My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
“Amma,
there is a black, white and red bird!” Samhith exclaimed. He had just ventured to the
river , which flowed through the Club Mahindra’s property at Baiguney, Sikkim,
and was excited to have seen a bird without me! Shankar, returning after a long
walk, said he had seen the bird too. That left me, the only enthusiastic birder
among the three of us, to have not seen the bird, during my short walk to the
river bed. That had to be rectified, so off I went to the river again, and
there it was, sitting on a rock, as if waiting for me.
 |
| White Capped Water Redstart |
That was
the first time I
saw the White Capped Water Redstart, though we saw it often over
the next few days. Sitting by the river was an incredibly peaceful experience,
one which made our stay at Baiguney even more memorable. The turquoise blue of
the water, the rounded stones, and the utter silence are still with me as I sit
and write this post.
A flock
of birds flew past, and others pecked around for food on the other bank, too far to be
captured with my camera. A movement captured my attention, and there was a
small bird quite near me, frolicking in the water. It didn’t seem to be
disturbed by my presence, and soon I realized that it wasn’t the only one.
There were three of the same kind, all happily dipping into the water, and
emerging every now and then to peck among the rocks…
 |
| Plumbeous Water Redstart |
These were the Plumbeous Water
Redstarts, getting their name from their colour which resembles lead
(anything containing lead is referred to as plumbeous), and the photo above is
my favourite among all those I clicked of the bird.
 |
| Plumbeous Water Redstart |
One of
the birds on
the other bank came towards the river, and I managed to get a click, though
this is the best I could do in the fading light.
 |
| Slaty-Backed Forktail |
I had
assumed it to be a wagtail, but a closer look told me that it could possibly be
a Slaty –Backed Forktail!
A Hill
Myna alighted
on a stone nearby, and though we had seen many of these before, I had to click
it again!
 |
| Hill Myna |
Later,
when we visited Khecheopalri Lake, we spotted another variety of
redstart – the Blue Fronted Redstart….
 |
| Blue Fronted Redstart |
…And another
bird, which I haven’t
been able to identify….
As well
as these ducks,
which I haven’t been able to identify either…
I hadn’t
planned on
doing any birding on my Sikkim trip. It was meant to be a family holiday after
all, and we visited all the usual places tourists do. Which is why, spotting
these birds, all of which were new to me, only made the trip even more
memorable!
Information:
- We saw most of these birds during our stay at the Club Mahindra’s Baiguney Resort. The property stretches to the banks of the Rangeet river, and it is possible to walk to the river, and in winter, when the flow is less, sit on the rocks on the river bed.
- Khecheopalri Lake is the other place where we saw birds without making any effort. I have written a detailed post on the lake here.
Wah! I had photographed the redstarts in Rajaji. Nice to see the, here again.
ReplyDeleteThank you Param. I have seen redstarts during my visit to Corbett, but this time I had a much better look as well as some decent photos.
DeleteGreat shots
ReplyDeleteBut I would like to add some little things,hope U won`t mind
1.The Bird U identified as Myna is a Blue Whistling Thrush
2.Bard in the Bamboo pole is probably a Olive-backed Pipit
3.The Duck was a great catch-it`s a Common Merganser.Yet to see one myself.
Great sightings 7 shots.
TFS
regards
Partha Sen
Kolkata,Westbengal
15.10.2015