My first visit to Kanha was in the seventies whence I saw a beautiful tigress. The tiger reserve lies in the districts of Mandla and Balaghat. The landscape is the most striking feature of Kanha National Park in MP.

As you cross over the Indri Village the picturesque settings begins to enthrall you. The magical paradise appears as patches of forests alongside and table top mountains on far left. The drive encompasses through many tribal hamlets hanging listlessly in a bygone era. The tribal subsist of small fields around the villages which are not at all fit for agriculture. Nevertheless the quaint hamlets are part of the enchanting landscape and it is pleasing to see them around.    

The village bazaars accord life to the sleepy surroundings and the colors are fascinating. Ensembles of modern appendages appear as government offices of local level, dispensaries and schools. Some over bloated kirana shops or general stores supply urban products and food grains. The ever zigzagging rickety buses connect the interiors with Mandla and a larger agglomeration at Jabalpur City.   

As you proceed towards the Mochha village the scenic splendor begins to unfold. You can come across common animals like langur, spotted dear and often the barking deer. Leopards and tigers can appear during the night and so do the sloth bear in the buffer. Even the shy gaur venture out sometimes to the neighboring villages to forage on the fields.  

Mocha is the hub of hotel accommodations on the Khatia Gate. On the way you cross over the Kanhar Rivulet, Ghangar Nala and the Banjar River. These waterways are still ensconced in the prehistoric era with forests on shores laden with stones of dazzling hues and colors.  

The urbanity at Mochha takes you by surprise thanks to a large number of hotels and resorts, tea shops, stores, schools and the governing infrastructure. The accommodations range from budget to star properties that cater to upscale tourists.

During the seventies Moccha was a sleepy little village but no more as tourism grew I could see the transformation.  All the villages in the buffer zone and periphery are engulfed with patches of forests that are home to wild animals and amazing birds.  

The buffer forests offer excellent birding on foot which is a boon for the enthusiastic birders. The place I regularly visit for bird watching is the lake at Boda Chhapri. Along with my guests I  visit this enchanting water body without fail. The stillness of the place and the pristine forests accord tranquility and peace much wanted succor after hectic tiger safaris.     

The village walks washes away the leftover weariness. The small friendly tribal active in their daily routine offer a smoothing experience for those entrapped in the rat race of major towns. 

I work in one of the resorts in Kanha as naturalist and bird guide. This is a rare opportunity of combining work with pleasure. The Courtyard House is surrounded by Kanha Forests, water body and tribal fields. The hamlets are a little distance away. The evening sun downers under the Kanha starry night are often accompanied by the thrilling roar of the resident tiger.  Besides many jungle sounds this is the most exciting event at Courtyard House.     

After fulfilling months of hard work, one definitely wants to take rest away from the din and bustle of city enjoying the beauty of nature in a serene atmosphere.

 

Bhitarkanika with its lush green mangroves, the fiery crocodiles, migrating birds and turtles, water tracks, the ever beautiful nature surely invites the visitors from all walks of life to spend time leisurely as well as think and explore the beauty of nature. Represented by the 3 protected areas “The Bhitarkanika National Park”, The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary” and “The Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary”, it is always a place for nature lovers, scholars, scientists and tourists.

 

Located in Odisha’s Kendrapara district (Click here to see on Map) , Bhitarkanika is surrounded with Mangrove Forests criss-crossed with streams and mud planes. In 1975 Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary (BKWS) was established to conserve the rich biodiversity and the pristine beauty in the Brahmani-Baitarani (Dhamra) deltaic region of coastal Odisha. Later the Sanctuary was designated as Bhitarkanika National Park in the year 1988. Yet again in the year 2002 it was re-designated as the Ramsar site or The Wetland of International importance. Even steps are being taken to include it in the World Heritage Site List.

 

Bhitarkanika river system has few giant saltwater crocodiles. The length of these crocodiles is around 20ft. The nesting behavior of mother Saltwater crocodile is different from other two Indian Crocodilian species. She builds up a small mountain in a secluded place by collecting available nesting material which includes aquatic fern species (Acrostischum aureum), Hental (Phonix paludosa), etc. Then the nesting mother crocodile actively guards her nests for about 70-75 days, till the young crocodiles hatch out for moving into the creeks. The un-disturbed river bank is the favoured basking spot for Saltwater crocodiles. An abode for the highly poisonous snake, King Cobra, Bhitarkanika is one of the few

 

Bhitarkanika mangrove forests provide an abode for the deadly poisonous snake, King cobra. This is one of the few locales in the country where a good population of King cobras are seen.

 

With Monsoon water birds flock Bagagahan, a place closer to the famous Sujhajore creek. It is an amazing view to observe 50,000 birds including the new ones chirping and flying.

Then, one needs to steal his view for the rare spotted deer’s who have got adjusted to the climatic prevailing conditions of this ecosystem. With a increase in their population they can be found around the Crocodile Research Centre at Dangmal as well as along the river banks.

The best times to see these spotted deer’s are either in the morning or in during sunset along the river banks. Though few of them can also be seen the FRH at Dangmal during night hours.

Environment and Community Development  

I was bit taken aback by the reach of urbanity as we neared Bharatpur bird sanctuary. The feel was missing but not for long. The wetlands as I discovered are a paradise for bird lovers. I was leading a group of Germans and this was my first trip to Keoladeo Ghana. 

The Sibes have gone but the sanctuary retains much of its glamor. At Bharatpur a two day trip yields a checklist of more than 150 species of wetland birds. Some of the bird we check listed here and at Bund Baretha include:

Little Heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Glossy Ibis, Siberian ruby throat, Bar Headed Geese, Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Asian Open-billed Stork, Red-breasted Flycatcher,  Barn Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, House Martin, Hume’s Warbler, Black Bittern, Cotton Teal, Northern Pintail and Eurasian Coot. Grey Francolin, Tickle’s Thrush, Brown Crake, Booted warbler,  Great white pelicans,   Spot-billed duck, Sykes Warbler,  Common Crane, Sarus Crane, Black necked stork, Dusky Fish Owl, Purple Swamphen, Wood sand piper, Spotted redshank, Green Sandpiper,  Bronze-winged Jacana, Greater Spotted Eagle, Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Booted Eagle, Lesser spotted eagle,  Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, King Vulture, Temminck’s stint, Oriental Darter, Grey Heron, Indian Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Purple Heron, Painted Stork.

We could sight Indian skimmers at Bund Baretha but could sight whiskered tern, Ferruginous pochard, Spanish sparrow, oriental skylark, Russets sparrow and more....

Our next destination was Chambal River Sanctuary more than an hours drive from Agra. It is a pristine river parts of which are designated as river sanctuary. Chambal is a unique destination as apart from birding this is a good place to see Gangetic dolphin, Marsh crocodile and the endangered Gharial. On a boat trip we could come across Indian skimmers, sand lark, Isabelline Wheatear, Brown Crake,  Long Legged Buzzard, Variable Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Bonelli's eagle on nest, brown fish eagle, booted hawk eagle and brownhawk owl.

A day is enough at Chambal River Sanctuary for birding trip during winters. Most of the bird watching is done on the boat ride but substantial number of birds can be seen on the banks. The boat ride is about three hours and covers a long distance.              

For avid birders Chambal is a must see destination. Most of the tour operators include this destination in their itineraries for birding in Northern India.