wetlands
a publication of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Vol 10 No 2
Smooth operators smooth otters of Buloh

Young Naturalist Programme

Mangroves a family outing to Buloh

Bird RInging in the Reserve 2003

Keolado National Park
 		 
Keoladeo National Park
Ramsar Site, World Heritage Site
Rajasthan, India
Edie Lim
volunteer of SBWR

Friday, 2nd January 2004. The coach pulled up at Bharatpur Central Bus Station at 9:30am. The winter temperature was cold and it was very foggy. I had just arrived in Bharatpur after a 15-hour road journey from a village in Rajasthan via Sirsa & Jaipur and looking for a hotel near the Nature Park.

Keoladeo National Park (KNP) occupies an area of 29 sq.km. It was a natural depression 250 years ago and was flooded when Maharaja Suraj Mal constructed the Ajan Bund between 1726 and 1763. The inundation resulted in the growth of aquatic vegetation, which attracted large flocks of birds to this rich feeding ground. Unfortunately, this Waterfowl Refuge soon became a Duck Shooting Reserve. Hunting rights were reserved for the Maharajas and their royal guests.

KNP was initially known as Ghana (meaning dense forest); and later as Keoladeo (after Lord Shiva). In 1956, it was declared a Sanctuary and in 1981, KNP was declared a National Park as well as a RAMSAR Site. Later in 1985, it achieved the status of World Heritage Site under the World Heritage Convention. Over 370 species of birds, both resident & migratory, have been recorded here, including the rare and highly endangered Siberian Crane.

The next morning, although it was still foggy, the fog had lifted considerably from the night before. A minute by bicycle and I was at the entrance of KNP. The entrance fee for overseas visitors is Rs 200 (about SGD 8.00). To move around within the park, one could go on foot, rent a bicycle, hire a rickshaw or go on the Electra (electric) Van. I opted for the bicycle, which I had rented from my hotel. Persistent nature guides offered their services for a fee and the best way to avoid being continuously harassed is to proclaim “I am a nature guide too”.

As I entered the park proper and to the wetlands area, it reminded me very much of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR). There were differences though – the weather, size, vegetation, diversity of birds, people behavior etc. I concentrated on the “wetlands” for the most part of my visit simply because this was for me the most interesting and was also easily accessible on my bike. The first encounter was with a small group of ducks swimming happily in the cold murky water. As I approached, they moved away quickly and in my haste & enthusiasm, I managed a “lousy shot”. I moved along the wide path, getting on and off my bike, to better appreciate and understand the diversity of birds.

They were everywhere and were all ready to pose for the cameras, well almost. There were the familiar egrets, white-breasted water hens, grey & purple herons, green & red shanks.

Wetland birds that are not so common or not found in Singapore included many species of Ducks & Geese, Eurasian Spoonbills, Blackheaded Ibis, Sarus Cranes, Darters and Little Cormorants, just to name a few. The enormous number and species of colourful ducks and geese that were swimming gracefully and feeding at intervals fascinated me.

For a while, I sat, watched, wondered and dreamt – if we could somehow “convert” one of SBWR’s freshwater ponds along quiet Route 3 into a duck sanctuary... how wonderful and rewarding that would be for our visitors!
There were also many flocks of nesting birds. Nesting birds included little cormorants, herons, egrets and the most spectacular of them all – the Painted Storks!

There were just too many of these Painted Storks, occupying more than ten trees in one area alone. I spent a long time watching, wondering and absorbing these noisy, yet ever so elegant nesting birds, balancing their sturdy long legs on thin vulnerable branches on the treetops!
After spending most of my time in the marshes & wetlands, I moved into the drier grassland and scrubland. The atmosphere was significantly quieter and I felt at one with Mother Nature again. Some of the birds that I spotted included the Lesser Coucal, White-bellied Drongo, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Brainfever Bird, Oriental Magpie Robin, White-throated Kingfisher and many more. As I sat down for a welldeserved rest near the Shiva Temple, a beautiful Hoopoe darted just a couple of metres from me, searching and savouring its precious catch.

Besides birds, KNP also boasts a variety of other faunas which included the bigger versions. There are the familiar fish, monitor lizards, turtles, otters and also the unfamiliar bigger animals like Spotted and Sambar Deers, Bluebulls, Foxes, Blackbucks and Indian Rock Pythons. The biggies restricted themselves to the quieter areas away from heavy human traffic. KNP boasts a total of 27 species of mammals, 43 species of fish, 13 species of snakes and 7 species of amphibians.

As the longer winter night began to envelope the shorter winter day, I bade farewell to KNP. It had been an exciting, educational, exhilarating and entertaining day for me at “The Park”, as the locals affectionately call it. Nothing was left behind except my footprints and nothing taken out except pleasant memories, photos and a sore buttock from the not-so-comfortable rented Hero bicycle!

Note: The easiest way to visit KNP is via Delhi where there are 3 or 4 Express Trains daily to Bharatpur. Buses are less comfortable but more flexible as they leave at regular intervals from morning
   
© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve