basis, so you can book individual gypsy or canter seats without having to pay for the whole vehicle. All bookings need to be made on the website (https://fmdss.forest.rajasthan.gov.in/) 

Please do book well in advance, especially if you need gypsy bookings. And always carry your ID proof with you, since there might be some checking at the entry gates.

In addition to morning and afternoon safaris, you can also do half and full days in the forest, though it is restricted to very few vehicles. The rules are more cumbersome now, but they still give you advantages that the regular safaris don't - like being able to choose which zones you want to go to (at least for part of the day)

Other attractions 

Ranthambhore Fort and the Ganesh Temple - one of Ranthambhore's most distinctive features is the huge fort that looms over the park. This medieval fort also has Rajasthan's oldest Ganesh temple, which attracts thousands of visitors, especially on Wednesdays.

There are village visits and homestays - Hemraj's village Bhuri Pahari is an example where there are some comfortable stay options. You can explore and experience village life and also spot some interesting birds, especially in winter.

Other Tips

Ranthambhore can get really hot in summer, so sunscreen, comfortable clothes and headgear are a must. It can get equally cold in winter, so carry a thick jacket for sure.

Please carry a bag or haversack with sun-block, adequate water and also some dry snacks or fruit if you get peckish during the safari. 

Another factor is the dust, so if you're troubled or allergic, a face mask will come in handy.

Tadoba (Feb 2023) - Tiger-central!

The forests of Central India, along with the Western Ghats are probably the last strongholds of the tiger, where this majestic feline not just hangs on, but actively thrives. Among the many spectacular National Parks that makes up this patchwork of paradise is Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in eastern Maharashtra. In my humble opinion, Tadoba (with Ranthambhore and Bandhavgarh) give you the best chance of seeing a tiger. And so, it was quite a surprise for me that I hadn't visited for nearly a decade, a fact that my friend and Tadoba guru Shalik Jogwe kept reminding me. It was time for a remedy and a dear friend's (rather delayed) 50th birthday celebrations provided the perfect occasion and weekend. 

A comfortable overnight train to Nagpur and we were picked up by Shalik himself in one of the cars that drove us to Tadoba. It was great to chat with him en route, learning and reacquainting myself with this wonderful forests and its tigers. We got off at the charming Irai resort, freshened up, fortified ourselves with a lovely meal and we were ready for the tigers. The first (of four) safaris would be in the Devada buffer zone, about 5 kms away from our hotel. Shalik connected us with our enthusiastic guide and driver and we entered, licking our lips.

Suffer in the buffer

The Devada buffer zone is a relatively new addition into Tadoba's safari network, but it has quickly become one of its most popular and not without reason. It is home to at 3 resident females and at least an equal number of males. We were told of a pair of tigers that were spotted in the morning near a waterbody and we headed there first. Finding no signs of them, our dynamic duo decided to head to another area, home to the tigress W and her cubs. There too, we drew a blank. Then they decided to take us to Junona lake on the fringes of the zone. It was quite the bone jarring ride, and seemingly without luck, for Junona lake was bare. A passing jeep got news of the tiger pair being spotted in the original spot, so we bone-jarred our way back, only to find that the couple had eloped. To add the proverbial salt, we got news that a tiger had emerged from the grass at Junona lake as soon as we left and so, guess what? We drove back there - don't ask about our bones. About a 100 metres out, we see a jeep coming the other way, full of tiger-feasted tourists (there is a typical look on people's faces when they've seen a tiger on a safari) 

Imagine our chagrin then, as we turned into the lake for our turn on the buffet and found that the main course, content to wallow in the water for an hour, decided now to slink into the grass and resume his afternoon siesta. All we saw was a shadowy figure and that too for a nano-second. And we were done- so when our driver suggested that we get might want a dekko at place 1, he was met with 5 vehement 'No's', including from my daughter and me, normally more than a little tiger crazy. We accepted defeat gracefully and decided to glide out without much more damage to our body parts and ego. At the gate, an excited Shalik asked for my camera to see photos and seemed quite nonplussed when I said there were none! Pretty much every vehicle (apart from guess which one?) had had super sightings of either the tiger pair or the male at the lake and he could not figure how we hadn't even seen a single tiger! Sometimes enthusiasm is too much of a good thing....

Scoring in the Core

Tadoba's core zone is unique in many ways, it has a tar road that runs through the middle like a spine with side roads spinning off like ribs. Among these ribs is the Teliya area, where I saw my first tiger cubs in Tadoba. One of these cubs, Sonam, is the dominant female in the Teliya area and we first made a beeline to look for her. The Queen was not in residence so we carried on to the territory of another of Tadoba's royalty - Queen Maya herself, easily the park's most photographed tigress. We drove through her favourite Pandharpauni area without any signs of her till a telltale swarm of jeeps gave her away... she was lying in the distance, accompanied by a large male, Rudra. it was all a bit strange because she'd just had a cub a few months ago so mating again was out of the question. Our guide then explained that she was with the male to keep him away from her cub. Time and again she would try and slink away and every time he would block her way. We felt sorry and not a bit anxious for her and her little cub. But that's nature and there was nothing we could do, apart from wish her well and leave her alone.

As we headed into the core zone for the afternoon safari with Shalik at the wheel this time, I realised that I'd not taken a single decent photo in two safaris. Unthinkable! Also, I was itching to use the Canon 300mm 2.8 lens that Shalik had so kindly lent me. A juvenile White-eyed Buzzard provided the first opportunity which I gratefully took. We drove to Maya but she had retreated further under the trees with the male, still bothered with his constant attention as some jeeps on the full day safari updated us.

We made haste to another area and encountered another jeep who had just seen a tigress cross the road. She was Roma, one of Shalik's favourites and he had anticipated her movement that afternoon. No wonder he was upset at having just missed her. He wasn't himself for the next half an hour and even my attempt to unruffle feathers was futile. We drove back towards Moharli gate and he decided to take a chance at Teliya. We drive into the grassland and a convoy of jeeps tell us that there's a tiger somewhere around. And sure enough, we see one on the far side of the lake. It was Sonam. She gave us a decent if somewhat distant sighting and sent us on our way for the evening, making Shalik feel a little better.

Magic at last!

The last safari and if history were to repeat itself, usually our best. This time there was only Navya and I from our party, the others all unable to make it for one or other reason. Shalik was also in the jeep, but as a passenger this time, not driving. And he proved to be the calming agent for our enthusiastic driver and guide combo. Yes it was them again, but thanks to him being around, we weren't haring around like fowl without their crowns. We drove in to find fresh pug marks of a male tiger and we followed it till they cut into the bush. We went to where we thought he'd emerge but there was no sign, so we retraced our path. And found fresher tracks, on top of our tyre marks. A couple of jeeps told us that they'd seen him on the road and he'd just stepped into the undergrowth. Bummer! Shalik was not one to give up, he thought through where the tiger could go and we dipped into a narrow side path with a couple of other vehicles. And as if on cue, a huge male tiger crossed the road in front of us, it was Taru, one of the big resident males. He headed towards the main road and we followed, hoping he would emerge. But he evidently got held up on the way, maybe met an old friend for breakfast.

We headed back into the forest, only to find that a tigress (Chhoti Madhu) had crossed the path and was headed to that same main road. So once again, we headed to the main road and waited. Then Shalik decided to track her along one of her favourite routes on the other side. As we waited, a flurry of vehicles arrived. - the tigress was on the move! We all expected her to come near the lake but she turned up behind us in the forest instead. She crossed right behind us, and our enthu driver nearly had me on the forest floor as he attempted to turn around and go behind her. Shalik again calmed him down with some sage advice and we slowly went much further ahead and waited at a place along the lake shore, where she was likely to emerge. And emerge she did, like the queen she is; walked regally across the shore and into the forest. It was a thrilling sighting in excellent light and a fantastic way to end our trip.

Great coming back to Tadoba, seeing this wonderful forest and also spending time with the inimitable Shalik Jogwe, his passion and commitment to all things tiger (and Tadoba) is truly exemplary.

Tadoba Trip Guide

Getting there

Tadoba is one of the easiest tiger reserves to access. Chandrapur (40 kms away) is the nearest town and rail-head, on the Delhi-South India line, so has some great connections if you're coming in from there.

The nearest big city, airport and major rail head is Nagpur (~145 kms) A 3 ½ hour drive, very comfortable, on excellent roads for most of the time.

Stay

There are a reasonable number of hotels across categories, though not at the scale of say a Ranthambhore or even Pench. Irai, Svasara and Pugdundee safaris' Waghoba are three at the top end and Suez Akram's lovely Serai should always be in the mix. 

Please look at your safari gate before you choose your property, distances between the gates are huge and you don't want to spend significant time driving to and fro.

Safaris

You need to check availability and book safaris on https://booking.mytadoba.org/safari. Please do not plan the other elements (hotel, travel) without checking safari availability

To access the best jeeps and guides, Shalik Jogwe (+91 95959 36369 or tadobatiger@gmail.com) is the best person to arrange everything – he has his own gypsies, will get you the best guide and is a phenomenal storehouse of information on Tadoba. He’s very committed to Tadoba’s conservation and his Tadoba facebook page (Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is created specially as a forum for Tadoba lovers. He also arranges tours, so do get in touch if you're interested.

Other Tips

Tadoba is also open in the monsoon, albeit restricted areas. So you could take a shot at seeing a tiger in the rain.

It can get really hot in the summer and very cold in winters. So please check the weather and pack accordingly.

Dust, like with most other Indian forests, is a constant companion. So please do factor that if it bothers you.

Kashmir (January 2023) - Birds of Paradise

Kashmir is one of the few places (if any other) where the epithet 'paradise' feels like a monumental understatement. What makes it so is not just the breathtaking natural beauty, but more so the wonderful people and their incredible hospitality, which warms up even the bleakest of winters. For birders, it also helps that it is a remarkably good birding destination even in the winters as migrants from higher altitudes descend to the valley and around. These include species found pretty much nowhere else in India, and so a trip was on the wish list for a while. The enthusiasm of Jaysingh meant that it actually happened, so one cold January evening, the usual suspects of Jay, Manjunath, Lakpa and yours truly assembled in Jay's lovely Gurgaon home, ready to fly out early the next morning.

We started off with an initial hiccup; as our flight to Srinagar taxied onto Delhi's runway, we were called back to the gate. Srinagar's airstrip was snowed under (or so they said) and we had to wait till things cleared up. That was followed by the Delhi runway being shut for some air force rehearsals, meaning that we were losing valuable birding time ! We finally took off a couple of hours late and landed to very light snow in Srinagar. Tariq bhai, our wonderful driver met us at the airport and took us to the Alhamra retreat, our abode for the next 5 days. There we were joined by Ansar Ahmad, who along with Irfan Jeelani are two of Kashmir's finest birders; it would be an absolute privilege to bird with these amazing gentlemen.

Without further ado, Ansar herded us straight to the Botanical Gardens for a prime target - Blyth's Rosefinch. As we walked around the thickets, we saw a couple of skulking Variegated Laughers, a lifer for Manju but they didn't quite fancy a photoshoot at that point. Ansar said that the Rosefinches would come to roost around 5pm and they did exactly that. They first sat in a bare tree far away and we waited, watching through our binocs and the spotting scope. Then they came closer, to a tree not too far away and we got a decent sighter and some photos. It was a big lifer, a winter visitor only to Kashmir. We celebrated with some outstanding Seekh Kababs and Kashmiri Kahwa at a restaurant right opposite the gate. 

The next morning was set for the Yousmarg area, looking for the endemic Kashmir Nutcracker and Nuthatch. But what we got was snow, so much so that our car wouldn't go all the way up. We had to take another local car at Charar-i-Sharif who took us as far as Yousmarg town, but no further because of the snow. So no birding and certainly no Nutcracker, but we had a cracking time in the snow! We then fortified ourselves with some pakoras and tea and headed for our next target. Ansar took us to a settlement at the outskirts of Srinagar, walked down a narrow street, stopped and pointed high up on a tree - and in a hollow sat a Tawny Owl.  Another of Kashmir's specialities! I had barely focused my camera when  he quickly motioned us to walk on. We did, and we wondered why. Till, a hundred yards down and in another tree hollow, he showed us another Tawny Owl. This chap was in a far more open area and we could adjust our cameras better and get some decent photos. Another super bird ticked off! 

Then we set out to find Pine Buntings and Bramblings. We realised that walking through a wet field is so much more difficult than it looks. Our shoes picked up a kilo of mud each, so walking was tougher with every step, not to mention far more slippery and treacherous. We made it without incident, but also without sightings of these targets. A flock of Plain Mountain Finches made up for it with a nice little sighter. 

We weren't done yet though, on our way back Ansar stopped at a little stream (I'm being charitable, it was more like a nalah) and we walked up the little bridge that spanned it. In the reeds underneath was an old adversary - The Water Rail - a feathered fiend who has given me grief on more than one occasion, skulking and ghosting me without giving me a decent photo. No longer. This enemy was vanquished and how! Not one but two Water Rails strutted their stuff within the reeds right under us. our shutters fired non-stop, making some of the locals wonder what we were up to. When they saw what the target was, they were even more bemused, looking at us like we were off our rockers. But did I care? Not in the least, immersed as I was in battle. And it was on a triumphant note that I headed back to our hotel. Dinner that night tasted that much better!

The next day was set for Kangan, a couple of hours drive from Srinagar where Irfan would join us. Kangan has become quite a birding hotspot and a lot of that credit has to go to him for the tireless effort he has put in. We set off into a beautiful snow-covered pine forest and quickly realised that trudging through knee deep snow was no walk in the park! A Mistle Thrush kicked off proceedings and gave me a little breather from the trekking, but he didn't pose long enough for me to catch my breath. We headed forth for the grand prize - Kashmir Nuthatch. We finally managed a sighter, but the light was low and my photography skills even lower as I managed a couple of ordinary frames. But hey, it was a special bird and just sighting it was good enough. The onion parathas at lunch completed a super if tiring morning.

Turns out that that was only the appetiser, in many many ways. Post lunch, we headed to another part of Kangan and walked up a reasonably steep path, making me wish I'd eaten one paratha less! This was a scrubby hillside and we were searching for yet another rare winter visitor - the Eversmann's (or Rufous-backed) Redstart. But first, we got a belter of a sighting of a beautiful Black and Yellow Grosbeak. it posed patiently for the resident photographers and even the normally placid Lakpa was super excited with the prospect of a good photo.We then spent an hour walking higher and higher into the mountainside searching for the redstart. With no luck. The walk, especially as we kept searching high and low, got more and more challenging. At one point, Ansar took my camera as we attempted a particularly slippery stretch. And he promptly lost his footing too, meaning that the place was no joke to navigate. Luckily, no harm done. 

All that work eventually paid off as Irfan finally spotted the bird. Manju and he were closest as they got some really good pictures. The subject felt he needed to give us a change of background, so he hopped over to a faraway rock and posed. We managed to get slightly closer and I loosed off a couple of decent frames. On our way down, Manju's adversary, a Winter Wren, teased him quite a bit, hopping in and out of the bushes but never posing for more than a nano-second. We finally gave up and headed to base, dropping Irfan off on the way. 

There was more to come. En route we stopped over at a riverside and walked down to the water. A Little Forktail kicked off the session and then we found what Ansar was looking for - Ibisbill. Five of them. And they were so incredibly camouflaged that it was a 'now you see it, now you don't' moment with each of them as they moved in and out of the rocks. Fascinated,  we kept watching and shooting them till the light gave up on us. There was still time for a little more excitement - we read social media reports of a flock of extremely rare Long-tailed Ducks in Wular lake, about 90kms south of Srinagar.  Ansar said we'd go the day after, making sure that the birds were sighted again the next day. And we prayed.

Morning dawned, bright and cold, but we could sleep in for a bit. The birding was to be in Dachigam National Park, a few kilometres from our hotel. Dachigam is famous for being the home of the Hangul, or Kashmir Stag, a critically endangered species. But our focus this morning would be the Orange Bullfinch, another of the star species on our list. We walked down the tar road, almost upto the gates of the national park when we got our first sighter of this stunning bird. A flock came up to feed on the nearby bushes and gave us a decent sighter. We started walking through the forest in search of more flocks and for some other species like White-throated Tits and Chestnut Thrush. We got a sighting of the latter, giving Jay another lifer, but no sign of the Tit. But we did get another belter of a sighting of an Orange Bullfinch, in brilliant colours. That, along with a beautiful walk through the forest made it a very special morning in paradise.

A sumptuous lunch of the most delicately flavoured Kashmiri Pulao almost derailed the afternoon plans, so sated were we all. Ansar, as always, kept us honest and focused on our targets for the afternoon - Pine Buntings, Bramblings and Yellowhammer, three more of Kashmir's winter tourists. We headed to the Hokersar wetland near Srinagar where we were joined by Reyan Sofi, another ace birder and a local. We spent the afternoon trudging through fields and jumping over fences to access the birds. There as a glut of Pine Buntings, and to find the other two species in the galaxy of Pines was a monumental task. After much waling and sifting, we finally settled on a mixed flock on a faraway tree. Using Jay's spotting scope, we were finally able to clearly see a couple of Bramblings and a brilliantly coloured Yellowhammer. Getting pictures of these skittish birds was a task even beyond the super-quick and resourceful Manjunath. A trek down to the water's edge yielded another much-coveted lifer, a Water Pipit. And we retired for the day, secure in the knowledge that the Long-tailed ducks were still around at Wular Lake. What wasn't as comforting was a sudden, searing pain in my left knee, totally out of nowhere. 

The knee was better behaved in the morning but the weather was playing truant. Wular Lake was shrouded in fog and then it started to rain. And then a flurry of snow for good measure. We were reunited with Irfan for the morning and got an opportunity to meet Mr. Jagjit Singh, another of Kashmir's pioneering birders. The local boatmen predicted that the weather would clear by 11 am, but we weren't very hopeful. it did start clearing up though, but there was so sign of the ducks. Manju bravely went for a sortie with Ansar and almost ended up as an ice sculpture! And even as we were running out of hope, a flock of five ducks flew into view and landed in the water. A dekko through the binocs confirmed that they were indeed Long-tailed! What a spectacular bonus this was; a lifer for everyone who was present.  We slid down to the water's edge and got into the little boat - nothing like adrenaline running high to overcome pain.

And so we got some decent photos of one super rare bird, seen in India after decades.  Wular would be a pilgrimage site for India's birders for a few weeks after. Then we celebrated with Masal Chot, a Kashmir Roll if you like, from an elderly vendor next to the lake. He made them with so much care and with such joy that we all had multiple helpings. So it was a bunch of happy and well-fed birders that made the trip back to Srinagar. Some Tufted Ducks on Dal Lake completed the morning and even a largely uneventful trip to the Botanical Gardens in the afternoon failed to dampen our spirits. It was a historic day, with the Long-tailed Duck sighting making lamenting any misses seem quite petty. A dinner at Ahdoo's, one of Srinagar's oldest restaurants, was an extra sweet cherry on an overflowing cake. 

Our first attempt at birding in paradise was an unquestioned triumph, not in the least because of Ansar and Irfan, amazing birds and incomparable hosts. There's still much to see in Paradise, so a repeat trip (or three) is on a very imminent anvil.

 Kashmir Trip Guide

That Kashmir is paradise on earth is well known, but the birding paradise bit is less than a decade old. There are birds here in summer and winter, some which are found nowhere else in this vast country of ours. Srinagar is a wonderful base for all your birding expeditions.

How to get there
Srinagar is well connected to Delhi, with regular flights everyday and through Delhi to the rest of India. 

Where to stay
Kashmir (and Srinagar) is tourist central, so there are many places to stay. We stayed at the Alhamra, a cozy, comfortable and welcoming hotel.

Birding
Irfan and Ansar are absolute legends. They leave no stone unturned to help you get what you're seeking and far far more.You can reach them on +91 7006280345 (Irfan) or +91 9018778977 (Ansar)

Food
Kashmiri cuisine is absolutely divine, and Ansar and Irfan take you to some really special places, so be prepared to go berserk a little bit. 

Other tips
Temperatures in Kashmir routinely go below freezing in winter so do carry appropriate gear.

Wet weather protection is also important, for self and cameras.

Mistle Thrush

Bar-tailed Creeper

Streaked Laughingthrush

Black-throated Thrush

Jackdaw

Blue Whistling Thrush

Yellow-billed Blue Magpie

Kaziranga (December 2022) - Home of the original Unicorn

These days, the term unicorn is liberally (and may even exclusively) used for a business with a billion dollar plus valuation. But the unicorn we were seeking was an animal which no amount of money on the planet could replace if it ceased to exist. I'm referring to the talismanic Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, which may (as some legends suggest) have been the inspiration for the mythical Unicorn. Brought back from the brink of extinction, these majestic armour-plated creatures are the piece de resistance of Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a perfect segue to a wonderful Manas trip. Kaziranga, apart from being the beautiful place it is, was also one of my brother's favourite places so being there always makes us feel more connected with him.

We arrived from Guwahati as a large family/friends group into the super comfortable Iora (and its sister property Niltava) after a lovely 3-day Brahmaputra cruise. The expectation was Rhino, hope was Tiger! And for me, a few more lovely birds to add to my collection. Being reunited with Kushal Boruah, Iora's wonderful naturalist was a pleasure and he was going to be with us all through, starting with a bit of pre-safari birding the next morning. I woke up with anticipation, which was quickly dashed by the weather - it was raining! Kushal being the optimistic soul he is, still took us to the nearby tea estates. But there was to be no birding. Luckily the rain cleared up quickly and we were able to do our jeep safari in the Western (Baghori) Zone. We enter the park, head to a waterbody and the first thing our jeep's naturalist Papu Chowdhury points out is a duck a distance away and says "Take photo, I've seen Greater Scaup here last week". And that's like a crazy thought - these ducks are incredibly rare. I took a few distant photos, which Papu later confirmed were those of said Scaup. My trip was already made.

Then we saw the Rhinos, in a sequence. First we saw a mother and calf a little away from the road. They were then joined in the frame by another rhino and then one more joined them in the background making it four in one frame! And for an otherwise solitary animal, this was quite extraordinary. A testament to the wonderful work being done in Kaziranga for the conservation of this special animal. From a few hundred maybe three decades ago, there are now well over 2000 Rhinos in the park. Sightings are plentiful and the guides and drivers are usually respectful for an angry rhino is very dangerous. Driving to our hotel and I saw a bird land on a stalk of bamboo, a Blue-bearded Bee-eater; I'd seen it many times but never managed to photograph This time too, the light was not great but I managed a couple of shots before it flew off.

The afternoon was in the much celebrated Central Zone - Kohora. Not only are Rhino sightings good here, it also has the best tiger sightings in Kaziranga. As an aside, Kaziranga has the highest density of tigers across India's National Parks but sightings are uncommon because of the vegetation; tall thick grass or dense woodland. But Kushal mentioned that a tiger was regularly sighted near one of the watchtowers and we drove straight there and climbed the tower. And waited. While we awaited Lord (or Lady) Stripes, we practised some framing, first of a water buffalo swimming and then a Rhino crossing the water. All that stopped when we heard Hog Deer sound their alarm call. A tiger was on the move somewhere close! The calls kept coming with increased regularity and it seemed like the tiger would emerge any moment. A movement in the grass made us all hold our breath, as a shadowy figure stepped into the path. But alas, it was another Hog Deer! On the way out we heard from another jeep that a tiger had been spotted earlier a couple of kilometres down the road. Maybe it was the same tiger headed our way... we will never know. 

The next morning, the others headed for a village walk hosted by the local Karbi tribe while my daughter and I went looking for Hoolock Gibbons, India's only ape species. The original plan was to head to the Gibbon Sanctuary near Jorhat ( 2 1/2 hours away) but the threat of rain made us reluctant to go that far in an open jeep. Kushal said that there are a couple of troupes near Burapahar, one of Kaziranga's westernmost ranges and so we decided to head there. Almost as soon as we got there, we saw a male Gibbon on a tree, right on the main road. And then we saw three more in the same tree. The light and foliage meant that photography wasn't an option, but it gave my daughter a wonderful sighting of an enigmatic and critically endangered species. A handsome Capped Langur posed for some decent photos though.

The Gibbons, their quota of humans done, proceeded to retire into the inner canopy, leaving us with time on our hands. Turns out that we could still make a quick dash into the Kohora Range. And we sallied forth, trying to look for some late morning activity. While we certainly weren't averse to a tiger or two, or a rhino or seven(teen), the goal was also to do some birding, maybe a Ruby-cheeked Sunbird or Blue-eared Barbet perhaps. But the first guest was a lovely Swamp Francolin. Usually the first to disappear into the grass, this kindly soul stood for a couple of minutes to give us some reasonably good frames. 

Then we got off the traditional Kohora stomping grounds and headed into paths more quiet and suited for some birdin'. Or so we thought. Even as we waited for a pair of White-tailed Robins to show themselves, we had to deal with convoy-level vehicular traffic. And all of them, curious to figure out what we were stationed for, would stop and ask, only to be disappointed by our response of 'Sorai' (bird in Assamese) For a short while, the convoy took a break, and that was enough for the Robins to come out and sing. The female was far more effusive as she perched on an open twig, while the male was more shy. We got good shots of the female and quickly moved on.

A couple of ellies gave us an audience before Papu asked, "Do you want to see a King Cobra?" And we were like "What? Of course!" - and lo! we round a bend and he points to something in a bush less than 15 feet away. It was a King - An enormous lifer! We got some photos of it basking, and while it was impressive as a whole, the eyes were just mesmerising. Filled with a kind of regal malevolence if that's a real thing. We left it to its sunbathing and headed back to the gate, but not without a sighting of a lovelyPallas' Fish Eagle. A lovely dhaba lunch later, we returned to the hotel, to find the others having had a stellar morning with the Karbis on a trek-cum-village visit-cum-lunch. 

That afternoon was slated for an Agoratoli visit, one of the park's most beautiful zones, and my favourite. It's a mix of open grassland and waterbodies on one side of the track,  thick forest on the other and the mighty Brahmaputra at the end. Safaris here are always pleasant and very enjoyable, and so it would prove this time around too, for the five of us who made it. A Falcated Duck at a distance and a couple of Swamp Deers opened proceedings, followed by a couple of Rhinos followed by a lovely White-rumped Shama and an Eastern Spot-billed Duck. We then were witness to a face-off between a Steppe and Greater Spotted Eagle over a kill made by the former. The Steppe wasn't in any mood to share his late-ish lunch even when the latter bristled and strutted with no disguised aggression. Eventually, he decided to try his luck at a more receptive eating-joint. 

To finish with with the food theme, we then saw a Smooth-coated otter running into the water with a fish head in its mouth. The Brahmaputra arrived and we got off to marvel at this giant river, all of 5kms wide here, and still less than half the width of its widest point! A mother elephant mock-charged us on our way back and a couple of Rhino photos in twilight closed off proceedings.

The final morning saw me missing safaris in favour of some birding. Kushal and I went over to some thickets near our hotel to search for Shortwings. Before that, in a dried up field, arrived a lifer in the form of a Bengal Bushlark. I got a sighter of a Lesser Shortwing as it flitted about in the bush but not enough to be able to say I saw it well. We then headed to the fringes of the Panbari Sanctuary to look for a couple of the other targets. A Ruby-cheeked Sunbird appeared unannounced even as I was shooting a Dark-necked Tailorbird. I just about managed a glance at the sunbird before, evidently displeased at the neglect, it hoofed off and never appeared again. 

Dark-necked Tailorbird

And that completed another magical trip to one of my favourite parts of the world. Here's to a repeat visit soon.

Kaziranga Trip Guide
Kaziranga National Park is about 230kms east of Guwahati, Assam's main city and nerve centre. The closest big town (and airport) is Jorhat, about 110 kms away. It's a park that's surprisingly easy to access and has a number of well appointed places to stay, across a range of prices.

How to get there
Jorhat's Rowriah Airport (110 kms - 2 hours) is the closest airport. It's not as well served by airlines as it used to be a few years ago, so Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport (230kms) is a more reliable option.

Where to stay
Kaziranga has a number of places to stay, across budget ranges. Since we were traveling as families, with kids and an elder with us, we chose the comfortable Iora Kaziranga. It's a lovely place with wonderful rooms and an excellent Assamese restaurant. The rest of the F&B act can do with some tightening though. Iora also has Kushal, so it was the perfect choice for us in more ways than one.

Iora also has a smaller sister property Niltava nearby, which is really pretty and as comfortable, if not as expansive as Iora.

Wild Grass is the oldest hotel in Kaziranga, though not as luxurious as Iora. Hardocre wildlifers not chasing luxury usually head here. Their naturalist Palash Barua is also a local legend. I've stayed there on a previous visit.

There are other newer properties as well, but none that I've personally stayed in.

Safaris
Zones: Kaziranga has 3 tourist zones - Kohora (Central), Baghori (Western) and Agaratoli (Eastern) One should aim to cover off all these zones at least once, so please plan a trip with at least 4-5 safaris.

Timings: The timings in Kaziranga are a bit strange. The park opens at 7:30 in winter, which is probably the latest of any park in the country. Given its location in the far east of India, it is bright at 6:00 am even in peak winter, so the 7:30 time is a bit difficult to fathom.

The afternoon safari is more in line with other parks, entering around 2 pm, till around sunset.

Guides
All hotels have their own naturalists, so do ask for them in advance. The park has forest guards (with guns) who accompany some of the vehicles and these guys are very well informed as well. Unlike other parks, mandatory, rostered Forest Guides do not exist in the Kaziranga system,

And if you're staying in Iora, please do ask for the superb Kushal Boruah. If possible, he will team up with the super-sharp Papu Choudhury and together they will make your trip a memorable one.

Food
Assamese food is absolutely delicious, with a combination of delicate flavours and some serious chilli. The local food that we had in Iora's Assamese restaurant was superb!

Other tips
Kaziranga can get cold in winter, so do pack some woolies or jackets.
Check for rain forecasts, and pack some basic rain wear and protection for your cameras.