India February 2024: Uttarakhand, Corbett, Birds and Mammals

[Atravelynn]

Glad the throngs of cars had visitors in them who were well behaved.  Adorable little cubs, probably not so well behaved.  The Oriental White-eye on the red flower just pops with color.

[Zubbie15]

Just catching up on this report, it makes me want to return to India (tentatively penciled in for 2026...).  You certainly had a nice variety of sightings, and it's good the vehicles were well behaved! 

[TonyQ]

@Galanathank you for the bird suggestion!

@Treepolthank you

@Kitsafarithank you - we were very happy with our itinerary - it gave a good range of birds in the different environments

@Zubbie15thank you - go for it!

@Atravelynnthank you

 

 

Edited May 1 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

Next day at Dhikal we have 2 drives in the park.

Meet at 06.15 for a cup of tea and leave at 06.30. (Return at 10.30 for breakfast)

 

The morning focussed on birds in different environments

Asian Barred Owlet keeping eyes on us!

Crested Serpent Eagle

Greater Flameback

Rufous Woodpecker

We were pleased to see more Kalij Pheasants

Male

Male in the undergrowth

Two females

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

We were able to stop at small settlement where rangers lived. JayP knew all the rangers, and they were happy for us to get out of the jeep and wander around in their fenced enclosure (in the rest of the park you are not allowed out of the jeep for obvious reasons)

 

It was good to stretch our legs a nd look for birds while on foot

A pretty Grey-breasted Prinia

A Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

A bit more driving

And more lovely landscapes

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

We returned to the Rest House for breakfast, som exploring of the grounds and then lunch (!) and then we would leave at 14.00.

 

Around the grounds there were many Macaques

Portrait

Concentrating on lunch

 

 

[TonyQ]

Soon after leaving the Rest House Grounds,

A brief glimpse of a Tiger in very long rass - showing the ear spots.

It disappeared. JayP said we will head to a different area of the grassland in the hope it will go that way

 

On the way we saw a bird we were really keen to see

Collared Falconet

A beautiful, tiny raptor. It measures about 18cm. As a comparison, the Eurasian Hobby that we get in the UK is about 36cm - and is generally considered small. The House Sparrow measures about 15cm.

We saw this species 3 or 4 times in the park - this sighting had the best light. We were delighted to see it.

 

About ten minutes later, we came to another area of grassland - and as hoped for-

 

 

Tiger walking alongside the long grass

Stops to spray

and disappears into the long grass bright orange,black and white so difficult to see

It comes out of the grass and walks away

checks behind and then disappears

So a really enjoyable first part of the afternoon. We have certainly seen more Tigers than we expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

For the remainder of the afternoon we went across the river to do more birding and to enjoy the landscapes

Sambar deer by the river

A Lesser FIsh Eagle resting by the river

Pied Bushchat

 

Another very enjoyable day showing a good range of environments. It is a beautiful park!

 

Back for dinner and an early night and ready for another early start tomorrow.

 

 

 

[pedro maia]

It really seems to be a beautiful park and you had plenty of great tigers sightings, many nice looking birds to!

[xelas]

Another day with the tigers ... and birds. What else a traveler could ask for?!

 

Lovely photos, @TonyQ. Please remind me about the gear and the software you are using.

[TonyQ]

Thank you @xelasBirds and Tigers is a good combination!

I use Canon R7 with Canon 100-400ii (with adapter)

Wide angle shots are with my phone.

Software DxO Photolab 6

[TonyQ]

@pedro maiathank you  - we thought it was a beautiful park

 

The final morning in Dhikala Zone

 

The same pattern - and early (06.15) cup of tea and leave in the Jeep at 06.30.

 

After about 30 minutes (still very low light) we came across

A Tiger sitting at the base of a tree

There were a number of other cars here. We waited a while and took a few photos.

JayP said we could wait longer to see if it will move. It will either go to the left, and then we won't be able to see it, or to the right and we would have a chance.

So we went right, alongside the river

Early morning mist

The Tiger was still in the mist

and started heading in our direction

"It will go along the river bank" - so we drove to a clearing on the bank side

And the Tiger came across that clearing (this was at 100mm, the widest I can go and I could just get it in the frame)

and then it headed away into undergrowth

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

"It will head further along the river bank" said JayP

 

and it does as predicted

 

 

It continues walking along the rocky shore

 

and begins to head away  - we cannot follow to this part of the bank

 

but stops briefly (against the sun and mist) before we say goodbye to it

 

So that was an exciting start to our last drive at Dhikala

[TonyQ]

A short selection from the rest of the drive

 

A Scaly-bellied Woodpecker

Common Iora

A Sambar Deer at the side of the track

Eurasian Wryneck

Grater Yellownape

Muntjac (Barking Deer)

 

 

[TonyQ]

It was then a return to the Rest House for breakfast, pick up our bags and head out of the park.

We really enjoyed our stay in the Dhikala Zone. We thought it was beautiful. Traffic can be heavy at some of the TIger sightings, but we didn't see any bad behaviour. People we quiet and respectful of the TIgers.

The park has a range of environments which was good for birding (I have only posted a few of the birds here). Many of the areas had few vehicles and it was enjoyable and relaxing to look for birds.

 

It takes about one and a half to two hours to get out of the park

A Tawny Fish Owl sleeping for the day (they sleep in the same places so guides know where they are!)

A final view of the river and forest

 

When we got tp the gate, we switch to a normal car and head towards a village in the HImalayan Foothills - Manila.

 

 

[xelas]

A very special sighting, tiger in the mist!

[janzin]

Fantastic and unusual sighting of the tiger along the river among the boulders!

 

We loved Corbett as well--it's just so different than other Indian parks we've been to.

[michael-ibk]

Agree, that Tiger looks magnificent in that scenery!

[Kitsafari]

JayP must be directing the tiger's movements - he predicts them too well!

You had great tiger drives! 

Corbett seems like a lovely, not overly crowded, park.

 

 

[Zim Girl]

What a fantastic tiger sighting.

[Galana]

Another rave vote for the final tiger.

The pose in that 2nd shot by the river is very striking. Says it all.

Nice Yellownape.

[madaboutcheetah]

just catching up .... you got the classic "Tiger in the Ganges" shot !!! well done! 

[TonyQ]

@xelas@janzin@michael-ibk@Zim Girl@Galana@madaboutcheetahthank you

@Kitsafarithank you. We were very pleased with JayP, both in the Corbett area and in the next sections of the trip.

 

Manila is a small village in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It is spread along a ridge line at an altitude of 1820m. We had never heard of it!

 

In our original suggestion of an itinerary we had proposed going to Pangot. Sumantha had suggested Manila as an alternative – it would be quieter with fewer tourists. And it was probably the best place to see Pheasants – in particular the difficult to see Cheer Pheasant.

So we said yes!

 

Leaving the Corbett area, we gained height, passing through small villages on very winding roads. We really enjoyed going through peaceful areas with few tourists.

 

We stopped at a few places for birding, and generally enjoyed the scenery.

 

We stopped at a few places to look for local birds. As you gain altitude, a different range of species become possible

A beautiful Himalyan Black-lored Tit

A Blue-capped Redstart watches us

Some schoolgirs came to talk to us, practise their English and take our photos with a phone. We asked if we could take one of them

 

A Himalayan Vulture flew overhead

And we stopped to watch a White-capped Bunting

 

[TonyQ]

As we continued to gain in altitude, JayP told us we were in the environment that Cheer Pheasants like to live in. Long grass, trees spaced out and steep slopes. So we scanned carefully as we drove along. Our driver for this section, Rahul also scanned as he drove along.

 

JayP said stip. And there at the side of the road (initially on the "wrong" side of the car for me, but JayP said it will be fine to get out quietly

A beautiful male (taken at 400mm and only slightly cropped)

We were amazed to be so close to them, and were really pleased just to see them

 

A female working her way through the long grass

They crossed the road and worked their way up to an area with a number of trees

 

[TonyQ]

After this great sighting, we continued along the road towards Manila for another half hour. Light was beginning to get low. Rahul stoped suddenly

Ahead of us

 

Two males on the bank at the side of the road

Sizing each other up

Deliberately not looking, but being as impressive as possible!

And walking alongside each other in an attempt to intimidate

And suddenly

 

 

Back to showing off

This display and fight was very close to a blind bend. One of the local people stood on the corner and stopped any traffic so that the birds did not get run over

 

The fighting continued

 

 

until the birds eventually left the road area.

 

A bit of an overload of Pheasant photos, so apologies, but for us it was one of the highlights of the trip - and we hadn't yet reached Manila!

So the day had started with Tigers in the mist, and finished with Pheasants fighting in the middle of the road - a great day for us.