Photo Essay – Dudhwa Diaries: Nature’s Beauty Beyond Words

Home to a number of endangered species of animals and birds, Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh is an integral part of the Terai landscape.  Established initially as a sanctuary in 1958 for swamp deer (or the Barasingha), the park is part of the Dudhwa Tiger reserve which is rightly known as the Terai Emerald.   With a plethora of landscapes including wetlands and grasslands with the famous elephant grass that grows as tall as 6 meters, Dudhwa National park is located at the foothills of the Himalayas along the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri district of the state.  Apart from the swamp deer, Dudhwa is synonymous for its unique avifauna, the tiger as well as the one horned rhino.

I recently visited the sanctuary as it was the venue of the 3rd edition of the Uttar Pradesh bird festival and was left totally floored by the colors, beauty and magnificence of nature all around.  Here are some pictures:

Sun rise through the canopy of green Capturing the perfect sunrise Foggy mornings giving rise to a plethora of evolving colors Paths that beckon

BIRD SIGHTINGS:

White-throated kingfisher The Great Pied Hornbill Grey headed parakeet Black headed golden oriole Indian roller Greater coucal Jungle owlet Marshy wetlands Gharials glaore Bronze-winged jacana Indian Pond heron Red wattled lapwing Egrets Swamp deer amidst coots and pochards In focus! In search of the exlusive butterfly! Finally, one of India’s tiniest butterflies As dusk approaches.. Snacking at sunset All good things come to an end, time to bid adieu

Dudhwa National park is about 220 km from Lucknow and 430 km from Delhi by road.  For more details visit the Uttar Pradesh ecotourism website here.