Chambal River, India

Gangetic River Dolphin sequence

Gharial

Gharial

Mugger Crocodile

Chambal River, India

Black-winged Stilt, Lesser Whistling Ducks, Asian Openbill,
Ruddy Shelduck, Red-wattled Lapwing & White-browed Wagtail

Comb Ducks & Lesser Whistling Ducks

Great White Egret

Small Pratincole

Small Pratincole

Chambal River, India

Indian Skimmer

River Tern

Black-bellied Tern

Black-winged Stilt

Ranthambhore

After our last game drive in the park
L-R: Satish, driver, Sandra, Pradeep, Angie & Barry

Ranthambhore's Banyan Trees are truely magnificent plants.
Ranthambhore is home to India's second largest Banyan (not this one).
We also visited India's oldest Banyan in Kolkata earlier in the trip

Ranthambhore Birds

Quite a few birds appeared at the waterhole while we were watching the Tiger...

Crested Bunting

Grey Francolin

Laughing Dove

Spotted Dove

Great Tit (The Indian race is rather grey)

Ranthambhore male Tiger 4

This handsome male was our fourth Tiger of the trip and we were fortunate to have him all to ourselves for well over an hour. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip and a fitting end to our last afternoon in a beautiful Tiger reserve.

Ranthambhore waders

Stone-curlew : We had just stopped under a tree for shade and standing
unconcerned right next to our Gypsy was this beautiful bird!  

Great Thick-knee : On eggs in 40 degrees of heat,
keeping them cool rather than warm I suspect! 

Greater Painted Snipe : Like phalaropes there is reverse sexual dimorphism,
the female being larger and more colourful. Good views at different sites,
birds not at all secretive as can be seen.  

Ranthambhore male Tiger 3

This huge male had clearly eaten recently and was marking his territory not far from one of the park entrances.

Ranthambhore raptors

Oriental Honey-buzzards were very confiding like the vast majority of Indian birds.

Oriental Honey-buzzard
This very dark phase bird had us puzzled for a while

Oriental Honey-buzzard
Good to get really close these birds!

Ranthambhore first big cats

After three drives without seeing a Tiger and only a brief, but close encounter with a Leopard, which startled us as much as much it alarmed a troop of Langurs by shooting out of the vegetation and pausing on the track right in front of us, we finally caught sight of a Ranthambhore Tiger. We also managed a shot of sorts of another Leopard that was lurking in dense undergrowth.

This female had taken over a Sambar Deer killed by a Mugger
Crocodile and was relaxing in the afternoon heat after having fed.

Leopard in very gloomy conditions at dusk.
Its camouflage works well in this habitat.

Baglan Bay (cont.)

More growing on furnace slag...

Racomitrium ericoides (Dense Fringe-moss)

Racomitrium ericoides (Dense Fringe-moss)

Schistidium crassipilum (Thickpoint Grimmia) wet

Schistidium crassipilum (Thickpoint Grimmia) dry capsule

Baglan Bay

All growing on furnace slag...

Bryum argenteum (Silver-moss)

Orthotrichum anomalum (Anomalous Bristle-moss) dry

Orthotrichum anomalum (Anomalous Bristle-moss) wet

Orthotrichum anomalum (Anomalous Bristle-moss) alongside
Schistidium crassipilum (Thickpoint Grimmia) right

Orthotrichum anomalum (Anomalous Bristle-moss) capsules amongst
leaves of Syntrichia montana (Intermediate Screw-moss)

Wernffrwd salt-marsh mound

Bryum dichotomum (Bicoloured Bryum) dry

Bryum dichotomum (Bicoloured Bryum) wet

Hennediella heimii (Heim's Pottia) in upper salt-marsh turf

Hennediella heimii (Heim's Pottia) rather old plants

Either Tortula modica (Blunt-fruited Pottia),
or Tortula truncata (Common Pottia)

Either Tortula modica (Blunt-fruited Pottia),
or Tortula truncata (Common Pottia)