Birding ! Driving ! Soul-searching !: March 2022

Drive from Hyderabad to Kalimpong

The length of Driving that I did in the month of February-2022, was by far the most I have done in my entire life. Starting for GRK to Indore, then to Hyderabad. Followed by our trip to Hampi and Ganeshgudi, back to Hyderabad and then again to-and-fro Hyderabad to Bangalore. That’s some extensive driving in a single month. Come March, and I’m onto my longest one-way driving distance of 2200 km from Hyderabad to Kalimpong. After covering 34,000 km in this Audi A4 since Nov-2019, I can now finally say that my level of satiation has reached with driving this car. I might be saying this today because of the extensive driving that I’ve done in the last 30 days and there might be a chance that I again start longing for those long drives soon, but for now my heart is contended for a few days atleast.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RETURN JOURNEY

Left Hyderabad Home at 4-10 AM

Reached Vizag 1-20 PM

Total Time: 9 hr 10 min

Total Distance: 680 km

Place of Stay: Taj Gateway, Vizag

1st refueling stat

Left Vizag Hotel at 4-20 AM

Reached Kolkata Hotel at 4-30 PM

Total Time: 12 hr 10 min

Total Distance: 870 km

Place of Stay: Taj Bengal, Kolkata

2nd refueling stat

Left Kolkata Hotel at 5-11 AM

Reached Kalimpong Homestay at 7-00 PM

Total Time: 13 hr 50 min

Total Distance: 650 km

Place of stay: Arcadia Homestay Cottage, Kalimpong

3rd refueling stat

Final Stats:

Total Distance Hyderabad – Vizag – Kolkata – Kalimpong = 2200 km

Total Driving Time (Including R&R) = 35 hrs 10 min

After spending 3 months in GRK, we started scouting for a long-term stay and in the process North Bengal came in the limelight. One primary reason was because of its own birding potential and also because we never covered this region specifically for birding. After some pondering, Kalimpong came in our mind and we started scouting for properties for long-term stay through Airbnb. Arcadia came through our search and we had a chat with Sanjay. He mentioned he had a property of 3.5 acres and having that size of a property in the hills, is a luxury. We were hopeful we would get enough chances for birding right in the property itself. But hope changed to certainty and certainty changed to ecstasy since the day we arrived here. Within a matter of one week, we spotted more than 40 different species of birds, adding 5 lifers to our list and all of this without any help from any bird guide, just standing at this property with our camera and getting the chance to click all that passes through. Add to that 10 odd species of butterflies, not to mention the Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrel too. Even after this, if you want to get your daily dose of detox, look at the Mt Kanchenjunga at any time of the day sitting in your garden sipping a hot cup of coffee and I can guarantee you hours of happiness doing nothing.

Enjoy the pics below, which will keep getting updated as we spend more and more time here in the next 3 months.

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Lesser Yellownape female

Grey-winged Blackbird male

Yellow-bellied Warbler

Greenish Warbler

Crimson Sunbird male

Crimson Sunbird female

White-bellied Erpornis (lifer)

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher male

Common Tailorbird

Red-vented Bulbul

Himalayan Bulbul

Green-backed Tit

Maroon Oriole male

Jungle Babbler

Oriental Magpie Robin female

Verditer Flycatcher male

Asian Barred Owlet

Red-rumped Swallow

House Swift

Green-billed Malkoha (lifer)

Greater Yellownape female

Black-faced Warbler

Lesser Yellownape male

Oriental Turtle Dove

White-rumped Munia

Yellow-vented Warbler (lifer)

Blue-throated Barbet

Blue-winged Siva

Red-tailed Minla male

Red-tailed Minla female

Chestnut-crowned Warbler

Common Rosefinch female

Little Pied Flycatcher female

Large-billed Crow

Whiskered Yuhina

Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush (lifer)

Common Myna

Great Barbet

Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrel

Oriental White-eye

Grey-headed Woodpecker female

Taiga Flycatcher male

Blue-whistling Thrush

Long-tailed Broadbill

Scarlet Minivet female

Black Bulbul

Spangled Drongo

Grey Treepie

Orange-headed Thrush

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo (lifer)

Grey-hooded Warbler

Grey-headed Woodpecker male

Common Green Magpie (lifer)

Puff-throated Babbler

Collared Scops Owl

Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher male

Greater Yellownape male

Oriental Magpie Robin male

House Crow

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

This location isn't just heavenly for birds, but equally good for butterflies too. We spotted numerous new species of butterflies. Here are the pics below.

Indian Palm Bob

Red Helen

Purple Sapphire

Common Cruiser

Naga Sapphire

The Spangle

Common Mapwing

Indian Red Admiral

Slate Flash

Chocolate Pansy

Striped Blue Crow

Small Tortoiseshell

Marbled White Moth

Common Jester

Large Oakblue

Indian Cabbage White

Purple Sapphire

Banded Treebrown

Dark Judy

Common Hedge Blue

Grey Pansy

Blue-tailed Forest Hawk

Emperor Dragonfly female

Large Tree Nymph

Tamil Yeoman

Grey Count

Indian Fritillary

Scallopwing

Common Lascar

Hawk Moth Caterpillar

And finally some breathtaking landscapes from our cottage and some of our regular friends (Sheru, Bunti and Snow-white) at the property. Also, not to forget the rarest of rare sightings of Leopard Cat, here in this property itself from our backyard.