Wildlife photographers from across India visit Uttarakhand's Abbot Mount

Pithoragarh: More than 60 wildlife photographers from all over the country gathered recently at Abbott Mount, a picturesque hamlet in Champawat district, as part of a three-day event to gaze at stars and capture on camera the world of rare Himalayan birds.

The photographers attending the 'Astro Week' engaged in stargazing through their telescopes in the night and strove to capture the avian beauties on their cameras during the day, the organisers said. The event was held from May 16 to May 18.

Abbott Mount is situated at an elevation of 1,981 metres in the Lohaghat sub-division of Champawat.

Besides being home to rare Himalayan birds, Abbott Mount also offers a panoramic view of the majestic Himalayan range.

"The event, aimed at giving Abbott Mount a new identity as a skygazing and bird-watching destination, was organised under the guidance of Champawat District Magistrate Narendra Singh Bhandari," Champawat's Tourism Development Officer Arvind Gaur said.

"We could photograph rare Himalayan birds like Hill partridges and Himalayan shrike-babbler besides 40 other avian species found in the ridge of Abbott Mount," said Mohammad Asif one of the bird watchers on his return from the sojourn.

The 60 nature lovers who came for the event also ended up identifying more than 450 species of birds such as the white-throated lumping bird and striated laughing thrush, found at that altitude, Gaur said.

Bhandari said the event will be held again close to the onset of winter as the view of the Himalayan peaks from Abbott Mount at that time of the year is "crystal clear."

"If we could organise such a programme in the months of October and November and continue for over 4 or 5 years, the region will gain prominence as a hub of bird tourism. Alongside that other tourist activities such as angling, rafting, and boating could also be promoted in the region," the DM said.