Birding at the Keoladeo Ghana National Park (India)

Keoladeo Ghana National Park

From Agra we travelled to the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, India’s most famous bird sanctuary, and many experts say the best Bird Park in all of Asia. A lush world of water, reeds and woodland, Keoladeo serves as a pit stop for hundreds of thousands of birds on their migratory journeys south. November is the best time of year to be there (bull’s eye!) Needless to say, as a passionate “twitcher”, I was in heaven!

I spent a wonderful afternoon with a guide being taken round all the less accessible parts of the park. He had worked at the park for 25 years and knew every inch of the land and every bird. The other guides called him “Master” out of respect for him – their teacher. He charged R10 an hour for his service, 2/3 more than the others, but by god it was worth it! Not only was he brilliant but he had a great sense of humour and I kept having to try not to laugh and chase the birds away.

Dairy entries

We stayed by the park for two days in a friendly little guesthouse called “The Falcon”. Each morning we’d wake up at sparrow fart, grab the hotel’s identification book and head off into the mosquito infested wilds (protected by Tabbard and malaria tablets!) for an orgy of bird stalking. It was at this time that I discovered the rue depths of Ally’s love! We saw storks, bee-eaters, ducks, owls, mynahs, coucals, eagles and kingfishers, to name a few. In all, I saw over 50 new species of birds. My life goal is to see 2,000 bird species in the wild – and I’m slowly getting there. Latest count = 600.

Sun 16: Hire bikes and take early cycle round Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Birding heaven - some say best bird park in all of Asia. 450 bird count - especially rich in winter when migrants use the wetlands as a stepping stone on the north to south migration. Use hotel book to identify several new species of birds - storks, kingfishers, mynas, ducks, owls (show to us by guides - very impressive till discover they stay on same perch everyday! I am in my element - the joys of birding rediscovered!

In the afternoon, I return (lock Ally in to her room by misake!) and explore with an expert guide (20 years experience) who charges R10 and hour. I see over 30 new species, including Siberian stalk (re-intoduced one) and Tawny eagle. Elation.

Mon 17: Early trip to park. Misty and beautiful. Walk through woods - gawking at woodpeckers, sparrowhawks and mynas. Delicious lunch of Kofta (potatos and veggies in a ball). Then back to the bus station for Jaiper.

New Birds Seen   (72 new species)

Jungle babbler

Green bee-eater

Whitecheeked Bulbul

Great Cormorant

Greater Coucal

Sarus crane

Siberian crane

Little brown dove

Comb duck

Cotton teal

Lesser whistling teal

Greater spotted eagle

Greyheaded flycatcher

Whitebrowed fantail flycatcher

Barheaded goose

Bronze winged jacana

Common Kingfisher

Lesser pied kingfisher

Whitebreasted kingfisher

Indian Tree Pie

Indian purple moorhen

Brahming myna

Common myna

Longtailed nightjar

Collared scops owl

Spotted owlet

Roseringed parakeet

Indian Peafowl

Long-tailed shrike

Spotbill

Black-necked stork

Greylag goose

Painted Stork

Purple sunbird

Indian river tern

Whitebreasted waterhen

Black-rumped Flameback

Yellow fronted pied woodpecker