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.


Comments

  1. 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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