Located on the west coast,
Gujarat is a colorful state that is responsible for almost 60% of economic
activities in India. But there is also a surprisingly large range of birds and
mammals that call the state its home.
We created an exclusive itinerary
with the objective of providing a feast of avian and mammal delight. We commenced this eventful tour
in mid autumn when the place was bursting with spectacular birding sights. The
tour included places which have garnered their names in the field of
birdwatching & photography. After the arrival of our guests
at Ahmedabad Airport, we escorted them to Narayani Heritage - a family run
heritage property in Bhavnagar. While we geared up for the next day tour
arrangements, for our guests the rest of the day was at leisure so that they
could familiarize themselves with the surroundings.
Next morning, we headed towards
Velavadar National Park, the first stopover of the trip. The park rose to fame
for supporting the highest population of Blackbucks across the world. That's
why the park is also commonly referred to as Blackbuck National Park.
The day was pleasant, as we began to unfold the forest we came in touch with the large fields of grasslands which were dancing to the beat of the soft breeze. We were moving slowly alongside the dense grassland fields on each side when we spotted a herd of blackbucks frolicking in the field.
There were around six to seven
females who were playing with barely a month-old baby calf. As we moved further
we saw a juvenile male blackbuck leaping in the air and also witnessed the rage
of two adult blackbucks who had locked their long spiraling horns. After
getting spectacular views of this Antelope we headed to search for the
harriers.
Next morning, we made our journey to Gir
National Park the world-renowned wildlife sanctuary known to be the last
bastion of Asiatic lions. It was approximately four hours' drive from Velavadar
National Park to Gir National
Park. On arrival we checked in at Gir Birding Lodge, the proximity of the lodge
with the park is one of the reasons we always make our reservations here
whenever we visit the national park. We gave our guests some time to relax
before going out for the afternoon jeep safari. We managed to see several birds
such as Pied Kingfisher, White Throated Kingfisher, Oriental White-eye, Black
Drongo, Oriental Magpie, Rufous treepie and many more in the vicinity of the
lodge itself. It was a good indication of the rich birdlife resting in the
thorn scrub forest of Gir.
During the safari, we couldn't detect any mammal moment but we were successful in spotting the roosting ground of Barred buttonquail and Sandgrouse. While returning back to our lodge we saw a congregation of Green bee-eaters huddling together in one of the trees. Gir is also a perfect place for Sykes's Nightjars, we could spot them in huge numbers in the night. Next morning, we gathered in the reception area for our morning jeep safari. Gir National Park is a blend of dry deciduous forest and savannah grassland providing a perfect ecosystem to support several endangered species. As we advanced deep inside the forest we saw a Striped hyena from the distance before it disappeared in the large grassland. Besides the Asiatic Lions, Striped hyena is one of the species that can be only spotted in India perhaps one of the reasons for its popularity amongst the wildlife enthusiasts. We continued with our journey where we got the opportunity to spot many mammals such as a Jungle Cat, Desert Cat, Wild Boar, Nilgai, Golden Jackal but there was no sign of Asiatic Lions. Following our lunch, we resumed our safari in search of this majestic feline. We drove for a few hours when we were stopped by a pride crossing the road. The pride consisted of three lionesses, one lion, and 2 cubs. The guests couldn’t stop taking pictures of this adorable sight.
Next day, we headed towards
Jamnagar, another popular birding destination which is just 229 km from Gir. We
reached the place by afternoon, checked in the Hotel President. After resting
for a while, we went out for a short city tour exploring the market, monuments,
and the eatery section. Located near the coastal areas, Jamnagar is a vantage
point to observe birdlife thriving in the region. The following morning, we headed
towards Marine National Park a preferred destination for the Waders assemblage.
While making our way inside the forest we could easily spot birds like the
Lesser sand plover, Greater sand plover, Red-necked Stint, Typical plovers,
Kentish Plover, Common ringed plover, Caspian Gull, Terns, Crab plovers and
many more. One cute act of nature that caught our eyes, in particular, was when
we saw how affectionately the mother Oystercatcher was tending to her chick.
After completing our birdwatching in Marine National Park, we proceeded towards
the famous Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary. Spreading across 34 sq km, the national
park is one of its kind having both fresh and saltwater lakes and marshlands.
As we started exploring the forest we got spectacular views of waterfowl such
as Common Teal, Northern pintail, Northern shoveler, Eurasian wigeon resting in
the water bodies of the park. We also got a fantastic sighting of Indian
skimmer, Indian courser, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Grey Francolin, Little Tern,
Black-tailed godwit, Knob-billed Duck, Black-necked stork and Sykes's
lark.
After the completion of the
successful bird watching in Jamnagar, we headed towards Bhuj also known as
Greater Rann of Kutch. It took us approximately four to five hours to reach
Bhuj where we had our lunch before going for a half day birding tour in
Fulay.
Fulay is a small village in the
Kutch district that has gained popularity amongst the birdwatchers for being a
healthy ecosystem for several birds wintering in Gujarat. We went there to track
down the rare Grey Hypocolius who are frequently sighted in this region of
Gujarat during winter. We started our journey in the arable land of Fulay,
where we got wonderful sightings of Painted Sandgrouse & Greater
painted-snipe. As we further penetrated the field we saw a couple of Striolated
buntings and Grey-necked bunting who were busy drinking from the waterhole.
After traveling for a few kilometers, we got the pleasure to spot Grey
Hypocolius who was perching on a Salvadora persica tree, and this brought an
end to our day in Fulay village.
Next morning, we headed towards
Mandvi, a small municipal town in Kutch district. It took us approximately one
and a half hours to reach the place. As we started walking along the coast of
the Arabian sea, we got spectacular views of loads of seabirds and waders
nesting in the expanse such as Eurasian Curlew, Crab-plover, Grey plover, Great
Knot, Red knot, Oystercatchers, Black Ibis, Red Wattled Lapwing, Black Winged
Stilts, Indian Reef Heron, Cormorants, Pond Heron.
After having a great time in
Greater Rann of Kutch we proceeded towards Little Rann of Kutch our next and
last stopover of the tour. It took us seven hours drive from Bhuj to reach the
place which is eulogized of being the largest wetland in India and an important
Ramsar wetland site. The little Rann of
Kutch is an ancient seabed turned by geological forces into saline desert
plains, the Rann has grassy patches that offer ideal ground for birdwatching.
We commenced our birding early
morning driving to the elevated patches covered with scrubs and grasses. We
parked our car and walked in the region for sometime when we spotted MacQueen's
bustard from the distance moving near we were able to sight two to three
MacQueen's bustard behind the grass. Moving further we saw White-eyed Buzzard
and Bonneli eagle perching on their
respective trees. We also got a wonderful image of Long-legged buzzard flying
above. We moved further towards the Salt Lake when accidentally stumbled upon a
Short-toed snake eagle crossing sword with a Greater black krait. On arriving
at Nawa Talao we saw beautiful colonies of several migratory birds settled in
its expanse. We got a wonderful opportunity to sight birds like Lesser
Flamingos, Greater Flamingoes, Demoiselle cranes, Comb Ducks, Brahminy Ducks,
Pochards, Pygmy Geese, While pelicans, Spot-billed Pelican, Common Teals,
Mallards, Gadwalls, Tufted ducks, Lesser whistling ducks, Cotton and pygmy
geese.
Recommended Stay in Sasan Gir National Park - The Gir Birding Lodge. The Best Wildlife Lodge for Families interested in wildlife, Photographers, Birdwatchers, and Solo Travelers.
Phone: +918010450000
Email: info@asianadventures.in
https://linktr.ee/aatoursandlodges
