Himalayan Birding Tour Trip Report

Travel Date- 8th May to 12th May

Naturalist - Deepak Kumar (Asian Adventures)

Tour Summary

Seasons last birding tour kickstarted in the verdant hills and the dense thickets of Pangot- a small Himalayan Hamlet in the topsy turvy lanes of Uttarakhand. I met the guest in the evening at the reception area of Jungle Lore Birding Lodge. As the dusk was falling rapidly in this sleepy village we chose to commence our birding trail early in the morning. While having dinner I briefed the guest about the places we were going to cover the next day in order to find their target species.

We left the lodge at the crack of dawn and headed towards Cheer Point - a few kilometers away from Pangot the place is transformed into a crucial belt for birdwatchers to spot the endangered Himalayan Pheasant. Compared to Pangot, Cheer Point is nestled at a higher elevation offering a grand view of the snow-clad mountains range. The birding trail in the region commenced with a fabulous start of sighting two Koklass Pheasants foraging in the precinct, followed by White-tailed Nuthatch, and Rufous-bellied Woodpecker perching at close proximity. We also came across Himalayan Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Lesser yellow-nape, Brown-fronted woodpecker, and Grey-headed warbler. Although we crossed paths with many unique species our quest to find the rarest and endangered Cheer Pheasant nonetheless we continued our journey in the arable land of Baggar which is about 6 km down from Pangot. Crisscrossing this humble village yielded many beautiful Himalayan birds including Common Rosefinch, Yellow-breasted greenfinch, Slaty-Headed Parakeet, Striated Prinia, Black Francolin.

 Nestled at a height of 1,370m, Sattal was our next destination in focus. We left the lodge early morning and made way to this picturesque hamlet known for supporting a diverse variety of birds. While walking through the lush green forest and pristine lakes we spotted Grey Treepie, Greater Yellow Nape, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Brown wood owl, Long-tailed broadbill, Common emerald dove, and Aberrant bush warbler. Post lunch we continued 

birding in india in  the Chanfi area where we caught hold of Crested Kingfisher, Spotted Forktail, Great Barbet, and Blue Throated Barbet before retiring back to Jungle Lore Birding Lodge in Pangot.

In our pursuit to see Cheer Pheasant, we once again moved towards Cheer Point and also explored the village of Gugu Khan. Although we were not blessed with a favourable situation to lay our eyes at this elusive bird, we managed to get some enticing birding sights of Green-tailed Sunbird, Mountain Hawk Eagle, White Browed Shrike- Babbler, and Bar-tailed Treecreeper.

The last day of the tour was designated for the lush green forests of Nainital and Kilbury. The region yielded us some amazing birding sights including Chestnut-crowned laughingthrush, Striated laughingthrush, Scaly bellied woodpecker, Ultra Marine Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Green Backed Tit, Black Throated Tit, Black Lore Tit, Cinereous tit, Crimson Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird.

Birds (30 birds in total)

9th May to 12th May

1. Male Koklass Pheasant

2. Female Koklass Pheasant

3. White-tailed Nuthatch

4. Rufous-bellied Woodpecker

5. Himalayan Woodpecker

6. Grey Headed Woodpecker

7. Lesser Yellow-Nape

8. Brown-fronted Woodpecker

9. Grey-headed Warbler

10. Common Rosefinch

11. Yellow-breasted Greenfinch

12. Slaty- headed Parakeet

13. Striated Prinia

14. Black Francolin

15. Grey Treepie

16. Greater Yellow Nape

17. Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch

18. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

19. Brown Wood Owl

20. Long-tailed Broadbill

21. Common Emerald Dove

22. Aberrant Bush Wabbler

23. Crested Kingfisher

24. Spotted Forktail

25. Great Barpet

26. Blue throated Barbet

27. Green-tailed Sunbird

28. Mountain Hawk Eagle

29. White Browed Shrike- Babbler

30. Bar-tailed Treecreeper

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