We were all set for the camp, aware that it was going to be boiling hot! Our first trail was a walking trail where we visited a small pond in the buffer zone of the National Park, on foot. This little lotus pond was buzzing with activity! There were, to our pleasant surprise, 4 or 5 female paradise flycatchers in it! These pretty birds are usually found in bamboo thickets or in places with trees in them. This came as a surprise and I still am curious about this peculiar behaviour!
We also saw pheasant tailed jacanas, openbill storks, a very pretty common kingfisher, waterhens and many other winged beauties over there.
The female paradise flycatcher in the lotus pond
The next morning's safari was one that really won us over. Tadoba has such an amazing variety of birds! It surely is a birdwatcher's paradise... We saw oriental honey buzzards and Indian rollers by the dozen, paradise flycatchers, lesser adjutant storks, racket tailed drongos and many other birdies. We waited at many spots, expecting and hoping with our hearts to see the famous 'tigress with 4 cubs", but of course, we weren't patient enough to wait for too long and we headed back to the stunning Teliya Lake.
There was a massive crowd at the lake and the King himself was the centre of attention. He came, His powerful limbs just ruling over the lake, capturing the very essence of the forest. My heart sprang with joy at the sight of Him, but within a minute, I was almost reduced to tears. I was watching one out of maybe 1000 tigers left in the country... That's less than the number of students in my college. The very thought gave me goosebumps and re-instilled the feeling that we HAVE TO do everything we can to ensure the survival of this animal. He sat in the water, drank a little and settled down to cool himself, playing in the water like a little kid! It sure was a sight my eyes relished!
Livin' on the edge - Literally. When are we going to wake up and help save this majestic, majestic beast? It is very scary to think that there are fewer tigers in India than there are students in my college - think about it.That evening, we saw the rarely seen chausingha and the muntjac. The tiger was still in the same place in the lake and after a while, walked back into the thicket. We also had a couple of gaur staring into our faces with a totally blissful look on their faces!
The next morning's walking trail was something I will never forget for the rest of my life! We set off on foot and for about half an hour, there seemed to be a lull in the forest. No animals and no birds were to be seen . Then, the guide suddenly signalled us to stop and said "Dholes", in the most calm manner possible. They were heading towards us, a massive pack of 17 of them. For a while, I thought something was wrong with my eyes that I was imagining 17 makkus coming towards me! :D
The pack of dholes!They stopped about 200 metres away from us, gave us ample time to get photos of them and then the alpha male headed then away. We also came across tiger pugmarks and I got a nice opportunity to show the campers how to read them! :)
The last safari was the best! We went into a different range of the forest, namely the Kolsa range and saw a riot of birds!! This place is just a birders paradise! Racket tailed drongos, indian pittas, ashy bellied drongos, flamebacks - it was CRAZY! The highlights of this safari were the jungle cat - a first time sighing for me, and the chausingha!
THE jungle cat!It was a perfect 5 days in this beautiful beatiful forest. However, it desperately needs to get rid of private vehicles plying in it and also it needs to be managed as well as Kanha and Ranthambhore are. Tadoba, overall, was fantabulous! I can't wait for my next visit there! :)
Oriental Honey Buzzard at the Teliya Lake
White eyes waiting to get a sip of water at a waterhole
Indian Pitta
Spotted owlet at our campsite
Bhari write-up............Nice job
ReplyDeleteah! n u get 2 c an owlet again...
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