India 2012

Sunday18November

Today, we reach the city of Bharatpur, very close to Keolado National Park, a reserve of over 200 birds.

On the road near the town of Dausa, we make a short stop to enter this temple that catches the eye because it's so colorful. It's simple, it looks like it was made with lots of marshmallow candies!

A small photo session after lunch.

On one side, it seems it's break time in the fields...

On the other side, it's the main road where all styles follow one another...

The common point being how to enjoy the fresh air when it's hot on the highway... 

After lunch at the Bharatpur hotel, we head to Keoladeo Park, located right next door.

To enjoy the park, you just need to hire the services of guides and their tricycles.

And from time to time, our two guides point their fingers towards the inside of a tree, swearing there's something there... Of course, you don't see anything, at least not at first glance, but by insisting a little, you eventually see the camouflaged bird. Here, it's an owl, perhaps a spotted owlet (Athene brama)?

Here, a much less camouflaged but nevertheless superb Indian roller (coracias benghalensis).

Some rose-ringed parakeets (psittacula krameri) attempting a tone-on-tone camouflage with the background foliage, but I'm not fooled!

And there, find me a Goliath heron (ardea goliath)...

That's easy, a white-throated kingfisher (smyrne halcyon smyrnensis).

The always white great egret (ardea alba or casmerodius albus).

The park is truly pleasant and relaxing, home to 230 bird species. The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985.

Oh, this isn't a bird if I'm not mistaken... No, it's a nilgai antelope (boselaphus tragocamelus), this is the third time we've encountered these blue bulls since the beginning of the trip.

And presto, our guides point their finger at a tree again. Oh yes, I see it, it's another owl, still a spotted owlet???

The highlight of the show, the majestic painted storks (mycteria leucocephala)!

This large bird, at least a meter tall, seems to be a true tightrope walker, it looks so easy for it to stay on the treetops.

Haha, I see you now, little owl!

Chinese shadow session with this oriental darter or snakebird (anhinga melanogaster).

A little cormorant (phalacrocorax niger). A great fan of drying its wings wide open towards the sun...  .

A small colony of Eurasian spoonbills (platalea leucorodia).

An Indian pond heron (ardeola grayii).

On the left, an oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster) alongside little cormorants (phalacrocorax niger).

On the right, another little cormorant, it's web-footed so very comfortable in the water.

Here are our stork friends again. Zoom in on the photo to see with what dexterity it holds itself on this thin branch... Respect! It even seems to make it laugh!

This must be the breeding season because it's the only time they gather in such large numbers. Usually, the stork lives alone or in pairs.

The place is so peaceful that you don't see time pass. The sunset puts its final touch on the day, time for us to return to the hotel.