Little Rann of Kutch: Paradise for bird watchers

"Not So" Little Rann of Kutch

Little rann of kutch, also known as LRK is one of the finest places in India for observing and photographing raptors. LRK is a salt marsh covering an area of 4954 square km. Despite being an arid and featureless land, LRK has an impressive mixture of habitats which includes flat land, desert grasslands, scrubs, lakes, and marshes. LRK is the last refuge of the Indian wild ass (Khur). In a true sense, it is "not so" little rann of kutch. 

LRK always have something to offer. In LRK, you may end up getting a lot or nothing at all. LRK holds a very special place in the heart and it is one of my favorite places to visit. 

Best time to visit LRK

November to February is the best time to visit little rann of kutch. December and January are generally considered as peak season time for birders and tourists. March is the time to visit LRK to photograph mammals.

Reaching LRK

The easiest way to reach LRK is by road from Ahmedabad which takes about 1.5 - 2 hours. Ahmedabad is well connected by air and rail which makes it very convenient. Google maps should be able to navigate to LRK with ease. It is recommended to download an offline map in case there is a weak mobile network. 


Accommodation at LRK

There are multiple options for accommodation in LRK, a quick google search will give you a bunch of options. I have stayed in a couple of resorts: 
  1. Bhavna resorts and farm
  2. Desert Coursers
Both these resorts offer simple Gujarati vegetarian food options. Stay here is nice and comfortable with all basic amenities. Both these resorts offer safaris and guides in LRK. One can find some wildlife around the resort itself.  

Bird watching and photographing notes

Photo:
Best time for birdwatching and photography is right after the sunrise and just before the sunset. In LRK, it is recommended to enter the rann as soon as you get the permit from the local forest office. Major entry points for LRK are bajana, kharaghoda, and zainabad. The first and most important task is to locate and identify a bird before the light gets too harsh. Depending on the wishlist, you can choose to enter from any of the given entry points. The guides at resorts as well as forest department are pretty experienced and can help you locate birds. 

Photo: During winter, you can spend more time finding and photographing the bird in the morning session as compared to the afternoon session. In the morning, the window of photographing the birds is approximately 2-3 hours. In the afternoon session, there is a very small window of opportunity with good light which makes it a bit tricky. Mirage is the biggest factor when photographing birds from ground level. After 9 - 9:30 in the morning, the mirage will be there which is not ideal for bird photographers. 

Approaching birds is another challenge in LRK setup. In contrast to other birding destinations, LRK does not provide any cover to approach birds. Understanding bird's behavior becomes vital when approaching birds. After spotting a bird, the vehicle must be approached with a lot of caution and patience. Photographers must click pictures from the car and allow the birds to settle down before approaching closer or getting to ground level. Small petrol cars are ideal for approaching birds in LRK as big vehicles tend to make more noise which can disturb the bird.

Photo:




Photo:


Summary

LRK is one of the most beautiful places around the city of Ahmedabad to enjoy nature and wildlife. Winters are buzzing with lots of exciting species and surprises. It is a must-visit place for all wildlife lovers and bird enthusiasts.  

  • Recommended length of stay: 1 - 3 days
  • Safari permit cost: 800 INR per safari with the camera fees(I do not recall the exact amount so approx amount)
  • Approx resort cost: 2300-2500 INR/night including breakfast, lunch, dinner (On a special request, field breakfast is possible in the middle of the rann)
  • Safari jeep cost: 2500 INR/safari(I do not recall the exact amount so approx amount)



Location: Bajana, Gujarat 382745, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WES procedure for GTU(Gujarat Technological University) - CANADA

Image
WES WES is one of the important and time-consuming steps for immigration to countries like Canada. It is a required step for students and other visa categories. In this article, I am going to explain about the process to send WES verification parcel through GTU. For the student who can not go to the university, a few additional documents are required in order to complete the process.  Note (Mar 2021) The comment section suggests that there could be an option to send electronics documents directly. As I am also a student and wrote this blog so it gets easier for someone who wants to go through this process. Most of the things should be the same except sending the copy to WES.  Based on comment updated information can be found here . GTU Gujarat technological university has few processes set in place to tackle WES. If all the documents are present then the process is relatively seamless. Only catch in the process is the operational hours for the university. The official time fo
Read more

Moving Back to India From USA - Part 1

   Introduction A very common question that arises in anyone living on H1B or student visa in the USA is that what happens when I come back to India. I have spent days discussing with my US friends about what to do and what not to do in case we go to India one day. Somehow I was very clear that I wanted to move back to India in case my H1B application does not get picked up in the lottery or maybe I was tired of all the restrictions imposed on me due to my visa. Here in this blog post, I am going to write down some of my experiences about moving back to India from the USA.  Be prepared for chaos In a very short sentence, there is chaos everywhere in the city. You will notice this as soon as you reach the airport arrival gate. Discipline in traffic is rare. It is absolutely normal to see trucks coming on the wrong side on a busy highway, SUVs driving on the wrong side in-office hours, etc. There is one very important thing to remember is that there is at least one virtual lane available
Read more

Snow Leopard: kibber wildlife sanctuary (Basics)

Image
Introduction  Snow leopard is a big cat living on high altitude mountain range of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan. I got motivation to see snow leopard after hearing stories from Vipulbhai and Catherine who run wildark . Unlike other photographers, I have taken this challenge without prior knowledge/experience of shooting big cats in wild (Tiger/Lion/Leopards). As a hobbyist wildlife photographer, I have always enjoyed observing new species and photographing them. After carefully considering various challenges, me and my friend Bhavya Joshi decided to take on this challenge to go on this expedition.     Places to snow leopard in India Ladakh Spiti valley Ladakh: Hemis national park located in Ladakh is considered to be one of the major hotspots for wild snow leopard sightings. Hemis national park is one of the largest parks in India. Due to its large area, sightings are relatively difficult. Spiti valley: Spiti valley has became a popular hotspot for snow leopards.
Read more