Its amazing how the flora and fauna changes in the Chamba Valley, as you ascend from 10,000 ft to 16,500 ft. It starts with compulsive greenery, a riot of colorful flowers and the chirping of unseen birds in the pine forests, then, as you climb, the vegetation first thins down to the bare minimum, and then to none at all.
Here are some of the scenes we managed to capture along the way.
A Monitor Lizard basks in the sun. As you cross Kugti village and trek towards the Kaylong Kartik Temple, they seem to be all over the place - basking in the sun, staring at you warily atop boulders, or just slinking out of the way quietly.
Why are they so numerous in the vicinity of the village? Is it because of insects that are attracted to the terrace crops?
Wagtails of all kinds!
When you are driving from Bharmour towards Kugti you can see them swooping and diving in front of the vehicles. These are mostly Citrine Wagtails with their distinct pale yellow undersides. Beyong Kugti, you see two others: White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) with- white wedges around their eyes, and
the White-brown Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis), the ones with slick white 'eyebrows'.
Tiny glossy leaves, red berries, cushiony on rocks - Cotoneaster microphyllus (Bhedda)
Yellow flower with a hundred needle like petals - Inula grandiflora (Daisy family)
No comments:
Post a Comment