Wednesday 26th February - A Wild Duck Chase

It was still raining at ten past one in the morning but by the time we wake at ten past five it has stopped. We gather ourselves together and step out into the daylight. There is a light in the kitchen and R, ever the opportunist, blags cups of black tea. The arrangement with our guide is that he will get our permit when the office opens. This was supposed to happen at six but at half past there is no sign of him. D is not a happy bunny but R makes the most of it and gets some car park birding in, including Mrs Minivet, the female of the Scarlet Minivet featured a week or so back.

Eventually the show gets on the road and Sahil drives us all down to the river. The guide was worried about the weather and kitted us out with umbrellas. Another party arrives by car, three rather grand senior Indian couples, who speak English except to the hired hands. A boatman appears, bales out the vessel and makes a token effort to dry the seats. 

We watch the Grandees clamber aboard and rather nervously follow suit. At this point D ponders what might constitute hazardous activity in the minds of our insurers. A light drizzle begins to fall. Progress across the river is steady and enlivened by the sight of several Hornbills flying north parallel to us. They are too far away for a good photo but R is greatly cheered. 

On the far bank we all disembark and our guide is keen to get some distance between us and the non birders. He quickly gets some spots in and is only slightly discouraged when we say that we get Ringed Plovers and Great Crested Grebes at home. The drizzle stops and the sun breaks through. Our Forest Guard, who had to wait for the second ferry trip, catches up with us. He carries a Lee-Enfield and wears status socks. We all have our trousers tucked in so we can avoid leeches.

We are checked in at the far bank guard house and set off along the north bank in an easterly direction. This bank is quite thickly forested, with undergrowth and some very tall trees. There is plenty of bird life but they fit in and out of cover without pausing. A Green Malkoha proves to be an exception, remaining still as a statue while we stare up at it.

Many of the forest trees bear fruit which is what attracts so many birds. Underfoot we negotiate elephant apples, a fruit used to make chutney, and also eaten by elephants.

The big attraction today is the possibility of seeing the White Wing Ducks. We are led up a boggy side path to an algae covered pond, apparently the favoured habitat of this species. Another group, including the Hampshire Escapees, has caught up with us and we all marvel at the distant view of a pair of well developed ugly ducklings. Even the Forest Guard took a turn on the binos. 

On the way back there are lots of fleeting sightings of birds that we fail to recognise. D amuses the party by getting both of the umbrella handles adorning his day pack hooked over a branch. How they laugh.  We also get a grandstand view of an Osprey successfully fishing for breakfast. 

As we approach the north bank Guard House our path is blocked by a large male elephant who seems unwilling to let us pass. He is one of the domesticated ones allowed to roam a little on a long chain. Our guard shouts repeatedly and eventually an elephant pilot arrives and deals out a whack on the trunk, at which point the beast moves over.

D is faced with a dilemma as things draw to a close. Is it appropriate to tip a policeman? Especially one who is not in the Met. No doubt the penalties for attempting to corrupt state officials are severe but D takes a chance. The return boat crossing is negotiated successfully and we make it back to the restaurant with about a minute to spare before breakfast closes. And quite some breakfast it is too. Pooris, dal with potatoes, wonderful omelettes, toast, real marmalade and black tea. We quickly pack and set off back to Guwahati. The rain comes on a couple of times during the journey which is otherwise uneventful.

At our hotel we say thank you and goodbye to Sahil. We have had a few drivers over the years and he has been one of the best. The Hotel Lilawati Grand has been chosen to fit D's major criteria - close to the railway station and good value (R says cheap). It seems clean enough, has hot water and they seem unperturbed by our stated ambition to depart at 06.15 tomorrow. After showers the first job is to find where we hid Lonely Planet, last perused in Kolkata. We identify a small cluster of bar and restaurant possibilities and take an auto out along the GNB Road. It is gently raining again which is probably why Guwahati autos have doors on the passenger compartment.

Time for a rant. Why does nobody in India have change? It has always been bad but seems to be even worse this year. The result is that the less fortunate dip out because we don't have change for tips or for small donations to good causes. Getting change is not a problem in Sri Lanka or Bangladesh or even in Ahmedabad so why is it so difficult elsewhere in India? LP describes the Trafik Lounge Bar in glowing terms. We arrive at around 6 pm and are the only customers. At least the beer is cold, in proper sized bottles and they do a mean peanut masala. There is time to write up some blog and weigh up the pros and cons of nearby eateries. R favours a place that specialises in Assamese barbeques. 

We have to cross the main road to get there. After three minutes we leave. R has a scale on which she rates hygiene and cleanliness. The bottom of the scale is Old Delhi Station DeLuxe Toilets. This place is DeLuxe minus. We recross the road and try Paradise. They have Assamese specialities including a thali and meat and rice cooked inside bamboo. As a bonus they have beer. The food is great as is the service. Even better we find an auto driver who knows where our hotel is.