Bird Images
Trip Report
Pangot
330 kms northeast of New Delhi in the Kumaon Himalayas lies the Nainital Lake Valley (29° 22' 60N and 79° 27' 0E) and adjacent hill resorts. The Nainital area (1938m) lies in the central Himalayas and is a vantage point to view the great Nanda Devi massif. The Pangot area (1900m) lies 15 kilometers past Nainital and is on the road to Vinayak past Kilbury.
The
area and its surrounding hills has a record of 200+ Himalayan bird species.
Mixed forests dominated by thick ban-oak, pine and rhododendron cover most of the area and surrounding hills. A large part of the landscape is characterized by dense vegetation. Numerous perennial creeks and streams crisscross the area.
District Nainital (Kumaon) covers the tropical, subtropical, temperate, sub alpine and alpine zones. The terai & bhabhar belt presents the climate of the plains while the deep valleys with elevation upto 1000 Mts. play host to flora and fauna typical of hills as well as plains. The middle Himalayan ranges to 2000 Mts and the sub alpine region upto 2500 Mts complete the eco-zones.
Temperature: Low 3oC (winter); High
27oC (Summer)
How to reach: Pangot is a 7-8 hour journey from New Delhi by road and is an hours (17 km) drive from Nainital. Many trains connect Nainital with New Delhi either through Kathgodam or Ramnagar.
Where to stay: The Jungle Lore Birding Lodge is recommended.
Best Time: October to March
Twin lakes of Sattal from the Resort
How to reach: Sattal is a 7 hour road journey from New Delhi by road via Haldwani and Bhimtal and is 27kms from Nainital. The nearest train station is Kathgodam.
Where to stay:
1. Sat Tal Forest Resort, overlooking the lakes from a 1,000 feet.
Email: satatlforestresort@gmail.com; Mobile:9810107116
Website: Sat Tal Forest Resort
2. Sat Tal Birding Camp, 4 kms from Sat Tal.
Email: wildindiatours@vsnl.com
Website:
Sat
Tal Birding Camp
Best Time: October to March
Pangot Links:
Jungle Lore Birding Lodge
Nainital Tourism
Nainital area maps
References:
* A Birdwatchers' Guide to India ~ Krys Kazmierczak, Raj Singh
* Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent ~ Grimmett, Inskipp, Inskipp
* A Field Guide to the Birds of India ~ Krys Kazmierczak
* A Photographic Guide to the Birds of India ~ Grewal, Harvey, Pfister
Sumit Sen
Kolkata, India
