All good things come to an end would be a cliché but then they do and today was the last day of this mega birding trip and it was a fitting end I would say!
We had reserved the morning for the McQueen’s Bustard. The day started with a close encounter with a Steppe eagle. This was soon followed by sighting of two Indian foxes and a Desert Fox.
The bustard proved to be elusive today as well even though we sighted no less than seven of them they did not allow us close enough for the kind of pictures I would have liked. Nonetheless the pictures I got were better than yesterday. We also got a glimpse of the Short-eared Owl but no pictures.
Back at the resort I got some great pictures of the Sulphur bellied Warbler and Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher. The later was again a lifer for me.
The evening was completely devoted to seeking out the Short-eared Owl. After having almost given up – suddenly a Short-eared Owl flew up and settled in the undergrowth but our luck had still not run out completely! The place where it settled gave a just about clear view of the bird and the setting sun shone directly in the face of the bird. It was a difficult shot but I feel the picture I finally got is what I call the Shot of the trip.
The last word (aka the epilogue)
The journey back was a bit adventurous with our connecting flight from Mumbai to Nagpur being cancelled – no big deal really, we reached home 4 hours later than expected.
A few tips for travelers to Kutch.
The weather in late Jan is cold in the mornings but gets very hot in the afternoon. After about 8:00am you don’t need any warm clothes.
The place is less dusty than Jungles of central India but having a cloth to cover your camera while driving is strongly recommended.
Carry a power strip for plugging multiple charges.
Having a good guide with local knowledge of roost and haunts of the birds is very much necessary for successful sightings.
Lastly I would like to thank Mr. Jugal Kishore Tiwari for showing us around and sharing his immense knowledge with a newbies like us. Staying at CEDO has no alternative when in Greater Rann of Kutch.
Thanks also to the entire staff and management of Rann Riders – The place is beautiful and staff is very courteous. No matter how many guests are there – you will always get the attention you want.
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