Bird Watching at Garhwal Uttarakhand

June-2019: Our second visit to Makku Math, Uttarakhand (Garhwal)

We visited Makku Math (Garhwal) Uttarakhand in October-2018 for the first time. We were so impressed with the location, the variety of birds, mobile connectivity and stable 4G connection, that we decided we would come back here for a long stay. So, we came here to stay with Mr. Yashpal Negi Ji this month and booked his house for the entire month of June-2019. Obviously, birding was the prime activity every morning and evening in Makku Math, but I also managed bird watching in Chopta, Tunganath as well. Here are the pics and the video from this time around.

Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler (lifer)

Tickell's Thrush male

Tickell's Thrush female

Pied Thrush male (lifer)

Pied Thrush female (lifer)

Blue-whistling Thrush

Striated Prinia (lifer)

Alpine Swift (lifer)

Spot-winged Starling male (lifer)

Spot-winged Starling female and male (lifer)

Indian Cuckoo female (lifer)

Maroon Oriole male

Maroon Oriole female

Upland Pipit (lifer)

Streaked Laughingthrush

Striated Laughingthrush

White-throated Laughingthrush

Black Francolin

Pink-browed Rosefinch male (lifer)

Yellow-breasted Greenfinch (lifer)

Himalayan Bluetail male (lifer)

Golden Bush Robin female

Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier) (lifer)

Griffon Vulture

West Himalayan Bush Warbler (lifer)

Grey-sided Bush Warbler

Russet Bush Warbler (lifer)

Lemon-rumped Warbler (lifer)

Western Crowned Warbler (lifer)

Black-faced Warbler (lifer)

Whistler's Warbler

Grey-hooded Warbler

Ashy-throated Warbler

Grey-creasted Tit (lifer)

Coal Tit (lifer)

Black-lored Tit

Green-backed Tit

White-browed Fulvetta 

Rusty-flanked Treecreeper (lifer)

Long-tailed Minivet female

Scarlet Minivet male

Grey Treepie juv

Grey Treepie (lifer)

Grey-winged Blackbird male

Grey-winged Blackbird female

Grey Bushchat male

Grey Bushchat female

Grey Bushchat juv

Common Stonechat male

Common Stonechat female

Common Stonechat juv

Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon male

Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon female

Scaly-breasted Munia

Russet Sparrow male

Russet Sparrow female

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House Sparrow male

House Sparrow female

Eurasian Collared Dove

Spotted Dove

Himalayan Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul

Black Bulbul

Spotted Forktail (lifer)

Spotted Forktail juv

Great Barbet 

Blue-throated Barbet

Kalij Pheasant male

Kalij Pheasant juv

Kalij Pheasant female

Rufous Sibia

Himalayan Woodpecker female

Rufous-bellied Woodpecker male

Rufous-bellied woodpecker female (lifer)

Lesser Yellownape male

Lesser Yellownape female

Brown-fronted Woodpecker male

Grey-headed Woodpecker female

Grey-headed Woodpecker male

Slaty-headed Parakeet male (lifer)

Plum-headed Parakeet

Red-billed Blue Magpie (lifer)

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher

Verditer Flycatcher juvenile

Verditer Flycatcher male

White-throated Fantail

Common Kestrel juv

Common Kestrel female

Black-headed Jay (lifer)

Eurasian Jay (lifer)

Jungle Myna

Ashy Drongo

Ashy Drongo juv

Silver-washed Fritillary

Atlas Moth

Atlas Moth

Small Tortoiseshell 

Himalayan Common Baron

Studded Sergeant

Common Peacock

Painted Lady 

Long-tailed Shrike

White-browed Shrike-babbler female

White-browed Shrike-babbler male

Oriental White-eye

Small Niltava male (lifer)

Bonelli's Eagle (lifer)

Peregrine Falcon

Crested Serpent Eagle and Ashy Drongo

Red-rumped Swallow

Our first visit to Makku Math: October-2018 

Our first birding trip to Uttarakhand and the choice had to be made between Garhwal and Kumaon. I don't have anything against Kumaon, but birding in Garhwal gave me the "Fun of the Chase". Maybe that's the only difference between these two exotic locations. We managed to spot 51 lifers, being our first trip to Uttarakhand and a big note of thanks goes to Mr. Yashpal Negi from Sparrow House Birders' Camp, Makkumath, Uttarakhand.

We hired a zoom car from Delhi and went to Dehradun. Stayed at Waltere for overnight stay and next morning left for Makkumath. Drive was horrible as the roads are all under construction, better should have asked Mr. Negi for a to-and-fro conveyance from Dehradun airport.

We had 5 days of birding as per the below Itinerary.
Day 1 and 2: Waltere Dehradun
Day 3: Makkumath Uttarakhand
Day 4: Tunganath Trek
Day 5: Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary

Day 1 and 2: Waltere is the best place to stay if you plan to do some birding in Dehradun location. We were lucky to meet Bikram Grewal in person at Waltere. On our return journey we stayed at Shaheen Bagh, which i regret. My recommendation to one and all, stay at Waltere, they are far better in every aspect. We did some birding in and around the resort and also at the river side location. Here are some of the moments we captured.

Red-billed Leiothrix (lifer)

White-crested Laughingthrush (lifer)

Crimson Sunbird (lifer)

Plumbeous Water Redstart Female (lifer)

Plumbeous Water Redstart Male (lifer)

Grey-beasted Prinia

Day 3: Makkumath Uttrakhand
The day starts at 6 AM with Mr. Yashpal Negi and ends at 6 PM. A lot of trekking involved in the day but the real fun of sighting birds is in the wild chase. Maybe the reason why i prefer Garhwal over Kumaon. Some sightings from Day 2.

Whiskered Yuhina (lifer)

Oriental Turtle Dove

Himalayan Woodpecker male (lifer)

Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush (lifer)

Dark-sided Flycatcher (lifer)

Speckled Piculet (lifer)

Black-chinned Babbler (lifer)

Little Forktail (lifer)

Grey Wagtail

Bar-tailed Treecreeper 

Ultramarine Flycatcher Male

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher 

Black-throated Tit

Jackal

Chaukhamba Peak

Day 4: Tunganath Trek
It was going to be a tough day today. Trekking from 9000 feet above sea level at Chopta to 12000 feet at Tunganath wasn't going to be easy. But the rewards to see the birds at that altitude was far too inviting. We had to reach at the top before 9 AM so that the sun doesn't make the Monal hide in solitude. So trekking at that breathless speed, at that extreme altitude, and in that that shivering cold wasn't easy at all. At last we got rewarded with the below sightings.

Himalayan Monal Male (lifer)

Himalayan Monal Female (lifer)

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Male (lifer)

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Juvenile (lifer)

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Female (lifer)

Himalayan Vulture (lifer)

Variegated Laughingthrush

Himalayan Bluetail Female (lifer)

Himalayan Pika

Olive-backed Pipit (lifer)

Collared Owlet (lifer)

Black-faced Warbler (lifer)

Day 5: Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary
An early morning trek to Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary was a very rewarding experience. Here are the sightings.

Himalayan Tahr

Himalayan Tahr

White-collared Blackbird Male (lifer)

White-collared Blackbird Female (lifer)

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher (lifer)

White-capped Water Redstart (lifer)

Rhesus Macaque

Stripe-throated Yuhina (lifer)

White-tailed Nuthatch

Yellow-browed Tit (lifer)

Mountain Hawk Eagle (lifer) 

Great Tit

Brown Dipper (lifer)

Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush (lifer)

Long-tailed Minivet male (lifer)

Scarlet Minivet Female (lifer)

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Female (lifer)

Small Niltava Female (lifer)

Day 6: Drive back to Dehradun from Makkumath
On the way near Bhiri, got a chance to click the Crested Kingfisher that was eluding us for all our trip. What a sighting to end this wonderful trip.

Crested Kingfisher (lifer)

Fork-tailed Swift