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| White-throated Kingfisher |
Thick fog enveloped the boat first thing and did not clear sufficiently for us to move off on the tender until around 8.30 am. We spent the time having a leisurely breakfast, saying our farewells to the crew and watching a Whate-throated Kingfisher which was looking very bedraggled as it perched on the rail of the boat. It obviously felt as sorry for itself as our boat sans propeller shafts! I could hear Wagtail but nothing was to be seen in the thick mist.
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| Preparing the Tender |
Lots of time was spent sitting around until we could leave. When we did finally start to go off on the smaller tender there was a member of crew constantly monitoring the depth of the water with a bamboo pole. Bananas, biscuits and fruit juice were provided on the journey by our ever-helpful crew.
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| Birds over the Rubbish Tip |
We were moving far slower than expected which meant that our planned birding and shopping stops were once again curtailed. Those husbands have a lot to answer for - having arranged for us to be delayed to stop the shopping they had inadvertently scuppered our bird watching walk!
So, with a count of Great Crested Grebe, Barn Swallow, Great Cormorant, Ruddy Shelduck, and several River Dolphin swimming alongside the boat our cruise came to an end. When we arrived at Guwahati.
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| Their mothers love them! |
Once we were all back together we had a hasty lunch then were off to the airport - via the local rubbish tip - no birdwatching trip is complete without either a rubbish tip or sewage works. Black Kites, Greater Adjutant, Egrets all enjoying picking through the rubbish - they even know to follow the vehicles for a "fresh" delivery!
After a rather ripe (aroma-wise) visit we were off to the airport for a flight to Kolkata and our final night in India.
