Nature and people stories from India

So finally, here is the write-up. After my previous post on 'the glimpse of Rajasthan' where I mentioned about the purpose of this special visit to Sonkhaliya, many asked me 'So did u see the florican after all'?  Before I describe this visit in search of the lesser florican, I must go back to 2010. That was the first time I saw people post pics of this magnificient bird. Of course nobody disclosed the exact location. But it was Kutch that's all I knew. When I got Kalpana Malani and Rajashree Khalap to see the pics, all 3 of us were clear......2011 monsoon had to be in search of this bird. I don't recall how and where we got the info but we were told it is Little Rann of Kutch. Since I knew the guide at LRK, I asked him. I now think I don't know if he understood then, but he said yes. So the 3 of us went to LRK in July 2011. Now most birders reading this will laugh at us. Who goes birding to Kutch in monsoon? Yes, but wildlife enthusaists are know

'Padharo mhare desh' - We have been exposed to various glimpses of Rajasthan tourism through the media. The forts, palaces, sand dunes, the ghumar dance, sweets, rich tradtitonal crafts and costumes etc. How about looking at a different perspective? Rural Rajasthan. Haven't we all heard, 'India lives in villages' ? Rajasthan is my native state but like most Mumbaiites or should I say urbanites, I have been exposed to Rajasthan only as a tourist or wildlife enthusiast and have seen the popular glimpses as depicted in the media. This time my journey to Rajasthan in search of the elusive and magnificient bird, the Lesser florican, took me to rural Rajasthan. I have often written on my wildlife sojourns across India, but this time I feel like sharing the story of the rural life that I saw, as we travelled through fields in search of our bird. This is a critically endangered bird and only a few hundred are alive. It is usually seen during the breeding season in the