Star-gazing & bird-watching: Wildlife photographers attend workshop at Abbott Mount

Uttarakhand: From gazing at the stars to capturing photographs of rare bird species, it was a dream come true for many photographers who met wildlife and landscape photographer Anup Shah and nature and landscape photographer Threesh Kapoor at a photography workshop.

More than 20 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 the stars and capture with their cameras the world of rare Himalayan birds. The event was held from 16–18 May with the five mentors organised by DTDC, Champawat.

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

“That was an awesome experience overall. Got so many new things to learn and experience. All the mentors were very humble and approachable. Besides being home to rare Himalayan birds, Abbott Mount also offers a panoramic view of the majestic Himalayan range,” said a participant.

According to Champawat tourism development officer Arvind Gaur, the event, aimed at giving Abbott Mount a new identity as a sky-gazing and bird-watching destination, was organised under the guidance of Champawat district magistrate Narendra Singh Bhandari.

Sky gazing

The photographers attending the ‘Astro Week’ under the mentorship of Astro Observor Ajay Talwar and engaged in stargazing through their telescopes in the night and strove to capture the avian beauties on their cameras during the day.

Identified 450 species

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, Mr. 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.

Speaking to NewsMeter, wildlife photographer Parul Singh from Dehradun said, “It was my dream come true to meet the best. The scenic beauty of Abbott Mount was mesmerising, and a beautiful experience overall.”

For Dishant Singh Mehta of Lohaghat, another photographer who was part of the workshop, it was a creative experience he felt was required for every wildlife photographer. "During this Astro Day, the participants were given the experience of photographing the night sky. We got to know about stars, constellations, how to see the core of milky way," said Dishant.

More events in winter

According to the officials, 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,” district magistrate Narendra Singh Bhandari said.

Inputs from PTI