Sultanpur National Park, New Delhi, January 2012

Dutch New Year burst upon us with a barrage of glitter bombs, sparklers and apple cake. The celebrations of the KLM crew were likely to outshine the attempts of the British trying to sing a traditional Scottish song to which no-one actually knows the words, so I took the opportunity for a quick lie down before heading out to Sultanpur National Park. As it happens, I was disturbed a short while later, by a full-throated roar to the tune of Auld Lang Syne from the airline party room 4 floors up. Well done chaps!

Given my track record, I had foolishly left a few issues unresolved and had 3 things to worry about this New Year’s morning. Would the car arrive? I had tried to book a car on-line, but had not received any confirmation. Would the sanctuary be open on New Year’s morning? Would the fog lift? There had been fog inside the terminal building and the hotel lobby when we arrived! Would the driver know the way (OK, so that’s 4 things to worry about, but Indian drivers often confuse the ability to ask directions at the roadside with actual knowledge of the route)?

Perhaps my luck is changing in anticipation of a great year ahead because just before 06.00 Jasvinder Singh arrived with the car and confirmed that he did indeed know the way. We arrived just over an hour later after having to stop only three times to ask the way, but found the gates firmly locked. Luckily another birder/photographer was already waiting and confirmed that the park would open as soon as the gatekeeper woke up. Shortly after, a couple of men arrived on a motorbike and one jumped over the gate, woke the guard by poking him with a stick through the grille and moments later, we were in.

I joined the other photographer, Vinay Chand and he led me along the lakeside to a spit which juts out into the lake and can be seen at Google Earth ref; 28 27 43N 76 53 18E. The fog had not lifted unfortunately but it was still possible to see out across the lake through the murk. Small island mounds were proving very popular with the wildfowl and in particular, the Bar-headed Geese which Vinay was hoping to photograph today. I am sure that his pictures will be atmospheric, while mine just turned out grainy and grey.

Out on the water ducks included Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, and Eurasian Teal. An Intermediate Egret stalked the shallow weedy margins with Common Coot and Common Moorhens. A Common Snipe flushed and I was able to get my first ever picture of one in flight.

On a couple of occasions the mist thinned. Vinay was confident that the sun would come out soon and burn it all away, but sadly his optimism was misplaced. A flock of Painted Storks could just be made out on the far side of the lake and occasionally one would appear, pterodactyl-like from the mist.

We returned to the path that runs around the lake and began retracing our steps towards the entrance. Dry woodland surrounds part of the lake attracting birds such as Black Redstart, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Indian Peafowl. We were concentrating on the lake and found Little Grebe, Purple Swamphen and Little Cormorant as we continued along the path and back past the entrance. Vinay told me that this part of the park was less visited and the birds appeared to be more wary.

Spot-billed Ducks and Comb Ducks were quick to move away from the bank as we appeared through the gloom Even the Greylag Geese were quick to take flight. Rose-ringed Parakeets and Tree Pipits were seen in the woodland to our left as we rounded the northern part of the Lake.

We were headed for another spit which can be seen at Google Earth ref; 28 27 51N 76 53 33E. Vinay was hoping to find some good photo opportunities with Pied Kingfishers and Crested Serpent Eagle. I am still unsure what the large birds of prey that we saw outlined in the distance were, though I was able to confirm a Booted Eagle, seen later, by its “headlights” on a photograph when I got home.

The nesting colony, or “village” as Vinay preferred, of Painted Storks can be seen from this point. On a day such as this, it was an unimpressive sight and the grey, drab juveniles looked wraith-like in the low light.

A Plain Prinia showed in the rushes along the spit and at last I was able to get a clear photograph of something. The mist had thinned, but the light was still poor by the time I had to leave. A Black-necked Stork in the distance could be seen at the top of a tree, watching over its nest and its brooding mate.

Away from the lake during the journey home, the air quality improved somewhat. A Hoopoe was seen on the wall at the entrance. Cattle Egrets and Indian Black Ibis were seen in the fields and Black-necked Stilt could be found in even the dirtiest of puddles.

Birds Seen; 68

Little Grebe 8, Great Cormorant 20, Little Cormorant 40, Oriental Darter 10, Grey Heron 5, Purple Heron 1, Great Egret 4, Intermediate Egret 2, Little Egret 3, Cattle Egret 150, Indian Pond Heron 6, Painted Stork 70, Black-necked Stork 2, Black-headed Ibis 6, Indian Black Ibis 2, Eurasian Spoonbill 1, Greylag Goose 300, Bar-headed Goose 250, African Comb Duck 30, Gadwall 200, Eurasian Teal 400, Spot-billed Duck 30, Northern Pintail 60, Northern Shoveler 100, Tufted Duck 3, Black-shouldered Kite 1, Black Kite 10, Shikra 1, Booted Eagle 1, Common Kestrel 1, Grey Francolin 1, Indian Peafowl 3, White-breasted Waterhen 3, Purple Swamphen 3, Common Moorhen 25, Common Coot 60, Black-winged Stilt 12, Red-watttled Lapwing 12, Common Snipe 3, Common Greenshank 1, Common Sandpiper 2, Eurasian Collared Dove 1, Rose-ringed Parakeet 40, Greater Coucal 3, White-throated Kingfisher 10, Pied Kingfisher 4, Hoopoe 1, Plain Martin 15, Barn Swallow 20, Tree Pipit, White Wagtail 1, Red-vented Bulbul 3, Orange-headed Thrush 1, Oriental Magpie Robin 2, Indian Robin 2, Black Redstart 8, Plain Prinia 12, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Red-breasted Flycatcher 3, Jungle Babbler 12, Purple Sunbird 1, Isabelline Shrike 12, Black Drongo 20, House Crow 150, Large-billed Crow 15, Bank Myna 6, Common Myna 25, Asian Pied Starling 2.

 Sultanpur is approximately 50 Kms from New Delhi and the drive should take about an hour. Normal street taxis may have difficulty crossing the state line (perhaps a special licence is required or maybe heavy tax is payable, but drivers seem reluctant to try for whatever reason). A private car should be used and a price set with waiting time for the driver taken into account. 2 years ago a negotiated price from a private hire company was Rs1200 with 3 hours waiting. On this occasion I booked ahead with www.uniqueindiatour.com (good driver, good car and punctual). Considering that I was unlikely to be able to find a car on the street at 06.00 on New Year’s morning, the price of Rs2500 was not unreasonable (all tolls and taxes were included, but 5% for using Paypal was additonal).

** Amendment; as at November 2013, the gate times have changed. The sanctuary opens between 09.00 and 16.30. It is closed on Tuesdays.
A metered cab cost IR2700 + IR 100 for tolls. **

Other posts from Sultanpur NP and other sites near New Delhi can be found by following the links below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2009/10/sultanpur-new-delhi-india.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/02/tughluqabad-fort-new-delhi.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/04/mercury-had-passed-40c-in-new-delhi.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/08/tughlaqabad-fort-new-delhi-india.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2011/02/kalindi-kunj-crescent.html

Visit the dedicated India Page for posts from the rest of India.

Kalindi Kunj Crescent.

Kalindi Kunj Crescent is a made up name for a spit of land, shaped like an agricultural hook, protruding upstream from the dam across the river Yamuna in New Delhi, India.

Things are never as easy as they should be when hiring taxis on the sub-continent and the problem on this occasion was that the bridge crossing the dam led out of New Delhi and into Uttar Pradesh State. Taxis are not allowed to cross state lines without a special licence, under pain of fine and my driver refused to embark on such a disreputable act. It was easy enough to walk the 600m to the crescent and birds were apparent straight away. Birding from the bridge might have been productive, but cyclists and pedestrians thronged the narrow walkway making it impractical, if not downright dangerous.

Once on the crescent, the noise of the traffic died away and I didn’t see another person until I returned to the bridge. One of the early birds was a small flock of Jungle Babblers. Out on the river, floating mats of weed held Purple Swamphens and Indian Pond Herons. Islands have formed and provided roosting opportunities for European Spoonbills, Black-tailed Godwits and plenty of waterfowl.

G.L. had mentioned Bar-headed Goose from his recent visit here. They did not show today, but were made up for by Greylag and Ruddy Shelduck. The ducks included Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal and Spot-billed Duck.

In the early morning, the crescent allows a good view of the islands to the west, but without the scope, I wouldn’t have picked out the Ruff, River Lapwing or the White-tailed Lapwing.

The crescent itself is a raised path lined with trees and bushes. For the first 300 m or so, the west side has reeds and rank vegetation alongside. I imagine that the appearance of this changes with the seasons and the river level. Google Earth shows huge mats of weed, as much as 200m wide, held back by the barrage. Today, the weed was minimal in comparison.

There is a low wall with a metal fence which shows that the spit is supposed to be here rather than just being an island formed by an agglomeration of weed over the years. This Indian Robin and a Bluethroat favoured the wall and the railing as somewhere to hang out.

In the lower trees were Lesser Whitethroat, Common Tailorbird and Yellow-bellied Prinia. A tiny Phyloscopus sp kept me busy for a while until I decided upon Greenish Warbler.

House Crows are always abundant in New Delhi, and the crescent seemed to have its fair share. They were very noisy this morning and appeared to be following me and calling to mark me out as a threat.

A Spotted Owlet flushed from a low tree ahead and distracted the attention of the crows for a while. The owl looked very discomfited to be attracting so much fuss and dropped onto one of the crows in an effort to shoo it away. Asian Pied Starlings joined in with the mobbing as did a Blyth’s Reed Warbler and a Three-striped Squirrel.

Yellow-bellied Prinias were common all along the length of the spit and were quite confiding and accomodating  in response to a pish.

 About half way along its 700m length, the crescent begins to hook around to the right (east).  A pair of Black Ibis flushed from the water’s edge. Towards the end of the spit, another island has formed and held Grey heron, Glossy ibis and Wood Sandpiper. As I turned around, a large dark shape in a tree caught my attention. It was a Crested Serpent Eagle, which gave me another short respite by taking the noisy crows with it as it flew.

I retraced my steps to get back to the bridge, heading home. As I passed the spot where the owls had been earlier, I stopped to watch the warblers and try to get a few more pictures. An Orange-headed Thrush suddenly appeared in a nearby bush and just as quickly, it was gone.

The river here is quite smelly and the crows were intrusive into what would otherwise have been a very pleasant morning. The birding was productive with over 60 species seen. I had asked my driver to wait for me at the car park at the end of the bridge. This involved a walk of 1.2kms in order to find him again, which was a bit of a drag. It cost IR700 for the return journey and 4 hours waiting.

There were other taxis and tuk-tuks that crossed the bridge as I was walking. In future, if my taxi does not hold the required licence, I will just get him to drop me and use one of the other cabs to get across the bridge.

Downstream, a few sandy islands wallowed in the river like a bather in a bubblebath. From my biology field-trip to a sewage farm at the age of twelve, I recall that foam at the outfall is an indication that the water is clean. There must have been a qualifier to that but I don't remember what it was. The islands held a few River Lapwing and were reported to harbour Small Pratincole further downstream.

Bird species; 63

Great Cormorant 1, Little Cormorant 3, Grey Heron 15, Purple Heron 2, Great Egret 1, Intermediate Egret 3, Cattle Egret 1, Indian Pond Heron 30, Painted Stork 1, Black-headed Ibis 1, Indian Black Ibis 8, Glossy Ibis 15, Eurasian Spoonbill 2, Greylag Goose 40, Ruddy Shelduck 8, African Comb Duck 6, Eurasian Wigeon 500, Gadwall 20, Eurasian Teal 12, Spot-billed Duck 12, Northern Shoveler 500, Black Kite 150, Crested Serpent Eagle 1, White-breasted Waterhen 1, Purple Swamphen 80, Common Moorhen 6, Common Coot 400, Black-winged Stilt 300, Pied Avocet 14, River Lapwing 8, Red-wattled Lapwing 25, White-tailed Lapwing 2, Black-tailed Godwit 15, Common Greenshank 1, Wood Sandpiper 4, Common Sandpiper2, Ruff 60, Yellow-legged Gull 2, Black-headed Gull 2, Eurasian Collared Dove 2, Rose-ringed Parakeet 1, Greater Coucal 2, Spotted Owlet 2, White-throated Kingfisher 3, Hoopoe 3, Plain Martin 8, Red-vented Bulbul 3,  Orange-headed Thrush 1, Bluethroat 1, Indian Robin 2, Yellow-bellied Prinia 8, Common Tailorbird 3, Lesser Whitethroat 6, Blyth’s Reed Warbler 1, Greenish Warbler 1, Red-breasted Flycatcher 2, Jungle Babbler 5, Purple Sunbird 2, Black Drongo 3, Rufous Treepie 2, House Crow 200, Common Myna 8, Asian Pied Starling 12.

Mammal species; 3

Three-striped Squirrel 8, Nilgai 3, Common Mongoose 1.

Merauli Archaeological Park, New Delhi, DEL

The mercury had passed 40C in New Delhi this week as the pressure builds in anticipation of the south-west monsoon. As soon as I stepped out from the taxi at Mehrauli Archaeological Park, I could hear the familiar hoot of the Coppersmith Barbet and further on, the resonant trill of the Brown-headed Barbet.

Since the day was already well advanced when we arrived in New Delhi, I needed to find somewhere close by, so I opted for the park that I had seen from the bus on the journey from the airport.

As ever in an Indian city, House Crows, Black Kites and Rose-ringed Parakeets were very obvious.

Also very common here were Jungle Babblers which glided between feeding opportunities, They were occasionally joined by Brahminy Starlings.

Indian Robins and 3-striped squirrels kept up a constant chattering soundtrack.

As one might infer from the name, Mehrauli Archaeological Park is blessed with architectural antiquities many of which have been restored. One might almost expect Baloo the bear and King Louis to come dancing round a corner at any moment.

There were no maps or signs that meant anything to me, so I just investigated bird calls and followed my nose.

Close to the Indian Nursery flower market, some Indian Peafowl flushed from a thicket and flew up on to the crenellations of the nearest ruin.

In an open area, Indian Silverbill (White-throated Munia) were feeding from seed heads.

Some Jungle Babblers and a Rufous Treepie flushed from the top of a crumbling gatehouse, while a Black Redstart picked insects from a small bush sprouting from the decaying brickwork.

Beyond the gatehouse, a set of steep, terraced steps took me up and on to a wide open area with a wonderful view of Qut’b Minar.

Red-wattled Lapwings were feeding in the sparse grass and Brown Rock Chats flitted among the fallen masonry.

Then it was time for the star of the show to make his entrance. I say “he”, but confess that I do not know if there is a way to differentiate between the sexes of Spotted Owlets. He flew into a tree close by.

The tree was rooted further down a slope and I was on the top level of the terraces which afforded me a perfect eye-level view, the best seat in the house.

Like a seasoned performer the owlet proceeded to work through his repertoire of expressions.

This one was “surprise”.

Here we have “angelic”.

“Grumpy”

and “playful”.

Then a second owlet appeared in an adjacent tree and the performer left the stage. The show was over and they flew off together and left me to my applause.

I had nearly completed an eccentric circle when I came across a busy birdy spot close to the Jamali Kamali Tomb.

Black Redstarts, Purple Sunbirds, Jungle Babblers and a

Red-breasted Flycatcher (thank you to Rajneesh Suvarna) made an exciting after-show party.

The 72.5meter Qut’b Minar dominates the horizon in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, acting as a reference point and allowing one to wander aimlessly without getting lost (bear in mind however that it is a round tower and looks the same from every angle).

Sometimes going by the popular name pf Jamali Kamali (near Lado Serai), the park offers 100 acres of light woodland and ancient ruins within 5 minutes of New Delhi Sheraton Hotel. It is open from sunrise ‘til sunset and was quiet on this Easter Saturday morning. It did not appear to attract early morning walkers in the same way that other Indian city parks do.

It is a delightful place to visit for a walk or even a picnic if you do not want to watch the birds and squirrels and I would urge anyone to do so. Check the following links for a described tour of the park and it’s archaeological heritage. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/aagc/Mehrauli_archeological_park.pdf

Birders may find the last two paragraphs of the above piece interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehrauli

Bird species; 31

Cattle Egret 2, Black Kite 10, Tawny Eagle 1, Indian Peafowl 7, Red-wattled Lapwing 2, Eurasian Collared Dove 15, Laughing Dove 6, Rose-ringed Parakeet 30, Spotted Owlet 2, Little Green Bee-eater 2, Hoopoe 2, Brown-headed Barbet 6, Coppersmith Barbet 1, Black-rumped Flameback 1, Red-whiskered Bulbul 2, Red-vented Bulbul 6, Indian Blue Robin 6, Oriental Magpie Robin 6, Black Redstart 2, Brown Rockchat 4, Yellow-bellied Prinia 1, Lesser Whitethroat 2, Red-breasted Flycatcher 1, Jungle Babbler 50, Purple Sunbird 6, Rufous Treepie 2, House Crow 100, Common Myna 25, Brahminy Starling 8, House Sparrow 4, White-throated Munia 4.

For the sake of completeness, a few species were seen en-route and in the city which I did not encounter in the park. These were;

Bird species; 6

Shikra 1, Greater Coucal 1, House Swift 30, White-throated Kingfisher 1, Black Drongo 1, Bank Myna 3.

Merauli Archaeological Park, New Delhi, DEL, India

Tughlaqabad Fort, New Delhi

This is a quick retrospective of a trip to Tughlaqabad Fort in New Delhi, posted in response to a request for information. This is a very easy trip and can be enjoyed with just a couple of hours.

The fort is surrounded by huge red rock walls up to 15m high. Within these ramparts is a wide expanse of relative calm. Constant efforts to restore it cannot keep pace with the fact that it is almost 700 years old.

Rocks and rubble are strewn around the citadel part of the ruin while the vast majority of the enclosed area has reverted to scrub. Brown Rockchats loved the rocks, obviously, so did the White-fronted Kingfisher. The scrubby areas hosted Indian Robin, Little Green Bee-eaters, Ashy and Rufous-fronted Prinias.

More open tracts of ground would have Yellow-wattled and Red-wattled Lapwings, Laughing Doves and various mynas.

It is located 6 kms from ITC New Delhi Sheraton and is easily reached by cab. A very modest entrance fee may be loaded by a western tourist charge and a camera charge, both extras are minimal. There are no facilities available here and little if any shade.

Tughlaqabad Fort, New Delhi, DEL, India

Sultanpur, New Delhi, India

The tranquillity of Sultanpur National Park seemed quite surreal after two and a half hours in the chaos and mayhem that is New Delhi traffic. Strikes and civil disobedience had brought the roads to a standstill while the police and cattle watched, bemused.
Sanjay, my driver for the afternoon was determined to get me to Sultanpur and cut across fields and even through someone’s garden to gain some positive forward movement. Finally with a big sigh of accomplishment, he pulled into the car park at 15.00.
Normally, the journey would take around one and a half hours from the city. Entrance fees are IR75 for a non-Indian with a camera. Sanjay and his car cost IR1200 for the return trip and a 3 hour wait.
Inside the park, it was wonderfully quiet apart from an hysterical man who wanted to take me to see some snakes.
But I had already spotted the first photo opportunity of the day and was aiming my brand new Canon 50D at a dragonfly. For more on the camera and the dragonfly, see the parallel post on http://www.redgannetsdragonflies.blogspot.com/

Sultanpur Jheel was wet. While this may appear to state the obvious, the lake only holds water for part of the year. It fills up during the southwest monsoon between June and September, but with no further supply, levels start to recede as soon as the rains finish. It is often dry by March.

It is shallow with wide marshy margins and a few islands with nesting trees for storks, herons and cormorants.
Waterbirds take advantage of the lake during it’s season and had already started arriving in good numbers by the time of my visit in the second week of October. Duck were well represented with 4000-6000 birds on the water and roosting on the islands. I counted 8 species of duck.

The Comb Duck stood out at a distance, but I didn’t spot the Ferruginous Ducks until I sat down and had a good hard scan. There was a White-breasted Waterhen beneath the overhanging vegetation on one of the islands and a few coots, moorhens and Indian Swamphens.
Purple Herons had obviously had a good year with at least 6 young birds feeding amongst the high water grasses. Other herons included Great, Intermediate, Little and Cattle Egrets and a roosting Black-crowned Night Heron. Across the water a white expanse came into focus as Black-headed Ibis and Painted Storks. 2 woolly-necked Storks flew over, but I didn’t see them settle.
A feature of Sultanpur is the Nilgai antelope. Some were grazing amongst the tall grasses and sedges surrounding the water. They appear to have no qualms about the water and will readily cross to the sanctuary of the islands. The females retain their caramel brown through adulthood while the males progressively develop a slaty grey colour as they mature and go by the name of Blue Bulls.
I was eager to test the 15.1 million pearl-plated pixels of my new camera and tried the picture of the Nilgai females which were 400m away. It has been cropped to make the animals the subject of the picture and I think the camera did quite well from that distance.
I am sure it was a nice day with blue skies, but this picture of the painted storks says otherwise. It was possibly a white balance error on my part.A narrow spit allowed me to get closer to the water, but I still could not approach closer than about 200m. Black Drongo

A blockhouse, in the trees away from the lake, often holds Spotted Owlet, but they were not to be seen today. Instead a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher flitted through the trees and a Black Redstart pumped it's tail on a nearby fence.
I must confess that the birding took second place today. I am easily sidetracked at the best of times. Today with the moist margins full of dragonflies and the added distraction of a new camera, I was like an alcoholic at a wine fair; trying everything with abandon, not worrying what it was. So I got a few nice pictures, but not of birds. I did get a bad picture of a Plaintive Cuckoo, the Grey-bellied Cuckoo is the race over most of peninsular India. I had seen a cuckoo earlier as it flew over, but could not count such a poor view. Only when I returned from the narrow spit did I get an adequate look at it in the top of a large bush.
Three youths had paddled out through the reeds into the water grasses closest to the water. They all carried cutting hooks and appeared to be harvesting the long grass, probably for cattle feed in the village. They were in the foreground when the birds spooked and the whole lakeful of duck took to the air. It is possible that a raptor was in the vicinity, but I didn’t see it.
Returning to the car, I encountered a small troupe of Rhesus Macaque, one of whom decided that the apple core in the netting part of my rucksack should be shared with him.
The light was almost gone by 18.00, but my last sidetrail of the day proved the most exciting. A Shikra flew out from low down in a tree and seconds later a Jungle Cat flushed from almost beneath my feet. I just had time to register the long legs and short tail with 3 dark rings at the end. Luckily, it stopped a few meters down the path and looked back. The Jungle cat is bigger than the domestic moggy and lives wild across India. I had seen them before, but had never managed to get a picture of one.

Bird Species 45

Oriental Darter 1, Purple Heron 8,Great Egret 1, Intermediate Egret 3, Little Egret 1, Cattle Egret 30,Black-crowned Night Heron 3, Painted Stork35, Woolly-necked Stork 2, Black-headed Ibis 80, Comb Duck 220, Eurasian Teal 1500, Mallard 600, Spot-billed Duck 140, Northern Pintail 500, Garganey 600, Northern Shoveller 1000, Ferruginous Duck 4, Black Kite40, Shikra 1, Grey Francolin 1, Indian Peafowl 5, White-breasted Waterhen 1, Indian Swamphen 2, Common Moorhen 15, Common Coot 6, Red-wattled Lapwing 8, Eurasian Collared Dove 12, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon 8, Rose-ringed Parakeet 6, Grey-bellied Cuckoo 1, Greater Coucal 1,House Swift 12, White-throated Kingfisher 3, Indian Roller 1, Indian Hornbill 2, Coppersmith Barbet 5, Red-vented Bulbul 4, Black Redstart 2, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher 2, Jungle Babbler 6, Black Drongo 4, House Crow 30, Bank Myna 12, Common Myna 30

Mammal Species 3

Nilgai 22, Jungle Cat 1, Rhesus Macaque 14

Sultanpur, New Delhi, DEL, India