North India Birding Trip

North India Birding Trip

This 14 Days North India birding trip offers an incredible opportunity for serious bird watchers in the Northern Part of Indian sub-continent. This tour program opens up the gates to some rare exotic and native birds in their natural habitat. Although the trip mainly focuses on Birding but at the same time gives an opportunity of seeing Bengal Tiger, Asian Elephants and other wildlife during safaris at Jim Corbett National Park

Our North India Birding Trip starts with arrival in New Delhi and next day we travel to renowned Keoladeo Ghana National park (also known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary), one of best site on bird watching tour. This is a man made and managed wetland area home to 336 species of birds, and every year thousands of migratory birds visit the area for winter breeding. From Bharatpur a short drive takes us to Chambal.

The Chambal is one of India’s most pristine river and was declared as protected area. We’ll explore the River Chambal and its adjacent woodlands by boat, hoping to see Smooth-coated Otters, Gangetic River Dolphin, Indian Skimmer, 02 species of crocodile, 4 species of fresh water turtles and many varieties of birds. We then head further north towards the grassland of Corbett Tiger Reserve named after the well known hunter and author Jim Corbett. Its one of the oldest Project Tiger reserves in India with a bird list of 557 species including 18 globally threatened species, Corbett is a bird watchers paradise. From Corbett short drive towards the foothills of Himalayas to reach Pangoot. The spot is set in a beautiful landscape amazing landscape and boudoir of tranquility. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the oak and pine forests of the region.

After spending 02 nights at Pangoot another short drive to Sattal.

At the end we drive back to Delhi before catching flight back home with wonderful memories of this trip Birding tours India.

ITINERARY

Day 01:  Arrive Delhi & transfer to Hotel 

Arrive Delhi during the day time and you will be picked from the airport and transferred to your hotel, situated just 10 minutes drive from the airport. Remaining of the day is free to recover from Jet Lag.

Day – 02 – Delhi, drive to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (220 KMS/ 04.30 HRS)

In the morning after breakfast meet & greet in the hotel Lobby with rest of the group members and your Birding Guide (Harish Sharma). There will be a short Trip briefing after which we drive to Bharatpur. Arrive Bharatpur in the afternoon & check in hotel. After Lunch we are transferred to the entrance gate of Bharatpur bird sanctuary also known as Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, from where we will be taking cycle rickshaws for the visit to this place. The visit to this place is on Foot & Cycle Rickshaws.

The place is paradise for any kind of bird watcher around the world and is listed on the UNESCO list as world heritage site. The place is a staging ground for migratory Water Fowl before these fly off to their breeding grounds. The sanctuary is the shelter for many exotic species of birds that flock here every year. The Sarus Crane is one of the highlight of this park famed for its courtship dance. (Breakfast, lunch & Dinner)

Day – 03 – Bharatpur – Morning and Evening Visit to Park

Morning we will have another visit to the bird sanctuary to witness the morning bird life, which is very different from the previous evening. We come back to the hotel for breakfast after which we can have some rest. Post lunch in the late afternoon we will have our last visit to the park.

During the wet season thousands of cormorants, Painted Storks, Openbill Storks, Egrets and Herons nest in the tops of babul trees above the water and throughout the winter months.  In addition to this, Purple Swamphen, Bronze winged & Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Great Egret, Black necked Stork, Purple Heron, Night Heron, different species of King fisher  etc. can be seen. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Day – 04– Bharatpur – Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary Enroute Visit TAJ MAHAL (150 KMS / 03 HRS)

This morning after breakfast we leave Bharatpur and drive further to Chambal Safari Lodge, lies an oasis of tranquility nestling in sprawling acres of reclaimed woodland in the Chambal Valley. As we will be driving through the Agra City we won’t miss the opportunity of visiting Wonder of the World “Taj Mahal”. From Agra it’s just another an hour drive to our lodge at Chambal. We will have lunch on arrival at the lodge and later in the afternoon we admire birding in the periphery of the lodge.

The sprawling grounds of the Chambal Safari Lodge are home to numerous birds and small mammals – Evening Nature Walks around the Lodge are the best time to go looking for Birds, Palm Civet Cats, Jungle Cats, Foxes, Jungle Hares, Fruit Bats, Hedgehogs and the Indian Striped Hyenas. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Day – 05 – Chambal, Morning Birding & Afternoon Boat Trip on River Chambal.

Early morning leave for low-lying wetland areas north of the Yamuna river for spotting Sarus Cranes and other wetland birds. (Approx 45 kms one way). We can spot other birds on the way near the agricultural fields and stop to take photographs. Later drive back to our lodge and have Lunch. Post lunch drive to Chambal River (approx an hour drive). Explore the beautiful Chambal river and riverine ecosystem by boat where Otters, march muggers & Gharials (Fish Eating Crocodile) can be seen. Good opportunity to spot Indian Skimmer, Pallas’s Fish eagles, Gangetic Dolphin, Turtles, Black-bellied Tern, Comb Duck, Osprey, Long-legged Buzzard, Short-toed Snake Eagle etc. (Breakfast, lunch & Dinner)

Day – 06 – Chambal, Drive to Corbett National Park (360 Kms / 08 Hrs)

After an early breakfast we drive to Corbett National park, today the drive is long and will take about 08 hrs. We enjoy the scenery and the rural part of India. Arrive Corbett in the evening and check inn our hotel. Corbett plays a very important role to fulfill the all the desires on our birding tour of north India. Corbett National Park situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the newly created state of Uttarakhand is haven for wildlife lovers to explore amazing wildlife of India. The present area of the Corbett national park is 1318.54 sq. km. including 520 sq. km. of core area of and 797.72 sq. km. of buffer area. Corbett was named in honor of the late Jim Corbett, a legendary hunter-turned-conservationist who played an important role in helping to create the reserve. (B/fast, dinner)

Day – 07 – Corbett National Park – Full Day Birding (Along the road & river side just outside the Park)

This morning after breakfast we leave with packed lunch for full day birding. We will spend full day in exploring majestic birding life along the road which is located along the edge of Corbett National Park. Possibility to spot Spot-bellied Owl, Common Stonechat, Long-tailed Nightjar, Jungle Owlet, Black Francolin, Purple and Crimson Sunbirds, Golden-fronted & Orange-bellied Leafbirds, Black-Shouldered Kite, Hen Harrier, Changeable Hawk-eagle, Blue-bearded Bee-Eater, Chestnut-tailed Starling etc. Enjoy birding at the lower jungle track along the Ramganga River. The main attraction here is the Ibis Bill who is a regular winter visitor and we can hope to locate it. In the evening come back to our hotel for overnight stay. (B/fast, Lunch & dinner)

Day – 08 – Corbett National Park – Morning and Evening Game Drive (Inside the Core area of the park)

Today we will have 02 Jeep Safaris inside the core area of Corbett National Park, Right from the entrance we can start scanning around for different wildlife available in the park such as spotted deer, sambar dear, antelopes, monkeys, wild boar, jackle, hyenas, Asian elephants and if we are lucky chances to spot Sloth bear, leopard and Bengal Tiger. This varied topography results in an abundance of flora and fauna;110 tree species, 50 mammals, 25 reptiles and nearly 600 bird species. The magnificent Ramganga River flows through the heart of the park bringing a continuous supply of water for wild animals. After the safari we come back to the lodge and have couple of hours free time before heading back to the park for evening jeep safari. .   (B/fast, Lunch & dinner) 

, Two of the most interesting reptiles are the Gharial (fish eating crocodile) and the mugger crocodile, found in the Ramganga river and reservoir,. Two of the most interesting reptiles are the Gharial (fish eating crocodile) and the mugger crocodile, found in the Ramganga river and reservoir, Birding along the Ramganga river is very rewarding for water birds such as Mergansers, River Lapwings, Waders and other WaterfowlAfter having lunch at the lodge we will go for another game drive in the afternoon

Day – 09 – Corbett, drive to Nainital. (03 hrs / 90 kms)

This morning after breakfast board our vehicle & drive to popular colonial hill station of Nainital, Situated at a height of aound 2,000 metres is just 120 kilometres from the snowy peaks of the western Himalayas. The drive is scenic & spectacular through the narrow winding road which at later stage turns into gradual uphill drive with many bends & curves. Arrive Nanital during lunch and post lunch visit this colonial lake side town and in the evening birding around the lodge. The weather can be variable at this altitude as Nights can be cold but warm during the day time. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Day – 10– Full Day Excursion to Pangoot

Today morning after an early breakfast we set off for a full day birding excursion trip to Pangoot. Pangoot is also known as the birdwatchers’ paradise and one of the major highlight on our birding tour. It has major verities of birds. Some of the famous avian species found here include Lammergeier, Himalayan Griffon, Blue-winged Minla, Spotted & Slaty-backed Forktail, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Khalij Pheasant and Thrushes. During the day we drive to some of the enriching birding spots of the region through the forested area of Cheena Peak Range traversing through the View Point and wondrous Kilbury. We drive back to our resort for an engaging evening by the fireside until dinner is served. We retire to our rooms for an overnight stay at the resort. . (Breakfast, lunch & Dinner)

Day – 11 – Full Day Excursion to Sattal

This morning once again wel leave our Lodge after an early breakfast to Sattal for full day excursion. Sattal is a small chain of lakes covered by very thick forest situated in the lower Himalayan range. While exploring the surroundings we can expect the sighting of Long-Tailed Minivet, Verditer Flycatcher, Nepal Yellow-backed Sunbird, Red-billed Leiothrix, White-crested Laughing-Thrush Brown Fish-Owl, Great Hornbill, Bronzed Drongo, Yellow-bellied Fantail-Flycatcher, Himalayan Rubythroat etc. After spending the whole day among the beautiful birds we return with handful of beautiful pictures of birds and landscape pictures to our lodge in the late evening and wind up cameras and bags for next day long journey to Delhi. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Day – 12 – Drive to Delhi (340 kms / 07 – 08 hrs)

A leisurely morning breakfast after which we set off for a long drive to Delhi. Arriving Delhi in the evening at the hotel in Delhi, we settle down and unwind on this final night of our marvelous 12 days India Bird watching tour. (Breakfast)

Day – 13 –Delhi Depart

Morning after breakfast transfer to New Delhi International airport to board flight back home. (Breakfast)

SPECIAL NOTE:

THE TRIP WILL OPERATE WITH MINIMUM STRENGTH OF 05 PERSON AND MAXIMUM OF 10 PERSON.

MAP

For costing details, please send your queries to balvinder@wildlifeexplorerindia.com