Trip Report – Thar
Desert (covering Tal Chhapar, Jorbeed, Karni Mata Temple, Kheechan and DNP)
Day one – 12 Dec
2015 (Saturday)
Drove from Delhi in
the morning on Delhi-Jaipur highway, thick fog. Took a left turn at Neem Ka
Thana for Seekar. Reached Taal Chhapar
before the sunset. Barheaded Geese, Imperial Eagle, Black Bucks, White-eared
Bulbuls, Grey Francolins, Variable Wheatears, Common Hoopoes, Southern Grey
Shrike, Indian Rollers, Lesser Whitethroats, Red-naped Ibises, House Sparrows,
Small Minivets from the road.
Night stay at
Forest Rest House being run by private contractors (who have no interest in
birds – Sharad Shreedhar was an happy exception in the past). Sh Surat Singh
Poonia was very helpful. Meals made by
FRH is below average though expensive, without any Rajasthani flavor.
Day Two – 13 Dec
2015 (Sunday)
Drive on the well
laid down dirt tracks inside the sanctuary was a joy. Vast expanse of the dried
up grass carpet was a light golden ocean waving in good breeze and sunlight.
Spent more than 7 hours inside and drove
back to the FRH for night stay.
Birds – several
flocks of Greater Short-toed Larks, possibly Asian Short-toed Larks with a few
Bimaculated Larks, Southern Grey Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Desert Wheatears,
Isabelline Wheatears, Variable Wheatears (two races), Paddyfield Pipits,
Long-tailed Pipits, Tawny Pipits, Egyptian Vultures, Tawny Eagles, Steppe
Eagles, Laggar Falcons, Common Kestrel, Lesser Whitethroats, Kashmir Flycatcher
(Harkirat Singh Sangha was doubtful
about its ID), Cinereous Vultures, Montague’s Harrier, Marsh Harrier,
White-eared & Red-vented Bulbuls, House Sparrows, Indian Silverbills,
Common Babblers, Brahminy Mynas, Rosy Starlings and other common species.
Spotted Creeper is now famous for this area.
Efforts should be
made to encourage the local people whose houses are located between the road
and the sanctuary to provide Home Stay to the birders and other tourists.
Day Three – 14 Dec
2015 (Monday)
Left Tal Chhapar
and drove towards Bikaner (for Jorbeer) via Bidasar, stopping every now and
then for birding on way. Locals must be admired for feeding wild birds near all
temples small or big. Such a place was Benatha, where we saw huge concentration
of doves, pigeons, mynas, bulbuls, sparrows, babblers, peafowl feeding
together.
‘Ram Ram Sa’
written on roadside small dhaba attracted our attention and we relished hot
paramtha with curd (all home made by the owner). I request friends to encourage
such type of eateries.
Jorbeer Vulture
Conservation Area : reached by noon and the sky was full of vultures and
vultures, hundreds of them. The entire road from Camel Farm to Bhojanshala is
full of birds on both sides. We tried to find out Vinayak Guest House location
where we were expected to stay, but failed. Later one one Forest employee told
that the guest house was located in Bikaner and not near Jorbeer, so we spent
time till evening at Jorbeer and saw plenty of vultures and other raptors.
Birds : besides
usual wheatears and pipits, hundreds of Egyptian Vultures, Griffon Vultures, Cinereous
Vultures, Steppe Eagles, Tawny Eagles, possible a couple of Greater Spotted too
were busy in feeding on the dump. Red naped Ibises, egrets, Common Starlings
and Hoopoes were also enjoying. Plenty of stray dogs. Was told that when the
wintering raptors migrate back and leave the site, the dogs keep the field
clean of dead animals. Of course, Punjab Ravens too.
Drove towards Karni
Mata ka Temple.
Karni Mata Temple :
famous for rats, stayed at a hotel for night halt and relished ‘Bajre ke roti
with Saankhre ka saag’.
Day four – 15 Dec
15 (Tuesday)
Entered the mandir
and rats, thought the floor was icy cold, were slowly scampering everywhere.
Took rat-tasted Prasad. This happens only in India.
Jorbeer again –
drove back towards Bikaner and spent a few hours at Jorbeer, where we met and
interacted with Dr Anil Kumar Chhangwani and Ram Nath Kumawat with their
research team. Pale-eyed Pigeons too. Yellow-legged Gren Pigeons.
By noon time, drove
towards Kheechan.
Kheechan : reached
in the afternoon, sunny day, were thrilled to see thousands of Demoiselle
Cranes resting along the water reservoir. Keshav Raj (incharge of tickets and
safety of the cranes) was very informative about these cranes. A few wintering
ducks in the reservoir.
Reached Sevaramji’s
house opposite to Chugga Ghar. Such a cheerful and expressive person. He kept
us enthralled by his a to z knowledge about the cranes and history of the
place. Stayed at his place for the night.
Day Five – 16 Dec
2015 (Wednesday)
Next day morning,
by 9 AM, Demoiselle Cranes started arriving. The sky was full of them. The
atmosphere was reverberating with their calls. What a sight! Scores of bird
lovers reached the roof of Sevaramji’s house and he was offering them tea, free
of cost. He accepts donations though. We were free by 11.30 AM. We left
Kheechan for Desert National Park. Sevaramji has one room with two beds and
attached toilet .. basic amenities only, but he is planning to build more
rooms. People can stay at a nearby Kurja Resort.
Reached Khuri by
evening and night stayed at Khuri Fort resort. Food has Rajasthani flavor,
though not many tourists.
Day Six – 17th
Dec 2015 (Thursday)
Drove towards
Sudasari. Cream-coloured Coursers, a pair of Great Indian Bustards,
Black-crowned Finch-larks, swarms of larks including Great Short-toed and
Bimaculated, Desert Larks, could be more lark species too but we were short of
time. Three Punjab Ravens, wheatears were fairly common, and so were Tawny
Pipits.
Drove back via Sam
sand-dunes to Jaisalmer and from there to Philodi-Kheechan and by 8 PM reached
Nagaur. Night stay.
Day Seven – 18th
Dec 2015 (Friday)
From Nagaur, our
destination was Pushkar Teerth. Reached there and spent some time. Darshan at
Brahmaji’s temple. At Ajmer, bowed to the Dargah Shareef. The large jheel was a
joy to watch. Drove towards Sambhar lake.
Sambhar Lake : 3
Common Shelducks, dozen of Flamingoes – Lesser as well Great. Other ducks, Pied
Avocets, 80-100 Painted Storks and equal number of Grey Herons. Unfortunately
there is no guest house or hotels in the vicinity so we had to drive towards
Jaipur for night stay.
Day eight – 19 Dec
15 (Saturday)
Drove back to
Delhi, the hell of traffic snarls.
Planning to be do
Desert trip again as soon as possible, for a longer duration.
