Kolkass pheasant female

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Pangot. We were scouting for the Cheer at Cheer point beyond Vinayak. A car came by with a couple, excitedly sharing their sighting of a Koklass pair crossing the road, just beyond a small weathered temple, up ahead. I decided to chance it and started up the path. Reaching the small temple, a small stone alcove, rhododendron strewn below a massive fir, I could see no signs. Decided to give it a last chance and walked up 100 mts or so, to the next bend. I was walking slowly taking in the mountain air and the solitude, when rounding the corner, happened on this female racing across the road and into some bushes on the right. I raced to the spot my heart pounding, and there it was hardly 15 ft away, on the slope of the hill incline. I could hardly make her out amidst the foliage, so good was her camouflage. She cocked her head checking me out for about half a minute and disappeared into the forest.

Shot with the Nikon D90, Nikkor 300mm + TC 14E, at 420mm, ISO 800, 1/125s - F/5.6

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Great to see this bird. It is good that you got eye contact. The catchlight in the eye helps. I would love to see a male of the species. Hoping to go to Pangot in Nov when I am back in Delhi. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Shyamala Kumar]

Lovely capture of a rarely seen species.Good eye contact.Great camouflage.These birds disappear so fast one is indeed lucky to have seen them, leave alone to have been able to photograph them.Thanks for sharing.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Wonderful. These images will live long, inspire our next generations, for the habitat and camouflage included. Thanks for sharing. SaktiWild

[Mrudul Godbole]

Rare sighting. Nice eye contact. Your effort paid off ☺. Thanks for sharing.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

nice sighting. agree with comments above.

TFS
Roopak

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

Very nice. Certainly not an easy bird to shoot. I narrowly missed a sighting at Tirthan (heard calls from very close while looking for Monals).

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Thanks all...yes it was a sighting I was lucky enough in. Also my walk to the point and the way I got to see it truly lifted my spirits! By the way, on the way back had the good fortune to see a group of 4 great barbets cackling away...about 4-5 Himalayan griffons soaring quite close in the valley basin and like the proverbial cherry on top - came back to Cheer point to see my guide wildly gesticulating and there were the Cheer - a pair of them!! Will post their snaps shortly. So all in all one of those magical, it all happens today type days :)