Nasogi, Manali, Himachal Pradesh. India (6 Jun- 1st 16 Jun 2025)

In June 2025 in my first visit to Manali as a Birder a leg cramp restricted my mobility for a large part of the vacation. Luckily our cottage’s courtyard afforded a panoramic view of trees, orchards, the roofs of village Nasogi, and a number of electricity wires - all perch points for the Himalayan birds that I was so keen to encounter - against a backdrop of the mighty Himalayas.

Add to in the last 4 days when I was able to trek in mountain trails, parks and along river-banks to end up with a fairly good collection of bird pictures. Click location to see Pictures.

-- From the Cottage

- River Bank

- Kanial Trail

From the Cottage Courtyard

There was an amazing variety of birds from this vantage point in front of out cottage, perching on wires trees and roofs - near and far. Despite my improving photographic skills I perhaps captured only about 50% of them.

Black Bul Bul
Rock Pigeon
Black throated Tit
Yellow breasted Greenfinch
Blue whistling Thrush
Grey Bush Chat
Himalayan Bul Bul
Russet Sparrow
Ultra Marine Flycatcher

Cottage

Black Bul Bul

Rock Pigeon

Black Throated Tit

Yellow Breasted Greenfinch

Blue Whistling Thrush

Blue Whsitling Thrush1 Manali Jun 25.JPG

Blue Whistling Thrush

Grey Bush Chat

Grey Bush Chat

Himalayan Bul Bul

Russet Sparrow &reflection in Window

Russet Sparrow - Perched ....Preening

Beas Riverbank and Manali Nature Park

The Manali Nature Park is listed as a Bird Hotspot. Exploring its peaceful undulating topography looking for birds however I found that its tall cedar and deodar trees had made it too dark to sight let alone photograph birds.

After almost giving up I however chanced upon the Beas River gushing around rocks along one boundary of the park. The rocks, I discovered provided an ideal perch for birds of the forest looking for water. they also provided some great photographs.

- Brown Dipper

- Eurasian Blackbird

- Plumbeous Water Shank

Beas

Plumbeous Water Red Shank

Plumbeous Water Redstart1 Manali Jun 25.JPG

Brown Dipper

Eurasian Blackbird

Kanial Trail

- The Kanial Trail is an unpaved mountain path winding its way up and down along the mountain side. It cuts through tall deodar and cedar forests. Where the forest breaks one sees orchards with green undergrowth on the slopes below and the majestic Himalayan peaks all around. I was however to learn that spotting birds is very difficult - either too distant for photography or too few and fleeting in the dense dark forests.