Just About Everything

From Makkumath , Soma and the bird watching group set off in search of the Cheer Pheasant, towards Mayali village which is at a higher altitude than Makkumath. The best part of traveling to these regions is the scenic beauty. Not only do you get to see birds , the scenic beauty is an additional bonus. Just writing about it during these times is a pleasure. I can close my eyes and escape to these beautiful places and dream of the days when I can travel again... Travel the world and the seven seas. For now, I have to make do with experiencing travel vicariously:) On the way to Mayali village Himalayan Vulture The highlight of this trip for Soma was the sighting of the Cheer Pheasant which is extremely difficult to find. In the picture below you will find that the habitat where they live does not make it easy to spot them. Cheer Pheasants easily camouflage themselves in the yellow grass. Their red eyes are perhaps the only giveaway. Thanks to Negi ji’s (their...

  Kafal House, Pangot In continuation to my earlier post on Pangot , even if bird watching is not one of your favourite passions, Pangot is still a wonderful place to visit. The scenic beauty is awesome since the drive from Nainital to Pangot is through the forested area of Cheena Peak Range. Five years back Pangot used to be a location with barely 4-5 places to stay but now a number of hotels have come up, some of them real eye-sores as they are loud in their get up and pay no attention to merging with the environment. Pangot starts getting quieter when you go towards Vinayak or Timplapani village road. Kafal House is a lovely place to spend a few days in. Even non-birders will return with a deep interest in birds. These pictures are courtesy Soma Jha. Oriental-white-eye Rufous-bellied woodpecker Rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler Spot-winged Grosbeak Streaked, rufous Sibia Striated-laughingthrush Vinayak: Home to the rare ...