Paradise Revisited.......a trip report of Garhwal Himalaya

KANKRAGAD

I believe if Heaven actually exists it is in Garhwal Himalaya.The heavenly rivers,mighty peaks,mystic forests,exotic birds and the simple people of Garhwal always attract me to them.So,we again started for Garhwal in the first week of May,12.This time,we planned to stay three days at famous Jaspal Sing Negi's Magpie Bird Watching Camp,Kankragad.And then would proceed towards Chopta and Tunganath.Kankragad is nearly 190 km away from Haridwar and it took us almost seven hours to reach Kankragad.The path is so beautiful and always accompanied by the rivers---Ganga,Alakananda and Mandakini that it never becomes monotonous and tiring.Magpie Bird Watching Camp has two tents and one four bedded dormitory.For its picturesque location on the bank of Mandakini,we all fell in love of Negi's place instantly.
In the afternoon,after lunch,we had a birding walk along the main road with Negiji.We were greeted and welcomed to the Heaven of Birds by a pair of Asian Paradise Flycatchers....and there was a Crimson Sunbird taking a bath...words fail to express the beauty of the scene!Suddenly,Negiji rushed forward and we sighted a Crested Kingfisher sitting gloriously on a tree branch.Within one hour,beside the Road we saw Spotted Forktail,Brown Dipper,Himalayan and Black Bulbul,Indian Cuckoo,Green backed and Black lored Tit,Streaked Laughingthrush,white capped and Plumbeous Redstart,Blue Whistling Thrush and so many Warblers.Negiji is simply a genius...only hearing a call of a bird or glancing upwards to the flight of a bird ,he unmistakably identified them.
In the next (early)dawn,we all had an unforgettable experience.The entire area is flooded by the soft light of the setting moon,Mandakini flowing below and from the other side of the river a heavenly whistling song made all of us speechless.It was a Blue Whistling Thrush ushering a new dawn.It was simply unworldly...
In the next morning,Negiji took us to a Birding Trek opposite the river.It was an easy trek through the lush green forest.During this trek for four hours we sighted Grey headed Canary Flycatcher,Blue throated Blue Flycatcher,Red Billed Blue Magpie,Blue capped Rock Thrush,Small Niltava,White throated Laughingthrush,plum headed Parakeet,White throated Fantail,Rufous Woodpecker,Wedge tailed Green Pigeon and so many other birds.
While returning to the camp,we suddenly,sighted a female fulvous breasted Woodpecker in a tree hole just beside the camp cleaning and preparing its nest...that was a treat to watch.
Next morning we went out for another trek(Negiji named it as Kingfisher Trek).It was a dream path...light and shade and birds all around below river Akashgamini....we sighted:Maroon Oriole,Chestnut bellied Nuthatch,Himalayan woodpecker,Grey Capped Pygmy Woodpecker,Slaty headed Parakeets,Striated Laughingthrush and many Warblers and Flycatchers.
After lunch,we suddenly saw a Kalij Pheasant couple on the bank of Mandakini...the male was pursuing the female to have some water from the river.And after much pursuation,the female conceded.In the afternoon,Negiji took us for sighting of Yellow rumped Honeyguide,a small bird only found near giant rock bee-nests.From a far distance,we sighted one bird but the visibility was not good.While coming back from Honeyguide,we saw very closely from the vehicle a Black Francolin crossing the road.Fantastic bird.....an unbelievable place..wherever you look only birds birds and birds.
After spending three nights at Kankragad under the superb hospitality of Negiji,we started towards Chopta with the hope of seeing Monal.Jaspalji is of course with us as a guide to the land of Monals......to be continued

super snaps, loved the last one most

Nice one Maumi. really superb snaps.

All the pictures are great

Beautiful photos....and the trip log made me nostalgic.

The snap of the Paradise Flycatcher is just great!

Thank you all for liking the photos.I am uploading some more bird and birding pictures before I resume my trip report....

this time third one is best to me . Keep those com'in

would you please mention camera & kit details?

Excellent use of depth of the camera. Amazing pictures - I am loving it.

Thank you....It is a SONY HX100V..

Excelllent pics...you have a knack for avian photography...keep it up...personally I like those wildlife pics, which show some aspect of animal/bird behaviour...and you have captured some of those....cheers

once again nice snaps. Did you noticed post #9?

@360Degree....Thank you.. ...please follow post 11...I mentioned it...

Nice pictures...