Despite being in the area of the Gir National Park for the whole day, we only had a single game drive booked which was at the rather inconvenient time of 09:00 in the morning. Once we had finally got through all the bureaucracy involved with entering the park it was already 09:30, but we set off on our way anyway. We were a bit confused as we ended up doing the same route as the previous day which meant for the most part we would see the same birds and animals, but nature does always change so we were still excited for what we might find.
Doing the drive in the heat of the day meant much less chance for rarer mammals, but the main attractions were still very much on the cards. Not far into our drive we had our first Lioness, basking in the shade before coming to drink right next to us and then walking straight past the car, giving even better views than the previous day. We also saw the same female with two cubs as the previous day, but they were not doing much. Otherwise it was the same large mammal species with the addition of Wild Boar.
The birds were a bit
more interesting. While we had the same Brown Fish Owl and Indian Thick Knee,
as well as a different nest of Mottled Wood Owl, there were a few different
birds around. In the morning before we set off I had a lifer with Thick-billed
Flowerpecker, and once in the park we had a few trip ticks for this section with
Indian Vulture, Tickells Blue Flycatcher and Black-naped Monarch. Despite being
hot and late morning, there were a few spots that were still quite birdy and it
wasn’t at disappointing as I had expected, going so late in the morning.
In the afternoon,
with no game drive, I was at something of a loose end, so went for a walk
around the hotel Mango plantations. That did not yield much in half an hour so
I spent the rest of the afternoon, around two hours, watching over the back
wall into the national park hoping for something to walk past. In the two hours
I saw my two favourite things in the park; relaxed looking Chital and relaxed
looking Peacocks. There were no other mammals. However, there were a few nice
birds such as Common Rosefinch and some dust bathing Grey Francolins. For lack
of any other options, it was not a bad way to spend the afternoon.
Gir National Park: Indian Peafowl, Grey Francolin, Feral Pigeon, Spotted Dove, Laughing Dove, Greater Coucal, Asian Koel, Savanna Nightjar, Little Swift, Crested Treeswift, White-breasted Waterhen, Indian Stone-curlew, Red-wattled Lapwing, River Tern, Red-naped Ibis, Indian Pond Heron, Eastern Cattle Egret, Medium Egret, Crested Honey Buzzard, Indian Vulture, Shikra, Brown Fish Owl, Spotted Owlet, Mottled Wood Owl, Asian Green Bee-eater, Common Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Coppersmith Barbet, Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Plum-headed Parakeet, Small Minivet, Common Iora, White-browed Fantail, Black Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Black-naped Monarch, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Rufous Treepie, Large-billed Crow, Cinereous Tit, Common Tailorbird, Grey-breasted Prinia, Dusky Crag Martin, Wire-tailed Swallow, Red-vented Bulbul, Indian White-eye, Jungle Babbler, Brahminy Starling, Indian Robin, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Black Redstart, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Purple Sunbird, Yellow-throated Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Common Rosefinch,
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