NORTHERN INDIA. 1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Northern India. Himalayas & Plains, Birds & Tigers

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1 1 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Northern India NORTHERN INDIA Himalayas & Plains, Birds & Tigers Tour Duration: 19 days Group Size Limit: 10 Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate There is something indefinable about India which makes many westerners who have been there long to return. Perhaps it is the vastness of the country and its timeless quality, perhaps it is the strange mixture of peoples and vibrant, colourful, largerthan-life cultures which strikes a hidden chord in us, for whom it seems so alien and yet so fascinating, or perhaps it is the way that man and nature are so closely linked, co-existing in a way that seems intrinsically impossible. Here one sees tiny ponds on the edge of a crowded village thronged with herons and other waterbirds, all unmolested and unconcerned by the stream of people coming to wash clothes or water their animals. In any event this has always been a favourite country of ours constantly appearing in reminiscences about birds and travel. Northern India offers some of the finest birding in the world amongst superb scenery. Not only is the local avifauna extremely Black-headed Jay (Nik Borrow) rich, but the birding here is unsurpassed in Asia terms of the sheer number of rather tame and approachable birds that one encounters. The interest for birdwatchers is enhanced still further during the winter months by the large number of avian visitors from northern Asia. This classic journey, which is distilled from decades of personal experience in the region, will take you through a crosssection of the environments of Northern India from the fertile plains of the Ganges, that most Indian of all the country s regions, to the Himalayas, the ornithological treasure house of the subcontinent, and to the arid landscapes of Rajasthan. The hills and plains of Northern Indian and the adjacent Himalayas are generally considered to offer some of the best birding in the Oriental region, offering both a remarkable number of species and much easier and more diverse birding than more forest-orientated tours in tropical Asia. As well as providing some wonderful birding and the opportunity to see some exciting mammals, our travels will show us something of the real India and an age-old way of life that is only beginning to come to terms with the modern world. We start our travels at Delhi, where we will explore nearby Sultanpur Jheel, home to Indian Courser, Sind Sparrow and Brooks s Leaf Warbler, as well as many waterbirds including the impressive Black-necked Stork. From Delhi we will travel across the densely populated Gangetic Plain to the base of the Himalayas and the forests and grasslands of Corbett National Park, the richest place for birds and mammals in northern India. The park is a haunt of Pallas s and Lesser Fish Eagles, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Tawny Fish Owl, Hodgson s Bushchat, Nepal Wren-Babbler and Blackchinned Babbler amongst others, not to mention a wide selection of mammals including Asian Elephant and the magnificent Tiger. Then, after checking for Ibisbills along one of the rivers, we will wind our way up into the beautiful mid-himalayas to explore the surroundings of the hill station of Naini Tal, home to Scaly-bellied, Himalayan and Rufous-bellied Woodpeckers, White-tailed Rubythroat, Bluecapped Redstart, Streaked Laughingthrush, Spot-winged and Black-lored Tits, Blackheaded Jay, Pink-browed Rosefinch and many other interesting birds, including Cheer Pheasant. From the Himalayas we will travel southwards to the Agra region of Uttar Pradesh to explore the wonderful National Chambal Sanctuary, a little-known reserve on the Chambal River that is the haunt of Gangetic River Dolphins, two species of crocodile (including the long-snouted Gharial), Indian Skimmers, Red-naped Ibises, Great Thick-knees and Black-bellied Terns. We will also have the opportunity to see the ethereal Taj Mahal, that pinnacle of human achievement. Eventually we head westwards to the remarkable wetland reserve at Bharatpur, one of the ornithological wonders of the world. Here we will be looking for everything from Painted Stork and the huge Sarus Crane to Indian Thick-knee, Dusky Eagle-Owl and the localized Marshall s Iora. Finally, after penetrating further into the dry landscapes of Rajasthan, we will explore the rugged, jungle-clad hills of the famous Ranthambhore Sanctuary, overlooked by a brooding Rajput fortress, home to the endangered Tiger and some exciting birds, including Painted Spurfowl, Jungle and Rock Bush Quails, and Whitenaped Woodpecker, while the surrounding arid country and wetlands attract Painted Sandgrouse and Demoiselle Crane. All in all, this combination of superb localities makes for the ultimate northern Indian birding experience. Birdquest has operated tours to northern India since 1982.

2 2 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Northern India Itinerary Day 1 The tour begins this morning at Delhi, where we will stay overnight. Today we will visit Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, situated just over the border in the adjoining state of Haryana. Here we will concentrate our efforts on the dry woodland and semidesert habitats, where we have an excellent chance of seeing the beautiful Indian Courser, Indian Bushlark, Sind Sparrow (a recent colonist of the Delhi region) and wintering Brooks s Leaf Warblers from the Northwest Himalayas, all four of which are Indian subcontinent endemics. We are also likely to encounter Greater Short-toed and Bimaculated Larks, Longbilled Pipit, Isabelline, Desert and Variable Wheatears, Large Grey Babbler and Southern Grey Shrike. The restored lagoon in the sanctuary, which is topped up by a pipeline from a nearby irrigation canal, hosts thousands of resident and wintering waterbirds, including the magnificent Painted and Black-necked Storks. Other species we are likely to encounter at Sultanpur include Little Grebe, Little Cormorant, Little and Great Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons, Indian Pond Heron, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Northern White-tailed Rubythroat (Craig Robson) Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Blackshouldered Kite, Black Kite (of the resident form govinda, perhaps a candidate for a split, or else lumping with Blackeared), Common Moorhen, Common Coot, Red-wattled Lapwing, Laughing Dove, Rose-ringed (or Ring-necked) Parakeet, White-throated Kingfisher, Grey-throated Sand Martin (split from Brownthroated), Barn Swallow, Redvented Bulbul, Bay-backed and Long-tailed Shrikes, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Indian Robin, Black Redstart, Jungle Babbler, Ashy Prinia, Hume s Leaf Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Purple Sunbird, Common Myna, Black Drongo and House Crow. Day 2 From Delhi we will drive eastwards to Corbett National Park, at the foot of the Himalayas, for a four nights stay (spending the first two nights at an attractive lodge near the park entrance before continuing deep inside the park to Dhikala for two nights). The journey takes us across the Gangetic Plain, the heartland of Hindu India and the most populous part of the country, providing a fascinating introduction to Indian life. The mix of traffic on the roads, consisting of buses, trucks, cars, motorized and cycle rickshaws, bullock carts and pedestrians carrying every imaginable item, has to be seen to be believed. Rural scenes of houses and huts, mango groves and mustard fields are interspersed with transits through towns where cows munch the garbage next to lines of cycle rickshaws and lurid billboards shout at one from the walls of prematurely-aged concrete office blocks. We will have our first encounter with some widespread Indian plains birds during the journey, including Eastern Cattle Egret (split from Western), Egyptian Vulture, Rock Dove (here of a genuine wild population), Eurasian Collared Dove, Little Swift, Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Asian Pied Starling and Bank Myna. We will make a stop near Gajraula to check the surroundings of the bridge over the sacred Ganges for such interesting species as Pallas s (or Great Black-headed) and Brown-headed Gulls, and Sand Lark, as well as Little and Great Cormorants, Ruddy Shelduck, Little Ringed Plover, River Lapwing, Eurasian Curlew, Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Temminck s Stint, Black-headed Gull, River Tern, Oriental Skylark, White, Masked, Sykes s and Greyheaded Wagtails, Paddyfield Pipit, Plain Prinia and Pied Bushchat. If we are in luck, we will also find Laggar Falcon, White-tailed Stonechat or Graceful Prinia. Days 3-5 Corbett National Park protects a large tract of forest and grassland at the base of the Himalayas and this exceedingly beautiful stretch of country epitomizes the India so vividly described in The Maneaters of Kumaon and other books by Jim Corbett, who lived for many years in the area and in whose honour the park was named. During the winter months large numbers of birds from the higher levels of the Himalayas descend to the foothills, combining with those already present to give the park one of the richest avifaunas in northern India at this season. We will be exploring a number of excellent birding areas both inside and outside the park. The lodge at Dhikala, in the heart of the park, overlooks an attractive lake formed by the damming of the Ramganga River and here we may well see both Pallas s and Lesser Fish Eagles. Other specialities of the park that we are likely to encounter include Tawny and Brown Fish Owls, and the restricted range Nepal Wren-Babbler. Along the crystal-clear rivers and streams we will search for Crested Kingfisher, White-browed and Himalayan Wagtails, Brown Dipper, Plumbeous and White-capped Water Redstarts, Little, Slaty-backed and Spotted Forktails, and Blue Whistling Thrush, whilst if we are lucky we will come across a wintering Wallcreeper. Extensive tracts of elephant grass provide a home for such species as Black Francolin, Aberrant and Grey-sided Bush Warblers, Bright-capped Cisticola, Tickell s Leaf Warbler, Yelloweyed Babbler, Red Avadavat, Chestnut-eared and Crested Buntings, and sometimes the uncommon and localized Hodgson s (or White-throated) Bushchat (which breeds largely in Mongolia and winters in the northern plains of the Indian subcontinent) and Chestnut-capped Babbler. Swirling masses of hirundines and swifts are frequently overhead and we shall be particularly looking out for Himalayan Swiftlet, Whiterumped Needletail and Crested Treeswift. Along the forest tracks we shall look for Plum-headed and Slaty-headed Parakeets, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Streak-throated Woodpecker, Himalayan Flameback, Golden-fronted and Orangebellied Leafbirds, Common Iora, Bar-winged Flycatcher- Shrike, Large Woodshrike, the diminutive Chestnutheaded Tesia, Grey-breasted Prinia, Grey-hooded Warbler,

3 3 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Northern India Whistler s Warbler (split from Golden-spectacled), Slaty-blue and Little Pied Flycatchers, Small and Rufous-bellied Niltavas, Yellow-bellied and White-throated Fantails, Rustycheeked Scimitar Babbler, White-crested Laughingthrush, Black-chinned Babbler, Chestnut-bellied and Velvetfronted Nuthatches, Blackhooded Oriole, Rufous Treepie and many other avian denizens of this wonderful place. We also have a good chance of seeing Black Stork, Eurasian Black and Red-headed Vultures, Hen Harrier, Changeable and Mountain Hawk-Eagles, Collared Falconet, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Red Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, Green Sandpiper, Spotted Dove, Asian Barred and Jungle Owlets, Common Kingfisher, Lineated, Brown-headed and Blue-throated Barbets, Greyheaded, Fulvous-breasted and Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers, Red-rumped Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Large Cuckooshrike, Blackcrested, Red-whiskered, Himalayan and Ashy Bulbuls, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Siberian Stonechat, Common Tailorbird, Red-throated (or Taiga) Flycatcher (split Indian Skimmers (Tony Disley) from Red-breasted), Scalybreasted Wren-Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Zitting Cisticola, Siberian Chiffchaff (split from Common), Grey Tit (split from Great), Oriental White-eye, Indian Jungle Crow (split from Large-billed), Hair-crested Drongo, Jungle Myna and Common Rosefinch. If we are fortunate we will encounter Rufous-bellied Eagle or Great Hornbill. Corbett has a good many mammals and we are likely to encounter such species as Rhesus Macaque, Tarai Grey Langur, Golden Jackal, Asian Elephant, Wild Boar, the elegant Spotted Deer, Sambar, Indian Muntjac and Hog-Deer, as well as that strange fisheating crocodile, the Gharial. Unlike the situation in many Indian reserves, Tiger sightings have actually increased in Corbett in recent years, so we have our first realistic chance of seeing a Tiger during our stay here. Day 6 Leaving Corbett behind, we will ascend the foothills and continue up to the picturesque hill station of Naini Tal for a four nights stay, enjoying the fine scenery en route. We will make several stops along the way, looking for wintering Goosanders (or Common Mergansers) and nesting White-rumped Vultures. We will also be hoping for the strange Ibisbill which winters here along the rivers, although they sometimes seem to be absent from the area. Days 7-9 Naini Tal, an attractive but rather shabby reminder of the days of the British Raj, is situated at nearly 2000m and lies in a hollow in the mountains by the shore of the lake that gives the town its name. Surrounding peaks rise to over 2600m and the whole area is a mixture of open country, extensive areas of mixed forest and small lakes. From the crests of some of the wooded ridges it is possible to obtain spectacular views on clear days of the snowy Himalayan giants stretching out along the horizon. The avifauna here is dramatically different from that of the lower foothills. Such contrasts are one of the pleasures of Himalayan birding new species are constantly appearing whenever one ascends or descends. During our stay we will explore the area around the town and also drop down to lower levels where the birdlife is rather different from the conifer-clad higher ridges. Western Himalayan specialities that we will particularly want to find during our visit include Scaly-bellied, Himalayan and Brown-fronted Woodpeckers, Streaked Laughingthrush, Spot-winged and Black-lored Tits, and Black-headed Jay. With luck we will even see the secretive Cheer Pheasant. The number and variety of the area s many winter visitors (some from northern Asia, others altitudinal migrants from the high Himalayas) fluctuates according to the severity of the weather, but species present often include Himalayan Buzzard (split from Common), Black-throated and Rufous-breasted Accentors, Siberian and White-tailed Rubythroats, Himalayan Red-flanked Bluetail (split from Northern), Golden Bush Robin, Blue-fronted Redstart, Dark-throated and Plainbacked Thrushes, Red-fronted Serin, Dark-breasted Rosefinch and White-capped Bunting. Blue-capped Redstart and Pink-browed Rosefinch are two more Western Himalayan specialities that occur here only in winter. Altai Accentor is of less predictable occurrence. Lammergeiers and Himalayan Griffon Vultures are often seen soaring overhead, whilst other resident birds we are likely to encounter include Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Oriental Turtle Dove, Great Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Nepal House Martin, Long-tailed Minivet, Ashy and Mountain Bulbuls, Grey Bushchat, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Striated Prinia, Buff-barred, Lemon-rumped and Ashy-throated Warblers, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, White-throated, Striated and Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrushes, Rufous Sibia, Green-backed, Yellowbrowed and Black-throated Tits, White-tailed Nuthatch, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Firebreasted Flowerpecker, Eurasian Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Grey Treepie, Russet Sparrow, Yellowbreasted Greenfinch and Rock Bunting. We are also likely to encounter at least two or three of the scarcer residents of the area, which include Hill Partridge, Koklass Pheasant, Upland Pipit, Long-billed and Chestnut Thrushes, Greywinged and White-collared Blackbirds, Verditer Flycatcher, Black-faced Warbler, Rufouschinned Laughingthrush, and White-browed and Green Shrike-Babblers. Day 10 After some final birding in the Himalayas we will return to the plains and head southwest to Moradabad for an overnight stay. Day 11 From Moradabad we travel southwestwards to the historic city of Agra, where we shall make our

4 4 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Northern India way to the incomparable Taj Mahal, a mausoleum of ethereal beauty built by the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, that really does live up to its reputation and more. This immense building seems to float on its white marble plinth whilst inside the light filters gently down to softly illuminate the jewel-encrusted tombs of the emperor and his beloved. The Taj Mahal is positioned immediately above the Yamuna River and numerous waterbirds can be seen feeding along the shallow channels while Black and Black-eared Kites, and Little Swifts, soar overhead, Brown Rock Chats sit on the surrounding buildings and cheeky Northern Palm Squirrels scamper about the immaculate grounds. Afterwards we head southeast towards the Chambal River for an overnight stay nearby, arriving in time for some birding in the area around our lodge this afternoon. Day 12 This morning we will visit the National Chambal Sanctuary on the border between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states. Here the Chambal River, the last unpolluted major river in northern India, flows between low erosion cliffs as it approaches its junction with the Ganges. The sanctuary, Painted Storks (Tony Disley) which also includes part of the state of Rajasthan further upstream, was set up to protect the healthy population of crocodiles that survives here, and also a population of the highly endangered Gangetic River Dolphin. When we first arrive it may still be misty, so while we wait for the sun to warm the air we will concentrate on the area around the boat dock. Once it is warm enough we will take a boat trip on the river. We should be able to closely approach the crocodiles as they sun themselves on the sandbars, both the longsnouted Gharial and the more conventionally-shaped Mugger. We also have an excellent chance of seeing the blind Gangetic River Dolphin and we may even be lucky enough to watch them jumping exuberantly, although sometimes they show little more than their backs. The most notable bird species of the Chambal is the localized Indian Skimmer and we should be able to watch these bizarre creatures living up to their name as they flap across the river, intermittently dipping their broken bills into the water, or gather on small islets. Other attractions include the declining Rednaped (or Indian Black) Ibis, the hulking Great Thickknee and the increasingly uncommon Black-bellied Tern. Many other waterbirds will be present, most likely including the impressive Painted Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Lesser Whistling Duck, the elegant Bar-headed Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Black-winged Stilt, Kentish Plover, Common and Spotted Redshanks, Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff and Little Stint. Other species usually present in the area include Osprey, Crested (or Oriental) Honey Buzzard, Bonelli s Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Grey Francolin, the smart Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Red Collared Dove, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Brown Boobook (or Brown Hawk-Owl), Spotted Owlet, Pied Kingfisher, Green Beeeater, Indian Grey Hornbill, Coppersmith Barbet, Yellowcrowned Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Crested Lark, Wire-tailed Swallow, Tawny Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Brahminy Starling, Common Woodshrike, Small Minivet, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Rufous-fronted Prinia, Common Babbler, Baya Weaver, Chestnut-shouldered (or Yellow-throated) Sparrow and Indian Silverbill. After a late lunch we will head westwards for Bharatpur for a three nights stay. Days Keoladeo Ghana National Park, usually known simply as Bharatpur, needs little introduction, for it is undoubtedly one of the finest reserves in the world. The sanctuary is an island amidst a sea of cultivation on the edge of the Gangetic plain and attracts great numbers of birds at all seasons, but especially from summer into early winter. Thankfully the water supply for this marvellous sanctuary has now been secured by the construction of a pipeline from the Chambal River, so this jewel of Asian birding is no longer in danger of being lost to the world. The parts of the reserve favoured by waterbirds are the open, flooded areas which are dotted with clumps of trees growing on small islets and surrounded by treelined dykes. At the margins of this zone are areas of savanna, acacia-dominated scrub-jungle and groves of tall trees. Indian and Little Cormorants, Oriental Darters, four species of egrets (including Intermediate Egret), Black-crowned Night Herons, Painted Storks, Asian Openbills, Black-headed Ibises and Eurasian Spoonbills all nest in late summer and autumn, once the monsoon rains have flooded the reserve, but many continue to use the trees as secure roosting sites throughout the winter. Numerous Pheasanttailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas, White-breasted Waterhens and Grey-headed Swamphens (split from Purple) stalk across the carpets of floating vegetation, whilst Woolly-necked and Blacknecked Storks, and stately Sarus Cranes wade in the shallows. Parties of Common Cranes also winter in the area. (Formerly the rare and endangered Siberian Crane wintered regularly here, but tragically the western Siberian population is probably now extinct.) Bharatpur was once famous as a shooting venue for wildfowlers and one can still see the memorial listing the staggering totals of birds slaughtered in a single day in a less conservation-minded era. Nowadays the geese and ducks are unmolested. Amongst the more interesting species are Ferruginous Duck, Cotton Pygmy-goose and Comb Duck. Waders include the lovely White-tailed Lapwing and Wood Sandpiper. Other waterbirds include Great Crested Grebe, Glossy Ibis and Garganey. Passerines of the wetlands include Streak-throated Swallow and Indian Reed Warbler (split from Clamorous). Turning our attentions to the drier grasslands and the

5 5 Birdquest Detailed Tour Itinerary: Northern India wooded areas, we can expect to find Barred Buttonquail, Indian Scops Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl (a Bharatpur speciality, which has a deep hooting call that is suggestive of the pattern of a bouncing ping-pong ball), Indian Pygmy Woodpecker, the restrictedrange Marshall s Iora, Indian Golden Oriole (split from European) and sometimes Black-breasted Weaver. We may well come across Largetailed Nightjar and Indian Jungle Nightjar (split from Grey) at their daytime roosts. The reserve harbours many wintering passerines from northern and central Asia or the Himalayas including Blyth s Reed, Sykes s (split from Booted) and Greenish Warblers (and sometimes Dusky and Smoky Warblers), Bluethroat, Tickell s and Orange-headed Thrushes, and Olive-backed Pipit. Bharatpur s birds of prey remain a feature of this wonderful reserve, although Tiger (Nik Borrow) numbers of many species have declined markedly over recent decades. Eagles are frequently encountered and the most usual species include Eastern Imperial, Steppe and Greater Spotted, and if we are in luck we will also see Indian Spotted, Short-toed and Booted. Other raptors include Western Marsh Harrier and Shikra. Mammals include Indian Grey Mongoose and the huge Nilgai (or Blue Bull). Day 15 After some final birding at Bharatpur, we will drive southwestwards to Ranthambhore Sanctuary, near Sawai Madhopur, for a four nights stay. Days Ranthambhore Sanctuary protects some 400 square kilometres of rocky hill and plateau country covered in dry, deciduous jungle on the fringes of the Vindhya range in eastern Rajasthan. The reserve, which has a magnificent setting, is famous as one of India s foremost Tiger sanctuaries, but its birdlife is equally exciting. The terrain is quite varied, for in addition to the rocky hills with their deciduous jungle there are small lakes and, just outside the reserve, some dry open country. The area around the reserve headquarters is dominated by an impressive 11th century fortress situated on the highest land in the area. During our stay at Ranthambhore we will explore the interior of the reserve, the surrounding arid country and a large brackish lake. We will make our excursions inside the sanctuary by open jeeps or an open safari truck (the latter provides a great observation platform) in search of mammals and birds. Spotted Deer (or Chital) are abundant and we can also expect to see many Northern Plains Grey Langurs, as well as Ruddy Mongoose and Indian Gazelle (or Chinkara). We have a very good chance of seeing one or more Tigers, and, if we are very lucky, we will even come across a Sloth Bear, a Leopard or a Jungle Cat. Amongst the more interesting birds we may well find during our visit, either in the reserve or in the dry, partly cultivated habitats outside, are Indian Vulture, Painted Spurfowl, Jungle Bush and Rock Bush Quails, Painted Sandgrouse, Sirkeer Malkoha, the handsome White-naped Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Lark, Sulphur-bellied Warbler and Xinjiang (or Chinese) Shrike (a split from Isabelline), while other species we should encounter include Striated (or Little) Heron, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Alexandrine Parakeet, Savanna Nightjar, Eurasian Wryneck, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Eurasian and Dusky Crag Martins, White-bellied Drongo, Tickell s Blue Flycatcher and White-browed Fantail. A nearby shallow lake is thronged with waterbirds at this season and we may well find Dalmatian Pelican, Greater Flamingo, Pied Avocet, Steppe Gull (split from Caspian), and Gullbilled and Whiskered Terns, as well as numerous Blacktailed Godwits, whilst the surroundings are good for wintering Rosy Starlings and Red-headed Buntings. Day 19 After some final birding at Ranthambhore we will return by train from Sawai Madhopur to Delhi, where the tour ends this evening. Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are of good standard almost throughout. The lodge at Dhikala in Corbett National Park (where we spend two nights) is very simple, but all rooms have private bathrooms. Road transport is by small coach. Roads are variable in quality. Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are a few moderate uphill walks in the Himalayas. Climate: Typically it will be pleasantly warm, dry and sunny in the lowlands, but early mornings are typically cool or even cold (and it can be misty). In the Himalayas at Naini Tal it is generally cool or cold. Although overcast weather is not infrequent, rain is uncommon at this season. Bird/Mammal Photography: Opportunities are good.