Just About Everything

Hanle, Ladakh, India In continuation to my post on the black-necked Cranes of Hanle, Ladakh, India , I am sharing some more bird pictures, and landscapes from the scenic village of Hanle in Ladakh. Hanle is well-known for the  Hanle Monastery, (dating back to the 17th Century), and the  Indian Astronomical Observatory, which happens to be  the 3rd highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an altitude of 4,500 meters.  The observatory is controlled by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. These pictures are courtesy Soma Jha. Eurasian cuckoo-Hanle Ruddy Shelduck-Hanle Saker Falcon-Hanle Great Rosefinch Tibetan Gazelle-Hanle Upland Buzzard-Hanle Hanle monastery, Ladakh Hanle valley Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle Near Hanle On the way to Hanle in Ladakh

Black-necked Cranes, Hanle, Ladakh, India Hanle is a beautiful and scenic village in Ladakh, India. It is well-known for the Hanle Monastery (dating back to the 17th Century). It is around 254 km from Leh, and takes around 7 hours by road. Soma was in Hanle in June with a group of bird watchers. I was very affected by a particular incident that Soma narrated, I am sharing it here, the pictures are courtesy Soma Jha: “On 16th June we arrived in Hanle and went for a spot of birding in the evening. While driving to Hanle we had seen two nesting Black-necked Cranes and now we saw the third one in Hanle. It's a very hopeful scene that promises the propagation of the species especially for a vulnerable bird like this crane. The next morning when we were passing by this site, we slowed down the car and lo and behold ! we found a furry head and then a second one, peeping over a mound. As we were quite a distance away we really had to make sure with our binocs and 50x zoom ...