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Birding

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EAST LANCS RUFF

Ruff, Alston Wetland, Longridge

A RUFF AT ALSTON WETLAND was a nice local bird a few minutes from home, when I popped out for a walk today. The wetland is looking very nice at the moment, now is a great time for rare shorebirds to turn up and maybe it will attract something else in the near future of the magnitude of the Killdeer Gavin Thomas found here a couple of years ago? I was away at the time, watching lots of killdeer in the USA, so if it happens next week it will be either Marsh or Terek Sandpiper... or Great Snipe! Also here were single Dunlin, Common Ringed Plover, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Common Oystercatcher and Common Snipe, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers and Gadwall of note. I must make the effort more often.

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HUDSONIAN GODWIT IN SOMERSET.

Hudsonian Godwit, Meare Heath, Somerset

IT IS 32 YEARS SINCE THE LAST TWITCHABLE HUDSONIAN GODWIT in the UK. Even though I had already seen lots of photos of it on the internet, I like witnessing events in our ornithological history like this. Rocket and I enjoyed a great day out from East Lancs to see this true MEGA rarity. When you look at their sparse and fragmented breeding range in Canada and Alaska it is surprising that they occur here at all but they are big wanderers and have made it to both New Zealand and South Africa as well! The jet black underwings meant that it did not pass in the crowd of Black-tailed Godwits in flight and we had plenty of nice views over around four hours, sometimes in pouring rain. My previous sighting in the UK was 32 years and 2 days ago, 11.690 days to be precise. A lot has happened in that time and I wonder how long it will be until the next one? I am thinking I might not be around to see it.  We also saw several hobbies, a couple of Great Egrets, one Little Egret and a Cetti's Warbler plus lots more heard singing, along with the booming of a couple of bitterns and the Macc Lads on the way home. Another classic day out that we will remember for a long time!

Rocket heading back to the car before another heavy shower on a stormy day in May.

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NATIONAL CHAMBAL SANCTUARY

Indian Skimmer sunset, Chambal River

WE HAD TWO CRUISES ON THE WONDERFUL CHAMBAL RIVER again this time and these were the most productive photo sessions of the whole tour with some of us taking well over 2,000 photos per day of numerous different subjects. The highlight of a cruise along the Chambal River is undoubtedly an encounter with the second largest crocodile in the world, the long-snouted Gharial (second only to the monstrous Saltwater Crocodile). We saw plenty of them including a few large-nosed males, amongst the more widespread Marsh Mugger crocodiles. The National Chambal Sanctuary was declared in 1978, mostly to protect this critically endangered, fish-eating crocodile. Named after the Nepalese word ‘ghara’ meaning earthenware pot, referring to the enlarged growth on the end of the snout of mature males, which can grow to six metres long and one tonne in weight. There are fewer than 400 breeding pairs left in its remaining range, a mere 2% of its former distribution, which used to include Pakistan, Burma and the Brahmaputra. A truly magnificent animal! We also had some really bonkers close encounters with a huge Marsh Mugger Crocodile, which thankfully decided not to join us in our boats.

Marsh Mugger, Chambal River

Gharials enjoying late afternoon sunshine, Chambal River

Another major attraction here is the endangered Ganges River Dolphin and the encounter we had this year was easily my best so far, with numerous semi-breaches and I even managed a (albeit record) shot of one this time. They seem to favour the same deep section of the river that I have seen them in year after year, downstream of a couple of river islands and upstream of a large meander, just as they are supposed to. These creatures face a range of threats from pollution to water development projects, hunting (Ganges and Brahmaputra) and entanglement in fishing gear but happily they continue to flourish in the Chambal River.

Another brief glimpse of a Ganges River Dolphin, Chambal River

A rich variety of wildlife can still be found on the Chambal, including pretty much all of the characteristic species of the large slow-flowing rivers of the Gangetic drainage system that were once found all over northern India. It is like stepping back in time and other relics included Red-naped Ibis, Comb Duck, Black-bellied and River Terns. Also here were: flotillas of Bar-headed Geese grazing on the weed in the river; Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans and the impressive Pallas’s Gull from Central Asia, Ruddy Shelduck, paired up and a couple of Golden Jackals on the prowl. We also photographed a pair of nesting Pied Kingfishers; a crazy Striated Heron perched on one of the abandoned pontoons that allowed approach to almost within touching distance plus a furtive Brown Crake along the nearby riverbank.

Great Thick-Knees, Chambal River

As the sun was setting on our evening cruise we finally caught up with another major target here, the amazing Indian Skimmer, with its ‘snapped-off’ shorter upper mandible, bouncy flight and even living up to its name with a little skimming. There was only a pair this time, however, we were relieved to see them at all once we knew skimmers had not been seen for around 10 days and lots of folks had gone home disappointed lately. Although the light was fading fast by now, they even arranged themselves in the reflections of the orange sun on the water – FANTASTIC STUFF!

Indian Skimmer, Chambal River

Once the thick morning mist had cleared our next cruise also afforded several opportunities to photograph some attractive River Lapwings (now a threatened bird of the Indian Subcontinent’s large slow-flowing rivers) and the peculiar Great Thick-knee. A 960km long tributary of the filthy River Yamuna, the Chambal River has evaded development and its inevitable pollution owing to the river being considered unholy! The river reputed to have been cursed by a princess as well as carried the blood of thousands of sacrificed cows, ironically saving it from the even worse fate that has befallen the other rivers around it. Our very pleasant lodge near the Chambal was as delightful as ever and a wonderful evening meal here was followed after dark by some Common Palm Civet photography in the lodge gardens. In daytime there are usually some interesting birds in the near vicinity and this year’s visit again resulted in some good photo opportunities of Spotted Owlet. We were sorry to head back north to the bright lights of Agra, then Delhi via the bizarre empty new Yamuna expressway and the next stop on our tour, the ‘Kipling Country’ of Madhya Pradesh state.

Striated Heron on an old pontoon, Chambal River

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THE DEMOISELLE CRANES OF KHICHAN

A Demoiselle Crane comes in to land in a packed feeding compound at Khichan.

KHICHAN IN RAJASTHAN IS KNOWN LOCALLY AS 'THE PARADISE OF THE CRANES'. Once in position early next morning, on the rooftop of one of the houses overlooking the famous walled crane-feeding compound, masala chai and biscuits to hand, the first of several thousand cranes started to appear on the horizon. Each morning the cranes alight on open ground around the town until they are almost all assembled and then their leader of the past few years (at least) ‘broken-leg’ decides it is safe to land. This amazing creature has migrated across the Himalayas at least four times since I last saw him/her with a dangling leg creating what must be an incredible drag on an already exhausting migration. ‘Broken leg’ circles the compound several times before landing, this time despite a daring feral moggy that was trying to catch the pigeons, which are also attracted to the free meal of grain. Eventually the cranes are more or less all crammed inside the compound, jostling for position to eat the grain put down for them by the Jain villagers, a practice that has continued here for over 150 years (the grain is now put down in the evening after the cranes have departed for their roosting grounds and it is ready for them immediately in the morning). Their elongated secondary plumes forming interesting patterns as they fed. Images alone do not do justice without the whirring of wings overhead and the deafening cacophony of the excited cranes. Whilst ‘paradise’ is wide of the mark, the cranes of Khichan are certainly one of the most amazing ornithological spectacles of the world. As always it was time to leave all too soon and make our way to Jodhpur from where, following an unsuitable flight schedule change, we had a long and rather grim drive along a so-called highway to Delhi, ready to start the next stage of our Indian adventure.

Demoiselle Crane, Khichan

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