Trip report Narkanda 15th to 17th August
Monsoons are a time of plenty in the Indian Sub-continent; most species time their breeding to take advantage of this season of bounty, that is possibly, one of the reasons why one come across a number of trusting sub adult birds by mid August . However the dense foliage and undergrowth reduce visibility for birders. It is also a time for torrential rain in the Western Himalayas( the last roar before the Monsoons retreat ) and with it come frequent landslides, Flash floods and Cloud bursts, possibly that is the reason why few birders plan their trips to this region in this season. Looking for greater adventure and the mundane urban existence Rajive, Navjit and myself decided to pay Narkanda a visit from the 15th of August to the 18th. We left Chandigarh without booking a Hotel (a mistake) carrying our tents with us. The reason why we choose Narkanda was because it is on the Indo Tibet Road (a wide National Highway), There are no river crossings (No washed away bridges) and the altitudinal variation at Narkanda ranges from 2100m to 3400M. The region has a varied habitat with Meadows, Deodar Forest, Oak, Pine and Rhododendron forest, heath as well as agricultural fields. It is a dominating feature on the left bank of the Satluj river as it makes its way out of Kinnaur and hurtles down towards the plains of Punjab.
Day-1 (15-8-14):
We left Chandigarh at 9.30 am and finally rolled into Narkanda at 7pm, a journey which ordinarily takes five hours, it took this long because it was a long weekend and everyone seemed to be heading into the hills. We had also not catered for the apple season nor had we catered for the’ Independence Day ‘ celebrations at Theog ( Took us 1 hour to cross this hamlet). The rush obviously meant that we were not likely to get any accommodation in a regular Hotel (and that is what happened). The weather was packing up and after an exhausting journey we were really not in a mood of sleeping in a wet tent so when we saw a billboard offering a home stay just bellow Hatu, we decided to try our luck. Mr. Sukhdev Dogra (Mob 9817196808) and his family were very gracious and even though we offered to pitch up our tents in their under construction property they insisted us staying in a room which they vacated for us. After unloading we decided to take a short drive up to the Bakarwal hut as the day had been wasted in a sense. No birding except a few Rock buntings, Black Bulbuls, Oriental Turtle Doves & Yellow-breasted Greenfinches near Chail. Even at Sadhu Pul we did not come across the Crested Kingfisher and the water redstarts. It was a brave albeit foolhardy attempt as by now the clouds had rolled in, it was dark, visibility was down to a few feet and even with the fog lamps the road was barely visible and of course it is a narrow road with plenty of hairpin -bends. I strongly recommend that a journey of this nature should be avoided at all costs, especially at night. Naturally we were concentrating on the road to the exclusion of all else and apart from the Scally-bellied Woodpecker near the home stay we did not notice any other avian residents. We did however come across a Fox on the drive back. Dinner was a homely affair courtesy Mrs Dogra.
Day 2 16-8-2014:
We were here for birding and so in spite of the agonizing journey the previous day we decided to make an early start . The weather gods were kind and we were able to leave for Hatu by 4.45 am. Before loading into the car we were stretching our legs when we heard the call of the Collared Owlet (a good Omen). Our primary target was to see if there were any Monals at Hatu at this time of the year and to try and catch a glimpse of the Koklas Pheasants. As we made our way up we could hear a number of Koklas calling. They tend to call around sunrise for a short while and one comes across the occasional bird on the road leading up to the temple early in the morning, later during the day you may flush the odd bird while walking in the thickly wooded slopes. We turned a blind curve about a Km from the summit when we were treated to a kaleidoscope of colours as a Male Monal scurried across the track and ran up the hill side . Luckily Rajive had all the settings preset on his camera and the initial fumble not withstanding I was able to take a record shot of the bird. I have come across Monal at Hatu in early March in October and now in August this leads me to believe the species is a resident at Hatu just 5 hours drive from Chandigarh !!
Rajive was birding for the first time at Hatu and it was soon raining lifers for him with the Spotted Nutcracker up first who broke the silence with its Harsh call. It was sitting on top of a tree (Not very High) near the parking area adjoining the temple. The Mistle Thrush was up next as we walked into the forest below the parking lot. We looped back to the temple passing a camp site where a group of youngsters were thawing out having spent a cold night in the tent and by the look of it they were just breaking camp . A strong breeze and the moisture laden clouds which kept engulfing us made us feel cold, the temperature felt like 10 deg Celsius (August !!!). By 7.30 am the sun had crept up and the light was good for photography. A hunting party was making the most of this weather and so was Rajive , there were Spot-winged Tits, Rufous-naped Tits, Green-Backed Tits, Grey-capped Tits, Bar-throated Siva, Lemon-rumped Warblers on the Oak and Deodar trees, Bushes had the Yellow-breasted Greenfinches and Rock buntings preening themselves. A party of Varigated laughing thrushes, Striated Laughing Thrushes and Streaked laughing thrushes. ( Rajive had a field day with the camera and seven lifers under his belt.)
Gastronomic compulsions (we were famished) made us turn back, on the return journey Rajive and Navjit decided to walk along the road where they came across a female pheasant Monal? Koklass? alas ! one will never know and a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher & an Ultramarine Flycatcher. I drove down to the Herdsmen who summer in Narkanda at the Bakarwal Hut. While waiting for them I got talking to The headman, a grizzled old Muslim Gentleman, who shared his observations with regard to avian fauna. According to him the population of almost all species are in decline at Hatu , where Himalayan Monal was seen in Coveys only three pairs are distributed across Hatu. From over a Hundred Himalayan Griffons who used to roost in the cliffs only twenty remain, there is only one breeding pair of Lammergier near Hatu. I however believe all is not lost as there are still a number of species present and from my own experience a large population of Wintering and breeding birds. Amongst the mammals Himalayan Weaseles, Yellow throated martins, Black Bear, Jackals, Fox and a Leopard are often seen. Musk deer which were once abundant according to the headman has not been seen for a number of years.
By the time we left for breakfast the butterflies were out. (once they emerge bird activity is reduced possibly that is precisely why they emerge) The forest seemed to have been taken over by the Cicadas at this time of the year and the buzzing / constant static due to their stridulations was all pervasive. These beatles emerge in massive hordes after spending anyway between 2 to 17 years under-ground undergoing metamorphosis. The hard outer shells (armour) the last remains of the underground phase of their lives could be seen clinging to blades of grass, bark of trees in fact everywhere adding an eerie dimension to the woods. The sheer volume of sound was possibly one of the reasons for lower bird density.
In The Afternoon we decided to pay Baggi a visit, it is a small hamlet 30 Km from Narkanda. The road is mettled in parts and the drive is through a very promising landscape. Afternoons are never a very rewarding time for birders and we only came across very common species. Later in the evening on our way back we did see a raptor (possibly a Common Buzzard) who was the focus of a group of agitated Spotted Nutcrackers. Our appetite for birding was not satiated and so we decided to wait for dusk and see if we could come across some owls. In the Twilight that preceeds total darkness we came across a Tawny owl easily identified by the call. We were able to see it quite clearly in the beam of the Spotlight, I had heard this species in the same region on a previous visit and keeping in view the fact that they are territorial I had a reasonable idea where we could see it (this paid off).This was my first clear sighting of the species and Rajive was able to take a picture for the record it was rather grainy but good enough for ID purposes. This was one of the target species for me and it made my day, the celebrations that followed had us moving for dinner by 10.30 pm, we were lucky to get a meal because all the eating joints shut down by 10pm at Narkanda.
Day 3—17th August 2014:
It was decided that we would explore the area around Tangri (at the base of Hatu) the altitude is about 2100-2500 m. The Morning was spent exploring the track which is motorable for about 8Km it is narrow un-mettled road and has very little traffic. In Peak winters there can be up to six feet of snow in the area, the slush and terrain would demand a 4x4 vehicle else I suggest you foot it( Recommended in all seasons). This is the first time in six trips that I explored the area. The Track goes past orchards and cultivated fields on the edge of a dense jungle ,brooks and streams gurgle their way across the track , you pass through well wooded sections which suddenly opens out into glades, with lots of wild flowers, shrubs and bushes. It is an area having both coniferous forest and mixed forest, all this makes me believe that it should be an excellent spot for birding in winters when migrants augment the resident bird population of the region.
The species richness and population density of this area was better than Hatu possibly because the Cicada had not invaded the area. At this time of the year Whiskered Yuhina, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Humes Warblers ,Brownish-flanked Bush Warblers, Lemon-rumpped Warbler, Grey-hooded warbler, Spot-winged Tits, White-tailed Nuthatches, Red-billed Blue Magpie, House Sparrow, Russet Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Grey-headed ,Scaly-bellied , Streak-throated and Himalayan Woodpeckers, Great Barbet, Spotted Nutcrackers, Streaked and Chestnut-headed laughing thrush, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Blue Whistling thrush, Plumbeous Water Redstarts ,Rufous sibia, Grey Bushchat, Grey wagtail, Rock Bunting, Dark-sided Flycatcher and a lone Shikra were seen.
In the afternoon we were exploring the lower slopes of Hatu and wondering if any of the birds predated on the Cicada when we came across a pair of Himalayan Woodpeckers braving the incessant buzz suddenly one of them plucked a Cicada out of thin air, the wings were knocked off before the woodpecker made a meal of it. Apart from this one act of predation in spite of thousands or should I say millions of bugs in the area we never saw another bird eating a Cicada. Near a stream close to Tangri I did come across a Wooden Stump, where I found a number of wings of Cicada possibly a perch from where a bird had hunted these insects.
As The sun went down we again went out looking for owls , This time round we first came across the call of a Tawny owl (typically a sharp ‘kewak’)and then we heard a double noted call the second part was not quavering as in the Tawny owl, when we reached the general area from where the soft tu-whoo call was heard we could hear some shrieking (softer than the barn owl) this was followed by some screams after which there was silence. We were armed with flash lights only and though there was a lot of movement in the trees it took some effort before we finally saw one of the birds perched in clear view it was some distance away and in poor light. The camera auto focus was not working, I was holding the flashlight Navjit was more intent on seeing it through the Binoculars and Rajive has an eye condition which does not allow him to focus manually , so we missed a golden opportunity. We walked back to the car parked about a Km away in total darkness punctuated by the occasional flash of light from the torch. The owl seemed to follow us and Screamed once more as we neared the car but we could not locate it. l It seemed as if it was scolding us for disturbing it’s young. (There was more than one owl and I feel the shrieking seemed to be coming from young birds demanding a mea l). On playing the call in the comfort of my home and from what I saw of the bird : medium sized owl round head with a slight neck dark around the eyes overall creamish/light brownish (Flash light was yellow so that was not very convincing) I firmly believe it was the Himalayan Wood Owl. In fact the more I hear the screams on Xeno canto the more I am convinced it was the same bird.
In The area around Narkanda I have come across the Collared Owlet (Glaucidium brodiei), the Asian Barred Owlet ( Glaucidium cuculoides), The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)and the Himalayan Wood owl (Strix newarensis). This winter I intend spending some time in the area and hope to see some more nocturnal species. I am also convinced that there are bound to be a number of owls in Bhojnagar area. one needs to bird in the area at night and invest in some good recording equipment.
We bid this Birding Hotspot goodbye early next morning and were back in Chandigarh by 10.30am mentally rejuvenated and physically exhausted - the hall marks of a good birding trip.
List Of birds seen During The Trip:
1. Himalayan Bulbul
2. Red-vented Bulbul
3. Black Bulbul
4. Rufous Treepie
5. Grey Treepie
6. Red-billed Blue Magpie
7. Whiskered Yuhina
8. Rufous Sibia
9. Bar-throated Siva (Chestnut-tailed Minla)
10. Streaked Laughingthrush
11. Varigated Laughingthrush
12. Striated Laughingthrush
13. Chestnut-headed Laughingthrush
14. Blue Whistling Thrush
15. Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush
16. Mistle Thrush
17. Koklass Pheasant (heard)
18. Himalayan Monal
19. Spotted Nutcracker
20. House Sparrow
21. Russet Sparrow
22. Yellow-breasted Greenfinch
23. Rock bunting
24. Grey Bushchat
25. Pied Bushchat
26. Black-throated Tit
27. Spot-winged Tit
28. Green-backed Tit
29. Rufous –naped Tit
30. Grey-capped Tit
31. Himalayan Griffon
32. Lammergier
33. Shikra
34. Great Barbet
35. Dark-sided Flycatcher
36. Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
37. Ultramarine Flycatcher
38. House Crow
39. Jungle Crow
40. Large-billed Crow
41. Himalayan Woodpecker
42. Streak-throated Woodpecker
43. Scaly-bellied Woodpecker
44. Grey-headed Woodpecker
45. White-tailed Nuthatch
46. Bar-tailed Treecreeper
47. Lemon-rumped warbler
48. Humes Warbler
49. Oriental Turtle Dove
50. Laughing Dove
51. Rock Pigeon
52. Slaty-headed Parakeet (Near Kandaghat)
53. Plumbeous Water Redstart
54. Striated Prinia
55. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler
56. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler (Heard Near Kandaghat)
57. Grey Wagtail
58. Common Myna
59. Oriental Magpie Robin ( Sadhu Pul)
60. Tawny Owl
61. Collared Owlet (heard)
62. Himalayan Wood Owl
