With Gaurav Kataria

When Gaurav Kataria, a birder and tour operator, invited me to go along with him to Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary during March of 2015, I had loads of apprehension about the weather, terrain and the proximity to medical assistance. Earlier, before my trip to Namdhapha it was Gaurav who counseled me on similar fears and he egged me on: Namdhapha, a lowland rainforest with “empty forest syndrome” calls out to only a handful who are fortunate to appreciate it, continuing that having managed that, Eaglenest would be a cakewalk for me. In the presence of intense birders, tough itineraries become a joyous holiday. Eaglenest and Bompu camp were no exception. As the jeep, loaded with breakfast and lunch, followed us at intervals, I never felt the need to hop onto it. We would walk with our gear on the shoulders for 6 to 8 hours each invigorating day.

The virgin forests of Mandala, Eaglenest and the trek between Bompu Camp to Haathi Naala and Lower Kellong threw up surprises at each bend. The change in habitat and seeing different flocks or individuals after every 500 meters is a photographer/birder’s delight.

We had Phurpa Arteju as our guide. This kid was a big surprise. He could identify dozen birds in a mixed flock by their calls alone.
Trekking with him we heard and saw 220 species and photographed around 75 species.

The moment you cross into Arunachal Pradesh the change in air quality and visuals is palpable. Cross Balukpong and the festival begins. We were welcomed by the Rufous woodpecker amongst the bamboos and 500 meters later we were wondering which bird to focus on. My jaw just dropped looking at the activity of the hunting flocks.

Chestnut-breasted Partridge

The story on photographing the Chestnut- breasted Partridge is worth telling.
On the way up from Haathi Naala to Bompu Camp towards evening, Phurpha heard the call from about 100 metres away. I was tired and looking forward to the local brew organised by Gaurav’s partners at Bompu Camp and was already happy with the day’s results. I reluctantly halted and on looking back at my companion’s face, I sensed his seriousness to get this bird. I dragged my feet back and positioned on the far end of the track. The call came a bit closer by the minute. After a seriously long wait, we could sense movement behind a pile of dry leaves. First only the crest appeared a few centimetres above the pile of dry leaves. The bird kept moving to and fro, feeding and finally, he just stood before us with his head cocked up and started calling. One after the other we all pressed into the click button of our cameras – our fingers sore after about 2 minutes of frenzied action. For a change, what appeared like a first in my photography times, the ear-to-ear grins, backslapping and fist pumping happened even before we reached for the LCD display, to have a peep at the pictures.

Very few places on this planet offer you endless serendipities other than the one main reason you have travelled there… maybe a couple more, if you are fortunate. But to witness such a constant series of majestic views and exceptional sightings is beyond my comprehension.

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh is that rare bonus on earth. The habitat and the avian residents morph into a new avatar at an average of each kilometre. With each habitat a new beauty beckons, frequently accompanied by the cacophony of a mixed hunting flocks with captivating acrobats whizzing past your nose.

You could be anybody or everybody in a magical merge… A birder… Photographer… Honeymooner… Drifter… your time hangs still and you begin to transcend into pure bliss.