Velavadar - Black Buck Sanctury - Little place with huge surprises

Located 170 kms from Vadodara, Velavadar is one of the preserved Grass land. It is a Black Buck national Park.

Regarding its richness I will let my photographs talk:

The Golden Grassland:

Its one of very few places in India where Black Buck are found:



1. A Black Buck male alert and watching out of danger

2. A Black Buck Male roaming around

3. A Black Buck male lost in grazing



4. A Black Buck Female Calf jumping around


5. Young Black Buck males about to lock horns



6. Few young Black bucks crossing the path



Another resident of Velavadar is Blue Bull also known as Neil Gai in Hindi

6. A young female Blue bull munching




7. Young Male Blue Bulls on watch


8. Curious Blue Bull male
 

Wide range of birds are found in Velavadar

1. Crested Lark

2. Rufus Tailed Lark

3. Lark

4. Terek Sandpiper

5. Reef Heron

6. Eurasian Curlew

7. Gull Billed Tern

8. Darter/Snake Bird

9. Grey Francoline

10. Eurasian Roller

11. Stone Chat

12. Ringed Plower

13. Wood Sandpiper

14. White Stork


15. Great Spotted Eagle





16. Montagu's Harrier: These birds stop by in Velavadar for Roosting. Number of visitors can range from 500 to 3000 per season.
Female

Female in flight

Male in flight


17. Short Toed Snake Eagle:
Juvenile on perch
In flight


18. Common Kestrel:


19. A Red Necked Falcon

Indian Long Billed Vultures

To my surprise spotted my first vulture there and since then I have visiting this place (not disclosing this place for the safety of the birds) once in a quarter to keep track of these vultures.

Its a family of 3 nesting on the rocks of one of the cliff. 2 parents and one kid. Its been 2 years since my first spotting and the kid is adult now.

These are Indian Long Billed Vultures. They are 2nd in the list of Criticaly Endangered species found in Gujarat.

Navratri - Coloful and funfilled festival

Navratri is an Indian festival which is celebrated across India for 9 days that precede Dussehra. However the way its celebrated in Gujarat/Gujaratis is completely different than rest of India. Gujaratis celebrate this festival by dancing in form of Garba. Garba is a Gujarati traditional dance performed by Men and Woman in an open space like play grounds. This dance requires the dancers to be in traditional outfit. Following is the time-lapse that I have created that gives an idea, and following it are few images that I have captured to show how colorful and visually pleasing Garba is.

Most of the times live music is used for Garba, the band typicaly plays the traditional Gujrati Garba songs. They decide/set up the pace.

Zarwani - Landscape heaven (Only during monsoon)

Zarwani another lovely location within 100 odd km range from Vadodara. Its located in "Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary" Following are the few panoramas created on my first visit to this place this monsoon.