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timespassiontrails · 6 years

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Birds in my backyard……and elsewhere.

Recently, I had the honour and good fortune to participate in a “Wildlife and Bird Photography Expedition”, known as Times Passion Trail. This was organised by the popular English daily newspaper, The Times of India. This was from February 18th to February 24th 2018. The expedition was across five dream destinations for wild life and birding enthusiasts;

Thol lake Bird Sanctuary

Little Rann of Kutch

Nalsarovar

Velavadar blackbuck sanctuary and

Gir lion sanctuary

Day 1: The Flag-off by the Honorable Chief Minister of Gujarat

The participants were addressed by the Honourable chief minister of Gujarat, Shri. Vijay Rupani.

The great thing about this expedition was that, it had the guidance of an “Experience Architect”, Shri. Sanat Shodhan, one of the most acclaimed wild-life photographers of India. He was with us throughout the expedition, giving us his invaluable advise on improving the quality of our photography, sharing his experiences about his encounters with the wildlife in different parts of the world.

Visit to Thol Bird Santuary

Our expedition was flagged off by the Hon ‘ble Chief Minister Shri. Vijay Rupani.

Our first stop was Thol lake, near Thol village in Kadi in Mehsana District. It was constructed as an irrigation tank in 1912 by the Gayakwad regime. This is a freshwater lake, which was declared the Thol Bird Sanctuary in 1988. It is a habitat to 150 species of resident and migratory birds, more than half of which are water birds.

We climbed over a small ridge. When we descended, the beautiful vista of the lake lay before us. It was almost 4 o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived. All of us spread out around the edge of this lake and started clicking away to glory. There were innumerable birds of various species swimming, wading, and diving in the lake; all feeding harmoniously as there was plenty of food for everyone! We could see various types of ducks, pintails, pond herons, Grey herons, stilts, Eurasian Spoonbills, Common cranes, Pelicans, Greylag geese, Common coots, Cormorants, Darter birds, Northern shovelers, Pied kingfishers, Ibises……. the list seemed to be endless.

It was quite hot and humid around the lake. My glasses were constantly getting clouded by the water vapour rising up from the lake, but I was too engrossed in my work to bother about such discomforts! All the birds had some unique features; the cormorants and darters drying their wings; the still, stealthy walk of the pond herons; the way the Green bee-eaters return to the same perch repeatedly after a sally, etc. Of particular interest was the way the Pied kingfishers hover high above the lake and dive very suddenly to catch the hapless fish!

As dusk approached and the sun was getting ready to call it a day, we were treated to a sight very unique to Thol…. innumerable flocks of birds returning in waves from their daily forages elsewhere…. like beautiful garlands in the pretty pink sky! It was a sight to behold!

And we too called it a day; a very happy, satisfied bunch of newly formed friends.

Day 2: Little Rann of Kutchchh,

Popularly known as LRK.

The second day began very early. We left Ahmedabad downtown, around 5.30 am in our cavalcade of Innovas. We had our packed breakfast on our way, so that we could reach as early as possible. We reached our resort at Bajana at about 8 am, grabbed a quick cup of tea and were on our way to LRK.

We couldn’t travel in our Innovas here. We clambered into off-roader Safaris. The Little Rann of Kutchchh is famous as the world’s last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass (Equs hemionus khur), and has been declared as The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary. When I saw the the landscape, I realised why our normal vehicles would have been unsuitable here. It is very barren, dry and harsh like a desert, but in reality, it is a salt marsh. So, it is dry, hot and brown for most of the part, with very sparse, thorny vegetation, primarily Acacia, ; dotted with some small lakes. Many resident and migratory water birds visit these water bodies. Besides the wild ass, the Indian wolf, desert fox, striped hyenas and nilgai are also found here.

Our guide Munnabhai showed us the cumin fields on our way to LRK. This region is famous for cumin cultivation.

After entering the Sanctuary, we came across a water body and saw many water birds like egrets, greylag geese, herons, pelicans, pied kingfisher as well as the common cranes.

Our first exposure to raptors was when we saw what I believed to be a juvenile tawny eagle perched on a stone hidden in the grass. Moving on, we came across an Imperial eagle, majestically perched atop a thorny tree.

However, we were all impatient for the first sight of the wild ass by then. Traversing over the large expanse of dry and dusty desert, we could even see mirages as it was approaching noon and the sun was beating down.

And then….we saw them…the wild ass. They were mostly in groups. We kept our distance and didn’t go too close as they are a nervous, skittish breed, which starts bounding away at the first sight of danger. Though they were bigger and stronger than the normal ass, they didn’t seem stronger than mules.

We saw some nilgais in the distance. The local guides are very protective of the wild life, and are very careful. They don’t take the vehicles too close to the animals and caution the visitors not to make any noise.

We then drove to a water body which was larger than the previous one. We were thrilled to have our first sighting of the flamingos, lesser as well as greater. We also saw large flocks of pelicans, egrets, pied avocets as well as common cranes.

By now we were starting to feel the pangs of hunger, so we returned to Bajana for lunch and a little rest. It was anyway too hot for the wildlife as well to venture out.

This Royal Forest resort was tastefully decorated with ethnic, antique, wooden handicrafts at the reception as well as the cottages.

In the afternoon, we took a different route. We saw some more groups of wild asses, greylag geese, common cranes, greylag geese etc. We caught sight of a short-eared owl, which was completely camouflaged in the brown earth and dry vegetation. Then the guide showed us something very interesting…an abandoned den of a wolf.

We were told by our guides about a thicket, where we could possibility of witnessing a hyena coming out. As dusk was gathering, we went to this thicket. We waited in complete silence, all 25 of us, for a glimpse of the hyena. Can you imagine a group of 25 people waiting in complete silence, for almost half an hour? That is what wildlife photography teaches you – PATIENCE! We finally got a glimpse, but it was too fleeting and by then, it was too dark to take a photograph.

By the time we started back, it was completely dark. We saw a few Montague’s harriers roosting on open ground in our headlights!

My most rewarding sight was the view of the star-studded sky, which we rarely get to see in the city!

Day 3: Nal Sarovar

I had already been to Nal Sarovar about three years ago. The earlier trip, spread over two sessions at Nal Sarovar and Vadla dam, fetched me wonderful pictures of several dozens of birds, almost 80% of which were lifers! However, I was equally excited to visit the place once again.

Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary consists of a beautiful lake and ambient marshes, dotted with several small islands, called by the locals as “Tapu”. It is frequented by various migratory birds in winter and spring. It is the largest bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. It was declared as a bird sanctuary in April 1969. Nal Sarovar has also been declared as Ramsar Site on September 24, 2012.

It is a very unique sanctuary. The water in the lake is, on an average, four feet deep. It is very still and clear…you can easily see the vegetation under the surface. One can go in small boats seating 4-8 birders, which the local boatmen navigate with a bamboo pole, gliding silently between the marshes, facilitating observation of birds at leisure. These boatmen are well informed about the birds, having been doing this job of steering boats, while doubling as guides, for a number of years. You would think that as the lake is only four feet deep, a tall person could easily wade through it! But this is not feasible, as he would get entangled in the submerged vegetation!

We reached Nal Sarovar well before sunrise, thanks to our early departure at 5 am from Bajana near LRK. In fact, we were already in our boats and gently gliding in the waters, by the time the sun made an appearance. What a beautiful sunrise it was! The calm and still waters, gentle breeze, birds sailing around waiting for the sunlight to overcome the darkness and getting the first bites of their breakfast! Beautiful and Serene…..!

The first birds we spotted were Eurasian coots in very large numbers. The coots have a very curious way of suddenly scooting over the water surface, half flying and half running. It looks very hilarious. The Gulls floating and taking off into the orange morning sky made a very pretty picture. We noted several birds like purple swamphens, black-winged stilts, the ruddy shelduck, which were always seen in pairs; the noisy red-wattled lapwings, black-tailed godwits, common redshanks, red-naped, glossy and black-headed ibis, open-billed as well as painted storks, the phaesant-tailed jacanas…….the list seems endless! Incidentally, the Phaesant-tailed jacana was without its famous long curved tail. Our Boatman-cum-guide told us that the long tail appears only in the summer months… possibly their breeding season.

The flamingos and pelicans were also present, which we didn’t see in very large numbers.

The surprise treat of the morning was the “breakfast-on-boats”, thoughtfully arranged by our youthful, energetic, imaginative and caring organisers; Harshit Sharma and Manoj Joshi. We had Bataka-Poha (a local savory dish made from flattened rice and potatoes) and hot tea, right in the beautiful lake amidst those birds!

We visited a couple of islands too and witnessed a variety of wagtails, babblers, prinia, white-cheeked bulbuls, warblers, and rosy starlings.

When we came back to the shore, we were treated with hot “gota” Bhajjiyas (Chick-pea-fenugreek-green chilli dumplings) and tea. Bird-watching and walking on the islands, does make you hungry!

On our way back, I was thrilled to find some beautiful purple sunbirds hopping around merrily on the flowers of the bottle-brush tree near the Nal Sarovar cafeteria.

And then, it was time for us to bid good-bye to this paradise on water and begin our drive to Bhavnagar.

That evening our young organisers arranged for the projection of pictures clicked by the participants. Our Guru Sanat ji gracefully and gently guided all of us on how our pictures could be better and more effective. He gave us valuable advise us about the composition, lighting, aperture, shutter speed, ISO selection and all the dos and don’ts of wildlife photography. He offered very valuable tips about our attire, while going on wildlife expeditions.

Day 4: Velavadar Blackbuck National park.

The next morning we drove to Velavadar national park. This national park is located in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, about 42 KM from the district headquarter city of Bhavnagar. It originally belonged to the Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Bhavnagar. He used to hunt the blackbucks with his famous hunting cheetahs.

This wild life sanctuary covers an area of approx. 34 sq. km. It is mostly flat and covered with different types of dry grasses dotted with sparse thorny acacia trees or scrubs. The sanctuary is dotted with a few water bodies. So the first impression it gives, is that of vast expanses of brown and beige.

The predominant population is that of the blackbucks! The other fauna includes the neel gai, the Indian wolf, hyenas, foxes, jackals, wild boars and jungle cats. Among birds, sandgrouse, larks, harriers, kestrels, drongos, hoopoes etc. are seen here along with water birds like spoonbills, painted storks, egrets and common cranes etc.

Once again, we drove along the dirt tracks under the guidance of the sanctuary guides. The dry grass lands stretching out on both the sides. The grass appeared to be of uniform height and colour.

The first sighting of the blackbuck was very exciting, particularly the male of the species. It has a lovely, rich, dark brown coat along the back, sides, and the outsides of the legs. It looks almost black, hence the name. The underparts and insides of the legs are all white. The most interesting are the distinct white circles around the dark eyes, which gives a feeling that they were wearing some white-rimmed spectacles. They have a white goatee as well! The long ringed horns, give it a majestic and graceful look. They graze peacefully in small groups or large herds. If they sense danger, they bolt away really fast. It is a beautiful sight to see them spring up and be airborne for the better part of several seconds, while crossing the mud tracks.

We saw quite a few nil gais, also called as blue bulls. The word nil gai literally means blue cows. It is an antelope just like a blackbuck, even though they look totally different. The males are distinctively bluish-grey, with short horns, while the females are a lighter, indistinct blue.

In the afternoon, we had a simple but sumptuous lunch, prepared by the locals.

Before the lunch, we had a very fruitful, interactive session with Mr. Mohan Ram Legha, IFS, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bhavnagar Division, and Mr. Mahesh Trivedi the Asstt. Conservator of Forests. Mr Mohan Ram gave us enlightening information about the measures taken to protect the animals as well as the grasslands; we were really impressed! Utmost care is taken to see that the water supply is adequate for the fauna. If the natural supply is depleted, it is re-charged by water-tankers. For most part of the year, the grass is dry. To prevent forest fires, large swathes of grass between the two plots are cut down.

Wildlife conservation in Gujarat, is safe in such good hands!

The blackbucks are very delicate. If they are captured, they go into shock (like a cardiac arrest), which they can’t survive! The blackbucks are protected not only by the forest authorities but also by the local people. If the wild animals occasionally destroy the standing crops belonging to the local farmers outside the sanctuary, they refuse any compensation, leave alone asking for it!

In the later half of the day, we went near a waterbody and saw some spoonbills, painted storks, common kestrels, hoopoes etc. As dusk was falling, we saw a couple of wolves in the distance, which were probably very young cubs.

All in all, it was a great day, well spent!

Day 5 & 6: Sasan Gir.

We left in the morning around 7.30 am after a buffet-breakfast. We took a break in the outskirts of Amreli and munched on the famous Bhavnagari Ganthia (Light crisp fries made of chick-pea flour with local condiments), with three different types of chutneys and piping hot tea. We arrived at the resort around lunch. Our stay was arranged in a beautiful resort “Woods at Sasan”, which was built in a mango orchard. The décor was unique, the architecture and layout was stupendous, and hospitality was superb. The touch of rustic ambiance was complemented by use of coir-ropes winding around steel structural columns.

We started for the afternoon safari around 3.00 pm. The Gir Forest national Park and Wildlife Santuary, was originally in the territory ruled by the Nawabs of Junagadh. They used to invite the British Sahibs, to hunt the lions. More than a hundred years ago, during one such expedition, Nawab Mohammed Rasool Khan ji II, realised that there were hardly any lions left for his guests! He decided to declare Gir Forest as a protected area. His son, Mahabat banned all kinds of hunting in Gir Forest. The Government of India established this as a Asiatic Lion Sanctuary in 1965.

This region is the sole home for Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) in the wilderness. The ecosystem of Gir is protected as a result of persistent efforts of the forest department Government of Gujarat, to ensure education and inculcation of pride in the local folklore. Their efforts have borne fruits, which was obvious from the passion and pride in the locals to preserve the ecosystem and ensure safety to the fauna. The activists, NGOs and the Wild life enthusiasts have also played their role. We saw te local guides halting the safaris to pick up trash from the tracks, thrown by some of our previous tourists. What a commitment to the environment by these guys, whom we consider uneducated!

During monsoon, which coincides with the mating season of the lions, the sanctuary is closed to the public and visitors. When we asked our guide about the livelihood during the monsoon months, he replied the youngsters went to neighbouring towns to find work, but majority just stayed put in their villages. They don’t have any income. The local folks are totally dependent on the tourists, guiding them thru’ this glorious forest and proudly demonstrating the wild-life.

The Gir sanctuary is very green as compared to the other places we had visited earlier this week. It is a deciduous forest, dotted with small lakes. Water tanks have been built in several places for the lions and the other wildlife to quench their thirst. The lions hunt during the night and rest during the day. They prefer to walk on the dirt tracks, to avoid making a noise walking on the dry leaves of the forest, as the prey would hear them easily and be warned of the imminent danger. We could see their pugmarks on the track. Of course, they were brought to our notice by the guides.

The ‘flame-of-the-forest’ tree (also called as Palash in Hindi), were in full bloom, adding to the beauty of the forest. We could see parrots, the oriental white eye and sunbirds among the blooms.

I was lucky to see so many birds- three species of owls, black redstart, peafowls, common buzzard, sand grouse etc.

We saw a good many “sambars” and the spotted deer or chitals.

Primarily, we had come here to see the majestic Asiatic lion! And, see him we did! In the first safari, we saw only one lioness, who was resting lazily in a clearing. But we went on two more safaris the next day, the early morning one at 6 am, and again at 3.30 pm. We learnt quite a bit from our guides. The male lion is basically a loner, and generally hunts on his own. The lioness is the one, who looks after the cubs and hunts to feed the entire pride. The lions have their own territories, where they are the kings. A rival lion attacks the male cub to decrease competition, leaving the female cub unharmed!

In the morning safari, we saw a pride of lionesses and their cubs. But we waited….

And there came the one we were eagerly waiting for – the lion king! He came walking majestically through the trees, crossed the dirt track in front of our vehicles to go towards the water tank and have his fill. His whole bearing was regal, totally nonchalant and not at all bothered about the attention he was getting! And we, the mere humans were clicking away happily! Our day was made!!

Day 7: Way back

We started our journey back…. with heavy hearts, bidding adieu to each other, reminiscing the pleasant memories of the past one week.

While we were passing thru’ Junagadh, we saw these stupendous structures! We never knew that such wonderful architecture existed in the town of Junagadh!

Apparently, the Nawab of Junagadh, Mahabat Khan created these wonderful structures as the Makbaras!

My take-away from this expedition:

I am more of a passionate birder than a photographer. In fact, this was my first brush with wildlife photography as opposed to bird photography. This expedition was a godsend for me, as an introduction to wildlife. It was such a great mix of different eco-systems: wetland sanctuaries, Rann or salt desert, grasslands and deciduous forests etc. We got to see a wide variety of birds and animals.

Having Sanat sir on board was an unforgettable gift. I won’t be able to forget his energy and enthusiasm, which could put youngsters to shame. His vast experience of wildlife photography, all over the world, was shared by him for our benefit. He was open with his praise, at the same time he didn’t hesitate to tell us, where we went wrong. A very great teacher and motivator indeed! Thank you Sanat sir!

All the arrangements made by the Times of India team, were impeccable.

And above all, thank you dear friends for being a part of this beautiful experience…… I learnt a lot from all of you! I am sure our friendship will continue……

Thank you, Times Passion Trail, for igniting the love of ‘wildlife’ photography in me!

by Aditi Deshpande

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