Valley of Flowers

Valley of Flowers is as full of flowers as of exotic animal species and birds. It is a sight to watch, explore and absorb. The valley is a riot of colors and fragrances so unique and exotic that one needs an entire day just to take in whatever nature is giving us that time. The valley of flowers was ‘discovered’ accidentally by Frank S. Smith in 1931 after he lost his way on a trek back to his base. It was fully explored by botanist Margaret Legge in 1939 but unfortunately she lost her life in a landslide soon after. Spread over an area of over 87.50 sq km, the Valley of Flowers was declared a national park in 1982. It was acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

Location
Valley of Flowers is located on the upper extension of Bhyundar Ganga, Zanskar range of the Himalayas in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand.

Best Time to Visit
Best time to visit Valley of Flowers is between the months of July to September since the valley is at full bloom in that period. Though it is open from June to October, the summer and autumn holiday rush respectively makes it impossible sometimes to get a reservation in the rest house.

Entry Requirements
All visitors to the Valley of Flowers need to obtain an entry permit from the Forest Check Post at the entrance to the park, beyond Ghangaria. Though the charges are nominal, extra charges for still cameras and video recorders are only allowed if one has written permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden.

Flora
The valley is of course filled with flowers of hundereds of species mostly being Orchids, Poppies, Primula, Calendulas, Iris, Lily, Roses, Violets, Rhododendron, Angelica, Himalayan Fritillary, Daisies and Anemones. The trees consist of mainly Birch and Rhododendron since the region is alpine in nature.

Fauna
The reserve is home to animals such as the Himalayan Tahr, Snow Leopard, Musk Deer, Red Fox, Common Langur (a type of monkey), Bharal, Serow, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Brown Bear, Pica (Mouse hare) and a huge variety of butterflies. The variety of birds consists of avian-fauna such as Himalayan Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Snow Partridge, Himalayan Snow Cock, Himalayan Monal, Snow Pigeon, Sparrow Hawk etc.

Source:http://www.bharatonline.com/

Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park used to be just another Himalayan forest until in 1936 it was demarcated as a reserve area by the British Government. Jim Corbett Park is spread over 520 sq kms and is covered with huge stretches of Savannah type grasslands and Sal forests. In 1957 this place was renamed as Jim Corbett National Park from Hailey national Park. It was declared as an almost exclusive Tiger Reserve on 1st April 1973 with the help of World Wildlife Fund. Since the place is situated on the lower Himalayan belt of vegetation, it is an eco-tourism spot too.

Location
Jim Corbett National Park is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, near Ramnagar-Kashipur highway. The reserve takes in the Patli Dun valley formed by the Ramganga River.

Climate
The weather in the reserve is almost temperate and sunny, though it may be foggy in early mornings. The temperature varies from 5^o C (4^o F) to 30^o C (86^o F). Summer temperatures normally do not rise above 40^o C (104^o F). Rainfall ranges from light during the dry season to heavy during the monsoons. The average rainfall per year ranges from 1400mm - 2800mm.

Flora & Fauna
Prior to 1936, the Maharaja of Rewa exploited this place as his ‘shikar jungle’, largely due to its varied vegetation and animal population. The species of animals in Jim Corbett consists of the White Tiger, Throated Martem, Himalayan Palm Civet, Indian Grey Mongoose, Para, Kakka, Ghoral, Bar-headed Goose, Duck, Grepe, Snipe, Turtles, Python, Common Otter, Porcupine, Clack-taped Hare, Chital, Spotted Deer, Viper, Cobra, Krait, King Cobra, Tortoise, Graylag, Sandpiper, Gull, Cormorants and Egrets. The 488 species of flora residents are Sal, Savannah Grass, Anogeissus-Acacia catechu forests, Mallotus philippensis, Jamun and Diospyros tomentosa.

Source:http://www.bharatonline.com/uttarakhand/wildlife/jim-corbett.html

Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary

Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary was established in the year 1967 as a small man-made wetland at the convergence point of Rivers Yamuna and Asan in Dehradun. Since it is near to Dhalipur power house, it is also known as Dhalipur Lake. The area is full of lush green trees and a calm 287.5 m long water body which attracts a humungous population of local as well as migratory birds. The area covered by this avian haven is just four sq kms but the profusion of foliage ensures that birds are not disturbed by bird-watching enthusiasts. The humbling thing is that many of the birds seen here are globally threatened and are listed in the extremely endangered IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red Data book.

Location
Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary is located at approximately 40 kms west of Dehradun on Dehradun-Paonta road.

Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Asan Barage Bird Sanctuary is from October to December and from mid March to almost end of April. Serious and professional bird watchers can also have a wonderful time between the months of early May to September end. A lot of migratory birds come visiting the place at this time.

Suggestion
It is advisable to carry some woolen clothing and a windcheater with comfortable trek shoes. Mosquito repellent and binoculars are other things one must not forget to take.

Birds
The Asan Barage Bird Sanctuary attracts around 53 species of avian fauna out of which 19 are winter migratory birds from Eurasia. The population of birds consists of Pintail (Anas acuta), Red Crested Pochard (Netta rufina), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Coot (Fulica atra), Eurasian Wigeon (Anas Penelope), Gadwall (Anas strepera), Common Teal (Anas crecca), Shoveller (Anas smithii), Egrets (Ardea alba), Herons (Ardea herodias), Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) and Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).

Flora
The terrestrial foliage is dominant by the vegetation of Shiwalik range like Sal (Shorea robusta), Dhaora / Axlewood (Anogeissus latifolia), Jhingan (Lannea coromandelica), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba). The marine plants in the area are Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), Sago Pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus), Elephant Grass (Typha elephantina) and Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum).

Source: http://www.bharatonline.com/uttarakhand/wildlife/assan.html