[sach.sri]

Grey Heron - i think one of my best grey heron shots till date.



Black winged stilt - this one had just dipped its head in water, you can still see the water on its neck and shoulder.



Neelgai potraits -



Look at the smile on this ones face






Grey Heron - good details



This ended our morning safari - Harisingh left us at Tiger Den, we had good breakfast checked in and crashed with the view of waking up at noon and then goto Alwar to have lunch. But we over slept and woke up around 2.00 pm.

Alarmed - we quickly had lunch and waited to Harisingh. Entered the jungle around 3.00 pm and again went towards Dhanka waterhole.

Got some nice captures of Sambhars and a peacock family.









Red lapwig



scop owl?



Jackal - one animal that i am always able to see when in Sariska

[gd1418]

In the first picture of Grey Heron the water is coming out very strongly as if you have taken readings from the reflection. In the process the bird is not getting highlighted.

Ideally it should have come out something like this



The second heron picture is slightly overexposed. Why? I would've like it to be something like this.



And when are you going to put up the pictures that I'm waiting for?

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by gd1418

In the first picture of Grey Heron the water is coming out very strongly as if you have taken readings from the reflection. In the process the bird is not getting highlighted.

Ideally it should have come out something like this

Attachment 906517

The second heron picture is slightly overexposed. Why? I would've like it to be something like this.

Attachment 906518

And when are you going to put up the pictures that I'm waiting for?

Thank you sirjee. How did you do this - i will need to learn it from you.

I am trying to upload those pics, somehow not working from my connection at home today. Will try again tomorrow.

[sach.sri]

We were going back to Dhanka chowki to check on any tiger movement, on the way Hari singh informed some other drivers to come to Dhanka - i was wondering on his confidence.

well - while going towards Dhanka chowki on the way after crossing Dhanka aniket - we again heard some cheetal calls and loud like morning as if some perdator is just about to pounce on him.

AND


just ahead of the gypsy there was a curve on the road and we saw something moving on it which disappeared on the bend. Something orangish in color with black.

It was big and mascular and looked like a tiger - Rajinder shouted - TIGERRR!!

I also got a glimpse and was really excited, Rajinder then said - no it is a leopard. I was like, no - it is a Tiger.

But - after we reached the spot - we saw a leopard crossing the road and climbing on a small hill by the side.

It was a huge male and that is why we tought that it was a tiger. Very nice and majestic. Awesome! The leopard never came out in open - looked at us from behind a tree and then climbed up and was lost in the jungle.

Male leopard. It looked at us from behind this tree without moving for about 30 secs.


Can you find the leopard?






closeup - of the same shot. such wonderful camourflage



We were thinking about going back to try and be in a position to catch him if he crosses the road again.


Then suddenly cheetal calls from the other side of the road. Was there any other predator on that side? The call was continuous and looked to be coming near to the road. Lo and behold - another leopard appearing on the road. Wow - this one was a female and after crossing the road it went to a dried up nallah and smelled the scent mark of the male.

It stopped and turned - giving us a look. Such majestic animal.

Female Leopard The look!!










Other vehicles also arrived - but the leopards had gone in the jungle by then.
We tried to look but could not see anything now - i became a mini-celebrity, having taking some leopard shots that i showed to the other guys

[gd1418]

Great sighting. You seem to be very lucky with the spotted ones. My favorite - 2nd shot from bottom (could have been more crisper).

[fazalaliadil]

Sachin,

I have been following your log, your leopard sightings are too good, leopard lucky guy!
Especially the doe eyes female giving you a lovelorn look (second last pic).
Regards,

[abheekg]

Sachin babu. You are scintillating. May you have more and more leopard sightings. One question - are the 2 leopards being regularly seen. If yes, do you have precise points in the park where they have been seen in the last 1 month. From your description of the female smelling the male's mark, i reckon that the pair is courting. We have developed a prediction model for leopard movement - to calcluate appx location during the month i will need at least 5 precise locations along with date and time of sighting. Looking at how nonchalant this pair seemed to be to your presence, I am sure that you and the others will encounter the pair again, and I will arm you with the know how that will help you and harisingh track the pair better.

Dr. A Ghosh

[v&v]

Super shots, Sachin. We missed leopard sighting by minutes , when we were at pandupol during our last visit. Really an elusive beast. Pandupol is one of the most leopard sighting place.

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Great sighting. You seem to be very lucky with the spotted ones. My favorite - 2nd shot from bottom (could have been more crisper).

Thanks GD sir - i agree, could have been crisper. This was shot at 1/25 shutter speed. The light had fallen very quickly and my ISO setting was not enough to give me a higher shutter speed.

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Sachin,

I have been following your log, your leopard sightings are too good, leopard lucky guy!
Especially the doe eyes female giving you a lovelorn look (second last pic).
Regards,

Thanks Fazal bhai. Indeed - i have been lucky to have couple of good leopard sightings in recent past. May my luck hold

That pic is also my favourite - has some haunting quality to it. "Doe eyed and lovelorn" - my god!

Originally Posted by abheekg

Sachin babu. You are scintillating. May you have more and more leopard sightings. One question - are the 2 leopards being regularly seen. If yes, do you have precise points in the park where they have been seen in the last 1 month. From your description of the female smelling the male's mark, i reckon that the pair is courting. We have developed a prediction model for leopard movement - to calcluate appx location during the month i will need at least 5 precise locations along with date and time of sighting. Looking at how nonchalant this pair seemed to be to your presence, I am sure that you and the others will encounter the pair again, and I will arm you with the know how that will help you and harisingh track the pair better.

Dr. A Ghosh

Thanks Doc. IT looks like a frequent haunt of these leopards. Just yesterday - GD sir was again in SAriska and he heard leopard calls in the same area. So yes, it might that they frequent this area.

Originally Posted by v&v

Super shots, Sachin. We missed leopard sighting by minutes , when we were at pandupol during our last visit. Really an elusive beast. Pandupol is one of the most leopard sighting place.

Thanks V&V - I agree, Pandupol is high up and surrounded with rocks, so appropriate habitat for leopards. However, i feel that with so much human movement and noise - it would be pretty difficult for a leopard sighting near pandupol.

[gd1418]

A minor update on the rules for touring Sariska Tiger Reserve:

1. All open gypsies permitted to take tourists for jungle safari banned from going to Pandupol.

2. All those wanting to go to Pandupol Temple should do so only in their private vehicles after taking due permission and that too only on a Saturday or a Tuesday.

3. Ghaanka to Udaynaath trail, a pristine and hitherto unvisited area of the forest, now opened for tourists.

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by gd1418

A minor update on the rules for touring Sariska Tiger Reserve:

1. All open gypsies permitted to take tourists for jungle safari banned from going to Pandupol.

2. All those wanting to go to Pandupol Temple should do so only in their private vehicles after taking due permission and that too only on a Saturday or a Tuesday.

3. Ghaanka to Udaynaath trail, a pristine and hitherto unvisited area of the forest, now opened for tourists.

Interesting update. Specially #3 - ST6 territory . Nice. Did you get a chance to go on this trail in your visit yesterday?

[sach.sri]

With the nice Leopard sighting - this Safari was over. Very happy - we came out, made sighting entry in the log book. Chatted with "Udaybhan", the guard, who initially mistook me for some photographer - courtsey my looong 100-400L glass and a Corbett hat . But i reminded him - that i am GD sir's firend.

Harisingh dropped us at tiger den, we ordered chilli chicken, broke open our black label, propped up our feet and watched some telly.

This done - dinner at 9.30 and off to bed. Nice!!

Next day - Sunday. GD sir and his Wife were to join us for the Safari. Got up on time and called Harisingh and got ready.

GD sir came in - clicked a pic of him on TB II. It is a new ride - and we were suitably excited checked it in and out and then waited for Hari Singh.



Hari Singh today had some trouble getting tickets due to some "rivalry" i guess. We were looking at gypsys coming and people getting on it and drivign off and we were just waiting. At one point Hari Singh said that we should forget about the morning Safari - i was aghast and we decided to goto the ticket counter.

WE reached there - but by that time Harisingh had the ticket and was on his way to Tiger Den. So we rushed back - and got into the Gypsy. It was already 8 ish - and the time for tiger movement was slipping away.

We got in - Harisingh had again got zone1 - where there were reported movement of ST6. We went towards Ghaanka chowki where we had seen the leopards last evening. In the Ghaanka waterhole (there was no water) - we saw crested serpent eagle sitting on the same tree and again clicked some pics also clicked some pics of the kingfisher.







Went to gular goo and waited for some time. clicked some pics of langur eating gulaars.









The jungle was silent - we did hear some calls, but nothing much. We went towards Kalighati and saw a fresh cheetal kill by leopard nearby toook some pics and started back.

On our way back - we heard calls from a herd of cheetals near the road - both GD sir and I wanted to waid, but because is was getting late we could not. So came out with a heavy heart.


Had a good breakfast with GD sir regaling us with his tales of the jungle - so much so that the guys told us to pls take it to the lounge as they had to clean the restaurant for lunch

GD sir wanted to goto Siliserh lake - he took our leave. We got ready and were on road back home by 12.30 pm.

GD sir was to do the afternoon Safari as well (read his thread for that Safari's details).

[v&v]

Originally Posted by sach.sri

Thanks V&V - I agree, Pandupol is high up and surrounded with rocks, so appropriate habitat for leopards. However, i feel that with so much human movement and noise - it would be pretty difficult for a leopard sighting near pandupol.

Human movement is only on Tuesday or Saturday. Pandupol is absolutely "sunsan" on other days. During our last visit we were the only tourist there for around 2 hours.

By the by are they allowing private vehicles now ?

[gd1418]

I went on that trail yesterday and that is where we waited for ST 6 to come down from the hills and he had started descending. But time was not on our side..

Originally Posted by sach.sri

Interesting update. Specially #3 - ST6 territory . Nice. Did you get a chance to go on this trail in your visit yesterday?

Only on Saturday & Tuesday and that too for Pandupol and no stopping in-between. Forest vehicles patrolling frequently.

Originally Posted by v&v

Human movement is only on Tuesday or Saturday. Pandupol is absolutely "sunsan" on other days. During our last visit we were the only tourist there for around 2 hours.

By the by are they allowing private vehicles now ?

[sach.sri]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Great sighting. You seem to be very lucky with the spotted ones. My favorite - 2nd shot from bottom (could have been more crisper).

Made some changes in this picture. Posting both again for comparison - which one is better?