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Rain last night! Milder as we left the hotel in Nainital in the three small cars, transferring back to our bigger bus once out of town. Repeat stops down the valley to Three Gods and Mongoli Valley trail, intermittent rain drops and glimpses of sun. We are all wearing every layer every day in preparation for wind, cold, rain, sun. Components may switch around from hour to hour, but most of us have worn the same outfit for most of the trip! We definitely could have left the short-sleeves and swimsuit home.
Down the Mongoli trail, all of us silently waited for two shy birds to respond, but women head to a village downslope, each with a 4x12 foot red aluminum roofing sheet balancing atop her head, noise resonating with each step. Little boys balance a 12' metal beam on their circular head cloth. Undeterred we carry on with some success: the tiny Cupwing lands near trash below our feet. By 11 we've found a Himalayan Woodpecker as well: though large, he was dwarfed working his way up a dead tree atop the hill. A striking black "V" on a buff face and breast, red cap, orange "drawers", with white markings on a black back.
Into the bus, down into the wheat and mango fields of Ramnagar, and back to the Banyan Retreat where I slept for two days. Tonight we have a cottage next to Reception. A Black-hooded Oriole, high on hormones, flies non-stop between windows of Reception and our room, trying to defend his territory. He even briefly flew in through our door, but quickly exited.
Our afternoon drive in open "gypsies" into Sitabani Forest (next to Corbett NP) was aborted when rain overtook us. First, Russ and I caught up with a close look at a Wallcreeper the rest of the group saw when I was sick. He hangs out at the Kosi River Barrage, locks by a dam. Our last unsatisfactory look had been distant in Romania; he is a stunner, dark gray but flashes scarlet and white wings as he flutters up and down stone walls probing for insects with the narrowest of a curved bill.
Tonight we packed our bags and sent them off on the bus before dinner. The bus will drive them to Delhi overnight; we have just what we need in our backpacks and will take the train tomorrow morning, rendezvousing with our belongings at the hotel. After dinner, an Indian family (three men, five women, three little girls), all dressed up, wanted their picture taken with all of us. This must be a big deal for them, selfies and strangers in their family pictures. They were so nice, the one little girl going around and shaking all our hands.
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