By Sanjeev Acharya

Naturalist and Guide Asian Adventures

The North India Birding Tour with Dr. Shree NivasMurti around Pangot and Sattal area was very successfully completed on February 25, 2017. These areas are very good habitat for Himalayan birds. Here is the short report of day by day birding around those Pangot, SattalChafi and Nukichiyataal area.

Day 1: Around Pangot region
Day 2: Pangot-Ghughukhan-Kunjakharak
Day 3: Pangot-Cheer point-Baggar
Day 4: Pangot- Shikri- Virtual- Chafi
Day 5: Around Sattal
Day 6: Sattal-NaukuchiyaaTaal- Chafii

Day 1   (Feb 20)  First day of this trip started from Pangot after late lunch. A short hiking up to woodpecker point and little more further  we got three different species of woodpeckers: Rufous-bellied, Brown-fronted and Himalayan, a variety of Tits, warblers and thrushes.

Day 2   (Feb 21)  Second day of birding had started earlier unfortunately, the weather condition was very bad. It was the rainy and foggy day. Despite bad weather condition, we got some important and interesting birds like Koklass Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant, Hill-partridge, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Upland Pipit, Common Wood Pigeon and many more varieties of other birds.

Day 3   (Feb 22)  Third day of birding went up to Kunjakharak. The day was sunny and little windy but pretty much perfect for birding for the cheer pheasant. The habitat is totally affected by the forest fire and only a few grass patches still remain so we scanned the area but couldn’t get any signs or call of the pheasant to mark its presence. After lunch, we went further down to Baggar are excellent birding in the afternoon. We got three varieties of Accentors  Black-throated, Altai and Rufous-breasted, some raptors and other Himalayan birds.

Day 4   (Feb 23)  Day four we began, following the same routine to search for more birds and the priority was the gorgeous Cheer Pheasant but luck did not strike. During our break for breakfast we sighted a beautiful Adult Bearded Vulture, it soared around us for a while and moved further and vanished but made us pretty excited. After finishing breakfast, we headed back to the lodge, stopping at Shikri and spent some time birding around there and returned to the hotel. Post lunch, we went Chamfi for birding. Birds of the day were the Bearded Vulture, Plain Mountain Finch, Brown Dipper, Asian Barred Owlet, Rock Bunting and White-tailed Rubythroat.

Day 5   (Feb 24)  Fifth day of birding trip started early morning, carrying packed breakfast from the resort. We spent the entire day around Sattal area and got so many beautiful and colorful birds of the region such as – Common Green Magpie, Red-billed Leiothrix, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Blue-winged Siva, White-bellied Erpornis and different varieties of Woodpeckers, Flycatchers, Warblers etc.

Day 6 (Feb 25)  Last day of the birding trip started earlier with some targeted species around Sattal area. Morning birding was very successful. From Seattle, we drove to Naukuchiyataal. Great habitat in this region. When we were walking through the trail suddenly my eyes stopped on some brown object on the edge of the lake but inside the foliage and quickly my hands moved up my bin to set in my eyes. It was an adult Eurasian Woodcock, we were thrilled to sight it. Finally, we proceeded to Champi. Our last day was very fruitful we got very special birds like Woodcock, Brown Fish Owl, Asian Barred Owlet, Mountain Bulbul, Maroon Oriole and much more.

• Goral
• Barking Deer
• Yellow-throated Marten
• Rhesus Macaque
• Himalayan Langur

The trip had been very successful, now as the weather changes, there are many birds calling such as the Collared Owlets and Mountain Scops Owls. The Forest is filling up with a variety of birds. A few species arrived from the wintering grounds as they move further north such as the Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Common Stonechat, Hume’s Leaf Warbler are arrived and Golden Bush Robin, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Dark-breasted Rosefinch

List of Birds Spotted at Jungle Lore Birding Lodge Pangot between

Season Winters -December 20th, 2016 to February 28th, 2017

1. Hill Partridge (H)
2. Kalij Pheasant
3. Black-eared Kite
4. Himalayan Vulture
5. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
6. Black Eagle
7. Steppe Eagle
8. Mountain Hawk Eagle
9. Common Kestrel
10. Common Pigeon
11. Oriental Turtle Dove
12. Slaty-headed Parakeet
13. Red-breasted Parakeet
14. Mountain Scops Owl (H)
15. Collared Owlet (H)
16. Himalayan Swiftlet
17. Alpine Swift
18. Little Swift
19. Great Barbet
20. Brown-fronted Woodpecker
21. Himalayan Woodpecker
22. Long-tailed Minivet
23. Grey-backed Shrike
24. Bronzed Drongo
25. White-throated Fantail
26. Eurasian Jay
27. Black-headed Jay
28. Red-billed Blue Magpie
29. Large-billed Crow
30. Coal Tit
31. Green-backed Tit
32. Black-throated Tit
33. Black-lored Tit
34. Yellow-browed Tit
35. Himalayan Bulbul
36. Black Bulbul
37. Barn Swallow
38. Red-rumped Swallow
39. Aberrant Bush Warbler
40. Spotted Bush Warbler
41. Black-faced Warbler
42. Buff-barred Warbler
43. Ashy-throated Warbler
44. Lemon-rumped Warbler
45. Grey-hooded Warbler
46. Whistler’s Warbler
47. Striated Prinia
48. Grey-breasted Prinia
49. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
50. Black-chinned Babbler
51. White-throated Laughingthrush
52. Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
53. Streaked Laughingthrush
54. Striated Laughingthrush
55. Rufous Sibia
56. Whiskered Yuhina
57. Oriental White-eye
58. White-tailed Nuthatch
59. Bar-tailed Treecreeper
60. Blue Whistling Thrush
61. Chestnut Thrush
62. Grey-winged Blackbird
63. Black-throated Thrush
64. Himalayan Bluetail
65. Golden Bush Robin
66. Blue-capped Redstart
67. Blue-fronted Redstart
68. Grey Bushchat
69. Slaty Blue Flycatcher
70. Rufous-georgette Flycatcher
71. Green-tailed Sunbird
72. House Sparrow
73. Russet Sparrow
74. Olive-backed Pipit
75. Yellow-breasted Greenfinch
76. Common Rosefinch
77. Spot-winged Grosbeak