[joshuakeys]

Waiting for more. Very Intresting. Which season is best for this trip? My next trip will be to Gir Forest, Can someone help me with the Road Map from Hyd.

[gd1418]

I beg forgiveness from all the Gujarati folk here. It is amazing that the legendary money making ability out of nowhere of the Gujarati people is evident here as well..

Elsewhere taking a video camera requires a permit. Still cameras have never been charged...be it the 2 mp mobile camera or the D3x

Originally Posted by TheBeastFieast

100/- for camera over 7.1MP.

Which month are you talking about? Even in the summer months AC is not required?

Originally Posted by TheBeastFieast

Forest Range Guest House: 500/- per night for Non-AC | 1500/- per night for AC. AC is never ever required.

[TheBeastFieast]

Originally Posted by joshuakeys

Waiting for more. Very Intresting. Which season is best for this trip? My next trip will be to Gir Forest, Can someone help me with the Road Map from Hyd.

Thanks, Just after rains it is a very good period as one can see the actual forest all green. But that reduces the spotting. If one is very much interested in Spotting then 1st Jun - 15th Jun is best period for any forest. Particularly in GIR they have man made water bodies (Kind of tanks) and a water tanker fills them regularly.

Originally Posted by gd1418

I beg forgiveness from all the Gujarati folk here. It is amazing that the legendary money making ability out of nowhere of the Gujarati people is evident here as well..

Elsewhere taking a video camera requires a permit. Still cameras have never been charged...be it the 2 mp mobile camera or the D3x

Which month are you talking about? Even in the summer months AC is not required?

Nice Catch Sir . I found it one of the cheapest locations I spent approx 6,000/- in a day for 4 adults and 1 kid, all inclusive i.e. 1day/night stay, 1 lunch/dinner/break-fast each, 1 visit to devaliya for 6 members, 2 safaris for 6 members each time with open gypsy. This even includes the tips (500/- in total).

No matter how hot is the day, it gets cooler by the evening, even I witness same in Ahmedabad where day's temperature was raising to 42/43 degrees.

In GIR even days are cool throughout the year.

[TheBeastFieast]

While gypsy is running towards the forest gate and guide is busy in getting the permit check and getting all clear for, while public is waiting for their turn to get into the jungle, let me tell about Gir

Gir is in southern Gujrat, its is spread in more than 1400 sq km area, it has got 47,000+ deer, 411 Lions, 310 Leopard, Sambhars, Nilgai, Peafowls, the commonly found birds, owlets, eagles etc.

There are 8 routes for forest and interestingly some routes are common and some intersect. For example route number 2 and 6 are common i.e. if you enter from route 2 then you exit from route 6 and vice versa. Route 4 & 5 have some common path.

Gir has got many water bodies, the biggest one is ‘Kamleshwar Lake’, which falls in route 4/5. It is quite big. There is a watch tower at one of the end and tourists are allowed to step down from their vehicle and look around, go to watch tower and have panoramic view of forest.

Other very interesting part is ‘Gir’ has human population as well i.e. ‘Maldhhari Tibes’, they have been and still allowed to live in Forest, they are pure vegetarian and have plenty of animal stock.

In 1911 Gir was declared protected area and British came here, the forest guest house was built by them and the architecture itself proves that.

Looks like we are all clear to go inside jungle and team is waiting for me

[TheBeastFieast]

Finally the thread is moving, I took more time due to festival and relatives at home.

The moment we entered the park, the most expected one welcomed one rather it looked annoyed


The path, the light was very harsh at 4PM, but later I realized even at 5:30 – 6:00 it was still very harsh.




I went inside by not expecting any lion sighting, and I kept saying / requesting the guide and driver to go slowly and let me have a look of the complete forest. I said them I have got good shots of lions already and more than satisfying look of the beast. Internally I was thinking those 2 encounters are more than enough from a tour. Now I just want to watch the forest and the natural habitat and learn about it. The guide ‘Mukesh’ got the message and started describing about forest.

The initial discussion started giving results, when I clicked I thought its something else or some small bird but when I was checking images in computer I got to know, what actually it is. I regret still for not paying proper attention, I would blame that to my getting satisfied from ‘Devaliya’.

I should have got focused and sharp images




The resting ones; heat and light was too much




The water tank already in use



I liked him and tried focusing on eye


The gum/rubber tree, Mukesh told me its extract is used in making shell of medicinal capsules




The next round of sighting, I was told its ‘Green Beater’, please correct me if that’s wrong






The only sighting belonging to Lion from this safari


The start of picture galary of the great lake “Kamleshwar Lake”.




Few guests

Guide from another gypsy was describing what it is to some foreign tourist, then our guide took it and I took the shot, he specially requested not to include his face as they are not supposed to step down in Forest.


Another look


Some hands-on trying for abstract


Another try, rather it’s more like point & shoot technique


Spot the crocodile


Spot again and give me the count


Let me help you in spotting another one

[TheBeastFieast]

View from the watch tower


The road along the lake


Broader view, I know I should have tried my hands on panoramic, still long way to learn and be ready for opportunities (Excuse to visit Gir again)


The huts of ‘Maldhari Tribes’ as viewed from watch tower


Don’t know what was trying, didn’t liked it, posting for some advised, what and how it should have been captured?


Another spotting,




I think I am going towards ‘Birding’, I have a strange liking and interested in taking these kinds of shots. Spotting and focusing was bit difficult, I hope I did well


Though I liked him as well


But only to return to my favorite subject, but by now light was very less and they were in shadow






While going by the lake I missed the in-flight shot of ‘White kingfisher’ and everyone was cursing me for not being fast enough, but as I said I am a lucky one and nature gifted with me these shots, only curse point low light and my inability to hold my hand steady enough




Ever since I had seen wild bores at ‘Ranthambore’ in action i.e. digging the ground up to 2-3 feet, I was always dreaming about clicking them sometime, though this one don’t have the horns I saw at Ranthambore.


This is where safari ended and we came out to common route and started sighting more human population

I guess someday they will pose for me in full glory




Light was very less (almost 6:30 PM), but still looks decent


Later in the night I took shots of some of the frames hanging on the walls of our room




I should be ready with next day’s morning safari in a day.

[gd1418]

It is the Green Bee-eater. A brief note about this bird:

As the name suggests, Bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air from an open perch.

While they pursue any type of flying insect, honey bees predominate in their diet.

Before eating its meal, a Bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect thereby extracting most of the venom.

Notably, the birds only catch prey that are on the wing and ignore flying insects once they land.

Originally Posted by TheBeastFieast

The next round of sighting, I was told its ‘Green Beater’, please correct me if that’s wrong


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[nomadabhi]

@TheBeastFieast,

Sasan Gir is a place i am looking to visit. when dont know but guess early summers are good times.

The antelors which guide holded in hands are generally shed off with aging so that the new one's can grow which are then rich in blood.

The old shedded one's are rich in calcium and are often eaten by theie own owners (spotted deers)

Here is where I mentioned this in my blog from Pench;

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...e-pench-2.html

and the pic I am talking about is below where you can see the top end being chewed;

[aviorp]

What a travelogue! Fantastic pictures and your creative narration, made it even more interesting. You're an awesome photographer, TheBeastFieast. Enjoyed every bit!

[TheBeastFieast]

Thanks a lot @Aviorp, i hope to continue same. I would be updating the thread with 2nd and last safari, which happened to be the most interesting one, we spotted the expected ones and to my luck the very unexpected and rear one too.

@Abhi, thanks for the information, i got the same from our Guide. Before that I was sad, why, that is a small story, which is like:

In Nov'2010 we (I + Wife) went to Ranthambore National Park, the night before morning safari, i was discussing with the manager of resort (The Jungle view resort, one of the best resort i stayed and superb staff). He is very friendly and offered his binoculars to us for safari. So we started our safari geared with my tiny miny Sony T5 and this damn good binocular (i forgot to check the make and model). I was stunned to notice the beauty that binocular provided. And that's when then DSLR bug got me, in our canter we had 3 person equipped with DSLRs, 1 fellow had the kit lens (i guess 18-55), I didnt knew at that time, but now i know for sure he had the kit lens. The other 2 had the telephoto and i was offering them binocular but was surprised when they said, they have captured the same thing using their cam.

The very first time I saw the antelors and I guess they were all new, from binocular i was appreciating the softness they had and the kind of furr element to it. I had decided, The moment I will have dslr with telephoto, this is one thing i want to shoot. In Dec. I bought the Nikon D90 and Telephoto (Nikon 70-300) in Jan'11 and went straight to Delhi Zoo to capture the Deer Antelors to found all of them very rough. I was thinking again and again, why these deers have got so rough and hard antelors. And then i witnessed the same in Gir but then got the information from Guide.

I guess when they are new they are all soft and furry (more blood) and then with time they start becoming rough and then cycle goes on.

[gd1418]

It is like this when new -

Originally Posted by TheBeastFieast

The very first time I saw the antelors and I guess they were all new, from binocular i was appreciating the softness they had and the kind of furr element to it.

I guess when they are new they are all soft and furry (more blood) and then with time they start becoming rough and then cycle goes on.

[TheBeastFieast]

Oh, Yes, thanks for sharing, and when they are new and fully grown they look outstandingly beautiful. I would like take a deer portrait with fully grown all new antelors.

Looks like I am getting inclined towards mammal portraits and birding.

[nomadabhi]

I guess you are looking for these then...



I visited Pench in last week of Feb and it was full of such spotted deers.

The hairy elements sheds down with time and fights among herd. But I can understand where you are going...

"The best view of those hairy antelors is when the fur like elements glow bright in sunlight with that green backdrop".

[TheBeastFieast]

Oh Yes, excellent shot, do you have the closeup of same, How about having macro of those

[TheBeastFieast]

Day 2 started with the very early morning, I was the first one in queue at 5 AM, the ticket counter opened at 6 AM and I got the permit and booked the gypsy. Park opens at 6:30 AM sharp and we were the first one to enter.

While guide was getting the permit checked, I got some early morning shots, only this one is worth sharing:


The reason why I wanted to enter first in park, we spotted it within first 10 meters.


And immediately guide showed these, beautiful pug marks






And then sun started to rise






Some trial shot, is that good???


The water tank and birds morning routine






Some tree


I am yet to write about the different routes, the VIP ones, the booking process, having benefits of local taxi driver and taking him inside park etc.