Chopta- Sattal – The Western Himalayas Special Birding Tour
Tour Dates: 8th December, 2019 (Sunday) – 14th December, 2019 (Saturday)
Last 1 seat available
Chopta:
Wake up with cool healthy breeze and chirping of birds in Chopta. Chopta which is a part of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary is a small region of lush green meadows and evergreen forest area offering majestic views of snow clad mountains located in Uttarakhand state in India. It is also a base for trekking to Tungnath, third temple of Panch Kedar.
Chopta is an unspoiled natural destination lying in the lap of the Western Himalayas. It is located at an elevation of 2,680 metres (8,790 ft) above sea level. The Chopta region is rich in varied flora and fauna, with plenty of Rhododendron, Pine and Deodar trees all around. This place is popularly known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, and is getting popular year after year. It is one of the best hill stations in India. It is a must visit destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers.
Chopta is 205 kms from Dehradun with comfortable roads that travel along the rivers of Ganga, Alaknanda & Mandakini. The Best season for birding in Chopta valley is between November- December & March- April.
Tungnath:
Tungnath which literally means “Lord of the peaks” is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples. It is located at an altitude of 3,680 m (12,073 ft), and just below the peak of Chandrashila. The temple is believed to be 5000 years old. Climate of Tungnath is super cool throughout the year. Due to heavy snowfall, the temple remains closed for around 6 months during winter. Tungnath trek is moderate and sometimes steep climb, the trek path is stone paved with benches provided en route at intervals to rest and enjoy the beautiful views.
Mandal:
The Mandal Village is a tiny remote hamlet of Uttarakhand located in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It is located amidst the pristine beauty of the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. It is a village that is loaded with the majestic colours of the Himalayan wildlife and natural vegetation. In Himalayas, altitude changes quickly within short distances, so birdlife at every altitude also varies. Hence, it is very important to cover high, mid and low altitudes places to see diversity in the birdlife when you are doing a Himalayan Birding Tour. Along with Chopta which is at high altitude, we will be visiting Mandal & Makkumath which are at approximately 2000 metres to get some mid altitude species.
Sattal:
Sattal is situated in the Lower Himalayan range just about 22 kms from the popular hill station Nainital. Sattal is a Hindi word for “seven lakes”. It is an interconnected group of seven freshwater lakes. Set amongst dense forests of oak and pine trees, Sattal is at an altitude of 1370 metres. The birdlife at Sattal is fabulous and hence, over the years it has become a renowned birding destination.
Birds:
Chopta: Himalayan Monal, Koklass Pheasant, Grey-crested Tit, Black-throated Tit, Spot-winged Tit, Green-backed Tit, Grey-hooded Warbler, Black-faced Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Bar-throated Siva, Green-tailed Sunbird, White-throated, Striated Laughingthrush, Streaked Laughingthrush, Variegated Laughingthrush, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Himalayan Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, Chestnut Thrush, White-collared Blackbird, Grey-winged Blackbird, Great Barbet, White-tailed Nuthatch; Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Long-billed Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Golden Eagle, Bearded Vulture, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Snow Pigeon and more.
Tungnath: Snow Partridge, Himalayan Monal, Alpine Accentor, Altai Accentor, Red-fronted Rosefinch, Plain Mountain Finch, White-throated Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Winter Wren, etc.
Mandal: Scarlet Finch, Spot-winged Rosefinch, Golden Bush Robin, White-tailed Rubythroat, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Oriental Turtle Dove, Great Barbet, White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Long-tailed Minivets, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Green-backed Tit, Russet Sparrow, Collared Grosbeak, Black & Yellow Grosbeak, Spot-winged Grosbeak, etc.
Sattal: Blue Whistling Thrush, Red-billed Leiothrix, Rufous Sibia, Spot-winged Tit, Black-throated Tits, White-tailed Nuthatch, Slaty Blue Flycatcher, Long-tailed Minivet, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Small Niltava, Green-tailed Sunbird, Himalayan Vulture, Streaked Laughingthrush, Striated laughing thrush, White-crested Laughingthrush, Grey-hooded Warbler, Buff-barred Warbler, Himalayan Bluetail, Slaty-backed Forktail, Spotted Forktail, Little Forktail, Crested Kingfisher, White-capped Water Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Blue-capped Redstart, Eurasian Jay, Black-headed Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Great Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Striated Prinia, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Himalayan Bulbul, Black Bulbuls, Greater Yellownape, Lesser Yellownape, White-throated Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughing thrush, Green-backed Tit, Black-lored Tit, Blue-winged Siva, Whiskered Yuhina and many more.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1 (8th December 2019, Sunday): Pick up by car from Haridwar Junction at 03:53 am in the morning. Drive to Chopta which takes 9 hours. Reach Chopta by lunch time around 01:00 pm. After lunch, birding at Makku farm. Night at Chopta. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 2 (9th December 2019, Monday): Early morning wake up. Early morning drive in search of Koklass Pheasant in first 1 hour. Then we will search the state bird of Uttarakhand – “Himalayan Monal”. Afterwards, we will be trying for forest species like warblers, babblers, woodpeckers, tits, yuhinas, nuthatches, bullfinches, laughingthrushes etc. We will be birding whole day in Chopta. Night at Chopta. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3 (10th December 2019, Tuesday): Early morning drive towards Tungnath base. We will start climbing the steps to Tungnath temple at 5:30 am for seeing some of the key species such as Snow Partridge, Himalayan Monal, Accentors, Red-fronted Rosefinch, Plain Mountain Finch, Tits, Winter Wren. Back to Tungnath base by 12:30 pm. Have lunch and then drive towards Mandal while birding on the way in search of White-collared Blackbird, Grey-winged Blackbird, Chestnut Thrush, Long-billed Thrush, etc. Night at Mandal. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4 (11th December 2019, Wednesday): Early morning Wake Up. Drive to Rosefinch point in search of Scarlet Finch, Spot-winged Rosefinch, Pink-browed Rosefinch, Rock Buntings, laughingthrushes, warblers, sunbirds, scimitar babblers, tesia, etc. Afternoon visit to river in Mandal for Brown Dipper, forktails, flycatchers, redstarts, etc. Night at Mandal. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5 (12th December 2019, Thursday): Start early as usual. Walk to Bhutiya Gaon in search of Red-headed Bullfinch, European Goldfinch, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Minivets, Tits, Woodpeckers, etc. After breakfast, 10 hours drive to Sattal. Reach Sattal by evening. Night at Sattal. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6 (13th December 2019, Friday): Wake up early morning. Morning birding session in Shyamkhet for finches, thrushes, treecreepers, woodpeckers. After breakfast, drive to Chanfi river for Fish Owls, forktails, kingfisher. After lunch, hide session for birds until the end of the day. Night at Sattal. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7 (14th December 2019, Saturday): Go for Hide session at Christian Ashram Hide from 6.30 am to 10 am. For the rest of the day, birding in Sattal Studio areas and Maheshkhan forest. Drop to Kathgodam railway station by 7 pm. (Breakfast & Lunch)
Leader: Prateik Kulkarni
Max group Size: 6
Cost: Rs. 29,500/- only per person *Haridwar Junction to Kathgodam Railway Station*
Cost Inclusions:
- Transportation from Haridwar Junction to Kathgodam Railway Station in car.
- 6 nights stay in resort/ hotel on Twin sharing basis
- All meals – Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Veg/ Non Veg as per availability)
- Forest entry fees, Vehicle charges, Guide charges, all govt. Service Taxes and Fees
- Service a Wildlife Photographer and Naturalist for the entire tour.
Cost Exclusions:
- Hide Charges
- Camera Charges
- Tips
- Any extra food item which is not included in the meal as per the itinerary
- Soft Drinks
- Any kind of personal and medical expenditure
- Anything that is not mentioned in “Cost Inclusions”
Registration & Mode of Payment:
Limited seats are available for this tour, hence please confirm your seat as early as possible. Your seat will be booked only after receiving the non-refundable advance amount of Rs. 15,000/-
Please send us an email on whitefeatherecotours@gmail.com or send us a text message/ WhatsApp message on 9773689564 once you transfer the above mentioned advance amount for the tour. We will give you payment confirmation after we receive it. Also, please include your full name, age and contact details in the same email/ message.
The remaining amount will be collected in CASH on the day of travel.
Train Recommendation:
H Nizamuddin (NZM) to Haridwar (HW):
7th December 2019 (Saturday) – 12401 Nanda Devi Express arrives at H Nizamuddin (NZM) at 23:35 and reaches Haridwar Junction (HW) at 03:53 am on 8th December 2019.
Kathgodam (KGM) to Delhi (DLI):
14th December 2019 (Saturday) – 15014 Ranikhet Express starts from Kathgodam (KGM) at 20:40 and reaches Delhi Railway Station (DLI) at 4 am on 15th December 2019.
This is our signature Western Himalayan Birding Tour.. Don’t miss an opportunity to be a part of it! 🙂
Warm Regards,
Prateik Kulkarni
(Founder – White Feather Eco Tours : +91 – 9773689564)
For bookings and any queries, email us at whitefeatherecotours@gmail.com
White Feather Eco Tours 