Stripes of Wild India

[michael-ibk]

Back to our regular programme after honey badgering around.

 

 

All good things must come to an end, we had our last Kaziranga game drive - could easily have done with a few more. We had unanimously decided for Eastern zone again. The bad news was that gunshots had been heard in the park, obviously some poachers were at their dirty works. The good news was that we were still allowed to enter but couldn´t go too far North. (AFAIK Tarun told us the next day that no Rhino had been killed and there were some arrests, but I´m unsure since I didn´t take notes. Lynn?)

 

The buffaloes seemed at peace, though, happily grazing in the distance.

 

 

 

The Indian equivalent to Africa´s LBR, an Indian Roller. We saw lots of them in all parks. The ones here in the East are noticably darker than their fellow Rollers in Central India.

 

 

Some Elephants in the distance, with one of the rangers´ posts in the background.

 

 

Some Buffalo calves were running for no good reason, it seemed they simply were having fun.

 

 

 

 

Mum was following in a bit more unhurried and dignified gait.

 

 

As we mentioned before Eastern zone has a reputation for being the place to go for Elephants, and this afternoon we were richly rewarded with a breeding herd very close, right next to the road, in a lovely green fern setting.

 

An overload of Ele pics to follow, we just loved this sighting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Just one other car was there, watching the herd.

We left them some space, and they did what we had wished for - they crossed right in front of us, absolutely relaxed about our presence.

Including Africa, this was one of my all-time-favourite Elephant sightings. We all were grinning and thankful for this farewell present.

But Kaziranga had one more for us - the local Smooth-Coated Otters proved that they are not only cute and fun to watch but skilled predators. The pack had killed a huge catfish, easily double the size of a male otter!



Difficult to get photos, they were on the other shore, branches on our side and plants in the water were obstructing our view, and it was getting dusky.



But an absolutely fascinating wildlife sighting.





That´s a Greater Coucal back there. The bird was very interested in the fish apparently but was never allowed to come close enough for even scraps..

Difficult to say how many pack members they were, true to otter form some were always diving down, left, right and up again, but I counted at least 13 indiviuals.



And all of them were happily feasting. No signs of quarrels between them, they enjoyed their meal like a very civilized family.



And indeed, with a prey this size there was no need for food jealousy. But it was amazing to see how quick that huge fish turned into fishbone.



And then it was time to leave for good.





How befitting that the last animal we saw before returning to the gate was - of course - a Rhino.



Good bye, Kaziranga National Park, you were fantastic and believe me - I will come back for you!

[TonyQ]

What a fantastic park - and superb sightings of the elephant and otters - with a final farewell from the rhino.

Excellent!

[Tom Kellie]

~ @michael-ibk:

 

That's one GREAT image!

The way the subject stands out from the background is uncanny.

It's a textbook example of how to photograph an elephant near vegetation.

Many, many thanks for posting it.

Tom K.

[Galago]

@Michael-ibk Such great ele photos. I can imagine you just watching them - and isn't it great when you can watch behaviour rather than just get a sighting? It must've been fun watching the otters feeding too. Making me think that Kaziranga might be on my wishlist!

[Atravelynn]

Tarun told us the next day that no Rhino had been killed and there were some arrests, but I´m unsure since I didn´t take notes. Lynn?

 

That is what he said. He did not have anything more specific than that. I definitely asked if the poacher was caught before any rhino was killed and I definitely remember being pleased that in this case, the rhino had been saved.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

A short elephant encore. We were very thrilled with seeing a herd.

 

 

 

Good bye, Kaziranga National Park, you were fantastic and believe me - I will come back for you!

And Tarun will be part of the return plans!

 

Outstanding Wild Grass Lodge Naturalist, Tarun

 

Day 6 at the Tea Gardens near Wild Grass Lodge, Kaziranga:

 

Our 17:20 afternoon flight back to Delhi (which turned out to be a 16:40 flight) did not permit a morning safari in the park, but it did allow time for a 6:00-8:00 morning stroll in the tea gardens just outside the lodge. This walk was part of our itinerary.

Andrew and Lynn in the Tea Garden Tarun in the Tea Garden

Tarun in Tea Garden

Our bird sightings from the tea garden were:

 

Black-hooded Oriole

Black-winged Cuckooshrike

Bronzed Drongo

Common Tailorbird

Coppersmith Barbet

Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush

Greenish Warbler

Green Shrike Babbler

Puff-throated Babler

Red-collared Dove

Rufous Necked Laughingthrush

 

Tarun explained that as more of the water sources are used for irrigating the tea gardens and as more of the native trees and bushes surrounding the tea gardens are cut so the land can be cultivated, the birds are less frequent visitors. We were happy with the birds we saw, but it is apparently a fraction of what used to be seen.

 

 

Michael managed a photo of the Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, a bird Tarun was very pleased we saw.

2 Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes

At some point in a trip, I like to take a candid shot of my travel companions that reveals their personalities.

 

I thought this shot captured the essence of Andrew's and Michael's keen interest in nature and their intense concentration. Their enthusiasm to maximize time in the field despite the discomfort of heat or insects or tummy troubles or middle-of-the-night wakeups was also captured by a comment Michael made early in the trip: “We’re not here for fun.”

 

Of course we had fun along with lots of laughs and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. But there is a grain of truth to that statement. I think many of us can relate to that grain of truth.

 

The 10-minute walk between Wild Grass Lodge and the Tea Garden was picturesque too.

Outside of Wild Grass Lodge

After breakfast at 10:10 we departed with our driver/naturalist for the airport in Guwahati. Our last few rhino glimpses were from Highway 37, which passed along the off-limits Burrapaher Zone of the park.

 

We stopped at a tree full of fruit bats or flying foxes, an exciting and unexpected bonus.

Bat or Flying Fox tree, outside of Kaziranga

 

Bats or Flying Foxes, outside of Kaziranga, compliments of our transfer driver/naturalist

 

The drive time between Wild Grass Lodge and the airport in Guwahati took 4 hours on the way there and 4 hours 10 minutes on the way back. That included all stops. Estimates are usually stated as a 5-hour transfer.

 

BONINE (anti-nausea medication) ALERT: For those prone to motion sickness, I took half a tablet each way to tolerate the winding roads and as a result it was a smooth, comfortable ride.

 

Our Air India flight that departed Guwahati 16:40 arrived Delhi at 19:00 and we were met by Abhishek, WWI's very congenial office manager. As a bonus, the driver to nearby Four Points Sheraton was CB, the wonderful birder and driver I had the privilege of spending time with on my two previous WWI trips. It was a short-lived but very enjoyable reunion. An early wake up call awaited us so that we could make our 7:50 departure flight the next morning.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Atravelynn

[madaboutcheetah]

Guys, Thank You once again for this fabulous report ...... You certainly make the case to visit India's North East - Kazi very high on my list now.

[Zim Girl]

What a great report, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

[Big_Dog]

I love the honey badger celebrations!
Also the otters - what a big group! Awesome photos of the romp. And the flying foxes too, very understated animals and a bugger to photograph on the wing. Superb shots.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @Atravelynn:

 

Such gorgeous, evocative images mustn't be allowed to pass unpraised.

Such photographs capture the spirit of a place.

I greatly appreciate your selecting and uploading them, so that those of us who haven't yet visited there may have a better sense of the area.

Very nice photos!

Tom K.

[graceland]

What a terrific report(*****)....great pics, stories and I especially love the locals shown,(as Tom pictures above) and your guide, Taun. Gives us a sense of the area and the human side. Never been to India - this was a great introduction to their wildlife and parks. Loved the otters! They are crazy little creatures that enjoy their water life!

 

Michael-Ibk would not want to go with me on safari; I go with the intention of having fun Everything else is a bonus.

[TonyQ]

What a great report. We have travelled in India many times- but never to Kaziranga. We both agree that this has made us want to visit this area - and are starting to think what we would combine with it! This is a really enjoyable report and we look forward to the next sections

 

@Atravelynn BIF now has a new meaning (Bats in flight)

[Galago]

@Atravelynn Loved the report and very envious of the bird list in the tea plantation. Lovely shot of the Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes (now there's a name that doesn't exactly trip off the tongue.....). I can relate to Michael's remark about not there to have fun. When you're a birder it is hard work, but it is great fun too! Looking forward to reading more and seeing the photos.

[AKR1]

Adding accolades to what others are saying. Lovely report that will put Kaziranga on the map/ wish list for others. Looking forward to other park accounts you visited. Again thanks to both of you for this superb report.

[Atravelynn]

What a great report. We have travelled in India many times- but never to Kaziranga. We both agree that this has made us want to visit this area - and are starting to think what we would combine with it! This is a really enjoyable report and we look forward to the next sections

 

@Atravelynn BIF now has a new meaning (Bats in flight)

Thank you for increasing my online vocab!

[michael-ibk]

Thanks, everybody - really appreciating the kind feedback!

And could I just point out that I´m absolutely, wholeheartedly addicted to serious hard-core fun? Why else would I drink He-Man 9000 Ultra Super Strong Beer? Lynn, you have really badly damaged my reputation , @@graceland won´t go on safari with me now. *criesbadly*

 

Damn, what can I do to prove my funfullness?

[michael-ibk]

 

 

We both agree that this has made us want to visit this area - and are starting to think what we would combine with it!

 

@@TonyQ

 

I think Manas National Park would be a very interesting choice, sightings there have been getting better and better apparently, and it´s far less visited than Kaziranga. Would definitely be in my itinerary of a return East India visit. I´d probably also do a river cruise somewhere for the Ganghetic Dolphins. It would also be tempting (for me) to combine it with the Sunderbans, another park I´d be very interested in - could work nicely logistically, since there are good connections from Colcatta to Jorhat.

[graceland]

Thanks, everybody - really appreciating the kind feedback!

 

And could I just point out that I´m absolutely, wholeheartedly addicted to serious hard-core fun? Why else would I drink He-Man 9000 Ultra Super Strong Beer? Lynn, you have really badly damaged my reputation , @@graceland won´t go on safari with me now. *criesbadly*

 

Damn, what can I do to prove my funfullness?

 

@@michael-ibk, I HAD to throw that out there, because I KNOW you must like your fun esp. when you can only find He-Man Beer - super strong at that.

 

I just wanted to see what you 'd come back with

..and since you did,

 

Let's go find some funfulness safari folks and go...when you return from the next five you've probably already planned

[Sangeeta]

What a terrific first port of call this was after a long absence from ST - an absolutely fantastic report and I'm so glad I got caught up before you guys headed on to the tigers! Darn, wish I'd known you were in Delhi on the day you were there - I was there too and would have loved to meet up with the gang at Bukhara!

 

The photos are magnificent - I really don't know how Lynn does this each time (sees everything she has planned to see!), but agree with you Michael, that good things happen to those that travel with Lynn I don't even know where to pick out individual standouts since I've read the whole Kaziranga bit in one sitting (sensory overload), but did want to let you know that I really enjoyed the video vignettes that you've embedded here and there. And the tapes of the bird and hoolock calls are equally captivating.

 

Super, super stuff and I am planning my trip already based on this. Interesting to hear that things are getting better at Manas all the time.

 

The title of the report was great, @@AndMic - welcome to ST.

[michael-ibk]

Hey, @@Sangeeta , you have been missed indeed, good to see you back here! And what a pity, talk about missed opportunities - we all would have loved to meet you in Delhi! Next time, promise! And thanks for your kind words.

[AndMic]

Hi @@Sangeeta and thank you.

 

The title of this report suddenly occurred to me on a game drive actually!

Hopefully see you in Delhi next time.

[Atravelynn]

Thanks, everybody - really appreciating the kind feedback!

 

And could I just point out that I´m absolutely, wholeheartedly addicted to serious hard-core fun? Why else would I drink He-Man 9000 Ultra Super Strong Beer before a game drive, might I add!!? Lynn, you have really badly damaged my reputation , @@graceland won´t go on safari with me now. *criesbadly*

 

Damn, what can I do to prove my funfullness?

[Atravelynn]

What a terrific first port of call this was after a long absence from ST - an absolutely fantastic report and I'm so glad I got caught up before you guys headed on to the tigers! Darn, wish I'd known you were in Delhi on the day you were there - I was there too and would have loved to meet up with the gang at Bukhara!

 

The photos are magnificent - I really don't know how Lynn does this each time (sees everything she has planned to see!), but agree with you Michael, that good things happen to those that travel with Lynn I don't even know where to pick out individual standouts since I've read the whole Kaziranga bit in one sitting (sensory overload), but did want to let you know that I really enjoyed the video vignettes that you've embedded here and there. And the tapes of the bird and hoolock calls are equally captivating.

 

Super, super stuff and I am planning my trip already based on this. Interesting to hear that things are getting better at Manas all the time.

 

The title of the report was great, @@AndMic - welcome to ST.

Thank you Sangeeta. We will catch you next time. There is a next time being loosely discussed despite a certain participant's lack of "funfullness."

[graceland]

 

Thanks, everybody - really appreciating the kind feedback!

 

And could I just point out that I´m absolutely, wholeheartedly addicted to serious hard-core fun? Why else would I drink He-Man 9000 Ultra Super Strong Beer before a game drive, might I add!!? Lynn, you have really badly damaged my reputation , @@graceland won´t go on safari with me now. *criesbadly*

 

Damn, what can I do to prove my funfullness?

 

LOL......BEFORE - DANG I wait til a flat tire!!!!!