The Best of India & Nepal

Transcription

1 Naturetrek Report compiled by Suchit Basnet Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Tour Participants: Suchit Basnet (leader) with 4 Naturetrek clients Day 1 Thursday 4th The tour commenced at Heathrow Airport with an overnight Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Day 2 Friday 5th We landed at Doha and had a short wait before our 8am onward flight to Kathmandu, where we arrived midafternoon and met our guide, Suchit. Day 3 Saturday 6th Today was spent sight-seeing in Kathmandu Day 4 Sunday 7th We drove to Chitwan National Park today. Details of bird, mammal and reptile sightings for today and the rest of the tour are contained in the species lists which follow these brief daily summaries. Day 5/6 Monday 8th/Tuesday 9th Our next two days were spent around Chitwan National Park Day 7 Wednesday 10th Today we drove to Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Day 8/9 Thursday 11th/Friday 12th Our next two days were spent around Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve Day 10 Saturday 13th Today we moved on again and drove to Darjeeling Day 11/12 Sunday 14th/Monday 15th We spent the next two days exploring the Darjeeling area Day 13 Tuesday 16th We had a long travelling day today which started with a flight to Guwahati, and then a five hour drive to Kaziranga National Park, arriving at 9pm Naturetrek March 16 1

3 Day Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th We spent the next three days exploring the Kaziranga National Park area Day 17 Saturday 20th Today we returned to Guwahati from where we flew to Delhi Day 18 Sunday 21st We left Delhi on an early morning flight to Doha. After a short transfer wait we continued to Heathrow Airport, arriving early afternoon, where another Naturetrek adventure came to an end Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! 2 Naturetrek

4 Species Lists Birds ( = recorded but not counted; H = heard only) 1 Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus 1 2 Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis H H 3 Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus H Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Gadwall Anas strepera Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Northern Pintail Anas acuta Common Teal Anas crecca Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina 2 16 Common Merganser Mergus merganser Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus 2 18 Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos macei Rufous Woodpecker Celeus brachyurus 2 20 Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus 2 21 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus 2 22 Himalayan Flameback Dinopium shorii 2 23 Black-rumped Flameback Dinopium benghalense 6 24 Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata H 25 Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica 1 6 H 2 H H 26 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala 1 27 Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis Naturetrek March 16 1

5 29 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis 2 31 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis Common Hawk-Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius H H H 1 H 37 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea 2m 38 Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis 1 39 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis House Swift Apus nipalensis Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis 1 47 Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum Spotted Owlet Athene brama H Brown Hawk-Owl Ninox scutulata Rock Pigeon Columba livia Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica 7 55 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera Brown Crake Amaurornis akool 1 59 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Naturetrek

6 60 Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca 2 61 Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus 7 62 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Common Coot Fulica atra 1 64 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 1 65 Common Redshank Tringa totanus Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii 2 71 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 1 73 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus 4 76 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus Small Pratincole Glareola lactea River Tern Sterna aurantia 1 79 Little Tern Sterna albifrons 2 80 Osprey Pandion haliaetus Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Black Kite Milvus migrans Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus 2 H 84 Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus H 85 White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus 2 87 Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus 3 89 Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos 1 Naturetrek March 16 3

7 91 Shikra Accipiter badius White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa 1 93 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 1 94 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 1 95 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga 1 96 Changeable Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera 2 99 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Little Egret Egretta garzetta Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Great Egret Casmerodius albus Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii Little Heron Butorides striatus Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans Black Stork Ciconia nigra Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach Naturetrek

8 122 Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda House Crow Corvus splendens Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei Black-winged Cuckooshrike Coracina melaschistos Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus White-throated Fantail Rhipidura albicollis Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus White-bellied Drongo Dicrurus caerulescens Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus Common Iora Aegithina tiphia Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula parva Verditer Flycatcher Eumyias thalassina Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher Culicicapa ceylonensis Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope H 146 Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis 1f 149 White-capped Water Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus Black-backed Forktail Enicurus immaculatus Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata Naturetrek March 16 5

9 153 White-tailed Stonechat Saxicola leucura Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus Hill Myna Gracula religiosa 2 H Great Tit Parus major Brown-throated (Plain) Martin Riparia paludicola Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii Oriental White-Eye Zosterops palpebrosus Thick-billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius Tickell's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus affinis Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris H H 172 White-crested Laughingthrush Garrulax leucolophus H 173 Chestnut-capped Babbler Timalia pileata Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus White-browed Fulvetta Alcippe vinipectus Rufous-winged Lark Mirafra assamica Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix grisea Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla Sand Lark Calandrella raytal Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica House Sparrow Passer domesticus White Wagtail Motacilla alba Naturetrek

10 184 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Rufous-breasted Accentor Prunella strophiata Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata 15 Mammals Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus Assam Macaque Macaca assamensis Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus 20 5 Hoolock Gibbon Hoolock hoolock 5 6 Common Langur Presbytis entellus Asiatic Golden Jackal Canis lupus 5 8 Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus 2 9 Smooth-coated Otter Aonyx cinerea Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsi Jungle Cat Felis chaus 1 12 Greater One-horned Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis Wild Boar Sus scrofa Muntjac (Barking Dear) Muntiacus muntjak 2 15 Spotted Deer (Chital ) Cervus axis Hog Deer Cervus porcinus Wild Water Buffalo Bubalus bubalis Hoary- bellied Squirrel Callosciurus pygerythrus Malayan Gaint Squirrel Ratufa bicolor 1 20 Asian Elephant (wild) Elephas maximus 1m Swamp deer Rucervus duvaucelii 25 Naturetrek March 16 7

11 Reptiles 1 Marsh Mugger Crocodylus palustris Gharial Gavialis gangeticus Indian Softshell Turtle Nilssonia gangetica 2 8 Naturetrek