Camberley red
Well-known member
Northern India 11-24 January 2003-01-26
Arrived Delhi at 03:30 a.m. and after a relatively straightforward emigration, change traveller’s checks and collect bags we were loading into our waiting taxi by 04:30. A quiet drive across town, we arrived at our ground agent’s house to transfer into our car to take us to Pangot (near Nianital, in the Himalayan foothills 300 km N.E. of Delhi.) Following a 5-hour drive which was a combination of the wall of death fairground ride and the scariest roll-a-coaster you’ve ever been on, had we arrived at Corbett Falls to collect our guide and start birding. During our manic transfer across the plains of India we did manage the occasional bird and actually saw 41 species, helped by a 15-minute wait at a level crossing, where a small pond held about 12 species of bird. Once in the foothills our pace was slower and the weather bright and sunny. Highlight of the day was a 15 minute stop at a small mountain stream which produced Little and Spotted Forktails, what a start to the trip.
Next morning (Sunday) we had a leisurely stroll around the woods near our resort accompanied by a tripod carrier (great idea to have a personal assistant to carry the guide book and optics) 4 species of woodpecker, treecreepers, nuthatches, tits, rosefinches and laughingthrushes kept us busy during a 3 hour walk. The highlight was a superb Lammergeier and a small party of Koklass Pheasants. After lunch a trip down the mountain to Nianital to pick up beer supplies and a quick look over the local tip produced 15 Steppe Eagles, Black Kites, Himalayan Vultures and a superb Forest Owlet on telephone wires.
Monday, we went down to the Mangoll Valley area, on the way stopping at a rough scrub area which yielded a superb pair of Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babblers and a flock of Fire-crested Serins. A brief stop at the Forktail stream proved more views of Spotted Forktails and a small flock of Olive-backed Pipits. A little later than planed we entered the forested valley to be greeted by a huge flock of Grey-headed Parakeets zooming to and frow. Searching the understorey we found Chestnut-crowned and White-throated Laughingthrushes, then a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher gave fantastic views. We walked back via an open cultivated valley and in a small rank area by a small stream a Smoky Warbler was busy feeding and provided excellent views and a little further a White-tailed Stonechat displayed all the correct diagnostic features. Just at the end of our walk a large flock of laughingthrushes (100+) were feeding including several White-crested, a lovely bird which is surprisingly difficult to see.
We were on the road to our next destination the following morning, but I could not have dreamt of the species seen en-route. First off a superb Lesser Kestrel perched on overhead wires followed by a very elusive flock of Rufous-chinned Laughingthrushes. Down in a lovely shady stream valley we were surrounded by Orange-flanked Bush Robins (Bluetails for UK birders), Blue-fronted Redstarts, an Ultramarine Flycatcher (as colourful as its name). At our lunch stop at a roadside restaurant, the stream and kitchen waste pile produced a Long-billed Thrush, this beast looked almost prehistoric and certainly one of the highlights of the trip. Many stops to look over the now substantial river produced Brown Dippers and flushed a Serpent Eagle down to 3 feet! I now sure who was more surprised. At a river crossing a steep gorge a pair of Wallcreepers gave great views as they foraged in the crevices in the rock face, providing an excellent finale to our journey to Binsar.
Binsar is a large Himalayan foothill rising too nearly 8,000 feet, the oak and pine woodland provides a rich habitat for birds and mammals. Before breakfast at our eco lodge we found a pair of Long-tailed Thrushes another superb Zoothera species, a Great Barbet and Brown-capped Pygmy-Woodpecker. Our daylong expedition around the mountain summit yielded White-browed Shrike-Babbler (the female almost as stunning as the male), White-cheeked Nuthatch, Rufous-napped Tit and Maroon Oriole all in the same flock. Other goodies included a Rufous-throated Partridge, Stripe-throated Yuhina and White-throated Tit. Back at the lodge a White-browed Rosefinch and Tickell's Leaf Warbler were feeding in the vegetable garden.
The next day we retraced our route down the valley on the way to Sattal, a slightly lower altitude hill and valley area. First highlight was the Almora public dump, it appears usual for a town to just tip all its rubbish down the side of a mountain! Not very eco friendly but great for spotting raptors. Our 20 minutes of smelly watching produced a wonderful Greater Spotted Eagle, 3 Steppe Eagles and numerous Black Kites. Just above the tip we found another pair of Wallcreepers, a Scaly Thrush and a long-billed Pipit. The day continued to produce excellent Raptors with Imperial Eagle, Lammergeier, Cinereous, Red-headed and Himalayan Vultures. At the Long-billed Thrush site a Slaty-backed Forktail was now with the other stream dwelling birds.
Our next day was more relaxed just strolling around the nearby lake and wooded valley. The list of great birds to be found in this quiet spot is most impressive and we found 110 species during our brief stay. Highlights include Siberian Rubythroat, Tickell's Thrush, White-browed Flycatcher, Chestnut-headed Tesia (Fantastic views of a great little bird, Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler (another difficult bird to find, that provided great views) and Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler (another skulker). This valley was perhaps the best location on the trip and also provided the best accommodation.
Next day we hit the road for a long drive to the Corbett National Park (famous for Tigers along with an impressive bird list).
Corbett was cold and foggy the next day for our Elephant safari, which turned out to be a bit of a waste of time both for birds and Tigers. Then a quick walk down the Kosi River near Rammagar, this is the famous Ibisbill site, alas this year they have not returned, other species such as Greater Thick-knee, more Wallcreepers, lots of waders and wagtails were there. In the afternoon we went roosting owl hunting, unfortunately without any luck, although a lovely Blue-bearded Bee-eater made up for our disappointment.
The next day was spent exploring the southern perimeter of the park in the fog, which was a little frustrating, as our target species were fish eagles. Hence, no eagles were found and a rather gloomy and very cold pair of birders returned after a wasted morning. After lunch we steeled ourselves for the drive to the railhead at Lal Khan to catch the Kumaun Express to Agra. We express the train certainly was not, but the sleeper car was comfortable enough, it was the 4 hour delay in arriving at Agra due to fog which caused the concern, especially as we left on time.
Late but rested we arrived at Agra Fort railway station an met our guides for the day and a 3 hour drive to the Chambal River NP, although the drive was long and hot the final destination was superb. The Chambal River is a permanent waterway although the poor monsoon has left it a little lower than usual. Late but undeterred we set off in the early afternoon heat in search of river dolphins and crocodiles, and the odd life bird. The sanctuary delivered everything, 5 dolphins, one huge Mugger crocodile and lots of garrials (fresh water, fish eating alligators), on the bird front, River and Black-bellied Terns, Painted Storks, 3 species of cormorant, lots of wild fowl and waders and best of all Indian Skimmer. We then retraced our tracks back to Agra and onto Bharatpur.
Bharatpur and in particular Siberian Cranes had been the main reason for visiting India in Early January. Unfortunately the failure of the monsoon has left Bharatpur dry, hence no cranes. The reserve itself is an excellent birding location wet or dry and our day produced nearly 100 species in the park. Highlights for me were Bluethroats, Sarus Cranes, White-tailed Lapwings, Dusky Eagle-owl (a large owl at last!), Collared Scops Owl, Orange-headed Thrush, Tawny Eagle and Chestnut-shouldered Petronia.
Due to the lack of water at Bharatpur most visiting birders visit a nearby dam call Bung Baretha about 50 Kms journey. Therefore, bright and early we set off in search of water birds. In actual fact we had picked up most species already and the highlights were land birds in the shape of Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, Crested Bunting and White-capped Bunting. The reservoir itself was very birdy with all the ducks, cormorants and waders. A couple of Ospreys were over wintering there and a Great Spotted Eagle patrolled the valley edge riding the thermals.
From Bharatpur we made our way north back to Delhi and spent our last night at the bird sanctuary at Sultanpur. This location again was to catch up with missing water birds missed at Bharatpur. The sanctuary itself is very good and we had the whole reserve to ourselves all morning. We did two circuits of the lake (about 5 Km) early in the mist and later in the haze! We were rewarded with a superb Pallid harrier, excellent views of Southern Grey Shrikes, 100's of larks, mostly Greater Short Toed, but a smattering of Bimaculated, Crested and Skylarks along with a good range of pipits. Excellent identification practice on Lesser Whitethroat species and Phylloscopus warblers. The afternoon we explored the Basai wetlands 6-Km from Sultanpur, these appear to be an open sewage works and you have to be very careful where you tread as you walk along the earth walls between the settling beds. The site is alive with waders, ducks and raptors either over the dump or hunting along the small ponds and beds.
Well that’s the highlight report, a more detailed narrative and full bird list are currently in production, if anyone would like to complete story please contact me directly. In summary the 14-day tour produced just over 350 species, of which 150ish were lifers for me. India is a fantastic birding destination and I would recommend it to any birder thinking of starting a world list. In general the accommodation was very good, the food is great (especially if you are a vegetarian like me), we had no tummy trouble at all during our stay. Beer is cheap even when you buy it at the resort. The road traffic and road conditions are an experience all by themselves and are beyond description. I would only say that if you are a nervous passenger then you might have a few problems and also you never seem to get anywhere on time, so flexibility and patience are a virtue. Finally, thanks to my birding partner during the trip Eddie and the two excellent bird guides we used Ratan Singh and Rajesh Singh (not related).
Bye for now and great birding
Paul
Arrived Delhi at 03:30 a.m. and after a relatively straightforward emigration, change traveller’s checks and collect bags we were loading into our waiting taxi by 04:30. A quiet drive across town, we arrived at our ground agent’s house to transfer into our car to take us to Pangot (near Nianital, in the Himalayan foothills 300 km N.E. of Delhi.) Following a 5-hour drive which was a combination of the wall of death fairground ride and the scariest roll-a-coaster you’ve ever been on, had we arrived at Corbett Falls to collect our guide and start birding. During our manic transfer across the plains of India we did manage the occasional bird and actually saw 41 species, helped by a 15-minute wait at a level crossing, where a small pond held about 12 species of bird. Once in the foothills our pace was slower and the weather bright and sunny. Highlight of the day was a 15 minute stop at a small mountain stream which produced Little and Spotted Forktails, what a start to the trip.
Next morning (Sunday) we had a leisurely stroll around the woods near our resort accompanied by a tripod carrier (great idea to have a personal assistant to carry the guide book and optics) 4 species of woodpecker, treecreepers, nuthatches, tits, rosefinches and laughingthrushes kept us busy during a 3 hour walk. The highlight was a superb Lammergeier and a small party of Koklass Pheasants. After lunch a trip down the mountain to Nianital to pick up beer supplies and a quick look over the local tip produced 15 Steppe Eagles, Black Kites, Himalayan Vultures and a superb Forest Owlet on telephone wires.
Monday, we went down to the Mangoll Valley area, on the way stopping at a rough scrub area which yielded a superb pair of Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babblers and a flock of Fire-crested Serins. A brief stop at the Forktail stream proved more views of Spotted Forktails and a small flock of Olive-backed Pipits. A little later than planed we entered the forested valley to be greeted by a huge flock of Grey-headed Parakeets zooming to and frow. Searching the understorey we found Chestnut-crowned and White-throated Laughingthrushes, then a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher gave fantastic views. We walked back via an open cultivated valley and in a small rank area by a small stream a Smoky Warbler was busy feeding and provided excellent views and a little further a White-tailed Stonechat displayed all the correct diagnostic features. Just at the end of our walk a large flock of laughingthrushes (100+) were feeding including several White-crested, a lovely bird which is surprisingly difficult to see.
We were on the road to our next destination the following morning, but I could not have dreamt of the species seen en-route. First off a superb Lesser Kestrel perched on overhead wires followed by a very elusive flock of Rufous-chinned Laughingthrushes. Down in a lovely shady stream valley we were surrounded by Orange-flanked Bush Robins (Bluetails for UK birders), Blue-fronted Redstarts, an Ultramarine Flycatcher (as colourful as its name). At our lunch stop at a roadside restaurant, the stream and kitchen waste pile produced a Long-billed Thrush, this beast looked almost prehistoric and certainly one of the highlights of the trip. Many stops to look over the now substantial river produced Brown Dippers and flushed a Serpent Eagle down to 3 feet! I now sure who was more surprised. At a river crossing a steep gorge a pair of Wallcreepers gave great views as they foraged in the crevices in the rock face, providing an excellent finale to our journey to Binsar.
Binsar is a large Himalayan foothill rising too nearly 8,000 feet, the oak and pine woodland provides a rich habitat for birds and mammals. Before breakfast at our eco lodge we found a pair of Long-tailed Thrushes another superb Zoothera species, a Great Barbet and Brown-capped Pygmy-Woodpecker. Our daylong expedition around the mountain summit yielded White-browed Shrike-Babbler (the female almost as stunning as the male), White-cheeked Nuthatch, Rufous-napped Tit and Maroon Oriole all in the same flock. Other goodies included a Rufous-throated Partridge, Stripe-throated Yuhina and White-throated Tit. Back at the lodge a White-browed Rosefinch and Tickell's Leaf Warbler were feeding in the vegetable garden.
The next day we retraced our route down the valley on the way to Sattal, a slightly lower altitude hill and valley area. First highlight was the Almora public dump, it appears usual for a town to just tip all its rubbish down the side of a mountain! Not very eco friendly but great for spotting raptors. Our 20 minutes of smelly watching produced a wonderful Greater Spotted Eagle, 3 Steppe Eagles and numerous Black Kites. Just above the tip we found another pair of Wallcreepers, a Scaly Thrush and a long-billed Pipit. The day continued to produce excellent Raptors with Imperial Eagle, Lammergeier, Cinereous, Red-headed and Himalayan Vultures. At the Long-billed Thrush site a Slaty-backed Forktail was now with the other stream dwelling birds.
Our next day was more relaxed just strolling around the nearby lake and wooded valley. The list of great birds to be found in this quiet spot is most impressive and we found 110 species during our brief stay. Highlights include Siberian Rubythroat, Tickell's Thrush, White-browed Flycatcher, Chestnut-headed Tesia (Fantastic views of a great little bird, Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler (another difficult bird to find, that provided great views) and Chestnut-crowned Bush Warbler (another skulker). This valley was perhaps the best location on the trip and also provided the best accommodation.
Next day we hit the road for a long drive to the Corbett National Park (famous for Tigers along with an impressive bird list).
Corbett was cold and foggy the next day for our Elephant safari, which turned out to be a bit of a waste of time both for birds and Tigers. Then a quick walk down the Kosi River near Rammagar, this is the famous Ibisbill site, alas this year they have not returned, other species such as Greater Thick-knee, more Wallcreepers, lots of waders and wagtails were there. In the afternoon we went roosting owl hunting, unfortunately without any luck, although a lovely Blue-bearded Bee-eater made up for our disappointment.
The next day was spent exploring the southern perimeter of the park in the fog, which was a little frustrating, as our target species were fish eagles. Hence, no eagles were found and a rather gloomy and very cold pair of birders returned after a wasted morning. After lunch we steeled ourselves for the drive to the railhead at Lal Khan to catch the Kumaun Express to Agra. We express the train certainly was not, but the sleeper car was comfortable enough, it was the 4 hour delay in arriving at Agra due to fog which caused the concern, especially as we left on time.
Late but rested we arrived at Agra Fort railway station an met our guides for the day and a 3 hour drive to the Chambal River NP, although the drive was long and hot the final destination was superb. The Chambal River is a permanent waterway although the poor monsoon has left it a little lower than usual. Late but undeterred we set off in the early afternoon heat in search of river dolphins and crocodiles, and the odd life bird. The sanctuary delivered everything, 5 dolphins, one huge Mugger crocodile and lots of garrials (fresh water, fish eating alligators), on the bird front, River and Black-bellied Terns, Painted Storks, 3 species of cormorant, lots of wild fowl and waders and best of all Indian Skimmer. We then retraced our tracks back to Agra and onto Bharatpur.
Bharatpur and in particular Siberian Cranes had been the main reason for visiting India in Early January. Unfortunately the failure of the monsoon has left Bharatpur dry, hence no cranes. The reserve itself is an excellent birding location wet or dry and our day produced nearly 100 species in the park. Highlights for me were Bluethroats, Sarus Cranes, White-tailed Lapwings, Dusky Eagle-owl (a large owl at last!), Collared Scops Owl, Orange-headed Thrush, Tawny Eagle and Chestnut-shouldered Petronia.
Due to the lack of water at Bharatpur most visiting birders visit a nearby dam call Bung Baretha about 50 Kms journey. Therefore, bright and early we set off in search of water birds. In actual fact we had picked up most species already and the highlights were land birds in the shape of Red Avadavat, Indian Silverbill, Crested Bunting and White-capped Bunting. The reservoir itself was very birdy with all the ducks, cormorants and waders. A couple of Ospreys were over wintering there and a Great Spotted Eagle patrolled the valley edge riding the thermals.
From Bharatpur we made our way north back to Delhi and spent our last night at the bird sanctuary at Sultanpur. This location again was to catch up with missing water birds missed at Bharatpur. The sanctuary itself is very good and we had the whole reserve to ourselves all morning. We did two circuits of the lake (about 5 Km) early in the mist and later in the haze! We were rewarded with a superb Pallid harrier, excellent views of Southern Grey Shrikes, 100's of larks, mostly Greater Short Toed, but a smattering of Bimaculated, Crested and Skylarks along with a good range of pipits. Excellent identification practice on Lesser Whitethroat species and Phylloscopus warblers. The afternoon we explored the Basai wetlands 6-Km from Sultanpur, these appear to be an open sewage works and you have to be very careful where you tread as you walk along the earth walls between the settling beds. The site is alive with waders, ducks and raptors either over the dump or hunting along the small ponds and beds.
Well that’s the highlight report, a more detailed narrative and full bird list are currently in production, if anyone would like to complete story please contact me directly. In summary the 14-day tour produced just over 350 species, of which 150ish were lifers for me. India is a fantastic birding destination and I would recommend it to any birder thinking of starting a world list. In general the accommodation was very good, the food is great (especially if you are a vegetarian like me), we had no tummy trouble at all during our stay. Beer is cheap even when you buy it at the resort. The road traffic and road conditions are an experience all by themselves and are beyond description. I would only say that if you are a nervous passenger then you might have a few problems and also you never seem to get anywhere on time, so flexibility and patience are a virtue. Finally, thanks to my birding partner during the trip Eddie and the two excellent bird guides we used Ratan Singh and Rajesh Singh (not related).
Bye for now and great birding
Paul
