Wildlife safari and Birding in Little Rann of Kutch.

Map of Gujarat showing the Rann of Kutch. and Little Rann of Kutch .

As a horse racing enthusiast was surprised to read that the  Indian wild Ass(Ghudkhur) could run at maximum  speeds of  70 Kms per hour and at a steady pace of 50 Kms/Hr over long distances.The Indian wild Ass sanctuary comprising of 4594 Sq Kms  and  established in 1972 is  situated in the  "Little Rann of Kutch" in Gujarat  and  is the last habitat of the Asiatic wild Ass(Ghudkhur). B.N.H.S(Bombay Natural History Society) of which i am a "Life Member"  were  conducting a nature tour   to this wildlife sanctuary  in the month of December, the best season to visit this wetland when it becomes  a home for rare migratory birds.Hence decided to  join the tour group and satisfy my curiosity of seeing the rare Asiatic wild  Ass(Ghudkhur) as well as aping English spy thriller writer Ian.Fleming in learning the art of "Bird-watching". Strangely, my aptitude for identifying birds is embarrassing although my knowledge of mammals and zoo's is exceptional having visited most zoo's and safari parks  in India and a few in Foreign Country's.Most  "007 James Bond Franchisee " film addicts might not know that writer Ian .Fleming a hobby ornithologist  named his macho  hero "JAMES BOND" after a famous American ornithologist of his generation  named Mr  James Bond .American Mr James Bond was a passive  personality ,a  Caribbean bird expert and author of the book titled "Field Guide, Birds of the West Indies" unlike his fictitious namesake who had  a  "Licence to kill" . Confirmed my reservation by visiting "B.N.H.S" office on Wednesday(29-10-2014) and paying the fees of Rs 15,500 for the tour beginning on Friday(12-12-2014) and ending on Monday(15-12-2014).Next  booked my  E- train ticket reservations to Ahmedabad on the Internet, acquiring "Waiting List"  reservations and hoping that the same would be confirmed ! Did my research on the tour as well as read the book in my personal library  titled "The book of Indian birds" written by Dr Salim .Ali, the birdman of India.Contacted tour group leader Mrs  Prachi.Galange  of "B.N.H.S"on the phone to confirm the itinerary which was e-mailed and was anxiously awaiting the day of departure from Mumbai to the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

"B.N.H.S" tour group in the "Little Rann of Kutch:- Mr Joseph.D'sa, Mr Ajay.Kulkarni, Mrs Jean.Dalal,Mr Rustom.Dalal,Mr Sundaresh.G, Mr Diwakar.Sabharanjak, Mr R.M.Kulkarni, Mr R.J.Kharbari, Mr Rajesh.Motee,Mr Rudolph.Furtado, Mr Amitabha.Epur, Mr Jagdish.Sanghvi, Mr Digvijay.Rathore, Miss Maitrika.Rathore,Miss Chandni.Sahgal, Mrs Prachi.Galange, Mr Xaerxes.Adrianwalla.

Thursday(11-12-2014) Departure Mumbai :-  Left my home in Prabhadevi  early , happy that my "waiting List E-ticket " had been confirmed into a reserved  seat/berth. Reached  "Bandra Railway terminus" at approximately 2030 hrs and boarded  compartment S-7 of the "12971 Bhavnagar Express" and  onto berth/seat nos 6.The train departed from the station at  the scheduled time of 2130 hrs. It was a cold night of negligible sleep before reaching Ahmedabad station at 0545 hrs in the morning.

Co-Tourist Mr Rajesh.Motee and myself stayed in this classic "Hut Cottage no 10" designed in local tribal architecture.

Friday(12-12-2014)[ARRIVAL AHMEDABAD] :-  Alighted the train at Ahmedabad and whiled away my time at the railway tea-stall as the reporting time for the group tour was 0800 hrs.Picked up a conversation  with a Austrian backpacker on his way to Mumbai having toured Rajasthan and learnt from him about the trend of  mutual accommodation sharing between tourists of different country's.Received a S.M.S  message from tour group leader Mrs Prachi. Galange informing us  to report in the car park outside "Platform No 12" at bus nos "GJ.18.AV.2704".It was a long walk over the platform overhead bridge onto "Platform Nos 12" and into the early morning chill of the Ahmedabad parking lot.Seems i was the first to arrive as the parking lot was empty and after roaming aimlessly spotted a elderly couple with luggage.Introduced myself to Mr Rustom.Dalal and his English wife Jean.Dalal ,happy to have met some members of our tour group.The bus later arrived at the parking lot and as we made our way towards it  meeting  more of my co-tourists including "B.N.H.S" tour leader Mrs  Prachi..Galange.We were a total of 14  tourists in the group and after a long time realized  i was not the oldest of the tour members unlike my mountain trekking tours as there were a few senior citizens among us.Mr Sundaresh.G had flown  from Bengaluru(Bangalore) while Miss Chandni.Sahgal from Mumbai  and the rest of us arriving by different trains. Mr Diwakar.Sabharanjak was definitely the eldest  safari tourist amongst us at 75 years of age proving  that "BIRDING" has no retirement age unlike other hobbies and sports. On self-introduction a  co-tourist   shook my hand in a vice-like grip and i instantly realized that he was from the armed forces a la "Sherlock Holmes" speculation.Brigadier(Retd) Mr Xerxes.P.Adrianwalla  was the highest rank military officer i met personally in my life, a avid "Birder" as were the others.. The bus departed Ahmedabad station at approximately 0815 hrs  for the long 99 kms journey to "Rann Riders" resort  situated in Dasada village of  Surendranagar district of Gujarat.I was suffering from fatigue having spent a sleepless night on the train and hence dozed away with my "Ipod " headphones plugged to my ears.

"Dog Whisperer" ? :-  "Great Dane" of "Janpath Hotel".

                                                                          Was abruptly woken up by my co -tourists at approx 0930 hrs when the bus halted for a tea break at "Janpath Hotel".Had a excellent "Special Sweet Lassi" consisting of dry fruits, excellent and cheap at Rs 45.The hotel had a excellent Great Dane  and as usual it became friends with me on first sight  as do most pets. A  "Pet Whisperer"? Photographed a "Selfie' with this dog something which a lesser mortal would shun just by seeing its huge bulk and height.Got to know my co-tourists better and all were avid nature tourists  with a few having visited most overseas national parks, most notably  Kenya and Tanzania conducted by "B.N.H.S" group..After breakfast we began our onward road journey and finally reached "Rann Riders" resort at approximately 1130 hrs.

Arrival at "RANN RIDERS" safari resort.

As we entered the resort estate situated off the main highway and alighted our bus  were greeted by a gaggle of geese which advertised   the farm house style resort.Some  local tribal women squatted in a long file at   the  compound entrance  selling local jewellery handicrafts.We had to wait in the resort  lounge for a while as the  previous package tour group were vacating the cottage residence.Three of our co-tourists , Mr Amitabha.V.Epur, Mr Digvijay.Singh.Rathore and his daughter Miss Maitrika.Kumari.Rathore had come directly to the resort .Mr Digvijay.Singh.Rathore, along with his daughter  had come from Jodhpur while Mr Amitabha had flown  from Hyderabad..Got acquainted with co-tourists  Mr Joseph.D'sa ,Mr Ajay.Kulkarni and Mr Jagdish.Sanghvi.Mr Joseph.D'sa  and myself  realized that we all live in a Global village knowing some acquaintances although meeting for the first time.

I suddenly happened to spot a Traditional Persian kitten climb up a tree to chase a squirrel, a rare sight  for this aristocratic lap cat.This was one of my best sightings of the entire tour being a cat aficionado and having two traditional Persian cats back home in Mumbai.It was a case of "Being at the right place at the right time" ! A horse stud farm extending from the parking lot of the resort  having  a huge paddock with  mares and foals  lazying in it provided the ultimate farm landscape of billionaire luxury. At approximately 1230 hrs we were allotted our cottages, two tourists to a hut style cottage. This  was a eco -resort  with the chic tourist  huts  being  a external  architectural  copy of the local   Kooba houses of the Bajania community of Dasada   and the Rabari community of Kutch.Mr Rajesh.Motee and myself were allotted "Cottage nos 10" and on entering the small plush cottage  were pleased by its neatness and plushness, a "5-star Cottage  hut" ! The cottage  had a attached A/c  and consisted of a single sleeping room with two beds, a narrow dress/cloak lobby and a bathroom/toilet.After a quick bathe we reported at the dining room/lounge for a buffet lunch.It was a sumptuous "Kutchi Style buffet lunch" mostly vegetarian with chicken being the only non-vegetarian dish.After lunch we went back to our "Cottage-Hut" and realizing there was a swimming pool decided to have a plunge in the ice-cold water, a la Russian style!After a dip in the small kidney shaped pool made my way back to the cottage where Mr  Rajesh.Motee , a C/A(chartered accountant)  by profession and myself got to know each other better.At  1430 hrs we both made our way to the reception for our first safari in the "Little Rann of kutch".The afternoon weather was cool and pleasant but the evenings would be chill,typical desert weather.Hence everyone carried warm jackets and clothing, myself a wafer thin sweater.I had underestimated the winter weather in Little Rann of Kutch and hence had not carried my "winter snow  clothing" along, a blunder i  regretted."Little Rann of Kutch" is famous for its birds during the winter season and hence professional and amateur birders descend onto this desert  for sightseeing and photography. Came across a group that were on a "Photography tour" and spotted the costliest private photographic equipment in my life.A Omani national was carrying a camera and zoom lens that resembled a "Bazooka" and costing over  Rs 10 lakhs (Approx 15,650 U.S $) ! He was on a safari holiday in India along with his friend.Arabs are infamous for having hunted the "Bustard" to extinction in most of its natural habitat through the sport of falconry akin to "Big Cats" being hunted  by the Britishers, Nawabs and Maharajah's on elephant backs and machhans in pre-independent India. Sadly today its deforestation and poaching that is threatening many animal and bird species towards extinction."Photography" has now replaced the guns and hope that a few of the animal and bird species facing extinction are restored to healthy populations in the wild forests. Most of my   co-tourist colleagues were carrying expensive camera equipment, all addicted "Birders".There is a bizarre similarity between the sport of  "Horse-racing" and the outdoors activity of  "Birding"  .Both are addictive and avid bird watchers or Ornithologists might spend lakhs of rupees on birding tours , camera and sighting equipment akin to racecourse punters spending fortunes to breed or bet on a winner horse. Both activities have no retirement age  and require minimum physical  fitness and hence can be pursued as long as the personal bank balance as well as physical fitness is reasonably healthy.There are about 10,000 species of birds in the World  and numerous "Bird Clubs" all over the World.  India has more than 1250  bird species within its geographical boundaries, many of them migratory birds.Some people(BIRDERS) spend  their entire time and fortune in upgrading the number of birds sighted by them.Few birders have sighted over 7000 birds in a lifetime and "Birding" is a very expensive and addictive hobby,a aristocratic pass-time and hence  no wonder author Ian.Fleming named his hero after a "Birder".

Flock of Yellow footed green pigeons   on cables :- Photo Ms Chandni.Sahgal.

SAFARI -1 :- Our tour group was allotted two vehicles,a large mini-truck and a jeep.I went into the mini truck along with others while six other tourists went onto the jeep.Our destination was a water wetland  named "Nawa Talao"approximately 10 Kms from our resort , one of the best locations for birding and bird photography. A young man Mr Pawan.Patel was our driver cum guide and it was approximately half an hours journey by road from "Rann Riders" resort to "Nawa Talao".On the way along the highway saw numerous agricultural fields of cotton and castor plantations as well as water ponds with aquatic birds.

"NAWA TALAO", a birding paradise near Dasada village  in "Little Rann of Kutch"  terrain.

On arriving at Nawa Talao we were greeted by a wide expanse of a large water reservoir in which there were numerous birds of different species.We alighted the bus and walked along the edge of the water reservoir.Mrs Prachi.Galange installed a "Spotting  Scope" on the ground  for viewing the birds in a close-up view.Everyone went camera happy and as for me tried to identify some of the birds with the help of tour leader Mrs Prachi.Galange and co-tourists Mr Amitabha.V.Epur,Mr Digvijay.Singh.Rathore and Retd Brigadier Mr Xerxes.Adrianwalla.

"STILT" :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                              They were the most knowledgeable birders in our entire group.The canal water was also used for irrigating the cotton and castor plantations and came across a pump pumping water into a underground pipeline.Driver/guide Mr Pawan.Patel took a few of us on a birding walk along the length of the large lake.Castor oil plantation fields  bordered the lake  fenced with thorns of the thorny bush shrubs(Prosopis Juliflora) that dominate the Little Rann landscape.Walking along the narrow grass pathway we spotted numerous birds . I tried to venture into the castor oil fields and almost became a "Prosopis Juliflora shrub " thorn casualty.Accidentally  stepped on to   a thorn twig of the fence with the thorn penetrating the soft rubber soles of my track shoes and making a needle tip contact with the sole of my foot.Spotted the great hoopoe lark, coots, flamingos,herons, ducks and stilts to name a few of the birds .Providence saved me from a ruinous injury and after removing the twig  ventured into the plantation.The "Castor Seed" fascinated my inquisitiveness, the most poisonous seed on planet earth yet harmlessly grown in plantation fields."Ricin", a extract from the mash waste  of the "Castor seed" after castor oil extraction  is one of the World's most lethal poisons.In villages where superstition is prevalent  it is common to blame sudden unexplained "DEATHS" or "SICKNESSES" on "BLACK MAGIC" while the actual cause could be "SLOW POISONING" through herbal plants like "Castor seeds". Its as poisonous as the "PUFFER FISH(Fugu)", a Japanese culinary delicacy  whose poison "Tetrodotoxin" is used for "Zombie" rituals in Haiti, a country where many people are deeply  involved in "Vodoo magic". "Tetrodotoxin" gradually  neutralizes the "Nervous system" as it moves through the human body making the person immobile and hence a "Living dead man/woman".Hope i have educated my readers on the secrets of some so called "BLACK MAGIC POTIONS" of  fake  "Witch doctors" and Tantriks".We walked to the end of the lake and on our return walk towards the truck spotted a small herd of wild boar in the castor oil field plantation, our first wild mammal sighting  of the safari tour.The "Castor seeds" are poisonous to all living beings and i presume the wild boars only ate the plants from the roots and not the seeds.

A HERD OF WILD BOARS  :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                Wild boars and Nilgai's are common pests to farmers  in India, commonly sighted in all forests.Experienced the beautiful sunset at Nawa Talao and made our way back to the resort.The drive back to the resort made me understand the meaning of chilling wind cold.The wind hitting our body as the truck drove was ice cold and even my sweater proved inadequate as a warmth garment.Finally reached our resort at 1830 hrs and after a hot cup of tea made our way back to our respective cottages After a warm bathe  strolled around the reception area of the resort and was surprised at seeing huge St Bernard and Labrador  sitting on the foyer while two traditional Persian cats played close to them in perfect harmony.Inquired with the staff and was told that there were three dogs  and two cats on the resort along with geese and a peacock.It was for the first time that i was seeing outdoor Persian cats living in perfect harmony with nature and three huge dogs.Dinner agenda was at 2000 hrs and hence later made my way to the "Dining hall/Lounge" .After we had all gathered in the lounge Mrs Prachi.Galange discussed the days "Bird Sightings" with us .Before the start of the  tour  a "Bird Checklist" had been  e-mailed to all participants of the tour as this was actually a "Birding Tour" for serious hobby and professional birders.Among us nature tourists Brigadier(Retd) Xerxes.Adrianwalla , Mr Digvijay.Rathore, a avid golfer   and Mr Amitabha.Epur  a I'T professional  were authorities on birds .I  realized that the Dr Salim.Ali's  bird encyclopedia "Book of Indian birds" first published in 1941 and last revised in 1979 had become a "Collectors item", partially outdated in 2014 as some  birds were renamed over the years.A bird  book was  later published in 1983  by Dr Salim.Ali and S.Dillon.Ripley titled "A pictorial guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent". A revised addition of this same book with  better illustrations  and enhancements was released in 2011 titled "Birds of the Indian subcontinent.A field guide"  co-authored by Mr Ranjit.Manakadan, Mr J.C.Daniels and Mr Nikhil.Bhopale.This book had the old names of birds as well as their new names along with their scientific names to avoid confusion among birders.Till  a  few years ago had done several treks and wildlife tours with Mr Nikhil.Bhopale during his employment with "B.N.H.S" and his aptitude towards birding amazed me. Hence was  not surprised when i read that he had co-authored a bird book and later becoming a wild-life tour entrepreneur .Akin to camera equipment upgradation so also were the encyclopaedic books on bird and birding getting updated over the decades and years. In total we had spotted 76 different bird species in a single day .After the discussion we next made our way for the sumptuous buffet dinner. The non-vegetarian dish was grilled tandoori chicken.After dinner made my way back to the cottage in the chill  cold night .The cottage was warm compared to the outside atmosphere, aftereffects of the local architectural design of these luxury cottage huts as well as  the warm bed blankets.The luxurious A/c cooling was a waste and we only switched on the A/c fan for ventilation.Had a good nights sleep after a sleepless night on the train.

ASIATIC INDIAN WILD ASS :-  (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

Saturday(13-12-2014) SAFARI -2  [JINJUWADA WILD ASS SANCTUARY]:- Woke up at 0500 hrs and after completion of my normal toilet routines got ready for the morning safari.After dressing for the safari tour  Rajesh and myself made our way to the dining hall/lounge in the dark chill morning.At approximately  0600hrs  we began our delicious and rich  continental buffet breakfast. Met some photograph tourists and their group leader Mr Giri.Cavale of "www.toehold.in" group at the breakfast table accompanied with their   camera's  worth lakhs or rupees. Mr Giri.Cavale  told me that  "www.toehold.in" were pioneers in "Photography tours" in India and rented camera's to their tour clients, the priciest camera's being rented at approximately Rs 2500/day! So if you can't afford or do not intend buying a Rs 5 lakhs + camera then there is always a option of renting one with "www.toehold.in" group. I have been on numerous tours in India and this was the first time  came across   groups of tourists strictly on a "Photograph assignment" with camera's worth the cost of luxury cars.Photography in India has changed by leaps and bounds and  renting of luxury camera's is the latest trend among serious players in the game. "WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY" is the toughest and costliest form of photography.

DESERT FOX :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

Today morning our destination was to tour the Jinjuwada  terrain of the Little Rann of Kutch  to sight the Indian wild ass and other mammals of this desert region.This time i chose the  6-seater jeep for the safari .It was a torturous journey in the chill morning cold with  the open jeep travelling at a speed which blew a jet of cold air onto us . It was worse than being in sub-zero temperatures,besides, i just had a thin sweater as cold protection.After approximately forty  minutes we reached the historic gate of Jinjuwada village  known as the "Madapol Gate".It was originally built in the 12th century and has been given a facelift since then which gave it a very modern architectural appearance. On entering Madapol gate we came across a few pyramids of salt deposits.Salt farmed from the salt pans in the desert was  deposited in this open-air storage godown  and redistributed for commercial consumption. Further down the village track  dominated by the "Prosopis Juliflora shrub " we came across cattle .As the Little Rann of Kutch has no large predatory animals there are no fenced boundaries as in other national reserves in India and the wild animals intermingle with the herds of cattle that graze on the stunted Rann grass.Spotted a jackal  and later a  wild cat prowling in the desert shrubs  opposite our jeep.Further away we came across a small herd of cattle and suddenly heard the strange braying of the Indian wild ass.For the first time in my life saw a lone wild ass  walk towards the open from the shrubs.It was about 100 meters away from our jeep, happy to mingle with the cattle but mortally afraid of us humans.As our jeep approached closer it ran away from us disappearing into the shrub bush.We then headed into the periphery of the most   isolated desert  and sighted a Desert fox, a real beautiful animal.Got a glimpse of the "MacQueens Bustard" fleeing from our vehicles. Further  down the desert it was a experience of a lifetime driving on a  barren baked mud  terrain that resembled a dried lake and better than most  roads in Mumbai city !This was my first view of the unique desert terrain called the "Little Rann of Kutch". There is no sand in this desert but hard baked mud with slight salt crustations in certain places.As the jeep drives it leaves a trail of mud dust in its wake and as a former  seafarer i got the feeling of being on a ship out at sea ! Akin to the sea the "Little Rann of Kutch " desert horizon is endless with nothing in sight but just a sea of hard baked flat clay land.We just got lost driving in the endless open dry desert stopping at times to scan the desert land and occasional wild ass  excreta.Finally we returned to our resort at approximately 1130 hrs.

"RANN RIDERS" stud farm.Breeds "Marwari" and "Kathiawari" Indian  horses for riding.

On reaching our resort i headed straight towards the horse stud farm, Walked the length across the paddock into the  training and stable enclosure.Have been involved with  " Horse-racing" since the age of 19 years, initially as a fan and later as a punter . A very expensive and addictive hobby, enjoyable provided the punter/owner  knows his or her monetary limitations."Mahalaxmi racecourse(Mumbai)" was a "Second home" to me since  the 1990 's being used in the morning for my regular jogging itinerary  and in the afternoons for punting on horse races. It was for the first time in my life that i got to see a "HORSE STUD FARM" and interact with the horses and stable employees.

The "Rann Riders" stud farm bred only Kathiawari and Marwari riding horses on the farm and its owner Mr Mujahid.Malik  is  a aristocratic horse enthusiast,Mr Junaid.Malik our driver/guide seemed to be a all-rounder and was surprised to know that he was also in charge of the  training and welfare of the stud farm.On questioning him i realized that he was ignorant about the training and handling of thoroughbred racehorses which are completely different from riding horses."Better late than too late" had again proved prophetic in my case and bizarrely at the age of 54 years i was seeing a stud farm for the first time although in the business of race-horse punting for "Donkeys Years".After satisfying my curiosity  walked across the paddock and made my way back to the resort ,
Lunch was at 1230 hrs and as usual it was exotic Kutchi buffet vegetarian food with chicken  as a non-vegetarian dish.After lunch i headed to the swimming pool for a dip in the ice cold water and later a hot water shower in the cottage, a soothing natural balm to ward off fatigue.Strolled around the resort estate, a real palatial farm house resort,.The afternoon safari was scheduled for 1500 hrs and hence a brief break for some rest in the cottage.

"B.N.H.S" group "BIRDING"  at Bajana creek  in Dhrangadhara  wild ass sanctuary.

SAFARI- 3 [DHRANGADHRA WILD ASS SANCTUARY] :- Reported at 1500 hrs  at the reception lounge for boarding the jeep/truck for the afternoon safari.Boarded the truck hoping that the cold wind on the return journey would be less of a torture than in the open jeep.Took the last seat  hoping that akin to the "Pelathon" formation  in cycling my co-tourists seating ahead of me would buffer the chill cold windIt was cool and pleasant in the afternoon but sunset would bring a drastic change in ambient temperatures.It was a long drive  to the "Dhrangadhra Wild ass sanctuary" office, approx 20 Kms from Dasada village.As mentioned there are no fences or entry gates in the "Little Rann of Kutch" wild ass sanctuary as in other national parks in India.A charge of Rs 100 was levied on tourists carrying camera's with lenses, the only fees charged by the park and hence free for others using ordinary camera's.After tour group leader Mrs  Prathi paid the required camera fees on behalf of  a few of us our vehicles headed into the reserve.Came across cattle grazing on stunted grass which is also shared by the wild asses.Suddenly as our van headed  into the Rann we saw a herd of wild asses standing in a single file in the distance.This was our best and closest view of these elusive  beasts and we halted our vehicles about 100 meters from the herd and began the photography session. There was a herd of cattle in the vicinity and it was strange that although accustomed to  seeing humans, vehicles and cattle the Indian wild ass is untamable and bolts at a canter which could turn into a gallop at the slightest hint of danger.

Herd of Indian wild ass :- Photo Ms Chandni.Sahgal.

  "Ghudkhur" or "Khur" the Indian Wild ass (Equus hemionus Khur) is different from the African wild ass species as well as its Indian counterpart the "Kyang" found in Ladakh and Tibet.The Indian wild Ass grows to a height of  about 120 cms and a body length of approx 260 cms.To me their facial features resembled a Zebra rather than a horse or donkey although i haven't read any encyclopedia offering the same description.They all were well fed and did not spot a single wild ass with protruding ribs as normally seen in undernourished horses and donkeys.I was observing them under powerful binoculars and hence my conclusions on their description and external physical health.Spotted a few foals in the large  herd.They reach maturity at approx 2 to 3 years and mate during the spring season having a gestation period of 11 months.A single offspring is delivered and they have no large carnivorous predators in the Little Rann of Kutch barring the rare Hyena and feral dogs.Over the years ,grazing of cattle herds  by the Maldhari tribesmen  and encroachment of land by salt pans and the invasive  Prosopis Juliflora shrub  in the Little Rann of Kutch  is creating habitat loss for the wild ass.The first census of the Indian  wild ass was done in 1940 and the population was estimated at 3500 animals.The population drastically reduced to only 362 during the 1960 census and it was placed in the highly critically endangered list. The last census taken in 2009  put the population of  the Indian wild ass  at approximately 4038  which is a phenomenal success in bringing back a species on the brink of extinction in 1960.The state of Gujarat has fared well in wild-life conservation in India ,  most prominent being  with the Asiatic lion  in Junagadh which numbered only 15 in the early 1900's due to trophy hunting   and now numbering  411 in the 2010 lion census.  After satisfying our photography thrills we headed deeper into the shrub-land and finally onto the desert flatland that stretched upto the horizon  and offering us a view of a mirage on a bet towards another horizon. "BETS" are  elevated patches of land of  less salinity in the Little Rann of Kutch   that does not get submerged in water during the annual South-West monsoon floodings.During the monsoon flooding when large stretches of the Little Rann becomes a sea of water upto 2 meters in depth  it is the elevated "BETS"  akin to islands that support wildlife  and  plant life.The entire fringes  and most parts of the "BETS" of the Little Rann of Kutch is colonized by the "Prosopis Juliflora" shrub that is unpalatable for humans as well as wild-life species. There are a total of 74 identified "BETS" in the Little Rann of Kutch of which 51 have vegetation cover that supports the Wild ass population and other wildlife species.Gradually from the month of October the water begins  drying and hence here in December we were driving through flat desert land that was just a few months ago a small sea of saline and fresh water. The  largest of the bets are the "PUNG BET" which covers a area of 30 Sq Kms and the highest bet is "Mardak Bet" which rises to 55 Meters.Its a unbelievable euphoria  visiting the geography books that   you studied in school and the visuals you saw on television on "Discovery" and "National Geographic channels". I had read a lot about "DESERT MIRAGES" in school as well as novels but was seeing one for the first time in the Little Rann of Kutch.In fact our  van driver/guide/stud farm  caretaker  Mr Junaid.Malik  was entitled for bragging rights  as  he had escorted a troupe of French television crew into the Little Rann of Kutch for filming a documentary for "DISCOVERY CHANNEL".I had seen a part of this documentary just before my departure for this tour, a bizarre co-incidence.

Flamingo's in "Bajanas Creek" :- Photo Ms Chandni.Sahgal.

                                                                              They keep a minimum safe distance of approx 100 meters between vehicles and humans and hence photography is possible only with telephoto lens.Locally known as the

FLAMINGO' S at "Bajana Creek" :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

Our next destination was "Bajana Creek", a wetland that was a birding paradise.On arrival towards the creek was greeted by a sighting of  a flock of flamingoes and other water birds in the distance.We kept a "safe distance" from the creek and the flock to prevent them from flying.We alighted our vehicles and Mrs  Prachi.Galange erected the "Spot Scope" as did co-tourist Amitabha, a hobby ornithologist who reminded me of Ornithologist  and co-author Mr  Nikhil.Bhopale .With Mr Amitabha it was a private and expensive passion while for Nikhil it was  employment and now  a private tour business.I was touring with Mrs Prachi.Galange for the first time and she too was  knowledgeable on birds as were co-tourists Mr Digvijay and Brigadier Xerxes.Adrianwalla.As dusk  approached we drove back towards the exit and on the way spotted  a few Nilgai's(Blue bulls), our first sighting of this common Indian antelope that is considered a pest by most farmers as it destroys cultivated vegetation akin to wild boars.It was a 25 Kms drive back to our resort with the chill wind  being worse than  living in sub-zero temperature.Finally reached our cosy resort and after the normal hot water shower reported at the lounge/dining hall. Prachi.Galange summarized the days sightings and as for me seems birds are out of my scope of special learning.The schedule for the next day was an entire day  of driving in the Little Rann of Kutch for sighting  desert mammals, predator birds and the rare bustard.A few of  our co-tourists  were against spending a entire day in the desert as facilities like toilet and emergency medical aid was unavailable but finally agreed to spending half a day and returning back in the jeep while rest of us continued the tour in the mini-truck.Had a good nights sleep in the comfort of the warm cottage.

"AHOY ! A TRUCK IN THE HORIZON" :-  Flat topography of "LITTLE RANN OF KUTCH" akin to a  Sea.

Sunday(14-12-2014) SAFARI- 4 [A Entire day safari  in Little Rann of Kutch] :- After the normal toilet routines went to the dining hall for breakfast as usual and then at the reception center for our usual safari itinerary At approximately 0645 hrs .boarded our respective vehicles, the mini-truck and the jeep and began our long journey to the Little Rann of Kutch. On the way spotted a huge flock of yellow foot pigeons sitting on the overhead cables near a small lake.It was a rare sight to see these many pigeons in a single place.Strangely there are no peacocks in the Little Rann of Kutch but they are a  common sight  in the towns that border the  desert existing freely among humans akin to chickens ! Monkeys are totally absent from the Little Rann of Kutch topography, something hard to visualize as they are commonly sighted on the periphery of small forests and even in  some city's in India.This explains the fact that the vegetation of the Little Rann of Kutch is totally desert vegetations which supports few species of mammals.Finally at approx 0745 hrs  reached Jinjuwada village  and entered  the periphery of the Little Rann of Kutch  encountering  herds of cattle.Spotted a few wild asses and drove deeper into the desert .

"COMMON CRANES" in flight :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                                                                               The desert was lifeless with the usual "Prosopis Juliflora" shrub being the only vegetation scattered sparsely over small "Bets".I again got the feeling of being on a ship  with the desert as the sea of baked clay sand.The flat wasteland of the Little Rann of Kutch stretched till the horizon, one of the most unique sights on planet Earth.Came across  a flock of common cranes  feeding among the shrubs in a bet.At approximately 0930 hrs we stopped near a bund in the desert for some group photographs.The vast wasteland of hard baked clay mud  till the horizon just baffled me , something i was seeing for the first time in my life. I was expecting some soft sand  akin to the  Thar and Sahara deserts but was amazed at finding hard topsoil akin to a 100 meters race track in a stadium.We found a human skull in the vicinity and Brigadier Xerxes pointed to a bullet hole in the skull raising a debate on the cause of death.Although the sun was shining bright it was cool and pleasant in the desert with all of us wearing warm clothing.We next drove across the desert into a  bet that housed the famous "VACHARA  DADA  COW TEMPLE". The entire vicinity had cattle roaming along freely, all having majestic horns and mostly belonging to the "Red Sindhi Breed" of cattle.The cows and bulls anxiously approached visitors for food akin to monkeys and scared most of us with their massive bulk and horns.A temple dedicated to the cows and the local deity saint Vachara Dada is the importance of this bet for local pilgrims and visitors.After strolling around the temple precincts and cattle we headed back into the desert.We next visited the "Salt Fields" situated in the midst of the desert.Got to understand the harvesting of salt in the Little Rann of Kutch.The taste of the salt water in the farm reminded me of the "Dead sea" in Israel, poisonously salty water.Our next destination was  towards a bet in search of shade for having our hamper lunch.We finally drove towards a "Prosopis Juliflora" shrubland and our hamper lunch was spread on the ground.It was a different feeling having lunch in the midst of a desert totally  away  from civilization barring ourselves. Lunch was "Chole Battura" with parathas and pulao rice.After lunch the few of us wanting to depart to the resort boarded the jeep while the rest of us boarded the mini truck and headed in search of tracking birds, mammals and wild asses.  

"SHORT EARED OWL" :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

       

ELUSIVE DESERT FOX :-:- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                                                                                                                                       Spotted a desert fox and  later a short eared owl sitting under a bush.Our prized sighting was a peregrine falcon sitting on a stone marker in the midst of the desert.It didn't allow us to approach it closer than 200 meters and had the strange habit of flying from one stone marker to another almost a mile away.We tried pursuing it with the truck for closer viewing   but  it turned out to be a futile "Follow-me" chase with the bird quickly flying as soon as our truck approached it.We then spent the entire afternoon and evening driving across the desert .

A Falcon :- Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange.

                                                                                                                             Viewed  the wild asses galloping in the open flat desert raising a dust storm akin to race horses running on a dirt track on a race-course. Pure poetry in motion.I now have great respect for  the cousin of the humble donkey, more faster than a average race-horse and totally untameable.It is only in the deep interior of the Little Rann of Kutch that a casual tourist can get to view a Indian wild ass in its true natural environment devoid of cattle and human presence.Spotted a lone alpha male walking alone in the desert, the only living animal till the horizon, a classic unforgettable image etched in memory.  

"STEPPE  EAGLE" :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                                                                                                                                           Towards the evening we spotted  the long legged buzzard and the common kestrel .One of the best sightings came towards the fag end of the safari when we spotted a Kestrel swooping from the skies onto a sand grouse in the bush. We saw the sand grouse jump up in the air as the kestrel missed its prey.  Nilgai's  were quite a common sight  through the evening  and finally made   our exit out of the desert through the Dhrangadhra passage.It was a long drive back to the resort  in chill wind .On arrival at the resort had a warm cup of tea and headed for a hot shower.At dinner time we discussed the days sightings as usual .After dinner it was back to the cottage as usual and back to bed.

BIRDING AT "BAHMAN TALAO"

Monday(15-12-2014) [Bahman Talao birding ,"Cattle Graveyard" raptor birding  and departure Ahmedabad]:-  Woke up early as usual although breakfast was scheduled a bit late at 0630 hrs since we would be not going on a vehicle safari but on a walking birding stroll to a lake near the resort.After breakfast we all made our way out of the resort onto the main highway road."Moti" the resort labrador accompanied us and it was a short walk to "Bahman Talao" ,a small  pond  that housed numerous aquatic birds.

                                                                                                            The large pond  had numerous ducks, coots, herons,cormorants and ibises to name a few of the birds that i could identify.Prachi and Amitabha set up their "Spot Scopes" and began their bird study  while i observed them through binoculars.The biggest attraction was a Pied Kingfisher hovering in the air and demonstrating its diving skills in catching fish in the  pond.The bird was sheer poetry in motion, elegant and swift in executing its steep dives into the pond.Seems a average tourist need not venture out of "Rann Riders" resort  for birdwatching as the same was available just  walking distance from the resort.      

Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange

                                                                                                              This pond would dry up during the peak summer months  and hence December was peak birding time.As usual i decided to explore the vicinity near the pond and ventured into a local tribal commune that housed milch buffaloes.Typical tribal living with the thorns of the "Prosopis Juliflora" shrub being used to form a fence for the buffaloes similar  to the "Bomo's"  in Africa and the  Gir forests.Met Joseph and Rajesh  and we decided to walk further towards a water channel. Labrador Moti accompanied us on our walk through pathways along the  "Prosopis Juliflora"  bushes.Fields of cotton and castor oil  surrounded the vicinity and i did venture into a castor oil field to examine this most poisonous yet commonly cultivated plant.We next made our way to the stream and labrador moti ran into the water for a swim, something i saw for the first time in my life. This labrador was a country bred dog and was hence true to its breed, a hunting dog by instinct and breeding.There were no aquatic birds in the canal and hence we returned back towards the pond.Had a conversation with co-tourist Chandni.Sahgal , a media entrepreneur ,and was surprised to come across a safari globe trotter.She had visited all the safari parks in India and had toured most exotic locations in the World.My wild-life  tour bragging rights felt diminished on meeting her while also expanding my own  knowledge.At approximately 0915 hrs we returned back to our resort and i guided Joseph and Rajesh to the stud farm.Visited the stables  and met the syces and the manager.The economics of maintenance of the stud farm was definitely a hobby for billionaires .Later met the owner Mr Mujahid.Malik who took personal care in the feeding of a 15 day old Marwari foal on goat bottle milk as its mother lacked milk.The milk was mixed with vitamins and minerals and the foal was thin compared to another foal of the same age being nurtured by its mother.It was akin to caring for a abandoned pet puppy  or kitten  but atrociously expensive.He is passionate about the preservation and breeding of local Indian riding  horses of the Kathiawari and Marwari breed and the main horse breeder in Dasada  village.The stud farm also produced  its own dairy and poultry.They also  bred exotic birds likecockatails and canaries in large aviaries.For the first time in my life saw the rare "Ayam Cemani" breed of chickens known as "Kadaknath"  in India .These chickens are bred by the tribals communities of Bhil and Bhilala in the state of Madhya Pradesh.Its origin is Java in Indonesia where it is prized for its rare pure black colour including flesh and blood !A prized single bird of pure pedigree can be worth US $ 2,500 , the cost of a average riding horse.

"AYAM CEMANI(KADAKNATH) breed of fowls

                                                                                                            In India the "Kadaknath(Kali Masi)" chicken is in great demand for its medicinal powers as well as "Black Magic" rituals by the superstitious.These chickens were pets on the farm  purchased from Madhya Pradesh farms where it is bred in Government poultry farms  to conserve the species from extinction.This chicken breed  was my prized "BIRDING" of the tour besides the Peregrine falcon and short-eared owl.We all birders have different interests even in birds .From the stud farm made our way back to the cottage and packed my bag.

Took some photographs of the resort pets including the geese and ducks, a literal "Old MacDonalds Farm".At 1200 hrs checked out of our "5-star cottage hut" , one of the most beautiful resorts i visited in recent years.The buffet lunch was delicious as usual and  must have put on a few ounces of weight during my three days stay at this exotic resort despite hectic physical activity.Our co-tourists Mr Jagdish.Sanghvi, Mr Amitabha.Epur, Mr Digvijay.Singh.Rathore and his daughter Miss Maitrika.Rathore  decided to extend their tour with "B.N.H.,S" and join the birding tour  to be conducted by "B.N.H.S" in the "Great Rann of Kutch" a day later.Hence they stayed behind, absolute addicted birders(Ornithologists) and nature lovers spending a fortune in time and money.After lunch we assembled at the reception office and was sad to see a shikra bird lying on its side gasping for breath in  a  open air cage.This falcon was found on the resort grounds and must have been diseased or  accidentally bruised.Bid adieu to the resort and boarded our vehicles for the journey back to Ahmedabad.On the way we diverted towards the "CATTLE SHELTER/ GRAVEYARD" to watch the vultures feast on the carcasses of dead cattle.At approximately  1400 hrs we reached the "Cattle Graveyard", the stench of decaying flesh being a indication as we approached the  wasteland entrance  and alighted our vehicles.

"CATTLE GRAVEYARD":-  Get to view Vultures, Ibises, Eagles and other common feral animals.

Cattle were kept in a enclosed enclosure while the surrounding grounds consisting of  scattered "Prosopis Juliflora" shrubs was a wasteland used as a "CATTLE GRAVEYARD".The cattle are kept in enclosed stockyards to live a natural life  until a natural death and never ever slaughtered for the  "Beef Meat Industry "..After death  the animal  is  removed from the stockyard  and  left in the open cattle graveyard for  consumptions by carrion birds and animals.  Carcasses of cattle was strewn on the grounds  and  kites, herons,Ibises, Egyptian vultures, feral dogs and a lone feral pig were some of the animals and birds having a feast on the carrion meat.Some of the dead cattle are skinned before being left in the open ground to be used in the "Tannery Industry".Spotted a mongoose among the carrion eaters and never realized that Ibises and herons were also carrion eaters being  under the impression that these birds were fish eaters frequenting water locales having always seen them near streams or lakes most notably the Ranganathittu bird sanctuary near Mysore.Most beautiful were the glossy(black) Ibis and the red naped Ibis, a bizarre sight among the dead rotting carcasses.Spotted a few Nilgai's  in the distance indicating that the surrounding area was in close proximity to the desert scrubland forests.We strolled around the stench of rotting carcasses trying to spot the white rumped vulture, a species  nearing extinction in India and hence being artificially bred through "Cattle Graveyards".

ADULT EGYPTIAN VULTURE :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                                                                                                                        We did not spot a single white rumped vulture but saw  numerous Egyptian vultures, the juveniles being black in colour while the adult males were white resembling a overgrown chicken.The once common white rumped vulture has been decimated due to poisoning  by eating cattle carcasses injected with  the "DICLOFENAC DRUG".Diclofenac is a common inflammatory drug that was administered to live  cattle by veterinarians to cure various pain ailments in livestock during the 1990's.When the cattle died this chemical remained in their dead bodies and the same consumed by the  vultures which proved fatal to the birds.In fact it was a "B.N.H.S" scientist  Dr  Vibhu .Prakash who observed the rapid decline of Vultures in Indian skies in the 1990's , most notably in the Keoladeo National park in Bharatpur in Rajasthan.  He  raised the alarm for protection of the species and was also involved in research for determining the cause of the rapid depletion of Indian vulture population..The cause of deaths was untraceable until 2003 when Dr Lindsay.Oaks and his team traced the culprit as "DICLOFENAC DRUG"."Diclofenac drug" has been banned in India since 2006 and been replaced by "Meloxicam" which is harmless  for vultures .Our rare sighting was the large  steppe eagle.

"PAINTED STORKS" :- (Photo:- B.N.H.S Tour  official Mrs Prachi.Galange)

                                                                                                                     There was a large pond in the vicinity that  had a few small stone islets in its midst and a huge tree in the center on elevated land.For the first time spotted a flock of juvenile Painted storks nesting on the tree.The pond had  lots of painted storks, coots and a pair of spoonbills and ibises.Met a worker Shri Karsanbhai .Tejabhai of the cattle shelter  and  he was happy to explain us the functioning and his duty in this vast complex of  live cattles and dead carcasses.He was happy to pose for a photo shoot with his traditional turban explaining us his job of providing water to the livestock in the cattle shelter. The pond was used as a water reservoir for providing drinking water to the cattle shelter .This vast cattle graveyard was a birders locale and one of the important sites on the "Birders" tour of Little Rann of Kutch.

At approximately 1545 hrs we left the "Cattle Shelter/Graveyard" and headed towards our final destination , Ahmedabad railway station.During our safari's in the "Little Rann of Kutch"  and the "Cattle Graveyard" we had spotted approximately 100 different bird species as tabulated by Mrs Prachi.Galange on her bird check-list. Got to sight see the suburbs and city of Ahmadabad  on the way to the railway station , a city with great discrepancies between wealthy housing locales and slum type residences, a replica of Mumbai.We reached Ahmedabad station at approximately 1800 hrs and my next worry was confirming my "WL(Waiting list) " ticket.Bid goodbye to the group and along with Mr Joseph .D'Sa headed to the station.Deposited our luggage in the "Cloak room" and headed towards the road to explore the precincts of Ahmedabad railway station, the fastest growing city in India.I thought Mumbai had traffic problems but the traffic and crowd  outside the road  of Ahmedabad station was akin to playing "Russian Roulette" with your life ! Strolled through the narrow lane near the station  and returned back to the railway station rest room. Mr D'sa had reservation for the 2300 hrs departure train while mine was scheduled at 2200 hrs.Finally at 2100 hrs headed to platform no 5  and to my dismay found out that my ticket for the "12092 Gujarat Mail" was cancelled.Rushed around like a mad-tourist  my physical fitness saving the night and booked a general ticket costing Rs 650 .Made my way into S-8 compartment as advised by the ticket collector.In the melee i realized that my "I-Pod" had been pickpocketed .It was a defunct "I-Pod" owned by my house-keeper but had a fantastic and hilarious  collection of songs.Was distressed on losing it and the journey was painful without music and  having to somehow manage a squeezed seat  in the compartment during my entire journey from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.Train reached Mumbai at 0600 hrs, End of a memorable safari tour where i learned and saw new bird and animal species in the wild besides making new acquaintances.For "BIRDERS" the Little and Great Rann of Kutch are the ultimate winter destinations and as for me got to view the "Indian Wild Ass" in full gallop akin to its cousin the "Thoroughbred racehorse" and  also a "Horse stud farm".

P.S :- All opinions and descriptions written are my own personal views of the "Little Rann of Kutch" safari  with the "B.N.H.S(Bombay Natural history society)" tour group. A personal memory bank for the future and guidance for nature lovers.Thanks to  the "INTERNET" for assisting in my research on writing this blog and B.N.H.S  safari  organizer Mrs Prachi.Galange and co-tourist Ms Chandni.Sahgal  for allowing me to use some of  their  photographs to highlight the different bird and animal species  seen by us.