Arid Ecosystem : Like the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, the Desert National Park in Rajasthan is another unique ecosystem in India. Both possess certain similarities with some common avifauna species. The greatest dissimilarity is that while the Rann is flooded with monsoon water annually, the Desert National Park receives scanty and erratic rainfall, therefore, it is the natural home to the xerophytic vegetation which is of diverse character sustaining the very life of people, cattle and of course the wild life. Despite uniformly adverse climatic conditions, the desert exhibits distinctive micro-topographic variations and highly specialized plant communities. The park is envisaged to conserve the Desert Ecosystem. Located within Jaisalmer and Barmer districts, on border with Pakistan, nearly 3,000 sq. km of the Park's vast landscape - sand dunes, grass land, low bushes, clumps of trees, tiny scattered hamlets called villages -- faces continuous challenge for adequate conservation.

The entry permit system for overseas visitors is time consuming and can upset some. It is to be obtained in Jaisalmer town. Therefore, we may need to stay in Jaisalmer to go to the Desert Park and return each evening back to this town. We, however, prefer to stay outside the town in a simple resort amidst sand dunes, located close by the park to avoid additional daily driving.

We use jeeps to go into the desert park and have to be patient to locate birds as density is low. We can walk as much as we like to (no restriction here). The drive is more rewarding during morning and afternoon sessions when birds move around; mid day can be at a self decided halt for lunch when some species can appear all of a sudden.
 

Spotted Owlet	Great Indian Bustard

Indian Bustard : The flag ship species in this habitat is the Great Indian Bustard which has been observed in several numbers in course of the day. It is a tall bird seen through the grass cover, generally keeping its beak towards the sky, extremely shy, prefers to show its back to us to facilitate itself bolt away the moment one follows it for better chance of photography. It is the State Bird of Rajasthan. Houbara, another bustard species, is migratory and can be located here though with challenge (the hosts of this site have unique record to conserve Bustards : 'Bustards In Decline' by Paul D. Goriup & Harsh Vardhan).

Raptor Country : It is undoubtedly the raptor country. They are to be observed in air, over the tree tops, over telephone poles and wires and often on ground consuming the prey bagged minutes ago. The food is in abundance - birds, insects, rodents, lizards etc. The common sight is Laggar Falcon which breeds here. Peregrine Falcon is in its beautiful form. Merlin can be a rare visitor.

Eagles are in good numbers : Short-toed, Steppe, Imperial, Tawny and possibly Booted as well. Long-legged Buzzard, White-eyed Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrow Hawk, Shikra, and several Harriers are common sight. Vultures present their best sightings here, which declined in the country in recent years to the extent that they are hardly visible elsewhere : White-backed, Long-billed, Egyptian, Red-headed, Cinereous, Griffon. All the vulture species are possible to be framed in a single photo-click. Black Kite, and Black-shouldered Kite can not be missed. Spotted Owlet, Barn Owl, Short-eared Owl and Dusky Eagle Owl are the nocturnal raptors here. Chesnut-belied Sandgrouse and Black-bellied Sandgrouse are great delight, generally observed feeding on ground or flying in hundreds.

Peregrine Falcon	Binoculars being given to Manak Lal of D. N. Park by Manoj Vardhan

Loads of Birds : Not to miss species here are : Jungle Crow and House Crow, Common Raven, Purple Sunbird, Jungle and Large Grey Babblers, Hume's Warbler, Plain Leaf warbler, Desert Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Lesser White-throat, Common Chiffchaff, Plain Prinia, Jungle Prinia, Graceful Prinia, Rufous-tailed Shrike, Bay-baked Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Common Wood Shrike, Ground Shrike, Northern Grey Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Black-crowned Sparrow Lark, Greater Short-toed, Bimaculated Lark, Singing Bush Lark, Crested Lark, Indian Bush Lark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark, Rufous-tail Lark, Oriental Sky Lark, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Yellow and Grey Wagtail, Paddyfield Pipit, Tawny Pipit, Long-billed Pippit, Desert Wheatear, Isabeline Wheatear, Variable Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Wheatear, Rosy Starling, Brahminy Starling, Common and Bank Myna, White-cheeked and Red-vented Bulbul, Silver-billed Munia, Red Avadavat, Barn Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, Common Stonechat, Pied Bushchat, Grey Bushchat, Stoliczka's Bushchat, Indian Robin, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Red-throated Flycatcher, Rufous Treepie, Little Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Hoopoe, Woodpeckers (Brown-capped Pygmy, Grey-headed Pygmy, Yellow-crowned, Black-rumped Flameback), Grey Francolin, Black Francolin, Jungle Bush Quail, Brown-headed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Rose-ringed Parakeet, House Swift, Eurasian-collared Dove, Laughing Dove, Red-collared Dove, Common Crane, Demoiselle Crane, Cream-coloured Courser, Red-wattled Lapwing, Black Drongo, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, House Sparrow, Indian Peafowl etc.

Gazelle : Bird watching sessions are punctuated by sights of Indian Gazelle, numerous species of rodents, hare, reptiles, dominated by Spiny-tailed Lizard, Common Krait and Saw-scaled Viper. Three nights will be better for our stay here.

The hosts of the web site donated a pair of binoculars to Manak Lal, Forester at the Desert National Park, to facilitate him improve his birding strength (see the photograph here).