BIRDS OF PANGOLAKHA ( SIKKIM , INDIA )

 This time I have no plan for tour due to hectic overload of my work but I want to share one experience which I got to know from one of my friends who recently visited Pangolakha and I am describing the same in my own language.

PANGOLAKHA

Monsoon has its own beauty but when it rains excessively, then the climate and the surrounding seems to react against us. Landslide is very common in hilly areas including some places of North Bengal in India. But when nature calls, it is irresistible to sit back at home. Moreover the inner thrust in mind led us to plan our trip to Pangolakha in Sikkim to watch birds.

Sun was at mid sky when we reached NJP on 25^th 2011. Our vehicle for our journey was pre-arranged. We took NH 31A, the highway towards Gangtok from Siliguri. As per our plan we have to cross Rangpo, the border of West Bengal and Sikkim and take the right hand route to Zuluk where we will stay for next 4 days and trek the nearby jungles as well as Pangolakha sanctuary to watch birds.

ZULUK  VILLAGE

Pangolakha is very beautiful, picturesque and falls on the north of Neora valley and is one of my favorites. There is a trek route from Pangolakha to Neora Valley. Cho-lo ranges fall on the north of Pangolakha with Chumbi Valley on North West, on the east is the Pangolkha range which is the border of India and Bhutan, on the South and North-West is Neora Valley and on the west is Pakkim or Payking where the first airport of Sikkim is under construction.

OLD  SILK  ROUTE

The Juluk village, 9300 ft above the sea level is the gateway of Pangolakha. The route goes amidst the hills, the landscape looks like lots of inverted bowls kept there. This is the so called silk route and when in winter there is water crisis, the route gets covered by ice.

RONGLI

What so ever we are going there in the rainy season when excessive rain causes many difficulties. Although it rained for past few days, today it is sunny. Sign of landslide are seen on the hilly road. While going, we got news of landslide before Rangpo when we reached Tista Bazaar. The task of clearing the road has started though it is time consuming. Without wasting any time we took the alternative route to our destination via Kalimpong –Algara-Pedong-Rishi-Rongli and finally Zuluk. The journey gets extended but there is no way.

STRIPED  THHOATED  EUHINA

We took our lunch at a restaurant at Kalimpong. The road goes straight to Lava via Algara but we took the left side road and reached Pedong by mid noon. Many butterflies are flying everywhere making the surrounding colorful. Few familiar birds are flying everywhere. We stopped our car near Rishi and took photos seeing two tree creepers, one after another, climbing up a tree very fast and fluently. We stopped as and when we got glimpse of any interesting thing. Till now we saw very common birds like Pied Bush Chat, Rufous Sibia, Striped Throated Euhina, Orientl Turtle Dove etc.

RUFOUS  SIBIA

We reached Rongli by evening and took our inner line permit which took no time because copy of our photo identity card was sent beforehand. For this reason local vehicles get an upper hand over outside vehicles.

The road climbed up from Rongli to Lingtham. Everywhere there is darkness. Suddenly we saw in the headlight of our vehicle, a Leopard Cat appearing from the roadside bush and walking in front of us. The skin was yellow with striped black. This little incident got everyone of us back to attention throughout the time we reached Zuluk.

ZULUK

There is only one home stay facility at Zuluk. Except those over-curious ones, very few travelers come in this route. There has been little rain because we found water stagnant on the stairs when we got down entering our rooms. Electricity, geyser and room heater is present creating a soothing atmosphere although there is not so cold outside.

We planned our next few days program while relishing snacks with tea. Almost every afternoon it rained and the sky remained cloudy. So we used to plan our next day journey after seeing the morning sky. We had to take same route to Zuluk which goes through Pangolakha to Nathula.

CHESTNUT  TAILED  MINLA

We can move down to Padamcham or Lingtham which falls in the range between 4000 -9000 ft. Here birds like Grey Hooded Warbler, Chestnut Tailed Minla, White Browed Fulvetta, Chestnut Bellied Rockthrush, Yellow Breasted Greenfinch, Fire Tailed Sunbird, Rufous Sibia and Black Faced Laughing Thrush can be watched. Himalayan Monal, Blood Fleagent, Satar Tragopan can be watched occasionally in year. We got to know that Red Panda is available there in that area.

FIRE  TAILED  SUNBIRD

We reached Pangolakha. Himalayan Monals can be seen in between 9000-14000 ft. on the zigzag road which goes to Nathula towards Jelepla. In this region almost 2 ft dazzling monals can be seen amidst Rhododendron Flower, Juniper Bush which is a treasure of Pangolakha.

HIMALAYAN  MONAL

Each and every member of Fleagent family is very dazzling. We have not seen yet Satar Tragopan and moreover glimpse of Blood Fleagent is a dream to photographer like us. Other than these Birds, Bear, Clouded leopard, Red Panda, Himalayan Thar, Deer, Pel Wiezel, Yellow Throated Master Pyka are also present here.

RED  PANDA

Next day we got ready before sunrise. Large hawk Kaku is having chorus with Blue Whistling Thrush Clurk. After advancing a few kilometers, we suddenly got glimpse of Kanchenjunga with its ministers including Koktang, Narsing, Pandim, Kabru, Kabrudom, Janu, Sinialchu with the first strike of sun-rays on peak of Kanchenjunga. We took photos and got astonished while turning our heads to see a Goral standing at a distance of 30 ft away and staring at us. Here Himalayan Thar is also available.

GORAL

We stayed there for a few more time with the sunshine hitting the valley. We climbed up a little bit. The Zuluk village can seen very down there, with the Silk Route looking like crawling snake very deep down. Jelepla is very close nearby where previously business was used to be done between India and Tibet and people used to have night stay here at Zuluk. Now business is no longer done and the whole area is under control of army and forest department. The total area is very historic.

PIED  BUSHCHAT

We spotted many Fire Tailed Sun birds at a place and took many photos. The sun went up above the sky when we reached Lungthu which is bout 18 kms from Zuluk. On our return journey back to Zuluk we caught sight of Black Faced Laughing Thrush.

SATYR  TRAGOPAN

We took lunch by 2 pm. By 3 pm we got out and now our journey is downwards. After  a few minutes search we got sight of Blood Pheasant and Satyr Tragopan. In the evening we celebrated ourselves with tea and snacks and took dinner by 9 pm.

BLOOD  PHEASANT

We spent our days by watching each and every morning and afternoon. We took photos of many rare birds like Grey Hooded Warbler, Rusty Tiled Tree-creeper, White Chested Laughing Thrush, Chestnut Tailed Minla, Olive Blacked Pipit, Chestnut Bellied Rockthrush, Yellow Breasted Greenfrinch, Barred Cuckoo Dove, White Colored Black bird and many more.

KUPUP  LAKE

One day we crossed Lungthu and went to see Nathang Valley and Bedong Tsao (Kupup Lake) where due to excessive bushes in rainy season, birds were very less. Still the greenery soothed us.

LENGTHU