Here is a selection of images captured during my trips to Ranipur, Chilla range and also Ghori range of Rajaji national park. I had reasoanbly good sighting of animals when I visited the park in the months of May and June. Due to the heat even the animals are not easily seen and are in areas of shade. If planning a trip here in May or June then this is the time when there will be alot of traffic on the roads due to Char Dham Yatra and Rajaji is close to both Haridwar and Rishikesh which attracts alot of pilgrims every year.
Photography
Raptors at Rajaji National Park
Chilla is the most popular zone of Rajaji national park and it is in this zone that I have been able to capture a number of raptors. However the Crested Serpent Eagle is quite occassionally seen compared to the other raptors. The Chilla range has diverse habitat which include Sal forests, grasslands, dry forests, riverine forests, teak plantatations, semi-arid Bhabhar, mixed-moist and semi-moist jungles and due to this it supports a large range of wildlife.
Dussehra Festival at Parade Ground in Dehradun
Dussehra is a major Hindu festival celebrated in India at the end of Navaratri each year and there alot of mythology to it which can be read by going to the wikipedia page. It is mainly a victory of good over evil.
Urban Birding in Dalanwala
Here is a selection of bird captures from my apartment in Dalanwala, Dehradun. Equipment used is the Canon 7D with the Tamron 150-600mm lens and Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lenses. It is not an ideal place for bird watching or bird photography but it is amazing to see a number of bird varieties in an urban setting and that too without venturing far. It shows how birds adapt and thrive in urban surroundings inspite of noise, pollution etc.
Monsoon Photography
Now that the monsoons are over, here are some scenes of monsoonscapes taken during the morning in Dubra village near Dehradun. I got here with some friends by car. On arriving at the place, it seems very different in contrast to Dehradun. No traffic, no pollution, no noise and just the sound of nature and the other great thing is that it is only a small distance away from the main town of Dehradun.
Winter Landscapes in Ladakh
Here I am sharing a small collection of landscape images taken by me during February of this year. I had photographed various locations in ladakh. Places visited were Leh, Shey, Korzok, Ulley and also a trek to Stok Kangri which you could read about by clicking here.
Stok Kangri Winter Expedition
I had booked to do a winter expedition of Stok Kangri in February of this year. Stok Kangri is a 6000m non technical climbing peak which is mostly attempted in the summer months but in winter due to the level of snow and harsh weather, it becomes a different challenge altogether. I had booked via White Magic Adventure. This is professional company and the guides and support staff are very professional in their approach. In this 8 day expedition, there were 10 of us who signed up for such a venture. However 3 people decided to descend down after 5 days and the remaining 7 decided to ascend the peak.
Wildlife in Ladakh in Winter
Here is a number of wildlife images taken by me during my trip to Ladakh earlier this year in February. Locations I had visited were Ulley village and Korzok. Ulley village is a 3 hour drive from Leh and Korzok is a much longer drive of around 7 to 8 hours from Leh. If heading to Korzok from Leh, then one can stop overnight at Chumathang. Here there are hot springs. Korzok feels like an abondaned ghost town during the winters.
Wildlife in Ladakh
After visiting Ladakh five times since 2011 mainly in the summer months, I have a good collection of wildlife images. Ladakh can be rich in wildlife and I feel best time to visit for wildlife is around the spring or summer months or even winter if one wants to maximum chances to see snow leopard however even in winter this is not guaranteed. The Markha Valley which is a few hours from Leh is a good area for wildlife and also a good trekking destination with the option to stay in local homestays or in tents. The Markha trek is a 10-12 day moderate trek which can involve crossing some high passes upto 5200m.
Dosmoche Festival at Leh
I had vistited Ladakh during the month of February of this year. This was my fifth trip to Ladakh and my first time to visit Ladakh in the winter months. Ladakh in winters can be very cold. It is also during this time that the Dosmoche festival is celebrated. This is a two day festival and is celebrated at Leh, Likir and Diskit monasteries. However I only observed the festival at Leh monastery during the first half of day one.