Ranthambore National Park June 15, 2016 - I had planned this trip 1 month back as my Brother (in law) and his wife were coming and were craving for tiger and leopard sighting due to my regularly uploaded images on social media. Plus this was the time I would be able to focus on every subject, especially birds like Asian Paradise Fly Catcher (APFC in short) and Indian Pitta, unlike the visit on June 5, which was majorly about the tigers.
I had somehow got 3 safaris for Zone 5, my luckiest till date, through online booking.
We entered as early as possible to catch hold of any movement and also because the core part of this zone is very deep inside the forest. I stopped the car for my first suspect -
Indian Pitta or Navranga
It is a migratory bird to this part of India and breeds here as well as in Jhalana. The light was not good so we moved ahead. We did spot APFC on the way but, it was far off so didn't stop for it.
We reached the the core area and started searching for the striped cat. As we were moving I heard 2-3 peacock alarm calls. I asked the guide to stop and check, but he said peacock calls are useless, and we should check the water hole ahead which very close. We reached the water hole and discovered some pug marks and the guide turned the vehicle towards the trail. But suddenly we got 2 peacock (flying) calls - indicating an imminent threat to the peacock, from the same place behind us. I asked the guide to go back and check it out, but he said it might be some jungle cat as peacock would give out call for a small cat also. But I put my foot down, saying that I want to see a jungle cat also, turn it around and scan the area. When we reached the spot and started looking, we got 2 more flying calls, another gypsy arrived and that driver took it a bit deeper in the bushes. Suddenly we saw black ears with white spots(typical of cats), and our guide said it was a cat. We were not convinced. We kept looking, we felt it was a cub. Suddenly we saw another one move quickly in the bushes. At this time the gypsy inside confirmed it is a cub. A cub? There are no cubs here, exclaimed both the guides! Whose cub is it? Probably T73. We were all excited, I asked the guide if at all we could get into some better location to spot the cub in the direction he was moving. He moved the car and parked it ahead near a nala. We waited there for 5 minutes, and suddenly the cub emerged -
He was very small and was moving slowly inside the bushes trying to hide itself. A lot of questions arrived, why is he moving, how old is he and wheres the mother? We heard an alarm call from Sambhar at some distance, and presumed that it should be the mother, but we were busy with this young fellow.
Then he again disappeared in the bushes. The second gypsy came looking for the cub, we told them that we had seen, they again pushed there gypsy in the bushes but couldn't get to see it. We turned around and moved in to another location in the direction of the cub's movement. We waited there for 15 minutes, but he had vanished. Suddenly a tractor came and our guide broke the news to the forest guard about the cub. He was thrilled and asked us to show him the images, he had no idea of any cubs in that area. This was the first time cub was spotted. We felt there were two, but could capture only 1. It was established that the mother could only be T73, as this is her territory. Since the cub had vanished inside the bushes, we moved ahead after 30 minutes towards the place where we had heard sambhar call, so as to find the mother. but all we found were these peafowls, giving all sort of poses.
sitting
Dancing
Folded the feathers, doesn't that look like a ghaghra or gown?
He came too close for a portrait! Notice the ear.
And we found what I was looking for -
Indian Pitta
and Golden Oriole
Another one. Upon looking, I was able to find its nest. As we were waiting, she even came and sat on the nest -
After waiting for some time, we decided to move on and check the Bakola pond area, where I had a bumper sighting in May. While going I found these on the way -
Jacobin Cuckoo- arrives from africa, if I am not wrong. Its arrival is symbolic with approach of Monsoon.
A common Hawk Cuckoo.
We reached Bakola, but there were no signs of a tiger. A gypsy coming from the other side told us that there were no pug marks and no calls in this area. But we told them about our cub sighting with a sheepish smile
. Suddenly I got up and started clicking, and everyone started looking in the direction of my lens, and asked where is it? Their guide explained that I was clicking a bird, their enthusiasm died and they moved on, but I kept on it -
It was Asian Paradise Fly Catcher(APFC) juvenile male.
Then we found Honey Buzzard, but the light was against us, so didn't click. We also found this drongo there-
White breasted Drongo.
And This owl -
Indian Scops Owl.