KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK,BHARATPUR IN IMAGES-3

Here are some more photos from Ghana Bird Sanctuary…

 

LORD SHIV TEMPLE IN THE SANCTUARY

A PLAQUE DECLARING THE STATUS OF THE PARK AS A WORLD HERITAGE SITE

 

PARAKEET

BLACK SHOULDERED KITE

 

 

COOTS

 

PAINTED STORK

 

 

 

 

BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY (BNHS)

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KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK,BHARATPUR IN IMAGES-2

MONGOOSE

As you can gather from the last post that I have just returned from a visit to the Ghana Bird Sanctuary. It was a long day well spent. The point of these posts is to motivate you too to visit the park if you have any interest in the natural world. Because I personally feel that wildlife is going to get rare sooner than later.   And if you are living near Jaipur-Agra-Delhi-Bharatpur then it is done as easy as it is said. If like me you do not want the hassle of staying in a hotel, just go for a day visit. The park is open from 6am to 6pm, so pick your time. You also have a choice of mode of transport in the park, namely cycle rickshaw, tonga, bi-cycles, walking & electric van. Once you are inside the sylvan world of the park you will be hooked. If you are a novice it is a good idea to take along a field guide or hire a cycle rickshaw whose driver can point out the flora & fauna & the birds.Remember to bring along a camera with a good lens, besides binoculars & field guides, as these birds etc are living in a natural habitat & may be shy of the visitors.

A few do’s & don’ts while visiting the park.

Do not litter or smoke in the park or talk loudly or feed the birds.Keep safe distance from animals.

Here are some more pictures from the last days visit.

MONKEY

ARID AREA

TERMITE HILL

THE TRAIL

KINGFISHER

 

 

HOOPOE

 

 

 

 

 

PAINTED STORK

BLACK DRONGO

 

PADDY BIRD

WATER BODY

 

 

MONITOR LIZARD FEMALE

 

BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCITY (BNHS)

 

KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK,

BHARATPUR,

T.91-5644-222777

dirkeoladeo @ gmail.com

KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK,BHARATPUR IN IMAGES

Keoladev National Park is the official name of the Ghana Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. The national park is named after a Lord Shiv temple in the park by the same name & ‘Ghana’ refers to dense forest cover. It is spread over 29 sq.kms. Prince Harbhanji of Morvi State in Gujarat developed the area as a duck hunting preserve for the Maharaja of Bharatpur in his tenure as an administrator of Bharatpur in 1899. He actively had constructed bandhs & dykes   to hold water to create marshes to attract the birds from far & near. The Bharatpur Maharaja handed over the sanctuary to the Rajasthan Government in 1956 to be run as a bird sanctuary & it was declared a National Park in 1981 &  a Word Heritage Site in 1985 by UNESCO.

TIME LINE (Click to enlarge to read)

THE BAG & THE GUNS  (Click to enlarge to read)

Anytime is a good time to visit the park because there is some or the other activity going on in the park.

From July to September The water fowls are nesting & breeding.

From October To February Migratory birds are arriving.

From March to June Resident birds are nesting & breeding.

The sanctuary is near the Golden Triangle of Jaipur-Delhi-Agra so is very well connected by road & rail while the nearest airports are Jaipur & Agra & Delhi.

According to the official records there are diverse species of water fowl, plants, mammals, fish,snakes, lizards,geckos,turtles, butterflies & other various life forms. But first & foremost it teems with birds & their call. 374 species of birds have been recorded.

The park is open from 6am to 6 pm. You have various option in how you visit the park. You can hire a cycle rickshaw to take you around the park (The driver doubles up as a guide too) or cycles, tongas & naturalist guides or electric van for big groups.

ENTRANCE TO THE PARK & THE CYCLE RICKSHAW STAND

PAINTED STORK

WATER BODY

POND HERON-PADDY BIRD

PAINTED STORK

SPOTTED DEER

THE PYTHON

PADDY BIRD IN FLIGHT

WATER SNAKE

SPOTTED DEER

ANTELOPE

BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY (BNHS)

A Birding Fair in Jaipur

From the left Mr.Ashok Singhvi,Ramana Athreya,discoverer of a new species of bird called Bugun Liocichla at the Eaglenest Sanctury and Mr Subhash Uppal at the 12th Birding Fair.

On 6th & 7th February 2009, The Tourism and wildlife Society of India(TWSI) organized the 12th annual birding fair at the Man Sagar Lake,Jaipur.The theme is “Communities in Conservation”.

Ramana Athreya,from Pune,Tom Jones and Rajkumari Jones from UK,and about a dozen representatives from Keoladeo National Park,all avid bird watchers were present.

Mr.Athreya discovered a new species of bird in 2006 and named it Bugun Liocichla.Mr.Tom Jones takes care of the shore birds at Anglesey Island in North Wales.Ms.Rajkumari Jones chairs the squirrel protection group in UK.

The event was  sponsored by WWF, SBBJ, Bombay Natural History Society and Jal Mahal Resorts (P) Ltd. among others.

This was  one more of the Society’s and the authorities ongoing efforts to develop the Man sagar Lake area into a haven for the migratory birds visiting Jaipur.Recently the Forest Department has  proposed to declare  the area as the first protected area of Jaipur  instead of  a reserve and to develop the area as a tourist spot with horse safari,nature trail,dear park etc.

Extensive renovation has been going on at the Jal mahal itself for some time now.

This 250 year old lake is a natural habitat for about 150 local and migratory birds.