A sojourn into the lesser known hamlet of Sigri, at a distance of 25kms from nainital , Three days and two nights of non – stop birding and photography with a great team of knowledgeable, enthusiastic , and passionate birders. Lucid views of the majestic himalayas and Relationships nurtured and bonds formed over a cup of hot tea in extreme cold,

Waking up at the crack of dawn to the singing of colorful birds to driving down the narrow stretches of the forest road, with the greater himalayas shining in the first rays of the sun , to scanning every nook and corner of the land, hoping to get a glimpse of the elusive ones.
Together in hope, we moved on and moved on ,
An experience to cherish, to be passed on, to be told,
Relationships nurtured and bonds formed over these three days in extreme cold.
Of a list of 88 birds we boast,
Travelderness’ first winter tour of this year to the naina devi reserve was a pleasure to host!

Beginning from the lower altitudes of jeoikote, birding in the nearby forest the first afternoon, we made our way to sigri perched at an altitude of 2250m to begin our endeavor of locating high altitude residents and migrants, the next day , A morning excursion to cheer point and again an afternoon session at jeolikote rounded off the tour . All in all 88 species of birds were seen or photographed .

1) Himalayan bulbul
2) khaleej pheasant
3)Black kite
4)black eagle
5)himalayan griffon
6)shikra
7)eurasian spparowhawk
8)steppe eagle
9)mountain hawk eagle
10) himalayan buzzard
11)common pigeon
12)slaty headed parakeet
13)collared owlet
14)asian barred owlet
15)large tailed nightjar
16)great barbet
17)rufous bellied woodpecker
18)fulvous breasted woodpecker
19) brown fronted woodpecker
20)himalayan woodpecker
21) scaly bellied woodpecker
22)grey headed woodpecker
23)bronzed drono
24) white throated fantail
25) eurasian jay
26) red billed blue magpie
27) common green magpie
28) grey treepie
29) large billed crow
30)great tit
31) green backed tit
32)coal tit
33) yellow browed tit
34) black throated tit
35) red rumped swallow
36) black crested bulbul
37) red vented bulbul
38) ashy bulbul
39)black bulbul
40) striated prinia
41) grey breasted prinia
42) ashy prinia
43) plain prinia
44) buff barred warbler
45) humes leaf warbler
46) grey hooded warbler
47) black chinned babbler
48) jungle babbler
49) white crested laughing thrush
50) striated laughing thrush
51) streaked laughing thrush
52) white throated laughing thrush
53) white browed shrike babbler
54) rufous sibia
55) oriental white eye
56) chestnut bellied nuthatch
57) white tailed nuthatch
58) bar tailed tree creeper
59) blue whistling thrush
60) scaly thrush
61) plain backed thrush
62) black throated thrush
63) mistle thrush
64) white capped redstart
65) plumbeous water redstart
66) blue capped redstart
67) grey bushchat
68) blue fronted redstart
69) chestnut bellied rock thrush
70) grey headed canary flycatcher
71) rufous bellied niltava
72) crimson sunbird
73) fire tailed sunbird
74) green tailed sunbird
75) russet spparow
76) scaly breasted munia
77) altai accentor
78) grey wagtail
79) olive backed pipit
80) yellow breasted green finch
81) plain mountain finch
82) dark breasted rosefinch
83) rock bunting
84) pied bushchat
85) hen harrier
86) grey capped pygmy woodpecker
87) common kestrel

Special thanks to Sohini for making this happen !! and all participants Narender Singh Khaira, Rajive Bhatia, Nitin Singh and naturalist Rahul Singh for making the tour a memorable one ..