On a tour organized by Geetanjali Dhar’s IT Nature Club, ten of us visited Nameri (a morning’s birding) and Eaglenest Wild Life Sanctuary (WLS) at Lama and Bompu Camps.
Though several experienced birders asked us why we were going at the end of November, the birding exceeded all our expectations. On the very first day, I saw two Buguns, and a couple of days later, we got to see seven of the birds, so I cannot but feel that these birds are thriving in the areas around Eaglenest, if a bunch of amateurs like us could see so many!
Other highlights were the Fire-tailed Myzornis, the Chestnut-headed Tesia, the Red-headed Trogon and a female Ward’s Trogon…I think it was only the Tragopan (on the list of some of the “focus” birders) that eluded us. I don’t think any of us have ever had such a list of lifers before this!
Our guides were excellent. Binanda, who is a regular guide with Geetanjali, made sure that all of us (or at least, as many as possible) saw each bird, even though most of the birds of Eaglenest are in-the-clutter skulkers, and small-sized, too, sometimes. Khandu, the guide at Lama Camp, has incredible spotting skills. We were equally lucky to have Lobsang Tsering as a guide. He was at Bompu Camp, training the staff there...a six-month project after which he will move on. On the day we were driving back to Lama Camp, he took us to a place where he said he would find the Fire-tailed Myzornis....found it...and all of us were able to have a look at it (alas, no chance of observing any behaviour...we were thrilled at our sighting!). The bazooka-bearers, of course, had several field days with their photographs, but the rest of us (some of us did not even carry cameras, only binoculars) were extremely pleased at the sightings, and we know that the DSLR photos will be shared....so that saves us the bother of lugging around heavy cameras, and looking for ways to charge them overnight!
One of my personal favourites was watching a Wallcreeper bathing and disporting itself in the waters of the Kameng river, and I also took videos of a far-away Forktail, and a Trogon, on the opposite bank of the river, both of which we watched for a while. The Beautiful Nuthatch and the Beautiful Sibia are truly beautiful...but how can this adjective be applied only to a few of the birds? All of them are stunningly beautiful! I also mistook the Black-faced Warbler for the Yellow-bellied Fantail, and was corrected by Binanda.
Two major "dips" for me at Nameri were the Wreathed and Rufous-necked Hornbills, which I had seen in plenty just past the Eco-camp walking towards the Jia Bharolli river on my last visit. We also arrived at Pakke far too late to do any birding, and the awful roads mandated a very early departure, in order to catch flights at Guwahati later in the day.
For the most part, this time, I was content to just see the incredibly beautiful birds that Subbu and Mohanram treated us to in 2008 ( the time from whichn I date my "Eaglenest Itch"!) by word and image. I did not miss my DSLR or the 300mm lens. Since the others' bazooka shots will also be up shortly, I am very happy to say that I used the two best cameras in the world, that Nature has provided me with.....and enjoyed the birds, the many butterflies, the beautiful wildflowers, and the superb, awe-inspiring scenery.
For photos of the Fire-tailed Myzornis:
http://www.indianaturewatch.net/view_cat.php?tag=Fire-tailed%20Myzornis
In similar fashion, you can see photographs of all of the long list below...and I hope it will inspire you to visit Eaglenest WLS, a paradise on earth that the Bugun tribe cares for.
I have put up the only four videos I took, all on the last day of birding, at
http://deponti.livejournal.com/1034576.html
My SMS (Shamelessly Mediocre Shots) are on my FB album at
https://www.facebook.com/deemopahan/media_set?set=a.10151864946198878.1073742046.587058877&type=1
Cheers, Deepa.
Group:
Binanda, Khandu and Lobsang, guides. (Our Sumo driver Noren, was also very good!)
Albin and Manjula
Balaji and Deepa
Dr Anil and Dr Koushik (Kanpur)
Nandita (Baroda) and Shobna (Delhi)
Kshama and yours truly (the rest of uf from Bangalore)
The bird list was prepared by Deepa Jayaraman...with inputs from everyone. I have (I think) corrected some id's (eg she'd listed the Lesser Yellownape as Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape.) If there are any mistakes, I take the responsibility.
1. Accentor, Maroon-backed
2. Adjutant, Lesser
3. Adjutant, Greater
4. Babbler, Golden
5. Babbler, Rufous-capped
6. Babbler, Slender-billed Scimitar
7. Babbler, Streak Throated Scimitar
8. Babbler, Streaked Wren
9. Barbet, Blue-throated
10. Barbet, Golden-throated
11. Barbet, Great
12. Barbet, Lineated
13. Barwing, Hoary -throated
14. Barwing, Rusty Fronted
15. Bee-Eater, Chestnut Headed
16. Bee-Eater, Green
17. Blackbird, Grey-winged
18. Blackbird, White-collared
19. Bluetail, Himalayan (aka. Robin , Orange Flanked Bush)
20. Bulbul, Black-crested
21. Bulbul, Mountain
22. Bulbul, Red-vented
23. Bulbul, Striated
24. Bullfinch, Grey-headed
25. Buzzard, Upland
26. Cormorant
27. Crow, House
28. Crow, Thick-billed
29. Cuckoo , Grey-bellied
30. Cuckoo-Shrike , Black-winged
31. Darter
32. Dipper, Brown
33. Drongo, Black
34. Drongo, Bronzed
35. Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed
36. Duck, Tufted
37. Eagle , Mountain Hawk
38. Eagle, Black
39. Egret, Cattle
40. Egret, Little
41. Fantail , Yellow-bellied
42. Fantail, White-throated
43. Finch, Crimson-browed
44. Finch, Gold-naped
45. Finch, Scarlet
46. Flameback, un id
47. Flowerpecker, Fire Breasted
48. Flycatcher, Grey Headed Canary
49. Flycatcher, Red-breasted (Heard)
50. Flycatcher, Rufous-gorgeted
51. Flycatcher, Ultramarine
52. Flycatcher, White-gorgeted
53. Forktail, Little
54. Forktail, Spotted
55. Fulvetta, Brown-throated
56. Fulvetta, Golden-breasted
57. Fulvetta, Yellow-throated
58. Grebe, Greater Crested
59. Greenfinch, Black-headed
60. Greenfinch, Yellow-breasted
61. Hornbill, Great
62. Hornbill, Rufous-necked (seen flying over Bompu Camp)
63. Ibisbill
64. Iora, Common
65. Kingfisher, Pied
66. KingFisher, Small Blue
67. KingFisher, White-throated
68. Kite, Black
69. Lapwing, River
70. Laughing Thrush, Bhutan
71. Laughing Thrush, Greysided
72. Laughing Thrush, Spotted
73. Laughingthrush, Streaked
74. Laughingthrush, Striated
75. Leafbird, Golden-fronted
76. LeafBird, Orange-bellied
77. Liocichla, Bugun
78. Magpie, Yellow-billed Blue
79. Malkhoa, Green-billed
80. Malkoha, Sirkeer
81. Minivet, Grey-chinned
82. Minivet, Scarlet
83. Minla, Red-tailed
84. Muniya, Scaly-breasted
85. Myna, Common
86. Myna, Hill
87. Myzornis, Fire-tailed
88. Niltava, Large
89. Niltava, Small
90. Nuthatch, Beautiful
91. Nuthatch, White-tailed
92. Openbill, Asian
93. Oriole, Black-hooded
94. Owlet, Asian Barred
95. Parakeet, Red-breasted
96. Parrot, Vernal Hanging
97. Parrotbill, Greater Rufous-headed
98. Parrotbill, Grey-headed
99. Parrotbill, Lesser Rufous-headed
100. Partridge, un id
101. Pigeon, Blue Rock
102. Pigeon, Yellow-footed Green
103. Pigeon, Speckled Wood
104. Pigeon, Wedge-tailed
105. Pippit, Olive-backed
106. Plover, Little Ringed
107. Pochard, Ferruginous
108. Pond Heron, Indian
109. Prinia, Black-throated
110. Redstart, Blue-fronted
111. Redstart, Plumbeous Water
112. Redstart, White-browed water
113. Robin, Orange-flanked Bush
114. Robin, White-browed Bush
115. Rock Thrush, Blue
116. Roller, Indian
117. Rosefinch, Dark-breasted
118. RubyThroat, Siberian
119. RubyThroat, White Tailed
120. Shelduck, Ruddy
121. Shikra
122. Shrike, Grey-backed
123. Shrike, Long-tailed
124. Shrike-Babbler, White-browed
125. Sibia, Beautiful
126. Sibia, Long-tailed
127. Siva, Bar-throated (aka Minla, Chestnut-tailed)
128. Siva, Blue Winged (aka Minla, Blue-winged)
129. Pipit, un id
130. Sparrow, Eurasian Tree
131. Sparrow, House
132. Starling, Asian Pied
133. Starling, Chestnut-tailed
134. Stonechat, Common
135. Stork, Black
136. Sunbird, Black-throated
137. Sunbird, Green-tailed
138. Sunbird, un id
139. Sunbird, Mrs Gould's
140. Tailorbird, Common
141. Tesia, Chestnut-headed
142. Tesia, Slaty-breasted (heard)
143. Thrush, Chestnut-bellied Rock
144. Thrush, Plain-backed
145. Tit, Black-throated
146. Tit, Green-backed
147. Tit, Sultan
148. Tit, Yellow-cheeked
149. Treecreeper, Brown-thorated
150. Treepie, Collared
151. Treepie, Grey
152. Trogon, Red-headed
153. Trogon, Ward's
154. Wagtail , White
155. Wagtail, White-browed
156. Wallcreeper
157. Warbler, Ashy-throated
158. Warbler, Black-faced
159. Warbler, Blyth's Leaf
160. Warbler, Dusky
161. Warbler, Golden-spectacled
162. Warbler, Greenish
163. Warbler, Grey-cheeked
164. Whistling-Duck, Lesser
165. WoodPecker, Brown Capped Pygmy
166. Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied
167. Woodswallow, Ashy
168. Yellownape, Lesser
169. Yuhina, Rufous-vented
170. Yuhina, Stripe-throated
171. Yuhina, Whiskered
172. Yuhina, White-naped
Thanks to Amith Kumar for adding some of tbe birds missing in the original list. That, too, as he, Gowri, Kannan and PK prepare to leave for Thattekkad tomorrow!
