Pakistan and Monsoon NW India - Jul/Aug 2023 (1 Viewer)

[greyfantail]

Hi all,

I am planning a trip to Pakistan and NW India from the 22nd of July to the 10th of August.

The trip is based around visiting the Ajmer area in NW India during the monsoon to see Critically Endangered Lesser Floricans displaying, lookng for the very rare Long-billed Grasshopper Warbler and targeting the West Himalayan and monsoon specialities.

Rough itinerary and some key species to look for:

0.5 day Harike: Rufous-vented Grass-babbler, Jerdon's Babbler.
2.5 days Naltar Valley: Long-billed Grasshopper Warbler (if the tiny area of remaining habitat where James Eaton found it last year hasn't been overgrazed),
Blyth's Rosefinch, Kashmir Nutcracker, White-cheeked Nuthatch, Rufous-naped Tit, maybe Kashmir Nuthatch (these last 4 also at Kagan).
3.5 days Kagan Valley: Orange Bullfinch, Spectacled Finch, White-throated Bushtit, Black-and-Yellow Grosbreak, Golden Bush Robin, Pink-browed Rosefinch.
1.0 day Margalla Hills: White-cheeked Bushtit, Black-headed Jay, Himalayan Parakeet.
2.0 days Himachal Pradesh: c.1.5 days spent driving to spend a morning looking for West Himalayan Grasshopper Warbler.
0.5 day Delhi area: displaying Bristled Grassbird.
1.5 days Haldwani: c.1 day spent driving to spend a morning visiting a breeding colony of Finn's Weaver (rumoured to be uplisted to Critically Endangered soon).
2.5 days Ajmer area: Lesser Florican displaying, Rain Quail, Rock Bush Quail, Red-necked Falcon. Might have time to look for White-naped Tit,
White-bellied Minivet, Indian Spotted Creeper, Indian Pitta.
0.5 day Pune: displaying Broad-tailed Grassbird, Painted Francolin.
3.5 days Travel time between locations (plus some overnight buses and late night flights).


I haven't worked out a cost estimate yet, but internal flights aren't too expensive in India and car+driver (or just car if people prefer) should be relatively cheap if split among several people. Food and accommodation should be cheap. Probably will get Asian Adventures to organize a guide (or at least a driver who knows the sites) for the Ajmer area, which will be more expensive.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Arbu]

If you have time, and are really keen to see the grasshopper-warbler, try the fields around Askole at the start of the walk to K2 basecamp. I recorded several there in July 2006. I remember the call was like some sort of hydraulic pump, and I spend ages trying to decide if it was a bird or a pump, before finally getting to see the bird, which certainly looked good for the grasshopper-warbler. Happy to be corrected if someone thinks there's something else it might have been.

 

[DMW]

If you have time, and are really keen to see the grasshopper-warbler, try the fields around Askole at the start of the walk to K2 basecamp. I recorded several there in July 2006. I remember the call was like some sort of hydraulic pump, and I spend ages trying to decide if it was a bird or a pump, before finally getting to see the bird, which certainly looked good for the grasshopper-warbler. Happy to be corrected if someone thinks there's something else it might have been.

That's a pretty good description of the song, and if the bird you observed looked and acted like a Locustella, there's not much else it could be. This is a potentially very significant record given the almost complete absence of recent records. Can you recall roughly how many you heard, what sort of vegetation they were in - eg were they in crops or in weedy patches?

 

[Arbu]

Hi Duncan

On checking, I think it was about 20th June. At the time, I wrote "above Askole, in thorn bushes, seen well" and when I got back I wrote "Several around Askole, in bushes. Distinctive mechanical sounding call." so there were several, that's all I can say. I think that the thorn bushes I refer to were at the base of one of the walls which border the fields around the village. Attached is a photo that I believe I took on the same walk around the village. No photo of the bird unfortunately.

I note that there are no e-bird records for the location, which is surprising as it is the start of a very popular trekking route.

 

[DMW]

Hi Duncan

On checking, I think it was about 20th June. At the time, I wrote "above Askole, in thorn bushes, seen well" and when I got back I wrote "Several around Askole, in bushes. Distinctive mechanical sounding call." so there were several, that's all I can say. I think that the thorn bushes I refer to were at the base of one of the walls which border the fields around the village. Attached is a photo that I believe I took on the same walk around the village. No photo of the bird unfortunately.

I note that there are no e-bird records for the location, which is surprising as it is the start of a very popular trekking route.

Thanks Rob, very interesting indeed. I suspect very few of those trekkers would even notice the song of a Locustella, let alone recognise it! From what I understand, the extreme grazing pressure within its range has greatly reduced the amount of suitable breeding habitat, so this location is definitely worth a follow-up.

 

[greyfantail]

Hi Arbu,

Thanks for the excellent information on your grasshopper-warbler record.

It's great to have a possible back-up location.

Birdtour Asia have a tour visiting the Naltar Vallay (among other places) in June.

If they dip, I will know where to try.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Arbu]

Hi Arbu,

Thanks for the excellent information on your grasshopper-warbler record.

It's great to have a possible back-up location.

Birdtour Asia have a tour visiting the Naltar Vallay (among other places) in June.

If they dip, I will know where to try.

Cheers,
Michael

Yes, good luck, and let us know how you get on. I suspect they won't be singing by the time you get there unfortunately, so that will make things harder.

 

[Arbu]

Someone else has reported the warbler from Askole now https://ebird.org/checklist/S146458730