Most of August was spent in Kathmandu: working, coordinating and leading a workshop, teaching, navigating government bureaucracy, planning a mountain-bike race, and finally getting out of the valley for a trip to Rasuwa.

Before all that, I managed a short mountain-bike and macro session in Bhimdhunga. It was a quick ride to test a macro lens I had bought, and along the way, I also spotted birds such as Maroon Oriole, Black Bulbul, Great Barbet, and Himalayan Bulbul. Noticing moths resting on leaves was a highlight as I rode, and I even had to dodge leeches while photographing them. Ferns were plentiful in a variety of shapes and sizes, growing on trees and on the ground.

Foxtail orchids had stopped blooming, but these epiphytes remained prominent in many of the trees. As I rode slowly through the forest, listening to the insects and birds, a cloud rose and enveloped us in mist. I sheltered at a nearby tea shop and, while sipping black tea, watched the rain soak the surrounding hills and the valley below. An hour passed easily; when the rain subsided, I headed home.

A week later, it was time to lead the annual “In the Field” photo and nature walk for a group of 30. This year, Sattya Media Arts Collective and I were supported by Equiper, Curve Media Nepal, Atelier Platform, and ICIMOD’s Living Mountain Lab. After last year’s positive response, we decided to make this year bigger and better. For that purpose, the Living Mountain Lab in Godavari, a beautiful location situated at the base of Phulchowki, was the perfect spot. It is one of my favourite places to document flora and fauna.

With merchandise in hand and participants led by a Sattya team, we took the bus provided by ICIMOD to Living Mountain Lab (LML). The weather held up, and I engaged the group with a short presentation of my photos and setting up a goal for the day, along with explaining the basics of macro photography, whether on a phone or a camera. What I loved most was that some participants came simply to observe nature up close.

We explored the surroundings and, with an abundance of insects, plants, and fungi, I showed participants what they could capture on their devices. Their questions about biodiversity were encouraging and energizing. After 1.5 hours of walking, not more than one kilometre, the slow pace helped us notice far more species than a point-to-point fast hike would have allowed.

From caterpillars to praying mantis, snake eggs to a Cordyceps species, and from shield bugs to various moths, LML continues to be an excellent spot to learn about biodiversity. We concluded the program with a presentation on conservation and a Q&A. It’s always encouraging to see people join these photo-nature walks and observe the natural world up close; it helps spread the message of conservation.

Video by Suraj Ratna Shakya

This year’s “In the Field” wouldn’t have been as successful without support from Equiper (photo/video gear), Curve Media Nepal (tote bags and bottle prints), Atelier Platform (snacks), and ICIMOD’s Living Mountain Lab (transport and venue). My gratitude goes to them and to the Sattya Media Arts Collective team for organizing the event. I can’t wait to lead more groups and showcase Nepal’s biodiversity.

A day later, I was back on the road, this time with Lama Walks on a recce for their November trip. In the last couple of years, we focused on Chitwan and Pokhara, but this trip will follow the Tamang Heritage Trail. It was my first time heading to Rasuwa; previous attempts had been cancelled. Monsoon was slowly subsiding, and having heard about the waterfalls and the region’s floral diversity, I was glued to the window, excited to absorb whatever nature presented.

Passing Trisuli Bazaar towards the Pasang Lamu Highway, every metre of the road was new to me; previously, I had ridden towards Besi Sahar via Dhading Besi and Gorkha. Monsoon brings out floral colour, and I saw many wildflowers along the route. Subtropical trees gradually gave way to temperate species, and the temperature dropped compared with Trisuli Bazaar.

By Dhunche, I had already seen more than 15 waterfalls of various heights and countless wildflowers. We finally reached Syabru Besi and started our climb to Tatopani, where we would stay for the night. After dinner and a briefing, I went to my room and found a moth (possibly Patania scinisalis) next to the bed had to document it. Excited for the next day’s hike, I fell asleep quickly.

On a cloudy morning, the calls of a Rufous Sibia echoed through the valley. I had assumed it had rained all night from the sound on the metal roof, but I realised there was a nearby stream. As the blue hour faded, the green hues of the forest across the valley became visible. After tea and biscuits, we set off. Our plan was to hike to Nagthali Viewpoint, about 9 km away, rising from 2,633 m to 3,083 m. I was eager to leave Kathmandu and walk through temperate forests in the wilderness.

Clouds periodically darkened the trail, and leeches up to two inches long tried their luck by clinging to boots and trousers and climbing up, only to be rejected by a flick of a finger, denying their insatiable appetite of sucking blood from the host. Not today. One section of the trail was covered in vines (most probably Wild Cucumber) with yellow flowers in full bloom. I caught a glimpse of a blackbird farther up the trail whose species I couldn’t identify. Stairs led to an old monastery under reconstruction, where a couple of Himalayan Gray Langurs watched us from a railing before melting back into the forest. An Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrel just a meter away stared at me from a gap in a stone wall.

After a couple of hours, we reached Nagthali village, where meadows burst with wildflowers: asters, daisies, pink knotweeds, clover, and red knotweed. Insects such as blister beetles munched on petals. Passing Nagthali and heading toward the viewpoint (another 4–5 km), we entered a stretch of forest recovering from a fire: tall burnt trunks stood against a lush green canopy below. A Darjeeling Woodpecker distracted me while foraging on one of the burnt trees.

Further along, a Yellow-breasted Greenfinch foraged near the trail until we came too close and it flew to a nearby tree. The trail felt like a wildlife hotspot: a Royle’s Pika listened to our footsteps and bobbed toward its burrow, glancing back at us.

We passed moss-covered trees, ridges, and flowers like poppies, Corydalis, and Himalayan snowberry, until we reached the viewpoint, though that day the view was obscured by clouds and fog. Still, I spotted a Spotted Nutcracker perched on a ruined shed; hearing its call while hiking and finally seeing it felt like a reward.

On the descent, I paused often to examine flowers I’d briefly noticed on the ascent. Butterflies, Common Five-ring and Striated Satyr, flitted about, and I documented a Common Yellow Swallowtail. I also recorded Rufous-fronted Bushtit, pipits, and numerous fungi I couldn’t identify. Various ferns were documented as well.

We returned to Tatopani and then headed by jeep to Ghatlang. Seven hours of hiking was enough for the day, and we looked forward to rest. We arrived at a monastery around seven in the evening and called it a night after dinner. The lights in the quiet town attracted different moths, which I planned to document the next morning.

I woke at 5 a.m. and explored the monastery grounds. An Oriental Turtle Dove perched on the wires while Grey-winged Blackbirds foraged in the meadows. To the north, the clouds briefly cleared and revealed the peak of Langtang. Walking through mist-filled grass, I found caterpillars, beetles, grasshopper nymphs, mushrooms, moths, and several wildflowers.

After breakfast and a meeting with local representatives, we took a short walk to Parbati Kunda, a gem of a place that I can see myself returning to for documentation. Slowly, the trip to Ghatlang came to an end; we packed, and I simultaneously photographed a few moths near my room. We hiked down to the village where our vehicle waited. Ghatlang, a Tamang village in Rasuwa, was once famous for wooden shingles that weathered to a dark colour; travellers lovingly called it the “Black Roof Village.” Some of that heritage survives, and I felt lucky to have experienced it.

Excited to return in November, I sat in the jeep, glued to the window until we entered Kathmandu.

Fewer outdoor experiences than the previous months, but August still left me with some great memories. Below is a list of the flora and fauna I observed.

Bird:
Darjeeling Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Pipit, Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey Treepie, Rufous Sibia, Green-backed Tit, Great Barbet, Spotted Dove, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Red-rumped Swallow, Streaked Laughingthrush, Grey Bushchat, Black Bulbul, Verditer Flycatcher, Maroon Oriole, Blue-throated Barbet, Long-tailed Shrike,  Black Drongo, Scarlet Minivet, Himalayan Bulbul, Cattle Egret, Grey-winged Blackbird, etc.

Mammal:
Himalayan Gray Langur, Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrel, Rhesus Macaque.

Insect:
Robber Fly, Jumping Spider, various Beetles, Common Five-ring, Striated Satyr, Common Yellow Swallowtail, Stag Beetle, Leafhoppers, various species of caterpillars, Tiger Moth (Callindra principalis), etc.

Plant:
Himalayan Silver Fir (Abies spectabilis), Snake Corn, Himalayan Whorlflower – Kaandamasee (Morina longifolia), Purple Roscoe Lily (Roscoea purpurea), Himalayan Teasel (Dipsacus inermis), Geranium Sp. Flowers, Senecio Spe. Flower, Begonia Species Flower, possibly a Himalayan Saxifrage, Trailing Bellflower (Cyananthus lobatus), possibly a Horned Corydalis (Corydalis cornuta), most possibly a Nepal Poppy (Meconopsis napaulensis), Codonopsis Sp. flower, some Aster species, various Daisy species, various Rhododendron species, Pink Knotweeds, Clovers, Red Knotweed, Great Mullein, etc.

Ajay Narsingh Rana