The Mystical land of Ladakh

I was standing on a rocky surface holding a scope to watch the startling fleet of Lammagierie. His grand flights are very popular amongst the birding and wildlife communities. I was engrossed in this charismatic sight when Lama my guide pointed out at the strange activity on the other side of the mountain.

I saw a Himalayan Blue Sheep running fast and I immediately realized the presence of the elusive Snow Leopard nearby. At first, it was difficult to sight him but he caught everyone's attention the moment he pounced on the sheep. However, he was unable to hold the prey for long as he lost his balance and fell down. Hard luck for the feline! He seemed to be a juvenile sharpening his skills in the savage game of hunting. With the evening skies turning pink and gold, we started heading towards our respective camps. This was my second trip to the land of high passes specially designed to explore the rich Ladakh wildlife. 

Next day at the break of dawn we headed towards Rumbak Valley to resume birding in Ladakh. Here we chanced upon some of the sought-after birds of Ladakh such as Chukar, Tibetan Partridge, Tibetan Snowcock, Tibetan Snowfinch, Streaked Rosefinch. On approaching the wetland I got a spectacular sight of an array of waterbirds like Common Pochard, Mallard Duck, Common Coots and many more However it was the Golden Eagle perching on a tree branch near the wetland that stole the show. The day was beautifully spent photographing these wonderful species from various angles. To see my next target bird we landed on Suru Valley, a powerful tributary of the Indus river.

This is a place that rose to fame for sheltering the rare Ibisbill. It is sad to see how its population is declining every year. After roving in the area for quite some time I got my perfect sight of this strikingly mysterious bird. I saw him foraging in the area before taking a carefree dip in the swift torrent of the Dodo river. Rugged landscapes and the harsh weather condition of Ladakh didn't deter the Black-necked cranes from displaying their beauty.

They are very common in the vast wetland of Ladakh, I could see them in huge numbers. This adventurous journey to Ladakh has unlocked the door to a new world where the birds and

mammals dominate the region, something quite uncommon to see in the world where the growing infrastructure is uprooting many species from their home.