Sinhagad Valley birding

April 4, 2020April 4, 2020Mukund Karadkhedkar 2 Comments

Asian Paradise Flycatcher – Female

It is every photographers dream to capture this beauty in their camera at least once. This dream can be fulfilled only in Sinhagad Valley. If you are still struggling with the name of this beauty then let me elaborate, it is Asian Paradise Flycatcher. This bird is so beautiful that the shutterbugs cannot resist the urge to click the photograph. Watching Asian Paradise Flycatcher playing in water is treat to the eyes. This bird is called “Swargiya Nartak” in Marathi. That means heavenly dancer. It is really amazing experience to watch this beauty fly in and out of water body with long beautiful tail and bright colours. This amazing thing can be experienced in Sinhagad Valley.

Sinhagad Valley is amazing place for Bird watching and bird photography. It is famous for variety of Flycatchers . These tiny little colourful birds are very beautiful and active during early morning time. Since these birds are hyper active, they are difficult to photograph But in Sinhagad valley it is made easy by creating perfect spots / Perches to capture this beauty.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher Male

I have visited this place in Jan 2019 and once again in Feb 2020. We were lucky to see the pair of Paradise Flycatcher but could not capture the image first time but clicked lots of Flycatcher variety. In my second visit in Feb 2020 I could capture this beauty very well.

You can easily reach this place once you reach Sinhagad fort base. There is village called Atkarwadi where you will see fork shape road. One road to right goes up the fort and to the left it goes to Sinhagad valley.

This place is regular for many migratory birds. We spotted Red whiskered bulbul and many varieties of flycatcher and other local birds like spotted dove and red vented bulbul etc.

Oriental Magpie Robbin

Black Naped Monarch OR Black Naped blue Flycatcher

Tickels blue Flycatcher

Above images are Oriental Magpie Robbin and Black Naped Monarch or Black Naped Blue Flycatcher. These are tiny but amazingly colourful birds.

In the above images you can see the perch created for the birds and the photography enthusiasts waiting for the birds.

You can see various moods of Asian Paradise Flycatcher female in the collage below. In one picture she is sharing perch with Oriental White Eye.

You can also walk around after the bird watching/ Photograpgy to see the paddy fields in the valley. Nice view of Sinhagad fort can be seen through valley. Below pics show the fields around the valley. You can also click other common grassland birds around these fields.

Following is the list of birds sighted in Sinhagad Valley.

Best time to visit this place is post monsoon. Normally the migratory birds arrive here during Dec – Mar in the year. If you are planning to visit this place on Saturday / Sunday or any public holiday, please park your vehicle outside the entry lane. You may have to walk little bit but you will be able to save yourself from the traffic jam. Normally it is expected that you reach this place by 6.30 am in the morning so that you can watch or photograph the birds.

Happy clicking.

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Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary Home to Chinkara Deer

March 26, 2020March 27, 2020Mukund Karadkhedkar 20 Comments

I was planning to visit Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary for a long time since this was the only place near Pune famous for Chinkara deer, finally visited in Nov 2019.

Mayureshwar wildlife sanctuary is located near Jejury in Pune district. Forest here is dry and bush type. This place is famous for Indian Gazelle also called as Chinkara deer in local language. Other animals found here are hyena, Indian grey wolf and Indian fox. It is also home for variety of birds.

Chinkara deer looking at us with curiosity

How to reach Mayureshwar WLS :

To reach Mayureshwar wildlife sanctuary easy way is Pune – Hadapsar – Drive further on Solapur highway for nearly 60 km. Take a left turn at Kedgaon and drive for 20 km towards Supe village. Look for the Forest office located at right hand once you reach Supe village. Alternatively you can drive to Solapur highway via Hadapsar from Pune and reach Choufula point and then turn right towards Supe village. The road for next 20 km is not so good but you can manage with slow speed.

Once you reach Forest office, you need to buy permit from this office before visiting the sanctuary . Hiring a guide for safari is not compulsory but advisable since the charges are reasonable and you can also help locals to earn their livelihood.

Since I visited this place just after the monsoon, it was all lush green and the water bodies were full. You can the scenic landscaping in below photographs.

You can drive in the forest which is 1.5 Km away from the forest office and this drive through rough road will take you inside the forest. There are two water trenches inside the forest used by animals as drinking water source. I visited these places in the hope for sighting of Chinkaras but did not see any. However on the way we saw many groups of Chinkaras gazing and watching us from a distance. These animals are scared of us and they run far away once they see our vehicles. Hence you have to be very careful and maintain safe distance so that you can click beautiful photos using Telephoto lenses.

There is muddy and rough road inside the forest with huge grassland and some areas with shrubs, very good area for Chinkaras and other grassland birds. Following pictures show the inside view of the forest.

We spent almost 3 hrs in the forest. There are no restrictions and you can move around freely. We could see group of Chinkaras gazing openly watching us cautiously. Apart from the mammals mentioned above you can see variety of grassland birds in this forest. Commonly seen birds are Grey necked Bunting, Grey Wagtail, Yellow wagtail, common Hoopoe, common Kestrel, Small Minivet, Asian Koel, Scaly breasted Munia, Long tailed. Shrike, Red breasted flycatcher, White throated kingfisher, Laughing dove, black Drongo and Yellow wattled Lapwing.

If you are visiting for the first time please take guide from the forest office. You will get to know the geography of the forest. The upkeep of the forest in not well maintained in terms of facilities but good place to spend half a day.

Happy wandering and exploring.

Naneghat trek – Amazing monsoon experience

August 8, 2019August 9, 2019Mukund Karadkhedkar

The day I heard about Naneghat, I decided to visit this place but twice it got postponed due to heavy rains. This time I was firm on my plan in spite of warning from IMD for very heavy rains in the ghat sections near Pune. So finally as per plan we left Pune on Saturday early morning That is 3rd Aug 2019. left my house for Naneghat. We had planned two days trek, so that we can also visit Darya ghat. Night stay was planned close to Naneghat in a resort called Naneghat valley heritage resort. We were group of 8 friends. We took two vehicles and drove to Naneghat.

Reaching Naneghat fromPune –> Pune — Narayangaon — Junnar — Naneghat. First you have to reach Junnar which is 90 kms from Pune and then from Junnar you have to drive towards Naneghat for 16 kms. Road till Junnar is good but onward it is not in good condition. Junnar taluka receives heavy rains during monsoon every year. Hence it is advisable to check the weather forecast before you leave, since during rains it is covered with dense fog and the visibility is very poor. In such situation it is difficult to enjoy the scenic beauty of this place.

Once you reach Junnar, you can see Shivneri fort and then Chavand fort and Jeevdhan fort can be seen on the way further. Complete travel till Naneghat is through the forest and you can enjoy the water flowing down from the forts and hills. It is mesmerizing to see combination of lush green hills with water flowing on the rocks.

Shivneri Fort

Across the road from Junnar to Naneghat you will see all the paddy fields and the farmers planting the rice plants. It’s a awesome view to see paddy fields full of muddy water and farmers wearing colourful raincoats planting the rice saplings and on the backdrop is the beautiful view of water streams rushing down from mountains.

We had booked Naneghat Valley heritage Resort which is very close to Naneghat.It is a good place to stay and even the food quality is better. It is preferable to book the resort in advance so that they can make better arrangements.

On the way to Naneghat each car is checked by forest guards. It is not permitted to carry Alcohol with you.

History of Naneghat

Naneghat is a mountain pass in the western Ghat range near Junnar in Pune district of Maharashtra, India. During the reign of Satavahana ( 200 BCE-190 CE ), the pass was extensively used as a trade route between Kalyan and Junnar. Literally the name Nane means “Coins” and ghat means “Pass”. The name is given because this path was used as a tollbooth to collect toll from traders crossing the hills. ( Source : Wikipedia ) Even today the large pot called “Ranjan” is seen there which was used to store coins collected as toll.

You can see the cave with proper doors which waas used as Toll Office in Satwahan days. View of Konkan region looks very beautiful from the caves.

When you reach Naneghat, the vehicle is to be parked at the parking lot. From parking it is approximately 400 meters distance to walk. But this walk is not so simple due to heavy wind flow coming up from the valley. There is a ventury effect created due to level difference of deep valley and narrow opening. This opening is created by breaking the big hill which is called Nanacha Angtha in Marathi. That means Uncles thumb. The hill looks like thumb from one side.

Nanacha Angtha

Highlight of the Naneghat trek is reverse waterfall. You need to walk towards the Jeevdhan fort form Naneghat parking area. It is half an hour walk through the table land. From distance you see water vapours flowing slowly over the Jeevdhan fort and at the backdrop you see Vanarlingi Sulka. It is a mesmerizing view.

Some more pics below show the amount of rainfall in the Naneghat area.

Sinhagad Fort : Must visit in monsoon

July 14, 2019July 18, 2019Mukund Karadkhedkar 8 Comments

If you are looking for a weekend gateway near Pune, Sinhagad fort has to be on top of your list. “Walking in the clouds on the top of the world” is what you experience here.

Sinhagad Fort is well known place for Punites. Hence it is needless to mention how to reach this place. Normally everyone follows the famous route vis Sinhagad Road – Kadakwasla Dam & then onwards to Sinhagad fort. However I follow a different route which is completely scenic & through jungles.

The route – Drive on Satara Highway for 6 KM from Chandani Chowk –> Then Turn Right towards Khed Shivapur Kondanpur Road –> After 1.7 KM turn right onto Sinhagad Ghat Road and then you reach Sinhagad Fort parking place. Total distance from house in Kothrud is 36 KM. Once you turn onto Khed – Shivapur – Kondanpur road, you are all the time accompanied by lush green fields, green cladded hills and clouds touching the hill top. Complete Road is full of scenic beauty. Some of the photographs clicked on the way are posted below.

Once you park your vehicle in the parking lot, many hoteliers will chase you for food order. But you get all the items even on the top of the fort. Hence no need to order anything here. Before you start the climb, look for the valley seen from the parking level. Beautiful view of lush green hills is visible. You can click some pictures & then proceed to climb.

Then you start the little climb on to the top of the fort. It is just a walk uphil & not really trekking. There are nice steps to climb. First you encounter Pune Darwaza 1 You can enjoy hot Bhutta or roasted corn here. This is favorite photo stop for all the visitors. If you are visiting on Sunday or on a public holiday then you encounter a traffic jam here like Mount Everest. See the pics below.

Once you reach plateau, you experience the low visibility due to clouds at low level. It is really exciting to walk in the clouds. Here you can spend some time walking across the ends. The end of plateau you see deep valley once again green hills. It’s a treat to eyes to watch different shades of green and yellow. Once again a photo stop here and then you can walk towards the Kalyan Darwaza. The walk is once again through the clouds surrounded by beautiful architecture of the fort.

Once you are back from Kalyan Darwaza and all other places of interest on the fort, you can enjoy delicious Kanda bhaji and Hot Pithala Bhakari. It is amazing experience to enjoy your hot meal sitting in the fog and watching the rain showers.

While returning home you can go via Khadakwasla dam and enjoy the view there.

Historical background of Sinhagad – Sinhagad is a hill fortress located at around 35 km southwest of the city of Pune, India. Some of the information available at this fort suggests that the fort could have been built 2000 years ago. The caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple stand as proofs for the same. Wikipedia.

Morachi Chincholi

August 3, 2018Mukund Karadkhedkar 8 Comments

About Morachi Chincholi

Monsoon brings with itself a plethora of experiences and opens new horizons for a traveller and nature enthusiast. This isn’t surprising as it implies to all the creatures in nature as well. This is the season of procreation and reproduction for variety of different species from insects to birds. Monsoon gives rebirth to the components of ecosystem, that have been flushed out by harsh and dry summers. It’s the time for new green shoots of grass which covers entire landscapes and mountains with their lush green colour and texture. This description of monsoon is incomplete without a hot, spicy meal in the laps of nature. We can actually hear the variety of birds chirp around you and see the peacock dancing, fanning out the feathers, displaying the magnificent plumage to attract peahens. It suddenly starts to rain and as a spectator, I am enthralled to witness this epic display of nature.

This all can be actually experienced at “Morachi Chincholi” Very popular picnic spot for nature lovers & shutterbugs. The place has lots of Tamarind Trees & lots of peacocks hence it is called as “Morachi Chincholi” in Marathi.

How to reach

It is around 50 KM from Pune. There are two routes to reach this place.

If you are starting from Bhosari, Aundh, Nashik phata, Khadki or Chinchwad it is around 40KMs drive.

a) Drive on Pune-Nasik highway (NH50) up to Rajgurunagar ( Khed ). Turn right from Rajgurunagar towards Khed – Shikrapur. Drive straight towards –> Kanhesar –> Pabal –> Morachi Chincholi.

There are also other routes to reach Morachi via Alandi or via Shikrapur.

Indian Peafowl : Green Peafowl / White Peafowl

Binomial name is Pavo Cristatus. Peacocks are omnivores. They eat termites, ticks, plant parts, locusts, ants, mice, scorpions, flower petals, seed heads, and other reptiles, arthropods and amphibians. Peacocks are quite sociable birds. Peacocks can fly for short distances. A wingspan of peacock can be of six feet. A young peacock is called a peachick. Peacocks’ lifespan is up to 20 years.

The males use their sparkling tail display, containing large, small feathers, in their manly maneuver for the best mate. The train of feathers is supported by smaller, shorter tail feathers. These colorful tail feathers do not develop till the peacock is three years old, and the trains are shed yearly, usually during the winter months. Males make loud weeping cries, when detects any risk approaching.

Their sparkling tail gets shed in winter, so one can see all the peacocks without feather till February. It start developing after that & completes in rainy season when peacock marches to have a mate.

When a peacock feels like to have a mate, he will show his train and march by the nearest female [peahen], puffing out his chest and shaking his tail feathers. During mating period, the peafowl are also very vocal, making “minh-ao” cries that can sound like a kitten. Mating season coincides with the monsoon season.

Resorts in Morachi Chincholi

Once you reach Morachi Chincholi, you will be able to see lots of Agro Tourism resorts like Mayur Baug, Mauli Krushi Paryatan, Jai Malhar Krushi Paryatan etc.

Overall this place is serene village life experience very close to urban city.

The resorts here are nice place to visit for a day with family and friends. There are many games and shows for both kids and grown up people. Food is nice with all the Maharashtrian dishes. Off course the Peacock is main attraction.

Best Time to visit is June to September. You will be able to see Peacocks with complete grown up colourful feathers as seen in above picture. All the resorts have tractor ride as a part of their package & this ride takes you to nearby places in the surrounding fields & houses. You will see lots of Peacocks & Peahens. I got a chance to click one Peacock in flight. It was heavenly experience to watch.

We have stayed in Mauli Krushi Paryatan Kendra, it is MTDC approved Agro Tourism Resort and we were satisfied with the arrangements. Below are some pics from the resort.

Mauli Krushi Paryatan Kendra ; Contact Nos. 07507602271 & 7020652790. It is advisable that you book the resort in advance so that better preparations can be made.

Apart from dancing peafowls, you can also see lots of beautiful birds. This place has huge tamarind trees & mango trees. We could spot Oriental White Eye, Red Vented Bulbul, Indian Robbin, Brahminy Starling and Golden Oriole and White Breasted Kingfisher. You can see some the bird pics below.

Brahminy Starling & Indian Robbin

Oriental White Eye enjoying semi ripe mangoes direct from the tree.

Overall it is refreshing & energizing experience.

Tadoba Jungle Safari

April 14, 2018Mukund Karadkhedkar 2 Comments

About Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve TATR ) is situated in Chandrapur district in Maharashtra. It is app. 150 km from Nagpur. TATR is the largest and most beautiful project for Save Tiger. Tadoba is the name of the God worshipped by local tribes. Andhari is the name of the river flowing through this jungle. Hence it is called as Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

How to Reach there

You can reach Chandrapur via train and from Chandrapur local transport is easily available on the railway station. The distance from Chandrapur railway station to Tadoba jungles is 44 km. You need 2 hrs travel from Chandrapur railway station to reach Tadoba buffer area. You can also reach Nagpur via train or Flight and book a private taxi from Nagpur to Tadoba jungles. Travel time is 4 – 5 hrs.

Stay at Tadoba

There are number of resorts in Tadoba for comfortable stay. I prefer to stay in MTDC resort. It is very close to Moharli gate and surrounded by lush green forest. You can book MTDC resort online.

It is important to book your gate entry well in advance. Normally online booking starts 3 months in advance and the booking is full immediately. There is daily quota number of vehicles entering the gate, hence it is very important that you plan your trip in advance and book your gate entry as well as your Safari in advance. You can check more info by clicking the link : Tadoba Jeep Safari Booking

The reserve is divided into three zones, each having different access gates:

Moharli (Mohurli) Zone: This zone is known for the best tiger spotting and is also popular for offering good accommodation facilities to the tourists. The Moharli Gate is easily accessible from other two zone of Tadoba namely Tadoba Zone and Kolsa Zone.

Tadoba Zone: The Tadoba Zone is popular for offering diverse wildlife and scenic locations to the tourists. It is also accessible from four gates at Moharli, Navegaon, Kolara, and Khutwanda.

Kolsa Zone: The Kolsa Zone is much liked for its striking forest landscapes as the possibilities of spotting the wild animals are relatively lower in this zone. Entry to this zone is possible through gates at Moharli, Pangdi, and Zari.

I have visited Moharli twice and Kolsa once. I was lucky to spot tigers during all the safaris.

Tadoba Landscapes

Tadoba jungles are treat for nature lovers. You can hear different sounds of birds & trees. There are also special insects all the time making loud noise which is piercing sometimes in the peaceful environment. Overall the tall trees & bamboo forest surrounded by grasslands make a beautiful landscape frame as you can see below.

Bio-diversity at Tadoba Jungles

Tropical dry deciduous forests that are typical to South India dominate the canvas of Tadoba. Teak, crocodile bark, wodier, arjun, black plum and bamboo are among the common trees. The park is home to many trees used for herbal medicines and some of them include bija, hirda, beheda and kach kujali. Grassy patches across the park complete the picture.

Divided into three zones, Tadoba, Moharli and Kolsa, the park boasts of splendid natural vistas like rivers, lakes, hills and valleys. There are many machans (perches) in the park, two popular ones being Panchdhara and Vasant Bhandara, from where one can enjoy breathtaking sightseeing of animals and natural beauty. Waterholes near to these points attract wild creatures and it is your chance to explore the best of the park.

Tadoba Wildlife

Park’s core and buffer areas jointly accommodate nearly 65 tigers that are easy to spot. Tiger safari trips in gypsy or mini-bus take the tourists close to this majestic jungle beast. Just few minutes in the park and you will find one or two or more tigers crossing your way. Wildlife travelers who fail to encounter tigers at the very popular Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves get fortunate at Tadoba. Maya is very popular Tigress of Tadoba & also called as queen of Tadoba, there are many others like Gabbar, Scarface etc.

Tadoba is an internationally famed wildlife spot where one can watch extraordinary Indian fauna and few migratory birds. Keep your binoculars and cameras ready for wonderful sights of:

Mammals like Indian leopard, Indian bison, dhole, sloth bear, stripped hyena, jungle cat, civet, spotted deer, chital and four-horned antelope.
Marsh crocodile (mugger) in huge number.
Indian python and other reptiles like Russell’s viper, cobra and Indian monitor.
Orange-headed thrush, Indian roller, lesser golden-backed woodpecker, crested honey buzzard and many other species of beautiful birds and raptors like crested serpent eagle and grey-headed fish eagle.
Nearly 75 species of butterflies like swordtails and pansies.

Mammals of Tadoba

Birds of Tadoba

Your Gypsy drivers & guides will be always chasing for Tigers but Tadoba jungles also hosts huge bird species. Very commonly seen is Indian Roller called as नीलकंठ in Marathi and Rufous Treepie. You can see in below picture Mottled Wood Owl, Open Bill Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Open Bill Stork & Crested Serpent Eagle. Commonly seen birds in Tadoba jungles are Kingfishers, types of Eagles, Asian Paradise Flycatchers, Laughing Dove, Yellow Footed Green Pigeon. Wetland birds like Storks, types Ducks are also seen.

Photography at Tadoba

There are ample photography opportunities in Tadoba jungles. Remember following tips before you plan your trip :

Wear light color clothes, preferably camouflaged
You must carry Cap if you are visiting in Summer and off course also Sunscreen lotion.
Do not forget that you are entering the world of wild animals hence they get first priority always. Do not disturb their living.
Carry adequate water with you in the jungles to keep your body hydrated.
You can enjoy nature & other animals & birds if you don’t see Tiger.
If you want to photograph only tigers you can use 100-400 mm Lens. For bird photography you may need 150-600 mm.
Carry a Bean Bag with you because it helps to keep your camera steady in the gypsy. Tripod may not help in the gypsy.
Keep your camera covered with a cloth to prevent from dust.

Happy Clicking.

Bhigwan – Bharatpur of Maharashtra

March 19, 2018April 3, 2018Mukund Karadkhedkar 10 Comments

Greater Flamingos

About Bhigwan

There are some places that God created for beauty & diversity, Bhigwan is one such place. A paradise for number of migratory birds Bhigwan stands out in the list of Must Visit places around Pune, especally in Winter times. Bhigwan is a small dusty town around 100 kms away from Pune and is also referred to as the “Bharatpur of Maharashtra”, as it becomes a hotbed of migratory birds during the winter. Bhigwan is at one end of the huge Yashwant Sagar reservoir, forming the backwaters of the Ujani dam. The water catchment area is spread across around the town of Bhigwan. It is an amazing place to see wetland migratory birds like Bar-Headed Goose, Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, many species of ducks , Painted Stork , Grey Heron and many more birds.

One of the main attractions during the migratory season is the arrival of the Greater flamingos also called as अग्निपंख in Marathi. During the months of early December till March every year this place is crowded by Bird Watchers & Bird Photographers from all over Maharashtra.

How to Reach Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary

One can travel to Bhigwan by various means of transport. 1) State Transport Buses bound for Solapur and onwards from Pune take you to Bhigwan in 3.5 hours. The obvious advantage of ST bus, is that one need not drive. However Bhigwan is a vast area. The birding spots are as far away as 10 to 15 kms from Bhigwan main town. So this mode is not convenient. There is also a train station at Bhigwan. However both ST bus and train are not convenient. The best way is your own vehicle or hired vehicle.

To reach Bhigwan, the easy way is from Pune to Hadapsar and then join to Solapur highway. After about 100km from Pune on Highway you will reach Bhigwan village. Do not use Bhigwan flyover. Take service road from Bhigwan village and then turn left after crossing the flyover. Drive 3 to 3.5km – Take right for sanctuary. There are two main villages Kumbhargaon & Diksal. You can go to either village. More or less there are same chances of sighting the birds.

I visit Bhigwan almost every year and my favourite place is Kumbhargaon bird sanctuary. It is better if you book your Boat ride in advance. I am normally booking with “Kranti Flamingo Point”, Mr. Datta Nagare – Mobile No. 8087767691. There are many other boat operators who also provide guide. You can also order Breakfast & lunch with them. It is delicious Maharashtrian Food. For Bird Watching or Bird Photography it is recommended that you reach Bhigwan before Sunrise & start your Boat ride latest by Morning 7.00 AM OR afternoon 4.00 PM. Boat ride takes 3 Hours minimum.

Sunrise at Bhigwan

I am always excited to visit Bhigwan for one reason : You are welcomed by colourful Painted Storks flying overhead or flock of Pink Flamingos or the Cormorants flying in the sky in large numbers. I still remember my first visit to Bhigwan. Our boat reached deep inside the water about 6 – 8 Kms. inside from the Boating point. We were curiously looking at Flamingos busy in fishing in large numbers away from us, suddenly our guide pointed towards the sky and the scene was mesmerizing. Complete sky was full of Pink colored birds gliding above our head. For a moment we forgot to click the pictures & kept looking at the beautiful play of colors in the sky. Then the shutterbugs started clicking. After a while the flock of hundreds of Flamingos landed in the water & started looking for their favorite food i.e fishes. The beautiful tall birds with long neck & long red legs were in front of us busy in their own world, ignorant of onlookers.Once they land in large numbers at one place near the water, normally they remain there for hours. You can photograph them peacefully in all angles & moods.

Once you are finished clicking Flamingos, you can look around for other birds and you can see variety of wetland Birds like Grey Herons, Open Bill Stork, Grey Headed Gulls, River Turn, Black Headed Ibis, Glossy Ibis and various Ducks like Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Coot, Bar Headed Goose, Rudy Shel duck etc.

Bird Photography

The diversity of Bird species found in Bhigwan is incredible. Large number of migratory activity Birds come to Bhigwan for Nesting. These birds include Greater Flamingos, variety of Ibises, Storkes, Egrets & Seagulls. Apart from these wader species, Bhigwan has large variety of local terrestrial birds. All in all Bhigwan boasts of more than 400 different species of birds through out the year.

Bird Photography is comparatively easy in Bhigwan since the Birds are accessible to you. Even 100-400 mm telephoto lens is adequate. You only need Ultra Telephoto Lens for Flamingos since we can’t go very near to them. You can go very near to Painted Storks since they do not shy away with Boats. However you should always remember to wear dull colored clothes & carry hat or cap. Camouflaged clothes are preferable. Huge bird activity is seen during Morning & Evening in the middle of water. Normally you see ample quantity of Grey Headed Gulls and River Turn fighting for the prey. Flying up & down with their prey. There are ample opportunities to photograph these moments. Your guide cum boat driver helps you to locate & identify various birds.

On the return journey to boating point, we clicked all these birds & many more which you can see in the pictures below.

Greater Flamongos

Black Winged Stilt

Oosprey

Painted Stork

Grey Heron

Common Hoopoe

After getting down from the Boat, you can spend some time on the nearby grassland for photographing grassland birds like Common Hoopoe, Green Bee Eater, White breasted Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail, Bush Chat, Shrike, Black Drongo etc.

Bird Activity

Northern Shevoler in Flight

Open Bill Stork

Grey Headed Gull

Black Headed Ibis

Greater Flamongos in Flight

We finished our bird photography & returned to Kranti Flamingo Point at @ 11.30 am. It was time for breakfast. You can either enjoy breakfast at Kranti Flamingo Point – They normally serve Poha or Omelette. OR if you are Misal fan, you can drive down to Bhigwan village & try famous Spicy Misal at Hotel Jyoti near Hotel Jagdamba which is on the right side of road when you are driving towards Pune.

On the way back to Pune, you can also visit Mayureshwar Wildlife Century to photograph Black Buck aka Chinkaras. You can refer below table for list of Bird sighting at Bhigwan.

Happy Clicking.

Sunrise at Bhigwan

Purple Swamphen	Ruddy Shelduck	Little Cormorant
Common Moorhen	Spot-billed Duck	Common Kingfisher
Small pratincole	Common Coot	White Throated Kingfisher
Glossy Ibis	Comb Duck	Pied Kingfisher
Black Ibis	Garganey Duck	Wire-tailed Swallow
Oriental White Ibis	Pallas Gull	Common Swallow
Asian Open bill Stork	River Tern	Red Rumped Swallow
Painted Stork	Gull billed Tern	Purple Rumped Sunbird
Woolly Necked Stork	Grey Heron	Yellow Wagtail
Common Sandpiper	Purple Heron	Grey Wagtail
Spotted Sandpiper	Pond Heron	Greater Flamingo
Curlew Sandpiper	Cattle Egret	Osprey
Black Tailed Godwit	Median Egret	Western Marsh Harrier
Black Winged Stilts	Large Egret	White-breasted Waterhen
Northern Shoveler	Eurasian Spoonbill

Madheghat Waterfall

December 19, 2017March 29, 2018Mukund Karadkhedkar 26 Comments

RIMG_0313

About Madheghat

Madhe ghat is located around 55 km from Pune bordering Raigad district. On the way you can see Torna Fort, Rajgad, Raigad and backwaters of Bhatghar dam. From this place, you can have a view of vast area such as Raigad fort, Lingana, Varandha ghat and Shivthar Ghal.

In history, when the great warrior Narveer Tanaji Malusare died in the Sinhagad battle, his body was to be taken for last rites in his native village Umrathe near Poladpur. Tanaji Malusare’s funeral procession was taken to his native place from this Madhe ghat route.

The drive is very scenic and beautiful. Most of the drive is through dense Jungles & paddy fields. If you visit this place immediately after monsoon, you can see lush green all over and colorful flowers on the road. It is must visit place for Nature lovers and photography enthusiasts. The photographers can’t resist stopping frequently on the road to click beautiful landscapes & flowers.

We ( Myself & my friend Abhijit Pore ) visited this place on 28th Oct 2017. We went by the route :

Pune –> Khadakwasla Dam –> Pabhe ghat –> Velhe village –> Madhe Ghat –> Velhe village –> NH-4 –> Pune.

After Velhe village, we took left turn for Madhe Ghat. Forest was very dense and sometime it was difficult to spot road after taking some crazy curves. After crossing few mountains we saw spectacular view of Sahyadri ranges. You need to cross at least 5-6 Mountains to reach at Kelaad village. Sign board helped us to spot the Madhe ghat route and we took a left turn and crossed a small bridge. From here onwards either you can go on bike for last 1.5km road patch or you can have a walk. You can try taking you car till the waterfall but it is risky. Many people prefer to walk after that small bridge. We preferred to take our car because my friend Abhijit Pore was a rider and very confident for his Skoda Fabia. Off course it was fun to drive through the big stones & mud but the driver’s skill was needed. Finally we reached the point where you can see big table land and an amazing view. You cant see waterfall from this side & you have to walk to the opposite side of waterfall. We walked with our Photography Gear ( Camera + Lenses + Tripod ) to the other side of table land & the view was amazing. We kept looking at the table land & water falling through the edge of the rock. It was mesmerizing.

We returned after clicking lots of pictures in various angles. I used Canon 10-18 mm Ultra Wide Angle Lens to capture the wider view. The flowers below are captured with Canon 55-250mm Kit Lens.

We were very hungry by this time and stopped at one Hotel for the lunch. They served us nice Pithala Bhakari & Akkha Masur. Finally reached home with a satisfied Phototour.

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#madheghat #photography #waterfall

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In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir

Category Travel & Photography