Trip Report North India Trip

We returned to Pune earlier today after a memorable 7 days in North India. Overall, the trip was superbly planned and exceeded our expectations in every possible way. I'm happy that we could cover so many hotspots in 7 days, each location provided at least one life bird not seen elsewhere in the trip (Haiderpur in particular is a hidden gem). We saw a total of 234 bird species during the trip, 97 of which were lifers for me. As a bonus, we got good looks + photographs for most of these lifers.
Here's a complete eBird trip report (will add many more photos slowly): https://ebird.org/tripreport/93137

I wanted to add a special note of thanks to our guide Deepak Kumar and driver Jaipal Singh. Deepak is extremely knowledgeable, and we've learnt so much about Indian birds and birding from him over the course of the trip. His spotting skills are exceptional, and I doubt we would get even half as many lifers had he not been around. I loved his enthusiasm to help me get more lifers & their photographs, and how he customized the fine details of the trip / specific hotspots to show us more species. Finally, I thought he handled a delicate situation really well. In Corbett, while birding on foot in a non-safari trail in Kumeriya, we encountered fresh footprints from (likely) two Bengal tigers. Deepak requested Jaipal to come down to the spot in the car immediately, ensured we kept a safe distance from the suspected tiger location, helped calm me down, and instructed me on the appropriate course of action in every possible situation that could occur. (Un)luckily, the tigers did not come out in the open.

Jaipal has been a great driver throughout the trip. He was extremely punctual, often at our hotel/location well before time. He is very well-versed in all the birding locations and routes. He always prioritized our safety and comfort, while making sure we made it to various birding locations in a timely manner. On the very first day, the road to Haiderpur had extremely dense fog, with near zero visibility at times. Jaipal took all precautions and made sure we got to our destination without taking any risks. He was also prompted to replace a fused car headlight bulb later on in the trip, to ensure our safety.

Finally, thanks to Mike, Iqbal, and the Asian Adventures team for planning and organizing our trip! We would love to do another birding trip with you all in the future. This will possibly be in the May-August 2023 window --- would love to hear your suggestions about suitable locations at that time of the year.

Wishing you all a happy new year,
Best wishes,
Kalpesh Krishna