OVERVIEW
The three of us have all visited various Asian countries before but none of us have managed to get to the north eastern section of India, namely Assam & Aranachal Pradesh. This is an area where national parks are reasonably well managed, wild life abounds, wild animals & birds can be found without too much searching, the mountain ranges, which are all part of the Himalayas, are steep sided, so much so that logging has not yet been attempted & entire areas are pristine & beautiful. Apart that is, from the rather terrifying dirt roads gouged out of the mountain-sides. These roads wind their way up to the Se La Pass at 13,700 feet & into the heart of Buddhist country & are the only blot on the landscape. The border with China here in this north eastern corner of India is disputed & we found at least four Army garrisons up in this high country & often had to wait while long convoys of trucks passed us heading for the border or back to the garrison.
We arranged the trip through Peter Lobo of All India Birding Tours who handle most of the birding trips in this area. He had promised us his best guide & true to Peter's word, our guide Rofikul (Rofik for short) was absolutely superb, his sight & hearing was second to none & his skill in the field was nothing less than brilliant. He never gave up & with his tape & his laser was able to get us onto most species. He would often surprise us by taping out something unexpected which was sometimes a bit tricky because we never knew at which height to focus our attention, nevertheless the total birds seen by the end of our two week trip amounted to 443, an excellent score. More importantly we had had incredible views of almost all of our target birds including the recently discovered Bugun Liocichla & also most of the game birds & various skulking wren babblers & laughing thrushes.
The highlight of the trip has to be the pheasants & partridges which are always the most challenging. We worked hard and ended up having amazing scope views of Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Snow Partridge, quick but decisive views of Temminck’s Tragopan & best of all we went in to the forest for Grey Peacock Pheasant & managed to have a male nonchalantly walk across the path. We saw Kalij Pheasants several times on the road & managed quick but reasonable views of Chestnut-breasted & Rufous-throated Partridges & two of us had glimpses of Common Hill Partridge. The only real disappointment was that although we heard Blyth's Tragopan, & spent a number of hours slipping & sliding in the steep-sided forest or sitting silently amongst the leaf litter, surrounded by snakes (one snake) & still steaming elephant droppings, we never saw this elusive species. Most groups see them on the road in the early morning but we were unlucky & did not, hence the extra effort.
We also missed one or two other key target species but not for lack of trying. Bengal Florican usually seen in the grassy areas in Kaziranga was not seen by us or any other birding group for that matter during our time there, so we concluded that it was just too early for them. The White-winged Ducks at Nameri were disturbed the day before by another group & we did not see them even though we spent maximum time investigating all the ponds known about. Lastly, the Ibisbills that can sometimes be seen on the main river near Dirang had probably already left for higher altitudes so we also missed them.
Wild animals were abundant, especially at Kaziranga where we had the usual Rhinos, Elephants, Water Buffaloes, Wart Hogs, primates & various species of deer, Smooth-clawed Otter, monitor lizards & squirrels. We saw plenty of tiger tracks & scratch marks on a tree trunk but no tiger. We saw a number of species of Langurs & Macaques & up at Eaglenest we had close views of the newly described Aranachal Macaque discovered as recently as 1994 & also an incredible view of a Binturong also called a Bear-cat We had a comedy Porcupine that stubbornly refuse to leave the road in front of the car en route out of Eaglenest & it must have run for over two miles, periodically peering over its shoulder before it eventually veered into the forest.
We had several exciting moments, for instance when we were searching for White-winged Duck in Nameri & suddenly found ourselves surrounded by wild elephants. Quick thinking by Rofik sent us all running, whilst our guard stayed on the path & raised his rifle in readiness. However the elephants did not charge but moved off quietly & we were able to return to the business of locating likely ponds in the forest.
At Bompu Camp we lent our car & driver to Joseph del Hoyo - who was travelling with Peter Lobo - for him to see the Ward's Trogon that we had been watching earlier that day. While waiting alone at the car, our driver turned to find a Leopard in the pounce position behind him, luckily just at the moment that Peter & Joseph emerged from the forest. Lots of shouting from everybody & luckily for him the Leopard panicked & bolted. Apart from their confrontation with the Leopard, they also had a Clouded Leopard run cross the road in front of their car.
ITINERARY
Friday 11th April
We started our journey from London Heathrow with an early morning nine hour flight to Mumbai. Here, we took a bus to the domestic terminal, sat for several hours then flew on to Calcutta a flight of two hours, then spent several hours sitting there before taking a final one hour flight to Guwahati, the capital of Assam.
Saturday 12th April
On arrival we soon spotted our driver holding a name plaque up & were led to a rather smart looking 4x4 car where Rofik, our guide was waiting for us. First impressions were good & we set off for our first birding stop, one of the most salubrious (not) of the trip.
Guwahati Rubbish Dump
Targets: Greater Adjutant, Lesser Adjutant, Slender-billed Vulture
We entered a side road & our senses were immediately overloaded by steaming, odorous piles of refuse, as far as the eye could see. The garbage sifters including very young children were working amongst this filthy stinking mess whilst gulls, kites & vultures circled overhead. Suddenly, on a taller pile of rubbish we spotted six very recognizable silhouettes of adjutants, three larger than the others & realised that these were our first target birds, in the bag. Overhead we soon sorted out various kites & vultures, a couple more Greater Adjutants & Rofik pointed out several Slender-billed Vultures amongst the other vultures. We didn't tarry, but after a quick photo shoot we climbed down off the rubbish, wiped our boots as best we could & drove straight out onto the highway & set off for Kaziranga in earnest.
Once past the outskirts of Guwahati, the scenery was pleasant, grazing cows & goats in fields edged by banks with straw-topped houses & huts every few hundred metres. Small ponds were edged with mud where buffaloes lounged, however everything was looking very dry & in need of rain, it was, after all the end of the dry season. Here & there we spotted Asian Openbills feeding in wet patches & Cattle Egrets dotted amongst the grazing livestock.
After about four hours we reached the edges of the Kaziranga NP where Rofik pointed out several Asian Rhinos grazing in the distance, which was a bit of a surprise as the grazing area seemed be adjacent to cultivated fields. We drove on & then turned right through a large gate, past a tea plantation, then right again to the Jupuri Ghar Eco Lodge. Cabins with grass roofs encircled an area of lawn with an assortment of flowering trees & within minutes we had ticked off bulbuls, flowerpeckers etc. We settled into our very comfortable rooms (electricity, air-conditioning, fans, sit down toilet, hot shower) & then walked across to the restaurant where we were served a three course evening meal - soup, several Indian dishes of spiced chicken, vegetables, daal, rice, chapattis, followed by dessert, which turned out to be an old favourite - blanc mange - just like the colonials of old used to make! We had ordered beer followed by coffee & sat contented but excited discussing what tomorrow held.
Kaziranga National Park
Targets: Swamp Francolin, Oriental Scops Owl, Striated Grassbird, Pale-chinned Flycatcher, Himalayan (White-tailed) Rubythroat, Slender-billed Babbler, Rufous Treepie, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Finn's Weaver, Great Myna
Kaziranga is an area of about 420 square kilometres & apparently contains over 2,200 Asian Rhinos & 120 tigers. Other game abounds including large herds of Water Buffalo, Swamp (Barasingha) Deer, Hog & Samba Deer & Muntjak. During our three day's stay we also saw an Indian Smooth-coated Otter, several Monitor Lizards, Black-capped Langurs & Long-tailed Macaques & although we did not see a tiger, several other jeeps did on occasion which created some excitement amongst the mostly Indian tourists. Understandably it is prohibited to walk in the park so birdwatching is performed from an open backed jeep. Luckily the weather was glorious & the open jeep had the advantage of a cool breeze as it was quite hot.
Sunday 13th April
Rofik had arranged an elephant ride for our first morning so we set off at 4.50am & drove into the park, checking in with our pre-booked permits at the barriered entrance. We climbed on board elephants along with 30 or so other tourists, but our aim was to put up a Bengal Florican from the extensive areas of grasslands surrounding us so we headed out away from the others to suitable grassy habitat. We were not successful but we did get extremely close to several Asian Rhinos, some that sadly, had their horns sawn off to deter poachers.
Back for breakfast, & after stopping to get a permit for the seven am opening of the park we set off again for the central area, past the elephant stalls & out into the wilder areas where we spent several hours birding. We drove slowly past vast areas of grassland, reed beds, large open areas of water, muddy pools & areas of lowland forest & the birds kept coming. By midday though, it was getting very hot so we drove back to our lodge, had lunch (another three course spread) then after a rest we set out again, this time for the western section of Kaziranga. More new species were seen & by the end of the day we had over 120 species on our list.
Monday 14th April
Today Rofik had a Blue-naped Pitta staked out for us, so we drove to a scrubby area not too far from the hotel, parked the 4x4 & walked into the bushes there. After a few hundred metres we stopped, Rofik played the tape & wonder of wonders a bird called back & it was not too many minutes before it gave itself up & we had crippling views of a stunning female as it nonchalantly hopped past us feeding here & there & completely ignoring our presence - probably the most confiding pitta any of us have ever seen. What a bonus, we had had visions of spending hours scrabbling around under tea bushes like Chris Gooddie describes in his book 'The Jewel Hunter'.
After stopping again for another compulsory permit just before seven am, we then headed to the eastern section of the park & spent several hours driving through the remotest areas, spotting tiger prints in the sand & finding a tree with huge scratch marks from the claws of a huge tiger - twelve feet high. It was wonderful habitat & we never saw another jeep or tourist during the entire journey.
Back at our accommodation by midday again & after another three course meal & the usual rest in the heat of the day we headed back to the central section of the park in mid-afternoon & this time finally managed a glimpse of two Swamp Francolins.
Tuesday 15th April
This morning, using the time before the park opened, we headed to the area at the back of the hotel & walked up the steep path to find Puff-throated Babbler (heard only) & then White-browed Scimitar Babbler which we eventually taped out. After breakfast & yet another wait for a permit, we drove back to the central area of the park & finally caught up with a pair of Swamp Francolins which gave very good scope views. After another delicious three course lunch we packed up & set off for our next destination, Nameri arriving there in the late afternoon.
Nameri Eco Forest Camp at Potasali
Targets: White-winged Duck, Small Pratincole, Long-billed Plover
We checked into the Nameri Eco Lodge & surprisingly, we were ushered past all the tents to the 'accommodation for scientists' building at the back of the very pretty garden. This house consisted of two double bedrooms, a kitchen & a dining area cum entrance room with a veranda running along the front of the building (fan only, sit down toilet, shower, tepid water only). Very comfortable indeed. It was still only late afternoon so Rofik suggested a walk down to the Jiabharali River along a sandy track for about a mile. We notched up a few new birds including a very skulking Thick-billed Warbler & an Asian Barred Owlet sitting right out on a bare branch & we heard a Brown Hawk Owl which we later managed to see in the grounds of our lodge. We also heard a Large-tailed Nightjar call nearby so we crept into the bushes & had stunningly close views of this beautifullly plumaged species. As the sun set we sat by the river & watched some Siamese Macaques leaping about in the trees, as the silent water glided by.
Wednesday 16th April
After a 5.15am breakfast we set off early for the river where there was a canoe waiting for us to take us across the river to the Potasali National Park. The river was quite fast flowing but the boatmen manage the crossing with ease. Once we had transversed a huge area of sand on the other side we set off, picking up our guard who was carrying an ancient rifle, from the headquarters buildings. We then proceeded along a track to the first of three ponds where we hoped to see the White-winged Ducks, but no luck, although we did see a Ruddy-breasted Crake run across the end of the pond. We then headed back past the headquarters building & onto another path which followed the north shore of the river walking for some distance east & stopping here & there to tick off birds. We eventually came to a smaller path on our left & after a few hundred metres reached a delightful forest pond. However again there were no WW Ducks to be seen even though we scoured the water & the banks thoroughly.
We set off even further east, finally reaching another larger reed-edged pond where there were about 30 Lesser Whistling Ducks that panicked & flew off in a great flurry. We searched the water & all the pond edges desperately, but the WW Ducks were just not to be found. We had dipped White-winged Duck!! We headed slowly back a little disappointed but en route suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a herd of wild elephants. Rofik shouted to us to 'RUN' while our courageous guard stood his ground, raising his rifle in anticipation of a charge. Luckily the elephants moved no closer & calmed down so we crept by without mishap, but it was an adrenalin rush moment, not to be forgotten.
Back at the camp & after a delicious lunch we drove to the edge of the same river but this time about twelve miles upstream from camp & climbed aboard two colourful rafts & set off downstream. We were looking for Small Pratincole & Long-billed Plover & although we soon had at least twenty of the first species flying past we were to be disappointed on the second target. It was a pleasant journey nevertheless & the low grade rapids were fun. We had another excellent meal washed down with local beer at the camp & an early night in anticipation of the long drive the next day.
Eaglenest – Lama Camp - 2300M
Targets: Red-faced & Bugun Liocichlas, Common Hill, Chestnut-breasted & Rufous-throated Partridges, Kalij Pheasant, Pale-headed Woodpecker, Shortwings, Tesias, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, warblers, flycatchers, laughing thrushes, barwings, fulvettas, sibias, yuhinas, Collared Treepie, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Gold-naped & Scarlet Finches – you get the picture...
Thursday 17th April
We set off from Nameri quite early & soon after the road started to climb steeply. We stopped at a corner adjacent to a huge area of Bamboo & called in Pale-headed Woodpecker, a bamboo specialist, plus a number of other species including a pair of Long-tailed Broadbills, but not the Collared Treepie we expected. We set off again stopping at Sessa for lunch then drove over the Nechi Pass at 1750M. The road was steep with a huge drop on one side but the traffic was fairly light & all seemed safe enough. Here & there signs gave helpful anecdotes: 'Better be Mr Late than Late Mr' was one of the best.
We finally arrived at Tenga at 1350M but we could see that there had been an accident with an overloaded truck which was now stuck on its side on a completely collapsed & mangled steel bridge. We also had to search for petrol as the petrol station had none, but managed to find some stockpiled at the home of a local who obviously made a living out of buying it whilst in stock & selling at a profit. Luckily there was an Army bridge a little further on & so we finally crossed the river & set off up the Eaglenest Road. This well-constructed road which had also been built by the Army during the 1962 China/Indian war had stood the test of time. It wound its way up the mountain gaining height constantly but despite the huge drop on one side & a few landslips & rock falls it seemed relatively solid & we were all quite relaxed.
We finally arrived at Lama Camp at 2300M in mid afternoon. The camp was set on both sides of the road, & consisted of about eight double tents, several wash/toilet blocks constructed of rattan matting & a fairly substantial restaurant building with a cooking hut adjacent. The view was fabulous & the air was clear & fresh. We settled our luggage into two tents then hurried outside. The first species we spotted was a gorgeous male Gold-naped Finch sitting on a wire just a few metres away, an excellent start. We set off walking & birding down the road, ticking off a number of new species every few hundred metres. The evening ended when we ran into Peter Lobo & his group. As the sun set we stood hoping the Bugun Liocichla, our main target bird, would fly across the road on a corner where apparently they often roosted for the night, but no luck, better luck tomorrow we hoped.
Friday 18th April
Today, our main objective was to see the Bugun Liocichla, a mythical bird that had only been discovered a few years ago. It was a skulker & it would need all Rofik's skill for us to see it. We set off down the road ticking off various species but suddenly Rofik heard 'the Bugun' call & so we waited while he played the tape, again & again & then one of us spotted a movement. The bird was there, down in the bushes below us but very difficult to catch sight of as it skulked its way a few metres below us, hopping through the undergrowth, disappearing then half appearing again a few metres away. It took at least 30 minutes before we had all had satisfactory views. We were absolutely ecstatic to say the least & just a little smug!!
We settled down around the 4x4 & ate breakfast served from the bonnet of the vehicle, juice, porridge, omelettes, toast, coffee, tea, an absolutely delicious start to the morning. We then drove back up past the camp & up to a higher altitude, where we spent the rest of the morning ticking off many more superb species, the area was fabulous, with lots of mixed flocks including several new laughing thrushes at every altitude.
After lunch, again served off the bonnet of the 4x4 we drove back past the camp again & down to lower altitudes. Rofik was making sure we saw all the birds we had missed; he knew where they were & the best way to see them. We turned off the road & walked down a half made track to a lower area of mostly secondary forest where we saw a few new species including a surprise Yellow-throated Honeyguide & we also taped out a Rufous-throated Wren Babbler. Rofik spent the last hour of daylight trying his best to entice a Purple Cochoa in with his tape, to no avail, this species really is an incredibly tricky & secretive bird & it was going to be tough to get satisfactory views.
Saturday 19th April
We packed up our luggage & set off very early in the dark taking breakfast with us. Today we were driving over the Eaglenest Pass to Bompu Camp hoping to see as many of the higher altitude species as we could en route. As dawn broke we gasped at the drop down from the road which in some places was just sheer cliffs below & above. The road was also very narrow & in some sections we could clearly see evidence of subsidence, landslides & rock falls, however on the positive side it was glorious weather, dry & clear with no sign of rain or mist so we stayed relatively relaxed & enjoyed the astonishingly beautiful views. Our driver was superb & never gave us any need for concern. We stopped near the highest point at 2780M for our first birding & were delighted to see Spotted Laughing Thrush on the road, but before really taking them in & enjoying them, Rofik suddenly said “Temminck's Tragopan calling” & the laughing thrushes were forgotten. We quickly took up position on the side of the road that overlooked a small gully, he played the tape & almost immediately there was an answer. Suddenly Rofik saw the bird sitting on a fallen tree in the fairly near distance & managed to get us all onto it before it hopped off & disappeared into the undergrowth. We rushed over & found a path leading into the area but with all our huffing & puffing & general scrambling noises it was long gone before we reached the fallen tree it had been perched on. It was a great sighting though; we had all ticked off another major target species & were positively ecstatic.
We sat & had breakfast on a high – literally just adjacent to the sign telling us we were at the highest point - 2780M. We then slowly proceeded gradually down the road stopping here & there as we spotted interesting birds. One of our final stops was on a corner where there was an area of deep ancient forest with views down between the moss covered trees, ideal for trogons. Rofik played the tape & suddenly one of us spotted a male Ward's Trogon flying into the tape & it was now sitting on a branch for all to see. We couldn't believe our luck. Little did we know that the next day our driver would almost be attacked by a leopard at this very site. My last memory of the area was when I casually wandered into the bushes for a pee!! We drove on finally reaching Bompu Camp in the late afternoon. A row of brand new tents were assembled along the edge of the open area & behind these we could see the toilet/washing block & a decrepit old concrete building that served as the dining room. Perfect.
Eaglenest – Bompu Camp - 1900M
Targets: Blyth's Tragopan, Chestnut-breasted, Rufous-throated & Hill Partridges, Grey Peacock Pheasant, Wards Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Tesias, warblers, flycatchers, cochoas, laughing thrushes, again you've got the picture...
After a quick bite in the concrete building/dining room we set off in the 4x4 past the camp to the lower slopes passing Sessni Camp (derelict but with a few tents tucked inside the collapsed walls) & drove down to a lower altitude. The birding was terrific & we picked up a number of target species – Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, White-naped Yuhina, Greater (Rufous-headed) Parrotbill & a quick view of Red-faced Liocichla. That evening we dined with several other birding guests including the Joseph del Hoyo & his wife (editor of The Handbook of the birds of the World). The noise of the generator on a table nearby was a little distracting, blasting out noise & fumes as we all charged up our cameras etc, but a most necessary annoyance it has to be said.
Sunday 20th April
We woke before dawn, had a quick coffee & set of at 4.45am for the lower altitudes & the area above Sessni Camp, watching the road carefully as we drove, waiting for any game birds to cross. Sure enough we had Chestnut-breasted Partridges dash across the road, but only two of us got onto them. Once it had gotten properly light we climbed out of the 4x4 & birded along the road picking up new species every couple of minutes, including taping out a Long-billed Wren Babbler, & a Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler.
Then Rofik heard the call of the Grey Peacock Pheasant, so we crept into the bushes & up a rough path of sorts playing the tape every so often all the while following the birds call. We sat for a while but the bird kept moving so we continued on through the forest, then when we were fairly close we sat down quietly & waited. The bird continued to call, even closer this time & suddenly there it was, crossing the open space just below us, an exquisite male. We were so excited, we could hardly believe we had actually seen the mythical Grey Peacock Pheasant & with an excellent view. We continued walking along the road then suddenly with a shout Chris pointed to an animal on the road which then proceeded to climb a tree. It was a Binturong. It was not terrified of us but nervous as it climbed up the tree trying to hide from our gaze. Rofik took some photos & then we watched it for some time before moving on. A fabulous mammal.
Today was a day of taping out wren babblers & tesias as we heard them & by the end of the day most of them were successfully seen. At one point we had a change of pace when we turned a corner to see a huge Rufous-necked Hornbill sitting in a bare tree right next to the path, only about five metres up from the ground. The horn coloured bill, blue orbital skin, pink pouch & the thickened rufous neck looked quite bizarre, it was an extraordinary bird seen so close. The highlight of the day though had to be a Slaty-bellied Tesia that reacted to Rofik's tape by displaying & singing its little heart out, showing the bright orange lining of its mouth whilst hopping first left then right on the branch, for all the world like an American Mannikin, it was an astonishing sight. The final surprise of the day though was when seven Beautiful Nuthatches came into Rofik’s tape & settled in an ancient lichen-covered tree above the road, feeding & climbing on fairly close branches & we had stunning views of this suitably named species.
Monday 21st April
This morning we left well before light because we wanted to drive to the lowest section of the national park to get a few specialty species that were to be found at lower altitudes. En route we encountered a male Kalij Pheasant on the road & several Chestnut-breasted partridges, then lower down a Rufous-throated Partridge. We finally stopped on Rofik's request & once out of the 4x4 we immediately started to see new species. Lesser Rufous-headed (Black-browed) Parrotbill, White-hooded Babblers, Red-billed & Coral-billed Scimitar Babblers & a Nepal Fulvetta, all new for the trip. We ate breakfast from the bonnet of the 4x4 then drove back some distance & continued to bird, mostly looking for species that we had not yet encountered. We saw a small party of Aranachal Macaques that like the Bugun Liocichla, were new to science until a few years ago. We ate lunch adjacent to Sessni Camp then continued birding above the camp from the road until the late afternoon.
Tuesday 22nd April
I had just finished my ablutions at first light when Rofik came running & shouted that a Blyth's Tragopan was calling above the camp & sure enough it was, but the others were still in their tent & did not hear Rofik shouting or the bird. We had a hurried coffee then set off up a steep path behind the tents. It was hard going but we blundered on slipping & sliding & gasping for breath. We then settled ourselves in a likely spot & played the tape. Chris sat watching a small snake appear & disappear in & out of the leaf litter surrounding us as we waited & waited for the bird to call back – but it never did – it had disappeared into thin air.
It was our last day at Bompu Camp & we had almost cleaned up most of the species, the only real outstanding bird was the Blyth's Tragopan. We set off up to higher altitudes hoping to see one on the road but were not lucky. We spent most of the morning sitting in several places in the forest hoping to call one in, but answer came there none. We had dipped Blyth's Tragopan!!
The only other important family of birds we had not seen was the Cochoa family. We walked to various suitable areas of habitat, played the tape & eventually a Purple Cochoa answered & then amazingly flew into a tree above us. One of the group had a quick tickable view but the others did not. We walked further, played the tape again, we had an answer in the distance but the bird did not come in. We stopped for lunch at a very pleasant little open area where there were a few derelict buildings. We continued to try for both Cochoas, playing the tape regularly as we trudged along but we were not successful. It was very frustrating, so we eventually gave up, returned to the 4x4 & drove back to the camp. Nevertheless Bompu Camp had served us well & apart from two species, we had been very successful indeed.
Wednesday 23rd April
Today was going to be a long day of travel because we were driving to Dirang, so we set off before first light, hoping again for a lucky sighting of Blyth's Tragopan on the road but instead we found a Porcupine. Once he saw us, he started running along the road & didn't have the sense to veer off so we followed him for a good two miles before he finally disappeared into the bushes probably exhausted for the rest of the day, silly creature. We drove on, back over Eaglenest Pass enjoying the beautiful scenery & trying not to notice the horrendous drops, then breakfasted at Lama Camp. At one point we had a Chestnut-headed Tesia hopping around on the road. Yet another attempt at taping in a Cochoa failed so we finally gave up all hope of seeing one & set off in earnest. We arrived in Tenga & ate lunch in a murky little restaurant smelling of disinfectant, the noodles were good though.
We drove on for several more hours finally turning off just before Dirang. Here we crossed the river & headed up into a pretty little valley where a number of ethnic tribal people lived in a small village called Sanztipilly with a modern concrete building acting as their Buddhist monastery. We drove down onto the floodplain of the river, got out & started walking along the edge of the river & it didn't take long to find two Long-billed Plovers camouflaged amongst the stones. We then drove to an area of wet fields nearby but were unable to locate any of the Black-tailed Crakes known to inhabit the wet grasses there.
We then drove back down the valley finally reaching Dirang town at dusk. As we stopped at the Pemaling Hotel which was situated up on the hill above Dirang town, Craig Robson's Birdquest group were also checking in. The hotel was warm & cosy (carpet, sit down toilet, mirror, hot water, no heating, but warm rooms & plenty of bedding). Dinner was served in a large dining hall & we ate with gusto - rice, dahl, potatoes with a few peas & a dish of chicken bones - minus any chicken! The Birdquest group were also having dinner, but we did not converse with them, apart from one chap who turned out to be a friend of Andy's from Hampshire who joined us & stayed till our whisky was finished, regaling us with tales & anecdotes.
Dirang - Se La Pass – 13,700M
Targets: Snow Partridge, Blood Pheasant, Himalayan Monal, Blyth's Swift, Ultramarine & Blue-throated Blue Flycatchers, Golden Bush Robin, White-browed Bush Robin, Grandala, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Rufous-vented Tit, Hodgson's Treecreeper, Fire-tailed Sunbird, lots more...
Thursday 24th April
We set off very early after a quick cup of tea, & slowly wound our way up the road towards the Se La Pass. Warning signs such as: “This is highway not runway” & “Drive faster can cause disaster” lined the road edge as a deterrent. The roads had deteriorated the closer we got to the mountains but now we had to contend with some sections which were newly made, other sections which were a series of huge holes & runnels & the rest was 'under construction'. There was a huge drop on one side & in many places, overhanging cliffs on the other with signs of recent rockfalls & landslips. Luckily it was a dry sunny day, heaven knew what terrors awaited if the weather was rainy, icy or snow fell!! We passed three or four huge Army barracks & several times we had to give way while convoys of heavy Army vehicles passed by. However the sun had risen on absolutely stunning scenery & the higher we got the more mountain ranges we could see, one behind the other, each one taller than the one before. Here & there along the side of the road, Buddhist prayer flags flying from small shrines blessed our journey.
We stopped on one of the corners before we reached the pass & started our birding day looking down over rocky outcrops, sections of bush & sloping grassy areas. The air was pretty thin but we were careful not to walk too fast (& drank loads of water) & in fact none of us suffered from altitude sickness all day. A few new birds, then suddenly Rofik called Fire-tailed Myzornis & sure enough there it was, the mythical Myzornis, shining bright green in the sun with its black eye mask making it look like a mini highwayman!! We were ecstatic, what an excellent start. We ate breakfast - curried potato & puri's - off the bonnet of the 4x4 then set off for the top & not long after reached the huge decorated archway that indicated we were at the Se La Pass at 13,700 feet. As soon as we passed through the arch we came to a small lake & lo & behold there, shining unbelievably blue in the sun was a male Grandala, in fact several Grandalas, five in all. Wow.
We continued on, driving down the other side of the mountain scanning the slopes for any sort of partridge or pheasant, but no luck. Rofik played a couple of calls on his tape but the day had gone quiet. We stopped at a hut cum shop run by a pretty lady from the Mompa ethnic tribal group & enjoyed a nourishing bowl of noodles & coffee sitting around a warm fire, which was glowing from inside a four gallon drum with a chimney attached. Two elderly men were sitting puce-faced in a corner, smiling rather stupidly, drinking some form of strong liquor & were quite drunk. We had seen piles of bottles outside many of the basic huts & were already aware of this problem amongst the local tribal people.
There was no real point in driving any further down so we turned the 4x4 around & set off again back towards the pass. We stopped, parked the car & wandered down a track which gave glorious views over the nearby rock strewn mountainsides but initially all was quiet. Then Rofik played the call of Snow Partridge & wonder of wonders a bird called back. We searched carefully but it took at least ten minutes before Rofik – bless him & his astounding eyes - spotted the bird, a mere speck in the distance, but through the scope we could see its beak moving a few seconds before we caught the sound. In fact we had a very good view of the bird standing there in the sun & we could see plumage details fairly clearly. We were elated; we had finally ticked off a game bird - after six hours of hard graft.
We returned to the 4x4 & set off again over the pass, stopping a little further down the road. Here we looked down on grassy areas interspersed with bushes. Suddenly Chris shouted “Blood Pheasant” & we all desperately tried to get onto the bird which was hiding amongst the undergrowth. At last we spotted a red & white head, then looking more carefully through the scope we could see the streaked front of the bird & finally as it moved, we had a clear view of most of its plumage. Two down, one to go.
We drove down further whilst Rofik checked the slopes. When he had found the right grassy section he stopped the 4x4 we all got out & looked down & sure enough a male Himalayan Monal was grazing right out in the open & we all had excellent views. In fact in the end & after about fifteen minutes we left it there still feeding. It was apparently a favourite spot for the bird but only in the afternoon, it had not been there in the morning. We saw a few more birds, we walked down a steep path looking for Brown Parrotbill but unfortunately I lent on a rotten stump & went head over heels onto my head into an ants nest. Luckily unscathed but covered in ants & dirt I called for help but instead, the chaps wanted to take a photo!! Actually it must have been a very funny sight & for days we all laughed each time we recalled the incident & I actually wished they had taken a photo after all.
Dirang – Mandala Road
Targets: Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrush, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, Hume’s Bush Warbler etc.
Friday 25th April
We were up early again & out the door for a 4.30am start. This time we drove down through the town of Dirang & turned off to the right & onto the famous Mandala Road where a different set of birds resided. The habitat initially was mostly sloping agricultural fields, scrub & secondary forest but new birds kept coming. We taped out several Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrushes, a bird we had dipped earlier in the trip. Further up we went in for the amazing Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler (the old name is Scythe-billed) & finally had good views of this enigmatic little bird with its huge down-curved bill, hopping around in the bamboo. We also had several new species of tits & yuhinas & finally heard & then taped out a Bar-winged Wren Babbler. We reached the highest point for breakfast not far from a new area of road-building huts all freshly hewn from the trees nearby; it was devastation on a large scale. A road was being built to join this road which led to the Bhutan border (we were 20 miles from the border) & yesterday's road, which ended at the Chinese border. Neither of these border crossings were open, but the Indian Army were making their presence felt, very sadly to the detriment of the forest.
We stopped for lunch in a noodle 'shop' that had a huge pile of empty beer & whisky bottles in a heap outside, then proceeded gradually back down the road. It was late afternoon when we turned off almost at the bottom to an area of wet grassland but although a Black-tailed Crake answered Rofik's tape & the bird was glimpsed, none of the views were entirely satisfactory. In fact we were all pretty exhausted it had been a full on extended period of birding for many days & the adrenalin was not pumping as strongly - & two of us did not need the bird anyway. We finally gave up & drove back to the hotel.
Saturday 26th April
Today the plan was to retrace our route, gradually making our way back to Nameri for a last night there. Nevertheless there was good birding along the main road en route & we stopped several times picking up stray species that had escaped our clutched on the way in. We managed to get good views of our final Laughing Thrush – Blue-winged & we actually saw a Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo. We also finally picked up on Nepal House Martin & Silver-backed Needletail but we were scraping the barrel, there really was not much left.
We drove through Tenga (in the meantime they had removed the load from the stranded truck twisted up in the collapsed bridge & the local officials & a number of random people were all standing around looking at the problem). We ate lunch further down the road in the restaurant where we had had coffee on the way in & finally reached Nameri in the late afternoon. We were all exhausted but poor Rofik was booked by Peter Lobo to take Mark Beaman on an expedition to find Sclater's Monal up in the Mishmi Hills, an eight hours drive away. We said goodbye to him thanking him for all his efforts. He had been a tremendous help, a perfect young guide who knew his stuff & who had single-handedly – with just a little help from us - made our field trip a great success. We couldn't recommend him highly enough. We checked into our two en-suite tents and then wandered vaguely down the track to the river as the sun was setting. Chris had it in his mind that we was going to see his 200 new species for the trip & in fact he did manage to see Slender-billed Oriole early the next morning so he had his record.
We bought our last bottles of beer to drink with supper, sighing with huge waves of relief tinged with sadness that the trip was at an end. We had seen a total of 443 species for the trip, an absolutely excellent effort. We had turned into zombies with exhaustion & could hardly speak but we had the satisfaction of knowing that we had put in every last bit of effort & given the trip our best shot.
Sunday 27th April
A new driver & 4x4 arrived to take us to the Guwahati airport, so after our first lie-in in two weeks, we ate a late breakfast & set off for the airport at eight am, a four hour drive. We stopped at a restaurant near the airport & consumed one last Indian meal before boarding the flight for Calcutta, followed by another to Mumbai. As we were about to take off from Mumbai the pilot announced that the plane had a hydraulics problem so we sat on the tarmac for four hours waiting, while the part was flown in & then assembled. They gave us no food or water during this time but we were too exhausted to notice. Our final flight to London Heathrow arrived four hours late but by that time we were past caring. We were just immersed in the euphoria of a successful trip & mentally planning our next sojourns into the field.
WEATHER
We were very lucky with the weather during our entire trip. April is the end of the dry season but this year the wet season did not even become evident as it usually does in April. We only had one quick downpour whilst in Nameri.
In the lower altitude areas of Guwahati, Kaziranga & Nameri it was hot - about 34 degrees & mostly dry. As we drove higher into the mountains it became cooler, around 20 degrees but always sunny & fresh, in fact absolutely perfect birding weather. It was cold at night because in some areas we were up as high as 10,000 feet. On our second last day when we drove to the Mandala Road, it was cloudy & we could see the mountains in the distance - where we had been the day before - were in mist & snow, but in the event we had a rainless day with excellent visibility.
All in all the weather could not have been more perfect.
COST
The cost of the entire trip was around £3,000 per person. Here is the breakdown:-
Peter Lobo – All India Birding Tours– 1800.00 (+ single supplement 300.00) 2100.00
Flights – Air Asia – LHR – Bombay – Calcutta - Guwahati return 649.00
Cash spending – tips, laundry, beer, airport food, water 130.00
Indian Visa 93.80
Malarone Tablets & script 77.50
ACCOMMODATION AND CONTACT DETAILS
The trip was arranged & organised by Peter Lobo at www.allindiabirdingtours.com
Kaziranga
Jupuri Ghar Eco Lodge, Kaziranga NP, Kaziranga, 785609, India
Nameri
Nameri Camp, Nameri Camp Road, Potasali, Assam, 784102, India
Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary
Lama Camp – run by the local people - contact through Peter Lobo
Bompu Camp – contact through Peter Lobo
Dirang
Pemaling Hotel – www.hotelpemaling.com
REFERENCES
Claydon, K. & M. Skinner, C & Glover, J. North East India - March – April 2011 - Nameri, Dirang, Eaglenest, Kaziranga, Mishmi Hills:
Grimmett, R. & Inskipp, C .& T. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (2011: Christopher Helm, London)
Kazmierczak, K. A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (Oxford University Press)
Indian Regional Map: Himalaya (Nelles Verlag Maps, Germany)
Prater, S. H. The Book of Indian Mammals (2005: Bombay Natural History Society)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many thanks to our keen Asian birding friends who gave us various help & information: Chris Gooddie, Andy Mears, Jan Wilczur et al.
Also many thanks to Rofik for his excellent photos
(in the order of Grimmet, Inskip & Inskipp, 2011)
Key
GD = Guwahati Rubbish Dump,
K = Kaziranga
N = Nameri
ENL = Eagle Nest – near Lama Camp
ENP = Eaglenest Pass – between the camps
ENB = Eaglenest - near Bompu Camp
DV = Dirang valley
SLP = Se La Pass
M = Mandala Road
Snow Partridge – a single bird – SLP
Swamp Francolin – several birds – K
Hill Partridge – heard at ENL & ENB & one glimpsed – ENB
Rufous-throated Partridge – heard & one seen - ENB
Chestnut-breasted Partridge – heard every day & several seen on the road – ENB
Blood Pheasant – ss. tibetanus - a single bird – SLP
Blyth's Tragopan - one male heard calling – ENB
Temminck's Tragopan – a single male seen near the top – ENP
Himalayan Monal – a single male – SLP
Red Junglefowl – heard & seen – K & N
Kalij Pheasant – a single male & a pair seen on the road – ENB
Grey Peacock Pheasant – a male taped in & seen at close range – ENB
Fulvous Whistling Duck – seen in flocks – K & N
Bar-headed Goose – at least 40 – K
Common Shelduck – five – K
Ruddy Shelduck – up to 30 on two days – K
Indian Spot-billed Duck – up to 30 on two days – K
Northern Shoveler – eight – K
Common Pochard – one – K
Tufted Duck – two – K
Little Grebe – a single – K
Asian Openbill – in fields en route, also up to 60 on three days – K
Woolly-necked Stork – up to ten on three day – K
Black-necked Stork – up to eight on three days – K
Lesser Adjutant – at least three – GD & up to ten on three days – K
Greater Adjutant – six – GD, also two - K
Black-headed Ibis – ten – GD, also at least 20 – K
Striated Heron – one – K, also up to three along river – N
Black-crowned Night Heron – a single bird – K
Indian Pond Heron – up to ten - K & N
Chinese Pond Heron – a single bird was an unusual sighting – K
Grey Heron – several – K
Purple Heron – several – K
Eastern Cattle Egret – en route – K
Great Egret – several on three days – K, also singles – N
Intermediate Egret – several each day – K
Little Egret – en route, also - K & along the river – N
Spot-billed Pelican – up to ten on three days – K
Darter – up to seven on three days – K
Little Cormorant – up to five on three days – K, also several along river – N
Great Cormorant – up to three – k
Common Kestrel - two pale phase – DV
Oriental Hobby – several – N
Black & Black-eared Kite – both sub-species – GD, K & N
Black-winged Kite – several - K & N
Osprey – one - N
Pallas's Fish Eagle – up to two seen on three days – K
Grey-headed Fish Eagle – up to two on three days – K
Black Eagle – up to three on three days, one displaying – ENL & ENB
Oriental Honey Buzzard – one – K
Slender-billed Vulture – at least four – GD, also two – K
Himalayan Vulture – one – K
Himalayan Griffon Vulture – three – K
Short-toed Snake Eagle – singles on three days – K
Crested Serpent Eagle – singles – K, N, ENL
Pied Harrier – a male – K
Eastern Marsh Harrier – two – K
Crested Goshawk - a single displaying – ENL
Shikra – singles on two days, K, N
Besra – en route
Eurasian Sparrowhawk – ENB
Himalayan Buzzard – on - SLP
Indian Spotted Eagle – one – GD, also one – en route back
Changeable Hawk Eagle – two – K
Mountain Hawk Eagle – five on four days – ENL, ENB
Black-tailed Crake – Missed – DV, one - MR
Ruddy-breasted Crake – M
White-breasted Waterhen – en route, also – K
Common Moorhen – up to six – K
Great Thick Knee – several – N
Bronze-winged Jacana – up to ten on three days – K
Northern Lapwing – five – K
River Lapwing – several - N
Grey-headed Lapwing – two on two days – K
Red-wattled Lapwing – up to four on three days – K, slso a pair – DV
Long-billed Plover – two – DV
Little-ringed Plover – up to eight on two days – K
Ruff – five – K
Common snipe – one – K
Spotted Redshank – up to 20 on three days – K
Common Redshank – several on three days – K
Green Sandpiper – singles on three days – K
Common Greenshank – several on three days – K
Wood Sandpiper – several – K
Marsh Sandpiper – a single - K
Common Sandpiper – several – K, also two – DV
Temminck's Stint – up to eight on two days – K
Small Pratincole – at least 20 – N
River Tern – several – N
Rock Dove – common in towns
Ashy Wood Pigeon – one - ENL
Green Imperial Pigeon – up to ten – K
Mountain Imperial Pigeon – Two – ENB
Barred Cuckoo Dove – one – ENB
Oriental Turtle Dove – several – K, common – N, several en route
Red-Collared Dove – several – K, several N, several en route
Spotted Dove – fairly common – en route – K, N, SLP
Orange-breasted Green Pigeon – a single - K
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon – several on three days – K
Pin-tailed Green Pigeon - several – N, also several ENB
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon – one – N
Emerald Dove – two – K, also two – N
Vernal Hanging Parrot – one – N
Alexandrine Parakeet – several – K
Rose-ringed Parakeet – en route, also - K
Blossom-headed Parakeet - several on three dayss – K
Red-breasted Parakeet – the most common parakeet, seen en route – K, N
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo – one seen - N
Large Hawk Cuckoo - its 'brain fever' repetitive call drove us all mad, heard every day, all day. Saw three
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo – its call is not so exhausting or obvious. Heard several times but one seen en route back from Dirang.
Indian Cuckoo – its call “one more bottle” heard most days, but not at – ENL or at SLP. Five seen
Common (Eurasian) Cuckoo – heard only – K, SLP & M
Himalayan Cuckoo – its call similar to the Oriental Cuckoo's four/five note call heard in the mountains – ENL, ENB, SLP & M. Saw three
Lesser Cuckoo – heard only, its call of “now whatever you do” heard at ENB, confirmed by Rofik
Banded Bay Cuckoo – heard – N, two seen - ENB
Plaintive Cuckoo – heard only – K, N
Asian Emerald Cuckoo – a glorgeous male seen – ENB
Drongo Cuckoo – its ascending whistles heard – K, N & ENL, three seen
Asian Koel – heard & four seen – K, N
Green-billed Malkoha – one – K, also two – N
Greater Coucal – heard – K, N, one seen
Lesser Coucal – heard & one seen – K, N
Oriental Scops Owl – heard several & finally saw one at our eco lodge – K
Collared Owlet – heard – ENL, ENB & M one finally seen en route back
Asian Barred Owlet – heard – K, N, ENB, five seen
Spotted Owlet – one seen – K
Brown Fish Owl – one heard & seen – N
Brown Hawk Owl – one seen & heard in garden of the lodge – N
Grey Nightjar – heard & seen – ENL
Large-tailed Nightjar – heard then seen in the eco lodge – N
Himalayan Swiftlet – large swirling flocks seen – SLP
Asian Palm Swift – several – N
White-throated Needletail – up to five - ENB
Silver-backed Needletail – single – en route from Dirang
Blyth's Swift – split from Fork-tailed – a flock of over 100 seen – SLP
House Swift – several nesting on the front of the Pemaling Hotel, Dirang
Hoopoe – several – K
Red-headed Trogon – one pair, a single & another male – ENB
Ward's Trogon – a gorgeous male – en route to – ENB, also a female several days later – ENB
Black-billed Roller – ss. affinis – several seen each day – K, N
Dollarbird – several each day – K, N
Stork-billed Kingfisher – one only by the river – N
White-throated Kingfisher – several seen every day – K, N
Common Kingfisher – several, up to six – N, along the river when we were rafting
Crested Kingfisher – a single on the big river near Dirang
Pied Kingfisher – up to seven on five days – K, N
Blue-bearded Bee-eater – two – K, also one – ENB
(Little) Green Bee-eater – up to four on two days – K
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – several – K
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater – at least two each day – K, N
Oriental Pied Hornbill – up to three on two days – K
Great Hornbill – several seen – K, N, also one at ENB, an unusual sighting
Rufous-necked Hornbill – a distant pair & a very close male, also heard the next day – ENB
Wreathed Hornbill - 15 flying across the river in the evening – N
Great Barbet – probably the commonest calling bird, heard all day, every day in all areas except – K. Six seen
Lineated Barbet - two seen but heard all day – K, N
Golden-throated Barbet – mostly heard in the higher altitude areas – ENL, ENB
Blue-throated Barbet – heard in the lowera areas – K, N, lower ENB
Yellow-rumped Honeyguide - a surprising sighting in the lower altutudes of ENL
White-browed Piculet – two – en route in a bamboo thicket
Pale-headed Woodpecker – a stunning male seen in huge area of bamboo en route to ENL, also heard again in bamboo on the lower slopes – ENL
Bay Woodpecker – two heard & two seen – ENL
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker – two – ENL, also one en route back to – N
Grey-capped (Pygmy) Woodpecker – several seen on three days – K
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker – Two at ENL & one – M
Darjeeling Woodpecker – a single – ENP, also one above – ENB
Lesser Yellownape - one – N
Greater Yellownape – one – N, & another – ENL
Grey-headed (faced) Woodpecker – several – K, N
Greater Flameback (Goldenback) – two – K, N
Black-rumped Flameback (Lesser Goldenback) – singles on two days – K
Long-tailed Broadbill – a close view of a pair in bamboo en route up the mountain to Tenga
Blue-naped Pitta – a gorgeous confiding female – K. Also one heard on route back, near the Nechi Pass
Large Woodshrike – single – N
Common Woodshrike – two – K
Ashy Woodswallow – singles on two days – K
Large Cuckooshrike – singles – K, ENL
Black-winged Cuckooshrike – singles on two days – ENL, heard – ENB & one seen – N
Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike – one seen – N
Common Iora – several each day – K, also – N
Rosy Minivet – several on to days – K
Grey-chinned Minivet – pairs seen on three days – ENL & ENB
Long-tailed Minivet – two pairs – ENL
Short-billed Minivet – several – K, also pairs – ENL, en route to dirang & M
Scarlet Minivet – fairly common, seen on six days – ENL, ENB, N
Brown Shrike – one – en route from Guwahati to K
Long-tailed Shrike – several en route to K
Grey-backed Shrike – several each day – K, also lower section – ENB
Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo – one – N, also several on two days – ENB
Hair-crested Drongo – three en route, sinb=gles on three days – K, also one – N
Black Drongo – fairly common – K, N, M
Ashy Drongo – fairly common -ENL, ENB
Bronzed Drongo – a single bird – ENB
Slender-billed Oriole - single – N
Black-hooded Oriole – common – K, N
Maroon Oriole – several seen or heard – ENL, ENB, SLP, M
Yellow-bellied Fantail – several each day – ENL, ENB
White-throated Fantail – several seen each day – ENL, ENB & one on the Nechi Pass
Asian Paradise Flycatcher – a single – ENB
Black-naped Monarch – heard on two days & two seen – ENB
Yellow-billed Blue Magpie – several on two days – ENL, also heard SLP, M
Common Green Magpie – one only – ENB
Rufous Treepie – up to five seen each day – K
Grey Treepie – several – K, N
Large-billed Crow – eight – ENL
Eastern Jungle Crow – common – K, N
House Crow – common – GD, K, N
Red-billed Chough – two seen on two occasions – SLP
Spotted Nutcracker – up to six seen feeding on the ground – M
Cinereous Tit – spl. fr. Great – up to four seen on seven days – K, N, ENL, Nechi Pass
Green-backed Tit – several seen on two days – ENL
Yellow-cheeked Tit – several pairs on three days – ENL
Sultan Tit – two – N, also three – ENB
Rufous-vented Tit – several – SLP
Coal Tit – ss. melanolophus – at least two – M
Grey-crested Tit – a flock – M
Yellow-browed Tit – at least five looking very under-whelming as usual – ENP
Black-throated Tit – ss. Iredalia – seen on seven days – ENL, ENB
Rufous-fronted Tit – split fr. above – two seen – M
Grey-throated Martin – ss.chinensis – common – K, N
Nepal House Martin – over 100 in skies en route down from Dirang
Barn Swallow – common – K, N
Red-rumped Swallow – common – K, N
Bengal Bushlark – several on two days – K
Sand Lark – six on the sand banks of the river – N
Oriental Skylark – heard – K
Striated Bulbul – common, several seen every day – ENL, ENB, M
Black-crested Bulbul – several seen – K
Red-whiskered Bulbul – common – K, N
Red-vented Bulbul – the most common bulbul, seen on ten days – K,N, en route, M
White-throated Bulbul – a single – ENB
Ashy Bulbul – a single – ENB
Mountain Bulbul – two – ENB
Black Bulbul – seen on six days – ENL, ENB, ENP, M & en route
Black-throated Prinia – ss.atrogularis – a single bird on a lower road – ENB
Grey-breasted Prinia – heard – K
Ashy Prinia – several - K
Common Tailorbird – several – K, N
Striated Grassbird – seven see on three days – K, N
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler (Strong-footed) – its wonderful call was heard almost every day once we reached the mountains. Several seen – ENL, ENB, ENP, SLP, M & en route
Hume's Bush Warbler – one bird taped out down the road from thepass looking just like a mini Cetti's – M
Grey-sided Bush Warbler – a single bird taped out – ENB
Russet Bush Warbler – saw one bird but heard the 'zeebit' call twice – en route, M
Thick-billed Warbler – several heard & one seen – K , N
Blyth's Reed Warbler – several – K
Chestnut-headed Tesia – heard but also saw a bird hopping on the road right out in the open – ENP
Slaty-bellied Tesia – heard & two seen, one singing madlyshowing its orange inner mouth lining whilst hopping backwards & forwards like an American mannakin
Grey-bellied Tesia – several seen & others heard so probably quite common – ENL, ENB
Tickell's Leaf Warbler – several – K, also one – ENB
Buff-barred Warbler – at least two – ENL
Simla Leaf Warbler – split fr. Lemon-rumped - one – ENL
Ashy-throated Warbler – singles on five days – ENL, ENB
Yellow-browed Warbler – several heard – K, N
Greenish Warbler – several – K
Large-billed Leaf Warbler – single - ENP
Southern Blyth's Leaf Warbler – seen & heard every day for s even days – N, ENL, ENB
Yellow-vented Warbler – a single bird – ENL
Black-faced Warbler - up to four on three days – ENL
Rufous-faced Warbler – three – ENB
Yellow-bellied Warbler – a single – ENB
Broad-billed Warbler – a single, also heard – ENB
White-spectacled Warbler – two – ENP
Green-crowned Warbler – four seen on three days – ENB
Whistler's Warbler – a single – ENP, also five on three days – SLP, M
(Grey-hooded Warbler) – a single bird – ENB
Grey-cheeked Warbler – seven seen on three days – ENL, ENB
Chestnut-crowned Warbler – eight seen on five days – ENL, ENB
Spot-throated Babbler - heard & attempted to tape out but not successful
Puff-throated Babbler – heard & then five seen – N
Abbott's Babbler – a single bird – K
Eye-browed Wren Babbler - a single bird taped out – ENB
Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler – heard & attempted to tape out but no success
Pygmy Wren Babbler - two seen & four heard – ENL, ENB
Rufous-throated Wren Babbler – heard five & saw one finally by taping it out – ENL, ENB
Bar-winged Wren Babbler – One taped out of the bushes – M
Spotted Wren Babbler – heard only even though we tried hard to tape it out – ENB
Long-billed Wren Babbler – heard then taped out – ENB
Himalayan Wedge-billed Babbler – two taped out – ENP
Pin-striped Tit Babbler – several – K, ENL
Chestnut-capped Babbler – a single bird – K
Rufous-fronted Babbler – heard – K
Rufous-capped Babbler – five on four days – ENL, ENB, heard en route near Nechi Pass
Grey-throated Babbler – a single – ENB
Golden Babbler – ten on four days, also heard often – ENL, ENB
Large Scimitar Babbler – heard only – ENB
White-browed Scimiar Babbler – one – K, also two – ENB
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler – seen & heard on eight days – ENL, ENB, en route back
Red-billed Scimitar Babbler – a single bird taped out – ENB
Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler – heard & two birds taped out on three days – ENB
Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler – one taped out from bamboo – M
Slender-billed Babbler – a single bird in the grass – K
White-throated Laughing Thrush – at least five in a flock - M
White-crested Laughing Thrush – three flocks on two days – ENB
Lesser-necklaced Laughing Thrush – a single – K
Striated Laughing Thrush – small parties seen on six occasions – ENL, ENB
Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrush – initially only heard but two seen & taped out – M
Grey-sided Laughing Thrush – glimpsed, then a pair & a single seen – ENL, ENB
Spotted Laughing Thrush – at least three seen on the road – ENP, then two – M
Bhutan Laughing Thrush – two – ENP, then at least six – SLP & two – M
Blue-winged Laughing Thrush – seen & heard several times – ENB, but two finally seen when taped out – M
Scaly Laughing Thrush – two pairs on two days – ENL, ENB
Black-faced Laughing Thrush – singles on two days – ENP, SLP
Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrush – heard & several seen on six days – ENL, ENB, M
Rusty-fronted Barwing – several flocks on five occasions – ENL, ENB
Hoary-throated Barwing – singles seen including a hybrid with the next species – ENL, ENB
Streak-throated Barwing – at least three in a flock – ENP
Red-faced Liocichla – heard & then one seen on the lower section – ENB, two – ENB, & one en route back near the Nechi Pass
Bugun Liocichla – a single male taped in then seen skulking down in the bushes but good views eventually – ENL
Silver-eared Mesia – a flock of 20, also two the next day – ENB
Red-billed Leiothrix – at least five – M
Himalayan Cutia – several seen on four days – ENL, ENB
Blue-winged Minla – several seen on four days – ENL, ENB
Chestnut-tailed Minla – (Bar-throated Minla) – singles & pairs seen on four days – ENL, ENP, ENB, M
Red-tailed Minla – several seen on four days – ENL, ENB
Black-headed Shrike Babbler – singles seen on two days – ENB
Himalayan Shrike Babbler – spl. fr. White-browed – one seen
Green Shrike Babbler – a single bird – ENP
Black-eared Shrike Babbler – a single – ENP
Golden-breasted Fulvetta – a single & then several on three days – ENB
Yellow-throated Fulvetta – small flocks seen on five days – ENL, ENB
Rufous-winged Fulvetta – several seen on three days – ENL, ENB
Ludlow's (Brown-throated) Fulvetta – a single – ENP & also two – M
Nepal Fulvetta – singles on lower section - ENB
Rufous-backed Sibia – single bird – ENP
Long-tailed Sibia – flocks of up to eight seen on three days – ENB
Beautiful Sibia – fairly common, seen on ten days but heard much more often – ENL, ENB, SLP, M & en route
Striated Yuhina – two – ENL
White-naped Yuhina – small flocks seen on three days – ENB
Whiskered Yuhina – singles & pairs seen on five occasions – ENL, ENB & M
Stripe-throated Yuhina – several seen on four occasions – ENL, ENB & M
Rufous-vented Yuhina – four – ENP
Black-chinned Yuhina – a single & a pair – ENB
Black-throated Parrotbill – seen in small flocks on six days – ENL, ENP & ENB
Lesser Rufous-headed (Black-browed) Parrotbill – two seen in bamboo in the lowest area past Sessni
(Greater) Rufous-headed Parrotbill (White-breasted - Cl.) – several seen on three days, ENL & ENB
Brown Parrotbill – two taped in – ENP
White-hooded Babbler – two in the lower area past Sessni – ENB
Fire-tailed Myzornis – a single bird – SLP, plus a glimpse of another the next day – M
Oriental White-Eye – small numbers on four days – K, N
Winter Wren – one bird only – SLP
Brown Dipper – a single – DV
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch – two – N
White-tailed Nuthatch – a single – ENL
Beautiful Nuthatch – seven birds called in by tape – ENB
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch – pairs on three occasions – K, N
Hodgson's Treecreeper – two birds – SLP
Brown-throated Treecreeper – two – ENL & ENB
Common Hill Myna – two – K
Great Myna – common – K & N
Jungle Myna – common – GD, K & N
Common Myna – common – en route, K & N
Asian Pied Starling – pairs & small flocks – K & N
Chestnut-tailed Starling – fairly common – K & N
Blue Whistling Thrush – singles & pairs on eight days – N, en route, ENL, ENB, SLP
(Small-billed) Scaly Thrush – a single – ENB
White-collared Blackbird – several on two days – SLP & M
Grey-winged Blackbird – six – ENL
Tickell's Thrush – a pair – DV
Black-throated Thrush – a pair – M
Purple Cochoa – heard on six occasions but only one seen & only by one person – ENL & ENB
Green Cochoa - one heard on lower path – ENB
White-browed Shortwing – heard & one seen – ENB
Lesser Shortwing – heard on eight days & one seen – ENL & ENB & one en route
Siberian Rubythroat – heard & one seen – K
Himalayan Rubythroat – ss. tschebaiewi - K
White-browed Bush Robin – one pair – SLP
Himalayan Red-flanked Bluetail – two pairs – SLP
Golden Bush Robin – heard – ENB, two pairs seen – SLP
Oriental Magpie Robin – several seen on seven days – K, N, ENL, en route & DV
White-rumped Shama – heard on two days & one seen – K & N
Plumbeous Water Redstart – up to six on two days – DV
White-capped Redstart – up to three seen along river – DV
Hodgson's Redstart – one female by the first pond – N
Blue-fronted Redstart – six seen on six days – roadside – ENL, ENB, en route
White-tailed Robin – a glimpse of one – ENB
Blue-fronted Robin – two singles – ENB & SLP
Little Forktail – a single – in a stream by the road, en route up to Tenga
Grandala – five birds seen, two males on the shore of the lake & three more in the flock flying – SLP
Siberian Stonechat – ss. maurus – common – K
Grey Bushchat – singles & pairs – en route
Blue-capped Rock Thrush – several seen on three days – en route
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush – pairs seen on eight occasions – along roads mostly en- route
Dark-sided Flycatcher – common, singles & pairs – ENL, ENB & en route
Slaty-backed Flycatcher – a single male – ENB
Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher – a single – ENL & a pair – SLP
Red-throated (Taiga) Flycatcher – severl seen on five days – K, N, ENL & ENB
Snowy-browed Flycatcher – a quick glimpse of a single male – ENB
White-gorgetted Flycatcher – three birds – ENB, also heard en route
Ultramarine Flycatcher – two pairs – ENB, M
Slaty-Blue Flycatcher – two males & a pair – ENL, ENB & SLP
Sapphire Flycatcher – a male – ENL, also heard – ENB
Verditer Flycatcher – singles & pairs seen on eight occasions – ENL, ENB, en route, SLP & M
Pale-blue Flycatcher – singles on two days - ENB
Large Blue Flycatcher – (spl. fr. Hill Blue) – a single bird – ENB
Blue-throated Blue Flycatcher – a single male – DV
Pale-chinned Flycatcher – a single male – K, also heard – N
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher – common, heard or seen on ten days – ENL, ENB, en route, DV, SLP & M
Rufous-bellied Niltava – two singles – ENL & ENB
Large Niltava – one pair & a single male, also heard often – ENB
Small Niltava – a single male & a pair – ENB
Pygmy Blue Flycatcher – two pairs, also heard – ENL
Asian Fairy Bluebird – a single bird heard – ENB
Golden-fronted Leafbird – singles on three occasions – K, N
Orange-bellied Leafbird – singles on two days – ENB & en route
Plain Flowerpecker – a single bird – N
Yellow-vented Flowerpecker – a single bird – K
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker – a male – ENB
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker – several – K
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird – a single bird – K
Mrs Gould's Sunbird – several seen on three days – ENB, M
Green-tailed Sunbird – fairly common, ENL, ENB
Black-throated Sunbird – ENB & en route
Crimson Sunbird – a single – K
Fire-tailed Sunbird – several fabulous males seen tipping their tails upwards in display, also one female – SLP
Streaked Spiderhunter – singles & pairs on four days – ENL, ENB
House Sparrow – common K, N
Russet Sparrow – several – DV, M
Eurasian Tree Sparrow – several seen on five days – K, ENL, DV & M & en route
Blanfords Snowfinch – a single bird – SLP
Eastern Baya Weaver – ss. burmanicus – fairly common – K
Finn's Weaver – several flocks in the reedbeds – K
Rufous-breasted Accentor – a single bird – M
Western Yellow Wagtail – ss.? - three birds – K
Citrine Wagtail – common – K, N
Grey Wagtail – singles on two days – ENL & M
White Wagtail – ss. personata & dukhunensis – K, N, ENB
Blyth's Pipit – a single bird – K
Rosy Pipit – several on two days - K
Olive-backed Pipit – fairly common on tracks, seen on ten days - K, N, ENL, ENB, SLP & M
Tibetan Siskin – six – ENL
Yellow-breasted Greenfinch – at least fifteen – DV
Dark-breasted Rosefinch – a single female – ENL
Common Rosefinch - a single male – ENL
Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch – three – SLP
Crimson-browed Finch – a female – ENB
Scarlet Finch – several males & a female seen on five occasions – ENL, ENB
Brown Bullfinch – three – ENB
Red-headed Bullfinch – several
Grey-headed Bullfinch – several seen on four occasions – ENB
White-winged Grosbeak – two – SLP
Gold-naped Finch – fairly common - ENL - with up to six on one day
Crested Bunting – two – SLP
Little Bunting – DV, M
SYSTEMATIC LIST OF MAMMALS
Long-tailed Macaque – common in Kaziranga NP
Black-capped Langur – a troupe in Potasali NP, also near Bompu Camp - Eaglenest
Siamese Macaque – a small troupe seen by the river at Potasali
Aranachal Macaque – a troups seen near Sessni Camp - Eaglenest
Tiger – prints & scratch marks on a tree were the only evidence in Kaziranga NP
Indian Rhinoceros – over thirty seen in the Kaziranga NP in three days
Indian Elephant – common out in the open in the Kaziranga NP, but also evidence seen in Potasali - where we were almost surrounded by a herd & had to engage our guard on the path holding his rifle at the ready. In the event they moved on but not to be taken lightly. Eaglenest - Fresh elephant dung found on roads & in the forest in the Eaglenest Sanctuary every day & also newly made tracks.
Indian Smooth-coated Otter – seen in the water in Kaziranga NP
Binturong (Bear-cat) – one disturbed on the road in the Eaglenest Sanctuary which hurriedly climbed a tree & tried to hide from us, then slowly moved away.
Hodgson's Porcupine – one seen running along the road en route back to Lama Camp from Bompu
Water Buffalo – common in Kaziranga NP
Sambar – common in Kaziranga NP
Indian Wild boar – common in Kaziranga NP
Hog Deer – fairly common at Kaziranga, seen each day
Swamp Deer (Barasingha) – common in Kaziranga NP
Muntjak – common in Kaziranga NP
Giant Squirrel – several seen in Kaziranga, a single near Sessni Camp - Eaglenest
Himalayan Striped Squirrel – common at Eaglenest – Lama Camp
Moniter Lizard – several in Kaziranga NP