Bhutan Part 6

Wednesday 25^th

We met for coffee and biscuits at 5.15 and left at 5.30 as it was a bit of a way to drive to the first birding spot along the road. Along the way we saw Slaty-backed Forktail by the road. At our first stop there were some Ashy Woodswallows on a pylon and a flock of Long-tailed Sibias.

Tree orchids

As we walked down the road, it was warmer than it had been most mornings. There were also a different range of birds including Yellow-bellied Warbler, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Pale-billed Parrotbill and White-hooded Babbler.

Sultan Tit

Pale-billed Parrotbill

White-hooded Babbler

By the time we stopped for breakfast the sun was out and we were all shedding outer layers as the temperature was pleasantly warm. We continued along the road looking for bamboo specialists and found our two target birds: White-browed Piculet and Pale-headed Woodpecker – the latter was particularly hard to see but it did show well when it flew between patches of bamboo.

Batwing

Common Grass Yellow

White

In this part of Bhutan, Golden Langur was seen daily

We kept searching the river for White-bellied Heron as this is one of the best places to see this declining and endangered species. Eagle-eyed Gill picked up one flying high along the river valley and several of us managed to get onto it before it disappeared out of view. More obliging was a Collared Falconet that sat up unmoving on a snag. A Crested Serpent Eagle also sat up, surprisingly the first one of our trip.

Long-tailed Sibia

Collared Falconet

We carried on after lunch for a little while, seeing White-throated Bulbul and Small Niltava but the temperature had climbed to the mid-twenties and bird activity had died down so we returned to our lodge for a mid-afternoon break.

Small Niltava

Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch

Our cabins at the eco-lodge

Room with a view

We went out again at 4, walking along the track behind the lodge up into the fields. Chestnut-headed Bee-eater perched on the power cables before we set off. Along the track we saw Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker and an Asian Barred Owlet flew over. Yet another Yellow-throated Marten was seen on the track, and one of the lodge’s dogs that decided to join us for the walk picked up its scent and ran off after it.

Crested Serpent-Eagle

A little group of Red Junglefowl was seen scurrying along and we ran into a nice range of open country birds including Slaty-backed Flycatcher and Hair-crested Drongo before it was time to head back to the hotel for dinner. 

Thursday 26^th

We left the hotel at 6am with our bags loaded and slowly headed off back up the mountainside. A Slaty Forktail by the roadside was the first bird of the day, beating the usual Blue Whistling Thrush that seemed to hang out on every corner.

At our first stop a Large Hawk Cuckoo was seen along with Red Junglefowl, Ashy Woodswallow and Streaked Spiderhunter. As we began to climb to the pass at 1,860m it got a little bit colder and there was a little light drizzle but fortunately we were below the clouds.

Golden Langur

Spot-winged Grosbeak

Striated Prinia

At subsequent stops we added Hume’s Warbler, Pale Blue Flycatcher and Black-winged Cuckooshrike to the trip list, all before another wonderful breakfast. The hot porridge was particularly welcome. We carried on ascending, seeing Red-headed Trogon before chancing on a vagrant Naumann’s Thrush, which may well become the first properly documented record for Bhutan. It was a long time ago since I saw the first record of this species in the UK, in Chingford.

Naumann's Thrush

As we drove up a handsome Grey-winged Blackbird fed on one of the grassy verges and a Malayan Giant Squirrel was seen. We stopped by a cliff overhang where there were a lot of honeycombs which attracted the attention of two Yellow-throated Honeyguides and a Blue-bearded Bee-eater.

Grey-winged Blackbird

Yellow-throated Honeyguide

After lunch we started heading downhill and were able to shed a layer or two. A pair of bizarre-looking Long-tailed Broadbills was seen before we arrived at another construction sit and had to wait for the road to open. 

Long-tailed Broadbill

Fortunately for us, the timing couldn’t have been better as we found not one but three Beautiful Nuthatches, the last major target bird. Initially they were high in the treetops and we only had silhouetted views but eventually they dropped down to below eyelevel on some close trees giving us superb views of this difficult to find bird. They have recently declined in India and become hard to see so it was great to catch up with them here.

Beautiful Nuthatch

Once past the roadworks we stopped several more times, adding Blue-winged Minla and Red-faced Liocichla, albeit a typically skulking individual, and some more Red-headed Trogons. 

There was a major landslide a year ago and the road still isn't completely repaired

Large Woodshrike

Red-headed Trogon

White-throated Bulbul

We scanned an area alongside the river and found a Brown Fish Owl roosting over the other side high in a tree but it chose that minute to fly down and perched on the riverbank much closer to us, flushing a Crested Kingfisher that was sat on a nearby rock. There was also Blue-bearded Bee-eater perching in the tree next to us so it was a good end to the day.

Brown Fish-Owl

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

We didn’t have much further to drive to our hotel in the town of Gelephu, our first taste of a town for over a week.