Saturday 14 April 2007

Keoladeo Ghana National Park

So, driving away from city life we stopped at the bird sanctury. Out of season the wetlands were dry in the most part. But in the rainy season it apparently is a haven for migrating birds and covered in water. We took a rickshaw ride to the middle of the park, the driver of which pointed out birds and animals on the way. Hot and dry. Peaceful. In the centre of the park was a plaque recording figures of past shooting parties - ranging into the thousands apiece - pretty senseless seeming.




Little egret, heron, crane, and a nilgai (blue bull).

And here's a picture of my sister pretending to be a rickshaw driver (we had a great deal of guilt being cycled around with our great western arses by wirey Indians) shortly before she lost control and we careened off the road, capsized and spilled into the road. She felt less guilty about riding rickshaws after because it wasn't hard pulling us along but crushed with guilt about overturning the rickshaw!



Sighting list: peacock (x2), white breasted Kingfisher (x2), lapwing doves (lots), Tiger bird (cleans the teeth of tigers - tree pie (lots), minor birds (lots), black drango (forked tails) (lots), female black radistag?? (x1), crow pheasant (x3), cattle egret (eats flies off cattle and deer) (x1), crane (mate for life - always seen in pairs) (x8), redwater lapwing - from sri lanka (x2), black necked stalk (from sri lanka, blue eye= male, yellow eye=female) (x1), ring dove (x2), large egret (x1), grey heron (x1), jungle crow (big and fat) (x1), little egret (black beak), spotted owlet (x2), sandpiper (x1), green bee eater (x1), magpie robin (x4). Also saw sambar deer, monitor lizard, turtles and nilgai. Not sure whether these are exactly the right names of the birds - it was sometimes hard to understand the driver!

Flickr photostream.

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