Back in Firdaus

Spend a day at the world famous Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur yesterday. And as expect it was pure bliss. 

Birding here is always amazingly easy and fruitful. 

Here's a bunch of photos from the trip and a list of birds that I managed to see here including a couple of Lifers [Black Bittern and Dusky Eagle Owl] :-)

This time I also managed to do a boat ride inside the Sanctuary .. Here's a few photos from the boat..

And in my mind this photo of a rare glimpse of the elusive Black Bittern out in the open is my most precious photo of this trip :-)

And here's a few photos of the Mammals I managed to see within the park this time around:

Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus)

Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) 

Sambar (Rusa unicolor)

Early in the morning as we started off we were able to spot the elusive Jungle cat (Felis chaus), unfortunately though I was unable to photograph this Lifer species!

And to end this post here's a complete bird list from my second trip to Paradise:

	28-Jan-13
	Keoladeo Ghana National Park
	Bharatpur
	GALLIFORMES: Phasianidae
1	Grey Francolin	Francolinus pondicerianus
2	Indian Peafowl	Pavo cristatus
	ANSERIFORMES: Anatidae
3	Lesser Whistling Duck	Dendrocygna javanica
4	Greylag Goose	Anser anser
5	Bar-headed Goose	Anser indicus
6	Knob-billed Duck / Comb duck	Sarkidiornis melanotos
7	Ruddy Shelduck	Tadorna ferruginea
8	Gadwall	Anas strepera
9	Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope
10	Indian Spot-billed Duck	Anas poecilorhyncha
11	Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata
12	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta
13	Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca
14	Red-crested Pochard	Netta rufina
	PODICIPEDIFORMES: Podicipedidae
15	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
	CICONIIFORMES: Ciconiidae
16	Painted Stork	Mycteria leucocephala	Near-threatened
	PELECANIFORMES: Threskiornithidae
17	Black-headed Ibis	Threskiornis melanocephalus	Near-threatened
18	Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus
	PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae
19	Black Bittern	Dupetor flavicollis
20	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
21	Indian Pond Heron	Ardeola grayii
22	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
23	Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea
24	Great Egret	Ardea alba
25	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
	PELECANIFORMES: Pelecanidae
26	Great White Pelican	Pelecanus onocrotalus
27	Dalmatian Pelican	Pelecanus crispus	Vulnerable
	SULIFORMES: Phalacrocoracidae
28	Little Cormorant	Microcarbo niger
29	Indian Cormorant	Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
30	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
	SULIFORMES: Anhingidae
31	Oriental Darter	Anhinga melanogaster	Near-threatened
	ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae
32	Western Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus
33	Eastern Imperial Eagle	Aquila heliaca	Vulnerable
	GRUIFORMES: Rallidae
34	White-breasted Waterhen	Amaurornis phoenicurus
35	Purple Swamphen	Porphyrio porphyrio
36	Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
	GRUIFORMES: Gruidae
37	Sarus Crane	Grus antigone	Vulnerable
	CHARADRIIFORMES: Recurvirostridae
38	Pied Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta
	CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae
39	Red-wattled Lapwing	Vanellus indicus
	CHARADRIIFORMES: Jacanidae
40	Bronze-winged Jacana	Metopidius indicus
	CHARADRIIFORMES: Scolopacidae
41	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
	CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae
42	River Tern	Sterna aurantia
	COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae
43	Laughing Dove	Spilopelia senegalensis
44	Yellow-footed Green Pigeon	Treron phoenicopterus
	PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae
45	Vernal Hanging Parrot	Loriculus vernalis
46	Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri
	CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae
47	Lesser Coucal	Centropus bengalensis
	STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae
48	Dusky Eagle-Owl	Bubo coromandus
	CORACIIFORMES: Alcedinidae
49	White-throated Kingfisher	Halcyon smyrnensis
50	Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
51	Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis
	PICIFORMES: Picidae
52	Black-rumped Flameback	Dinopium benghalense
	PASSERIFORMES: Laniidae
53	Bay-backed Shrike	Lanius vittatus
	PASSERIFORMES: Dicruridae
54	Black Drongo	Dicrurus macrocercus
	PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae
55	Rufous Treepie	Dendrocitta vagabunda
56	Indian Jungle Crow	Corvus culminatus
	PASSERIFORMES: Pycnonotidae
57	White-eared Bulbul	Pycnonotus leucotis
58	Red-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus cafer
	PASSERIFORMES: Acrocephalidae
59	Clamorous Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus stentoreus
60	Blyth's Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus dumetorum
	PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae
61	Ashy Prinia	Prinia socialis
62	Plain Prinia	Prinia inornata
63	Common Tailorbird	Orthotomus sutorius
	PASSERIFORMES: Leiothrichidae
64	Large Grey Babbler	Turdoides malcolmi
65	Jungle Babbler	Turdoides striata
	PASSERIFORMES: Sylviidae
66	Lesser Whitethroat	Sylvia curruca
	PASSERIFORMES: Sturnidae
67	Bank Myna	Acridotheres ginginianus
68	Common Myna	Acridotheres tristis
69	Brahminy Starling	Sturnia pagodarum
	PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae
70	Bluethroat	Luscinia svecica
71	Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis
72	Indian Robin	Saxicoloides fulicatus
73	Red-breasted Flycatcher	Ficedula parva
	PASSERIFORMES: Passeridae
74	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus

To explain what Bharatpur means to me I will quote a Farsi couplet by the famous 14th Century Delhi poet Amir Khusrau - 

‘Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast' 

If ever there is Paradise on Earth / It is here! It is here! It is here!