Western India: Gujarat Jan 01—21, 2008
Posted by David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop loves his vocation and cannot imagine anything better than exploring wild and beautiful places in Asia and the Pacific in the company of friends and clients. H...Related Trips
During our comprehensive tour of Gujarat and western Rajasthan, we recorded a total of 292 species of birds and 23 species of mammals. This total included several globally-threatened or near-threatened species, a good number of Indian subcontinent specialties, and truly mega-charismatic, dreamed of birds and mammals, including such sought after families as Hypocolius and Crab Plover, as well as Asiatic lion and striped hyena.
The numbers tell us very little of the quality of the tour and the splendor of the things we saw and imbibed. Who will ever forget our first sight of the teeming hordes of waterbirds at Khijadiya and Charri Dhund; fabulous views of two Gray Hypocolius and three amazingly obliging White-naped Tits; gorgeous wild asses; and a pack of gray wolves hunting beautiful blackbuck at dusk—thanks to a call on Pradeep’s mobile phone from a Velvadar park ranger! And all that while we were still glowing from the sight of hundreds of harriers going to roost and a jungle cat ambling along the track in front of our vehicle.
Other memories include our surprisingly lovely digs at Rajkot and our not so lovely accommodations in Jamnagarh; the magnificence of Jundegah’s walled city and amazing host of hidden antiquities; two male Gir lions that were only a 10-second walk from our jeeps, NOT 10 minutes—whoops!; spectacular views of such sought after creatures as Crab Plover, Great Indian and McQueen's bustards, appropriately named Painted Sandgrouse, roosting Mottled Wood-Owl, and evocatively silhouetted Indian Eagle-Owl; Charri Dhund flooded for 40 square kilometers and teeming with literally hundreds of thousands of waterbirds and nearby hundreds of eagles and harriers; and, perhaps most magnificent of all, the 8,000 or so Demoiselle Cranes resting and drinking by the pool at Khichan.
The entire tour went remarkably smoothly, and special thanks are due to Raj Singh's company, "Exotic Journeys," and all his colleagues, especially Pradeep, Mahendra, Dhanraj, and Mahamad. Thanks too, to the numerous (too many to include here) drivers, local guides, park guards, and hotel and lodge staff, all of whom contributed importantly to making our time in their country so fulfilling and trouble-free.
Most importantly, thank you to Dick and Nancy, Anne, Jim, Tom, Sandy, Trudi, and Frances for making our first tour to Gujarat plus western Rajasthan so very special and amazingly successful. Despite the long and sometimes rather bumpy journey, and the lack of alcoholic drinks, there were so many wonderful moments to savor, relish, and relive. But for me, it was the opportunity to travel with people who clearly enjoyed traveling throughout India, appreciated the culture and wonderful food, and, in particular, reveled in the subcontinent's extraordinary wildlife.
India truly is an exciting and amazing place, and one to which I am compelled to return time and time again. I shall never forget this trip EVER. Thank you all so very much.