If you wish to give the icy forests of the Pin Valley National Park a miss, the area around the Dhankar Lake is your best bet for birding in the Lahaul and Spiti region. Situated at an altitude of 4136 meters, the bluish green lake offers breath-taking vistas of the surrounding landscape and is reachable by a 2 hour hike from Dhankar Monastery. Species like Lammergeier, Desert Wheatear, Twite, Himalayan snowcock, Sulphur-bellied and Tickell's leaf warbler can be spotted here and are a treat for any bird lover's eyes. Migratory birds like Temmick's Stint, Black-winged stilt and the Garganey also make an appearance occasionally.
Great Himalayan National Park - The biggest national park of Himachal Pradesh is probably the best place to witness a wide range of exotic and home bird species. With undisturbed forests, the wilderness here is just unexplored and serene. One can spot birdies such as the yellow-billed blue magpie, Himalayan black bulbul, white capped redstart, and brown dipper among others and is a feast to the eyes of any bird watcher. This national park is a seven hour drive away from our
resort in Himachal Pradesh.
Chail Wildlife Sanctuary - The sanctuary in Chail is another stunningly beautiful spot for birdwatchers. Chir pheasant and Khalij pheasants are a common sight here in this national park. With some luck, you might also be able to capture a russet sparrow, green-backed and golden eagles on your camera, which may make your bird watching dreams come true.
Despite being located just 45 km from Shimla, Chail has none of the overwhelming crowds of the state capital. The Chail Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a number of animals like European red deer, ghoral, flying squirrel and the Himalayan black bear which are really beautiful animals. Birds like the Cheer pheasant and the Khaleej pheasant are also very common. You can also spot species like russet sparrow, wire-tailed swallow, green-backed and great tit and blue whistling thrush among other birds. The golden eagle makes a majestic appearance against the blue skies here. A number of enduring trekking trails pass through Chail. The wooded hills surrounding the town are a great option for long hikes and bird watching remarkably.
Narkanda is the starting point of the great Hatu Peak trek. All along the trail, you can spot a number of beautiful bird species like Indian blue robin, brownish-flanked bush warbler, Himalayan griffon, large hawk cuckoo, black and yellow grosbeak, spotted nutcracker, greenish and lemon-rumped warbler, ultramarine and Asian brown flycatcher, Eurasian blackbird.
