Pong wetland beckons you

Come winter and the Pong dam wetland buzzes with life with winged visitors from distant lands. They come in thousands for their winter vacation here and return home with the onset of spring/summer. In addition to the plains of India they navigate long miles from Central Asia and Siberia to skip harsh winters and enjoy a brief sojourn here in a more benign climate.  If you are a bird-lover, or a nature lover, or just want to have a break from the grind of daily routine and stress, strain and noise of materialistic life, a trip to this wetland would prove to be most rewarding for your heart, mind, body and soul. I would strongly recommend the Nagrota Surian segment of this wetland for your trip. A diversion from the NH at Gaggal towards Shahpur passing through Lunj  - from where the historic rock-cut temple at Masroor is just at a stone’s throw - would take you to the destination (about 45 kms) along the winding road passing through villages and fields with breath-taking views of the wildernesses and hillocks that the valley is dotted with.  On the way back, the Dhauladhar will offer its  grand, kaleidoscopic view at every turn of the road to hold you in its spell. Also, an avid bird watcher would have a lot to see all along the way with passerines and other land birds on the bush and tree to greet you. At the wetland, one feels likes having been transported to a different world altogether. An eerie silence prevails everywhere around you, punctured by the pleasant cacophony and buzz of the thousands of alien birds of varied shapes, sizes and hues that have descended on land, mudflats and the tranquil sheet of water spread as  a vast sprawl before your eyes. Bar-headed geese(राजहंस  या  हंस) coming from Tibet, easily outnumbering the rest, will probably be the first to welcome you. Walk along the water’s edge and savour the surreal feel of all-encompassing serenity and quietude. Or, sit patiently with your field binoculars trained on the birds, with a bird-book on your lap and watch the beauty and wonder of myriad of bird species and their charming antics. Come back with your batteries recharged, feeling light, detoxified and energised by the therapeutic kisses and caresses that this wetland will quietly and generously shower on you. If you want company and a guide, contacting ‘yours truly’ won’t be a bad idea…provided that you are not a boring type, or too stiff-necked or insular or stingy! 

Tips: Carry your own water, snacks, hot beverages and fruits...and even packed lunch, but please don’t litter the pristine environs of the wetland. Also, enjoy a hot, sugary cup of tea with local snacks (मठरियां, नमकीन सेमियां, बून्दी, बालूशाही)  on your way to and fro. Happy outing ! Great birdwatching!

Pong wetlands- some facts

*Area: 18000 hectares, can extend up to 30,000 hectares.

*It is one of the 25 international wetlands under the Ramsar Convention

*It is a habitat for about 220 bird species

*Pong is also a major fish production reservoir of HP

*Some notable  species of migratory bird species are: Bar-headed geese, Coots, *Pintails, Mallards, Wigeons, Common/Eastern Mergansers, Common Pochards, *Common Teals, Shovellers, Coots, Little cormorants and at times even the rare and globally threatened Siberian Crane

Birds swarm the shallower waters

Bar-headed geese flying over Pong waters

Coots

Bar-headed goose (Rajhans, or Hans)

The rare Siberian Crane

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Finally...finally...it rained and snowed!

The Dhauladhar has received its first helping of snow
To the weather gods therefore we gratefully bend and bow
But more showers and snow we need, and in plentiful
For the thirsty land, and  earthly life, all so beautiful.

View of the Dhauladhar in the afternoon of 04 Jan 2017

Health tip

Snack with watermelon seeds this summer. Shell the melon seeds after sprouting, roast them and enjoy this super food as a nutritional boost. It is packed with protein, Vitamin B, Magnesium, and mono-and poly-saturated fats. 

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Quotes of the week

"In the New Year, say no to hate and violence and yes to brotherhood and reconciliation."

                      - Pope Francis

"The connecting link between spirituality and sexuality is that both of these, ideally, are two forms of the fundamental human emotion of love."

                            - Psychoanalyst and writer Sudhir Kakar (Outlook)

"UN[is] just a club for people to have a good time."

                       - President-elect Donald Trump

"अगर मुझे 'गेंगस्टर'[फिल्म] नहीं  मिलती तो एडल्ट फिल्म करती। "

                      - Kangana Ranaut (Divya Himachal)

"अवैध निर्माण के लिए जिम्मेदार अफसरों  पर  क्या  कार्रवाही करोगे?"

                       - HP Governor to the HP Government

"Political parties act for quota, but not for caste abolition."

                       - Economic Times

"बढ़ती आबादी नहीं रोकी  तो बर्बादी तय."

                        - Shanta Kumar, Kangra MP

"Wildlife and stray cattle have rendered 70,000 hectares barren."

                       - Dr Kuldip Tanwar, President, Himachal Kisan Sabha

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Newspicks

Climate change could kill world's oldest trees: study

NASA may build ice homes on Mars to protect astronauts (The Times of India)

Earth-like snow, ice features found on Pluto (The Hindu)

Can't seek votes on the basis of religion: Supreme court

Bugs on your cellphone can infect patients (Times of India)

New smartphone device lets you kiss your long-distance lover

With tongue in cheek:Here's how you can make your farts less smelly! : A team of researchers has found that food rich in starch 'potatoes, bananas, cereals, artichokes' can act as a resistant to hydrogen sulphide gas by up to 75% (Daily News & Analysis)

 Pahari miniature fetches Rs 93 lakh at fourth Christie's auction (Livemint)

Dalai Lama's abode turning into a concrete jungle (Hindustan Times)

मकलोडगंज को निगल गए अवैध  कब्जे...रास्तों का साइज़ सिकुड़ा: मायावी  नगरी में परेशान हो रहे पर्यटक; प्रशासन की अनदेखी के चलते  तहबाजारियों  ने पसारे पाँव (Divya Himachal)

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Quiz answer

In the 23/24 December blog post  a quiz was posed about who actually was the (beautiful) Melania Knauss.
Well, if you have not figured it out, she is none else but the first lady of USA, Melania Trump - a former supermodel who originally hails from a small village in Slovenia... 
From a small village to the White House...what a long walk!

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WhatsApp humour

Images of the year

                                 

               

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