Wildlife in july?

Hanne

Hello,

I am taking my parents to India this summer in july. We are going for 3 weeks and the plan is to travel from Delhi, then to Radjastan and then on to Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi. Nothing is fixed yet, but this is to give you an idea of our general itinary.
My father is a birdwatcher and a real nature lover. I know that most big nature reserves close in summer, but it would be nice if we could see some wildlife. We don't need to see big exotic animals, some nice birds in his binoculars will make my dad's day!
So I need some advice... are there any nature parks that don't close in july? Or do you have other tips? Also note that since we only have three weeks () I don't want to spend too much days on this or divert from the general itinary.

Thanks!

Hanne.

MrsC_772

How about visiting the Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur for bird watching? I think it's open all year, dawn to dusk.

After a day in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, I stayed at the Bagh hotel at Bharatpur, visited the Keoladeo Park first thing in the morning, and then was driven to Jaipur the same afternoon. If you're planning a Delhi-Agra-Rajasthan route, Bharatpur wouldn't involve a major detour.

While (because of a few dry years) there may not be the cranes and vast numbers of waterfowl for which Keoladeo Ghana became well known, I still saw loads of birds. You can hire bicycles or take a bicycle rickshaw (with driver) into the park. You can also hire a guide. I was really glad I hired a guide, as I knew nothing about Indian birds, and he was able to point out things I would have missed (e.g. a pair of spotted owlets in a tree). My guide brought a telescope (which gave me much better views than my binoculars). I only spent a couple of hours in the park, first thing in the morning (7 am), and with hindsight, should have spent longer there, as there was plenty to see. As well as the birds, I saw sambhar and other deer, and heard the howling of jackals (but didn't see them).

The Bagh hotel even sold checklists of species at reception, and had lots of bird books to borrow, and many of the guests were birdwatchers.

Of course there are lots of other (cheaper) hotels in Bharatpur: the Bagh is not a budget choice, but was very comfortable with a Taj Mahal style inlaid marble panel in my bedroom, a very nice bathroom and good food in the restaurant.

brownboy66

Depending on how much time you have in Delhi, you wont necessarily need to go to a reserve to see some of the local bird life. Visit one of the parks early in the morning (maybe Lodhi Gardens or Nehru park), or last thing in the day and you are bound to spot a few colourful creatures around (if its late evening though chances are anything flying is likely to be a bat).

Also - anywhere that has water (pond, etc) will attract plenty of birds (you could combine it with a visit to somewhere like Humayuns tomb where they have water canals and features) - but be warned, if the birds are feeling the heat then so will you!.

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birds

The best place to visit when in Delhi is Okla Bird Park (see: http://www.okhlabirdpark.com/obp.html). You will be amazed about the number and variety of birds.

As a matter of fact, Delhi is the second capital in the world with the highest bird density.

The man who has been fighting to keep Okhla protected in Anand Araya (see also: http://www.indiamike.com/india/dogs-...pport-t37924/).

If you contact him he will most probably be happy to give your father a free guided tour. You can find his details also on the website (see: http://www.okhlabirdpark.com/obp_html/contact.html)

In preparation of your trip you may want to contact DelhiBird (https.delhibird.net). They also organise Sunday bird walks.

Have a great time!

snonymous

Thanks for this valuable piece of information, Birds. Ive been to Delhi so many times from 1979 to 2004 and never knew. I used to be fascinated watching hoopooes in the Nehru Park, as they are not common in Mumbai. I will make it a point to go to Okhla the next time I visit Delhi.

Adventures Anil

hi ... i am an wild life lover and i hv great connections in Madhay Pradesh. if u want i will ask my conservator frnd in Kuno National park to give u special permission to visit park though it is yet not opened for public but its an awsum place i go there regularly. if u want i'll mail u sum pix of dat place it is opened all through year. its about 150 km. frm gwalior and about 8 hours journey by road frm delhi.lemme know if u need help.

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mikewill

Hi Hanne

You don't say how far into Rajasthan you're going, but if it's convenient you could certainly call at Tal Chhapar WLS near Churu in northern Rajasthan. You will get great views of hundreds of blackbuck, plus it's good for raptors and demoiselle cranes at certain times of the year.

There's also Sariska NP, which doesn't close in the summer. Although the tigers were wiped out it's quite good for other species and is well located en route from Delhi to Rajasthan.

You could visit Madhav (Shivpuri) NP near Gwalior. As far as I can work out it's open all year and there is accomodation. If you're going that way can I recommend you stop overnight at Orchha on the way to Khajuraho?

Okhla is a good shout for Delhi. You might like to have a look at 'A Birdwatchers Guide to India' by Krys Kazmierczak and Raj Singh for more sites and detailed instructions on where to go.