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Bird
Watching in Kangra Valley
Horse
Riding In & Around Dharamsala
Cycling in Chamba &
Kangra Valley
Buddhist Circuit
of Himachal Jeep Safari Cum Trekking
Jeep
Safari In Kangra Valley
Jeep
Safari In Chamba Valley
3 Days
Treeking to Indrahara
1 Day
Trek to Truind
Dhauldhar Round Trek(10 to
12 Days)
Kullu
Trek From Dharamshala
Trekking to Chamba Valley
Over Inderhara Pass
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BIRD WATCHING
IN WETLAND OF
PONG-LAKE
IN
KANGRA VALLEY
Pong Dam reservoir
is 65 km Pathankot and
115 km from
Dharamsala.
Nestled in the
sylvan surroundings of the Kangra valley, the sprawling Pong Dam
wetland has emerged as a major habitat for migratory birds in the
country as also an attraction for bird watchers.
The most common
bird species that have arrived and often visit this lake every year
include ruddy-shell ducks (surkhab), bar-headed geese, mallards,
coots, pochards and pintails besides rare red-necked grebe and
gulls. These species come from as far as China, Siberia, Central
Asia, Pakistan and Ladakh. According to a census, more than one lakh
migratory birds visited the lake last year.
Built in 1960,
the Pong Dam reservoir is the only place in the country after the
Bharatpur Sanctuary where the red-necked grebe descends every year.
Similarly, though
seashore species, the arrival of gulls on this lake also make the
Pong Dam an exception.
It may be
recalled that it was in 1920 when a British police officer counted
as many as 27 bird species in this region of Kangra district.
Subsequently, it was designated as a protected area.
The water body
occupies an area of at least 18,000 hectares and extends up to
30,000 hectares at the peak monsoon. An area of about 20,000
hectares within the radius of 5 km has been notified as the buffer
zone.
However, there is
abundant aquatic vegetation on the lake and mixed perennial and
deciduous pine forests on hillsides girding up the lake to provide
enough food and shelter respectively to the migratory birds even as
under the social forestry programme a large number of eucalyptus
trees have been raised in the area to enable migratory birds to seek
shelter on these trees. |
BEST
TIME
OCT. TO MARCH EVERY YEAR.
CLASSIFICATION : WATER-BIRDS (INLAND-MIGRATORY)
INTER MEDIATE : (INLAND MIGRATION)
MAXIMUM NOS.
FOUND : APP. 326 KINDS.
RATE
: FOR
WATER BIRDS Tour = $ 100 U.S. ( A JEEP IS INCLUDED)
BIRD-WATCHING GUIDE IS
PROVIDED. PACKED LUNCH IS REQUESTED A FULL DAY
DRIVE. EARLY START AT 7 A.M.
BEST
TIME : MID MARCH TO 10 MAY
JULY-AUGUST IN THE UPPER HILLS.
SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER : ENTIRE VALLEY.
1.
SOME OF THE BEST LOCATIONS FOR BIRD WATCHING SOUTH OF KANGRA VALLEY.
PONG-LAKE- DEHRA -NAGROTA SURIAN- DAHDA- SHEEBA- JWALI AND FATEHGARH
-RENSAR-AREA (FOR WATER BIRDS)
2.
INTERMEDIATE BIRDS : TEA GARDENS OF DHARAMSALA, AREA BELOW MAAN TEA
ESTATE-AREA OF JUNGLES ABOVE GHAROH- DUSALINI- INDRUNAG AND KANDI TEA
GARDENS-McLEODGANJ-GLENMOOR COTTAGES-EAGLES NEST BY GALLO-DOWN TO D.KOT
AND McLEODGANJ.
3.
GALOO-REHRI VIA BHUKKI-GHAROTH -NARDU-KUNAL PATHRI-TRIUND AND BACK MORE
TREKKING IN THE MOUNTAINS. EVERY TREKKING ROUTE IS RECOMMENDED FOR SNOW
BIRD WATCHING.
BESIDES THESE, WALKS THROUGH SOME OF THE VILLAGES ARE ALSO VERY
AUTHENTIC FOR BIRDING.
RATES : WATER BIRDS = 4 PERSONS $ 100 U.S. TOTAL
A JEEP DRIVE, GUIDE AND LUNCH IS INCLUDED.
ii) INTERMEDIATE : Rs. 800/- PER DAY PER PERSON.
JEEP PRICE IF USED NOT TO BE PAID.
iii) FOR REST OF THE ROUTE WHERE NO JEEP ARE REQUIRED
$ 10 U.S.DOLLAR PER HEAD SHALL BE CHARGED
BUT IT MUST BE A GROUP OF MINIMUM FOUR PEOPLE.
WHAT
YOU SHOULD HAVE:
A
QUALITY BINOCULARS IS RECOMMENDED.
A
STRONG PAIR OF SHOES, AS IT INVOLVES LOT OF
WALKING.
A
BOOK OF BIRDS.
A
DAY SACK-DIARY-WATER BOTTLE AND IF POSSIBLE PACKED
LUNCH.
A
SUN CAP TO AVOID THE SCORCH OF THE SUN OR A RAIN JACKET IN REVERSE
CASE.
Book Now
Birdlist Pong Dam Wetland, District
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
Compiled by Jan
Willem den Besten, August 2003
Map
& overview of Pongdam lake
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