TADOBA - ANDHARI TIGER RESERVE (22nd to 26th April'09)

Dates are re-scheduled to : 22nd April, 2009 to 26th April, 2009 (including travel days)

The bookings for Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve trip is on…..book your seats now (see the details at the end).....

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There was this small waterhole called “Katezhari”, where our jeep was stationed one early morning, when we suddenly heard the alarm calls of atleast 2 Barking deers coming from the north-west valley…..as minutes passed, the calls seemed closer and were with more intensity, surely the Big cat was coming towards the waterhole....Meanwhile another contrasting drama was unfolding in front of us .....a Brown fish-Owl was coolly hunting the myriad frogs from the pool; a superb male Paradise flycatcher was bathing leisurely wetting his dangling long ribbon-like tail streamers. An Indian Pitta was rummaging amongst the forest litter near-by, unmindful of the approaching alarm calls …..The atmosphere was both thrilling, chilling and happening.....our anticipation was at its peak……. We were experiencing this right inside the heart of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)……..

Tadoba National Park is situated in the district of Chandrapur in the north-eastern part of Maharashtra, often referred to as “The Jewel of Vidarbha”. It is the oldest national park of the State of Maharahtra and since 1995, a Project Tiger Reserve. It derives its name from the local God, "Taru". The legend goes that the village chief "Taru" was killed in an epic fight with the tiger. He is worshipped by all the local villagers as the deity of "Tadoba".

Tadoba-andhari Tiger reserve was established in 1995. The area of the Reserve is 625.40 sq. km. This includes Tadoba National Park, created in 1955 with an area of 116.55 sq. km. and andhari Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1986 with an area of 508.85 sq. km. Thickly clad hills form the northern and western boundary of the Tiger Reserve. To the southwest is a huge lake which acts as a buffer between the park's forest and the extensive farmland which extends up toIrai Lake.

A marvelous site for the wild life enthusiasts, Tadoba has rich collections of flora and fauna. Tiger, Panther and Wild dogs are the major carnivores in this area which feed on the herbivores. Sambar is the most preferred food of the Tiger and Chital comes second in preference. Wild boars and Gaurs are also hunted by the Tiger. Panther hunts common langur, female chital, Sambar fawns, Wild boar etc. Wild dogs hunt in packs feed on Wild boar, Chital, Sambar. Sloth bear is an omnivorous animal that feeds on fruits of mango, jamun, bel, tendu, mahuwa flowers, honey and termites. The common herbivores like Chital, Sambar, Gaur, Chausinga feed on Grasses, young shoots and leaves of Bamboo and other species like Ghoti, Apta, Ber, Khair and fruits of many species. There are 29 natural saltlicks in the Tiger Reserve.

The mesmerizing trails of Tadoba could be a treasured experience of a lifetime.

Flora : The land vegetation according to Champion and Seth's classification belongs to the sub group Southern tropical Dry Deciduous Forest with teak as dominant species. The main associates of teak are Ain, Bija, Dhauda, Haldu, Salai, Semal, Tendu and Bamboo. Almost 40% area is covered with bamboo. Trees of Jamun, Mango, Arjun are found in the moist area.

Fauna : Mammals - Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Gaur or Indian Bison, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Wild Boar, Four-Horned Antelope, Wild Dog , Langoor, Nilgai, Marsh Crocodile are commonly sighted in the Tiger Reserve by the tourists.Ratel, Flying Squirrel, Palm Civet, Indian Civet, Leopard Cat, Rusty Spotted Cat, Pangolin and Jackal are also reported.

Fauna : Birds - Oriental Honey & White-eyed Buzzard, Indian Pitta, Paradise Flycatcher, Indian Roller, Orange-headed Ground Thrush, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Changeable Hawk eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Savana Nightjar, Painted Sandgrouse, Black-hooded Oriole, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Monarch Flycatcher, racket-tailed and White-bellied Drongo, Large Cuckooshrike, Oriental White eye, grey Hornbill, Grey Jungle-fowl, Golden Oriole, Large green barbet.

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Area : 625 sq. Kms.
Place : Chandrapur district, Maharashtra
Best season : November to June, of which February to May is the best time to visit
Nearest Town : Chandrapur (45km)
Entry : Open on all days except Tuesdays
Park Timings : 6.00 am to 11.00 am and 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm.
Monsoon : 140 cm
Climate : Hot & Dry

Click here to see one of my old reports

http://addithebirde.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_archive.html

Click here to get detailed information of Tadoba National Park…..
http://projecttiger.nic.in/tadoba.htm

http://www.tigersofindia.com/tiger-reserves-of-india/tadoba-andheri-maharastra.php

http://www.indian-wildlife.com/tadobasanctuary.htm

Travel Iterinary

Day 1 (Wednesday 22nd April'09) : Board the 15:00 Hrs Sevagram Express from Mumbai CST to Chandrapur

Day 2 (Thursday 23rd April'09) : Reach Chandrapur at 10:00 Hrs – Proceed to MTDC resort, Moharli gate, Tadoba at 11:00 hrs – Lunch - Evening Safari (3 pm to 7 pm) - Before dinner, talk / presentationon on "Birds of Tadoba National Park" - Night halt in MTDC resort

Day 3 (Friday 24th April'09) : Morning Safari (6am to 11 am) – Return for Lunch – Rest - Evening safari (3 pm to 7 pm) – Before dinner talk / presentation on "Identifying Raptors" -Dinner - Night Stay in MTDC

Day 4 (Saturday 25th April'09): Morning Safari (6 am to 11 am) – Return for Lunch – Birdwatching around the lake overlooking the MTDC Resort – Proceed to Chandrapur station to board the BPQ CSTM Passenger Train to Mumbai at 17:25

Day 5 (Sunday 26th April'09) : Reach Mumbai CST by 12:00 Noon

Trip charges : Rs.5800/- (Includes Non- A/C room stay on Triple Sharing Basis in MTDC Resort, 1 kms from Moharli Gate, Local travel by 4x4 open jeeps, Total 4 Safaris inside the park, Veg. meals, Breakfast, Fruits, Park Permits, Park entry charges, Guide charges, Information articles & on board snacks and mineral water)…….This does not include Travel charges from Mumbai-Chandrapur-Mumbai or any charges other than the above. However, Assistance for train booking will be given ....

Registration: You can register by sending a confirmation mail to natureindiatours@gmail.com with contact details and by paying a non refundable Advance of Rs.3000/- …..The remaining amount will be collected on the day of travel.

Kindly register soon to avoid the rush for train bookings……….

Group Size: Max 13 Pax only

Stay Arrangement: MTDC Resort, 1 kms from Moharli Gate, Tadoba on a triple sharing basis. This resort overlooks a large lake, an excellent place to spend your time watching birds while you take your afternoon siesta….

Resource Persons: Mr.Adesh Shivkar & Mr.Shalik Jogwe (local expert of TATR)



Mode of Payment: You can either

1) Transfer the advance money directly to my HDFC A/c (Please send a mail for details).. please mention your name, date and other details….

2) Courier a cheque of Rs.3000/- as advance amount to the following address
Name: Mr.Adesh Shivkar
Address: D/8, The Adi Janata Society, Behind HP Petrolpump, Opp. Hotel Shangrila, Sion(East), Mumbai-400022

Please Note:
1) Once registered, the advance amount of Rs. 3000/- is strictly non-refundable
2) Alcohol & Smoking is strictly prohibited on Nature India Ecotours

3) The afternoon weather in April is Very Hot in tadoba......

Please revert on natureindiatours@gmail.com ID, in case you need any clarification …..For any other queries I am available on 9321463362 or 9820455713

Thanks for your patience.
Looking forward for a very rewarding trip with you all !!

Warm Regards,
Adesh Shivkar
Nature India
Appreciate, Respect and Conserve

Corbett - Wildlifer's Paradise-22nd to 28th March'09

Dates: 22^nd March, 2009 to 28^th March, 2009 The bookings for Corbett National Park Wildlife trip is on…..book your seats now (see the details at the end).....

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Imagine a Park with over 550 species of Birds (That’s an astounding 1/3^rd of the total species of birds found in India), more than 50 mammal species including Tiger, Leopard, Bears and Elephants and more than 40 species of reptiles including the rare Gharial …… Where the terai grasslands are surrounded by the tall Sal trees nestled in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas in the rugged “Shivalik hills’ …… It’s a sheer wild poetry in front of you. One of the finest Wildlife reserves in India, Corbett has a distinction of been the country's first National park. Formerly called as “Hailey national Park” it was established in 1936 in consultation with the legendary Hunter / Naturalist Jim Corbett…… it was aptly renamed “Jim Corbett National Park” in 1972.

In 1972, PROJECT TIGER the most prestigious and biggest total environmental conservation project ever was launched in India. The Jim Corbett National Park has another distinction of having been chosen the venue for the inauguration of this project.

With its impressive list of wildlife species and very well managed wildlife tourism, Corbett is renowned as one of the best National Parks in the world. It boosts of a very healthy populations of Tigers, Elephants, Gharials, Otters, Swamp Deers, King Cobras, Birds and variety of vegetation. Just Google the word Corbett National Park and you will get a hint of its popularity :-)

The park spans across some 920.9 square km with a core area of about 520 Sq.kms at an altitude of 600 to 1100 metres about the foothills of the western Himalayas in the districts of Nainital and Pauri Garhwal in the state of Uttaranchal (formerly part of Uttar Pradesh). In its eventful 64-year life, it has grown considerably in size and now includes the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of its 1,319 sq km of reserved forest area. The terrain includes picturesque hilly ridges covered by Sal trees. Lower down are the grasslands and bamboo growth.

Nature India has organized a meticulously planned and exciting wildlife trip to this paradise from 22nd -28thFebruary 2009 (excluding travel from Mumbai to Delhi & Back). We shall cover the prime spots in Corbett including 3 full Days in Dhikala (the place of action), Sarpduli, Gairal, Garjia, Kanda, Dhikuli, Sambar Road, Kumeria, Kosy Barrage, Mohan (the famous “Mohan Man-eater” fame), Champion Road…… That completes most of the prime locations here. What more, the renowned birder of the region Mr.Manoj Sharma has agreed to take time from his busy schedule to join us.

Please note, that the places selected are the hot spots and there is a high rush to get permits to these places, but we have managed to get this for your maximum gains.

Target Mammal Species: Tiger, Elephants, Leopards, Hog Deer, Sambar, Barking deer, Wild Boar, Yellow throated Martin, Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat, Dhole, Spotted Deers, Otters etc.

Target Bird Species : Ibisbill, Green Magpie, Rosy & Long-tailed Minivets, Red Jungle-fowl, Khaleej Pheasant, Collared Falconet, Hodgson’s Bushchat, Wallcreeper, Great thick-knee, Common Merganser, Brown Fish Owl, Tawny fish Owl, Brown Hawk Owl, Great slaty woodpecker, Green-tailed Sunbird, Himalayan Barbet, Woodpeckers (Great Slaty, Himalayan, Grey-headed, Lesser Yellownape, Greater Yellownape, Grey-capped Pigmy) , River Lapwing, Sand Martins, Russet Sparrows, Orange-breasted Green Pigeons, Eagles (Palla’s Fish, Lesser Fish, Rufous-bellied, Mountain Hawk) , Vultures (Himalayan Griffon, Cinereous, Egyptian, Red-headed Vulture) , Himalayan Griffon Vultures, Bright-headed Cisticola, Siberian & White-tailed Rubythroat, Black francolin, Speckled Piculet, Mallard duck, Red-crested Pochard, Barbets (Himalayan, Lineated, Blue-throated), Oriental Pied & Great Hornbill, Dollar Bird, Crested or Himalayan Kingfisher, Blue-bearded bee-eater, Long-tailed Broadbill, Lesser Coucal, Red-breasted Parakeet, Himalayan Swiftlet, Small Pratincoles, Hen Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Besra, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Great Crested Grebe, Black Stork, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Eurasian Jay, Grey Tree pie, Maroon Oriole, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Drongos (Lesser Racket-tailed, Spangled), Brown Dipper, Thrush (Scaly, Dark-throated, Long-billed, Tickel’s, Blue Whistling), Grey-winged Blackbird, Flycatchers (Dark-sided, Rufous-gorgeted, Ultramarine), Small & Rufous-bellied Niltava, Whiskered Yuhina, White-capped Water Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Forktails, Tree Creepers, Himalayan Bulbuls, Various species of Tits, Nuthaches …….. and an Incredibly Looooonggggg List

I estimate a total of about 166 to 175 species of birds in 5 days or maybe more :-)

Target Reptile Species: Gharial and Marsh Crocodile, Indian Monitor Lizard, Rock Agama, King Cobra etc….

Flora: Corbett National Park is rich in vegetation. The lower reaches of the Park, where the land is flat compared to the upper reaches, consists of tall and slender Sal (Shorea robusta) trees. Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and Khair (Acacia katechu) trees are found in the middle reaches, while the upper reaches of the mountains are full of bakli (Anogeissus latifolia), chir (Pinus roxburghii), gurail (Bauhinia racemosa) and bamboo trees. The Park is dotted with lantana shrubs, a species that is a great cause for concern. In Park also boosts of over 33 species of bamboo and grass that are mostly found in chours, or meadows.

Click here to get a detailed information of Corbett National Park…..

http://www.corbettnationalpark.com/about-corbett-park.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Corbett_National_Park

http://www.corbettpark.com/

You can also view Mr.Sumit Sen and Bikram Grewal’s excellent photoblog on their Corbet trip.

http://www.kolkatabirds.com/corbett/corbetttripreport.htm

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Tour Iterinary & Other Details:

22nd March'09: Board 5013 Jim Corbett Park Link Exp from old delhi station leaving 2240 hrs.

23rd Mar'09: Reach Ramnagar at 5.00 am, Drive for 1 Hrs to the camp, Full day birding at Kosi barrage, Garjia, Mohan - Kumeria.

24th Mar'09: Drive to Dhikala via Gairal, Crocodile Pool, Sarpdouli, Champion Road, High Bank, full day game-drive at Dhikala.

25th Mar'09: Full day game-drive at Dhikala, Sambar Road, Dhikuli, Chaurs

26th Mar'09: Full day game-drive at Dhikala, Sarpdauli, checkout from park late evening, check in to camp.

27th Mar'09: Full day birding at Kosi barrage, Garjia, Mohan, Kumeria, Board 5014 Jim Corbett Park Link Exp at 2140 hrs from Ramnagar for old Delhi.

28th Mar'09: Reach old Delhi at 0430 hrs.

Trip charges : Rs._______(Includes Non- A/C room stay on Triple Sharing Basis in Dhikala FRH and Corbett Nature Camp, Ramnagar, Train travel from Delhi to Ramnagar and Back, Local travel by 4x4 jeeps, Veg. meals, Breakfast, Fruits, Park Permits, Park entry charges, Guide charges, Information articles & on board snacks and mineral water)…….

This does not include Travel charges from Mumbai to Delhi and Back or any charges other than the above.

Registration: You can register by sending a confirmation mail to natureindiatours@gmail.com with contact details and by paying a non refundable Advance of Rs._______…..The remaining amount will be collected on the day of travel.

Kindly register soon to avoid the rush for train bookings……….

Group Size: Max 12 Pax only

Stay Arrangement: Dhikala Forest Camp (It is actually a resort) inside Corbett N.P.and Corbett Nature Camp, Ramnagar on a triple sharing basis. Both the stays are amazing……. (see below image)

Resource Persons: Mr.Adesh Shivkar & Mr.Manoj Sharma

Mode of Payment: You can either
1) Transfer the advance money directly to my HDFC A/c (Please send a mail for details).. please mention your name, date and other details….
2) Courier a cheque of Rs._______ as advance amount to the following address

Name: Mr.Adesh Shivkar

Address: D/8, The Adi Janata Society, Behind HP Petrolpump, Opp. Hotel Shangrila, Sion(East), Mumbai-400022

Please Note:

1) Once registered, the advance amount of Rs. _______ is strictly non-refundable

2) Alcohol & Smoking is strictly prohibited on Nature India Tours

Please revert on natureindiatours@gmail.com ID, in case you need any clarification …..
For any other queries I am available on 9321463362 or 9820455713

Thanks for your patience.

Looking forward for a very rewarding trip with you all !!

Warm Regards,

Adesh Shivkar

Nature India

Appreciate, Respect and Conserve