Flora and Fauna - Sagarmatha National Park

It was a dream that took me to this wonderland. I was fortunate enough to have my eyes to witness the beauty of the place and experience its feel. The amount of aesthetic overload on my eyes was so overwhelming to me that, I could not stop myself capturing it through my lens and get them back to rejoice over it until I perish. As I write this I am getting nostalgic about those days spent in this dreamland.

Looked like valley of flowers!

Sagarmatha National Park was created in 1976 and has also been listed under the Unesco World Heritage Site, reflecting its importance as a preserve for rare Himalayan flora and Fauna. Flora and Fauna in this park is very dense and the bio-diversity is beyond ones imagination. Especially the floral variety. As I sailed into the park I started seeing many varieties of species beyond my expectations. I did expect to see a lot of rare variety of flora and it surprised me beyond my expectations. I am posting here some of the pictures that I captured through my lens during those days of wonderment in nature.

Satyrium nepalense - Ground Orchid

Impatiens

Fungi 

Although I could not spot much of the epiphytic orchids, I did spot many varieties of ground orchids. And at the lower altitudes, till up to Dole, the national park was full of trees mostly of Rhododendron and the Fir. They were so beautiful and welcoming that I felt as I was walking in the heaven. 

As I pierced in to the wonderland further, so far away from home, other than three of us, it was only the trees, those little colorful flowers, chirping birds flying around as if our presence was unnoticed and the constant hum of the Dudh kosi river, were good enough a company to me that I forgot myself completely for a few days. 

Fungi

Himalayan Crows

Once we gained the altitude, far away from where we started, deep into the mountains, closer to the Mt Everest, I could not believe myself on the variety of wildflowers on the grass slopes of the mountains. They were just an amazement and a curiosity for me. 

There were a lot of birds and I hardly could identify them. And because I was too tired while walking, I even missed clicking pictures of a few birds. But while coming back from the Everest base camp, I spent a good lot of time walking slowly and observing birds for most of the time. I saw a bird couple mating together, lost in their own world,without noticing my presence, allowing me to wonder for a while which made my day worthy enough. I even saw some of the nests and eggs and waited for some time wondering if I can see anything more. Like this, my journey continued in its own wonderment. 

Even though we did not spot many wild animals, TS spotted a Red Panda and I missed to see it by a few seconds. But while coming back, we were lucky to spot the Himalayan Thars.

Himalayan Thars

And like this, during our journey on those mountains, whatever I witnessed through my eyes, were just looking wonderful. I was spellbound by the beauty of the flora and fauna in the region. It is a place that can be called the 'true heaven'. I am glad, I was there. 

Even the grass looked utterly beautiful!

For more pictures, visit: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/srikanthap/sets/72157625272036718/

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Wet monsoon heaven

It was one of those days where you have only one day in the wilderness to look around, observe, learn and bring back some good amount of knowledge and memories. And that was my half weekend. In 24 hours, driving around 700+ kms, in the rain, to the serene world, observing some of the amazing flora and fauna in the wild, wondering about them and capturing them in my lens to make sure they are with me till the end. What I witnessed was perhaps the best given the synchronization that happened between the 'right' time and 'my' feelings. Now, back at home, smearing over the memories of that one day and ending up with this photo essay on the same. I am not even sure if this is even a 1% justification of what was actually witnessed through my lucky eyes. Let me try. 

A chilly welcome into the western ghats through a cloud-fall in front of us

Now that it was wild, we had our first disappointed wildlife sighting. A porcupine was dead and no idea how it happened. 

Moving on to the higher altitudes means a sign of hope for many new beautiful creations. And so we spotted some beautiful orchids. 

Conchidium sp

Calanthe sp

Dendrobium sp

Mimic of a Bharatanatyam dancer - Peristylus sp

Higher altitude and during monsoon means there is much more scope for lot of other wild flowers to bloom. As we further moved on the wet floors,  we saw these little beauties. 

Gorgeous Impatiens 

Chlorophytum sp

 Impatiens scapiflora

You would wonder if I do not post any pictures of a waterfall. And so, here it is. One of those random waterfalls among many hundreds in the wild. 

To end my story, I want to take you all completely into the trance. A dream world where you can see nothing but what you call 'Heaven' or a 'Paradise'. Ready for it? go ahead...

How did it feel?

So much to wonder!

That is the end of this photo blog. The places you witnessed through my captured sets are from the mountain range what we call as Chickmang-La: a pass that connects the Kemmangundi and Mullayyanagiri range of mountains.

For more photographs, visit my flickr set:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/srikanthap/sets/72157624634470620/with/4852423938/

Srik

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