Corbett proper

We had the joy of visiting Corbett some time ago but only saw the south part of the park so we resolved to go back to explore it further. It's enormous and for us the only way we could get maximum enjoyment was by arranging to stay within the park in the forest lodges for which a special permit is required to sleep in simple rooms where the electricity goes off at about 9.30pm but you are out and in the park by first light.

We did exactly that and thorougly enjoyed the experience.Here is the forest lodge.

There is so much to see and savour so here are some of the highlights of that trip. We visited an ancient temple to Sitavani within the park and it was situated in an idyllic spot on a hillside with water features and an abundance of both langurs and rhesus monkeys. 

The forest of sal trees which are evergreens were always cool and pleasant to drive in but as soon as we hit the plains and grasslands or the river beds the sun would be ferocious.

We saw so many wonderful birds but this one captured my imagination. It is called the dollar bird !
Watermelon coral beak, coal black head but then gradiating feathers to a rich royal blue.

 A serpent eagle with its kill.

A tawny fish owl taking a rest in the cool shade of a tree.

I also spotted the spot bellied eagle owl which was truly amazing.The light was fading and so the picture is dark but just imagine Barbara Cartland with enormous glasses and then put them on an owl. Just the best.

This is a male Kalij Pheasant - we saw pairs of them along the way.

 But also the amazing white-crested laughing thrush, orange headed thrush, pygmy and grey headed woodpeckers white rumped shama, Indian pitta birds, stork billed kingfishers, a honey buzzard, and scarlet minivets which are like dashes of scarlet in the sky. The amazingly named and coloured dollar bird, the emerald dove, the lineated barbet, the pintailed pigeon, thousands of magpie robins, the elegant white tailed paradise flycatchers and black headed and red vented bulbuls - to name but a few !  

We saw jungle cat, monitor lizards, sambar and barking deer, purple butterflies and the best was yet to come.