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Anybody visiting Ooty (the Queen of Hills of Nilgiris ) in Southern India can not afford to miss to visit the highest peak namely Doddabetta  about 9 km from Ooty located at the confluence of the Eastern and Western Ghats.It is at the height of 2637 meters . On a clear day you can get clear impressive view of the surrounding places such as Coimbatore and well known Chamundi Hills of Mysore.

Area around peak is a protected forest . When surrounded by clouds you feel as if you are in the Heaven. This peak mountain is in the itinerary of every birder who is visiting Coonoor or Ooty. I too was interested in observing birds at the peak. Yes even when the place was crowded with tourists in the afternoon I could observe Great Tit, Red Whiskered Bulbul, Myna, Nilgiri Laughing Thrush and the Grey Jungle Fowl (female). I was surprised to see the laughing thrush very close to the visitors.

I thought that I would visit the place in the early morning to observe more birds . However when I reached I found that the barrier was closed and was to be opened at 8000hrs. A great disappointment as a birder would like to cover the activities in the early morning.

Can the authorities open the barriers before half an hour from the sun rise as the birds start their activities and the hard core nature lovers can enjoy the beauty of the surroundings from the top of the peak as generally it is clear in the mornings.

Images from Doddabetta taken on 28th and 29th November 2018.

About Vinod Goel

He joined Customs & Central Excise service in 1982. As a civil servant, his job takes him to various parts of India, which gave him an opportunity to capture our wild heritage, through his camera. His passion for wildlife photography started in 2004 when he was posted at Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and this passion continues till today.