Bhutan 2002 (Birdquest)

Bhutan 2002 (Birdquest) 7 - 25 APRIL 2002 by Dave Farrow dave@shortwing.co.uk Norwich UK Anyone who reads these reports must grow suspicious of the claims that every tour is a fantastic one! Bhutan is different each year, the habitat is under greater stress than ever, yet every year remarkable things happen and it truly was a fantastic trip! We reached new heights of birding-pleasure, with a Satyr Tragopan (our third!) feeding in the road in front of the bus for over six minutes, the breathtaking Ward's Trogon, fourteen species of Laughingthrush, six species of Parrotbill, five species (not counting the Wedge-billed that was only heard) of Wren Babbler, including the hugely rare Long-billed Wren Babbler. Our itinerary was also different to previous trips with two nights spent in pastures new, in the very productive forests around Shemgang which certainly replaces much of the birding now no longer possible in the south-east of the country. We began with an early arrival in the Paro valley, met by our Bhutanese team of Yeshe Dorji, a veteran of driving every Birdquest around Bhutan, and our guide Tshering Phuntso who proved to be a keen and promising new birder. Our first birds came at the end of the airport car-park where we found our first Ibisbill, along with the holy trinity of Brown Dipper, Plumbeous and White-capped Water-Redstart, plus a flock of our first Rufous-breasted Accentors. Just a little way up the road we flushed several Solitary Snipes, found late-wintering Little Buntings and Hodgson's Redstarts, Red-billed Choughs wheeled around the fields, and were treated to a great view of a pair of Black-tailed Crakes running about in a roadside swamp. We then headed to Thimphu (with a day total of nine Ibisbills!) where in swamps around the capital we found a couple of Pin-tailed Snipe plus more Solitarys, aided by our crew who seemed to relish the task of walking through the bogs as we all watched from the sidelines. An early drive up to the Dochu La flushed two Grey Nightjars from the road, and on reaching the pass we followed a quiet trail into high-altitude forest. The braying of a male Satyr Tragopan preceded the pulse of crimson as he stepped out of the gloom, and the female scuttled across the trail in front of us. White-collared Blackbirds sang in the mist, a Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler gave us a good performance, Rufous-fronted Tits joined Whistler's Warblers, Stripe-throated and Rufous-vented Yuhinas in active bird-flocks occasionally visible in the drifting fog. As we dropped to a lower altitude seeking better weather, something caught the eye just inside the forest. Ward's Trogon! A pair of them flicked into view, remained at eye-level peering back us as we drank our fill of their beauty and rareness! (but you're not supposed to appear until we reach the Lingmethang Road!) A White-spectacled Warbler gave us a close look, a Large Hawk Cuckoo sang in plain view, and a Pallas's Fish Eagle came soaring across the valley as we reached our hotel near Punakha. We drove up the scenic Mo Chu valley to the rich forests that stretch away to the distant mountains. We had an early success with an obliging Spotted Wren Babbler that sat singing its little heart out in full view of us. The trees were alive with sound of Yellow-vented Warblers, a noisy Chestnut-winged Cuckoo posed in a tree almost overhead, Slaty-backed Forktails skipped along side-streams, and a vocal Slaty-bellied Tesia tried to hide from us in the herbage. A busy tree hosted Slaty-backed and Ultramarine Flycatchers and some migrant Yellow-browed Warblers, Mountain Hawk Eagles rose on the morning thermals joined by Crested Serpent Eagles and a single Rufous-bellied Eagle. A second morning along this lovely valley yielded a pair of Kalij Pheasants, another look at a fine Pallas's Fish Eagle, a perched Oriental Honey Buzzard, and inside the thickets we coaxed into view a shy Lesser Shortwing and a Chestnut-headed Tesia. A search up the Po Chu valley for rare herons drew a blank yet we found Chestnut-tailed Starlings, Tickell's Warbler, Scaly-breasted Munias, and some lovely Crested Kingfishers perched on wires over the river. The following days drive to Jakar was long but exciting as we traversed up and down through the different habitat zones. A Slender-billed Oriole sang from a solitary conifer, Spotted and Little Forktails appeared on roadside streams, plus we found Asian Barred Owlet, Rufous and Rufous-bellied Woodpeckers, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Streaked Laughingthrush and Grey-winged Blackbirds. On a bamboo-clad high pass we happened upon a lively flock of Fulvous Parrotbills, before dropping into the Bumthang valley and our night stop in a beautifully ornate lodge near Jakar. One of our most exciting days followed as we travelled over the Ura-Sheltang La and into the newly created Thrumsing La National Park, to that mother-lode of Bhutanese birding, the Lingmethang road. As we ascended to the first pass, we passed through the blanket of cloud that lay over the valleys and emerged into a deep blue sky and sunshine that detailed every mountain within sight, including the huge snow-clad Gangkar Punsum. Gorgeously-patterned Blood Pheasants stood at the roadsides looking perplexed, Red-flanked Bluetails and White-browed Bush Robins sang from the fir forests, Fire-tailed Sunbirds zipped about in the red rhododendron flowers alongside Buff-barred Warblers. A very vocal Hill Partridge allowed some quick looks, and Beautiful Rosefinches p erched up in the scrub. The endless forests yielded Collared and White-winged Grosbeaks, an exciting flock of Black-faced and Spotted Laughingthrushes, a pair of Great Parrotbills and some Yellow-bellied Bush Warblers. Our camp crew were already in position when we arrived at Sengor, with a well-placed and rather luxurious camp set out for us. Birding the higher part of the Lingmethang Road, we began well with a large flock of Speckled Woodpigeons, Plain-backed Thrush, Broad-billed Warbler, Green Shrike Babblers, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, many Mrs Gould's Sunbirds and Red-headed Bullfinch. In the bamboo along the steep hillsides we found an obliging Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler. Driving along the narrow road suspended on a steep slope, we turned a corner and there in the middle of the road was a male Satyr Tragopan! As everyone on the bus held their breath, the bird just decided it wanted to remain there, allowing us to study its opulent plumage for over six minutes! Wow! Slowly heading downhill to our next camp, the mornings highlight was not a bird! A handsome and good-natured dog that we named Ginger decided to follow us, and ran behind the bus for a good ten kilometres until we stopped! A commotion followed shortly afterwards, with Yeshe running into the forest shouting and looking like thunder. When he emerged he claimed that a large Capped Langur had grabbed the dog by the ears and hauled it up a tree-stump, until he scared it into releasing the hapless hound! Well, strange things do happen in Bhutan! The birds woke up soon after, and we had a pair of Scaly Laughingthrushes circle us, then a vigil in the bamboo for the elusive Blue-fronted Robin provided the bonus of a pair of Black-headed Shrike Babblers and a tiny Rufous-throated Wren Babbler. A Yellow-rumped Honeyguide perched by some bees nests (spotted by the sharp-eyed Yeshe), two Gold-naped Finches fed along the roadside, and in a swathe of bamboo we found a fantastic bird-flock with Black-throated Parrotbills and a gorgeous Golden breasted Fulvetta. The mood however swiftly changed as we neared our lower camp only to find that a major 'road-widening' project was under way, blasting and bulldozing the roadsides along one of the best birding sections in the whole country! This was heartbreaking. We pressed on with our search for the lower and middle altitude specialities, finding all the birds still present although shyer than usual. Nevertheless we found White-naped Yuhina, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Pygmy Wren Babbler, Grey-chinned Minivet, Red-headed Trogon, a difficult Blue-winged Laughingthrush, and a Wedge-billed Wren Babbler which alas went unseen as it sang from an inaccessible slope. In the lower altitudes at the foot of the mountain we saw Orange-bellied Leafbirds, Pale Blue Flycatcher, a furtive White-tailed Robin, Orange-headed Thrush, Striated and Black-chinned Yuhinas, and around the fields were Rufous-necked Laughingthrushes and Crested Buntings. Returning to cooler levels, we saw our first Rufous-necked Hornbill, Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo and several troops of fine-looking Capped Langurs (without any canine captives!) Then we ran into Paul Holt, who flagged us down and informed us he had just seen a pair of Long-billed Wren Babblers a short while ago! As my jaw hit the floor, he very graciously led us to where the bird was still calling, furnished us with a tape and wished us luck. Alas the bird never reappeared, so off we went downslope in search of a Chestnut-breasted Partridge. That bird managed to evade all but three of us in a marathon session, so we extracted ourselves from the thicket and continued walking along the road. A few hundred metres further on, we heard that call again, coming from just inside the undergrowth. Another Long-billed Wren Babbler! Without further ado, back into the thicket we scrambled and lo and behold, there it was perched on a bamboo stem blinking back at us! Hallelujah! It proceeded to sing at us, all blond-streaked except for the cinnamon-hued cape of its short wings and stubby tail, its long bill giving it the appearance of a little Kiwi! So rare, the vocalisations of the Himalayan form have never been previously recorded. So with big grins on our faces we carried on, adding Scarlet Finch and Cutia to our tally before the fog came down. After running the gauntlet of some blasting, (which didn't seem to bother the Crimson-breasted Woodpeckers and Brown-throated Treecreepers!) we continued birding by our well-appointed campsite where we found Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Himalayan Bulbul, Asian Emerald Cuckoos, Scarlet Finches, and our fifth Parrotbill - the Grey-headed. It was time to leave this goldmine and start working our way westwards, stopping for some showy Grey-sided Laughingthrushes that hopped onto the roadside, several more Blood Pheasants and a handsome Slaty-blue Flycatcher. On reaching Jakar we found a flock of Brown Parrotbills that gave us some excellent views as they leapt about happily in a sea of bamboo. We paused on the Yutong La on another beautiful morning, finding several more Great Parrotbills and a showy pair of Alpine Accentors sunning themselves in the early morning rays. Passing Tongsa we headed towards Shemgang, and on reaching lower altitudes we found a surprise flock of Spot-winged Starlings, a pair of Large Woodshrikes and many troops of Golden Langurs, a very rare beast restricted to the valleys and foothills of central Bhutan. We made camp near the town of Shemgang, and headed down to Tingtibi and its low altitude forests. We were immersed in a different avifauna here with Banded Bay Cuckoos, White-throated Needletails, Emerald Dove, Pin-tailed and Mountain Imperial Pigeons, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Rufous and Grey-capped Woodpeckers, White-throated Bulbuls, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes, Crimson Sunbird and a fine pair of Rufous-faced Warblers. Retreating higher as the sun climbed, we found Silver-eared Mesia and Long-tailed Broadbills, and a shy Red-billed Leiothrix. Then it began to rain! It stopped in time for another mornings birding, and as the mists parted we found Wedge-tailed Pigeon, a Red-faced Liocichla that glowed as it hopped onto the roadside, more Rufous-necked Hornbills, a perched Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo and at last we got a look at a Collared Owlet. As the rain returned, we found a flock of Rusty-fronted Barwings and Coral-billed Scimitar Babblers, but it was time to leave, to say farewell to the Beautiful Nuthatch never even having met him, and set a course for civilisation. Pausing in Tongsa, we headed once more over the Pele La finding newly-arrived Large-billed Leaf Warblers, a delightful Asian House Martin colony, a big flock of Himalayan Griffons, a Grey-bellied Tesia (finally!), another Yellow-rumped Honeyguide and a tame male Ultramarine Flycatcher. We had a final sumptuous lunch by an attractive roadside chorten, before re-crossing the Dochu La to reach Thimphu. A slight panic ensued when we discovered that Tuesdays were now 'dry-days', but Tshering knew where to find refreshments for our last night, and we were able to toast each other on having had a superb trip in this wonderful mountain kingdom. Reaching Delhi in the morning, we whiled away the hours until our homeward flights watching Grey Hornbill and Bank Mynas from the hotel window, eating a super lunch under the gaze of a Spotted Owlet, and wandering the margins of Delhi Zoo with its Yellow-footed Green Pigeons and big flocks of migrant Rosy Starlings. Oh yes! No doubt about it, that was certainly another fantastic Birdquest! They just get better and better

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