Day 1: Delhi and Sultanpur National Park
Arrivals into Delhi airport this morning. We'll spend the remainder of the day birding at Sultanpur and nearby Basai, two superb birding sites just 50km from Delhi in neighbouring Haryana. Sultanpur’s ‘jheel’ and the extensive shallow wetlands and flooded fields of Basai are a haven for waterfowl. Although migratory species will be absent at this time of year we can still expect to encounter an incredible selection of species in large numbers, including Indian Spot-billed Duck, Lesser Whistling-Duck, Grey-headed Swamphen, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and Cinnamon Bittern. Surrounding acacia scrub and dry grasslands will provide an ideal introduction to northern India’s more widespread species, such as Grey Francolin, Common Hoopoe, Bank Myna and Zitting Cisticola, and we’ll search in particular for the regional speciality Sind Sparrow. Night in Delhi.
Day 2: Surajpur Wetland to Bharatpur
We’ll spend the morning at Surajpur Bird Sanctuary, an extensive area of productive wetlands in the Yamuna River basin to the southeast of the city. Among the rich variety of resident waterbirds, many of which will be nesting here, our key target at Surajpur is the range-restricted Bristled Grassbird which breeds here, accompanied by Clamorous Reed Warbler, Striated Babbler, Scaly-breasted Munia, Black-breasted Weaver and Yellow Bittern. By late morning we will leave on the drive south to Bharatpur for the night, arriving in time to begin our exploration of the man-made wetlands, undoubtedly among India’s finest bird reserves. In winter, resident species are bolstered by wintering migrants, but the summer months are equally interesting as Bharatpur becomes a spectacular heronry. We might otherwise decide to spend the afternoon exploring surrounding farmland, where we can expect to encounter a good selection of dryland species as an introduction to the avifauna of the wider region. Key among these will be Sirkeer Malkoha, Brown Rock Chat, Streaked and Baya Weavers, Crested Bunting, the delightful Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, and Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark.
Day 3: Bharatpur to Ajmer
We will spend the morning at Bharatpur. Despite the absence of winter migrants our birding here will be immensely rewarding as we enjoy the spectacle of a large number and variety of birds nesting in trailside acacias, including Black-necked, Woolly-necked and Painted Storks, Asian Openbill, Eurasian Spoonbill, Black-headed and Red-naped Ibis, four species of egret, Purple Heron and Black-crowned Night-Heron. We’ll also look for Indian Thick-knee, the secretive Greater Painted-snipe and waterfowl including Cotton Pygmy-Goose and Knob-billed Duck in the extensive wetlands. We can also expect to come across White-eared Bulbul, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, Brown-headed and Coppersmith Barbets, Indian Golden Oriole, and Indian Grey Hornbill in patches of woodland, with Indian Scops Owl, Dusky Eagle Owl and Large-tailed Nightjar at day roosts, and a superb assortment of raptors including Indian Spotted, Tawny and Bonelli’s Eagles. By early afternoon we will leave on the drive west to Ajmer for a three-night stay.
Day 4-5: Ajmer and Shokaliya
We will spend two days exploring arable fields and grasslands around the village of Shokaliya, to the south of Ajmer. This unprotected, agriculture dominated landscape is one of only two strongholds of the breeding population of Lesser Florican, hosting a small but viable population in patches of traditional crops such as millet, sesame, and lentil. Male floricans, locally known as kharmor or ‘grass peacock’, engage in their energetic aerial courtship leaps from July to September, and we hope to see them in action during our time here. Besides floricans, we can expect a good selection of birds including Indian Courser, the range-restricted Painted Francolin, Chestnut-bellied and Painted Sandgrouse, Indian Bushlark, Rock Eagle Owl, Jungle and Rock Bush Quails, and Rain Quail, which is also uncharacteristically conspicuous as it ascends soil mounds to project its song during the summer breeding season.
Day 6: Shokaliya to Mount Abu via Pushkar
We will spend the early part of the morning at nearby Pushkar, where we’ll look for White-naped Tit, White-tailed (Marshall’s) Iora and the scarce and nomadic White-bellied Minivet. The rest of today will mostly be a travel day, taking us southwest to climb to 1,220m in the Aravalli Hills to Mount Abu for an overnight stay.
Day 7: Mount Abu to Jodhpur
We will spend most of the day searching open fields and scrub jungle around Mount Abu for the delightful localised subcontinent endemic Green Avadavat. These hills contrast starkly with the arid lands we have passed through and we can expect several new birds in this new habitat, perhaps Indian Scimitar-babbler, Tawny-bellied and Yellow-eyed Babblers, White-eared Bulbul, Crested Bunting, Indian Yellow Tit, Red Spurfowl and Grey Junglefowl. By afternoon, we will drive to Jodhpur for an overnight stay.
Day 8-10: Jaisalmer and Desert National Park
In the morning of day 8 we will continue our journey west to the desert town of Jaisalmer, close to India’s border with Pakistan, for a three-night stay. Jaisalmer will be our base for exploring this eastern corner of the Thar Desert in Desert National Park. Our priority here will be finding the magnificent Great Indian Bustard, which so sadly faces imminent extinction. Desert National Park is its final stronghold, and we will make every attempt to see this incredible bird during our stay. We will no doubt also encounter an exciting selection of unequivocal desert species here, possibilities including Cream-coloured Courser, White-browed (Stoliczka’s) Bushchat, Greater Hoopoe and Desert Larks, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Rufous-fronted and Delicate Prinias, and Striolated Bunting, as well as Imperial Eagle, up to five species of vulture including Indian and White-rumped, and the delightful Indian Desert Jird, Desert Monitor and Spiny-tailed Lizard.
Day 11-12: Jaisalmer to Tal Chhapar
We will set out early this morning driving east, with time for some roadside birding as we head to Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary for a two-night stay. We will spend the afternoon and following full day exploring the tropical savannah and thorn scrub of Tal Chhapar in search of specialities of grassland and acacia. In this valuable remnant of a once widespread habitat we will look for Indian Courser, Great Grey and Bay-backed Shrikes, Rufous-tailed Lark, Black Francolin, abundant birds of prey with highlights including Laggar and Red-necked Falcons, and Montagu’s and Pallid Harriers. Our main target here will be the localised endemic Indian Spotted Creeper, and we are also likely to encounter the distinctive endemic antelope Blackbuck.
Day 13: Tal Chhapar to Delhi
After a final morning at Tal Chhapar, we will drive back to Delhi for an overnight stay.
Day 14: Depart Delhi
Departures from Delhi international airport this morning.
