SOUTH AFRICA TRIP (Part 1)

After visiting Kenya & Tanzania in July August of 2011 I had blogged that the spirit of the Serengeti whispered to me and silently I resolved to be back. However after a gap of two years the visit to the Serengeti  is still due but the “Dark Continent”  of Africa once again opened its doors to me .. for a visit to the Rainbow Nation. Now again this was one more destination that was on my “must visit” list so when I got an opportunity, I grabbed it with both hands. After all an avid wild life enthusiast (or nut) how could I pass up such an opportunity especially when the itinerary  included a visit to a game park and visits to see and photograph Seals and Penguins?

So after all arrangements were made we set off from Mumbai to Johannesburg our first stop. After that (the only frustrating part of the trip) was a wait of 6 hours at Jo’burg  airport for an onward flight to Port Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth is a quaint little town well laid out with wide roads and lots of greenery. 

We were received by at the  airport by our Driver who drove us straight to The Kwantu Game Reserve... about one and a half hours drive. The road from Port Elizabeth to Ghramstown has 4 game reserves in close proximity of each other. The most famous of them being the Shamwari Game reserve. However Kwantu, I later learned is not far behind.. in fact it is doing some great work in the area of rehabilitation and conservation of animals.

On arrival at Kwantu, I was looking forward to a hot shower and some rest. However that was not to be as we were told that a group which had departed earlier had seen some lions so we were straight away bundled into a Safari vehicle and driven into the park. Dusk was about an hour away and  a some distance into the park we witnessed  a herd of springbok grazing with Zebras and other antelopes for company. It was a long drive further into the depths of the  reserve, the vegetation got thicker. Our driver took us off the dirt track into a largish thicket and there resting majestically was a pair of lionesses.

We went pretty close to them and the driver stopped the vehicle affording us an opportunity to happily click away. I even asked the driver to reverse the vehicle as a few strands of grass were interrupting the view and he happily obliged. I had my zoom lens fitted so I took a number of pictures at various zooms and all of them came out well. After clicking we just sat watching these beautiful bests resting regally on the ground. They of course were alert and even a slight movement in the vehicle was enough to send their ears pricking up.

Reluctantly we moved on and went off and rejoined the dirt track and drove higher into the mountains of Kwantu. After a ten to fifteen minute drive our driver stopped in front of a majestic beast.. a fully grown male lion. This royal guy was just sitting and gazing into the distance. He looked at us (gave us a once over) and then went back to gazing into the distance, then turning his eyes to us once again. 

It was a fantastic sight.. eight human beings (and driver) in the vehicle, absolutely silent, staring intently at this wonderful, majestic sight in front (about ten to twelve feet away). The only sound you could hear, was the sound of camera shutters going click, click at a frenetic pace. Afterwards, awe and silence. I looked into his two warm amber eyes,(liquid pools really) trying to guess what he was thinking. Would he like us for supper?  Was he irritated by us, entering his space? Or was it just boredom, seeing us humans gaping at him in reverence and awe? I sat mesmerized gazing into his eyes, lost in a world of my own.  I was shaken out of my reverie by the start of jeep engine and we headed back to the lodge. A hot shower and dinner followed. And I slept like a log.

The next day was a cold day and began much the same way as last evening. Bundled into the Safari Jeeps we scored the reserve for animals. And what a collection we got. First up we sighted a huge lone Hippo and we got quite close to him. In fact so close that I thought he would charge us. Then  I managed to click a lovely cape glossy Starling with beautiful purple body. 

Kudu, Springboks, Red Hartebeest,  Blue Wildebeest,  Black Wildebeest or white tailed Gnu, water buck,  Impalas, Gazelles, Zebras, and the lovely Giraffe were all on fine display. 

But the star of the show was undoubtedly another male lion (I suspect it was the same one as last evening). Here he was sitting majestically on a hill slope behind thick bushes not wanting to be disturbed. On this occasion, I remember our driver got the vehicle very close indeed.  A thought flashed through my mind, if the lion sprang from where he was, we would have all been history. But I pushed that thought out and began clicking gleefully again. 

About fifteen minutes of “Darshan” of the Lion King  and we were headed back to camp for Lunch.

Post lunch was a visit to the rehab centre where we treated to guided tour of the all the animals that were being cared for at the centre. Royal Bengal Tigers, Abandoned and old male lions, baby tigers, White Lion & lioness, Cheetahs were all there in full view examining us with interest. 

Hearing the guides tales I couldn’t but marvel and admire the spirit of Kwantu Game Reserve’s efforts  at caring for and preserving wild animals. Not to mention that I got some great pictures as well. Thus ended our day and trip at Kwantu. Without any hesitation, I’d say that it had been the best two days of my life till date. I had got up close & personal with the Lion King and had seen an abundance of wild life here to really enjoy and cherish for life.

The next day we were scheduled to depart Kwantu for Port Elizabeth enroute to Knysna Lagoon. But that is another wonderful story... again.

BIRDS OF BHIGWAN JANUARY 2013

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by birds. As a child I used to sit, for hours on end, to watch birds flitting across our balcony. I risked being called a loner in my childhood. My favourite section, when visiting a zoo, was the bird cages, where I marvelled at some of the exotic birds on display. Ever since, my love for birds has grown stronger.  I have followed this passion in my life to date.  And among all my favourite birds was the “big pink bird” of my childhood.

So after visiting birding places like Karnala bird sanctuary, Thol Lake, Nalsarovar, Uda Walawe,Yala, Bundala and  National parks  in Sri Lanka  and Bhigwan last year, I was once again off to Bhigwan this year as well.  With the gang that included friends like Makarand Joshi (boss man at Vihang Travels and organizer of our Sri Lanka trip) Vivek Joshi, Deepak Bartakke,  Saurabh Pant (and his dad), Mandar Kadam our reliable record keeper, Nandini Borkar (with mom) Achala and Mr. & Mrs. Godbole as well. Evening of our first day we were joined by Smita & Hanferd Fernando who were (friends from Sri Lanka trip) but were first timers to Bhigwan. So all in all, a small, intimate and friendly group - all interested in birding.

The first afternoon  was spent  exploring Diksal village in Bhigwan. We were happy to spot many birds on the first day itself. Of note were the Pied Kingfisher and purple sun bird. We also saw a variety of ducks & shovelers. Bhraminy ducks& terns were there, as were cattle and intermediate  egrets.  At a far distance (not easily identifiable even through our binoculars) was a group of Flamingos – but they were observed more as a dot of pink rather than the birds. At sun set we got to capture a glorious sun set setting on the waters of the lake. Back at our hotel we had mixed feelings, we did get to see a variety of birds but photography had not been really rewarding.

The next day was a day trip to village Kumbhargaon on the edge of the lake. Here we separated into two groups and I got into a boat and our boatman (the experienced and very knowledgeable (and recently married)  Sandeep) told us that we could see Flamingos. I was very excited, but hid my excitement as I knew these were shy birds and would fly away on any human approach. So after what seemed an eternity, we espied a flock of my favourite birds in the distance. Our boat approached them first and slowly we inched closer. All of us maintaining pin drop silence we clicked away to our hearts content. But this serenity was not to last long, as another boat  moved in too close and they took off. However quick thinking saw me getting my first shots of flamingos in flight – and what graceful birds they are. It was a huge flock and I could get a number of pictures one more breathtaking than the other.

Sadly our companion boat was behind us by a bit and hence they couldn’t share in our excitement & enjoyment. Moving on we were then treated to painted storks, egrets, gulls and terns all vying for food. The birds competed for food but otherwise were living harmoniously among themselves. Too soon we headed back to the shore and back to the hotel for lunch. That afternoon  we were back at the same spot and Sandeep welcomed us  and said that we could see Flamingos again, along with  Demoiselle Cranes (coming to Bhigwan after a gap of 10 years) and bar headed geese. It sounded too good to be true. So we held our collective breath and began the boat ride. The first phase was the usual sighting of grey herons, cormorants, painted storks, etc.  

All of us urged our boatman to take us close to the Flamingo. He promptly turned the boat around and headed to the nearest spot on the bank of the lake. Docking the boat he gave us strict instructions to be silent and crawl while approaching the birds otherwise they would fly away. Now crawling for most of us not easy but we all did manage to get to a vantage point and spent the best 45 minutes of my life observing these marvellous birds going about their routine. They looked even more alluring and beautiful through a pair of powerful binoculars (which Smita lent me for some time). Wow what stunning beauties they were, each and every one of them. And with the sun going down they shone pink in all their pristine glory. No human sounds it was nature at its silent best.  Mingled with the flamingos were bar headed geese who decided to go for a test flight while we were watching. We got some good shots of the geese flying away their brown wings glistening in the evening sun.  And to the far left of the flamingos (really far away) we did see a group of Demoiselle Cranes – but they had other plans for the evening and flew away.

So day two of our trip to Bhigwan was really rewarding from a both a bird watching as well as photography perspective. And for me it was even better because both Vivek Joshi & Deepak Bartakke not just encouraged me in my photographic efforts but gave me valuable tips as well. And valuable tips in the field make THE difference between a good picture and a great photo.

How to get to Bhigwan.

From Mumbai drive down to Pune. From there take the Sholapur highway (via Hadapsar) and drive to Bhigwan. It is about a 2 hours journey from Pune.

Stay Options: It is best to stay in Baramati (about 25 km from Bhigwan). There are a number of reasonable and comfortable stay options in Baramati – so make that your headquarters. Some of the hotels are Hotel City Inn, Hotel Shree Abhishek, Neha Palace, Hotel Surya and Hotel Amardeep. You will need your own transport (I did not see any black & yellow taxis in Baramati). I have not explored the auto rickshaw option.

If you want, very basic facilities are available at Kumbhargaon in  Sandeep’s home. The best time to visit is between the months of November to February. With the onset of summer the birds migrate from Bhigwan.

So for all you bird lovers here is a spot not to be missed. So pack your bags and get moving. Carry your camera and a pair of binoculars and you are sure to have a rewarding experience.  

MY FIRST LEOPARD SIGHTING

Have just returned from a wildlife jungle trip to Sri Lanka, a trip that I had been looking forward to for quite some time.  On landing at Colombo airport, we drive straight to our first destination a jungle. We had three jungles to cover in our itinerary – Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park and Bundala National Park. The first for Elephants, the second for Leopards and the last for Birding and various reptiles. This narrative is of our trip to Yala National Park.

We made our first half day park round on the first afternoon. It was an uneventful but fruitful round with lots of birding but no Leopard. We returned to the park gates at 6.00 pm.  Our safari vehicle was a tad uncomfortable for 7 people – cramped for room – photography was very difficult. Our organizer (more a friend really) Makarand complained and asked for a better vehicle for the next full day safari.  Groaning I got up at 4.00 am the next day and  left the hotel at 5.00 am to reach the park gates before 6.00 am. And, lo and behold, we now had 2 vehicles for the 7 of us.  I boarded the vehicle with Makarand, Hanferd and Smita (a fun couple – great company) and the others (Yuvraj, Vedavati & Ruta) followed in their vehicle. Very comfortable travel – in fact luxurious is the word to describe our journey. Our driver cum guide seemed experienced too.  The first few hours went by quick enough but the shy big cat did not appear.  We did see an amazing array of birds some reptiles, mongoose monitor lizards, etc.  We had a packed breakfast (at the beach) and our spirits had not  lifted. The spot where we had breakfast had a memorial to the 2004 Tsunami victims.

We set off again on our trip and about half an hour into this leg, after driving around the park, suddenly Makrand shouted (should I say screamed) Leopard. And lo and behold right in front of us was this majestic, athletic animal walking along the road – away from us. For a moment (that bordered on eternity) I stood transfixed, gazing at this beautiful guy walking away from us – wow what a mesmerizing sight. Seeing a leopard in the wild – awesome. I forgot the  camera and its settings- I  was  just so overawed. Suddenly, sanity hit me – I reached for my camera, with shaking hands and the driver gunned the jeep forward. I forgot to adjust the zoom – just started clicking a receding leopard, at random. In a moment, I realized that I was at the low end of my zoom. I immediately zoomed in full length – but too late. The jeeps noise, made the leopard change direction - he sauntered off royally into the bushes. What a beautiful, awesome sight. The other jeep was behind us and I felt sad that they could not glimpse the leopard.

Our driver drove like a maniac, around a bend in the road and parked the vehicle on the “other side” of the bushes.  He told us to wait patiently.  With a thousand thoughts flitting through my mind and after what seemed an eternity the big cat emerged  to cross the road again. This time I was ready to click and he walked by us leisurely and gave us a great photo opportunities. Not once did he turn around to look at us, not once did he seem irritated. He was focussed on just one thing – crossing the road regally. Again, our companion jeep had parked a few hundred yards ahead- so sadly, they missed this opportunity as well. But all of us in our jeep were high – excitement of clicking your first leopard is an experience that cannot be described in words. Afterwards  I started reviewing my pictures and in my excitement I forgot to see all of them. When Henfred showed me his pictures I reviewed mine as well and I saw I had got some pretty decent ones. We moved on and our lunch by the beach was a babble of exited voices sharing what all we had seen and felt.

After lunch we continued with our rounds and at the same place we again spotted (the same?) Leopard in the bushes. He did not come out of the bushes, but was pacing behind them and we clearly saw his body and feet. Then, late afternoon, we saw a leopard perched on a tree branch – very far away. Frankly,  to me  it was a small dot on the far away tree and I wouldn’t count it a sighting. Our fruitful, exciting day was coming to an end and driving towards the gates (our jeep leading)  we managed to sight another leopard going away from us into the bushes. I just got one or two distant shots of his rear.

So, all in all, 5 leopard sightings in a single day, with one fantastic photo opportunity, one average opportunity and a sighting behind bushes. I count myself lucky and blessed to have witnessed this magnificent wild cat from such a close range on 4 occasions, in a single day.  Wondering if  I would like to go again? You bet !!!

(The photographs may not appear in sequence -but don't worry read the captions to get the sequence)

First Sighting Ambling along the road

First Sighting Ambling along the road

First Sighting Ambling along the road

First Sighting Ambling along the road-
hears the jeep and decides to cross

Jeep noise disturbs him and hes off into the bushes

Road crossing in progress

Road crossing in progress

Road crossing in progress

Road crossing in progress

Road crossing in progress .. nearing the end

Road crossed heading off into the bushes

Almost crossed will disappear anytime now

Road crossing complete - my last shot before he disappears

The third sighting.. heading away from us

The last Hurrah.. going away from us.. culminating in 4 sightings in a single day !!

Second Sighting - we are at a vantage point when
he comes into view and crosses the road