Arunachal Pradesh
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in the North Eastern part of India, Arunachal Pradesh is home/part home to over 700 species of birds, besides being breathtakingly beautiful. It is my belief that birding in India would remain incomplete if Arunachal does not in one’s plans.
Our tryst with Arunachal Pradesh started at the tri-junction of Assam, Arunachal and Bhutan – Assam behind us, Bhutan to our left and Arunachal ahead. Steep mountains and deep gorges formed the landscape as we climbed towards Tenga Valley. The weather began to cool as we bumped along stopping every now and then to take in the scenery and photograph the birds as they flashed past and disappeared into the surrounding foliage, teasing us with their song, as we chased them with our lenses. Some birds are bolder than others and I did manage to get snapshots of the black throated Prinia, Silver Eared Mesia, blue fronted Redstart among others.
Eventually, late into the evening we arrived at Tenga valley.
I was looking forward to our visit to Eaglenest the next morning. So much so, that I was feeling so resfeber that sleep eluded me.
Eaglenest Sanctuary
The unspoilt beauty of Eaglenest unfurled before us the next morning – Green, wet forests, rivulets of water flowing downhill, small trails over uneven terrain, sometimes snaking their way down and then guiding us to higher ground. The play of shadows on the hillsides as the clouds drifted along, and the sunshine streaming through the cracks in the clouds created a dreamlike environment. Theskies were the bluest that I had seen in a long, long time.
The forest was alive – the birds sang, squirrels chirped and insects buzzed all around us as we followed our guide in search of birds. Twigs snapped beneath our feet and the earthy smell of the forest hovered in the air.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18dLNbtv-EZoaP5In61ekeMFjNxyDDpCV/view?usp=sharing – Sounds of the Jungle
The Struggle
For me, sighting the birds was an ordeal – despite our guide pointing them out! I could hear them all around me, even see them from the corner of my eye as they darted past, but struggled to set my eyes on them. They were tiny and flitted about inside bushes and shrubs or on trees. Positioning, being invisible to the bird, remaining absolutely quiet, still and focused is the only way to sight them as they perch in the open- even if it is for a few seconds. That’s the window one gets to take pictures.
My own struggle to capture the elusive winged beauties through my lenses left me with a sense of futility. For one, it was an effort to spot them– photographing them was another matter. My photos were soft and blurred and by midday I was growing increasingly despondent. Besides, I wasn’t sure whether my camera settings needed changing. As it turned out, they did, and with the help of Vinay and Naveen – experienced birders and photographers, I made the necessary adjustments to my camera settings. Hopefully, one problem had been resolved.
As the afternoon wore on, I began to taste tiny bits of success. I was getting better at sighting my avian friends and my photographs were getting better! By evening I had made significant progress and my demeanor improved.
By evening, after a lot of driving, walking and birding we arrived at Bompu camp – our home for the next two days.
Bompu Camp
In the middle of the forest, it is only in Bompu Camp that there is any sign of human life. A shroud of tranquility cloaks the camp. 8 tents are pitched in a row while a common block serves as the dining area. The bathing areas and the toilets are communal and a few meters away from the tents. Water is provided in buckets. Each tent is provided with two beds and clean comfortable bedding.
While the camp is solar powered, a generator is switched on late in the evening for a couple of hours to enable the charging of cameras and phone batteries. Needless to say, in the middle of the forest, phone connectivity is highly erratic. The thought of being isolated from the rest of the world did not escape my mind, but what the hell – I loved it!
After dinner, while we sat around a fire recounting the day’s events, beautiful music wafted across the idyllic environs as the staff played the guitar and the flute and sang among themselves.
The winds howl at night and the flapping of the tents makes one sense the numinous.
A middle of the night visit to the toilet can be daunting. Except for the dim solar lights, the camp is ominously quiet and dark. But again, as we were assured, there is no danger from wild animals in the camp, despite there being no fencing.
During our walks I photographed the Blyth’s Tragopan, the Chestnut Throated Partridge and the Rufous throated hornbill besides a host of Warblers, Fulvettas, Minlas etc. However, despite our guides effort, the Bugun Liocichla at EagleNest, eluded us.
Mandala, Sela Pass and Sangti Valley
A hundred odd kms from Bompu camp is Dirang. At circa 4000 ft above MSL, it is here that we based ourselves for the next phase of our trip – Mandala Top, Sela Pass and Sangti Valley. Many tourists pass through Dirang on their way to Tawang.
The natural beauty of each of the places left me intoxicated. The population is sparse, and it is difficult to differentiate between Nepalis and the tribes who inhabit the place. The pre-dominant tribes at Mandala, Sela Pass and Sangte valley are Monpas who are Buddhist owing their allegiance to the Dalai Lama.
Small shanties serve simple food with love and warmth and are only too willing to please.
Sela Pass was a test of endurance – at 13700 ft any effort seemed too much effort, especially with the weight that we were carrying. The snow, frozen lakes, exotic birds, Maggie Noodles and multiple cups of tea kept us going.
We took our time during each of these trips. We stopped frequently and walked for long stretches to sight birds. We weren’t disappointed. The white throated dipper, Blood Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, the Alpine Accentor and the Great Rosefinch were among the birds that we photographed.
The White Winged Duck
Pictures
Our final stop was at the Baligora Camp at Nameri in Assam to sight the white winged duck. The rains poured down on us, as we quietly trudged through the dense forest known to be a home to the big cat, besides other animals. We positioned ourselves appropriately, ready for the long haul.
Light was low, and the bird was nowhere to be seen. After a reasonable wait we were ready to return. As we were preparing to leave, a pair of White Winged Ducks quietly descended onto the water. The quiet of the forest was broken only by the sound of clicking cameras. Mission accomplished.
Our trip ended at Nameri and we flew back to Bengaluru the next day, our minds full of images of enchanting Arunachal.
Khandu Tamang
This narrative would be incomplete without a few words about Khandu Tamang.
Khandu is a young man who can identify 1000+birds both by sight and call. He is quiet and reserved by nature, full of energy and completely focused on his commitments. He drives the team that he leads to the limit. I would recommend him to anyone who is a serious birder and photographer.
Learnings
I conclude with some of my own learnings from the trip.
A group size of 4 worked well for us. Besides, the fact that we all knew each other was a big help. With larger group, it is only natural that when a bird is sighted, there would be jostling for space and someone will miss out for sure.
I personally believe that monopods are best avoided. Monopods can injure fellow birders because of limited space and the need to quickly position oneself. Raincoats should preferably be wear overs rather than the poncho type. Poncho raincoats take up more space than necessary, cause a disturbing rustling sound frightening away the birds.
Finally, an in-depth understanding of the behavior of one’s camera is key. In Arunachal, one will experience all four seasons in a day and therefore the ability to quickly adjust camera settings to suit different light conditions is an essential skill.
In conclusion…………
A beautiful but humbling experience – especially for us city types.
Have fun.
Do click on the following links to look at my photos……
– Some Birds of Arunachal
Some views of mysterious Arunachal
