Things that go rustle and hoot in the night
An Asian palm civet peers at us
The palm civet makes ready to go
We’ve had the chance to do a couple of night drives in the buffer zones that surround a few of India’s national parks.
The core areas of the parks close at sunset, but the buffer zones, which encircle most parks, remain open 24 hours. They have to because villages are often located in these zones.
So it was a treat on our first night near Satpura National Park to have a longish (almost two hours) night drive. We piled in an open-air Gypsy (small four-wheel drive) and bounced along dirt roads, with Anand and the driver using powerful torches (flashlights) to see what was around.
Wild boars trotting into the distance
Our first glimpse was of an Asian palm civet. It was high up in a tree—no idea how the fellows managed to spot it. Luckily it sat still long enough for me to snap a pic.
Then there was a troop of wild boars, followed by an Indian owl, an Indian hare and a nightjar.
The big bonus was several sightings of jungle cats. I even managed to photograph one.
We’ve had a few other fruitful night drives, but none that yielded any decent (meaning even remotely in focus) photos. But that said, we have seen snakes, a mongoose, another palm civet, spiders and more.
I promise to share more pics from night drives when I’m lucky enough to capture them. 🙂
A big thank you to Ben Vang
And a big shout out of heartfelt thanks to Ben Vang of Camera Check Point in Dubbo, New South Wales. Ben cleaned and serviced several camera lenses for me—especially the telephoto—which has allowed me to get some of these closer-up shots. If you are anywhere in Australia, I can highly recommend Ben’s services.
Jungle cat
Where to next? 
Marvellous.
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Thanks.
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Nice to experience a night ‘safari’, Peggy. The owl is great, and the photo of the nightjar is a lovely capture.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Night safaris can be fascinating and extremely hard to photograph. Nightjars are an exception. They just sit in the road until you toot the horn at them.
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I hope the nightjar wasn’t eaten by the jungle cat. It can be a cruel world out there. Great pictures Peggy.
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Oh dear, Gerard, now I have to worry about the nightjar! But I think they are pretty good at taking care of themselves. We’ve seen a lot of them.
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Really enjoying your trip, hope you are too!
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Thanks Denise. We are. And it looks like you are enjoying yours too. See you in December.
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I love these…and the nightjar is fascinating! Very nice.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Brilliant. I am planning to visit Satpura next month. Will be hooked on for more:)
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Satpura has some wonderful wildlife. Hope you have a fabulous time there.
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What fun, Peggy, wandering around at night searching for animals. I was particularly interested in the Night Jar, which looks quite similar to our Night Hawk. Must be the same family. Have you ever heard a Night Hawk make a booming sound in the evening by diving and then straightening out at the bottom of its dive creating the boom with its feathers? Very unique and very wonderful. I wonder if the Night Jar does the same thing? –Curt
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The night drives are great and we often see nightjars. The ones in India makes a sound like ‘chuck, chuck, chuck’ and then a trill. I haven’t heard it myself, but Anand just demonstrated it for me.
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These guys make an almost nasal sound. But the boom comes from the dive. They are found in the more mountainous areas of the west. –Curt
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Now I’ll have to come out west and hear the boom!
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Wow for some great experiences, as you get there Peggy 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing and remember to take care of yourself too.
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We’re doing great. Very lucky to be travelling with the two young Indian people (both naturalists) we have travelled with twice before.
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Wonderful. Glad you are all having a great time
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Thanks Joy. We’re have a great time. Hope you are recovering well from your surgery.
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You share very nice experience during your trip
thank you so much for that
kisses
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Thanks voulaah. So glad you are enjoying the travels too. Kisses back to you.
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Awesome, such a great experience!
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We feel so lucky to see so much.
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WOW… this safari is a great experience 🙂
Ciao
Sid
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It was fantastic. Thanks.
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Wonderful shots and I love the palm civet.
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I think the palm civet is a real cutie too.
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Very glad you found your night excursion fruitful and not frightful.
And I love all the photos – interesting creatures to keep one awake and watchful. Thanks, Peggy, for making my afternoon more fun.
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My pleasure. Hope to share more soon.
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Great captures! You seem to be having a lovely time; hope your stay in India gets better:)
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Thanks. We’re having a fabulous time.
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I’ve often heard about cities that never sleep. It seems a good part of the countryside likes to stay awake too.
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Excellent point. At least I go to bed at night. 🙂
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A very exciting night safari!! Great pics!! Happy diwali and Happy Halloween 😊
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Thanks, wishing you the same. 🙂
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Thank you ☺
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We usually are so oblivious to all that night life out there. What a treat to get a glimpse.
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What a perfect comment. The night is filled with all sorts of goings-on if we take the time to look.
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