Northern India & the Himalayan Foothills

The marshes, forests and Himalayan foothills of northern India must surely represent most birdwatchers’s dream holiday destination, combining as they do the mystic appeal of the east with a stunningly varied avifauna. The itinerary for this exciting tour is acknowledged as providing the classic Indian birdwatching tour and by concentrating on three main centres, allows plenty of time to absorb the range of different species evident with each change in elevation. The frustrations of travel in this vast country are also kept to a minimum.

Our tour begins in the capital city, Delhi, but even in the densest urban areas of India, birds are rarely absent and the circling clouds of Black Kites over the city are an astonishing sight for European eyes. The outskirts of the city offer an excellent chance to gain an introduction to Indian birdlife and it is easily possible to see 80 or more species at Sultanpur National Park and Bird Sanctuary, where we spend our first day.

Keoladeo Reserve at Bharatpur in Rajasthan is one of the most outstanding wetland areas in Asia and we will spend four days exploring this paradise for birds. Here we will find jheels crowded with huge numbers of wildfowl and waterbirds, savannah inhabited by dry country birds, and patches of forest frequented by woodpeckers, barbets, minivets and many other woodland birds. Turning our attention skywards we will see clouds of storks, eagles and vultures soaring on the thermals over the marshes and during our walks we will frequently meet these raptors, perching tamely in waterside trees causing endless identification headaches. Every corner of this relatively small reserve is full of interest and after we have savoured the initial spectacle of the geese, ducks, storks and herons that crowd the wetlands, we can devote time to looking for wintering flycatchers and northern visitors such as Olive-backed Pipit, Siberian Rubythroat and Dusky Warbler. Elsewhere Dusky Horned Owls peer down from bulky stick nests, Painted Snipe bob at the edges of swampy pools and nightjars perch motionless in their day-time roosts. Although we may find nearly 200 bird species during our stay, not all the attractions are ornithological and other Bharatpur residents include huge Rock Pythons, Nilgai, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Smooth Otters and even the rare Fishing Cat.

After pausing for a day to admire the Moghul splendours of the Red Fort and Taj Mahal at Agra, we travel back to Delhi then into the forested hills and wide river valleys of the Corbett National Park which was named after the famous hunter-turned-conservationist, Jim Corbett. Asian Elephants, Wild Boar and herds of deer browse the vegetation in this superbly scenic reserve, the latter providing prey for a healthy population of Leopards and Tigers. We will search by jeep for these elusive predators, although the abundance of ground cover provides plenty of hiding places to conceal somnolent big cats during the daylight hours and sightings are always a bonus. Easier to find are the rare fisheating Gharial Crocodiles which occur along the fast-flowing Corbett rivers, sharing this habitat with Blue Whistling-thrushes, Plumbeous Redstarts and White-capped River Chats. Mysterious Ibisbills descend from the higher mountains to spend the winter months on some of these rivers and Wallcreepers are often to be seen probing for insects in the crevices of riverside boulders. At Corbett, our base is a comfortable hotel just outside the park boundary, where we are free of the prohibition on walking that applies inside the reserve and can more easily enjoy the superlative birdwatching.

Our final destination takes us deeper into the Himalayan foothills to spend four nights at the hill resort of Nainital. The increase in elevation to over 2,000 metres will bring a new selection of birds, including representatives of such typical Himalayan families as laughing-thrushes, forktails and accentors, plus wintering gems from the north like the Red-flanked Bluetails, which can often be found in our hotel garden. If conditions permit, the icy peaks of the western Himalayan mountains may be observed from a ridge above the resort, evidence of our proximity to this most impressive of mountain ranges which exert such influence on the avifauna of the region.

At the end of our stay in this most idyllic of locations we return to Delhi but, before reaching the capital, we have one last natural history treat as the road crosses over the sacred River Ganges and we may be rewarded by views of the rare Gangetic Dolphin in the waters below the bridge. A fine conclusion to a tour which provides a staggering variety of birdwatching and natural history encounters.