THE GRANDEUR OF GURUDONGMAR

Two friends embark on a birdwatching trip that takes them from the urban isolation of Kolkata to the beautiful cold plateaus of North Sikkim.

- SHILADITYA MUKHOPADHYAY

SITTING ON A COUCH on a sultry day in Kolkata, I was revisiting the memories of my last birdwatching trip in the Himalayas. An entire season had passed since. I was desperately looking for a window of opportunity to head into the wild again. So, when my photographer friend, Sourav Mondal, called and asked me to join him on an expedition to North Sikkim, it was a no-brainer.

Reaching the capital, Gangtok, was easy. A daylong cab ride from there took us to Lachen. As the next day dawned, we set out from the hilly hamlet to Gurudongmar Lake, one of the 108 Tso-Chen, or major holy lakes, of Sikkim. But our four-hour drive to the water body screeched to a halt at the sight of a mesmerising flock of grandalas, and later, a herd of Tibetan argali grazing on the highland.

Nearby, agile movements of more feathered creatures drew my attention. We ended up spotting the yellow-billed chough, robin accentor, and Eurasian wren in quick succession. Waterholes often lead to rewarding photographs. So, we decided to stroll along the riverbed of Lachen chu. Common birds like the redbilled chough, hill pigeon, and snow pigeon immediately greeted us.