Asan Barage – The beauty of Winters
With the arrival of the winters , when people feels
lazy and animals hibernate , and when
leaves even refuse to stay on the trees …these migratory birds make winters the
most exciting season for not only bird
lovers but also for the love birds and tourists . This place adds one more magnificent site in
the list of Uttarakhand’s remarkable places. The beauty of the place is
astonishing and therefore if you want to witness then you need to visit.
Located
just 40km away from Dehradun, the Asan Barrage marshland has become popular as
a bird sanctuary. It hosts more than 53 species of birds. The uniqueness of the
Asan Barrage is that it serves as a winter passage halt for trans- Himalayan
migratory birds. These birds are spotted here on their way to southern India
(October - November) and again on their way back (February - March). In October
this place welcomes the arrival of migrants from Pale arctic region when over
90% of the water bird population comprises migrants. The first to arrive is the shoveller followed by ruddy shelduck,
mallard, coot, cormorant, egrets, wagtails, pond heron to name a few. Birds of
prey like Pallas fishing eagle, marsh harrier, greater spotted eagle, osprey
and steppe eagle add to this magnificent diversity. Asan has the privilege of
hosting a more than thirty year old nesting site of the Pallas Fishing Eagle,
which it reconstructs every winter. While, rest of the year this nest is shared
by other birds of prey. During winter months 90% of the water bird population
comprises the following 11 migratory species, namely brahminy duck, pintail,
red crested pochard, gadwall, common pochard, mallard, coot, wigeon, common
teal, tufted duck, shoveller. It gives a chance to observe
the local migrants like painted stork, open billed stork, night
heron. A flock of 25- 40 painted storks can be seen in these months every year.
The migratory birds come here annually. However, Asan Barage lies at the junction of the two rivers that is the Yamuna and Asan (identified as the ‘Asmanvati’ of the Rigveda). The Assan Lake, is commonly known as the Dhalipur Lake and because of the arrival of migratory birds this place it has now become a exclusive place for tourist. Boating can become a centre of attraction especially for children and couples, even though the first priority will be observing birds. While observing birds and enjoying their activities one can forget to have a glimpse on his/her watch. While having the pleasure to watch the birds may be your mind or eyes won’t complaint but your stomach will definitely. To relish your appetite you can enjoy the warmth of Bhutta/ Maggie or even Pakoras which will definitely energize you again to continue your journey of pleasure. If you are a fan of peppery food then you can enjoy the chat of chakotra also.
The migratory birds come here annually. However, Asan Barage lies at the junction of the two rivers that is the Yamuna and Asan (identified as the ‘Asmanvati’ of the Rigveda). The Assan Lake, is commonly known as the Dhalipur Lake and because of the arrival of migratory birds this place it has now become a exclusive place for tourist. Boating can become a centre of attraction especially for children and couples, even though the first priority will be observing birds. While observing birds and enjoying their activities one can forget to have a glimpse on his/her watch. While having the pleasure to watch the birds may be your mind or eyes won’t complaint but your stomach will definitely. To relish your appetite you can enjoy the warmth of Bhutta/ Maggie or even Pakoras which will definitely energize you again to continue your journey of pleasure. If you are a fan of peppery food then you can enjoy the chat of chakotra also.
I totally agree to your title..Situated in Dehradun, the best time to visit Asan Barrage is from Oct-March as there are huge number of migratory birds flocking in here from other places.
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