Birding at Saat Taal
After
bidding adieu to Jim Corbett and its denizens, we had a sumptuous lunch at
Rajesh’s home. We started driving towards Nanital. Just 30 KMs in to the drive
and I started forgetting about the summers. I felt like an air conditioner
working around me all the time, 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. As
we were driving down the narrow roads of this acclaimed hill station, we came
across this sharp turn after finishing through the narrow roads of Nainital, we
reached the approaching road of Saat-tal. On the way we were discussing about
beauty of “Red Billed leothrix” and about other birds found in Saat-tal, all of
a sudden we spotted a group of Black headed Jays across the road, sitting on
road and trees near bye. It was my first sighting of this beautiful bird and
the region is full of them. As we reached Saat-tal a crested Kingfisher darted
its way in to nearby bushes and as I and Rajesh observed it in awe, Rajesh
explained me that we should move ahead as lots of such sights awaits us in near
water body and we moved on.
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Black Headed Jay |
As we
parked our car and moved towards the nearby water body, we observed a barking
deer retrieving after drinking water, and as we reached near a small stream of
water flowing alongside a cover of dense bushes, Rajesh told me that we have
reached our destination and we sat down near the stream for birding and before
any birding activity could start we heard a big noise out of opposite bushes and
as we focused on the source of noise out came the biggest surprise emerged out
of bushes, it was a black head with black nose that resembled like that of
a midsized dog with a yellow coloured
neck line emerged from the bushes. It
was a yellow throated Marten, coming out of the bushes, to have a sip of
water. As soon as the marten came out of
the bushes and observed us, it retreated immediately, a brief moment of joy and
awe suddenly turned in to a disappointing moment. But luck was shining bright
on us. Shortly after moving back, the marten emerged from the away corner of
the bushes, quickly moving towards the steep slope on the other side of the
stream. We got up and took some photographs of this fast moving Marten. It was
again an auspicious start to our second expedition in the day.
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Yellow Throated Marten |
As we sat
down besides the water stream, I was amazed to see the play of nature unfolding
in front of us. Out came a “Red Billed leothrix” from the Lantana bushes nearby
to take a dip in to water and I could not believe my eyes, the beauty of this
bird is unbelievable and unforgettable, till date this bird remains etched in
my memory for sheer beauty of it. A Bright reddish-orange bill. Crown, lores,
nape, and back are dull olive-green. Bright yellow-orange throat and a bright Yellow
chin as if fire has kissed it with its colours. Dull-yellow belly and under
tail coverts. Black primaries and secondaries with yellow-orange edges.
Yellow-orange base on secondaries forms a small square patch on closed wings;
this adds more glory to this magnificent bird. These birds live in small
parties of 8 to 10 members and this was paying to our advantage. At any moment
during the flock’s presence at the stream one or other leothrix was occupying a
position which had sufficient sun light and was forming a terrific backdrop.
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Red Billed Leaothrix |
The
procession of beautiful birds continued with Verditter’s flycatcher, White
browed fantailed flycatcher, Himalayan and Mountain Bulbul, Blue throated
flycatcher which can easily be wrongly identified as Tickel’s blue flycatcher
also graced the perch. I could not believe my luck. In matter of minutes my
bird count was increasing at rate of knots.
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Blue Throated Fly Catcher |
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Himalayan Bulbul |
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Mountain Bulbul |
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Verditter's Fly Catcher. |
Blue headed
rock thrush along with Rusty Chinned laughing thrush added more variety to the
bouquet of surprises. Common birds like oriental white eye were also making an
appearance just to remind us that we are not in a dream.
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Blue Headed Rock Thrush |
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Rusty Chinned Laughing Thrush |
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White Browed Fan-tailed FLy Catcher |
Sun started to slant
and make angles, this made sun glinting water look marvelous and during this
time a Blue winged Siva (Aka blue winged Minla) came out of the bushes and as
it was taking a dip in the water I suddenly realized that I have just clicked
best photographic moment of my life.
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Blue Winged Siva (Blue Winged Minla) |
Yellow
lored tit came out and sat on a bush branch as if it has come out for a
portfolio shoot. Along with it came a Rusty cheeked scimitar babbler. It was a precession
which was going on as there was no end to it. I could barely stop myself
smiling as before this I had just seen so many birds together only in reference
books.
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Black Lored Tit |
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Rusty Cheecked Scimtar Babbler |
As the light started to fade we decided to take a round of the small
lake juxtaposed to our stream. As we started moving the very next tree was
graced by a female Scarlet minivet and as we proceeded further we observed a
big activity in the canopy of saal trees and we observed a pair of Dusky Eagle
owl came out of the canopy and flew towards the farther end of the lake. We
followed them and were rewarded with some good photographs of the birds.
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Grey Headed Woodpecker |
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Scarlet Minivet - Female |
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Dusky Eagle Owl |
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Blue Whistling Thrush |
Saat Taal
is a heaven for birders; I say this because the legendary Jim Corbett in his
customary style had divided the birds in to six broad categories.
The Birds
that beautified Natures Garden: Birds like Oriole, Minivets, Tits etc.
Birds that
fill garden with melody: Birds like Thrushes, Robins and Shamas etc.
Birds that
regenerate the garden: Like Barbets, Hornbills, and Bulbuls etc.
Birds that
warned of Dangers: Like Drongos, Red Jungle fowls, Pheasants and Babblers.
Birds that
maintain the balance in Nature: Like Eagles, Hawks and Owls etc.
Birds that
performed duty of scavengers: Like Vulatures, Crows and Kites.
At Saat
Taal within a span of 3 hours we came across birds of each category.
For me
Saat-taal must feature in 7 wonders of birding in the world…
Go explore
it…
