Keoladeo National Park is not visited by many people during the monsoon months. The purpose of my visit was to observe and photograph the rookery of herons and other birds such as spoonbills, storks, and cormorants. This is when herons and other birds breed on small islands in lakes or ponds within the national park. Other than this, there is a plethora of wildlife and wildlife activity around the park. For those who are really interested in wildlife photography, they should probably visit this place during the monsoon months. However, one must be aware that it would be extremely hot. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Birding
Bhadraj Nature Festival in Mussoorie
The Bhadraj nature festival was held in the Bhadraj area of Mussoorie on the 26th and 27th of April of this year. The festival was organized by Mr. Ajay Sharma, a renowned birding expert from Dehradun. This video captures the highlight of what took place in those two days and the various birds that had been spotted.
Chambal River Boat Safari
I had taken the overnight train from Dehradun to Bharatpur and on arrival at Bharatpur, I headed to Kiran Guesthouse which is run by Tarun Singh who is also a well experienced naturalist. After taking a short rest, we decided to head over to Chambal which was around a 2 hour drive. One needs to arrive at Dholpur to get an experience of doing the Chambal river boat safari. Safari costs are on the high side. We opted for a 4 hour boat safari. We were able to get good sightings of Gharials, Skimmers, Crocodiles and various other rare birds and amphibians. It was a bit late in season however despite that, we were able to get some really good sightings.
Wildlife Safari at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve
I first visited Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve this year in the last week of of June, and I had been planning to go here for quite a while now. The reserve came under Project Tiger in the year 1995. The main aim was not only to photograph tigers but also try to capture the other residents of the forest such as Gaur, wild boar etc. This park, which is located in the state of Maharashtra, is one of the best places in India to observe and photograph tigers.
Birding at Mangalajodi Wetlands
Mangalajodi is a great place for birding from the months of December to March mainly for migratory birds. I had visited this place during the month of February. It is less than two hours drive from Bhubaneshwar which is the capital city of Orissa. Mangalajodi is a village located at the Northern edge of Chilika Lake.
Wildlife Photography at Nandankanan Zoological Park
Nandankanan Zoological Park in my view is the best zoological park in India that I have visited so far. I had visited this place on 2 different days while in Bhubaneshwar and I feel it is a great place to capture great wildlife moments even though it is a zoological park. Even though it requires a lot of patience to capture that moment or being at the right place at the right time. This zoo houses a lot of mammals, but I was mainly focused on capturing Indian wildlife. I had used my Canon EOS R6 and Tamron EF 100-400mm f4.5-6.3 telephoto lens.
Sunday Safari at Mohand Range
I had been planning to visit Rajaji National Park for quite a few months and was wanting to do 2 or 3 safaris before the park closes. I came to know that there was a small group of wildlife enthusiasts organizing a safari at Mohand range that comes under Rajaji National Park. This is the nearest gate from Dehradun. I went on both the morning and evening jeep safaris. The morning was very well worth it as it was my first time to was able to capture it on camera as it walked across the road. The evening one was just okay even though we spotted some leopards but were not able to get a good photograph of them as they were shy in our presence.
Bird and Nature Photography at Sandwell Valley Country Park
Sandwell Valley Country Park is resident to a number of both water birds as well as woodland birds and small mammals. This park which is located in West Bromwich, England has a lot of birding activity and has a lot of open space from walking trails, open meadows, water bodies and areas of woodland. Here are some of my favourite captures over the past 8 years. I had used a number of different camera setups from starting with the Canon EOS 600D in 2014 to now using the Canon EOS R6.
Safari at Jim Corbett National Park in June
In June, I had visited Jim Corbett National Park. I had booked safaris for Bijrani, Jhirna, Garjia and Dhela zones as booking for these places were available a month in advance. I had stayed at Sparrow Nest Corbett Homestay for around 4 nights and done a total of 6 safaris. Everything was organized by Ramesh Suyal who is also the owner of the homestay. The trip from Dehradun to the homestay which is in Ramnagar took around 5 hours. I would recommend staying here for those who are planning to visit this national park as the meals are well cooked and feels like home.
A Few Days At Shuklaphanta National Park
To get to Shuklaphanta National Park, one has to take a short flight to the small town of Dhangadi which is located in the Western Nepal near the border of India. The park is located at a short distance from the airport. After arriving at Dhangadi, I took a cab to Shuklaphanta Jungle Cottage. This is a great place to stay right next to the main entrance of the park. Rooms are quite comfortable and food served here is well cooked and feels like home cooked food.