It’s March, the month in which harsh sounds of the city are mellowed by sweet and often shrill calls of birds! For the past few days here in Jaipur, India, I’ve been hearing the lovely call of a Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) coming in from the window. Today afternoon when the call was specially loud,  I went out on the terrace with my camera and after some effort, saw the bird sitting on a nearby Beil tree and took a quick pic. Always a delightful bird to see!

During a hurried evening walk at Rose Garden, opposite IIT Gate, New Delhi, I was surprised to see 8 Black Ibises or Red-naped Ibises (Pseudibis papillosa) fly overhead and land on some of the tall trees that abound in the park. Moments later, they took off, after I had barely managed a pic of one of them!

During an evening walk around Hauz Khas lake, New Delhi (India), yesterday (April 8, 2010), I guess I was lucky to see 20 absolutely adorable ducklings swimming alongside two adult Spotbill ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha) in the lake. I am not sure if one pair of ducks could have 20 young so it seemed to me that these were two mothers with their young swimming together. Anyhow, what a sight it was.. (Managed this shaky pic in low light with a pocket digicam.)

In April 2007 as well, I had seen Spotbill ducks with young at Hauz Khas lake, see an older post.

Above: A Spotted Redshank at Naliasar lake, Phulera. (© Gaurav Bhatnagar)

From Phulera, we drove around Sambhar lake and reached the new ‘Mega Highway’ that connects the town of Kishangarh to Pathankot in Punjab. Chhapar is one of the towns this new highway touches. The drive to Chhapar was smooth and we did not stop on the way for birding though Shrikes, Wheatears and Black-shouldered Kites could be seen in the countryside from the moving car. We reached Chhapar at about 3:30 pm and and after a quick tea and daal kachori break at Bidasar tea stall at the bus stand, entered the sanctuary.

Above: The beautiful track that leads into Tal Chhapar wildlife sanctuary.

It did not take us long to realise that Chhapar wasn’t booming at this time of the year, like it does during passage migration (autumn and spring). Overall the place was quiet but a pair of Red-necked Falcons on a tree east of the main track were seen as soon as we entered the sanctuary, one of them gave us a good and swift flypast.

Above: Red-necked Falcon at Tal Chapar. (© Gaurav Bhatnagar)

Wheatears (all three: Isabelline, Desert and Variable) were common all around the park, Variable was seen the most and its stark plumage contrasted beautifully with the drab and earthy look of Chhapar. Birds were otherwise scattered around the vast area of the sanctuary and some of the interesting species seen on the first day were Desert Warbler, Bar-headed Geese, Rosy Starling, Laggar Falcon, Spotted Eagle (?), Lesser Whitethroat, Southern Grey Shrike, Green Bee Eater, Black-shouldered Kite, Greater Short-toed Lark and Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark. Sunset on Nov 28 was spectacular; thanks to Chhapar’s vast expanse, sunsets are usually great here!

Above: A beautiful sunset at Taal Chhapar

Morning on day 2 (November 29) was misty with little bird activity and Blackbucks dominated the sanctuary landscape and activity.

Above: Blackbucks on a misty morning at Taal Chhapar.

Bird activity began late on the 29th but was rewarding. We had some nice flypasts by Bar-headed Geese (c20) and Demoiselle Cranes (6). Sanctuary staff claimed that up to 2,000 Demoiselle Cranes were coming to the sanctuary to rest at dusk. Greater Short-toed Larks were very active and it was a delight to see them feed and fly around in large groups (c200).

Above: Southern Grey Shrike on an Acacia tree: a characteristic Tal Chhapar moment.

Rufous-fronted Prinia, Orphean Warbler, Red Headed Vulture (a single female), Imperial Eagle and Black Stork were also seen and some Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse gave us a nice flypast. The waterbody behind the sanctuary office had c10 Northern Shovellers and some Black-tailed Godwits. Despite two searches, the Yellow-eyed Pigeons eluded us. We left Chaapar around lunchtime, after picking up some packets of authentic Bikaneri Bhujiya from Bidasar Tea stall It seems there is good birding at the woodlands around the hills west of Chhapar (under forest department) but our schedule did not allow us to visit the place. If you plan to visit Chhapar, it may be a good idea to set aside half a day for the hills.

We drove on the ‘Mega Highway’ to Kishangarh and would recommend this route to anyone coming to Chapar from Jaipur / Ajmer / Gujarat side. The highway (though 2 lane) is smooth, modern and well made. About 10 kms before Kishangarh we took a random country road in search of a good picnic spot for lunch. About a kilometer inside we came across a small pond and a nice belt of Khejari trees. As soon as lunch was laid out on the back of the car, it was abandoned for binoculars and cameras as one of the Khejaris close to the pond had a Spotted Creeper! We had good views of the bird for a few seconds before it flew away. Gaurav managed a picture.

Above: Spotted Creeper. (© Gaurav Bhatnagar)

With the surprise and welcome sighting of Spotted Creeper, our trip couldn’t have had a better climax! From Kishangarh we took National Highway 8 back to Jaipur, stopping for a cup of tea in between. In all, a simple but refreshing and satisfying birding trip!

Report by
Mayank Bhatnagar and Gaurav Bhatnagar
(November 29, 2009)

The well-designed and packaged box contains 5 CDs and a booklet. The booklet is very handy, pocketable and can easily be carried in the field. It is in two languages (English and French) and contains a nice introduction about bird sounds and their usefulness to amateur/serious birders and to ornithologists of course. The booklet is essentially an index that helps in quick search of a particular call/sound (easily identified by a number) and each call name in the booklet is accompanied by text describing where the sound was recorded along with related/additional information about it.

The CDs contain calls of 370 bird species that nest in the Indian peninsula, calls have been recorded in India and some other countries as well. That a tremendous amount of work and detailing has gone into the making of this product, produced in association with the Society of ornithological studies, France and VIStA India, is evident just by looking at the set contents!

The sound files import flawlessly into iTunes music software. They have been very well edited, most about 45 seconds long, some longer than a minute. Transferred to an iPod, they can easily be carried in the field and together with the booklet, can make an amateur or hobby birder like me feel more confident about accurate bird identification.

Besides being of use to amateur/serious birders, the sounds in the CDs are also entertaining! I am sure many bird lovers would love to go through them again and again. They can also be a fantastic travel companion! The calls in my iPod and the booklet in my hand should make some of my journeys less boring!

The box set is priced at Indian Rupees 999, which works out to Rupees 200 (USD 4.50) per CD, a steal in my humble opinion! Moreover, I feel the product is invaluable! Indian Bird Sounds is shipped globally from Hyderabad, India. For information and ordering, please contact Sikha Ghosh emailsikha [at] gmail.com or Anne Chappuis chappuis.anne [at] gmail.com or Luc de Golbéry luc.de-golbery [a] decisiongraphics.fr

Kindly note: I am not affiliated in any way to the producers/promoters of ‘Indian Bird Sounds’ nor am I qualified to write a professional review. I decided to blog about it because I felt it is a wonderful product and more birders should know about it and benefit from it.

Above: Eurasian Collared Doves on a leafless tree at dusk at Central Park.

It did not take me long to identity the best or the ‘healthiest’ section of the park which is rich in bird life. The south-eastern part adjoining Rambagh Palace Hotel and Rambagh Polo ground, that still has some natural vegetation and many old trees (unlike the newly developed ‘garden’ section in the north) is the healthiest.

Above: Old trees and natural vegetation adjacent to Rambagh Polo ground.

The south-eastern walking trail of the park between Rambagh Palace hotel and Rambagh Polo ground is the most productive section of the park for birders.

Above: South-eastern walking trail of Central Park, Jaipur.

Here is a list of birds I have seen at the park in the past two years (2007-2009) without too much effort to fish out new species! Nothing really exciting except perhaps Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus) that I heard calling on several occasions at dusk in the month of May 2009. However, Central Park Jaipur can provide a good introduction to common birds of north-west India to new birders or birders visiting India for the first time. The order and names of species mentioned below follow the Grimmett-Inskipp-Inskipp naming convention.

1. Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) Resident, Common, Breeding
2. Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Resident, Common, Breeding
3. Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense) Resident, Occasionally seen
4. Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) Resident, Occasionally seen
5. Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) Resident, Common
6. Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) Uncommon
7. Brown Rock Chat (Cercomela fusca) Resident, Occasionally seen
8. Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis) Resident, Occasionally seen
9. White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) Resident, Occasionally seen
10. Green Bee Eater (Merops orientalis) Resident, Common, Breeding
11. Pied Cuckoo (Clamator Jacobinus) Monsoon visitor
12. Common Hawk Cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius) Heard once
13. Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) Resident, Common
14. Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) Resident, Occasionally seen
15. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) Resident, Common, Breeding
16. House Swift (Apus affinis) Resident, Common
17. Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Uncommon
18. Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) Resident, Common, Breeding
19. Grey Nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus) Heard on a couple of occasions
20. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) Resident, Common
21. Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) Resident, Common
22. Red Collared Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica) Resident, Occasionally seen
23. Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Resident, Common
24. Yellow-footed Green Pigeon (Treron phoenicoptera) Uncommon
25. White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) Resident, Often heard
26. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) Resident, Common, Breeding
27. Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) Resident, Common
28. Black Kite (Milvus migrans) Resident, Common
29. Shikra (Accipiter badius) Resident, Common
30. Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis) Unommon
31. Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) Resident, Common
32. House Crow (Corvus splendens) Resident, Common, Breeding
33. Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) Summer visitor, Breeding
34. Black-headed Cuckooshrike (Coracina melanoptera) Uncommon
35. Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) Resident, Common, Breeding
36. Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) Uncommon
37. Red-throated Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) Winter visitor
38. Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis) Winter visitor
39. Oriental Magipe Robin (Copsychus saularis) Resident, Occasionally seen
40. Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicata) Resident, Occasionally seen
41. Brahminy Starling (Sturnia pagodarum) Resident, Common
42. Rosy Starling (Sturnus roseus) Winter visitor, Common in winters
43. Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Winter visitor, Uncommon
44. Asian Pied Starling (Gracupica contra) Resident, Common
45. Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) Resident, Common, Breeding
46. Bank Myna (Aceidotheres ginginianus) Resident, Common
47. Dusky Crag Martin (Hirundo concolor) Occasionally seen
48. Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica) Occasionally seen
49. Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) Resident, Common
50. Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) Resident, Occasionally seen
51. Oriental White Eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) Resident, Uncommon
52. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) Winter visitor, Common in winters
53. Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius) Resident, Common
54. Large Grey Babbler (Turdoides malcolmi) Resident, Common
55. Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striatus) Resident, Common
56. Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica) Resident, Common
57. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Resident, Common
58. White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) Winter visitor

In case I see more species at the park in the future, shall update the list.

No crops were growing on any of the agricultural fields just before Sambhar lake, monsoon rains in this part of the country were poor this year. As portions of the lake became visible from the road, it became apparent that the lake was dry.

Upon reaching the lake, we saw water in some of the salt pans but no sign of Flamingos, for which the lake is famous. We parked our car near the massive Bargad or Banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) that is a landmarks for birders (see photo below) and a heronry in good season. The water body next to it (a natural pond where rain water collects) had some water and some birds too!

We spent around an hour birding around the pond taking care not to disturb the birds especially as the real estate available for birds was limited! The pond revealed c20 Gadwalls (Anas strepera), a White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus) (see photo below), a Common Redshank (Tringa totanus), a couple of Little Ringed Plovers (Charadrius dubius), a White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis), a Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata) feeding on the ground, a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), plenty of Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis), a few Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) and circling overhead: plenty of Plain Martins (Riparia paludicola). Call of Lesser Whitethroats (Sylvia curruca) from nearby trees was often heard, Green Bee Eaters (Merops orientalis) and Large Grey Babblers (Turdoides malcolmi) were also present.

At 4:30pm, after a late (packed) lunch, we drove back to Naliasar lake south of Sambhar and reached the small water body west of the lake. This location is also known to birders, is a picnic spot (plenty of litter around proved that) and has some nice chhatris (small, dome shaped traditional architectural forms). Again the area this water body covered was not much and it would most probably dry up in the next couple of months. Feeding on the green grass nearby were c130 Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) and this was the highlight of our trip. Alarmed by a few stray dogs, they performed a spectacular flight around the pond (see photo below) and settled down on the grass again.

The waterbody had c20 Northern Shovellers (Anas clypeata), c6 Common Pochards (Aythya ferina), 2 Pied Avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta), a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) and a few Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis). A group of Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax) c25 flew-in and performed superb aerobatic maneuvers over the pond for a few seconds before flying away. We spent the next few golden minutes watching the sun set behind the waterbody, said goodbye to our feathered friends and drove back to Jaipur, stopping along the way for a refreshing cup of tea on National Highway 8.

Trip report by Mayank Bhatnagar and Gaurav Bhatnagar
(November 20, 2009, Jaipur)