Some Incidental Birdwatching in Gwalior

Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out! Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, though we

Some Incidental Birdwatching in Gwalior

Now that I have finished writing about Gwalior, it is time to move out, to all the other interesting places around. However, before I begin my posts on the sites around Gwalior, which are going to be all about our built heritage, it is time to take a break to look at our natural heritage, just waiting to be seen around us... like birds, for example!
I can’t remember the last time I went bird-watching. But, wherever I go, I do see birds... lots of them. The Gwalior trip was no different, and we frequently stopped, on the road as well as within the fort, hearing the call of some bird. It surely irritated our guides and our drivers, and while some grumbled, others simply stared at us in astonishment! These birds aren’t exotic, and they aren’t rare. Yet, it’s always a delight to see them, which is why deserve a post to themselves! And so, here are some birds we saw, in and around Gwalior!

Peacocks we saw in plenty, almost everywhere we went. But this one was the best. He posed so beautifully atop the rock, somewhere on the road near Gwalior

We spotted this Hoopoe at the Gwalior Fort, as we explored the monuments. Our guide and a group of French tourists were surprised to see me pay so much attention to the bird! The guide actually paused his narration to glare at me!

This Drongo was such a beautiful sight, perched on the finial of one of the monuments. This time, the guide didn't even bother to glare. He had given up!

An entire flock of parakeets living in the wall of the Vikram Mahal created a racket while we were walking around. We, of course, were happy to click them, lagging behind while the others moved on, giving up on us, and our fascination for birds!

Samhith spotted this Egyptian Vulture in a field as we were driving to Batesar. Our driver was too surprised and stunned that we actually wanted him to drive back a little to photograph a bird! He looked on, amused, as we clicked and clicked....

The bird finally becomes aware of us, and the attention it generated!

Another Hoopoe, this time in the grass

And finally, the highlight of the day.... a bird of prey... Unfortunately, I have not been able to conclusively identify this bird, so any help will be appreciated.

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis

Bhedaghat - Home of the 81 Yoginis

The Narmada flows down the mountains , carving out a path for herself as she makes her way down to the plains of Central India. She cascades from the rocks, her fine spray making it appear as if billows of smoke (dhuan) arise from the flowing streams of water (dhaar), giving it the name Dhuandhar. Dhuandhar Falls The force of her flow creates a gorge , smoothening and carving out the rocks into fantastic shapes, the pure white of the rocks standing starkly against the shades of the water. It is a joy to cruise down the river in a boat, seeing the natural contours created by the river, now famous as the Marble Rocks. We are at Bhedaghat, located on the banks of the Narmada near Jabalpur, where thousands of visitors turn up to see these natural landscapes, creations of the sacred Narmada, and pay obeisance to her. However, to me, the most interesting thing about Bhedaghat, isn’t the falls or the rocks, or even the river. What makes Bhedaghat special is t

Kabini Part 3 - After the Rains

Visiting Kabini in peak summer, we hadn’t bargained for the rains, which dominated our three days at the Lodge. While animal sightings were understandably lesser than usual, seeing the forest in the rain was an interesting experience in its own way. However, as we headed back into the forest for our second and third safaris, we hoped the rains would let up, and allow us to see more animals! Winding jungle paths

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