Darjeeling 2001

by Dave Farrow dave@shortwing.co.uk Norwich UK From April 2nd to 7th 2001 I spent some very productive days around Lava, east of Kalimpong, primarily in search of Rusty-bellied Shortwing. I eventually found one, which took a long time to tease out of the thicket, but full Shortwing satisfaction was achieved eventually! I think if I had gone a month later then many more Shortwings would be in song and therefore be easier to see. Lava is a superb area that is positively heaving with birds, in spite of the forest being a bit tatty with large patches of secondary growth, Cryptomeria plantations, continual degradation by cattle and local people cutting for fodder. A full species list appears at the end of this document, but a summary of the bird highlights follow. Upland Buzzard, Rusty-bellied Shortwing, Ferruginous and Sapphire Flycatchers, White-bellied Redstart, Purple Cochoa, Russet Bush Warbler, Grey-cheeked and Broad-billed Warblers, Scaly Laughingthrush, Rufous-throated and Spotted Wren-Babblers, Cutia, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Golden-breasted and Yellow-throated Fulvettas, Maroon-backed Accentor, Crimson-browed, Scarlet and Gold-naped Finches, Brown and Red-headed Bullfinches. I travelled there from Kathmandu, taking a flight to Badrapur which lies close to the Indian border. On arriving there I had to make my way across into India and travel into the hills. This could not have been easier - as I came out of the airport there was a desk, behind which sat a man who presented me with a sheet of paper which had a table of destinations available, with the prices alongside! So that will be one for Kalimpong, there's your car sir! For about £25 I rode in comfort, with a driver and his mate who assisted me at the Nepali and Indian borders, which took just ten minutes apiece to complete the formalities! Then it was a straight drive into the hills, bypassing Siliguri, and I arrived in Kalimpong in the late afternoon after a 3.5 hour drive and settled into the dingy Crown Hotel (adequate, 200Rs) by the bus stand which I had picked out of the guidebook. I decided to take a walk at dusk, and went to check out the famous Himalaya Hotel which is actually an old colonial house, and as I walked into the grounds there were two Brown Hawk Owls sitting on branches over the driveway, making aerial sallies after moths in the half-light. Rare views! The next day I found the taxi stand and got a taxi (500Rs) for the last 30km to Lava, and found the Yankee Lodge, mentioned in previous trip reports, and took a room for 400Rs. It is reasonable and has good views, and the staff very obligingly brought me breakfast at 5am every morning, but I would have to suggest that the place opposite, the Hotel P.P. (tel. 03552-52211) which is run by a Tibetan family, is the better option. Near the end of my stay I found that the rooms were half the price at this season, and the son of the couple running it was knowledgeable about the area and the adjacent Neora Valley N. P. and even had a rude trail map of the area. Their hotel also had a restaurant-cum-shop which was a much nicer place to pass the time in than the Yankee Lodge. So, that said I spent six nights at the Yankee Lodge before departing for Siliguri. It would have been a day longer if it wasn't for the threat of an all-out strike which would have left me marooned. I spent my time exploring the various trails around Lava, which sits astride a saddle at roughly 2000m. I shall summarise these as follows: The Neora Valley track: This starts from the Damdim road on the east side of town, beyond the monastery, and follows the north-facing slope. There is a big sign saying that trespassers are forbidden in the National Park but no indication of where that might start! Therefore, exploring down this track for about 3km or more until it turns and goes downhil,l is very good birding. One can take a cattle trail further (from the last bend before the track goes steeply downhill) continuing roughly along the contour until it peters out. Below Town: Various trails head downhill, including a prominent partly-stepped path running from the Lava ?bypass?. This goes down to meet the contour track some 200m in altitude below the main road that heads east from Lava. This is also a very good area. One can also head westwards along the track until it peters out, from there one must follow vague cattle paths until one joins the road from Lava to Lolaygaon. The forest on that road is mostly Cryptomeria (Japanese Cedar) and poor for birds. If one walks east, one can cut back up to the Damdim road meeting it near the 4km (from Lava) post West of Lava: Along the main road back towards Kalimpong, the road rises over its highest point at roughly 2170m. Up to here and beyond the roadside forest is good, although I never found anything really significant. To the north of the road is a forested ridge rising to the peak of Tiffin Dara at about 2300m West of Lava: on the north facing slope, along a path to Rishap village. This goes through some very big trees, and is very nice habitat. One can also scuttle up slope to the top of the ridge and Tiffin Dara, and follow trails further west or back to town. I departed from Lava to Siliguri via Damdim, taking a taxi all the way for 1100Rs. The forest below 1700m along the road has all been clear felled, and looks ghastly. There is a small Forest Reserve down at Mongpong, on the plains near the river Teesta. However when I stopped and enquired about staying there in the Forest Rest House I was told it was forbidden without permission, which was only available somewhere else! Siliguri is a real zoo but there is a reasonably quiet motel just to the north that is reasonably priced, called the Viramma Resort. It has a crude garden and lies next to a tea estate, with Blue-throated Barbets, Indian Cuckoo and White-browed Fantails in the grounds. A short way up the road is the Sukna Forest Reserve, more potential trouble with not being permitted but I just walked in anyway, early in the morning. On my way out there was a ticket office for entry permits but the place was deserted. I don?t think many people visit the place but its definitly worth a go if you have to kill time before a flight out of Bagdogra, as I was doing. Highlights here were Black Baza and Abbott?s Babbler. Species list for Lava area: 2 ?7 April 2001 Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola Rufous-throated Partridge Arborophila rufogularis Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelana White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea Crimson-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopus cathpharius Greater Yellownape Picus flavinucha Bay Woodpecker Blythipicus pyrrhotis Great Barbet Megalaima virens Golden-throated Barbet Megalaima franklinii Large Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx sparverioides Eurasian Cuckoo Cuculus canorus Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus Fork-tailed Swift Apus pacificus Mountain Scops Owl Otus spilocephalus Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides Rock Pigeon Columba livia Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis Barred Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia unchall Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Upland Buzzard Buteo hemiliasus Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis Mountain Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus nipalensis Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii Black-winged Cuckoo-Shrike Coracina melaschistos Short-billed Minivet Pericrocotus brevirostris Yellow-bellied Fantail Rhipidura hypoxantha White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Monticola rufiventris Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma Tickell's Thrush Turdus unicolor Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul Dark-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis Lesser Shortwing Brachypteryx leucophrys: Rusty-bellied Shortwing Brachypteryx hyperythra Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica Ferruginous Flycatcher Muscicapa ferruginea Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata White-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula monileger Snowy-browed Flycatcher Ficedula hyperythra Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor Sapphire Flycatcher Ficedula sapphira Verditer Flycatcher Ficedula thalassina Large Niltava Niltava grandis Small Niltava Niltava macgrigoriae Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara Pygmy Blue Flycatcher Muscicapella hodgsoni Grey-headed Flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis White-bellied Redstart Hodgsonius phaenicuroides White-tailed Robin Myiomela leucurum Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus Purple Cochoa Cochoa purpurea Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis Brown-throated Treecreeper Certhia discolor Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus Yellow-cheeked Tit Parus spilonotus Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Nepal House Martin Delichon nipalensis Goldcrest Regulus regulus Striated Bulbul Pycnonotus striatus Hill Prinia Prinia atrogularis Slaty-bellied Tesia Tesia olivia Grey-bellied Tesia Tesia cyaniventer Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Cettia fortipes Russet Bush Warbler Bradypterus seebohmi Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher Ashy-throated Warbler Phylloscopus maculipennis Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus chloronotus Blyth's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus reguloides Golden-spectacled Warbler Seicercus burkii Whistler's Warbler Seicercus whistleri Grey-hooded Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos Grey-cheeked Warbler Seicercus poliogenys Chestnut-crowned Warbler Seicercus castaniceps Broad-billed Warbler Tickellia hodgsoni Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps Striated Laughingthrush Garrulax striatus Grey-sided Laughingthrush Garrulax caerulatus Blue-winged Laughingthrush Garrulax squamatus Scaly Laughingthrush Garrulax subunicolor Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush Garrulax erythrocephalus Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga albiventer Pygmy Wren-Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler Spelaeornis caudatus: Spotted Wren-Babbler Spelaeornis formosus Rufous-capped Babbler Stachyris ruficeps Golden Babbler Stachyris chrysaea Grey-throated Babbler Stachyris nigriceps Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea Cutia Cutia nipalensis White-browed Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius flaviscapis Black-eared Shrike-Babbler Pteruthius melanotis Rusty-fronted Barwing Actinodura egertoni Blue-winged Minla Minla cyanouroptera Chestnut-tailed Minla Minla strigula Red-tailed Minla Minla ignotincta Golden-breasted Fulvetta Alcippe chrysotis Yellow-throated Fulvetta Alcippe cinerea Rufous-winged Fulvetta Alcippe castaneceps Nepal Fulvetta Alcippe nipalensis Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata Whiskered Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis Stripe-throated Yuhina Yuhina gularis Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectus Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata Streaked Spiderhunter Arachnothera magna Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus White Wagtail Motacilla alba/of races alboides, dukhensis, leucopsis and personata Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Maroon-backed Accentor Prunella immaculata Tibetan Siskin Serinus thibetanus Plain Mountain Finch Leucosticte nemoricola Dark-breasted Rosefinch Carpodacus nipalensis Crimson-browed Finch Propyrrhula subhimachala Scarlet Finch Haematospiza sipahi Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra Brown Bullfinch Pyrrhula nipalensis Red-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythrocephala Gold-naped Finch Pyrrhoplectes epauletta

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