The Falkirk Wheel

The day seemed to reasonable we decided to visit the Falkirk Wheel, something we've wanted to see for a while. The drive out was relatively easy using the satnav. We parked in the car park and walked over the canal towards the wheel.









It is an amazing engineering feet, linking the Forth and Tyne canal with the Union Canal by raising boats 79ft (24 mts)















You can take a ride in a boat which takes you up and then a short ride along the canal before bringing you back down.
These interesting sculptures are macquettes for the 30 mt high, 300 tonne 'The Kelpies' by Andy Scott.






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Caspian Plover

We had been talking about a day trip across the channel and the Caspian Plover gave a good excuse. News of a Snowy Owl at Le Maisnil gave us an excuse to do a bit of exploring around Lille. You can look at it two ways, either a waste of time and putting seeing the bird you have gone to see in jeopardy OR as a chance to have a look at a different area,which may pay dividends later. I go with the latter. Tuesday was the only day this week but we were worried, rightly it turned out, about fog. We seem to be beset with fog during many of our trips, especially to Holland. The drive to Le Maisnil to was reasonably easy, and we managed to navigate to the village. We then drove round the surrounding lanes, stopping to scan across the fields, finding an inordinate number of white plastic bottles in all sorts of places, many pretending to be an owl.
We spent some time searching before heading off north for Ghent and the Ternhiuzen tunnel. The fog had lifted a bit so we were very hopeful. As we drove along the sea wall we found Vleitweg and could see a couple of people scoping from the the next road up. We drove round and chatted to them. The plover had been seen this morning but they hadn't seen it. We scanned along the furrows and moved along the road but only found some Golden Plover and some Hares. From a map of recent sightings it was clear that the plover really favoured the corner of the field near the sea wall so we decided to drive back down especially as we could see a chap parked there. As we were packing up our scopes he drove up and asked if we were looking for the plover, 'it's down there' he said, where I was parked. We thanked him and drove back down to park by the road and scan across the ploughed field. David found the plover and then several snipe. We watched it for a while as the fog rolled in thicker and thicker. One of the chaps from earlier turned up and we were able to get him on it before it melted into the fog. Another car pulled up and Helloes were said as it was a Dutch friend Pim Wolf. We chatted for a while, catching up before heading off for a quick visit to Brouwersdam.
Time was against us but we managed to squeeze in a visit to the harbour and back along the dyke where we saw several Mergansers, Goldeneyes, Scoter and 3 Purple Sands as well as 2 common and a grey seal before we had to head off for Calais and the 8 o'clock boat.
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India Day 9 from Gir to Velavador

An early get up and quick breakfast before we went for our last safari into the park. Our guide and driver were very friendly and tried really hard to find us lions, especially the ones with cubs but all we could find were pug marks, and we did hear one roaring. We drove round route 2 and spent a lot more time stopping and looking at some of the smaller birds as well as one or two larger ones. We saw Small Minivet, White-fronted Minivet and wood shrike as well as prinias. Our guide managed to wangle us a view of a male lion resting up before we returned to the lodge, late. We had a clean up, packed, ate a brunch before saying a sad farewell to Lokesh's really friendly relatives and thenstaff of the Gir Birding Lodge.
We had a 5 1/2 hour drive with just a quick loo and tea break. This was definitely the worst loo of the entire trip, with green slime around the leaking taps, cracked and dirty foot pads and a pedestal toilet I didn't dare explore. The chai was lovely but the state of the cups was real cause for concern.
We arrived at Velavador in time to take a short drive into the reserve and saw several herds of Blackbuck, a mongoose and some Sambar. We also went up a tower and watched hundreds of Montegue's, Pallid and Marsh Harriers come into roost. There was also a tree full of Indian Pond Heron and a Purple Heron flew by.
We drove back to the Lodge, booked in and settled into our very luxurious rooms.

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India - Day 9 - Gir forest. Route 1 am, Route 5 pm

6.00 o'clock breakfast for a 6.30 safari. This time we were on route 1 which seemed to skirt the forest edge more. We saw more Samba, Spotted deer. Lots of plum-headed parakeets, we drove through a village and past several herds of cows. We also had Black-rumped Flameback, Langour monkey, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, White-eyed Buzzard and Indian Scops Owl but no lions.
Back at the Lodge we took a leisurely walk round the orchard, with Yellow-wattled Lapwing, little egret and Peacock. We also found some more butterflies.
After lunch, with Coppersmith Barbets, Greenish warbler and Bulbuls in the Banyan tree, we did some verandah birding with Black Redstart, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Tinkerbird and Common Iora flitting around in the Mango trees.
The afternoon safari was a bit of a disappointment as we didn't see very much, other than more Spotted and Sambar deer, a couple of Stone Curlew and some plum-headed parakeets and we did meet some jeeps coming the other way with big grins on their faces, they had just seen 2 females and 3 cubs but we weren't allowed to go as it wasn't on our route. The driver and guide would lose their licence if they left the prescribed route, VERY frustrating! The route, though was much more open and pleasant, although very dusty.
Back to the lodge for dinner and an early night before our last safari in the morning.



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India -Gujarat - Leopard and Lions

An early morning breakfast at 6.00am before loading up the Gypsy and setting off for Gir Lion Park. There is a fair amount of paperwork to be filled in and 1 person has to carry I passport, as well as sorting out camera fees before hand. 600 IRs per camera, per drive!
The light was coming up as we entered and we were soon driving along the rutty, dusty forest trails looking for birds and animals. Our first sighting was Nilgai and Chittal before a real surprise. As we drove along a head was spotted - a lion? No, a leopard! It sat and looked at us for while in the golden morning light before strolling off, as we waited it re-appeared and crossed the road before melting away into the trees.
During the rest of the drive we kept an eye out for lion but no luck. We did see Painted sandgrouse, both kingfishers, plus......
We returned to the lodge for 9.00 am, had a nice cup of Marsala chai before setting off for a walk along the river. We had several birds incl munia, rose finch, etc.
After lunch we had a leisurely lounge on the veranda before setting off for our afternoon game drive. We saw 3 male lions, one chewing on the remains of a cow, 2 lazing about by the side of the road, with attendants making sure they weren't harmed! We also saw a crocodile, wagtails, and had a very unusual and rough crossing of a dam.
Back for dinner with fish caught by Lokash's brother.


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Crab Plovers and on to Gir Lion Sanctuary

A slightly later 'American' style breakfast of cornflakes, jammy toast and tea or coffee and we were ready for our next adventure. Packing up the car we then drove towards the Marine Wildlife Sanctuary but a few KMs on as the tide wasn't right until later. A fortuitous stop to check some cranes, turned out to be Demoiselles Cranes flying over to a creek. As we walked out to see if we could see them better we found Malabar Larks, short-toed larks .... On a pool there were Black-winged stilts, Red-wattled Lapwing ....and as we scanned for cranes a party of four Grey Mongoose came out and poked about before scuttling off. In the bushes a group of White-eyes twittered about, flying down into the cotton bushes.
We drove back to the reserve, sorted out the paperwork and then drove on to the area for Crab Plovers, which don't appear until the tide is about 2 hours down. The area is a vast sandy beach with dark, rocky coral 'reefs' with shallow and deeper pools and channels, where the Crab Plovers were feeding. Along with them were Great White Egrets, Reef Herons, Redshank, Greenshank, Lesser and Greater Sandplovers and eventually a Broad-billed Sandpiper. Among the pools Lokash found a Lizard fish, some crabs and several shells. With very wet feet we returned to the bus for the drive to Sassingir.

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Drive to Jamnegar

6.30 breakfast for. 7.00 ish start on the long drive to Jammegar. We had a tea break on the way and continue to be in awe do the Indian driver as he negotiates cows, dogs, bikes, motorbikes, tuktuks and lorries which all seem to be doing their own thing. The route goes through lots of villages and it is interesting to get a snapshot as we pass through.
Arriving at the Hotel President in Jamnegar we settled in and had lunch before we set off for the Kidjyah Bird Sanctuary. We drove along the tracks and stopped for a walk along a brick path where Lokash found a Booted eagle sitting on a branch and we also saw Paradise flycatcher, Golden Oriole, White-throated Kingfisher, Coucal and Darter among others.


We drove further along to 3 tower hides where we could look out across a huge area of lagoons, reeds and bushes with hundreds of birds including White painted stork, Pelican, Sacred Ibis, and lots of duck.





The driver flushed a Wild cat which shot across the track and then re-appeared behind me and Carol found another one out in the grassy area. We also had Nilgai and Wild Boar. A drive round to the other side of the reserve and we had hundreds of crane flighting in and Paddyfield Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Bluethroat in the greenery below the tower.


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