Birding ! Driving ! Soul-searching !: Bird Watching in Greater Rann of Kutch

TRIP 3: November-2021

Our first trip to GRK was in December-2018, followed by Passage Migration Trip in September-2019. Both of those trips were via flight, so this time in November-2021 we decided to drive all the way to GRK from Hyderabad. We have done one such drive earlier in 2013 when we went to Gir Forest from Hyderabad but there's a catch - we were 8 years younger then. We might be 8 years older now but we are definitely better equipped this time with the Audi A4. So, we spoke with Bharat Kapdi for a long-term stay in Epicenter Homestay and decided to make this trip once again. The whole idea was to spend atleast 3-4 months in GRK, the entire winter season. Do some birding with Bharat whenever we get the opportunity and also do some birding on our own whenever we feel like. Not to mention, in the process also enjoy the vastness of the amazing stay at Epicenter Homestay and the lovely hospitality. We are in the process of identifying various birding locations in India, where we can spend 3-4 months comfortably, do our regular birding, enjoy the stay of wilderness and spend some quality time with great birders like Bharat himself. Epicenter homestay was indeed a wonderful experiment and I’m sure we will come back again to relive those moments.

On this instance, the drive to Gujarat had some differences compared to the last one. While we made a pit-stop in Mumbai last time, this time it was Bhopal. This made us go through a route which we have never done before: Hyderabad (Origin) - Nagpur - Bhopal (Night halt) - Indore - Ahmedabad - GRK (Destination). At Bhopal, we stayed for the night at Jehan Numa Retreat Club & Spa.

Driving Stats:

Started from Hyderabad : 4-16 AM

Reached Bhopal: 3-35 PM

Total driving time Day 1: 11 hours 19 minutes

Total Distance Day 1: 866 km

Started from Bhopal next morning: 4-19 AM

Reached Epicenter Homestay (GRK): 5-48 PM

Total driving time Day 2: 13 hours 28 minutes

Total Distance Day 2: 905 km

The drive on the first day was super-easy. These days 11 hours in the Audi hardly feels anything. The roads were relatively good, except the Maharashtra stretch which was bad. Telangana and MP roads were pleasant to drive. Stay at Jehan Numa Retreat was luxurious and comfortable. They were kind enough to accommodate our request for an early breakfast at 4-30 AM, since we were planning to start our Day 2 drive at 4-30 from Bhopal. The road from Bhopal to Indore was RCC and in perfect condition. We managed to drive past Indore before the city was awake so avoided the city traffic completely. Soon after crossing Indore, we entered Gujarat and all through the roads were pretty decent except after Ahmedabad when you encounter some really big potholes. Even then, I would say 14 hours was very good considering the distance from Bhopal to GRK was 905 km. We managed to enter Epicenter Homestay before it was dark and that was a big achievement. Below is the stats from the car display. Total driving time of 25 hours with a total distance of 1,777 km and a petrol Audi delivering a fuel economy of 15 km/l is just too awesome.

Now comes the reason why we are here. First and foremost to enjoy the vastness of the GRK, an amazing stay at Epicenter Homestay and of-course the superb birding that follows you every time you step out. On the second day itself we decided to go out into the Bani Grasslands to do some targeted birding towards our lifers and what a fruitful day we had. After reaching a life list of 750, finding lifers is no easy task, thanks to Bharat Kapdi without whose help that wouldn't have been possible. Enjoy the pics below.

Indian Robin male

Great White Pelican

Grey Francolin

Wasp Moth

Bluethroat female

Striated Heron

White-naped Tit

Black-winged Kite

Pale Rockfinch (lifer)

Pacific Golden Plover

Common Greenshank

Cream-coloured Courser

Common Kestrel

Desert Cat

Greater Short-toed Lark

Merlin male

Laughing Dove

Desert Fox

Small Minivet female

Great Knot (lifer)

Sanderling

Slender-billed Gull

Dalmatian Pelican

White Wagtail

Plain Prinia

Spectacled Cobra

Isabelline Shrike

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Barn Swallow

Terek Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone

Eurasian Curlew

House Sparrow male

Green Bee-eater

White-eared Bulbul

Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark female

Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark male

Isabelline Wheatear female

Indian Thick-knee

Orphean Warbler

Common Crane

Greater and Lesser Flamingo

Lesser Flamingo

Trumpeter Finch female and male (lifer)

Trumpeter Finch male (lifer)

Yellow-crowned Woodpecker male

Small Minivet male

Common Woodshrike

Red-tailed Wheatear (lifer)

Paddyfield Pipit

Yellow Wagtail

Rosy Starling juv

Bay-backed Shrike

Indian Robin female

Common Emigrant female

Large Salmon Arab

Indian Spotted Eagle

Short-eared Owl

Sand Lark (lifer)

Asian Desert Warbler (lifer)

Eurasian Sparrowhawk (lifer)

Common Stonechat male

Isabelline Shrike female

Purple Sunbird eclipse

Common Babbler

Pallid Scops Owl (lifer)

Indian Painted Grasshopper

Grey-necked Bunting female

Grey-necked Bunting male

Booted Eagle

Eurasian Collared Dove

Common Mormon male

Purple Sunbird female

Yamfly

Shikra juv

Crimson Tip male

White Arab

Lime

Small Salmon Arab

Yellow-eyed Babbler

Ashy Drongo

Brown Katydid

Migratory Locust

Pioneer

Jungle Prinia

Pallid Harrier male

Steppe Grey Shrike

Spotted Sandgrouse female

Spotted Sandgrouse

Spotted Sandgrouse male

Common Buzzard (lifer)

Long-legged Buzzard

Sociable Lapwing (lifer)

White-tailed Lapwing (lifer)

Greater Hoopoe Lark (lifer)

Crested Lark

Common Quail (lifer)

Sykes's Nightjar

Savanna Nightjar (lifer)

White Stork (lifer)

Painted Stork

Long-billed Pipit (lifer)

Rufous-tailed Lark

Little Grebe

Montagu's Harrier male

Striolated Bunting (female and male)

Desert Wheatear female

Desert Wheatear male

Variable Wheatear female

Green Sandpiper

Steppe Eagle juv

Eastern Imperial Eagle

Rosy Starling

Short-toed Snake Eagle

Southern Grey Shrike

Indian Courser

Indian Eagle Owl

Common Kestrel male

Greylag Goose

Long-tailed Shrike

Common Sandpiper

Common Kingfisher

Castor semi-looper (lifer)

Red-vented Bulbul

@ Bani

Lesser Whitethroat

Indian Grey Mongoose

On our return journey from GRK to Hyderabad, we decided to stay overnight at Indore. We booked a night at Sheraton Grand Palace Indore. The hotel was good, a good mix of Heritage cum Modern and they too helped us with an early packed breakfast for the next day to carry on our trip to Hyderabad.

Driving Stats for the return journey:

Started from Epicenter Homestay: 4-02 AM

Reached Indore: 4-35 PM

Total driving time Day 1: 12 hours 33 minutes

Total Distance Day 1: 734 km

Started from Indore next morning: 5-02 AM

Reached Hyderabad Home: 7-25 PM

Total driving time Day 2: 14 hours 20 minutes

Total Distance Day 2: 988 km

TRIP 2: September-2019

Our second visit to GRK was about the Passage Migration - click here to see that post.

TRIP 1: Demeber-2018

What an amazing bundle of surprise can Kutch be! Even though we did birding in LRK 3 years back, yet we were able to add 46 lifers in this trip of GRK. Please find below all the sightings that we had during our stay,

Day 1: 06-December-18
Flight from Hyderabad to Bhuj via Mumbai
Reached Bhuj airport at 3-30 PM, got our pickup and reached the homestay at around 5 PM.
Stayed for the night at CEDO Homestay near Bhuj.
I would recommend staying at EPICENTRE HOMESTAY (BY BHARAT KAPADI) for all people who are interested in birding. Further below i will list down the advantages of staying at Epicentre.
While we were having our evening tea, we just got lucky to spot our first lifer without any effort. Barred Button Quail just flew in our homestay compound and gave me the chance to click.

Barred Button Quail (lifer)

Day 2 started with the Hypocolius and was a very fruitful one by the time it ended.

Grey Hypocolius Male (lifer)

Grey Hypocolius Female (lifer)

Eastern Imperial Eagle (lifer)

Marshall's Iora (lifer)

Isabelline Wheatear (lifer)

Variable Wheatear male (lifer)

Painted Sandgrouse Male (lifer)

Painted Sandgrouse female (lifer)

Barn Owl (lifer)

Brown Rock Chat (lifer)

Black Redstart Female

Eurasian Spoonbill

Day 3 we went to Mondva Beach and had some wonderful opportunity for birding there.

Black-headed Gull (lifer)

Pallas Gull (lifer)

Brown-headed Gull (lifer)

Heuglin's Gull (lifer)

Great Thick knee (lifer)

Eurasian Oystercatcher (lifer)

Crab Plover (lifer)

Western Reef Egret Dark Morph (lifer)

Western Reef Egret White Morph (lifer)

Caspian Tern (lifer)

Lesser crested - Caspian - Lesser Crested Tern (lifer)

Lesser crested Tern (lifer)

Gull-billed Tern (lifer)

Little Tern (lifer)

Dunlin (lifer)

Lesser Sand Plover (lifer)

Greater Sand Plover (lifer)

Grey plover (lifer)

Kentish Plover (lifer)

Demoiselle Crane (lifer)

White-naped Tit (lifer)

Rufous-fronted Prinia (lifer)

Sykes' Lark

Sykes' Warbler

Greater Flamingo

Painted Stork juv

Brahminy Starling

Day 4: 09-December-18
Morning Safari then drop to EPICENTRE HOMESTAY
Evening safari from Epicentre

The advantages of staying at Epicentre Homestay for Birding:

Bharat Kapadi is the owner who knows GRK in-and-out. If he accompanies you for birding, the chances of spotting the target list increases manifold.
The stay of Epicentre is in the midst of nature, with mountains and valleys all around.
Not only birding, perfect spot to do some amazing star gazing as well
Food is much better than any other stay option in GRK

Jungle Cat

Indian Jackal

Camel

Steppe Eagle juv (lifer)

Steppe Eagle (lifer)

Laggar Falcon (lifer)

Cinereous Vulture (lifer)

Himalayan Vulture

House Sparrow Female

Indian Silverbill

Pallid Harrier female

Day 5: The day started slow but by the time it ended, we were jumping over some rarest-of-the-rare sightings.

Merlin Female (lifer)

McQueen's Bustard (lifer)

Striolated Bunting (lifer)

Indian Bush Lark

Indian Fox

Desert Fox (lifer)

@ Bani, GRK

Day 6: 11-December-18
Morning Safari
Drop to Bhuj airport, flight from Bhuj to Hyderabad
The trip started with the rare sighting of Barred Button Quail and the biggest of the coincidence was, that it ended with Barred Button Quail as well. We spotted it on the way to Bhuj airport. Now - this is what i call - "Luck finding its way in my Camera."