Himachal Birds: June 2014

Trip Report/ Travel log BY PANKAJ GUPTA

Area Covered in Himachal: Sangla Valley (2700 meters), Chitkul (3450 meters), Kalpa (2950 meters) Nako (3950 meters)

Distance Traveled:- 1600 KM ( Delhi –Nako- Delhi )

DATE:- 19 to 28 may 2014 (9 days)

Lovely pix by Gungan Arora and Puja sharma of Chitkul made me wonder “when will I Visit this place?” This question kept lingering in my mind ….Chitkul became an itch which had to be scratched ….

Yes I am turning into a twitchier, but with a difference…I have started twitching for locations instead of birds.

Where to go for Annual vacation? We always debate on this. My wife (may be yours also) is the final authority, but we always ends up going where I want (with her blessing).

As we had already ticked Manali, Thirthan valley, Ladakh , Sikkim and large parts of Uttarakhand, options were limited. The tentative list included Bhutan , Dharamshala and Chitkul. Atrocious pricing of air tickets ensures that Bhutan was out of our reach. Would like to thank “Make my trip” for great pic and reviews of Chitkul, which positively influenced my wife.

Chitkul it was…..

Without the inputs from Ganjan Arora, Pujs Sharma, Soma Jha, Dr. Abhinav and fine tuning the plan by MS Srinivasan this trip wouldn’t have been possible.

** Pls download the trip report by Soma Jha also, if you are planning a trip.**

. Santha Negi (9418440767) of Kinner camp (Sangla) took care of all the bookings. Final plan was to spend two nights each at Narkanda, Sangla, Kalpa and Nako .Dropped Sarhan form the original itinerary as the peasantry was closed for public (breeding season.)

DAY 1:- (Delhi- Chail-Narkanda)

Approx time :- 12 hrs

Approx distance: - 445 km

Left Delhi at 5.30 am to beat the heat and the morning traffic. A pleasant drive through rural India (what’s left of it). Fields of blooming sunflower were an added touch. Stopped near Karnal at “The Haveli” restaurant for Breakfast ** (Bad food and service but clean rest rooms. Avoid if possible) **.

Chail route was chosen to avoid Shimla’s traffic. NH 22 to Shimla bifurcates at Kandagath. Chail road is narrow but free of traffic. Pristine forest dotted with water falls makes this a pleasant drive. This road will eventually rejoin NH22 at Kufri.

Chail Palace
Chail Palace is known for its scenic beauty, it’s a nice place to kids to stretch there legs. But please don’t eat there. Horrible food and worst possible service (if we can call it service) makes it a complete no no.

Narkanda.

It’s a small town with 50 odd shops, known only for skiing and Hatu peak. Hatu is a small hill just few km away with breathtaking view of snow capped mountains. Do birding here if you have time. You may have to hire a local taxi (usually Alto) as narrow road makes it difficult for bigger vehicles.

We stayed at “The Himalaya hotel”. It’s a budget hotel, but has clean big rooms. Pls note the main gate remains locked for the night and are opened at 6.30 am. As I was not aware of this had to abandon my plans for Hatu peak. Talk to the owner about this in advance. **Food and service are average. **.

Birds sighted on the way:-

Grey winged black bird female, Honey Buzzard, Jungle Myna, Oriental Turtle Dove, Grey Bushchat, Blue Whistling Thrush and Jungle crow

DAY 2 :- ( Narkanda- Ram Nagar-Wandoo-Sangla Valley )

Approx distance:-165 km
Approx time:-7 hrs

Overslept a bit, but who was in a hurry??

As we drove toward Ram Nagar an eagle flying above the tree line caught me by surprise. As my binoc and camera were still sleeping the bag and I had no choice but to let it go. The drive to Ram Nagar is nice, with waterfalls (with water) on every turn. Wondering what wrong with Uttarakhand?? Why is it always so dry??

The First Hurdle: -
10 km after Ram Nagar we encountered our first road block. A large portion of the road had slid into the valley. To make the matter worse it happened on a 40 Degree incline. It took us 1 hrs to cross.

Messengers of bad news: -
Black, jasmine or chamomile tea is good but a scenic tea is better. “Imagine having tea sitting in front of a waterfall and having a valley as a backdrop”….Two bikers coming from Kaza brought the bad news. A land slide near Tapri had forced them to take a 20 km detour (approx 2 hrs). When I enquired about the road condition the answer was “what road? It’s a rubble strip after Wandoo.”

JP group and its environmental impact
JP group is coming up with 1300 Mega watt power project in this region. Which include many of mini Hydel power plants. They have blasted their way through the mountains leaving them unstable and prone to land slides. Every hill had ventilation or access tunnels drilled/blasted in them. The water in river Sutlej resembles a strong cold coffee (due to the silt it carries). It’s sad to see a mighty river being tamed.

When will we start respecting nature and its forces?

Can only pray that incident of Kedarnath is not repeated here.

Tapri

Tapri is a very unassuming town. It’s a kind of town/ village you simply pass by without mention it in the report .Sadly the news of the road block got confirmed here. Landslide was just 10 km ahead. The best locals estimate we could get was a week for the road to become motorable. Were forced to take the detour. Shouldn’t say “forced” were very happy that the detour existed.

Pappu Dabha
Hunger had kicked in(something in the mountain air which makes me hungry). Finding a decent place to eat was out of question. Local’s directed us to “Pappu Dabha” but we were skeptical …. “Pappu Dabha??” was my first reaction…We Delhi folk associate names like Kake / Baphe /Sonu /Malik or any Punjabi name with Dhaba but Pappu?

It is a small partly open air place, with mud floor and bench instead of chairs. Low ceiling and openly stored carton’s completes the scene. Veg. thali (unlimited) for 65 Rs is the only thing on the menu. Against all odd they served us the best food of the trip. Kadhi/rajma chawal was just perfect. The service was prompt and courteous, something which is missing in most Delhi Restaurants. **It is a must visit place.**

The Detour:-

The 20 km detour was pretty scenic, sub alpine meadows were inviting but the traffic on this narrow road was crazy. It took us 1.5 hrs to cover this distance and another 2 hrs to reach our resort.

Kinner Camp (Sangla):-

It’s a picture post card destination with a river (Baspa), snow capped peak and apple orchids. It’s a tented place with big common area. Board games (provided by the resort) kept my son occupied for the next three days.

Birds sighted on the way and at Sangla:-

Common Kestrel, Grey Wagtail, Streaked Laughing Thrush, Himalayan Bulbul, Russet Sparrow, Rock Bunting(most common bird), Pink Browed Rose Finch, Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey Bushchat, Alpine Swift

Day 3 (Chitkul)

Approximate distance: - 20 km

Approximate time: - 1 hr

Wanted to start early and reach chitkul by dawn but the cold weather made us lazy. The first bird of the day was Himalayan wood pecker, hopping around an empty plot near the car park. My reaction after seeing a flycatcher having rufous rump and grey upper body was “Wow a Rusty tailed Flycatcher” but a quick looks at the guide book confirmed it to be Blue Capped redstart female. In a quick succession saw rufous napped tit and Red fronted serin. It was turning out to be a good day. An apple orchid in full bloom but devoid of bird was a letdown, kept wondering the reason for it? Brown dipper (adult and sub adult) also gave some good views.

Rakcham:-

It’s a small village of about 30-40 houses. Better known for bird watching than any thing else. After crossing over the river it is possible to trek into deep forest. I avoided it for two reasons 1. It was a trek. 2. Lack of time. At the end of Rakcham there is a small area of stagnated water, which gave me my first Rufous breasted accentor. It was sitting openly on a wooden fencing. Never seen such a bold specimen (may be it was due breeding season). Was busy clicking when my driver pointed out another bird, just 5 feet from us….wow a Tickell’s leaf warbler! Which bird to click was the question? Accentor flew to the other side, resolving my dilemma. After having my fill I moved my focus back to the accentor, just to find a blue colored bird partly hidden behind a stock pile of fire wood. Could it be a Tickell’s flycatcher? None of the reports had mentioned it or could be white bellied redstart? In a hope to get another glimpse decided to wait. What an obliging bird it turned out to be, came out in the open a paraded. White bellied redstart it was.

Rakcham lived up to its reputation and raised my hopes for Chitkul. After Rakcham the landscape changed from forest to rocky hill side. The route looked promising but could only get some rose finch and serin.

Chitkul:- The promised land

From WIKI.:- Chitkul (Chittkul) is a village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, which the last inhabited village near the Indo-Tibet border. The Indian road ends here. During winters, the place mostly remains covered with the snow and the inhabitants move to lower regions of Himachal. Potatoes grown at Chittkul are one of the best in the world and are very costly.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[edit]

Chitkul, on the banks of Baspa River, is the first village of the Baspa Valley and the last village on the old Hindustan-Tibet trade route. It is also the last point in India one can travel to without a permit.^[1]

By 9am the morning sun had driven away the chill. On the outskirts of Chitkul found a White tailed ruby throat perched on a bush and singing away to glory (the reason I love breeding season). Decided to go for it. Jumped out the car and negotiated the treacherous boulders. This obliging bird waited patiently for me, and allowed few good shots.

Tingling sensations in my legs was a sign of altitude sickness. Bad memories of Tsokar (ladakh) started to creep-in. Panicking in front of my wife and son was not an option, so kept a brave face and walked back to the car with a smile.

. Chitkul is portrayed as a small sleepy village in the old trip reports but it has transformed now. Multistory houses and hotels dominate the landscape. Many houses have been converted into home stays and hotels have been sublet to tour operators from Delhi and Kolkata.

Next on the agenda was breakfast. Dhaba’s open early so there is no need to carry packed food. We got our packed b/f it reheated here. Parted with a promised to be back for lunch, but never did.

My wife spotted a flock of breeding Rosy Pipit (6-8). They were bit grayer with a pronounced grey ear coverts, different from the illustration in the guide. The pink tone of the belly was unmistakable. In the same field found few Rufous breasted accentor and Tickell’s leaf warblers.

Habitat on both sides of the river (Baspa) is different, on one side there is open grass land and on the other step fields and tall pine forest. As my son wanted makes a snowman, went across the river. Here the shaded areas below the pine trees had snow. Not a carpet of snow as but small patches of it.

. Himalayan Blue tail was the most abundant species. Other birds seen were Blue fronted redstart, Blue capped redstart, (Beautiful, Common, Pink browed) rosefinch, , (Green backed, Rufous napped) tit, Alpine cough, Large billed cough Oriental turtle dove and Snow pigeon.

A scientist ( Lucknow University ) was collecting samples of Lichens to study “the effect of receding glaciers on Lichens”. He explained “as the glacier melts a different type of Lichen blooms and studying them helps in understand the effect of global warming.” The picture he portrayed was very gloomy.

We birdwatcher are a focused lot. We can debate about the length of supercilium or the breath of the wingbar till the worlds end, but when it comes to plants, mammals and reptiles we choose the easy way out. I being unaware of existence of Golden Weasel proves it. (Exceptions are there…no angry mails pls)

In the evening saw a Eurasian cuckoo launching an unprovoked attack on an Ashy drongo. Cuckoo being a brood parasitic is hated by most birds. Jungle Babblers, Crows, Bulbuls and Drongo etc resort to physical attack to get rid of them. But what could the reason of this role reversal?

Another evening well spent (singing and drinking) with a group from Mumbai.

Birds Sighted today:-

(Blue fronted, Blue capped, White bellied) Redstart, (Beautiful, Common, Pink Browed) Rosefinch, Oriental Turtle Dove, (Green Backed & Rufous Napped) Tit, Alpine Cough, Large Billed Crow, Snow Pigeon, Brown Dipper, Rufous Breasted Accentors, Rosy Pipit, White Tailed Ruby Throat, Common Stone Chat, Rock Bunting, Blue Whistling Thrush, (Western Crowned, tickell’s) Leaf warbler, Himalayan Woodpecker and Red Fronted Serin.

Day 4: (Chitkul)

Approximate distance: - 20 km

Approximate time: - 1 hr

Second time lucky?

Our original plan was to leave for Nako, but we had fallen in love with Sangla. We decided to extend our stay by a night. Bye-Bye Nako.

Had called (pls read pester) Gunjan night before for inputs and then decided to bird on the left bank of Baspa river. Plan was to go early and go alone. As usual got late and left the resort at 5.45 am. The sun was out and was shining directly in my eyes (Chitkul is in east of Sangla, the glare of rising sun make it impossible to see).Turned out to be a dull morning, even Rakcham was disappointing.

Left bank of Baspa River has a mélange of small boulders, thorny bushes and open fields. It is the first 1.5 km of fields which is most productive. Rosefinch, all three of them (beautiful/pink browed and common) were abundant. The bird mix included White tail ruby throat, Black red start, Rufous breasted accentor, Tickell’s warbler, Rock bunting, flocks of Snow pigeon and a breeding pair of long-tailed shrike.

The way back was also eventless.

I always carry my camera for meals. Today it paid off. I was able to Photographed Asian house martin as I waited for the lunch to be served.

Visited Banjara resort in the evening, had heard great reviews. A great place, it has loads of recreational activity for kids (wall climbing, river crossing etc). Sandy bank is an added attraction. Choice of accommodation includes basic tents, shacks or hotel rooms. Whish I had known about these options earlier.

** Banjara camp is up market and bit expensive**

Night was the usual, singing and drinking affair.

Birds Sighted today:-

Rosefinch (Common, Beautiful, Pink Browed), White tailed Ruby throat, Black redstart, Rufous breasted accentor, Tickell’s warbler, White wagtail, Himalayan blue tail, Snow pigeon, Alpine cough, Rosy pipit, Long-tailed shrike, Rock bunting, Red fronted serine, Oriental turtle dove, Common pigeon, Streaked laughing thrush, Eurasian cuckoo, Ashy drongo, Grey wagtail, Russet sparrow, Asian house martin, Blue whistling thrush, Grey bush chat, Himalayan woodpecker and Common stone chat.

Day 5 (Reckong Peo – Kalpa)

Approximate distance: - 45 km + 5 km

Approximate time: - 3 hrs

The day started slow, birded around the resort for sometime. A very obliging Slaty-blue flycatcher female kept on jumping from one rock to another completely ignoring a near by shrub. A bird which could be described as a cross between a prinia, tailor bird and a warbler came and perched in front. Its call was a loud weeeeee followed by a chiwiyou. Left me baffled. Had absolutely no idea of which group did it belong to? Spoke to Puja and the conclusion was Brown-flanked bush warbler.

Pls note “it is a very common bird at Sangla and Kalpa but is more often heard than seen” it would be advisable to familiarize oneself with its call.

With a heavy heart we departed for Kalpa but Sangla giving us a parting gift in form of spot wing tit( coal tit) and a Lammergeier.

Reckong Peo

A big town and a supply base for higher region like Tabo and Kaza. It is possible to buy everything here including cars. Kalpa is just an extension of Reckong Peo and is famous for its Temples and fabulous views of Kinner Kalash.

From Wiki:-

The Kinnaur Kailash (locally known as Kinner Kailash) is a mountain in the Kinnaur district of the Indian state Himachal Pradesh. The Kinnaur Kailash has a height of 6500 meters and is considered as sacred by both Hindu andBuddhist Kinnauris. This mountain is sometimes confused with the Mount Kailash in Tibet . The Kinnaur Kailash Range borders the district of Kinnaur in the south and is dominated by the Kinnaur Kailash (elevation- 6349m) and Jorkanden (elevation- 6473m) peaks. The pass accessible on the trek is the Charang La at an altitude of 5300m.^[1] It is considered as the toughest trekk in Himachal Pradesh.

Legend[edit]

As per legend this shrine too finds its presence since the time of bhasmasur, the Deadly Asur/demon who got a boon/vardan from lord shiva that whoso ever's head will be touched by him, will be turned into bhasma or ashes. Seeing the powerful effects of this boon he tried to bhasma Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva kept on hiding from place to place and then finally came to this place. He resided here for some time meditating with Lord Vishnu. Then finally Lord Vishnu helped him by killing the demon. The Shrine is filled with amazing aura and one can feel it.

Enough of history let me talk about my experiences.

We had seen Kinner Kailash at Chitkul so our interest in Kalpa was limited to two birds 1. Rusty tailed fly catcher (known to breed here) and Red cross bill. Crossbill specializes in feeding on pine nuts. (Most know pine nuts as Chilgoza). It is very easy to identify a pine-nut tree as its bark resembles army camouflage uniform (quoting Puja Sharma on this ).Chances of seeing a crossbill were limited as the trees was flowering and not fruiting yet.

Overcastted day with intermittent rainfall made every thing gloomy. We were shocked to find that we were not staying at Kinner palace (run by Himachal tourism) but at Kinner Villa.(a privately hotel) .As we had proponed our dates, were allotted an Attic room having a bathroom height of 5.5 feet. I am 6.2 so you can imagine what I went through.

Our hotel was into partial renovation. Cement and sand bags were scattered around, noise and dust of grinding and grilling filled the ambience. To add to this a big ethnic group of 50 + people (wont specify which for obvious reasons) was also staying. There was a chaos in the hotel especially in the dining room. I kept on wondering “why can’t they eat silently? Why can’t they shut up? Why do they have to shout to get salt lying across the table??” They converted the hotel into a fish market. Sadly nothing could be done. We had the half cooked, bland and tasteless food without peace.

Enough was enough for me. Change of plans again (it was turning into a habit). Made a few fanatic (pleading, sobbing) calls to our agent and got our itinerary change. Nako was back. It was too late to drive down (min 7 hrs) to Nako so spent the night at Kalpa.

There was a small problem with our plan; land slide near Tapri (now 5 day old) has cut off the entire region. Only small vehicle could come, which had caused acute shortage of basic necessities including diesel. (We delhites cry about load shedding).Our tank was half full but couldn’t risk getting stuck at Nako. Pulled some strings and managed to get 30 lit but at Nako. With our return secure we focused on today.

Rain God had mercy on us, it stopped raining (Weather is so unpredictable in hills). Decided to go in search of the eco park as the hotel staff was unaware of its existence. Had to call Gunjan again. “It is on the main road between Kalpa and Roghi Village ” was the answer. The road to Roghi was scenic and has birding potential. Unfortunately we only saw a rock bunting. A beautiful rainbow and snow capped mountains made our day. Location of the Eco Park remained a mystery.

Birds Sighted today:-

(Spot-winged, Green-backed) Tit, Slaty-blue flycatcher female, Lammergeier, Brown-flanked bush warbler, Grey bush-chat, Blue whistling thrush, Himalayan bulbul, Jungle crow, Western-crowned warbler, Rock bunting, (Russet, House) Sparrow, Oriental Turtle dove, Rosy pipit and Brown flanked bush warbler (only heard, now I knew its call)

Day 6.(Kalpa-Pooh-Nako)

Approximate distance: - 110 km

Approximate time:-5 hrs

Eco park

Drove towards Kalpa in search of the Eco-Park. The term park is misleading; there was no big flat ground or swings. It’s a simple forested mountain side with a well laid out track, making it easy to climb. It has few viewing areas, where a person can sit and enjoy. The bird activity was low but managed to see (Green backed, Rufuous napped) tit, dark-sided flycatcher, Rock bunting, long-tailed minivet and scaly bellied woodpecker. I missed the rusty tailed flycatcher though it breeds here……

Nako:-

It’s a small town, 3900 meter from sea level. Influence of Tibet and Ladakh can be seen in its landscape, religion (Buddhism) and culture. It is famous for its lake. The lake is small and you may call it a pond, puddle or pokhar instead. Clever photography makes it look 5 times bigger. Nako is surrounded by step farms and alpine meadows making it perfect for photography (if you are into landscaped)

Left for Nako with packed lunch as the reports on the road condition was bad. Yesterday’s rain had triggered many small landslides. It turned out to be a cross country drive filled with potholes and boulders (Yes boulders). Don’t even think of going to Nako without a SUV. A family from Chandigarh was trying to negotiate theses road on a Honda Jazz (Honda on these roads??), what possessed them is still unknown….Next 15 km we crawled at a speed of 10 km per hour. The route was scenic but dusty, due to land slides and on going projects. We encounter some small waterfalls which doubled as car wash.

The road block:-

Soon things took a turn for the worse. We found ourselves stuck in a massive traffic jam. As we had already crossed the half way mark, so turning back would have been unfortunate. Walked ahead to investigate and my worst nightmare came true, the road was covered with big boulders and few were of the size of a Nano car. A big crowd had gathered near the landslide which included locals (traveling by state bus service), army personnel, drivers of commercials vehicles and tourists. While Army personnel (Of Bihar Regiment) were removing debris, rests of us were simply watching. These army personnel were not on a Road duty but were stuck just like us. Hats off to them.

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” this can only be demonstrated by delhite’s. A group of guy’s from Delhi who had been stuck for three hrs were enjoying every moment. They came prepared with folding chairs, chilled cans of beer and chips. (I envy them) Nothing can beat the sprit of a sprit…...

The landslide wasn’t natural, but a part of a planned blast. (Here dynamite is still widely used to blast the rocks and widen the road). Unfortunately the bulldozer developed some mechanical issues and the backup was yet to come. It was another two hours wait for the road to clear.

Pooh:-

For the next 10 km the road was bad and dusty but Pooh was a relief. I have a soft spot for Pooh as my father had once commanded a unit here. I have pleasant childhood memories of golden delicious apples, which this region is famous for. The road after Pooh resembles an airstrip. Though black top (as if it’s washed every hrs) but without a single bump or pot hole. From here onward we were cruising at a 50 km/hr.

We came to a screeching halt after seeing raptor. It could be a golden eagle I proclaimed…but it turned out to be a Booted eagle dark morph. I never expected a Booted at 3500 meter. The setting sun was creating some dramatic landscapes but we were too tired to stop. We saw a falcon, but it remains un id-ed as the light was bad. Couldn’t even get a record shot.

It was night when we reached Nako. Were greeted with warn soup, pakodas and a bonfire but they failed to raise our spirits. Were too tired and slept like a log. We had failed to take notice the sub zero temperature.

Birds sighted in the day:-

Grey wagtail, (Green backed, Rufuous napped) Tit, Dark-Sided flycatcher, Rock Bunting, Long-tailed minivet and Scaly bellied woodpecker, Oriental white eye, White Capped Bunting, House sparrow, Booted eagle, jungle crow and Indian Roller(kalpa)

Day 7 (Chitkul)

It was a beautiful morning. Something in this barren landscape was intoxicating. Here the mountains have more character and individuality; even the sunrise is far beautiful compared to a sea coast.

The bird activity was low, except for western crowned warbler and alpine chough. 4000 mtr can cause altitude sickness specially when trying to go up hill so pls know your limitations. Saw a Booted eagle, this time a pale morph. Kept-on wondering “why is the booted so common here?”

Post breakfast we had nothing to do so decided to visit Tabo, which is a 2.5 hrs drive. Soon we got stuck in a shooting rock zone. As our driver was reluctant to risk it so we turned back. We wandered aimlessly in the valley. The highlights were Chukar and black redstart.

Nako Village

After lunch visited the village with my son. This father son bonding was desperately needed. Ditched my 300mm for a 18-55 mm. A decision I soon regretted. On the banks of the lake saw a Tit (spot-winged or rufous napped not sure) collecting nesting material from the ground but couldn’t photograph it. It was nice to have seen a Tit at 4000 meter.

It is a small beautiful Buddhist village with 120 houses and a monastery. The alleys are narrow and they merge and bifurcate every 10 meter, creating a maze. Houses are made few feet lower than the ground, and the preferred materials are stone and mud. The ceiling height is kept below 5 feet (to conserve heat). These houses with tiny doors make one feel like giants. Fire wood which needs to be kept off ground is stored on the roof. Every house in its front yard has an enclosure for the pets (cow, donkey, goats and sheep) made of piled up rocks. Prayer wheels and prayer flags are very common. After being to such place, I feel we should thank the God for the Malls he has provided us.

One good thing about high altitude is 2 drinks hit you like 4 and 4 drinks …..

(Trust me I only had 2). Spent the evening in a company of a couple from Delhi , who had a great travel philosophy (can’t remember their names for obvious reasons); they would travel with a vague plan, and a tentative destination. Would drive for 6 hrs only and if tired, they would check-in into the nearest hotel. With no date of return and no hotel booking they managed to enjoy a place to the fullest….makes me wonder? Why do we birder’s over plan our trips?? Why do we explore all possible permutation to optimize things? Why can’t we just let the day unfold?.....

Birds sighted in the day:

Alpine cough, House sparrow, Black red start, Snow pigeon, Hill pigeon, Oriental turtle dove, Western crowned warbler, Tit (un id-ed), Chukar, Rock bunting, Red fronted serin and Hume’s white throat.

Day 8 (Nako- Narkanda)

Approximate time 12 hrs

Approximate distance: - 270 km

12 hrs drives are mentally and physically tiring, but knowing the condition of the road ahead made the things worse. 12 hrs was subjective, unforeseen landslides and the detour at Tapri could easily stretch this.

On the way to Pooh saw Blue rock thrush, Black redstart and Chukar. The journey was eventless, with no landslide and no detour reach Narkanda by night fall.

Birds sighted during the day: - Blue rock thrush, Black redstart and Chukar, Jungle Crow, Alpine cough, House sparrow, Grey bushchat and Oriental turtle dove

Day 9 (Narkanda – Shimla – Delhi )

Approximate distance: - 450 km

Approximate time: - 12 hrs

The road to Shimla is beautiful with cherry and apple orchards on both the sides. We did try to sneak into one of them but sadly the cherries were too high. Did manage to see Verditer, streaked laughing thrush, minivet (may be longtailed), green back tit, grey bushchat, rose-ringed parakeet and russet sparrow.

Visited Shimla after 24 years, a lot have changed. It’s no longer a hill station of my memories. Only thing I could see was Humans, humans and more humans, a sea of humans with their polluting cars. Unending stream of traffic defines Shimla. Kept wondering the reason why people come to here for vacation? What do they see in this place?

Birds sighted in the day:-

Verditer, Streaked laughing thrush, Minivet (may be longtailed), Green back tit, Grey bushchat, Rose-ringed parakeet and Russet sparrow

Home Sweet Home

It’s always nice to be back. Thing I missed the most was my bed and my pillow.

Vacation always forces us to rethink about our priorities in life;
Do we really need to stay in Delhi ?
Why can’t we stay at Sangla valley/ Goa / Andaman?

These questions may not have answers but they prove we are still alive, we still have a heart and the child inside us will someday get what he wants…..

Complete bird list of the trip:-

1 Chukar

2 Black Francolin

3 Himalayan Woodpecker

4 Scaly-bellied Woodpecker

5 Green Bee-eater

6 Indian Roller

7 Eurasian Cuckoo

8 Rose-ringed Parakeet

9 Rock Pigeon

10 Hill Pigeon

11 Snow Pigeon

12 Oriental Turtle Dove

13 Oriental Honey-buzzard

14 Black Kite

15 Lammergeier

16 Himalayan Griffon

17 Booted Eagle

18 Common Kestrel

19 Rufous-naped Tit

20 Spot-winged Tit

21 Green-backed Tit

22 Hume's Lesser Whitethroat

23 Streaked Laughingthrush

24 Variegated Laughingthrush

25 Himalayan Bulbul

26 Red-vented Bulbul

27 Black Bulbul

28 Asian House Martin

29 Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler

30 Tickell's Leaf Warbler

31 Hume's Warbler

32 Western Crowned Warbler

33 Rock Bunting

34 White-capped Bunting

35 Fire-fronted Serin

36 Common Rosefinch

37 Pink-browed Rosefinch

38 Rufous-breasted Accentor

39 White Wagtail

40 Grey Wagtail

41 Rosy Pipit

42 House Sparrow

43 Russet Sparrow

44 Ashy Drongo

45 Spangled Drongo

46 Long-tailed Minivet

47 Scarlet Minivet

48 Red-billed Blue Magpie

49 Yellow-billed Chough

50 House Crow

51 Large-billed Crow

52 Long-tailed Shrike

53 Blue-capped Rock Thrush

54 Blue Rock Thrush

55 Blue Whistling Thrush

56 Grey-winged Blackbird

57 Common Myna

58 Jungle Myna

59 White-tailed Rubythroat

60 Orange-flanked Bush Robin

61 Blue-capped Redstart

62 Black Redstart

63 Blue-fronted Redstart

64 White-capped Water Redstart

65 Plumbeous Water Redstart

66 White-bellied Redstart

67 Siberian Stonechat

68 Pied Bushchat

69 Grey Bushchat

70 Brown Dipper

71 Dark-sided Flycatcher

72 Ultramarine Flycatcher

73 Slaty-blue Flycatcher

74 Verditer Flycatcher

Himachal Birds

Monday, June 23, 2014

GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK, HIMACHAL PRADESH

Friday, June 20, 2014

JOGINIS OF GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK BY AJAY

High Altitude Joginis of Great Himalayan National Park

TRIP REPORT - SANGLA, CHITKUL, KALPA AND NAKO IN HIMACHAL PRADESH BY PANKAJ GUPTA

Friday, June 6, 2014

POST FROM RIMA DHILLON - CHANDIGARH ON TRIP TO CHAIL