Author: Ravi Kailas Having missed several opportunities to get the best of Spring migration birding when I lived in the US in the early 2000s, I was very keen to experience at least one hotspot, when I visited in April this year. Sadly, I could only dedicate a couple of hours one early April morningContinue reading “Spring and some birds in NYC’s Central Park”
Tag Archives: Birdwatching
Striped Hyena, Indian Wolf and Asiatic Lion, Gujarat, Feb 2023: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates 16th to 22rd March 2023 Itinerary Outline Day 1, Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch Days 2, 3 & 4, Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar Days 5 & 6, Gir National Park Day 7, Transfer from Rajkot Airport Tour Participants Anand Ramesh, Ramesh Venkateswaran and Padmini Ramesh – very keenContinue reading “Striped Hyena, Indian Wolf and Asiatic Lion, Gujarat, Feb 2023: Trip Report”
Endemics and Megafauna, Western Ghats Winter 2023: Trip summary
Author: Ravi Kailas Dates 20th January to 4th Feb 2024 Participants John Wright, Karen Baker, Philip Telfer and Mark Bibby Guides Ravi Kailas and Ganesh Ramachandran Itinerary Outline Day 1: Galibore (Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary). Transfer from Bangalore AirportDays 2 to 5: Kabini (Nagarhole National Park). Days 5 to 7: Bandipur Tiger ReserveDays 7 to 10:Continue reading “Endemics and Megafauna, Western Ghats Winter 2023: Trip summary”
A walk and bit at Pampadum Shola NP
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This tiny patch of montane forest, where the High Ranges meet the Palani Hills in the Western Ghats of South India, is packed with (the often unique) biodiversity. I have had the privilege to visit numerous times, and this is a brief account from a recent visit in September 2022. AsContinue reading “A walk and bit at Pampadum Shola NP”
Pallas’s Cat, Tibetan Fox, Tibetan Gazelle and more, Ladakh July 2022: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Locations visited Tso Kar; Hanle; Nubra Valley; Dras A visit to Ladakh this summer, primarily exploring the Chanthang Plains of Eastern Ladakh, but also parts of Central and Western Ladakh produced a number of Tibetan Plateau mammalian specialities including multiple sightings of Tibetan Sand Fox, Tibetan Gazelle and Tibetan Wolf asContinue reading “Pallas’s Cat, Tibetan Fox, Tibetan Gazelle and more, Ladakh July 2022: Trip Report”
Rusty Spotted Cat, Sloth Bear and more, Panna April 2022: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 23rd to 26th April 2022 A brief visit to Central India’s Panna NP, on the cusp of an early summer heat wave proved somewhat more productive (both in terms of abundance and diversity of wildlife) than envisaged, from a dry deciduous forest ecosystem in the peak of the dry season.Continue reading “Rusty Spotted Cat, Sloth Bear and more, Panna April 2022: Trip Report”
Bugun Liochicla, Hairy-footed Flying Squirrel, Arunachal Macaque and more: Eaglenest WLS Dec 2021
Author: Ravi Kailas Dates: 25th to 30th Dec 2021 This off-peak season to Eaglenest WLS in western Arunachal Pradesh, turned out duly interesting, with this globally acclaimed birding haven, oozing out its treasure trove of local specialities, including a duo from the only known population of Bugun Liochicla on Earth, the lovely Ward’s Trogon, BeautifulContinue reading “Bugun Liochicla, Hairy-footed Flying Squirrel, Arunachal Macaque and more: Eaglenest WLS Dec 2021”
Great Pied Hornbill and montane endemics, Nilgiris November 2021
Author: Ravi Kailas Dates: 3rd to 6th November 2021 A somewhat unplanned visit to the southeast corner of the Nilgiris, in what turned out to be one of the rainiest Novembers in the region, turned out interesting from a natural history perspective. The initial plan was to spend three nights close to Ooty and exploreContinue reading “Great Pied Hornbill and montane endemics, Nilgiris November 2021”
Indian Brown Mongoose and more, Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Valparai Area), Aug 2021: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 17th to 20th Aug 2021 Upto 7m of annual rainfall, much of it descending during the summer monsoon, is known to soak the Valparai region of Anamalai hills. As such, my recent visit to these hills in August, a month well within the summer Monsoon period, was accompanied by aContinue reading “Indian Brown Mongoose and more, Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Valparai Area), Aug 2021: Trip Report”
Sloth Bear, Indian Rock Python and more, Cauvery WLS, Aug 2021
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 5th to 7th Aug 2021 A brief visit to the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, a small protected areas along the Cauvery River in south India, turned out to be productive in unexpected ways, including for three different sightings of Sloth Bear, all with cubs, an Indian Rock Python with a bellyContinue reading “Sloth Bear, Indian Rock Python and more, Cauvery WLS, Aug 2021”
Ficus Wildlife and Natural History Tours 