#Himalayan Griffin Vultures

[dinosaurwithablog]

At first, I just saw the big face and thought that this was a stuffed creature, but then I saw the head, and I realized I was fooled by the fake eyes!! What a surprise 😮🫢 what spectacular camouflage!! What a phenomenal bird!! I love vultures. I, now, have a new favorite vulture!! 😍 Such brilliant plumage!!! A magnificent bird, indeed!!!

A Himalayan Griffon Vulture, the second largest of the Old World Vultures, showing off its fake eyes.

Photo husein_latif

[dailybirdscuzbird]

BIRD WHEEL: Himalayan vulture

@/thatonerandompigeon

@/baneobeees

Himalayan Griffin Vultures or Gyps himalayensis, are also known as Himalayan Griffins or Himalayan Vultures. They live in southern Asia in mountainous regions and are pretty common there, though their conservation status is near threatened. They are usually seen on their own but they gather in large flocks at carcasses.

[roadkillandcrows]

Himalayan griffin vulture skull.

[cleverwordsandotherstuffilike]

Himalayan Griffin Vulture lifts its feathers creating a disguise to scare off predators

[skycatcherchris]

I adore your work so much I’d never even heard of an enfield before.

I love the osprey and barn owls in particular

Are there other species of gryphon besides the forest ones?

Sincerely,

@outofangband / @gryphon-lair

Thank you so much!!

I'm really glad my work has introduced people to mythical creatures that aren't very well known. Enfields are from Irish and British mythology and they're used sometimes in heraldry, but they aren't featured in fiction much which is a shame.

There are other species of griffin besides forest ones! This series and blog mostly focuses on forest ones because they're the only kind found in the setting, but other griffins appear occasionally. Some planned species include jungle griffins (jaguar/harpy eagle), savananah griffins (lion/crowned eagle) and Himalayan griffins (snow leopard/Himalayan vulture) to name a few. There are also stone griffins (lynx/various birds of prey) who are said to have a secret outpost of many griffins and other mythical creatures, deep in the mountains in a far-off land.

[naturetravel]

Lahaul Spiti Tour

Day 1: Delhi/Chandigarh – Manali: 

Today Lahaul Spiti Tour guests will transfer to Manali as per itinerary. The package will start from Manali.

Day 2: Manali – Rohtang La – Kaza:

This is the 1st day of our Lahaul Spiti Tour Package. We drive through the popular Rohtang Pass. Then Spiti tour packages from Kolkata guests will pass into the stunning brown landscape and approach Chattru and Batal. At 14,931 feet, after chilling out at Kunzum Pass and through Losar Village, making the first step in Spiti valley. After some refreshment continue drive through the stunning landscapes and reach Kaza where we spend the night at a comfortable hotel.

Day 3: Kaza – Langza – Hikkim – Komik – Key Monastery – Kibber – Kaza

Today in the Spiti Valley Tour, we drive to the highest inhabited regions of the world.

The highest village in Asia, Komik, situated at a height of 4,513 meters. This farm-village has a population of around 80 people, isolated from the rest of the world for most parts of the year. Some of the Himalayan animals of the region are the Tibetan wolf, blue sheep, red fox, hare, snow cock, Himalayan griffin, rock pigeon etc.

Later, visit to Hikkim where you see world’s highest post office. You may send a postcard here before drive to Langza. Langza village is situated at an altitude of 4,400 meters and a population of around 140 people. You can walk into the village and visit the ancient Temple which is around 1000 years old.

We drive back down to Kaza for lunch. After that, we visit the world famous Key Monastery (Also spelled Kee or Ki). With over 1000 years’ stories the Key Monastery situated at a height of 4166 metres (13,668 ft).

Then we will move to the village of Kibber which is 18 km away from Kaza at a height of 4,205 meters. You will experience to see beautiful landscapes and immeasurable beauty of the snow-tipped mountains which make the place haven for nature lovers. From Kibber, you can also trek to Chicham Village. We drive to Village Gette to witness stunning aerial views of Kaza. Later in the evening drive back to Kaza to spend the night in a comfortable Kaza hotel.

Day 4: Kaza – Pin Valley – Kungri – Mudh Village – Kaza

Today visit to the beautiful Pin Valley national park which has animals, birds, with some rare plants and a river with trekking opportunities for the adventure lovers.

Firstly visit the Kungri Monastery and then the wonderful Mudh – the last motorable village of Pin Valley which is declared a national park in 1987 and has altitudes ranging from 11,000 to 20,000 feet.

Pin Valley national park is the home of different snow leopards. In addition to that other animals like the Siberian ibex, Bharal, Weasel, Red fox and birds such as griffon, golden eagle, bearded vulture may be seen in this area. Later in the evening drive back to Kaza.

Day 5: Kaza – Tabo – Dhankar – Dhankar Lake Trek

After breakfast, we continue to explore Spiti and drive towards Tabo - the ‘Ajanta of the Himalayas’. Visit 1020 year-old Tabo Monastery – which is also a UNESCO world heritage site and is famous for its ancient paintings that reflect the life of Buddha.

Later drive towards Dhankar. It is bowl shaped and a tiny hamlet. Remember you are exploring the 1200-year-old Dhankar Gompa where you can take an hour’s climb above the village to visit the stunning Dhankar Tso or Dhankar Lake which offers stunning view over the valley. Interested people can move towards the twin peaks of Mane Rang (6593 meters).

Day 6: Kaza – Kunzum La – Chandra Taal Lake

Today commence our journey back home and trace our steps back on the Kaza – Manali road. However, we take one last stop at Chandra Tal – “The moon Lake”. The mystical Chandra Tal Lake is located at a height of 14,100 feet. The Chandra Bhaga mountain range offers changes in the appearance according to the pictures painted in the sky.

After enjoying the colours of the beautiful Chandra Taal Lake, we move towards our camping site which is equipped with camping equipment including tents, high altitude sleeping bags.

Day 7: Chandra Taal Lake – Rohtang La – Manali

Taking the memory of the stunning Chandra Tal Lake continues our journey on the Kaza – Manali road and after a few hours of driving via the famous Rohtang Pass on the way of Manali.

You can choose to explore Manali market in the evening or you can take rest in the comforts of your Manali hotel. 

Day 8: Manali – Chandigarh – Delhi 

This is your last day of Lahaul Spiti tour package. Check out from Manali hotel as per your train or flight timing from Chandigarh or Delhi. Guests of Spiti Valley tour packages from Kolkata board for Kolkata. 

Manali to Spiti| Spiti Valley tour packages from Chandigarh

[topfygad]

Jabarkhet: Where Ruskin Bond Tales Come Alive

A private nature reserve, away from Mussoorie’s tourist thrum, looks like something straight out of the author’s stories.

  Spread over 300 acres, Jabarkhet is Uttarakhand’s first private nature reserve. Photo Courtesy: Jabarkhet Nature Reserve

The summers of my childhood were defined by three things: books, mangoes and power cuts. Often the three would come together and I would eat through plates of raspuri and langda, while sprawled on the floor reading by the light of a kerosene lantern. I devoured entire series through the summers, graduating from Enid Blyton to Caroline Keene, but Ruskin Bond was my perennial favourite. As the mercury climbed, I would immerse myself in his stories of the hills and forests and the people who lived in them, almost feeling the cool mountain breeze against my sweaty skin.

On my first trip to Mussoorie last May, I craned my neck out of the car while driving up from Dehradun, to take in the verdant Garhwal hills I had read so much about. Summer had left the hills parched and the trees drooping, but human activity had also rendered large patches of the hillsides barren and brown. Mussoorie was as crowded as the Delhi metro during rush hour. The major attractions—Mall Road, Kempty Falls, Company Garden, Gunhill Point—were pretty, but crammed with tourists.

Looking for an escape from the madding crowds, my friend and I chanced upon a poster for Jabarkhet Nature Reserve at a café on Mall Road. It seemed relatively unknown; no taxi driver hawked it, and one even wondered why we wanted to go there. On a whim, we postponed our plans to visit Lal Tibba and took a taxi to the reserve.

Spread over 300 acres, Jabarkhet is Uttarakhand’s first private nature reserve. Until a few years ago, it was like many other forest patches in the Garhwals: subject to littering, animal grazing and felling of trees for firewood and timber. Since 2012, the owners of the reserve have worked with noted conservationist Sejal Worah to restore the area, removing nearly 500 kilograms of trash and appointing locals to assist in the conservation process.

Jabarkhet brims with flora and fauna—here, you can walk amidst rhododendron blooms (left), and listen to the Himalayan griffin vulture (right). Photos By: Orin/Shutterstock (Flowers), CSP_Mazikab/Fotosearch LBRF/Dinodia Photo Library (Vulture)

A half-hour drive up the narrow, winding Tehri Road from Library Bus Stand brought us to the entrance of Jabarkhet. Due to the impromptu nature of our plans, we did not have a guide, but the ticket collector handed us field guides, detailing the eight trails and the flora and fauna we could hope to see along each. We chose the Leopard Trail, one of the longest, which would take us through most of the reserve’s major viewpoints.

The first thing that struck me was the silence, the pin-drop silence my schoolteachers had often demanded. Slowly I realised that it wasn’t complete silence, but the absence of the city’s white noise, the commotion of vehicles and people that I was used to. Alongside the crunch of our shoes on fallen leaves, I heard the screech of a magpie, the guttural cry of Himalayan griffon vulture, the occasional tok-tok of a woodpecker, and the whistling of the wind through the trees.

As we walked, I picked out some of the plants mentioned in the field guide: pinpricks of yellow kingol (barberry) flowers, lichen coating the lyonia trees, and the orange Himalayan raspberry peeping through a copse of ferns. After half an hour of walking, we emerged from the tree-lined forest trail to a hillside clearing. The hills stretched before us, carpeted with old-growth forests of deodar, oak, pine and maple. The rhododendrons were in bloom—streaks of red interspersed with myriad shades of green. We strained our eyes to see the snow-dusted peaks of the Himalayas, but they were hidden by misty shawls.

The only charm touristy Mussoorie (top) had for the author was the proximity to Landour, Ruskin Bond’s (bottom) hometown. Photos by: Aroon Thaewchatturat/Alamy/Indiapicture (Ruskin Bond), Vivek S Maurya/Shutterstock (Mussoorie)

We took a narrow path higher into the hills to the “Lone Oak” at top of the trail, a clearing around an oak tree with some wooden benches—the sort of place where one might encounter a character from Bond’s stories. The bilberry-loving Binya from “Binya Passes By” perhaps, or any of the ghosts from A Season of Ghosts. Maybe even the writer himself on one of his mountain walks. We didn’t meet anyone, but were free to conjure up some of our own characters while we revelled in the picturesque solitude of the mountains.

On the way back, we took a detour through the Mushroom Trail. Walking through dense thickets, we kept an eye out for fungi and were rewarded with glimpses of puffball and inkcap mushrooms growing near tree roots. The trail opened out into wildflower meadows, near a small abandoned hut. A sea of daisies greeted us, spread like a white bridal veil over the grassy hillock. I sat on a log and daydreamed of being a Garhwali Heidi, of milking goats in the hut, scampering behind butterflies amidst the wildflowers, and waking up every morning to a view of the hills.

Later, back in Mussoorie, I stood in a queue to meet the man who had triggered my wanderlust with his tales of the hills. Ruskin Bond makes the trip from his cottage in Landour to Cambridge Bookstore in Mall Road every Saturday to autograph books. As he smiled at me with twinkling eyes, I was bubbling over with stories to tell him, especially of my recent walk in the Jabarkhet woods. Ultimately, I stuck to a simple thank you, for sharing his love of the hills through his stories, and a decision to write some of my own stories down instead.

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source http://cheaprtravels.com/jabarkhet-where-ruskin-bond-tales-come-alive/

[nepalplanner-blog]

Paragliding in Nepal can be a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience for the adventure seeker. Experience the unparalleled scenic grandeur as you share airspace with Himalayan griffin vultures, eagles, kites and float over villages, monasteries, temples, lakes and jungle, with fantastic view of the majestic Himalaya.

[bidntravel-blog]

Paragliding in this Himalayan country can be a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience for the adventure-seekers. You can experience unparalleled scenic grandeur as you share airspace with Himalayan griffin vultures, eagles, kites, while floating over villages, monasteries, temples, lakes and jungles, with a fantastic view of the majestic Himalayas.

[roadkillandcrows]

Himalayan griffin vulture and tawny eagle skull.

[roadkillandcrows]

American kestrel and Himalayan griffin vulture skull. Both from captive birds.

[roadkillandcrows]

Himalayan griffin vulture skull.

[roadkillandcrows]

Himalayan griffin vulture skull.

[roadkillandcrows]

White backed vulture skull (top) and Himalayan griffin vulture skull (bottom).

[roadkillandcrows]

Himalayan griffin vulture skull and cicada.

[roadkillandcrows]

Himalayan griffin vulture skull and painted lady butterfly.