[vnabhi]

What an exhilarating trip, and what splendid photographs! Your narration made me live the moments all through! Do post more TLs please--we'd love to read them.

And despite the issues you had with the rental Ertiga, you managed to enjoy the trip to the hilt! I'm now tempted to visit those places.

Can you tell me the best season to visit?

[BackstraightBoy]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Can you tell me the best season to visit?

Hello vnabhi, that depends on what you want. Here are my recommendations:

- For great views of snow-capped peaks and walking on snow + birding, please visit between mid-November and mid-to-late December (early winter).
- For rhododendron flowering + birding and fairly good views of snow-capped peaks, please visit between mid-March and mid-April (spring).
- For a darshan at Tungnath + trekking, please visit between May and September (summer).

Please avoid January and February, as the region witnesses heavy snowfall during these months, and you might get stranded.

Happy travelling!

[ARAY]

What a great post with such amazing pictures.
The serpentine roads and lush green foliage look really beautiful.
Makes me feel like I live in the wrong part of India.
Keep travelling and sharing such memorable threads.

[woodstock3001]

Originally Posted by BackstraightBoy

Day 6: Ukhimath to Rishikesh via Makku Math

Sir,

You've got the style, both in writing & in your pictures. I thoroughly enjoyed, laughed & giggled reading this, while in isolation. Without your consent, I've picked up few from your collection as wallpaper for my laptop.

& since I'm a naïve when it comes to birds, I had to hold reading & google it to know which bird are you actually referring it

Stay safe.

[ysjoy]

Hi BackstraightBoy,

Great post, such a potent mix of motoring and birding!
Marvellous sightings of so many species and their lovely pictures!

Uttarakhand is been on my bucket-list, for birding, since quite some time
Your post is a motivation to execute it, soon enough!

Look forward to more travelogues from your similar sojourns!

Thanks!
ysjoy

[YanTra Makto]

Great travelogue,
Rare to come across a travelogue dedicated totally to birding with such good bird pics.
Great prose too, must have taken some time, great effort.
What was your cam gear, what kind of tripod/monopod.
That redstart pic with flowing waterfall is a gem.

Wishing you many more enjoyable trips...and travelogues for us

[BackstraightBoy]

Originally Posted by YanTra Makto

What was your cam gear, what kind of tripod/monopod.

Thank you so much, YanTra Makto!

I used a Nikon D600 and a Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 VR for birds. Although I was carrying a tripod (a basic Benro aluminium tripod with a non-detachable and light-duty ball head), I almost never used it for birds, since the lens was light enough to hand hold and had image stabilisation. Even the redstart-and-waterfall picture was shot hand-held, believe it or not!