Day 4 at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Safari.

27^th Oct, Day 4 of the Safari.5.30am at the gate. It was our 6^th Safari of the tour, after the yesterday’s Tiger sighting my confidence about the good luck got brightened. We entered the safari at 6.00am in the morning with a fresh mood. After few rounds around Telia lake & nothing significant sightings anywhere around, it was well past 7.15am. Just when we were losing hopes again, our guide sensed some movements behind the thick wooded trees, next to the curb of the main arterial road, it was leopard. But we were unable to sight him properly as he was hiding behind the thickly wooded trees. It was extremely difficult to locate him, leave aside taking a shot at him by our lens. We parked our vehicle on the side of the road, waiting patiently for the leopards movements behind the trees. Slowly as he moved ahead, fortunately for us he sat behind the thick bushes in such a way that there was sufficient space in between enough for us to see and shoot his face with eyes staring at us. 

Leopard sitting inside the thick wooded bush was hard to find and locate him

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Humble fellow he was looking little shy & frightened of coming out in the open. This game of hide went on throughout and he never came out in the open, but we were able to take several pictures of his hiding face with gawked eyes. We left from that place pleased with the leopard sighting in its most natural habitat. Later further down we saw Grey headed fish eagle sitting on the fallen tree bark over the water stream looking for its staple food. The star performer of this session was Leopard.

Grey headed Fish Eagle

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Some of the sightings on the Day 3 after sighting the Tiger.

26th Oct 2013
Day 3 Contd.......

MOTTLED WOOD OWL

(Poor Image clarity because of the low light conditions and object being far off) 

CHANGEABLE HAWK EAGLE - Scouting for Prey

CHANGEABLE HAWK EAGLE- Going for the kill.

Changeable Hawk Eagle taking the flight after spotting the prey.

 

 

 

 

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Day 3 at Tadoba Andhari Safari

26th Oct 2013

Day 3 of the Safari, Hopes of sighting the elusive big cat was palpable, I thought that if the luck doesn’t favor us at least the law of averages should work today. Entered the gate at 6.00am, first round around the Tadoba Lake No show. We came out on the main arterial road by the time it was well past 7.15am, as were heading inside little ahead down the road we saw one jeep parked aside and the guide of that jeep signaled to our driver, alas he had spotted something exciting. When we came near that jeep, we saw the elusive animal calmly sitting behind the thick bush. He had come for a morning stroll and looked a little sleepy, probably must have been hunting all through the night.

My excitement of seeing the Tiger in the wild new no bounds , but quickly realised that the time is essence in the Wildlife photography , and immediately settled down with my camera and lens and waited for the opportune moments to click. He obliged us for about 6 mins. and calmly disappeared in to his den inside the thick wooded trees. But not before I had taken sufficient shots of various angles and poses. 

Day 3, 4^th Safari was completely dominated by him. The luck took a positive turn, after his disappearance further down the road we saw Mottled Wood Owl, Changeable Hawk Eagle & Black shouldered Kite. The Afternoon session was washed out due to heavy rains. At the end of the day the Big Cat sighting made the day. It was 5 down 3 to go.

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