I had heard a lot on Negi's camp and Chopta and was told that Negi knows the area where the birds are – so when Soma suggested if I would be interested to go there – I just responded with a big Yes- and true enough Negi knows the area and the birds –
This being the "Yatri Season" Negi who was constantly in touch with us and advised us that as soon as we reach haridwar which would be around 4AM ---our endeavour should be to get out of haridwar as soon as possible –we were lucky to get a cycle rickshaw who took us to the bus stand a good 2-3 km away---but no transport was available for onward journey –the rickshaw wallah then advised we should go to rishikesh --he helped us to get into a bus which took us to rishikesh-
On reaching there we found there was total chaos – Yatris lying around on the road waiting for transport –it seemed that they had been there for the last two days – Negi called to say that he is trying to get in touch with a police official to help us—so while Shoma was negotiating with a cab driver -I went around to see the lay of the land and situation around –the cab was asking an exorbitant amount –luckily I came across two happy wandering friends --they saw two women with kids desperately looking for transport to Srinagar; (it appeared that Srinagar was on their wandering trail and they were looking for travelers going that side ) and while I was trying to figure out how best to get out of the place they espied me –it seems that every season they wander around in the mountains picking up travellers who fall in their 'wandering' route –they took us to rudraprayag and helped us get into a bus for
Negi's camp-- we made Negi talk to the driver about the location of his camp- the locals all know the Camp and Negi—
At last we reached Negi's camp around 2Pm –and birding starts right from his terrace and his camp—- the trails we walked were fun and Negi is very knowledgeable about the area and bird habits and habitat e.g. The whistling thrush nesting near his camp would take the droppings of its nestlings to drop it in the river flowing along his camp—
We enjoyed the gurgling sound of the river running alongside the camp - its dancing is something you read in the poems written on streams –
We trekked from Chopta right up to Tunghnath – 3and 1/2 kames from 9000ft to 12140ft—the birding and the scenic beauty of the snow clad mountains ; the fresh air around and the stoppages on our trekking journey at the shacks for refreshments was a splendid birding and trekking experience. It was an enjoyable all the days we stayed there,
As we did not take horses/ ponies , Negi got a porter to carry our bags to and from Tunghnath –little realizing what it would be like-- we allowed the porter to go ahead of us –Negi carried our mackintoshes and his woollens in his back- pack –while trekking up it started drizzling and weather becoming cold my finger tips became numb and our woolens were in the PWD Guest house at Tughnath temple !!!! Imagine our plight we had no choice but to trudge on wearing Mr Negi's woolen jacket s--- The guest house has just being completed and we were the first Guests there -- the monal can be see from the window of the guest house if yu open it and the temple is literally next door -- notwithstanding the weather and the cold we "birded" all the way up to Tughnath—saw the monals –male and female feeding in the fields below—the rose –finches – upland pipit etcc… the next day we saw the monal at Tughnath
feeding and dancing like a peacock. And the Himalayan tahr deers climbing and grazing in the meadows –
Narbir, we also saw the Ghural s on our way down from Tughnath it reminded me of my beriwala visit when yu showed it to me for the first time.
Hats off to Shoma who trekked up with her replaced knee caps—she took a pony down
And I cant believe it that I trekked up and down both ways without feeling the strain –I suppose this is what passion for birding can do!!!— Looking back for both of us its like a DREAM—
All this was possible only because of Mr Negi's guidance and his Patience with us while we were trekking up—on our way back to Delhi he helped us get reserved seats in the bus and told us how to reach haridwar .. Things are very bad during the Yatri season - We were lucky that it was smooth traveling for us all the way --
Soma has some excellent videos and pictures of the birds –I was busy looking at them as most were lifers for me .Mr Negi helped me with my pics –
Great Birding experience !!!—
Check list of birds
24/5/10 birding started on arrival at 2pm from Negi's terrace and the pipal tree
1- Himalayan bulbul
2- Red vented bulbul
3- Black bulbul
4- Great barbet
5- Blue throated barbet
6- White throated fantail fly catcher
7- Paradise fly catcher
8- Blue throated fly catcher ----
9-blue whistling thrush nesting just above one of the tents in his camp
After lunch he took us out on one of the bird trails
9- Brown dipper— on the pebbles jutting out from the stream / alaknanda—near his camp
10- Spotted forktail –drinking water at the same stream
11- Wedge tailed green pigeon
12- Grey tree pies –the one near his camp has a curved beak
13- Grey heaeded canary fly catcher
14- Fulvous breasted wood pecker
15- Grey hooded warbler
16- Khaliz-
17- Scarlet minivet
18- Black winged cuckoo shrike
19- Spot winged starling -female
20- Ashy drongo
21- Plumbeous water redstart s – male -female and juveniles
22- Black throated sunbird
23- Slaty headed parakeet
24- Spotted doves
25- Oriental turtle dove
26- Eurasian collared dove
27- Emerald dove
28- Oriental white eye
29- Pied bush chat
30- Great tit
31- Grey bush chat
32- Blue whistling thrush
33- Russet sparrow -- white breasted
34- Streaked laughing thrush
35- Striated laughing thrush
36- Large billed crow
37- Eygytian vulture
----
25/5/10
At the trails ---across the stream where there is also a colonial building stating the height of the place – 3000ft
1-chestnut tailed starling
2-grey breasted prinia
3—red billed blue magpie
4- plum headed parakeet
5-golden oriole
6- grey headed wood pecker
7-speckled piculet
8-Grey capped pygmy woodpecker
9-crested kingfisher
10-blue capped rock thrush
11—asian brown flycatcher
12- crimson sunbird
13- red rumped swallow
14 black lored tit
15—tickles thrush
16- chestnut bellied nut hatch
17-brown fronted wiood pecker
18--Black chinned babbler
---
26/5/10 and 27/5/10
On way to tunghnath early morning and back
1- white rumped munia
2- crested bunting
3- rufous bellied niltava
4- Eurasian jay
5- White throated laughing thrush
6- Ashy throated warbler
7- Lemon rumped warbler
8- Cinnerous vulture
9- Lammergeier
10- Himalayan wood pecker
11- Dark sided flycatcher
12- Rufous gorgeted fly catcher
13- Dark breasted rose finch
14- Pink browed rose finch
15- Grey crested tit
16- Chestnut tailed minla
17- Rufous vented tit
18- Spot winged tit
19- Rufous naped tit
20- Upland pipit
21- Orange flankled bush robin
22- White capped water redstart
23- Male and female monal feeding in the meadows
24- Common rose finch
25- Eurasian griffon
26- Black headed jay
27- Yellow billed blue magpie
28- Rufous sibia
29- Grey winged blackbird
30- Green backed tit
31- Speckled wood pigeon
32- Rufous bellied wood pecker
33- Common kestrel
34- Whiskered yuhina
---
28/5/10
1—honeyguide --there were nine bee hives under one of them on a ledge there was a kestrel and its nestling – honeyguide and ashy drongos and bulbuls were feeding on the bees and honey—it was a happy family sight –at this place also Negi showed us the shilajeet rocks – the black resin visible from below.
2-black francolin—male and female
3- striated prinia
4- ultramarine flycatcher
5-black eagle
6-mountain hawk eagle
7-Bay back shrike
8—black throated tit
9—small niltava
10—house swift
11-nepal house martin
12-chestnut crowned laughing thrush
13—scaly thrush
14—hoopoe
15--oriental magpie
16-shikra
17-bar tailed tree creeper
18—yellow bellied fantail fly catcher
19—maroon oriole—subadult
------
Other sightings –
Himalayan tahr
Pika
Ghural
Calls –
Large hawk cuckoo
Collared black bird
Hill partridge
Grey bellied tesia—this site was discovered by Arun Singh in one of his visits when he showed the spot to Mr Negi. ---Soma has recorded the call
Cheers –chandrima
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "delhibirdpix" group.
To post to this group, send email to delhibirdpix@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to delhibirdpix+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/delhibirdpix?hl=en.
No comments:
Post a Comment