Nepal: Part Two (Updated)

Walking through the Himalayas was great.  It was an easy temperature but fairly steep in places.  Loads of birds and fantastic views.  We climbed Poon Hill in the the dark before dawn.  It was very cold and there were loads of other people but the sight as the sun came up was spectacular as it crept across the snow capped mountains.  Loads of birds at the top as well, finches, sunbirds, laughing thrushes, accentors and grosbeaks to name but a few.

Nepal is great for birds of prey.  They fly past so close.

During the trip we saw both Red and Yellow-billed Magpies in good numbers but at different altitudes.  Impressive and noisy birds.

We also saw a number of woodpeckers, the most common being Darjeeling Woodpecker.  This is a female.

There were good numbers of flycatchers around but this Rufous-bellied Niltava gave stunning views. 

Surya was our host and he was totally awesome.  A more kind and generous person it would be hard to find.  He gave up his time to join us on the trek and made sure we were all safe and well.  Thanks Surya, you are a star and we owe you one!

Back to the Niltava theme.  This one is a Small Niltava.

The Nepal House Martin showed in large numbers as we dropped down from the mountains.  Their dark underwings and throats make them rather distinctive.  The white rump patch is pretty big too.

Yet another Greenfinch.  This one is a Yellow-breasted Greenfinch.

Loads of Rosefinch in the fields.

Good numbers of Steppe Eagle as well.

A close view of a Lammergeier as it flew over us.

I think this is a Lanner falcon.  Any thoughts?

We stopped for our last night of the trek at this great hotel run by Surya's extended family.  He took me for a tour round the village to see some great birds near the school, before taking me to his family home that his uncle and aunt now own.  The uncle served in the Gurka's but has been retired for many years.  He did not look his age of 80+!

This is a Red-billed Magpie which is found at lower levels than its Yellow-billed cousin.

So that was our trek finished and it had been fantastic.  I'd recommend it to anyone although it was made very special by Surya's local knowledge and our excellent porter who became more and more interested in birds as the trek went on, walking out every morning and evening to locate them when he could have been drinking tea back at base.  We also discovered he had a great eye for finding them.  I was constantly amazed at how the locals carried heavy loads lashed to their foreheads often only wearing flipflops on their feet as they negotiated the rocky paths.

We returned to Pokhara and the following day Surya took us on a trip around the local area, crossing the lake on a boat before climbing through the woods to the Peace Pagoda.  Whilst we were at the top, there was a small fall of raptors which passed really close as we drank our tea.  There were three species of Vulture, a number of Steppe Eagle and some Buzzard.  In total fifty or so in about an hour.

Adult Egyptian Vulture

Snap hats, a present from Surya.  Thanks for everything. 

The next day we made the buttock clenching journey back to Kathmandu.  The road passes through beautiful scenary but the overtaking around blind corners takes  a bit of adjustment.  After five hours we arrived at our hotel for the next few days.  It was on the edge of the city, up against a nature reserve and run by two french women called Pauline.  It was a touch of paradise in a superb location with fabulous food.

The birding was interesting but mainly good views of birds I had seen already.  However, I was pleased to catch up with this Spotted Forktail. 

The centre of Katmandu is a fascinating city.  It has an ancient feel as many buildings seem unchanged for hundreds of years.  Religious artifacts appear round every corner and the roads away from the main ones are unmade.  The streets are narrow and feel almost Elizabethan as you step down through small doorways in to cramped shops. 

 It was New Year celebrations and as we walked around the city, musiic and processions were everywhere.  I hope this video works.

Kaeng Krachan May 2012

As last year, we decided to go to this fantastic reserve for Eunice's birthday and were not disappointed.  It was a riot of birds and particularly butterflies, the like I have never witnessed before.  There must have been millions from a range of species, that carpeted the ground and filled the sky at times.  Some were the size of your hand, others as small as your fingernails, in a riot of colour from blues to purples to oranges and reds, and they settled on everything including the car and my bins.

It was also a great time for Trogons and Pittas.  We had three species of Pitta, Blue, Blue-winged and Hooded in good numbers and we also had superb views of both Red-headed and Orange-breasted Trogons. 

Blue-throated Barbets were common but this nesting pair were particularly obliging making their nest in a tree right beside the cafe.

 This mighty Gecko was outside the door at Ban Maka.

It was also a weekend for Broadbills with Red, Long-tailed and Silver-breasted all putting in stunning appearances.  Most were in untidy looking nests which over-hang the road, but a closer inspection shows them as real works of art, not unlike weaver nests with a small, neatly woven entrances on one side.  The nests hang from the tiniest frond and look like they might tumble to the ground at any time, but it must provide protection from snakes and other predators. 

Hooded Pitta.  Not good pictures but it was in low light.

Silver-breasted Broadbill.  One of many with nesting material in its beak.

Stripe-throated Bulbul

Tiger Shrike was a pleasing surprise.  They are migratory so usually only appear on passage.

It is damn hard work this birding and butterflying.

At last a decent shot of a Yuhina!

I think this is a Scaly-crowned Babbler, which is not a common bird in the park.  You can just make out the scaly marks on the crown and the grey hindneck.  It had a fairly long rufous tail which you can't see too well on this picture.

We found the nest for this Black-naped Monarch.  It was amazingly small and superbly camouflaged being made of moss and grass.

Long-tailed Broadbill. 

Male Red-headed Trogon. It made a curious noise like Oriole. 

Rufous Woodpecker was pleasing to see and even better as it stayed long enough to be photographed.

This is the greatest sight of the forests of Thailand. Great Hornbill.  Long may it continue.

Three Rachet-tailed Treepies showed well.

Yet another Silver-breasted Broadbill!

Green Magpie

Forest wagtail

Sultan tit

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Nepal 2012

Over the Songkran holiday, Eunice and I went to Nepal for ten days with other staff from Patana and had a fantastic holiday.  Most of the others went off and did their own trek but Bridget joined with us. The country was breath-taking and the local people so kind and generous that it make it, undoubtedly, a country to which we would like to return at some point in the future.  There remains so much of this fascinating country still to explore.
We flew into Kathmandu and spent the first few days exploring the city which is full of narrow alleys, chaotic traffic and religious artifacts hidden around every corner. Next we took at taxi over the winding roads of the foothills of the Himalayas to Pokhara.  Here we met with Surya, a local birder with a passion for raptors, who Bob had put us in touch with.  He turned out to be the most kind and thoughtful host anyone could possiblly want to meet, guiding us through the mountains and showing such generousity with both his time and knowledge as well as introducing us to three generations of his family including his charming wife and grandaughter.  Thanks Surya, we owe you one!

The birding was great and I have included a selection of the better shots.  This Brahminy Starling was nesting in the middle of Pokhara although Chestnut-tailed were more common.

Verditer Flycatcher were everywhere and were very vocal with their sweet but slightly discordant song.

We found a number of flycatchers but this was the only Little Pied Flycatcher we saw.


On the journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara we saw this Woolly-necked Stork.  It turned out to be the only one of the trip as well!

Surya had arranged for us to visit a 'Vulture Restaurant' near to Pokhara.  Since it cannot be used as food, when a cow dies the local raptor group are given the carcass to dispose of.  They skin it then put the carcass out for the vultures who collect in their dozens to get a free meal. There are a number of feeding sites around Nepal so if you are birding out there then get in touch.  The work the raptor groups are doing is fantastic and a generous donation is all they ask.  As a result, the numbers of vultures are increasing, some species being globally threatened.  We saw numbers of both Red-headed and White-rumped as well as the expected Griffon Vultures.

Do you see what I see?  Is that lunch arriving?
The vultures loped along the path after the cart carrying the dead cow only a few feet away from the men pushing it.  It had hardly been dropped on the floor when they piled in with unceremonious greed.  Not a place to fall asleep on the job I think.

A lone White-rumped Vulture wanders round looking for an opening in the seething mass of the bigger Griffon Vultures.

This Red-headed Vulture waited in a tree but still managed to get a full meal.  The site is brilliant, based in a deep canyon with the snow capped Annapurna range towering up as a backdrop.

After eating the vultures then take to the sky and fly around or chill on the boulders nearby.  Surya told me that they don't need to eat for another week or so.  The flight identification is easy with such good views, this one is adult White-rumped with a young bird in the photograph below.

I think the bird below is a Eurasian Griffon judging by the dirty underwing and the shorter tail.  Adult Himalayan have a cleaner underwing and immatures have a darker one. 

Surya organised and joined us for a trek into the Annapurna range starting at Nayapul, then moving to Ghorepani, across to Ghandruk and returning back to Nayapul.  We also had the services of an excellent porter called Budi who began to get really interested in birds.  He would be a real asset for any birders wanting to trek in the area.  He has excellent eyes and is quick to spot birds and very happy to point them out.  Surya, Budi and I went out birding for an hour or so every morning and evening after we had finished the main trek! 

It was on one of these evening excursions that I heard a bird that sounded like a Song Thrush but repeated it song three times not the usual two.  It turned out to be this White-collared Blackbird.

I think this is Rufous-breasted Bush Robin.  Smart bird anyway.

We climbed up Poon Hill for the early morning sunrise.  Well worth the effort to see the mountains but also the birding was great at the top.  Lots of birds in the first few hours of light including plenty of Rufous-naped Tit, Olive-backed Pipits and Mountain Bulbuls.  Fire-tailed Sunbird were obvious and loads of Rosefinches and Laughing Thrushes.  Budi was concerned about being out on my own as he believed there were still wild tigers nearby.

This flock of Curlew migrated through the mountains heading north.  It was freezing cold and low cloud swirled around the mountains and I was filled with admiration at their efforts.  It was quite special seeing them fly past at 4500metre up.

Also at the top of Poon Hill were a number of Collared Grosbeak. 

The rhododendrons were fantastic, their vivid reds looking like spots of blood against the snow capped mountains.  Whole hillsides are carpeted in their blossoms at this time of year.

Brightly coloured prayer flags flutter in the cool breeze. 

Everything bird I have posted seems to start with the word Rufous so here is another, Rufous-breasted Accentor, again at the top of Poon Hill.

So far, I am half way round the trek and will post some pictures during the coming week.