Bhutan Part 2

Tuesday 17^th

We left the hotel at 5.45 for our first full day’s birding in Bhutan. Thirty minutes later we reached a mountain pass at 3,150 metres and started our birding just down the road with a Great Parrotbill, a particularly striking bird. Over the course of the trip we would see several more representatives of this Asian family.

Great Parrotbill

Black-faced Laughingthrush

As we carried on we started to encounter more of the birds of this region including several species of Laughingthrush – Black-faced, Striated and Chestnut-crowned as well as Sibias, Yuhinas and Rosefinches.

Black-throated Thrush

Hodgson's Redstart (female)

Russet Sparrow

Rufous Sibia

We took breakfast in the field, a crew of three followed us around for the rest of the trip, setting up a picnic tables and chairs and preparing breakfast and lunch every day. It worked really well as often we were in remote locations where there simply wasn’t anywhere to eat for miles around. We did find however that meals frequently got interrupted when a good bird suddenly appeared!

Breakfast in the field, this would become part of our daily routine

A purple primula, related to our Primrose

We visited Lampelri National Park after breakfast, a popular tourist spot but we were there before most people arrived. This gave us another selection of Asian birds including Alpine and Chestnut Thrushes, White-collared Blackbird, White-browed Fulvetta and two more species of Laughingthrush.

Spring was just starting in Bhutan with the first blooming Azaleas and Rhododendrons

White-tailed Nuthatch

Asian Thrush

Chestnut Thrush

White-throated Laughingthrush

Yellow butterfly sp, possibly a Clouded Yellow

Just down the road from the park we ran into a feeding flock which contained Green Shrike-Babbler, Yellow-browed, Yellow-cheeked and Black-throated Tits among others. 

Green Shrike-Babbler

Pygmy Blue Flycatcher

Prayer flags and roadside shrines were frequently seen on our drive

A scenic spot for lunch

Some of the rural houses had a great view!

After lunch we saw our first primates of the trip – a group of Assamese Macaques.

Assamese Macaque - the first of five species of monkey we saw

During the afternoon there was a large flock of Spot-winged Grosbeaks, as well as seeing Black Eagle, Pallas’s Fish-Eagle and Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler. 

Spot-winged Grosbeaks

Oriental Turtle Dove

Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler

We spent some of the afternoon Dzonging (yes I did make this word up). Dzongs are large fortifications that house both religious and administrative buildings that govern each region. Typically they contain several temples where monks follow the Buddhist teachings.

Dzong

Entrance to the bridge crossing to the Dzong

A steep set of narrow stairs takes you into the Dzong

There were various murals in the walkways

Walking through the courtyard

By one of the inner buildings firecrackers were let off to scare away demons

One of the temples, photography was not permitted inside

A procession of monks playing instruments after a ceremony in one of the temples

Back out in the main courtyard

View of part of the Dzong from the river crossing

We arrived at our hotel at 5.30.

Wednesday 18^th

We left the hotel at 6am and drove along the river valley where we saw some more Ruddy Shelducks, a group of Red-crested Pochard and some Pintail as well as Common and Crested Kingfishers. 

Ruddy Shelduck

Crested Kingfisher

River Lapwing

Even the corner shops are ornate!

Further along we found another Wallcreeper as well. A call of ‘martins’ from the side and front of the bus gave us a flock of Crag Martins flying beside us while up ahead on the rocks were two Yellow-throated Martens!

Yellow-throated Marten

After breakfast in the field we continued along the montane road up through rhododendron forests towards Lawa La pass at 3,350m. 

Prayer flags: the white ones are hung on 108 poles to mark a death 

Snow-capped mountains

We made several stops and walked along the road. There were plenty of birds in this habitat including woodpeckers (Grey-headed, Lesser Yellownape and Speckled Piculet), barbets (Great and Golden-throated) warblers (Blyth’s Leaf and Grey-hooded), Small Niltava and Spotted Forktail.

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Lesser Yellownape

Great Barbet - several would call to each other incessantly

Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

Golden-throated Barbet

Green-backed Tit collecting nesting material

Speckled Piculet

White-tailed Nuthatch

We stopped by a bee colony in a cliff overhang where there was a Yellow-throated Honeyguide. 

Yellow-throated Honeyguide

After lunch we continued birding the high elevations and saw our second monkeys of the trip – Grey Langur. The list of birds continued to grow during the afternoon with plenty of forest birds like Black-browed and Grey Crested Tits as well as raptors with Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Himalayan Buzzard and Hen Harrier all seen.

Grey Langur

Large-billed Crow

Feral yaks

Half the group went shopping at the stalls on the pass

We arrived at our hotel in Phobjikha at 3,000 metres in the evening. After dinner we went for a short owling excursion and had good views of a Himalayan Owl. 

Himalayan Owl