Introduction:
The itinerary moves around one of the most picturesque region of India. Corbett, Chambal Region and Bharatpur and Nainital a mix of pristine rivers, dense forests and open country landscape, they offer not only mesmerizing settings, they are rich in avian species as well.
Bharatpur Birding
Bharatpur is home to no less than 300 species mostly wetland and forest ones. Encompassing 28 sq.kms, the bird sanctuary is full of extensive water bodies, swampy grasslands and forests. This provides an ideal habitat for residential and migratory species.
Chambal Safari
Chambal River Sanctuary is part of long stretch of snaking river, shallow and deep with sandy beaches and jutting rocky platforms. Flowing amidst sandy mountains and maze of ravines it is a spectacle of India's barren but esoteric remoteness. Birds thrive here in plentitude, shore birds, passerines, teals, storks, raptors, gulls, sand grouse, larks and warblers. One of the targeted species is the Indian Skimmer.
Boat rides at Chambal never cease to astound. Crocodiles, gavials and river dolphins splash around the bird watchers. The panoramic splendor holds you breathless and the bird counts rise with every expedition.
Nainital Birding
Situated North, about 7 hours of drive from New Delhi is Nainital in the foothills of Himalayas. Snow covered peaks of lofty mountains greet the visitors with a stunning spectacle and a whiff of fresh air that energizes one and all. As you climb up from Nainital you reach Sattal a picturesque assemblage of mountain and lakes. Avian abound. Laughing thrushes, sunbirds, parakeets,raptors, thrush, wren babbler, passerines, warblers, pheasants, woodpeckers, owls the list is endless.
Higher up at elevation of 2100 MSL is Pangot a repository of snow covered peaks, deep valleys and dense tropical forests. The avian species are strikingly different at these heights and Pangot is excellent for sighting the Cheer and Koklass pheasants besides forktails, laughing thrushes, raptors like griffon and lammergeyer, ravens, sunbirds, blackbirds, striated prinia, woodpeckers,warblers, finches, francolins and so on.
Corbett National Park
Corbett Tiger Landscape contains more than 500 species incremented by altitude migrants. Spectacular birding expeditions make this reserve favored birding grounds for the passionate. One of the most picturesque reserves in India, beauty is enhanced by Ram Ganga River - pristine and unpolluted. It is a habitat of sunbirds, flycatchers, warblers, bulbuls, niltava, parakeets,hornbills, thrushes, tesia, wren babblers, raptors, magpies, forktails, woodpeckers, passerines and so on. Wildlife sightings are good as well tigers, leopards, elephants, hog deer, barking deer and goral can be seen during the birding safaris.
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Northern Indian Birding Trip
Itinerary
First Day
Arrive at New Delhi Airport. Warm welcome on arrival our guide will be your company. He will escort you to the hotel for freshening up. Time permitting we will visit the Lotus Temple and Swami Narayan Temple in New Delhi. This will accord a glimpse of life in the capital city of India. Some delicious food and it's time to pack up for the night. Sleep Well!
2 Day & 3 Day
After early breakfast, we drive to Bharatpur (Keoladeo National National Park) for two days of Birding. Our guide is the constant companion and with him along we begin to discover amazing avian in the wetlands and neighboring forests. This will be along with another to go. We reach the center on a paddle rickshaw and then walk. Our quest is to search for Siberian Rubythroat, Sarus Crane, numerous passerine birds, and waterfowl. In two days we will sight more than a hundred species. Our finds will be Northern pintail, ferruginous pochard, herons, rosy pelican, Tickell's thrush, flycatchers, spot-billed duck, nakta, red-headed pochard, ruddy shelduck, bar-headed goose, common crane, gadwall, garganey, Mahratta, black rumped flame back, marsh harrier, Indian eagle, greater spotted eagle, blue throat, buntings, wheatears, lapwings and many more passerine and shore birds.
4 Day
After breakfast, we leave for Chambal and stop at many places for roadside birding and lunch. The drive will take its own time and after a day full of pursuing avian we will reach Bah a small township for a night stay at the Lodge. The day ends with sundowners and rustic dinner an assemblage of local delicacies.
5 Day
Early morning is the best time for a boat ride at Chambal. We will continue birding along the road and reach the pier as the sun rises. We will look for warblers, buntings, and other passerines. The boat ride is simply exhilarating and we will look out for gulls, sand larks, Indian skimmers, laggar falcon, Bonelli's eagle, Gray lag and Bar-headed goose, Eagle, owl, mallard, chestnut bellied sand grouse, and more. Back in the lodge after lunch proceeds to Agra where we will visit Tajmahal, and later drive to Delhi - Overnight at the Hotel.
6 Day
After an early breakfast drive to Sat Tal which is a picturesque mountain resort about 14 km from Nainital. We will visit some birding spots after a walk in the fields nearby. We will search for golden robins, dark-breasted accentors, leiothrix, greater and lesser yellow nape, an amazing variety of sunbirds and laughing thrushes, blue-winged minla, eagles, wren babbler, fork tails, thrushes, parakeets, orange sided flycatcher, finches, Rufus breasted accentor, warblers, blue whistling thrush, flowerpeckers, bar-tailed tree creeper, blue-throated barbet, bronze drongo, grey hooded and lemon rumped warbler, Rufus sibia, spot winged tit and more.
7 Day
We will visit more places like Chanfi and Kainchi Dham to see forktails spotted and gray. We will discover the roost of steppe eagles. We will sight plenty of birds white-tailed nuthatch, speckled piculet, niltava, minlas, parakeets, raptors, pied flycatchers, blue-throated and great barbets, woodpeckers, Himalayan and ashy bulbul. SatTal is beautiful to come experience yourself. Our next destination is Pangot. We will stay at the charismatic birder lodge in between the lofty mountains. We will be lucky to see the striking Himalayan Range on a clear day. This will add to our thrills and frills on the birding expedition.
8 Day
Today we leave for Pangot via Nainital. The destination is at the height of 2100 MSL and offers a great chance to see high-altitude birds like cheer and koklass pheasants, Eurasian and Himalayan vultures, peregrine falcon, Rufus breasted and alpine accentors. ultramarine flycatcher, Himalayan woodpecker, lammergeier, mistle thrush, and many more. In the evening we will search for chestnut-headed laughing thrush, fire-tailed, and dark-throated sunbirds, blackbirds, long-tailed broad bill, and more species. This is going to be an exciting birding experience in the mountains.
9 Day
After a few days in high altitude, we will descend to reach the Corbett Tiger Reserve in the foothills. The landscape we encounter on descent is strikingly different but as beautiful. This is the land of the tiger and the best bird heaven. We will stay at Dhikala Complex right in the center of the park. The fun of watching herds of elephants, deer, and tigers on birding tours is an added thrill. At Corbett, we will seek collared falconet, tawny eagle, paradise flycatcher, scarlet and long-tailed minivets, orange-bellied leaf bird, green magpie, white-rumped shama, chestnut Tesia, noisy wren babbler, Great woodpecker, long-billed thrush, great Himalayan Woodpecker and all the colorful avian that come along.
10 Day
The next day we will stay outside the park to search for avians in the buffer zone. We will visit Laldang, Mohaan, and Kosi River to look for crimson sunbird, ashy sparrow lark, crimson oriole, rosy pipit, fish owls, little forktail, yellow-bellied fantails, Great and Oriental hornbills, white-tailed ruby throat, collared owl, gray-headed and Pallas's fish eagle, ibisbill and more. The charm of birding in dense forests is a memorable and delightful experience Tigers, leopards, and wild elephants roam in close range of the treks a chance sighting will enrich the experience like nothing else. Come join us!
11 Day
This day after breakfast we leave for New Delhi. Our birding tour has come to an end. A memorable trip we will remember for a lifetime. We spend a night in New Delhi to shake off our tired limbs. The capital is delightful with visits to ancient monuments wonderful food and the hustle and bustle far removed from the pristine confines of amazing flora and fauna.
12 Day
Flight back home our tour has come to an end. Goodbye.