Bhutan April 8 - 28, 2007

B H U T A N

April 8 - 28, 2007

David M. Gascoigne and Miriam Bauman

April 7, 2007
Bangkok, Thailand

We met for dinner with our fellow Kingbird Tour participants (Harvey, Marion, Eric and Evelyn) at the Novatel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel in Bangok, where we were all staying prior to our flight to Paro early the next morning.
We had enjoyed a day’s birding near Bangkok, but that event is covered in a separate report.
Following an enjoyable introductory get together and a lovely dinner, everyone went to bed early to prepare to be awakened around 03.00h since our flight departed at 05:50h.

April 8, 2007
Paro - Thimphu
Overnight at Jumolhari Hotel

Our flight from Bangkok to Paro via Calcutta was uneventful and we arrived in Paro to glorious sunshine. After Ben had shepherded us through immigration proceedings we were met by Sangay our driver and Tshewang our tour guide, both of whom would be with us for the entire trip.
They are in the service of Etho Metho Treks and Tours (etho metho means rhododendron in the Bhutanese language) and they were delightful and efficient - in all respects a pleasure to be with. We were lucky to have them.
Before we boarded the bus they draped a traditional white welcome scarf around our necks, a greeting which we thought to be quite lovely.
Sangay and Tshewang personified all the Bhutanese people we met throughout our stay. They surely must be the most polite people on earth and it was our privilege to be in their country.
We were also joined at Paro by the remaining member of our group; Carmelita had arrived from Delhi where she had been on a previous birding trip.
We boarded the bus and set off in the direction of Thimphu, with a scheduled stop to search for Ibisbill and other “thrills” as Ben liked to say.
Upon disembarking from the bus at a spot in the river where Ibisbill is traditionally found we found ourselves dismayed by the amount of garbage that was scattered throughout. The detritus of humanity was everywhere to be seen. It certainly somewhat shattered the image we had of Bhutan as pristine and unspoiled. The country is beautiful, the scenery spectacular, the architecture magnificent; alas, it is tarnished by the staggering volume of trash that is discarded at will. Later we would discover that even in the highest peaks and valleys, in areas quite remote from habitation, the problem would persist.
Harvey had principally chosen this trip in order to add Ibisbill to his life list, and I think it is safe to say, that this species was high on the wish list of every participant. We were not disappointed. Within minutes we had one in the telescope and everyone was able to view the bird for as long as he/she wished. It is truly an enigmatic, enchanting species, quite unlike any other bird we had ever seen. It was a rare thrill and one of those moments that reinforces everything about the attraction of birding. The simple beauty of this wonderful bird feeding in a rock-strewn Himalayan mountain stream, created a level of contentment that seems only to come from this avocation we all share.
We also had incredible scope views of a River Lapwing which obligingly lingered at the river’s edge. White Wagtails were abundant and we saw our first Plumbeous, Hodgson’s and White-capped Redstarts. Red-billed Chough was the common corvid and any time one glanced skyward it was almost certain that a chough would be “sailing” in the wind.
Ben played a tape of the vocalization of the Black-tailed Crake in a swampy area where this species had ben located on previous trips, but even though it returned the call we could not lure it into view. We left for lunch at a restaurant in Paro, determined to return later to try for the crake again. Lunch was delicious and plentiful.
After lunch we were successful in luring the crake out into the open; in fact there were three of them, and everyone was able to get a good look at this beautiful bird.
We left for Thimphu shortly thereafter, driving over deplorable roads that we would become used to throughout our trip. Sangay was a masterful driver and negotiated every obstacle with skill and aplomb.
Our hotel in Thimphu was quite modern but in a traditional architectural style and we were very happy to be there. A fine dinner was served followed by a good night’s sleep.

All species seen on April 8 - Ibisbill, Plumbeous Redstart, White Wagtail, Red-billed Chough, Common Kestrel, Hodgson’s Redstart, River Lapwing, Rock Dove, Grey-backed Shrike, White-capped Redstart, Rosy Pipit, Russet Sparrow, Oriental Turtle Dove, Himalayan Crow, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Crake, Eurasian Hoopoe, Himalayan Buzzard, Common Snipe, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Green-backed Tit, Eurasian Hobby (Miriam only).

April 9, 2007
Thimphu - Dochu La - Punakha
Overnight at Zangto Pelri Hotel

We left our hotel at around 05:00h heading for Dochu La, with scheduled birding stops along the road. The hotel had refused to prepare breakfast at such an early hour, so Sangay and Tshewang had secured food from another establishment in town, which we took with us on the bus, ultimately to eat at a restaurant later.
As we drove along a much better road than that which we had experienced yesterday, Ben scanned the darkness with his high intensity flashlight. We heard Grey Nightjar calling and were soon rewarded with two on the road. They did not linger, but long enough, nevertheless, for everyone to get a good look at them.
As daylight arrived we began to see ubiquitous Blue Whistling Thrushes and Oriental Turtle Doves, two species that we would see on virtually every day of the trip.
Our arrival at Dochu La filled us with awe. At this high mountain pass there is a shrine with 108 stupas and prayer flags in every direction. It was a memorable sight, etched in our memories forever.
The birding there was quite wonderful. We added Fire-tailed Myzornis (thanks to Eric’s keen spotting) and Green-tailed Sunbird. These two species had been high on our wish list. Other avian delights at Dochu La were Gold-billed Magpie, White-collared Blackbird, Long-tailed Minivet, Yellow-bellied Fantail, several flocks of delightful, raucous White-throated Laughingthrushes, Black Bulbul, a total of seventeen Red Crossbills (a candidate for future split), some of which were feeding on clay presumably for the mineral content, and our first White-tailed Nuthatches.
We continued to bird along the road and added Ashy Drongo, Coal Tit, Yellow-browed Tit, White-browed Fulvetta, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, three Spot-winged Grosbeaks and many other species.
After lunch a light rain started to fall, but we continued to bird at various stops along the road to Punakha, adding Spotted Nutcracker, Rufous Sibia, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Hoary-throated Barwing, a flock of about one hundred fifty Himalayan Swiftlets, a wonderful Bay Woodpecker and a Brown-throated Treecreeper (our only creeper of the trip).
The Zangto Pelri Hotel was rustic and delightful and dinner was a good, hot buffet. We ordered a bottle of wine for $29.00!! It was a delicious, French wine, however, and we were quite pleased to have it.

All species seen on April 9 -Grey Nightjar, Blue Whistling Thrush, Oriental Turtle Dove, Hill Partridge (heard), Yellow-bellied Fantail, Gold-billed Magpie, White-collared Blackbird, Long-tailed Minivet, White-throated Laughingthrush, Black Bulbul, Russet Sparrow, Ashy Drongo, Red Crossbill, Olive Tree Pipit, Grey Bushchat, Blue-fronted Redstart, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Fire-tailed Myzornis, White-tailed Nuthatch, Himalayan Crow, Coal Tit, Green-backed Tit, Yellow-browed Tit, Green-tailed Sunbird, White-browed Fulvetta, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Spot-winged Grosbeak, Rufous-fronted Tit, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Red-tailed Minla, Buff-barred Warbler, Spotted Nutcracker, Rufous Sibia, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Hoary-throated Barwing, Himalayan Swiftlet, Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler, White-browed Fulvetta, Bay Woodpecker, Brown-throated Treecreeper, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Common Myna, Red-vented Bulbul, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Grey Treepie, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Common Kestrel.

April 10, 2007
Punakha Area
Overnight at Zangto Pelri Hotel

This was a day with mixed emotions. The birds we observed were superlative, but the birding experience was less than satisfactory. Most of the birding in Bhutan is done from the road and we knew this beforehand. However, we had the distinct impression that the road was lightly travelled and traffic was no great issue. How wrong we were. The narrow winding road was very busy indeed, with many large trucks as well as numerous passenger cars and buses. The noise and the fumes were extremely unpleasant, and at times there was a definite air of danger as trucks bearing heavy loads came precariously close to us. We routinely held our hands over our ears to block out the noise and tried to hold our breath so as not to breath in the fumes as vehicles careened by.
With just a couple of exceptions heavy traffic would be a source of concern throughout the trip and it certainly made the activity of birding less agreeable than it otherwise might have been.
But the birds were spectacular! In the crepuscular gloom we had a quick glimpse of a Grey Nightjar. Shortly after first light we spotted two Kalij Pheasants and in short order had seen six of them. Himalayan pheasants are a large part of the attraction of this area and this was our first encounter with them. Several Grey-winged Blackbirds were present and two Spotted Forktails in a gully were eagerly viewed by all.
The birds kept coming. We saw both Himalayan and Eurasian Cuckoo and several Verditer Flycatchers. Although the latter species would be common throughout our journey it was nonetheless pure delight to observe. We saw our first Cutia and had stunning looks at a Rufous-bellied Woodpecker.
Ben’s target bird for this area was the rare and beautiful Ward’s Trogon. He played the tape repeatedly (incessantly some might claim) but was unable to lure the bird into view. I am not even sure at this point whether the bird even responded to the tape, but finally at mid afternoon, Ben advised that we had one last chance for the bird by going down into a deep ravine and playing the tape from there. Harvey, Marion, Eric, David and Miriam took the plunge and headed down a steep and heavily vegetated slope, which was slippery and quite treacherous in places. On the way Ben played the tape of the Slaty-bellied Tesia and we got a quick look at this species.
Deep down into the ravine we suddenly spotted a male Ward’s Trogon perched on a branch where we could easily scope it. Everyone was able to join the line at the telescope to look at the bird repeatedly and it was indeed a sighting to remember. We were all well satisfied, but it got even better when a female flew in to join the male. Most of us got good looks at both sexes.
We certainly have to admire Ben’s persistence in locating this bird for us. It was without doubt one of the highlights of the trip.
Following our success at locating the Ward’s Trogon we headed out to a site known to harbour White-bellied Heron at times. Ben indicated some doubt that we might see it, but we owed it to ourselves to try nevertheless. Upon arrival at the site Sangay asked a local citizen about the bird and he indicated that it had been sighted farther upstream. We journeyed along the river and lo and behold there was a magnificent White -bellied Heron. In fact before long we had located a second one. Wow! Two individuals to scope at will.
Eric, who throughout the trip found so many good birds for us, spotted a Pallas’s Sea Eagle on the opposite bank of the river. Again we were able to get it in the scope and it obligingly stayed perched for a considerable time, and then flew, enabling us to note all the details of its plumage. David was ecstatic. Three of his most desired birds in one day and all seriously endangered. In all of his days of birding this was a day never to be forgotten.
As a final bonus, we saw Brown Dipper. Since Miriam and David both have a special fondness for dippers, this was truly the icing on the cake.

All species seen on April 10 - Grey Nightjar, Blue Whistling Thrush, Kalij Pheasant, Large Niltava, White-throated Laughingthrush, Grey-winged Blackbird, Ashy Drongo, Spotted Forktail, Oriental Turtle Dove, Himalayan Crow, Black-throated Tit, Verditer Flycatcher, Eurasian Cuckoo,
Grey-backed Shrike, Green-backed Tit, Himalayan Cuckoo, Gold-billed Magpie, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Cutia, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, White-tailed Nuthatch, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Black-faced Warbler, Green-tailed Sunbird, Chestnut -bellied Rock Thrush, Rufous Sibia, Buff-barred Warbler, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Fire-capped Tit, Black Bulbul, Blue-fronted Redstart, Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, Red-tailed Minla, Gould’s Sunbird, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, White-throated Fantail, Ultramarine Flycatcher, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Short-billed Minivet, Blue-winged Minla, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Grey-hooded Warbler, Grey-chinned Minivet, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Ward’s Trogon, Blue Rock Thrush, Great Cormorant, Crested Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Common Sandpiper, River Lapwing, White Wagtail, White-bellied Heron, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Common Kestrel.

April 11, 2007
Punakha - Gangtey
Overnight at Phuntsocholing Lodge

Another day of incredible birding!
Upon leaving our accommodations we located Ashy Drongo at every turn, three Magpie Robins, two Chestnut-tailed Starlings, Red-vented Bulbul was common, as were Common Mynas, the river held three Gadwall, a Eurasian Wigeon and an Osprey patrolled up and down.
We saw an enigmatic and ever-delightful Eurasian Hoopoe, but all paled in comparison with our next sighting. We were searching for Tawny Fish Owl, which Ben knew to be in the vicinity, but we searched initially to no avail. Miriam and David had given a Canada flag lapel pin to a couple of youngsters and their father came to tell us that the “big bird” we were looking for was farther down the river. He showed us where to look and we quickly located two adult and two juvenile Tawny Fish Owls. All were easily seen and we were able to move the scopes from one to the other at will. What a wonderful, exciting way to kick off a day’s birding.
Following yesterday’s triple play we now had yet another species that was on the world list of threatened birds. It certainly is a testament to the attitude of the Bhutanese people towards wildlife that we were able to observe the birds so easily. These owls had been undisturbed and were there for all the world to see. We felt a very special sense of appreciation to be able to view them so well and for so long. There are moments in one’s birding career that remain undiminished by the passage of time and this will surely be one of them.
We viewed both Crested and White-breasted Kingfishers again, and a Common Stonechat of the Siberian race was at the water’s edge.
We travelled on to the Phobjikha Valley (winter home of the Black-necked Crane), where we saw Spot-billed Duck and a Yellow-rumped Honeyguide.
When we arrived at the lodge, we were greeted with hot towels and were served tea and cookies in the lounge while our bags were delivered to our room. The room was sheer luxury by comparison with other accommodations on this trip and we even had a king size bed.
After we were ensconced in our room there was a knock on the door. Eric came to advise us that he had seen an Himalayan Wood Owl high above the lodge and asked if we would like to see it. We made the steep climb at over 3,000 metres, but, much to Eric’s chagrin and our muted disappointment, the owl was gone when we arrived at the place where he had seen it. We made a thorough search of the surrounding forest but were unable to locate the bird.
We returned to our room undaunted and appreciated the fact that Eric had taken the trouble to make the difficult climb twice in an attempt to have others view the bird.
After a fine dinner, we retired to our room where we were delighted to find that the staff had lit a fire and there were hot water bottles in our bed. We slept peacefully until the alarm woke us at 03.45h!

All species seen on April 11 - Grey Treepie, Ashy Drongo, Magpie Robin, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Red-vented Bulbul, Common Myna, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Great Cormorant, Osprey, Eurasian Hoopoe, Tawny Fish Owl, Rock Pigeon, Oriental Turtle Dove, Oriental White-eye, Crested Kingfisher, White-breasted Kingfisher, Common Stonechat, Long-tailed Shrike, Crested Bunting, Spotted Dove, Grey-backed Shrike, Striated Prinia, Rust-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Himalayan Crow, Blue Rock Thrush, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Little Bunting, Hodgson’s Redstart, Plumbeous Redstart, Black Bulbul, Nepal House Martin, White-capped Redstart, Bhutan Laughinghrush, Russet Bush Warbler, Green-backed Tit, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Himalayan Griffon, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal.

April 12, 2007
Gangtey - Trongsa
Overnight at Yangkill Resort

Another early start! The alarm went off at 03:45h and we went down for breakfast at 04:30h.
It was a sunny but cold day as we set off again and there was snow on the side of the road.
After extensive searching from the bus we sighted a male Himalayan Monal on the slope of a hill. What a truly spectacular bird! The colours are simply hard to describe, but their brilliance left us all awash in appreciative words and gestures. It is safe to say that no one among us will soon forget this bird.
The next significant species was a Great Parrotbill. Everyone was able to see the bird well. A couple of Slender-billed Scimitar Babblers were a delight and about a dozen Plain Mountain Finches in a flock represented another lifer for most of the tour participants. We also had very nice scope looks at an Alpine Accentor and were able to appreciate the delicate subtleties of its plumage.
Everyone was delighted with White-browed Bush Robin and White-browed Rosefinch. We also added Brown Parrotbill for our second parrotbill of the day.
It was glorious to see first one and then a second Himalayan Griffon soaring overhead and a short time later while walking down a (thankfully) lightly travelled road a kettle of ten individuals. These birds display a complete mastery of the air, soaring effortlessly on their huge wings. They moved quickly as they took advantage of the thermals.
We were all a little disappointed at the quick flyby of a Large Hawk Cuckoo, only to be rewarded a short time later by a perched bird that everyone saw well.

All species seen on April 12 - Himalayan Crow, Hill Partridge (H), Grey Bushchat, Himalayan Monal, Olive Tree Pipit, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Spotted Nutcracker, Green-tailed Sunbird, Great Parrotbill, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Gold-billed Magpie, Plain Mountain Finch, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, White-collared Blackbird, Rufous-vented Tit, Red Crossbill, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Alpine Accentor, White-browed Bush Robin, White-winged Grosbeak, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, White-browed Rosefinch, Himalayan Griffon, Yellow-browed Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Hume’s Bush Warbler, Brown Parrotbill, Red-billed Chough, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Blue Whistling Thrush, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Spotted Forktail, Ashy Drongo.

April 13, 2007
Trongsa - Shemgang
Camping

It was cool when we set out at around 06:00h but it warmed up quickly and the day got hotter as we descended in altitude the whole day. It was bright and sunny and there were many interesting sights along the way, other than the birding.
We saw our first Maroon Orioles of the trip and before the day was out we had seen six of them. We also encountered two flocks of Fork-tailed Swifts many of which swooped low enough to enable us to pick out the field marks.
It seemed that a Little Forktail we spotted by a Himalayan mountain stream was a favorite with everyone. Significant sightings were a Fire-tailed Myzornis, a truly dazzling bird, and a Spotted Wren Babbler. We also saw two Yellow-rumped Honeyguides.
Every day we saw many different species of babblers and laughingthrushes and one of the highlights of this day was a Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler. For the first time in a number of Kingbird tours we spotted a Red Junglefowl which was well seen by everyone before it flew off into the forest. Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers are reliably found in this area and today was no exception - we saw two individuals of this handsome little bird.
Miriam saw a Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo and it looked as though David would miss out on this species right up until the final days of the trip. An aptly named Little Pied Flycatcher was visible to everyone.
We arrived at our campground some time after lunch and David located a Grey-headed Woodpecker in the trees just off to the side.
We rested until around 15:00h and by mid afternoon when we resumed our birding activities, it was sweltering. Without a doubt the highlight of the afternoon’s activity was four splendid sightings of Rufous-necked Hornbill. Two were of single birds and one of a pair. On each occasion we were able to get the birds in the telescope and have really prolonged views of this magnificent species. For both Miriam and David this was the first hornbill ever, and it was a memorable introduction to an enigmatic family. The fact that the bird is seriously endangered enhanced our good fortune in having this as our first encounter. It was certainly a bird that had been high on our “wish list” and we were elated.
I should say a little about the camping arrangements. There is no doubt that David had not researched this aspect of the trip as well as he might have, but we were a little shocked when we saw the tents. They were just big enough to hold our two cots with about 60 - 70 cm between them. There was basically no room for luggage and it was a tight squeeze indeed. We had heard reports of tented birding trips in East Africa where walk-in tents were the norm, spacious and well-appointed with a shower inside and even a desk and chair, with beds on thick layers of comfortable foam. Our expectations were somewhat along those lines, although I must repeat that no one had told us that.
A shower meant ordering a bucket of hot water and a dipper. One then stood on a rock floor inside a tent and poured hot water over one’s body.
It was primitive, yet refreshing nevertheless.
In contrast the meals in the dining room tent were very good indeed and we had a variety of well-cooked dishes. It never ceased to amaze us how well Peldon the cook and his crew managed to prepare such fine meals with very basic facilities. This would be true of every meal we had during our eleven nights of camping.

All species seen on April 13 - Himalayan Crow, Rock Pigeon, Oriental Turtle Dove, Ashy Drongo, White-throated Laughingthrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Spotted Forktail, Plain-backed Thrush, Striated Laughingthrush, Rufous Sibia, Maroon Oriole, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Fork-tailed Swift, Green-backed Tit, Whiskered Yuhina, Plumbeous Redstart, Great Barbet, Verditer Flycatcher, Rufous Sibia, Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, Little Forktail, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Spotted Wren Babbler, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Long-tailed Shrike, Red-vented Bulbul, Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush, Crested Bunting, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Chesnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Red Junglefowl, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Black Bulbul, Firebreasted Flowerpecker, Little Pied Flycatcher, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Miriam only), Orange-bellied Leafbird, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Blue-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Plumbeous Redstart, White-capped Redstart, Scarlet Minivet, Rufous-necked Hornbill, White-naped Yuhina, Ashy Bulbul, Whiskered Yuhina, Small Niltava, Grey-chinned Minivet, Golden-throated Barbet, Striated Spiderhunter, White-crested Laughingthrush, Scarlet Finch, Mountain Scops Owl (H).

April 14, 2007
Shemgang Area
Camping

We did not have a particularly good night’s sleep. The tent was hot and we had only a sleeping bag and nothing lighter. It was far too warm to be in a sleeping bag, but there was little choice.
All night long cows wandered at will around our campsite, sometimes brushing right up against the wall of the tent. Between the cows mooing and tinkling their cow bells, and a Mountain Scops Owl calling all night, it was not particularly restful. Eric’s tent was partly collapsed by a cow which collided with the guy rope and Evelyn woke up to find a cow sleeping right in front of her door. Even when she prodded it with her cane, it was reluctant to move.
We had breakfast in the dining tent at 05:00h and went to the bus to set off for the morning. David was in the bus not realizing that others were doing a little birding along the road, and Miriam and everyone else saw a Drongo Cuckoo - the only one of the trip!
We drove for some distance up to a higher elevation whence we had arrived yesterday and disembarked to begin birding downhill. Once again we found the road very busy with noisy trucks and fumes and several road construction crews.
We had a great look at a Grey Treepie and a Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo perched obligingly for all to see. We saw three Rusty-fronted Barwings and a single Grey Wagtail. There were mixed flocks of Phylloscopus warblers everywhere and it was a dizzying exercise to separate these rapidly flitting tiny birds, with which we were quite unfamiliar, one from the other. However, with help from Ben and Eric we did a passable job of identification at times!
One definite highlight was a Crested Goshawk spotted overhead - a raptor we had very much wanted to see. Wonderful scope views of a Mountain Hawk Eagle will furnish precious memories also. Miriam was lucky in seeing a Black-eared Shrike Babbler but this bird eluded David.
We returned to the camp for a fine lunch and rested until 15:00h to avoid birding in the oppressive heat of the day.
Significant afternoon sightings were Golden Babbler, Bhutan Laughingthrush, both Lesser and Great Yellownapes, a Sultan Tit, Ashy Wood Pigeon, a female White-browed Shrike Babbler and a very cooperative Collared Owlet calling the whole time it was in the scope.
The most exciting observation of all, however, was of two Beautiful Nuthatches drawn in by Ben’s tape. What a rare, unique privilege to see this least known of all the world’s nuthatches. We did not see them for long, but were able to view them definitively and to appreciate that they are indeed suitably named.

All species seen on April 14 - Himalayan Cuckoo (H), Mountain Scops Owl (H), Grey Treepie, Blue Whistling Thrush, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, Drongo Cuckoo, Scarlet Minivet, Scarlet Finch, Red-vented Bulbul, White-crested Laughingthrush, Ashy Drongo, White-capped Redstart, Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Fork-tailed Swift, Ashy Drongo, Grey Wagtail, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler, Black-throated Tit, White-throated Needletail, White-throated Fantail, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Blue-winged Minla, Crested Goshawk, Little Pied Flycatcher, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Golden-spectacled Warbler, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Whiskered Yuhina, Maroon Oriole, Striated Bulbul, Racket-tailed Drongo, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Large Niltava, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Himalayan Crow, White-browed Shrike Babbler, White-tailed Nuthatch, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Small Niltava, Whiskered Yuhina, Golden-throated Barbet, Lesser Yellownape, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Plumbeous Redstart, Striated Laughingthrush, White-naped Yuhina, Golden Babbler, Rufous Sibia, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Sultan Tit, Beautiful Nuthatch, Greater Yellownape, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Collared Owlet, Collared Scops Owl (H), Pale Blue Flycatcher, Blue Rock Thrush, Striated Yuhina, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Yellow-vented Warbler, Grey-hooded Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Black-faced Warbler.

April 15, 2007
Shemgang Area
Camping

Before boarding the bus we checked out the roadside close to the camp and were rewarded with two Himalayan Cuckoos and a Grey-headed Woodpecker - a fortunate sighting since many had not seen the first one viewed on arrival at the camp. Two Scarlet Finches were also present.
We then left to commence birding basically at the point we had ended yesterday.
We heard a Grey Peacock Pheasant calling vociferously but we did not see the bird and Ben told us that this species is heard every trip, but so far has not been seen.
Thanks once again to the laser eyes of Eric we got a glimpse of a Mountain Imperial Pigeon. It would have been nice to get a better look, but we had to be content with a fleeting glimpse. The way that this bird shook the vegetation we were convinced it was a Yeti! We also saw Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch and notched a total of four before day’s end. This completed the three nuthatch sweep that we expected in the part of Bhutan in which we would be travelling.
An unexpected treat was a Speckled Piculet right out in the open where everyone could see it well.
In the afternoon, after having returned to camp for lunch and a siesta, we located Common Tailorbird, Black-faced Warbler, Oriental White-eye, Barred Cuckoo Dove and were treated to a stunning look at a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo.

All species seen on April 15 - Scarlet Finch, Ashy Drongo, Red-vented Bulbul, Himalayan Cuckoo, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, White-crested Laughingthrush, Nepal Fulvetta, Whiskered Yuhina, Red-tailed Minla, Yellow-vented Warbler, Grey-hooded Warbler, Grey Treepie, Verditer Flycatcher, Blue-winged Minla, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Black-chinned Yuhina, Green-backed Tit, Grey-throated Babbler, Rufous-faced Warbler, Blue-throated Flycatcher, Golden-throated Barbet, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Scarlet Minivet, Grey Peacock Pheasant (H), Mountain Bulbul, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Rufous Sibia, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Blue-throated Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Striated Yuhina, White-crested Laughingthrush, Ashy Bulbul, Common Tailorbird, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Black-chinned Yuhina, Bronzed Drongo, Black-faced Warbler, Oriental White-eye, White-throated Bulbul, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Black Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Blue-fronted Redstart, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Great Barbet, Oriental Turtle Dove, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Rock Pigeon, Mountain Scops Owl (H), Hill Partridge (H), Blue Whistling Thrush.

April 16, 2007
Shemgang - Bumthang
Overnight at Mountain Lodge

It was a clear Himalayan sky with a panoply of stars glistening and twinkling as we ventured onto the road at 04:45h to see if we could call in Collared Scops Owl. As soon as Ben started playing his tape two individuals were calling back; at least one bird was getting closer. Suddenly we saw it fly through the beam of Ben’s flashlight. It was a quick look but a good one. The bird landed in a tree quite close to us and before we gave up in order to board the bus we had another look at it as it flew farther away. Not a bad way to start the day!
Later in the day we had good looks at a Black-throated Prinia, three Silver-eared Mesias, a Pale Blue Flycatcher, and an added bonus was another Rufous Hornbill. As we neared Bumthang we saw our first Eurasian Magpie of the trip. Ben mentioned that in view of recent taxonomic studies this species may be a candidate for a split to Tibetan Magpie.
Other than that, the birds seen on the journey from Shemgang to Bumthang were species that had already been seen - not that it made them any less pleasing, however, and it was good to be able to familiarize ourselves with some of the more common species.
The bed at the Mountain Lodge was a welcome change from the tent. But we had eight nights of camping straight ahead of us. We doubted that our flashlight would hold out for the whole trip so we went into town with Sangay, Tshewang and Kinley, along with Eric to buy another. We also picked one up for Harvey and Marion and we bought twenty four Tiger beers which we split with Harvey and Marion. It was quite fascinating in town and we were given to wondering what Bhutanese people would think of a modern, North American supermarket.
I had forgotten to mention earlier that Kinley had joined us in Thimpu on our first night. He had been assigned to us by Etho Metho Treks and Tours - and a very pleasant young man he was too.

All species seen on April 16 - Collared Scops Owl, Hill Partridge (H), Spotted Dove, Silver-eared Mesia, Plumbeous Redstart, Blue Whistling Thrush, Ashy Drongo, Black-throated Prinia, Striated Laughingthrush, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Olive Tree Pipit, Grey Treepie, Maroon Oriole, Scarlet Minivet, Grey-hooded Warbler, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Little Pied Flycatcher, Green-backed Tit, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Striated Yuhina, Striated Bulbul, Oriental White-eye, Rufous Hornbill, Fork-tailed Swift, Verditer Flycatcher, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Red-vented Bulbul, Grey Bushchat, Grey-backed Shrike, Blue Whistling Thrush, Himalayan Buzzard, Crested Bunting, Common Myna, Spotted Nutcracker, White-throated Laughingthrush, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Red Crossbill, Coal Tit, Rufous-vented Yuhina, White-naped Yuhina, Oriental Turtle Dove, Himalayan Crow, Eurasian Crow.

April 17, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping at around 3,500 metres.

Our wake-up call was at the ungodly hour of 02:00h. Ben insisted that we need to be on the road early to make the fairly long drive to where we need to be for Satyr Tragopan sightings.
Evelyn decided to skip breakfast in favour of a little extra sleep and Harvey and Marion slept right through their alarm.
While waiting for everyone to get organized to board the bus Ben, Miriam and David listened as Ben played the tape of Himalayan Wood Owl. We had a distinct albeit distant response.
As we left Bumthang Himalayan Crow and Eurasian Magpie were common, but little else was seen. Shortly after entering the National Park Sangay spotted a female Satyr Tragopan. Everyone had a good look and it whetted our appetite for the male.
Before long we had a beautiful male Blood Pheasant posing on a rock. He stayed there for several minutes as though to bask in our admiration. There was a female close by and although in muted colours, she was in her own way beautiful also! Before the day was out we would have seen twenty-four of these gorgeous birds.
By 09:30h we had reached the summit of the pass and in clear, cool Himalayan air, with snow on the ground, we saw five Fire-tailed Myzornis and five incredible Fire-tailed Sunbirds, the males flying with their bright red tails streaming in the sunlight, with snow as a backdrop. It was quite breathtaking. We also had a very fast glimpse at a Golden Bush Robin.
We headed downslope a little to our campground where we would spend the night. We ate a hearty lunch in the dining room tent and went back to our own tent to relax a little. David slept through a thunderstorm with rain and pea-sized hail! Water was getting into the tents a little so our camp crew was busy digging trenches to channel the water away. We headed back out in the bus at 15:30h but it started to rain again and we stopped at the side of the road. At 17:00h we decided to continue and were successful in locating three male Satyr Tragopans. Everyone had a good look, although there was considerable jockeying for position to see the first one.
It was past 18:30h by the time we got back to the camp and already dark. We found our way to the dining room tent by flashlight and went to bed shortly after dinner, hunkered down in our sleeping bags with blankets on top. We didn’t have a thermometer but the temperature dropped to several degrees below freezing at that elevation.

All species seen on April 17 - Himalayan Crow, Eurasian Magpie, Blue Whistling Thrush, Himalayan Wood Owl (H), Satyr Tragopan, Blood Pheasant, Blue Rock Thrush, Common Kestrel, White-winged Grosbeak, Coal Tit, Fire-tailed Myzornis, Buff-barred Warbler, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Golden Bush Robin, Black-faced Laughingthrush (H), Slaty Blue Flycatcher, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, White-capped Redstart, Oriental Turtle Dove.

April 18, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping approximately 9 km southeast of Sengor; elevation around 2,900 metres.

Our day started at 04:15h in a cold tent. We dressed as quickly as possible and scurried over to the breakfast tent. Hot porridge never tasted so good!
By 05:40h we were on our way again back over the high mountain pass, where snow had fallen. How lovely everywhere looked with fresh, white snow, green conifers and babbling streams cascading down the mountain slopes.
Before long we spotted a male Blood Pheasant and not long afterwards a male Satyr Tragopan. These birds are spectacular and we felt blessed to be in Bhutan where they are relatively approachable. We had to remind ourselves just how rare these species are.
We also saw a female Himalayan Monal, which meant that we had seen both sexes of each species of pheasant that we had observed.
It was known that we would be camping in the National Park somewhere but a precise location was unknown. The camp crew had been despatched to find a suitable place and we basically drove along the road until we saw the encampment, stopping to do a little birding along the way. It was in a different location from previous years, but quite suitable for our purposes
We arrived at what would be our home for three days at around 11:00h and were impressed that everything was in order and waiting for us to move in. A fine lunch was served to us even though the cooking staff did not know for sure that we would return to eat our midday meal at the camp.
We rested in our tent and then set out again at 15:00h.
By playing a tape Ben was able to lure a Chestnut-headed Tesia into full view for all to see - I believe it was a lifer for everyone except Eric.
We were not so lucky with Bar-winged Wren Babbler. It did respond to the tape but was never in view. A couple of wonderfully coloured Gould’s Sunbirds were more than adequate compensation.
Glancing up into the sky we observed our first Black Eagle of the trip and were impressed by the ease with which this bird soared.
We birded until almost 18:00h and then left for the camp. When we arrived dinner was ready so we ate almost right away and then retired for the night. There is little option to do otherwise in the confined quarters of the tent in total darkness. As was the case at our first campground we were joined by free-roaming cattle, but we slept well and they didn’t bother us too much.

All species seen April 18 - Himalayan Crow, Blood Pheasant, Spotted Nutcracker, Blue-fronted Redstart, Satyr Tragopan, Oriental Turtle Dove, Spotted Laughingthrush, Oriental White-eye, White-browed Fulvetta, Himalayan Monal, Olive Tree Pipit, White-collared Blackbird, Coal Tit, Alpine Accentor, Rufous-vented Tit, White-capped Redstart, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Rufous Sibia, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Russet Sparrow, Fork-tailed Swift, Green-tailed Sunbird, Eurasian Hoopoe, Striated Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Green-backed Tit, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Grey-crested Tit, Gould’s Sunbird, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Black Eagle, Nepal Fulvetta, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Bar-winged Wren Babbler (H), Hill Partridge (H), Whiskered Yuhina, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Buff--barred Warbler, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Gold-billed Magpie.

April 19, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping approximately 9 km southeast of Sengor; elevation around 2,900 metres.

The now familiar sound of cows grazing near our tents awakened us during the night and we slept fitfully after that. In addition to any other obstacles that we might have to watch for as we shone our flashlight to guide us through the darkness, we now had to be vigilant not to step into cow patties!
Under clear, sunny skies we set off at around 05:45h and within about fifteen minutes had a male Satyr Tragopan feeding at the side of the road. We all watched it from the bus for a while and then quietly disembarked and got the bird in the telescope. We were able to watch it for about ten minutes - truly a significant length of time to watch this stunning bird.
Later we saw two Brown Bullfinches, a male and a female. Talk about a contrast in plumage between the bullfinches and the tragopan. The finches were no less delightful, however.
We returned to the campsite at approximately 11:30h and sat along the edge of the site and did a little quiet birding on our own.
After another great lunch prepared by Peldon and his crew we relaxed for a while in our tent, and had a “shower” and got into some clean clothes.
At 15:00h we set out again, driving uphill to where we had left off this morning, and walking down from that point. By now it was overcast with a few spots of rain here and there.
We had great scope looks at a Rufous-bellied Niltava and also saw a Pale Blue Flycatcher.In amongst the dizzying array of Phylloscopus warblers were a couple of Golden-spectacled Warblers. A Chestnut-tailed Minla was appreciated by everyone and a Dark-sided Flycatcher was our first of the trip.

All species seen April 19 - Hill Partridge (H), Yellow-bellied Fantail, Oriental Turtle Dove, Olive Tree Pipit, Scarley Minivet, Spotted Nutcracker, Blue Whistling Thrush, Rufous Sibia, Satyr Tragopan, White-browed Fulvetta, Rufous-fronted Tit, Gould’s Sunbird, Green-backed Tit, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, White-browed Rosefinch, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Brown Bullinch, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, Fork-tailed Swift, Whistler’s Warbler, Black-headed Shrike Babbler, Green-tailed Sunbird, Himalayan Crow, Gold-billed Magpie, White-capped Redstart, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Pale Blue Flyactcher, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Red-tailed Minla, Whiskered Yuhina, White-tailed Nuthatch, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Yellow-browed Tit, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Himalayan Wood Owl (H), Golden Spectacled Warbler, Chestnut-tailed Minla.

April 20, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping near Mongar

We left our campground and headed out over the mountains. On a high mountain pass we discovered a Darjeeling Woodpecker, which obligingly perched on the trunk of a tree for a while and then moved to another. Everyone was able to get an excellent look at this bird as low cloud moved in and out, sometimes obscuring the view, at other times lifting to afford us clear vision.
We finally located the Bar-winged Wren Babbler that Ben had been attempting to call in for a couple of days and we were all very happy to see this attractive little bird. Miriam was just happy not to have to hear the repeated playing of the tape any longer!
On this day we saw three Little Forktails and I think we all developed a kind of special affection for forktails in general.
We stopped to examine a colony of Nepal House Martins nesting on the face of a cliff, with a persistent Himalayan Crow trying to break into the nests to predate eggs or nestlings. It was not successful, at least during the time we watched it.
A magnificent Mountain Hawk Eagle was initially seen flying, but it perched high atop a snag enabling us to get it in the scope so that everyone was able to really examine this incredible raptor.
We had low cloud most of the day and visibility was quite poor. At about 16:15h it started to rain and we all got onto the bus.
Our camp crew had moved as soon as we had vacated the tents and Ben hoped that they would be successful in reaching a campground he favoured before one of the other bird tour groups got there. Alas it was not to be. BirdQuest had already laid claim to that location and our crew had to move on about a half hour farther along the road.
The weather was dreary when we arrived at 17:00h but there was little to do other than sit on our cots in the tent and wait until dinner time at 18:00h. After dinner we made our way back to our tent with the aid of our flashlight and went to sleep.

All species seen April 20 - Hill Partridge (H), Himalayan Crow, Gold-billed Magpie, Green-tailed Sunbird, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Olive Tree Pipit, Himalayan Swiftlet, Red-vented Bulbul, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Rufous Sibia, Broad-billed Warbler, Scaly Laughingthrush, Little Forktail, Hoary-throated Barwing, Blue Whistling Thrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Rufous-capped Babbler, White-capped Redstart, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Himalayan Cuckoo (H), White-throated Laughingthrush, Whiskered Yuhina, Scarlet Finch, Striated Laughingthrush, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Gould’s Sunbird, Nepal House Martin, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Golden-spectaled Warbler, Black Bulbul, Oriental Magpie Robin.

April 21, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping near Mongar

The day started with heavy rain and low cloud in the mountains. We had great faith in Sangay’s ability as a driver, but the early morning drive from the campground in the dark was very hazardous. It must be remembered that there is no such thing as a straight road and the entire journey is spent on twisting, winding, narrow roads, with cattle wandering at will, the constant danger of landslides, especially under conditions of intense rainfall, and sheer drops to oblivion if one should miscalculate. At one point Sangay had to stop to remove boulders which had slid down the slope overnight and there were times when from my vantage point in the seat immediately behind the driver I simply could not see the road. I vowed to myself that if conditions were similar the next day I would not make the trip
Upon arrival at the point where we intended to start our walk it was raining cats and dogs, so we had to sit in the bus and wait it out. Harvey ventured forth with an umbrella, but returned to the bus a short time later. He was rewarded for his foray with several leeches.
At 07:30h we went outside during a respite from the rain, but at 08:15h it resumed and we had to get back in the bus.
We birded on and off during the morning. Visibility improved somewhat but it was never really clear the whole day.
We did, however, manage to get some good birds. A Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker was unexpected and we were all elated to see a species that is seldom seen on these trips. We also got a great look at a Pygmy Wren Babbler and satisfactory glimpses at a Grey-bellied Tesia.
Several Cutias were present and we were able to see them very well. Although we had seen Yellow-rumped Honeyguide we were very happy to have another chance to observe this species, especially since on this occasion we had it in the scope for an extended period on 60 power magnification. We had similar prolonged scope view of Speckled Wood Pigeon. Persistence provided us with a great sighting of Rufous-throated Wren Babbler.
One of the highlights of the day was our lunch. Unknown to us the camp crew had prepared a complete feast and drove up to where we were birding and set up a table so that we could sit and enjoy a fine meal. The Dragon God smiled on us that day and commanded that the rain should hold off while we ate.
Right after lunch the fog rolled back in and visibility was very poor. Most of us stayed on the bus for the balance of the afternoon, with a few brief forays to do a little birding.
We sighted a Rusty–fronted Barwing at around 17:00h and then headed back to the camp

All species see April 21 - Himalayan Crow, Green-tailed Sunbird, White-bellied Nuthatch, Blue-winged Minla, Short-billed Minivet, Grey-bellied Tesia, White-spectacled Warbler, Grey-chinned Minivet, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Rufous-capped Babbler, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Cutia, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Rufous Sibia, Pygmy Wren Babbler, Scarlet Minivet, Ashy-throated Warbler, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Golden-spectacled Warbler, Whiskered Yuhina, White-throated Laughingthrush, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Bay Woodpecker, Golden Babbler, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Rufous-throated Wren Babbler, White-crested Laughingthrush, Ashy Drongo, Oriental Magpie Robin, Mountain Scops Owl (H), Large Hawk Cuckoo (H), Himalayan Cuckoo (H), Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Broad-billed Warbler, Grey-headed Flycatcher.

April 22, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping near Mongar

This day was characterized by heavy rain most of the day and thick, dense fog.
It was not a good day for Miriam. She had a headache and decided to stay on the bus for most of the day to try to get rid of it. She was also depressed because of the continuing awful weather and was getting cabin fever from the confined quarters of the tent. It was the one day when she wished that she could go home!
As was the case yesterday, the camp crew set up a table for us for lunch and served a delicious hot meal. Once again the rain miraculously held off while we ate.
The birds of the day, on a day when we did little birding, were a Lesser Cuckoo, Large Hawk Cuckoo and a Pygmy Blue Flycatcher.

All species seen April 22 - Blue Whistling Thrush, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo, Green-tailed Sunbird, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Rufous-capped Babbler, Grey-headed Flycatcher, Pygmy Blue Flycatcher, Scaly Laughingthrush, Himalayan Cuckoo (H), Blue-capped Rock Thrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Striated Laughingthrush, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Rufous Sibia, Whiskered Yuhina, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Golden-spectacled Warbler, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Black-faced Warbler, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher.

April 23, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping near Mongar

We breakfasted at 04:30h and, thankfully, there was no rain and the fog was nowhere near as dense as it had been the previous day. We were on our way by 05:15h and it turned out to be a fine morning.
One of our early sightings was a Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo. David was very happy since he had missed the earlier one seen at our first camp site.
David then got a bird in his binoculars and began to describe it to Ben and Eric who were close by. It was identified as a Sapphire Flycatcher, our one and only for the trip. This was followed in short order by a Black-throated Sunbird, one of only two sightings we would have.
A splendid delight for everyone was a flock of a dozen or so Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbills moving through, affording everyone the opportunity to really see them well. Another exciting find, seen well by all, was an Asian Emerald Cuckoo, truly a beautiful bird. Another sighting of a Rufous-necked Hornbill was appreciated by everyone. We heard an Asian Barred Owlet calling but it was fairly distant from where we stood.
At 11:45h we headed back to camp for lunch. We had planned to leave again at 14:45h but a heavy rain delayed our departure.
Once back at a higher elevation we tried playing the tape for Chestnut-breasted Partridge, as we had been all morning but were unable to draw them out. Their calls were frustratingly close, but seeing the bird was a different matter altogether.
While searching for the partridge Miriam located a quite different bird and described it to Ben. It was a Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, meriting a handshake and congratulations from Ben. I think we all got to see the bird although none of us quite as well as Miriam.

All birds seen on April 23 - Himalayan Crow, Blue Whistling Thrush, Rufous Sibia, Short-billed Minivet, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Whiskered Yuhina, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Verditer Flycatcher, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Sapphire Flycatcher, Black-throated Sunbird, Grey-chinned Minivet, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Green-backed Tit, Yellow-browed Tit, Black-faced Warbler, Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Himalayan Swiftlet, Asian Barred Owlet (H), Golden Babbler, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Little Pied Flycatcher, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Long-billed Wren Babbler (H), Striated Laughingthrush, Black-throated Tit, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Flycatcher, Chestnut-breasted Partridge (H), Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Great Barbet, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler.

April 24, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park
Overnight camping near Mongar

This was another day of mixed weather. The morning was predominantly fine but we experienced heavy rain for most of the afternoon thereby spending more time on the bus than off.
Nevertheless there were several significant highlights, one of which was a Large Niltava in the telescope for an extended period allowing everyone to really examine this stunning bird.
We again heard Chestnut-breasted Partridge frequently but we were unable to see this elusive species in the dense undergrowth it inhabits.
We saw an Ashy Drongo fly into a tree and then realized it had a nest there. There were nice looks at a couple of Grey-sided Laughingthrushes; two Streaked Spiderhunters were seen on branches allowing a clear view.
We were able to get a pretty decent look at a Large Hawk Cuckoo and we had an Indian Cuckoo in view briefly but quickly lost it in the fog. We heard two or three others calling.
Our only sighting of Blue-bearded Bee- Eater would occur today, but we had a nice male perched without obstruction so everyone could see it well.
It was exciting to see two Crested Serpent Eagles high overhead and we also saw our only Red-faced Liocichla of the trip, as well as the lone Red-billed Leiothrix we would see.

All species seen April 24 - Grey Treepie, Oriental Turtle Dove, Blue Whistling Thrush, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Golden Babbler, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Striated Laughingthrush, White-tailed Nuthatch, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Whiskered Yuhina, Grey-chinned Minivet, Red-tailed Minla, Rufous Sibia, Chestnut-breasted Partridge (H), Verditer Flycatcher, Large Niltava, Grey-cheeked Warbler, Black-throated Tit, Scarlet Minivet, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Ashy Drongo, Grey-sided Laughingthrush, Grey-headed Warbler, Streaked Spiderhunter, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, White-bellied Fantail, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Golden-throated Barbet, Crested Serpent Eagle, Striated Bulbu, Short-billed Minivet, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Sultan Tit, White-browed Shrike Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Himalayan Swiftlet, Oriental Magpie Robin, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Great Barbet, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Red-faced Liocichla, White-tailed Robin, Grey-headed Flycatcher, Red-billed Leiothrix, Blue-throated Barbet, Little Pied Flycatcher, Nepal Fulvetta, White-crested Laughingthrush, Black-throated Sunbird.

April 25, 2007
Thrumsing-La National Park - Bumthang
Overnight at Mountain Lodge

We left at 05:00h and said goodbye to our camp crew and thanked them for all they had done for us. It was raining lightly when we departed and it rained on and off for most of the day.
We travelled through rich agricultural areas and over high mountain passes on our way to Bumthang.
We had not been on the road too long when Sangay spotted a pair of Kalij Pheasants, which we were all able to see well. Marion called attention to some “large shapes” she had seen in a tree as the bus passed by, and we went back to check it out. Even though the fog was quite dense we were still able to identify nine Speckled Wood Pigeons perched together.
Another tree farther along held six Cutias which permitted intense study and appreciation.
Just outside the village of Ura, in a grassy field, we found three Oriental Skylarks and even though they were fairly distant we succeeded in getting a fine view in the telescope. We had seen this species in Thailand but only in flight so we very much appreciated seeing the bird on the ground where we good pick out the field marks more precisely.
In the higher elevations Red-billed Chough was common, especially around human settlements and we started to see numerous Eurasian Magpies. Himalayan Crow was ubiquitous.
In fact when we stopped to have our packed lunch at the road side numerous Himalayan Crows, three magpies and a chough approached fearlessly and fed on scraps that we tossed to them. In fact, one of the crows swooped down onto Harvey’s plate and knocked his utensils down the hillside.
Before reaching the lodge at Bumthang we had the distinct pleasure of seeing a female Himalayan Monal at the side of the road. We had seen just one male of this species, so it seemed fitting that our second individual should be a female. As subdued as he was gaudy, the female was nevertheless distinctly beautiful with a bold white crescent on the uppertail coverts.
We almost jumped for joy when we arrived at the Mountain Lodge where a hot shower awaited us. Miriam was thrilled to be able to really get into her suitcase and find clean clothes to wear. She showered eagerly and put on makeup before going down for dinner.
There was a fire in the dining room, but it threw out too much heat, so Harvey and Marion moved to another table with us in order to be farther away from the stove. We had a nice dinner and sat talking after the others had left. It was around 20:30 when we left to go back to the room. We reminded each other that in the gloom of the tent we would have been in bed for an hour already at this time!

All species seen April 25 - Oriental Turtle Dove, Grey Bushchat, Blue Whistling Thrush, Kalij Pheasant, White-capped redstart, Green-tailed Sunbird, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Whiskered Yuhina, Rufous Sibia, Cutia, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Yellow-browed Tit, Himalayan Cuckoo (H), Nepal House Martin, Red-billed Chough, Oriental Skylark, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, White-winged Grosbeak, Himalayan Crow, Alpine Accentor, Eurasian Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Dark-rumped Rosefinch, Eurasian Cuckoo, Grey-backed Shrike, Coal Tit, Himalayan Monal, Olive Tree Pipit, Himalayan Buzzard, White Wagtail, Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

April 26, 2007
Bumthang - Punakha
Overnight at Hotel Y.T.

It was overcast when we left but shortly
before 07:00h the sky started to clear and the sun came out.
Birds were fairly sparse but we did get a good look at a Great Parrotbill and little more than a fleeting glimpse at a White-browed Shortwing.
The area that we were travelling through was more populated than we had seen for a while, and seemed to be more prosperous also. We saw an old yak herder with his herd of yaks. This scene certainly reminded us that we were in the Himalayas. We never saw a wild yak but they are commonly domesticated and obviously are important to local farmers.
We came upon a festival to celebrate the unification of Bhutan and we prevailed upon Ben to stay for a while and let us watch and take some pictures. There were dancers in their fearsome masks, and groups of women singing in a seductive chant, almost acting as sirens in the ritual that was being played out before us. We also were able to watch a group of men erect a new pole complete with its prayer flags. It was quite an effort and they had to try several times and use different strategies, but they finally had it erect with the prayer flags snapping in the wind.
Tshewang had to leave us today, having been assigned to join another Etho Metho tour. We were sorry to see him go and as we bid him farewell we wished him luck and great success in all his future endeavours, with the sincere wish that he might visit us in Canada one day. He is a fine young man and it was our great pleasure to have gotten to know him.
He was replaced by Sonam, an equally fine young fellow, whom we liked very much.
In mid afternoon Ben saw an Asian Barred Owlet fly across the road in front of the bus. We stopped and everyone was able to see the bird where it had perched in a tree.
We also saw a magnificent Black Eagle, weaving in and out of the trees despite its huge wingspan. It was a magnificent sight. Due to the contours of the terrain it was at one point almost at eye level with us from the bus.
Shortly after arriving at our lodging for the night Ben advised us that we were losing Sangay and Kinley as they had both been reassigned and had to head back to Bumthang. We would have a new bus and driver which would arrive during the night while we were asleep.
We said goodbye to the two fellows and expressed our heartfelt thanks to them. They had been great companions throughout our journey, and I would be hard-pressed to think of a more competent driver than Sangay.

All species seen April 26 - Himalayan Crow, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Magpie, Oriental Turtle Dove, Red-billed Chough, Grey-backed Shrike, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Russet Sparrow, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Red Crossbill, Green-tailed Sunbird, Blue-fronted Redstart, Blue Whistling Thrush, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Great Parrotbill, White-browed Shortwing, White-capped Redstart, Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Ashy Drongo, Blue-capped Rock Thrush, Asian Barred Owlet, Plumbeous Redstart, Great Barbet (H), Verditer Flycatcher, Red-vented Bulbul, Nepal House Martin, Black Eagle, White-throated Laughingthrush, Olive Tree Pipit, Black Bulbul.

April 27, 2007
Punakha - Paro
Overnight at Hotel Gangtey Palace

The first highlight of this day’s birding was a Red-headed Bullfinch that David spotted. It was perched in the open allowing everyone to have a really good look at it. Even when it flew it obligingly moved to another location where it was still in full view.
The second highlight was a male Rufous-bellied Woodpecker working on a tree, enabling us to get it in the scope so that everyone could study it to their heart’s content. This was a very co-operative bird!
We skirted around Thimpu where a great deal of road construction is taking place. We were informed that there is a certain urgency to have everything completed in time for the coronation of the new king next year. But this construction was to cost us three hours of lost time! The road is closed for three hours each morning in order to permit the free movement of heavy equipment and heavily laden trucks. The stoppage begins at 09:30h. We arrived at the barricade at 09:37h! Despite spirited pleadings from Sonam and the driver, the guard at the gate was resolute - we were not going to be allowed through.
Ben never got off the bus, and I believe Carmelita stayed there also, but the rest of us disembarked and patronized a local market area where various merchants had items for sale, and we birded a little up and down the river until it was time to leave.
Since we had lost three hours, Ben gave everyone the choice of shopping and sightseeing in Paro for the afternoon, or going up to a high elevation to do some birding. Since there was little prospect of adding any new species, we decided, along with Evelyn and Marion, to visit Paro for a little local culture and shopping. Ben let us have Sonam to act as our guide and companion while in town. He was a great help and we were pleased to have him along.
We enjoyed ourselves very much in Paro and patronized some of the stores. When we arrived back at our hotel, Sonam arranged for us to have tea and cookies served to our room, where Marion joined us.
The hotel was spectacular, high on a hill overlooking rice paddies and terraced plots of grain, with the town of Paro spread before us. It really had been a palace in its day and our room high up on the third floor, accessible only by climbing very steep stairs, reflected that fact. It was huge and totally in Bhutanese style with elaborate decor and windows that opened to clear, fresh air. We slept in the largest bed we have ever seen!
We had a very nice dinner that night in the dining room too. Everything about our stay at this location was wonderful, including a personalized tour (for David, Miriam and Marion) of two altars, by the son of the custodian of them. His father had been a monk, who had relinquished his status in the monastery by marrying, but was still considered a holy man, with special responsibility for these important places of worship. The young man who accompanied us was a delightful, knowledgeable guide, who explained all of the iconography to us, the reasons for the offerings, the relationship between Buddha and other deities, and took great pains to express every concept in ways that we would understand.
At the end of it all we felt that a rare honour had been bestowed upon us.

All species seen on April 27 - Rock Pigeon, Ashy Drongo, Himalayan Crow, Red-billed Chough,
Oriental Turtle Dove, Common Myna, Kalij Pheasant, Blue Whistling Thrush, Red-vented Bulbul, White-throated Laughingthrush, Gold-billed magpie, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Red-headed Bullfinch, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Long-tailed Minivet, Grey-backed Shrike, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Plumbeous Redstart, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, White-capped Redstart, Russet Sparrow.

April 28, 2007
Paro - Bangkok

We got to sleep in until 05:15h! We had a good breakfast at 06:15 and left for the airport about an hour later.
All went well and we had an uneventful transit through the immigration proceedings and an equally smooth flight to Bangkok via Calcutta.
By the time we arrived at the Novatel Hotel it was about 17:00h. We went up to our room to relax for a while and to get showered and changed for our farewell dinner.
Marion and Harvey had to catch a flight shortly after midnight, so Harvey elected to stay in the room and sleep, but Marion joined us for dinner.
Miriam had a birthday on April 15, while in Bhutan and Harvey was to celebrate his birthday on April 29, so Ben had ordered a cake in honour of these events. Marion took a piece up to the room with her so that Harvey would not miss out.
We bade farewell to everyone with the firm resolve that some of us at least would see each other again.

April 29, 2007

We left Bangkok at 07:30h on Thai Airways bound for Narita. After a one hour stopover in Narita we boarded an Air Canada flight to Toronto, arriving at 16:10h local time on the same day, having crossed the International Date Line.
We cleared Canada Customs and Immigration, retrieved our car and drove home.

General Comments

The trip was a wonderful experience and was very worthwhile both from a birding perspective and also from the standpoint that it enabled us to immerse ourselves however slightly in another culture. We feel enriched by the entire experience.
It was a great pleasure for us to get to know Tshewang, Kinley, Sangay and Sonam. They were all decent, fine people who contributed a great deal to the enjoyment of our trip. All were keenly interested in the birds we saw and wanted to know more about them. Tshewang, especially, studied our field guides at every opportunity, and I promised to send both him and Kinley a copy of this report.
They both said that they would like to specialize in being a guide for birding tours as opposed to treks.
We experienced the beauty of the high Himalayas, the politeness and genuine pleasure of the people we met in seeing us visit their country. We saw endless tracts of forest, rocky mountain streams, waterfalls, ancient settlements and Dzongs.
We encountered smiling schoolchildren, pleasant, helpful store owners, Buddhist monks, farmers, labourers, mothers with their children, yak herders, soldiers and policemen. Everywhere it was a delight.
If you would like further information regarding this trip please contact us at theospreynest@sympatico.ca, or at 519 725-0866. Fax 519 725-1176.

ALL BIRD SPECIES SEEN IN BHUTAN

Great Cormorant
White-bellied Heron
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Spot-billed Duck
Common Teal
Osprey
Pallas’s Fish Eagle
Himalayan Griffon
Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Goshawk
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Himalayan Buzzard
Black Eagle
Mountain Hawk Eagle
Common Kestrel
Eurasian Hobby
Common Hill Partridge
Chestnut-breasted Partridge
Blood Pheasant
Satyr Tragopan
Himalayan Monal
Red Junglefowl
Kalij Pheasant
Grey Peacock Pheasant
Black-tailed Crake
Ibisbill
River Lapwing
Common Snipe
Green Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Rock Pigeon
Speckled Wood Pigeon
Ashy Wood Pigeon
Oriental Turtle Dove
Spotted Dove
Barred Cuckoo Dove
Mountain Imperial Pigeon
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
Large Hawk Cuckoo
Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo
Indian Cuckoo
Eurasian Cuckoo
Himalayan Cuckoo
Lesser Cuckoo
Asian Emerald Cuckoo
Drongo Cuckoo
Mountain Scops Owl
Collared Scops Owl
Tawny Fish Owl
Himalayan Wood Owl
Collared Owlet
Asian Barred Owlet
Grey Nightjar
Himalayan Swiftlet
White-throated Needletail
Fork-tailed Swift
Ward’s Trogon
White-throated Kingfisher
Crested Kingfisher
Blue-bearded Bee-eater
Common Hoopoe
Rufous-necked Hornbill
Great Barbet
Golden-throated Barbet
Blue-throated Barbet
Yellow-rumped Honeyguide
Speckled Piculet
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker
Darjeeling Woodpecker
Lesser Yellownape
Greater Yellownape
Grey-headed Woodpecker
Bay Woodpecker
Oriental Skylark
Nepal House Martin
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Olive Tree Pipit
Rosy Pipit
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Grey-chinned Minivet
Long-tailed Minivet
Short-billed Minivet
Scarlet Minivet
Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
Striated Bulbul
Black-crested Bulbul
Red-vented Bulbul
White-throated Bulbul
Ashy Bulbul
Mountain Bulbul
Black Bulbul
Orange-bellied Leafbird
Brown Dipper
Alpine Accentor
Blue-capped Rock Thrush
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush
Blue Rock Thrush
Blue Whistling Thrush
Plain-backed Thrush
White-collared Blackbird
Grey-winged Blackbird
White-browed Shortwing
Striated Prinia
Black-throated Prinia
Chestnut-headed Tesia
Grey-bellied Tesia
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler
Hume’s Bush Warbler
Grey-sided Bush Warbler
Russet Bush Warbler
Common Tailorbird
Tickell’s Leaf Warbler
Buff-barred Warbler
Ashy-throated Warbler
Lemon-rumped Warbler
Large-billed Leaf Warbler
Blyth’s leaf Warbler
Yellow-vented Warbler
Golden-spectacled Warbler
Whistler’s Warbler
Grey-hooded Warbler
White-spectacled Warbler
Grey-cheeked Warbler
Chestnut-crowned Warbler
Broad-billed Warbler
Rufous-faced Warbler
Black-faced Warbler
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
White-gorgeted Flycatcher
Little Pied Flycatcher
Ultramarine Flycatcher
Slaty-blue Flycatcher
Sapphire Flycatcher
Verditer Flycatcher
Large Niltava
Small Niltava
Rufous-bellied Niltava
Pale Blue Flycatcher
Blue-throated Flycatcher
Pygmy Blue Flycatcher
Grey-headed Flycatcher
Golden Bush Robin
White-browed Bush Robin
Oriental Magpie Robin
Black Redstart
Hodgson’s Redstart
Blue-fronted Redstart
White-capped Redstart
Plumbeous Redstart
White-tailed Robin
Blue-fronted Robin
Little Forktail
Spotted Forktail
Common Stonechat
Grey Bushchat
Yellow-bellied Fantail
White-throated Fantail
White-throated Laughingthrush
White-crested Laughingthrush
Lesser-necklaced Laughingthrush
Rufous-necked Laughingthrush
Striated Laughingthrush
Spotted Laughingthrush
Grey-sided Laughingthrush
Bhutan Laughingthrush
Blue-winged Laughingthrush
Scaly Laughingthrush
Black-faced Laughingthrush
Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
Red-faced Liocichla
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
White-browed Scimitar Babbler
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler
Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler
Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler
Pygmy Wren Babbler
Rufous-breasted Wren Babbler
Bar-winged Wren Babbler
Spotted Wren Babbler
Rufous-capped Babbler
Golden Babbler
Grey-throated Babbler
Silver-eared Mesia
Red-billed Leiothrix
Cutia
Black-headed Shrikebabbler
Black-eared Shrikebabbler
Rusty-fronted Barwing
Hoary-throated Barwing
Blue-winged Minla
Chestnut-tailed Minla
Red-tailed Minla
Golden-breasted Fulvetta
Yellow-throated Fulvetta
Rufous-winged Fulvetta
White-browed Fulvetta
Nepal Fulvetta
Rufous Sibia
Striated Yuhina
White-naped Yuhina
Whiskered Yuhina
Stripe-throated Yuhina
Rufous-vented Yuhina
Black-chinned Yuhina
Fire-tailed Myzornis
Great Parrotbill
Brown Parrotbill
Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill
Fire-capped Tit
Rufous-vented Tit
Coal Tit
Grey-crested Tit
Green-backed Tit
Yellow-cheeked Tit
Yellow-browed Tit
Sultan Tit
Black-throated Tit
Rufous-fronted Tit
Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch
White-tailed Nuthatch
Beautiful Nuthatch
Brown-throated Treecreeper
Gould’s Sunbird
Green-tailed Sunbird
Black-throated Sunbird
Fire-tailed Sunbird
Streaked Spiderhunter
Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
Oriental White-eye
Maroon Oriole
Long-tailed Shrike
Grey-backed Shrike
Ashy Drongo
Bronzed Drongo
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
Gold-billed Magpie
Grey Treepie
Eurasian Magpie
Spotted Nutcracker
Red-billed Chough
Himalayan Crow
Chestnut-tailed Starling
Common Myna
Russet Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Plain Mountain Finch
Dark-rumped Rosefinch
White-browed Rosefinch
Scarlet Finch
Red Crossbill
Brown Bullfinch
Red-headed Bullfinch
Spot-winged Grosbeak
White-winged Grosbeak
Crested Bunting
Little Bunting

Thailand April 7, 2007

THAILAND
APRIL 7, 2007

David M. Gascoigne and Miriam Bauman

We allowed for two days in Bangkok on our way to Bhutan. The first day was allocated as a rest day in order to catch up on jet lag and permit time to relax after the long flights from Toronto via Narita.
Arrangements had been made with Nature Trails, a Bangkok based birding tour company, to have one day’s birding just outside Bangkok. Our guide for the day, Rattapon Kaichid, who uses the easy-to-remember nickname Tu, and our driver Asana Nunthanavanich (nickame Off) picked us up at the Novatel Suvarnabhumi Hotel, near the new international airport promptly at 06:00h. We were soon driving through the busy traffic of this huge, sprawling city, seeing a few Asian Openbills soaring high overhead as we sped along. After about an hour we arrived at our first destination.

Kampangsaen

This is an area close to the agricultural university and features a variety of habitats, including a significant amount of wetland. It was a superb area to bird and we were ably assisted by the keen eyes and extensive knowledge of Tu, who I must say can get a scope on a bird faster than anyone I have ever known, regardless of the position of the bird, whether high in a tree or far off in the distance. Almost without exception we had superb looks at all the birds we saw that day.
One of the desirable species we wished to see was Lesser Whistling Duck and this was the very first species we saw on exiting from the vehicle. In total we saw 14 of them throughout our period at Kampangsaen. A superb Black-capped Kingfisher flew across in front of us and perched obligingly on an overhanging branch where we could scope it easily and look at it to our heart’s content. Black Drongo was common and it was rare that we did not have one or two of these birds close by. We were pleasantly surprised by the presence of numerous Chinese Pond Herons (21 by our count before we left), and we also saw 3 Javan Pond Herons and a single Yellow Bittern. Birds were everywhere we looked, including three marvelous Coppersmith Barbets, one with a mouthful of figs that almost defied the law of gravity there were so many in its bill!
David saw a raptor fly in and come to rest in a tree on the opposite side of the wetland. Tu had it in the scope immediately and it revealed its identity - an Oriental Honey Buzzard. This excitement was followed almost immediately by the arrival of an Oriental Darter which elated Tu who told us that this species was relatively infrequent. It perched high atop a tree and stretched and preened giving us wonderful views.
Two Purple Herons stalked in the marsh and we saw no less than 4 White-throated Kingfishers. To North Americans used to seeing only Belted Kingfisher on a regular basis the colours on tropical kingfishers are truly astounding. We saw our first sunbird species ever (Brown-throated Sunbird), and two species of Bee-eater - Blue-tailed and Green. We were able to get very good looks at two Brown Shrikes, one of which caught and ate a frog.
A Bronze-winged Jacana flew across the marsh from where we flushed it and was quickly lost in the reeds where it landed. Despite the presence of many suitable lily pads we did not see any other jacanas and had to be content with this lone sighting.
Certainly one of the highlights for us was the Painted Snipe that Tu located for us, having heard it calling in a dense marsh. No sooner had we left the marsh feeling very happy about the Painted Snipe when Tu saw an Oriental Pratincole fly in. Off immediately turned the vehicle around and we returned to the marsh, where Tu found not one but two Oriental Pratincoles - we were two happy birders!
A complete list of all the birds we saw at Kampangsaen, in the order in which we saw them, is included at the end of this report. For a morning’s birding it is an impressive list indeed!
We left Kampangsaen at lunch time and were taken to a local restaurant where we had excellent food. It was a wonderful experience for us to be able to dine in a “regular” Thai establishment far from the tourist areas or from the buffets of the major hotels. Tu and Off chose the food and we enjoyed it immensely.

Phutthamonthon

This extensive area is a Buddhist park where, on the day of our visit, the king’s granddaughter was also visiting. It is a lovely area with many trees, open areas and water also. We birded there after lunch in the heat of the day and the number of species was not great, but we added some quality birds, including Forest Wagtail, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and Asian Brown Flycatcher.
Because of expected traffic jams caused by road closures to facilitate the royal visit, we left at around 16:00h and were back at the hotel by 17:00h.

General Comments

Tu and Off were superb companions for the day - personable, friendly and very knowledgeable. We would recommend them very highly, without the slightest hesitation. Our day’s birding was all that we could have wished for and we were very satisfied. Furthermore the advance arrangements handled by Patcharee at Nature Trails were done professionally and all the details were carried out to the letter.
If further information is required, feel free to contact us at theospreynest@sympatico.ca or at 519 725-0866, or you can fax us at 519 725-1176.


ALL SPECIES SEEN AT KAMPANGSAEN
(LD = Lifer for David, LM = Lifer for Miriam)

Lesser Whistling Duck, LD, LM
Black-capped Kingfisher, LD, LM
Black Drongo, LD, LM
Pied Fantail, LD, LM
Plain Prinia, LD, LM
Streak-eared Bulbul, LD, LM
Blue-tailed Bee-eater, LD, LM
Plaintive Cuckoo, LD, LM
Black-naped Oriole, LD, LM
Chinese Pond Heron, LD, LM
Coppersmith Barbet, LD, LM
Spotted Dove, LD, LM
Sooty-headed Bulbul, LD, LM
Asian Cattle Egret, LD, LM
Asian Openbill, LD, LM
White-vented Myna LD, LM
Common Myna, LM
Oriental Honey Buzzard, LD, LM
Oriental Turtle Dove LD, LM
Asian Pied Starling, LD, LM
Indian Roller, LD, LM
Asian Koel, LD, LM
Rock Pigeon
Oriental Darter, LM
Yellow Bittern, LD, LM
Purple Heron, LD, LM
White-breasted Waterhen, LD, LM
Black-collared Starling, LD, LM
Red Collared Dove, LD, LM
Bronze-winged Jacana, LD, LM
Ashy Wood Swallow, LD, LM
Brown-throated Sunbird, LD, LM
White-throated Kingfisher, LD, LM
Common Iora, LD, LM
Brown Shrike, LD, LM
Asian Golden Weaver, LD, LM
Little Cormorant, LD, LM
Little Egret
Black-winged Stilt, LD, LM
Black-shouldered Kite, LD, LM
Bank Swallow
Small Minivet, LD, LM
Chestnut-tailed Starling, LD, LM
Greater Coucal, LD, LM
Javan Pond Heron, LD, LM
Red-wattled Lapwing, LD, LM
Intermediate Egret, LD, LM
Oriental Skylark, LD, LM
Long-tailed Shrike, LD, LM
Barn Swallow
Oriental Magpie Robin, LD, LM
Green Bee-eater, LD, LM
Indochinese Bushlark, LD, LM
Peaceful Dove, LD, LM
Plain-backed Sparrow, LD, LM
Paddyfield Pipit, LD, LM
Asian Palm Swift, LD, LM
Scaly-breasted Munia, LD, LM
Marsh Sandpiper, LD, LM
Wood Sandpiper, LD, LM
Painted Snipe, LD, LM
Oriental Pratincole, LD, LM
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
White-rumped Munia, LD, LM


ALL SPECIES SEEN AT PHUTTHAMONTHON

Chinese Pond Heron
Rock Dove
White-vented Myna
Common Myna
Green-billed Malkhoa
Forest Wagtail, LD (Miriam did not see this bird)
Common Iora
Brown-throated Sunbird
Black-naped Oriole
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, LD, LM
Asian Brown Flycatcher, LD, LM
Black Drongo
Asian Koel
Oriental Magpie Robin
Coppersmith Barbet
Greater Coucal
Pied Fantail
Black-capped Kingfisher
Large-billed Crow, LD, LM
Red-wattled Lapwing
Indian Roller

United Kingdom September 1 - September 16, 2006

United Kingdom Trip Report
September 1 - September 16, 2006

David Gascoigne and Miriam Bauman
September 1, 2006

We flew out of Pearson International Airport, Toronto at 20:15h bound for Manchester on a nonstop flight with Air Canada. Despite all the publicity surrounding new security measures we found no evidence of more stringent procedures; if anything it was marginally easier than normal. We had to comply with the restrictions on hand baggage but we had packed accordingly and were in compliance. If anything, perhaps this new world of enhanced security has taught us to travel a little lighter.

September 2, 2006

Our flight was on time, but for some reason unknown to us there was an interminable delay in getting the bags through to the carousel. It was about a half hour before the first pieces of luggage started to appear and even then it was slow with periodic stops when no more items were delivered to the baggage area. However, after a wait of forty to forty-five minutes our luggage arrived and we were able to exit into the arrival area of the terminal.
David’s brother,Mick, and his nephew, Paul, were waiting patiently, and it was good to see a couple of familiar faces in the crush of people. They had inadvertently parked at the wrong terminal so we had a long walk to retrieve the car, but that was exactly what we needed. It felt good to stretch our legs after almost seven hours on the plane. It was raining heavily when we left Manchester for Uttoxeter, Staffs but it had pretty much stopped by the time we arrived. Little did we know that would be the only rain we would get other than for one other morning and a few spots here and there. For England in September, the weather would turn out to be glorious, with warm, sunny days almost exclusively.
We drove to Bramshall (just outside Uttoxeter) where we would be staying at Mick and Brenda’s (David’s sister-in-law) house, to be greeted by an affectionate hug, a cup of tea and lunch. It was good to be back in familiar surroundings. Paul had arranged for two weeks’ vacation from his job as a Train Manager with Virgin Rail to chauffeur us around to wherever we might wish to go, and since he lived right next door in a house built on land severed from the farm, it was a perfect arrangement for us.
After lunch we went for a short walk up to the village churchyard, where in the past Spotted Flycatcher had been reliable, sallying forth to snag prey from its perch atop the tombstones. Early to mid September is right around the time this species leaves for southern climes, but we hoped it would still be there. Alas, we had no luck, and as it turned out, we would not see Spotted Flycatcher on this trip. However, Miriam added a couple of lifers with House Martin and Common Swift and we also saw Blue Tit, Common Chaffinch and two Eurasian Collared Doves which have now pretty much colonized most of the British Isles.
It has always been our practice to try to stay up as late as possible on the first day, to try to get accustomed to the time change quickly, and to go to bed at around the time we would normally go to bed, so towards late afternoon, having caught up on family news, we went out to the JCB Park at Rocester.
Although created by this far-sighted company as a recreation area for its employees and the public at large, with a collection of native and exotic waterfowl, it has become a bit of a magnet for wild species also. White Wagtails were all over the grassy areas near the water and there was also one Yellow Wagtail, a lifer for Miriam. There were at least fifteen Great Crested Grebes, some with young, and we watched one adult feed a fish that appeared to be half the size of the chick, to a begging, posturing baby. The fish disappeared down its gullet in about ten seconds flat! Common Moorhens and Eurasian Coots were plentiful, again many with young.
Three Grey Herons flew in as we walked the perimeter of the lake, and both Lesser Black-backed and Common Black-headed Gulls were perched on the ornamental sculptures. We saw four Wood Pigeons, but we had already seen many of them on the drive from Manchester Airport. In fact, this species would become the most common bird we would see throughout the entire trip. Eurasian Magpie would be a close second but Wood Pigeon was clearly the title holder! Aside from the obviously exotic species there was a single Common Pochard on the water, a lone Eurasian Wigeon and the now ubiquitous Canada Goose in profusion.
It seemed that most, if not all, of the birds belonging to the collection were banded, but with free flying populations of Barnacle Geese, Black Swans, Egyptian Geese and others throughout the country, with several established feral breeding sites, it was not always easy to separate genuinely wild birds from captive stock. For example, on this day we saw three Barnacle Geese, all with leg bands; the following day when we returned there were over twenty barnacles and none of the newcomers were banded. We were subsequently told by informed local birders that Barnacle Goose is now breeding regularly in Northern England and Scotland and birds show up regularly at reservoirs and large bodies of water throughout the country. Apparently there was a fairly large escape of birds from the Wildfowl Reserve at Slimbridge some years ago, and birds banded in Greenland and Iceland are recovered from time to time.

September 3, 2006

In the morning we went to visit Fred and Sylvia Allen on whose farm I had worked each weekend and during summer holidays for several years throughout late grade school and high school. It was wonderful to see them both again. Fred is now seventy-seven years old and looks robust and well, despite having heart bypass surgery some years ago, and he is still sheep farming.
Barn conversion is a thriving venture in the UK these days. Old barns are converted into residences with all of the original structural integrity being preserved, and some of them go for high prices indeed. Fred and Sylvia now live in a converted barn on their farm so that they have everything on one floor, and it is quite beautiful. It’s hard to believe that I milked cows in there close to fifty years ago!
On the way to the farm we saw Common Blackbird and Ring-necked Pheasant.
Passing through the ancient village of Doveridge on the way back to uttoxeter, we stopped at the church of St. Cuthbert to see the ancient yew tree, now held together with chains, where local legend has it that Robin Hood married Maid Marian. It seemed appropriate that a European Robin was singing in the tree!
After lunch, Paul drove us out to Blithfield Reservoir, near to the historic village of Abbot’s Bromley, famous for its ongoing performances of pagan horn dances, to say nothing of the abundance of architecture from different periods in British history, going right back to the thirteenth century. The reservoir was created in 1953, when I was just ten years old. I remember it well, because a whole village in the valley was flooded. None of the structures was demolished and in periods of low water levels the tops of buildings can be seen poking above the surface.
The bird life at Blithfield can change almost daily and the many different bays and coves need to be explored to achieve full coverage. However, admission to many of the areas is by permit only, so we had to be content to bird from both ends of the causeway. It was incredibly windy and we had a hard time keeping the scope steady. However, the birding was good and we added the following species: Greater White-fronted Goose, Great Cormorant, Tufted Duck, the only Common (Mew) Gull of our trip, Mute Swan, Common Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Ruddy Duck and Barn Swallow. The Great Cormorant was a lifer for Miriam and the Common Ringed Plover a lifer for both of us.
Despite the wind it was a bright, sunny day and there were numerous ice-cream vending vehicles present. Many people seemed to have gone for a drive and were quite content to sit in their vehicle looking out over the lake, where there were fishing boats and wind surfers, eating an ice cream. Miriam had her first taste of that great English delicacy, a Ninety-Nine! For the uninitiated, a Ninety-Nine is an ice cream cone (or as they say, a cornet) with a chocolate flake stuck in the top. I have no idea where the name came from. It seemed, however, that this ice cream was extra sweet, because it came from Ashmore’s dairy, a local firm from whom I used to buy ice cream when I was a kid, and they still make it just as well today.

September 4, 2006
Today was not a birding day, per se. We went to the little town of Hartington in Derbyshire with Brenda and Paul, to visit the Stilton Cheese Factory outlet and to buy some cheese (which we did in large quantities at very good prices!). It was a lovely day and it was very pleasant to walk around the centre of town and poke into a few of the local shops. We had coffee and local pastries in a tea shoppe.
On the way to and from Hartington we saw many Rooks, Carrion Crows and five Great Black-backed Gulls. In Hartington Western Jackdaw seemed to be on every rooftop and their call was never out of earshot.
For dinner that night we picked up fish, chips and mushy peas in Tean and took them home to eat. And a fine meal it was too. No doubt our arteries groaned but our taste buds rejoiced! And the half a tumbler of Irish Whiskey afterwards didn’t go down badly either.

September 5, 2006
Today was totally dedicated to birding, beginning with the birds around the house. In addition to the
species we saw every day, we added Eurasian Greenfinch and Barn Swallow. We saw two Common Blackbirds also, mildly significant in that this was a species that we saw relatively infrequently.
Paul had become a member of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and took us to The Wolseley Centre, a small reserve operated by this organization. It is truly a wonderful little place, with varied habitat and a bird garden with feeders. We were delighted to be there. This was the only location where we saw Eurasian Nuthatch, with stunning views of it. Miriam is partial to nuthatches and had really hoped to add this species to her life list. In the bird garden we sat on a bench and were regaled by a steady procession of Great Tits, Blue Tits, European Robin, four Winter Wrens, a Coal Tit, Common Chaffinches and so on. It was quite delightful.
We then had lunch at the Wolseley Inn where the pub food was delicious to say the least. Miriam had salmon and broccoli fish cakes washed down with lager and lime, I had a mushroom, Stilton, broccoli Cobbler with a glass of crisply dry white wine and Paul had beef and ale pie with a pint of Coke.
After lunch we drove to Cannock Chase, which certainly didn’t live up to our expectations. The area that we visited was basically birdless! We saw a mere four species - European Robin, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Magpie and Common Moorhen. After about an hour and a half of futile searching we left to visit the Doxey Marshes near Stafford. That turned out to be an inspired move, since the Doxey Marshes were as productive as the Chase had been barren. Had I realized what a terrific birding area this is I would have made a point to get Paul to take us there earlier. We didn’t even cover a third of the reserve and were thrilled with the variety and quantity of bird life we encountered. Species of note were Hen Harrier, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Northern Shoveler and Common Kingfisher. Of the foregoing the harrier, lapwing and snipe were all lifers for Miriam. We saw many other species also, and, as already indicated, the variety, numbers of birds and variety of habitat made this location quite special.

September 6, 2006

This was the day we had perhaps looked forward to most. Before coming to England we had contacted various members of the Derbyshire Ornithological Society and had arranged three days of birding with three kind people who had offered to help us.
Rod Key, a joint recorder with the DOS, had made an offer beyond our expectations. He had thrilled us with the promise of a day’s birding in one of the hot spots of East Anglia, the County of Norfolk, and in particular a visit to the RSPB Reserve at Titchwell. Today was the day! We were joined by Sue Jones who had agreed to bird with us in Derbyshire on Friday. Paul delivered us to an agreed meeting area just outside Derby and we set off in high spirits for the coast.
Our first stop was at Hunstanton Cliffs to look for Northern Fulmar. Almost as soon as we stepped out of the car, a fulmar was soaring on the sheer winds at the edge of the cliff. This seemed made to order and Miriam had her first lifer of the day.
Titchwell was everything we had hoped for and more. Rod told us that it was quiet there but you could have fooled us! After parking the car in the overflow parking lot (and this was the middle of the week!) we saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker high in a tree. Another lifer for Miriam and it would be one of only two individuals of this species for the trip. On the way down to the wetlands and ocean front, we saw a Eurasian Kestrel hovering above a marsh. Several Little Grebes gave Miriam another lifer, eight Ruffs yet another. Pied Avocet was common and a lifer for both of us. By now you are starting to get the picture. It was already becoming a birding Utopia. Eurasian Curlews could be seen easily, a spectacular and distinctive bird, and Little Egrets were almost constantly in view. Rod said that Little Egrets, a true rarity just a few years ago, are now becoming so common in different locations around the country, that they no long elicit gasps from local birders. A flock of about fifty Greylag Geese flew over, four Eurasian Teal were sighted, Black-tailed Godwits were in the areas away from the ocean, Bar-tailed Godwits feeding where sand and salt water meet. We saw Common Redshanks, and seven Egyptian Geese. Two Eurasian Sparrowhawks cruised the marshes and a Western Marsh Harrier, one of the special birds we had hoped to see, quartered the marsh in classic harrier fashion. There was a large flock of Northern Lapwings, Meadow Pipits flitted hither and yon; we saw a Little Ringed Plover and later a Common Ringed Plover. On the beach were thirteen Black-bellied Plovers, a couple still in breeding plumage. Thank goodness for Rod and Sue to identify two flocks of about ten Common Linnets for us. There were Ruddy Turnstones, a Greenshank, many Eurasian Oystercatchers, seven Red Knots, Sanderling fleeing from advancing waves and returning to feed in frenzied fashion, three Common Eiders riding the waves with three Black Scoters behind them. After much searching Rod found a Curlew Sandpiper for us. We thought that we were not going to find a Little Stint, but on the way back to the car another birder pointed one out in front of us and we added this species to our day’s total. Already it was a wonderful day’s birding, but it wasn’t over yet.
Many of the species mentioned above were lifers for Miriam and some for both Miriam and David. Rather than keep repeating this fact when so many birds fall into this category, all lifers will be mentioned in the total species list at the end of this report.
After a lunch eaten at the car, Rod outlined a few options for the rest of the day. We chose to go to Northhamptonshire to try our luck with Red Kite, a species David dearly hoped to see. And we were not disappointed. Somewhere near to Kingscliffe, Rod advised us to check the sky and almost immediately Sue spotted one. We got out of the car and had prolonged and spectacular looks at this magnificent bird. Kites never fail to fill me with awe; they are truly enigmatic birds. A little farther on we saw another, there were two kestrels hovering, a Common Buzzard, and four Red-legged Partridges. Rod said that he heard a Green Woodpecker, another species high on our “most desirable” list. After a minute or so, the bird flew from one side of the road to a small copse of trees in a field on the other side, and even though David saw where it landed, the bird could not be relocated. This was one of the few disappointments of the trip - Miriam was looking the other way and did not see the bird.
Our final stop for the day was at Rutland Waters where we saw Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, three more Little Egrets, seven Egyptian Geese and all three species of wagtail. This is where we added the second Great Spotted Woodpecker. A real highlight was a second Curlew Sandpiper. A Common Kingfisher was just a blur of colour zooming over the water.
We headed back to Derby where Paul would pick us up, and learned that Rod had decided to accompany Sue and the two of us on Friday for our foray into Derbyshire. Buoyed by this great news and the inner contentment of a memorable day’s birding we headed for Bramshall and dinner.

September 7, 2006

Paul had arranged for four of us to travel first class by Virgin Rail to London for the day, in order to
give Miriam a chance to see at least the major highlights of the capital. So Brenda, Paul, Miriam and David all got up at 05:00h to travel to Wolverhampton to catch the train. It was a very comfortable trip down with an excellent breakfast on the train.
Upon arrival at Euston Station we took the tube over to Green Park and walked through the park to Buckingham Palace. We then went through St. James’ Park where the bird life is prolific, even in the centre of a large city, past Horse Guard’s Parade to Trafalgar Square and went into the crypt at St Martin’s in the Field to the cafeteria there. This was a lesson in just how expensive London is - $40.00 for four coffees and four tea biscuits! We purchased tickets for an open top double decker bus for a tour of the city, with the option to get on and off at any time along the route, and also with a boat cruise down the Thames included. We had a very informative bird’s eye capsule of the city and disembarked at Westminster Abbey where we went inside and took a good part of the tour, which was very interesting, Outside we could see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament along Westminster embankment. It was near here that we boarded the ferry for the trip down the Thames, past St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and many other interesting locations, both historical and modern.
At the end of the boat ride we took the tube to Harrod’s Department Store where we gazed only; then went to Harvey Nichols where we had a coffee and finally took the tube back to Euston Station to catch the train home. Dinner on the train with a nice red wine was delicious and even though we were delayed due to problems with the signals we were still home by about 23:50h.

September 8, 2006

We were glad that we were meeting Rod and Sue at 08:30h and not at 07:00h as was the case on Wednesday, given that we had had a busy day yesterday and had arrived home late. Furthermore, we had only to travel to Mickleover - at least somewhat closer than going to Derby.
It was good to see them both again and we set off for a day’s birding in Derbyshire, this time with Sue driving. We first stopped at Cromford to look for White-breasted Dipper, our target bird for the day, but had no luck, although we did see a Grey Wagtail. We moved on, journeying through classic Derbyshire Dales country with stunning vistas at every turn. We drove past Chatsworth House and on to Leadmill Bridge the second option for the dipper. This time we were lucky - no less than five of them! This was a much-desired lifer for both of us. We also saw a Grey Wagtail.
At Beeley Moor, our next stop, we got six Red Grouse, Lagopus lagopus almost immediately, two Common Buzzards and a Merlin. Miriam was Madame Hawkeye on this occasion; she first spotted all three species! The Red Grouse was a lifer for both Miriam and David.
After lunch at the Miner’s Arms in Brassington, we headed for Carsington Waters.
We saw numerous species from two different blinds, although there was nothing new, and a total absence of shorebirds. We saw six Common Pochards, the only ones other than the single bird we had seen at JCB. In the trees on the way to the first blind, we added Goldcrest, another joint lifer, and near to the second one our only two Eurasian Tree Sparrows for the trip, and a single Song Thrush.
The final stop of the day was at Bradley Dam, where there is a significant population of breeding Mandarin Duck. We estimate that we saw in excess of thirty birds, and Rod says that this location is doubtless the premier area to find this species in Britain today. We very much appreciated being there; we certainly would not have found it by ourselves.
Sue had to end the day by 17:00h to chair a meeting of the Derby Natural History Society, so we called Paul to meet us back in Mickleover and we bade farewell to our two new friends with the sincere wish that we might one day be able to reciprocate their kindness with some Ontario birding.

September 9, 2006

Today was the annual ploughing match in Uttoxeter when farmers young and old come together with their tractors of various vintages to display their skills at ploughing a series of straight furrows. There is also a category for horse drawn ploughs and a show of horses of different breeds with proud owners vying for the cherished ribbons.
This is an event which Mick never misses and we went there with him.
Perhaps most interesting of all is the hedge-laying contest. Hedge-laying is a venerable method of creating a hedge in Britain. The top growth of a hedge row is cut off and the bottom layers trimmed and bent and interwoven in a fashion to create a dense living barrier to prevent livestock from escaping from a field. The hedge continues to grow and after a lapse of a dozen years or so the whole procedure is repeated so that the bottom section is a dense, impenetrable barrier. This method creates habitat for wildlife, not the least of which is nesting spaces for many birds, and eliminates the cost of conventional fencing structures.
We had lunch in a large tent there. As might be imagined, this is where the typical English Ploughman’s lunch originated. It generally consists of pork pie, ham, cheese, salad and pickled onion, with copious quantities of bread and butter, tea and English trifle. Where but in England would such a lunch be served in a tent in the middle of a field on beautiful china plates, with real knives and forks, the tea on china cups and saucers, the dessert in china bowls? There is a small army of farmer’s wives and daughters preparing, serving and washing dishes in a tradition that has gone on for centuries. Long may it continue. It was encouraging to see many youngsters participating in the annual ploughing competitions. The prize money is nominal but the honour is eagerly sought.
On the way home we stopped at the Uttoxeter Recreation Centre where Mick is a member of a lawn bowling team and Miriam and David went for a walk along the river.
That evening Brenda prepared a lovely dinner and invited all the members of her family so that we could all get to see each other at one time.

September 10, 2006

We visited Chatsworth House, the ancestral home of the Earl of Devonshire. David has been there a couple of times, but it was Miriam’s first time to visit this magnificent English country mansion from a time gone by. It was especially interesting to visit an exhibit which had been put together to commemorate the life of the “old” Duke, Andrew, who had died a year or so earlier. One tends to think of inherited privilege in England as a sinecure to a lifestyle to which few of us can ever aspire. While there is obviously some of this involved in an ancestral dukedom, a completely different side of the Duke was revealed. He was obviously a man deeply committed to Derbyshire, a visionary, an art collector, a man concerned with his country, a valiant soldier and a person with a deep sense of civic duty. It was an unexpected side bar of this trip to get to understand a little of the life of a man so deeply rooted in this rugged part of England.
After lunch there, we went to Castleton to visit the gift shop at the Blue John Mines where Miriam wanted to look at some Blue John jewelry. She wound up purchasing a lovely necklace and ring for quite reasonable prices.
It was another glorious day, with hikers in abundance all through the Peak District, hang gliders floating through the sky, and a tree full of jackdaws to entertain us with their antics.

September 11, 2006
Dorothy Evans is the third member of the Derbyshire Ornithological Society to agree to help us with some local birding. We met Dorothy at Clay Cross at about 09:45h and immediately drove to an area called Cutthroat Bridge in the High Peak. We embarked on a stunning walk through heather and bracken on a day to make the gods sing. Even if we had not seen a bird it would have been a memorable day and one that we would look back on and salivate. The world is full of magnificent areas, and we have been fortunate to visit some of them, but this rugged Derbyshire landscape rivals them all. But birds we did see: eleven Meadow Pipits; a minimum of eleven Red Grouse, and possibly more; a lone Whinchat - a sighting which excited Dorothy and thrilled us; five Stonechats including a male near the end of our descent back to the bridge who obligingly perched atop some bracken to enable us to see every field mark; a female Hen Harrier; a Common Kestrel and a Grey Wagtail. Imprinted on my brain is the sound of Red Grouse calling “Go Back,” “Go Back.” It was such an evocative sound in that wild and brooding habitat. I will certainly go back there one day.
Before moving on to the next location, we stopped for lunch at the Lady Bower Inn where Dorothy and I had fine sandwiches, but Miriam, unfortunately, had a roast beef sandwich that needed a chain saw to cut it. It was the only pub meal that we had during our entire trip that was anything less than excellent.
Dorothy took us to an area in the Upper Derwent Valley known as the King’s Tree, commemorating a tree planted there by King George VI. Here we added Eurasian Treecreeper to our list for the trip when two landed on a tree right in front of us.
We stopped at the Fairholmes Rest Area to pick up a bottle of water and to check out the feeders. The most abundant bird was Common Chaffinch but there were also Coal Tit and Blue Tit, as well as two very vocal robins. At the Calver Marshes we added Long-tailed Tit and watched a Eurasian Kestrel hovering. Ashford in the Water produced four Mute Swans and about twenty jackdaws.
Dorothy had asked us what else we would like to see and we indicated that another dipper would be lovely. So we made Lathkill Dale our final stop and indeed saw a White-throated Dipper before we left. Also, we noted four Grey Herons all perched in and/or flying around the same copse of trees. Possibly there is a heronry there.
Paul and Brenda came to pick us up somewhere near Ashbourne and we bade farewell to Dorothy, with the sincere wish that she visit us in Ontario one day. We spent a wonderful day with her.

September 12, 2006
We left for Wales at about 09:20h driving through Chester and along the north Welsh Coast to Conwy.
We had a walk around the old walled town and had a lunch of fish, chips and mushy peas in a restaurant that proudly bragged “Probably the Best Fish and Chips You’ll Ever Eat.” Well, you know, they may just be right. The fish was well cooked in a light batter that was very tasty, the chips were fresh and firm and the peas heavenly.
After another brief walk along the walls of the castle, we went to check in at the B&B, “Fishermore.” We were greeted by the owner, Peter Dyer, who served us tea and cookies in the garden. The place was very nice, but as we found out at night, very noisy with substantial traffic along the main road pretty much all night.
We walked back into Conwy and had a drink on the outside patio of a bar down on the quay. Then we walked back to the B & B and met downstairs for dinner at 19:30 h. We went to the Groes Inn, the oldest licensed establishment in Wales, about two miles away and had a fine, but expensive dinner.

September 13, 2006
After breakfast at the B& B where we met a friendly couple from San Diego, Mick and Brenda dropped
us off at the RSPB reserve at about 09:30h. It wasn’t open at that time, but we were able to bird along the outside estuary, where we saw a Northern Wheatear, a lifer for both of us.
At 10:00h the gates opened and we went in to find that admission charges had been waived due to construction. A new visitors’ centre had just been built, with the old one being converted to a coffee shop. We walked the entire perimeter of the reserve and stopped at all the blinds. Eurasian Curlew was common and there were large numbers of Eurasian Oystercatcher. It was delightful to see substantial aggregations of Black-tailed Godwits and there was a flock of twenty-nine Common Redshank. A pair of free flying Black Swans had arrived there the previous day. Apart from the wheatear the highlight for us was a Common Kingfisher initially perched on the ridge of a sandbank and fishing from that “perch.” We had it in the scope for several minutes and were able to observe every detail of its plumage and behaviour. At one point it caught a fish, banged it against the hard, packed wet sand several times, until it was stunned and ate it. A Common Snipe was closely observed from one of the blinds. Once again we were able to really focus on all the details of its plumage.
Mick and Brenda picked us up at 12:30h and we left for Anglesey. We ate lunch at a pub in Holyhead on the way through and it was very good. Our destination was South Stack to see the Red-billed Chough and we parked at the top of an area of open heathland to walk across to the edges of the cliffs in a very strong wind. We were rewarded with excellent views of choughs and four Common Ravens and a Peregrine Falcon were an added bonus. When we left we passed a field where several choughs were feeding and Miriam was able to take photographs.
We were back at the B&B by 16:30h and Mick and Brenda went up to their room to rest. Miriam and I walked back into Conwy and saw a Common Kingfisher on the way. In Conwy we bought a bottle of wine to share with Mick and Brenda after dinner, to celebrate four years since we first met.
At 19:30h we drove out to a pub called the Fairy Glen and had an excellent dinner. Miriam had steak and ale pie and David had venison cooked in red wine.

September 14, 2006

We left Conwy after breakfast at the B&B to head to Betswy Coed. It was raining steadily and
continued to rain all the time we were in Betswy Coed. We walked around the town nevertheless and had a coffee before leaving to continue on to Shrewsbury.
In Shrewsbury we had a wonderful lunch in an old Tudor pub and marvelled at some of the Tudor structures still occupied as homes or functioning as businesses. We walked around town a little and then left for Bramshall.
Before dinner, when the sun had once again started to shine and the rain was but a memory, Paul took us out to JCB to get a little exercise and see a few birds. There was nothing new, but it was very pleasant to be there nonetheless.

September 15, 2006

We went with Paul to walk through the 30 acres of land Mick and Brenda still own at Snelston. The Churnet River runs along the base line of the property and it was a pleasant walk, although wet underfoot. Paul had a doctor’s appointment, so he dropped us off at JCB, where three Cackling Geese had arrived since last night. They were no bigger than the ubiquitous mallards there.
Rod Key had been given directions by a friend to a site for Eurasian Hobby near to Blithfield Reservoir and we went out to try to see this bird. We found the location, but despite a careful search we could not find the bird.
We also walked another nearby area alongside a canal where several holiday barges went by. It was a pleasant walk but there were no significant birds. Similarly, there was nothing unusual or different from previous visits on the reservoir itself.
Brenda prepared a delicious farewell dinner for us and we went to bed at about 22:00h to get a good night’s sleep to prepare for our long journey the next day.

September 16, 2006

We left for the airport at around 08:00h with Paul and Brenda. We made really good time and had a coffee together before saying goodbye and going through to the gate area. Our flight was delayed by about an hour, but the pilot made up someof the lost time. By the time we cleared customs and immigration it was about 16:00 h. We called to have the shuttle pick us up to retrieve our car and drove home, calling at Zehr’s in Waterloo to pick up milk, bread and a few other items. We were in the house by about 18:00h.




All species for United Kingdom September 2 -September 16, 2006.
Little Grebe LM
Great Crested Grebe
Northern Fulmar LM
Great Cormorant LM
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Greater White-fronted Goose
Greylag Goose LM, LD
Canada Goose
Barnacle Goose LM
Common Shelduck
Egyptian Goose LM, LD
Mandarin Duck LM
Mallard
Gadwall
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Eurasian Wigeon LM
Eurasian Teal LM
Common Pochard
Greater Scaup
Tufted Duck
Common Eider LM
Black Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Red Kite LM, LD
Marsh Harrier LM, LD
Hen Harrier LM
Common Buzzard LM
Eurasian Sparrowhawk LM
Common Kestrel LM
Peregrine Falcon
Merlin
Red Grouse (Willow Ptarmigan) LM, LD
Red-legged Partridge
Ring-necked Pheasant
Common Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Oystercatcher LM
Pied Avocet LM, LD
Little Ringed Plover LM, LD
Common Ringed Plover LM, LD
Black-bellied Plover
Northern Lapwing LM
Red Knot
Sanderling
Ruddy Turnstone
Dunlin
Curlew Sandpiper LM, LD
Little Stint LM, LD
Common Redshank LM
Spotted Redshank LM, LD
Common Greenshank LM
Black-tailed Godwit LM
Bar-tailed Godwit LM
Eurasian Curlew LM
Common Snipe LM
Ruff LM
Black-headed Gull
Mew Gull
European Herring Gull LM
Lesser Black-backed Gull LM
Great Black-backed Gull
Rock Pigeon
Stock Dove LM
Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Common Swift LM
Common Kingfisher LM
European Green Woodpecker LD
Great Spotted Woodpecker LM
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Common House Martin
Meadow Pipit
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail LM
Grey Wagtail LM
Winter Wren
White-throated Dipper LM, LD
European Robin
Northern Wheatear LM, LD
Whinchat LM, LD
European Stonechat LM, LD
Song Thrush
Common Blackbird
Goldcrest LM, LD
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Eurasian Nuthatch LM
Eurasian Treecreeper
Eurasian Magpie
Western Jackdaw
Rd-billed Chough LM
Rook
Carrion Crow
Common Raven
Common Starling
House Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Common Chaffinch
Common Linnet LM
European Goldfinch
European Greenfinch




LM = Lifer for Miriam
LD = Lifer for David