Kumaon Birding Diaries – Pangot and Around

The second post on birding in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand state. This time it was Pangot, Binayak and Timlapani which are beyond Nainital and nestled high up in the hills. This one day trip led us to some amazing places which we would not have heard of, let alone going there, if not for birding. The unparalleled beauty of some of the places that we saw will remain etched in our memories forever. Makes us so thankful to our avian friends! As mentioned in my previous post on Saattal, we stayed in Naukuchiatal and our birding guide was Sunil whom we found through Birdingpal.

Pangot

Pangot is a small village situated beyond Nainital. Our cab arrived at 4.30 AM as it would take us one hour to reach Nainital and we wanted to be near Pangot by sunrise. We picked up Sunil from Nainital around 5.30 AM and proceeded towards Pangot. The view-point just outside Nainital proved disappointing as it was foggy and the clouds blocked a view of the Himalayan peaks. We crossed Pangot and headed towards Binayak high up in the hills. Our first sightings were that of Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush and the Grey-winged Blackbird. Light was pretty bad and we managed to get only a record shot of the Thrush.

The hills looked so enchanting with fog rising up and the clouds rolling over seemed to envelope and engulf the hills. We felt lucky that we had come to this out of the world place solely because of our birdwatching hobby. Completely off the tourist radar, this place is a total contrast to the crowded hill stations.

Binayak

As we went past Binayak, we saw a couple of Eurasian Jays foraging on the road. We stopped the car and Nagesh got out slowly and started walking ahead. One of the Jays seemed so fearless and came closer and closer inquisitively it seemed :) It posed beautifully for the camera! Visibility was improving gradually but the fog kept rolling over at regular intervals.

At the next spot where we stopped there were plenty of birds. Sightings here included Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Hill Partridge, Ultramarine Flycatcher and Rufous Sibia. We saw plenty of women walking along the path to climb the hills and cut grass. As the birds would have got disturbed already by the arrival of the women, we decided that it was no use going further up.

On our way back we waited at a spot frequented by the Pheasants. While we heard the Koklass pheasant loud and clear from down in the valley, no amount of craning our necks gave us any clue as to where the pheasants were. Disappointed we started walking back. The surroundings looked so ethereal. Brightly colored flowers are abundant in this state in the wild. They enhance the beauty of the hills.

As the fog gradually blocked our complete view, we stopped at a tea stall between Binayak and Pangot. There were plenty of Yellow-breasted Greenfinches flitting about right next to the stall. We were shivering as it was so cold and the tea really helped us to keep warm. As we were sipping tea, a guy arrived in a jeep and told Sunil that we had just missed a very good sighting of the shy and elusive Koklass Pheasant. Apparently it was on the main path and stood confused for a good five minutes looking at the jeep. What an opportunity had been denied to us! But then that is birding for you. They, i.e., the birds, decide when they can be seen and when not!

We went back to Pangot to have some breakfast. We stopped at Raj restaurant which seemed to be the one and only general store cum restaurant in this tiny hamlet. We had some amazing Maggi and tea here. There were a handful of huts and a tiny post office.

Timlapani

Our next destination was Timlapani which can be reached by taking the only other road (path really!) in Pangot off from the main road. On the way we spotted Scarlet Minivet, Black-headed Jay, Grey Bushchat, Ashy Drongo, Long-tailed Shrike and the Himalayan Woodpecker.

Timlapani is a small hamlet. There is a waterfall here and a small shrine next to it. The view was spoilt by some men washing carpets used at functions. Probably the running water on the road made their job easier. As we walked along the cluster of houses we spotted a Siberian Stonechat, Streaked Laughingthrush, Himalayan Cuckoo, Common Babbler and Common Kestrel. Every home here had some ferocious looking dogs who did not like our entry into their territory. They followed us for some distance and then decided that it was safe to let us be.

On our way back to Pangot we saw Red-billed Blue Magpies foraging on the road. As we stopped and started walking towards a cluster of trees we sighted a Great Barbet. Further up we saw a Grey-headed Woodpecker and a pair of Brown-fronted Woodpeckers. The fog was rising again and we decided to head back.

We stopped briefly for some tea at Pangot. Nagesh sighted a Black Eagle for a brief moment soaring high up in the mist. Sunil decided to give a shot to Kilbury. But the visibility seemed to be worsening. There was absolutely no activity at Kilbury. The place looked so beautiful bathed in fog. Naini Lake was also engulfed by the fog and we got a beautiful view of it as we went towards Nainital. We reached Nainital by 3.30 PM and were back at Naukuchiatal around 4.30 PM. A good day of birding had come to an end!

Nainital

On the next day we went with our family to Nainital. Our cab driver suggested that we go to the view-point which is on the Pangot road and then walk on the trail to the Snow View point which is nearby. We could then take the cable car down to mall road where he would be waiting for us. Nagesh had left his 400 mm lens which he uses for birding in the car and was carrying his other lens. As we walked on the trail to Snow View point we saw plenty of bird activity in a cluster of trees next to the path. There were lot of tiny birds like Tits and Warblers. Nagesh repented not having got his lens and rushed back towards the car. Unfortunately by the time he was back all the small birds had gone away. However there is a silver lining in every cloud. In this case he got a Streaked Laughingthrush and a Black-headed Jay at extremely close quarters. He also got a picture of the Bonelli’s Eagle which glided past the clump of trees and disappeared from view the next moment.

Bird Log

Common Name	Species	Family
Thrush, Chestnut-bellied Rock	Monticola rufiventris	Muscicapidae
Blackbird, Grey-winged	Turdus boulboul	Turdidae
Jay, Eurasian	Garrulus glandarius	Corvidae
Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied	Dendrocopos hyperythrus	Picidae
Partridge, Hill	Arborophila torqueola	Phasianidae
Flycatcher, Ultramarine	Ficedula superciliaris	Muscicapidae
Sibia, Rufous	Heterophasia capistrata	Timaliidae
Greenfinch, Yellow-breasted	Carduelis spinoides	Fringillidae
Minivet, Scarlet	Pericrocotus flammeus	Campephagidae
Jay, Black-headed	Garrulus lanceolatus	Corvidae
Bushchat, Grey	Saxicola ferreus	Muscicapidae
Drongo, Ashy	Dicrurus leucophaeus	Dicruridae
Shrike, Long-tailed	Lanius schach	Laniidae
Woodpecker, Himalayan	Dendrocopos himalayensis	Picidae
Stonechat, Siberian	Saxicola maurus	Muscicapidae
Laughingthrush, Streaked	Garrulax lineatus	Timaliidae
Cuckoo, Himalayan	Cuculus saturatus	Cuculidae
Kestrel, Common	Falco tinnunculus	Falconidae
Babbler, Common	Turdoides caudata	Timaliidae
Magpie, Red-billed Blue	Urocissa erythrorhyncha	Corvidae
Barbet, Great	Megalaima virens	Megalaimidae
Woodpecker, Grey-headed	Picus canus	Picidae
Woodpecker, Brown-fronted	Dendrocopos auriceps	Picidae
Eagle, Black	Ictinaetus malayensis	Accipitridae
Eagle, Bonelli’s	Aquila fasciata	Accipitridae
Tit, Green-backed	Parus monticolus	Paridae
Warbler, Grey-hooded	Phylloscopus xanthoschistos	Phylloscopidae
Treepie, Grey	Dendrocitta formosae	Corvidae
Bulbul, Himalayan	Pycnonotus leucogenys	Pycnonotidae
Pheasant, Koklass (heard)	Pucrasia macrolopha	Phasianidae
Pipit, Upland (heard)	Anthus sylvanus	Motacillidae
Francolin, Black (heard)	Francolinus francolinus	Phasianidae
Tit, Black-lored	Parus xanthogenys	Paridae
Parakeet, Slaty-headed	Psittacula himalayana	Psittaculidae
Flycatcher, Verditer	Eumyias thalassinus	Muscicapidae
Pheasant, Kalij	Lophura leucomelanos	Phasianidae
Laughingthrush, White-throated	Garrulax albogularis	Timaliidae
Wagtail, White-browed	Motacilla maderaspatensis	Motacillidae
Dove, Oriental Turtle	Streptopelia orientalis	Columbidae
Dove, Spotted	Spilopelia chinensis	Columbidae
Drongo, Black	Dicrurus macrocercus	Dicruridae
Minivet, Long-tailed	Pericrocotus ethologus	Campephagidae
Tit, Black-throated	Aegithalos concinnus	Aegithalidae
Thrush, Blue Whistling	Myophonus caeruleus	Turdidae