SHIMLA BIRD RUN RETURNS

Himachal Birds has planned a Bird Run on 5th March, 2017 which will commence from sunrise to sundown.

We will be happy to offer two days basic boarding and lodging facilities on twin sharing basis for the 4th & 5th March, 2017 for those birders who confirm their participation by 27th of February, 2017.

ROUTES/TRANSACTS FOR THE RUN
We have divided Shimla into 8 transacts for the Bird Run as per the following details:

1. Totu - bypass -Summer Hill, Potter's Hill and Chadwick Fall. (Moderately difficult)
2. Advanced Study - old route along Railway Line, Glen, Annandale and terminate at Kennedy Chowk.
3. Shoghi - follow the Railway track - to Taradevi - to Taradevi Top. (Lokk for Cheer pheasant in the grassland area)
4. Shoghi Bypass - Bada Gaon - Mehli - Kasumpti.
5. Tutikandi Zoo Forest - bypass highway - Dumping site (for pariah Kite) to Khalini
6. Mall Road - Jakhoo Hill - St Beed's Rd and Navbahar Forest - Forest Road, Ramachandra Chowk
7. Sanjauli Chowk - to Longwood - to Bharari area
8. Shimla Water Catchment area and Kufri (Tough) Look for Koklass and other pheasants.

Please let us know asap who will like to go on which route so that accommodation can also be planned accordingly.

If you have any queries, please do let us know.

1,27,200 winged visitors at Pong wetland this year

1,27,200 winged visitors at Pong wetland this year

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 29

The annual waterfowl estimation exercise carried out in Pong Dam wetland revealed that this year 1,27,200 birds visited the biggest and internationally recognised wetland this year.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) said it had been concluded that 1,27,200 wetland birds of 93 different species had visited the Pong Dam lake this year. Dominant species like bar-headed goose (52,530), common coot (15,632), northern pintail (11,470), common teal (10,284), common pochards (8,746), little cormorants (6,434), tufted pochard (3,838), northern shoveller (2,350) and ruddy shelduck (1,900) were noticed this year.

DS Dadwal, DFO (Wildlife), Dharamsala, said other rare species recorded in the lake were common shelduck (22), greater white fronted geese (73), black bellied tern (2), sarus crane (8), osprey (7) and black necked stork (4) which are uncommon winter visitors in other Indian wetlands. Other noticeable species were great crested grebe, greylag goose, red crested pochard, ferruginous pochard, common merganser, eurasian spoonbill, richard’s pipit, blyth’s pipit and many species of larks.

The number of wetland birds and wetland bird species have increased as compared to last year when the total count was recorded at 1,05,000 of 87 species.

Most of these birds migrate from their breeding places in trans-Himalaya region in Tibet, Central Asia, Russia and Siberia. Over the last few years, the Pong Dam lake, also a Ramsar site, has become an ideal destination for winter sojourn for many species of migratory birds.

Over 425 species of birds, 18 species of snakes, 95 species of butterflies, 24 species of mammals, 27 species of fishes have so far been recorded at the Pong and that is attributed to the varied habitats, available food and extended protection by the staff of wildlife wing involving local communities.

The annual waterfowl estimation exercise was carried out today for monitoring the numerical size of visitor migratory bird population for the year 2016-17 in Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary. Experts from various organisations and bird groups, including Himachal Bird Club, Asian Water Fowl Census (AWC), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and many wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers, volunteers along with officials and officers from the Forest Department, participated in this mega exercise. The entire Pong Dam lake wildlife sanctuary was divided into 24 sections. About 105 persons participated in this exercise. Each section was thoroughly traversed on land and water by a team of 3-6 members headed by an expert.