Pangot,Chanfi, Sattal: Walking with Nature

 

“Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.”

~Vincent Van Gogh

 

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

― Ansel Adams

 This is the second time I went to Pangot, and somehow this time seems so much more enjoyable.  Was it because the first time I had to “been there done that”, and this time I didn’t have to do anything, and yet did it all. I took a camera, different lens for different situations, and just walked or drove, stopping when I wanted for as long as I wanted.

Old huts give way to new houses

The forest quickly grows over places no longer needed for habitation.

Sadly, from the five or so homestays about three years ago, it’s become fifty.  It is not long before this quiet niche too surrenders to the Great Indian Traveler, though it is a toss-up between locals making a living versus the hordes that descend on these places on weekends.  Though to their credit the local authorities are doing their best to ensure a litter-free experience.

The forest is lush green and thick in most places...

...particularly when the leaves are backlit

These places are a birders paradise, being recently put on the birders map and more so because of the abundance of forests. I do not intend discussing endemic vs exotic plants here, suffice it to say that a little way off Nainital there does exist deep, dark forests. Like all great forests in India, the more difficult it is to get to, the more pristine it is. 

A butterfly by the side of the many roads I walked in Pangot.

There were forests along the road and though hot, there was shade at most places.

For the first few days I walked and photographed, starting at 5.30 am when it was cool, less trafic and so quiet.  Birds appeared when the sun came up, (and so did vehicles!!) and from the tops of trees greeted the new day till the heat drove them into the foliage. It is also characteristic that some places are completely devoid of birds and some places, a few metres away, full of them.

A timid Barking Deer peeps at me through the trees before approaching to sip water at Woodpecker Point

Eurasian Jay comes in to bathe at the pond

About two kilometres from the place I was staying, there is a little pond in the forest called Woodpecker Point.  I spent two lovely occasions, one in the evening and one morning sitting there, making images and watching denizens of the forest around come to drink water and bathe. The highlights were three Barking Deer, of which two came timidly down to drink, the third did not summon the courage.  There were plenty of bold Grey Wagtail feeding on insects in the wet mud.

On subsequent two days I got driven by a local, being to go further and then walking which enabled me to do some nature images further afield.One day I went to Chanfi and Sattal where, along a stream in Chanfi I photographed a country bridge, and looked for birds.

The bridge over a small stream in Chanfi, I spent many contented hours walking along this rivulet 

An inquisitive Macacque looks at the camera before continuing to feed.

It got hot by midday but I spent two engrossing hours by a stream (when everything else was asleep) photographing the life of brilliantly green Damsel Flies. It was mating season and finally after much courtship and coyness they mated.

An emerald green Damsel Fly, there were so many of them flitting about and around....

...these brown females

...but only this pair mated.

Along this stream I saw many-hued dragonflies too, if undisturbed they invariably return to the same perch, this gave me wonderful opportunities to photograph them. They are of many colours from brilliant reds to absolute black and a myriad of shades in between.

There were Dragonflies of so many colours, like this one with a black body forward and crimson behind...

...White and black...

...and these two fully crimson and shades of blue...

As the sun began to set, I went to Sattal, where in a forest nearby I saw a Brown Wood Owl being mobbed by many lesser birds.  The highlight as always is the “studio”, a small stream near which one can take photographs of birds which come to drink and bathe in the evening.  To aid photographers the forest department has put in a few sticks on which the birds perch before diving into the water.

This Black Bulbul comes in to drink and bathe with a Tickell's Thrush and Red-billed Leothrix awaiting their turn...

...a Himalayan Black-lored Tit looks at me....

...a flock of Red-billed Leothrix get to the water...

...White-crested Laughingthrush drying off after a bath...

...a White-throated Laughingthrush examines me before jumping in.

On the second day being driven I went in search of the elusive Koklass Pheasant, I drove quite a distance and saw one Koklass in the distance. But saw many more butterflies attracted to thistle flowers. Simply being out in the hard and craggy terrain is a joy.

There were clumps of thistles by the road wherever the sun shone, where there were thistle flowers, there was nectar...

... and always butterflies to sip the nectar.

On one of my many walks, I saw Thistle in full bloom by the roadside, and in a first for me, I saw butterflies, Hummingbird Moths and bees attracted by the nectar of these Thistle flowers. Many insects are drawn to these flowers and a lot of clumps by the roadside.

A House Sparrow gets the caterpillar.

There many caterpillars everywhere, of some sort of moth, and though the birds were feeding on them, they didn’t seem to get any less. There were spiders too, big ones and small ones, they made the bedding their home and one had to constantly shoo them away.

Often I would do nothing but sit in the sunshine and watch the world go by. The sunset was particularly beautiful from here.

Sunset in the mountains

Hiking is so universal that it's truly an activity everyone can do. Whether you're young or old, an expert or an amateur, there's a trail out there that will be perfect for you. So the next time you're pondering an outdoor adventure—maybe even reading quotes about camping and think of where you could go, but please leave no trace of your passing.

 

G.M. Trevelyan

"After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value."

John Muir

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt."

Chakki Mod - a kaleidoscope of birding colour

 

A pair of Himalayan Bulbuls greet the sun

The more often we see things around us – even the beautiful and wonderful things – the more they become invisible to us.  That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds.  Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.

White-crested Laughingthrush

Chakki Mod is an branch off the main Chandigarh-Shimla road and my school friend (I nearly said 'old', was it really 52 years ago?) took me there in a friend's, Bonnie's, new car.  We went there at the crack of dawn, suitably clad against the severe winter cold, or so we thought as the chill wind got in from the slightest opening. 

Plumbeous Water Redstart looking up at the bridge we were on

Initially the road goes sharply down, into a ravine where we saw our first birds, the Plumbeous Water Redstart and White-capped Redstart. The sun's rays were brushing the tops of trees where birds sat to warm up for the days foray. 

A Pond Heron examines us sagely 

Far from water we were quite surprised by this Pond Heron sitting in a tree, unruffled by our presence, it allowed us close to see and photograph it. 

Rufous Sibia wondering at who we were

A tree stump attracted many birds, Rufous Sibia, Cinereous Tit, Grey Treepie and Russet Sparrows; they would flit in and out rapidly. It was somewhere here that Bonnie took out the tasty breakfast he had brought, we happily munched the sandwiches; but the hot coffee was truly welcome. 

Cinereous Tit

One of the birds that came to the log, as the sun came up, the light got better, and so did the pictures.  But the contrast between light and dark areas was considerable, way beyond the dynamic range of my camera. 

A Striated Prinia poses for a photo

As it got warmer, the birds got more active, sometimes too flighty to take pictures of. In fact towards the middle of the morn the the light was so vertical that the shadows cast made us 

only photograph birds in the shade. 

A female Fire-breasted Flowerpecker seeks the shade

By noon the sun was very sharp and it had become hot so we had to shed our warm clothing.  The birds too were seeking the shade where they could. We saw these and many more birds, a veritable kaliedoscope of colour.

After a lovely morning's birding, we landed up at the Hops n Grains Microbrewery to slake the thirst we had by now built up, - CHEERS

 

Birding in my Backyard

 

White-rumped Munia flitter in the hedge.

David Attenborough famously said " Everyone likes Birds.  What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world.  As universal as a bird."

This is so true as the lockdown continues in some form, and so my backyard birding goes on. The ‘new normal’ has allowed me to slow down, to literally smell the roses and watch the birds in my own backyard.  Truly I have opened my eyes and ‘see’ much more than before, on a given day I see many species of birds in our garden. Those who will not see are truly blind. This photo-blog chronicles a few of our more interesting interludes with birds that frequent our garden

   

Oriental Magpie Robin contemplates its next tit-bit
 They seem to have got comfortable as they are quite unconcerned with us as they go about their lives... 

                              

Oriental Magpie Robin parent feeds its chick
... infact so comfortable that many of them nest, breed and bring up their chicks at our place. There is this hole in a mango tree near our verandah where generations of these birds have bred.

White-cheeked Barbet feeding its young with a Praying Mantis
A pair of White-cheeked Barbets were apparently nesting in a tree behind the house, because they constantly brought in food, berries, a dragonfly and even a Praying Mantis. Maybe they had chicks in a nest in the tree, because they would bring in something to eat every few moments, perching on the same branch each time.  At different times on this tree I have also seen White-breasted Kingfisher, Babblers, Oriental Magpie Robins and Spotted Doves.

White-throated Kingfisher looking for something to eat
Almost on the same branch on the Gulmohar tree

Female Purple Sunbird industriously gathers nectar from a flower
Next to the verandah there is a creeper on which bright red flowers grow, this plant almost always has sunbird activity.  

Indian Blackbird inspecting its domain
A pair of Indian Blackbirds have migrated to our garden, and make more use of the place than we do.  Bathing in the bird baths, pecking away on the lawn, the Blackbirds are absolutely at home, in fact they often screech at the resident birds.

Amur Falcon on a well frequented rock
Once a family of about 8 Amur Falcons came to Lonavala lake, here they tried to fatten up before their long migration voyage, but they were so hounded by photographers and oglers, that I wonder if they had a chance to feed

Amur Falcon female  contemplating photographers
the male is dark while the female has a speckled breast.  The disturbance to these birds became so much that the forest department and the dam authorities had to stop sightseeing or photography.

Red-vented Bulbul  sings its song before plunging in for a bath
I installed shallow pottery birdbaths near the verandah, and birds have kept coming to it, first in summer and then in all seasons, including the monsoon.

Red-whiskered Bulbul also comes to the bath
These baths are kept on an old stone bench near the verandah and surrounded by greenery. This allows bird photography Though dominated by bulbuls.....

Spotted Dove suns itself in the bath
I have also seen Spotted Doves, Blackbirds,  and Oriental Magpie Robins. The birds get into the water to cool off or get rid of pests in their feathers. 

Oriental Magpie Robin  spreading its wings on the garden lamp
I once saw an Oriental Magpie Robin have a bath and then sit on the garden light with wings spread, to possibly absorb the heat and dry out.

Female Koel gulping water
In the deeper birdbaths, larger birds come, mainly Koels and crows. Many birds come to our lawn which is a bird foodie’s dream place, Scaly Breasted Munias, Oriental Magpie Robins, Doves all pecking away at whatever they eat.  Sometimes Doves dry their feathers on the lawn, sunbathing as it were.

A pair of Spotted Doves in companionship sitting on the fence in a complete sense of safety
 Birds of all types including some jungle birds frequent our garden and this gives me the satisfaction that they feel safe. It is also a great pastime, observing and photographing these lovely feathered creatures.

to quote Lorraine Anderson
“Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion.”