Bharatpur Things to Do

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The Keoladeo Ghana national park is open from 6:30am to 5:30pm but the most lively time to see the park is if you break the rules a bit. Around sunset, when you should be outside the park, is when the birds and animals come out to play in full force. You might get to see more in the last one hour than you did all day. Especially deers. It is like these gentle big-eyed pups have taken over the entire park. I have never seen so many deers out in the open at one place before! The photos will prove my point.

It is a long ride back to the exit, so don't get carried away like someone did =P

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Birds and birding are the main nature draw at Keoladeo National Park. But, as I mentioned in an earlier tip concerning mammals and reptiles, there are other living beauties to enjoy on your park visit.

My daughter is a huge butterfly fan. She has a zillion butterfly t-shirts, she has a butterfly garden at home here in Florida, and her motto is literally, "I have a thing for wings". One of her favorite things we've ever done on vacation is to visit the Key West Butterfly House in south Florida.

So, the occasional exotic and different (to us, anyone) butterfly that frittered across our pathway always coaxed ooohs and ahhhhs from my daughter Sara. As you'd guess, I did snap a few photos and with Sara's help, I'll present and name them for you here.

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When one is discussing Keoladeo National Park, it's easy to focus on the birds, the mammals, the reptiles... it is, after all, one of the world's great nature preserves. But, don't forget to just take in the gorgeous scenery, the intensity and peace of the wilderness itself. And, if you're into photography (as I am), this is a great place for incredible landscapes.

So, find the sun, frame your shots, and use my "secret weapon".... a slight underexposure for highlights and extra color.

Let me share a few of my favorite photos with this tip. Enjoy.

With its extensive marshlands and abundant supply of small fish, it stands to reason that this part of India would be home to large colonies of storks. In the accompanying photo, you see a group of "painted storks" hanging around a nest. So, that means that young storks are part of the group as well, which would lead the silly guy in me to muse about "the stork club" being "visited by the stork". ;)

Again, just a wonderful place to see these beautiful birds in large, healthy numbers.

It could have something to do with a popular Indian beer being called "Kingfisher", but.... I was really, really good at finding and spotting Kingfishers. A colorful bird with a large beak, these guys enjoy living around water and.... well, fishing. And come to think of it, maybe that's the connection on the name. Growing up in the American south, I was well familiar with the concept of fishing + beer. :)

Anyway, the kingfisher is a beautiful bird, and is quite easy to find in Keoladeo. Even novice birders like myself had no problem checking them off my list within the first ten minutes of a birding session. Now, don't ask me WHICH one of the 20-something KINDs of kingfishers it is... I leave that to experts like my wife and daughter.

Ok, having a little fun with this bird's name. Keoladeo is home to many of the raptor species, and we got a real good look at several. One of my favorites was the "honey buzzard". Get it? Two husband names.

"Honey, take out the garbage...."
"You should be ashamed of yourself, you old buzzard..."


Note, double-click the photo for a better look. I wanted to keep the background, so I didn't crop.

As much of Keoladeo is marshy, it's not surprising to know that there is a huge and very healthy population of larger water birds. Herons, storks, etc. These birds feed on the plentiful small fish, amphibians and reptiles resident in the park's marshlands.

For we photographers, these marshy areas really do present some beautiful landscapes, especially in the late afternoon. Get yourself a bit of a sunset, do a little "underexposure" and see how it all comes out. (Please see my opening page photo, which is a late afternoon shot of a Keoladeo marsh)

As for here, we have a look at two of the larger water bird species in the area, the black-faced ibis and the small egret. I'll bet you'll have no problem figuring out which one is the "black faced" ibis. :)

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Keoladeo has a fine population of exotic birds, the sort of winged wonders you'd find in pet stores. And seeing these beautiful birds in the wild gave me the same feeling that I had several years earlier when we visited Tambopata in Peru... namely that I'd never quite feel the same seeing these gorgeous creatures in a cage.

Enjoy their color and freedom on your visit to the park.

The photos accompanying this tip are three shots of a beautiful rose-chested parrot. We got a good look at him on our first afternoon at Keoladeo.