Birding On Treks Around Nainital

by Ameen Ahmed

 It was early June (2nd June 1996) and I was back at Ramnagar, the
‘Gateway’ of Corbet Tiger Reserve. This was just 4 months after  my maiden
birding visit to this beautiful part of India. But my determination to
survive the merciless summer overwhelmed my desire to bird inside the
park. I took a 60 km deviation to Nainital for a change (which proved to
be an equally better change). I had ascended this altitude earlier near
home in the splendid Western Ghats. The avifaunal diversity of both these
places was the same in terms of sightings, but obviously different in
terms of species. Although I could not find much difference in the scenic
splendour, yet the Himalayas hold a charm of their own. And ,it is a
formidable challenge for a birder from down South India to correctly
identify the birds on his first visit to these mighty mountains. But this
is the challenge which makes bird watching the ultimate of pleasures.

Arriving at Nainital, I occupied a small guest house in Sukha Tal, which
literally means dried lake. Although the view there was not the best,
still it was surrounded by a few huge trees and offered fairly good
birding. On the same evening the walk up to the Youth Hostel provided good
sightings. I was able to photograph the beautiful red billed blue magpie
(Urocissa erythorhyncha) for the first time. Also I was able to listen to
the melodious songs of the blue whistling thrush (Myiophonus caeruleus)
along the way. The campus of the Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI)
which is surrounded by a number of trees is a good place for birding. Back
again, sitting outside my room, I was going through the local map to learn
the trekking route to the nearby Naina Peak, when suddenly I noticed a
small bird creeping up the huge trees in front. It was the tree creeper
(Certhia familiaris).

My mind did not agree with my body that it needed rest, as I got up at
4:30 AM the next morning. I set off for the 2610 m Naina Peak (earlier
known as Cheena Peak), with my 3 friends. During the climb for the first
few hundred feet, the vegetation was not dense. I could see a few yellow
cheeked tits (Parus xanthogenys) and green-backed tits (Paurs monticolus)
which gradually began to disappear from view as the bushes and small trees
gave way to large Pine trees. Also the trek now was on the Western slopes
of the mountains lying to the West of Nainital town, which offered fine
views of the vast stretches of Pine forests, unlike the eastern slopes
from where only the Nainital township was visible.

It was getting cooler as we gained altitude. Here and there I came across
the rufousbellied  woodpecker (Hypopicus hyperythrus). The occasional song
of the blue whistling thrushes and the drumming sounds of the woodpeckers
echoed through the misty mountains and it was the finest music I had ever
listened to. As I walked a few hundred steps ahead, I spotted a bird,
which except for its white neck and breast looked exactly like a black
bird. It was not afraid of me even when I went about 5 to 6 meters near
it. I had no difficulty in identifying the bird as a male white collared
black bird (Turdus albocinctus). As I was within a few meters from the
Naina Peak, I came across a lone Himalayan pied woodpecker (Picoides
himalayensis). The northern end of the Naina Peak, where a forest wireless
station is situated offered splendid views of the mighty snow covered
peaks of the faraway Himalayas. The cool, crisp and clean air, unending
stretches of mist covered mountains, melodious songs of birds… It is one
of these moments in a bird watcher’s life which get embedded in his very
soul.

I took the other way back to Sukha Tal, the one via the Snow view point
(2270 m). But  the number of birds started decreasing as we descended the
mountains. Also the number of tourists increased as time passed by. The
walk from the T.V. tower to `snow view' was uneventful. From snow view the
view of the Himalayan peaks was blurred due to hazy conditions. But this
was a densely crowded place, not meant for birders, hence I left back for
Sukha Tal. I sighted many black birds on the way to my guesthouse.

After having my breakfast early the next morning, I left for "Land's end".
Even before I left the town environs I could sight a number of birds.
Birding in Himalayan hill stations has a special charm. You do not really
need to trek through a jungle to see those beautiful gems. This was the
main difference between the hill stations in the Himalayas and the hill
stations in South India. A couple of questions to a group of young
children ‘trekking’ to their schools, led me to the doors of Mr. Anoop
Shah, a well known bird watcher and nature photographer of this region.
Mr. Shah breathed new life into my knowledge of the Himalayan birds, as I
learnt to identify many of them sitting in his garden. I was silently
sipping a cup of hot tea when I heard the loud double whistle of a bird,
‘pee-yeaoou’ in fact, which was haunting me ever since I stepped into
Nainital. I was somehow amazed when Mr. Shah identified the bird as a
great hill barbet (Megalaima virens). Amazed because of the difference in
its call and that of its cousin the large green barbet (Megalaima
zeylanica) which is the commonest of all barbets back home. After going
through his splendid collection of photographs of the magnificient
Himalayas, its flora and fauna, I was more determined to add a few more
beautiful birds to my checklist.

>From the residence of Mr. Shah on the Ayarpatta hill, the walk to Land’s
end is not that steep. The forest along this road is quite dense, hence
rich in avifauna. A lazy walk of few minutes and I came across that
beautiful creature, verditer flycatcher (Muscicapa thalassina). Although
during the past couple of winters I had seen this bluish-green bird, with
its distinct black patch in front of the eye, in Devarayana Durga (DD)
hills near my home, I was a little hesitant to confirm it as the same
species. This time along it was calling so melodiously, while during the
winters when I saw it in DD Hills, I believed it was dumb. My local friend
cum guide Mr. Yogesh Singh Bora explained to me that a walk on this road
during dawn could reveal beautiful  birds like the kalij pheasant (Lophura
leucomelanos). Walking for a few more minutes and we were at Land’s end
situated to the south-west of Nainital. The view from here was quite
intresting. One could see the plains below, a beautiful lake ‘Khrupatal’
and also sadly, vast stretches of deforested areas. A few Himalayan
griffon vulture (Gyps hymalayensis) soared overhead    looking for their
daily ‘bread’.

>From Land’s end the walk upto 2292 m  high `Tiffin top' was quite tough,
but the sight of good forest cover made up for the steep climb. As the sun
was already high, the trickle of tourists turned into a crowed which at
times was supremely irritatingly noisy, hence the prospects of bird
sightings were dampened. The view from Tiffin top (situated to the south
of Naintal) is worth a hard climb. I could see the whole of Nainital
township and also the haze-covered distant Himalayan peaks. On my advice
my friend took me through a less trudged path on the way down to Sukha
Tal. I did not mind a few abrasions and bruises on falling down a couple
of occasions.  The occasional singing of a whistling thrush was broken a
few times by the laughs of flocks of white throated laughing thrushes
(Garrulax albogularis). That evening, I saw short but heavy outbursts of
pre-monsoon showers and hail stones, which confined me to my room. But
many of the clouds cleared quickly and the sky (immedietly after the down
pour) was a riot of colours.

The next morning, I decided to trek again to Snow view. The path which I
took this time was just below the ropeway. On a couple of occasions I saw
the slaty headed parakeets (Psittacula himalayan) flying swiftly
accompanied by their sweet calls. Also I could not identify a variety of
small birds along the way.  When I reached Snow view, I saw that the
surroundings were same as last time. Same noisy crowd, naughty children,
hazy skies..... I cursed myself for not having trekked to  some other
place. I changed my plans and thought instead to bird at the Naini lake,
situated in the heart of Nainital. I took a ride down the rope way  which
offered pretty interesting views. More disappointment was in store, as I
walked for a couple of minutes through busy roads to reach Naini lake. I
could not sight a single bird. ‘It is biologically dead’, a college
student passing by remarked, but I believed it was much more than that.
Rotten. Absolutely rotten! Years of neglect and domestic garbage dumping
by people, mainly the tourists, has wreaked havoc with this lake’s
ecology. But does any one care?

That evening, my last in this trip to Nainital, took me to Hanumangarhi
Temple, about half an hour’s walk from Sukha Tal. As told, the sunset here
was spectacular. Unending stretches of the Himalayan foothills changed
their colour with every passing minute. I sat staring at the setting sun
and went down the memories of this trip. I had seen more than 100 species
of birds during the past 3 days, 14 of them for the first time.

As I turned back towards Sukha Tal, a lonely Himalayan griffon vulture
soared overhead and disappeared, like the orange round sun behind me, in
one of those high Himalayan peaks.

AMEEN AHMED
Clinical Physiotherapist

E MAIL:  savewildlife_ameenindia@yahoo.com

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