Eaglenest Trip Report April 2021

Eaglenest is nestled in the eastern Himalayan foothills and derives its name from the Red Eagle Division of the Indian army which was posted there. Eaglenest’s isolation and its extreme altitude variations from 750m to 3500m+ are the main reasons for a plethora of flora and fauna recorded there. Little surprise that a was discovered there as late as 1995. Due to the bird’s small population and very restricted distribution, scientists were able to describe it only by 2006. Named after the ‘Bugun’ community which resides where the bird was discovered, the Bugun is undoubtedly the star attraction of any Eaglenest birding trip.

Along with the Bugun Liocichla there are many other which are best seen in Eaglenest. In April the winter migrants make their way back through Eaglenest at the same time the resident birds get vocal for their own breeding season. This makes the month of April one of the best times to visit this place. We spent a total of 8 days starting and ending our journey from Guwahati. A big thanks to Arka Sarkar who organized and led this trip. Our bird guide Dombe Pradhan knew his stuff and took real efforts to spot birds for us. Our group consisted of Chinmay Rahane, Ameya Mundle, Swati Jajal, Noopur Barve and Mihir Barve.

3rd April: Guwahati to Tenga

One the first day we had a 5-6-hour drive to reach Tenga. We approached the tri- border area which was a sight to behold. Farmlands on the Assam side (where we were), thick forested area in Arunachal Pradesh ahead of us and the mountain ranges of on our left. We crossed into Arunachal Pradesh after our permits were checked and started taking short halts as and when we saw any birds. Calls of Blue- Throated Barbets filled the air. The altitudinal ranges of birds first became apparent when calls of the Blue-Throated Barbets were replaced by calls of Great Barbets.

We took another halt to get our first experience of a mixed hunting party. The term ‘skulkers’ is re-defined by the in North-East . The sheer speed at which these birds moved in the trees yet never showing up in the open was overwhelming. Ameya and Chinmay were spotting and identifying birds as if they were reading from a teleprompter. I could barely keep up with the movement to understand which bird I had seen. This drive yielded some great birds like Fulvetta, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Black-Tailed Crake, Blue-Winged Laughingthrush among many others. The Blue-Winged Laughingthrush was a big surprise especially as we saw it out in the open.

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Our drive was taking longer than expected which was delayed further by a landslide which was being cleared. Another halt meant more birds which suited us just fine. All these halts meant we barely reached our hotel in time before we had to push off again for owling. Our targets were Hodgson’s Frogmouth, Grey Nightjar and Mountain Scops Owl. We heard the frogmouth and the owl but sadly did not see it. While driving back some of us got a glimpse of the nightjar flying in the car's headlights but no satisfactory views.

Checklists for 3rd April: https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374830 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374835 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374841 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374851 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374854

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4th April: Tenga to Bompu camp via Eaglenest pass

This drive would officially take us into Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. We started our birding at the coveted Alubari trail. This small area is the best place to see the Bugun Liocichla.

Walking along the trail yielded some great birds like Spot-Winged Grosbeak, Himalayan Cutia, Scaly-Bellied Cupwing, a couple of treecreepers and the list goes on. We dipped on the Bugun Liocichla but saw its cousin the Red-Faced Liocichla. After breakfast we moved past Lama camp to go to Eaglenest pass but not before a halt at the ‘tragopanda’ trail. No guesses what the trail is named after. Sightings of the red panda are extremely rare in eaglenest. The tragopan though present throughout this area is quite shy so we did not have our hopes up for either of them. The halt here gave us another encounter with a mixed hunting party. Luckily, I was better prepared for it.

As we reached Eaglenest pass, the conditions were overcast and windy. As we made our way down to Bompu camp we took frequent halts to bird along the way. Such halts gave us good sightings of Fire Tailed Myzornis, Snowy-Browed Flycatcher, Golden- Naped Finch, Red-Headed Bullfinches, Black-Headed Shrike-Babbler and a male Ward’s Trogon.

Bompu camp is a heaven for all wildlife enthusiasts but it comes with its set of challenges. It is so isolated that there is no electricity. Each tent has a solar charged torch available for use. Charging camera batteries and phones were only possible when the staff switched on the generator for a few hours in the evening.

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In the late afternoon, we did a short trail around Bompu camp where we were able to see Golden Babblers, Blackish-Breasted Babbler, Rufous-Throated Wren-Babbler, a lone Mountain Hawk-Eagle and an occasional Black Eagle. It was quite overcast and it seemed we brought the cloud cover with us from Eaglenest pass. It rained that night which played to our advantage the following day.

Checklists for 4th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374859 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374863 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374866

5th April: Bompu camp to Sessni and back

The sky had cleared up after the rains the previous evening. It played to our advantage as the bird activity was very high. We explored the lower altitudes from Bompu camp. We planned to have a full day birding down to Sessni and be back at Bompu for dinner.

We started with some spectacular views of Yellow-Throated Fulvettas right outside Bompu camp. As we walked along, we heard and followed the calls of White-Breasted Parrotbills. This species was high on our wish-list, but we had to be content with a few glimpses. The flock of the Parrotbills moved in a direction the road did not follow. We waited for breakfast at 'Hornbill Point’ which was one of the few places we got a view of the valley below and the ridgeline on top. Living up to its name, we spotted a male

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Rufous Necked Hornbill flying at the ridge level before it disappeared again. After breakfast we had reached the altitude and habitat fit for the Beautiful Nuthatch.

Along the way, we saw a Rusty-fronted Barwing which usually moves in mixed flocks. We waited to scan the area to see which other birds could be seen when Dombe heard the calls of the Beautiful Nuthatch. We moved quickly down the road and saw a pair of the Beautiful Nuthatch. A ‘beautiful’ sight indeed. To add to that Dombe heard calls of another rarity not too far. A Rufous-Backed Sibia was making its way closer to us. It became hard to choose which species to track. For once the birds made it easier for us by perching a few feet from one another. Till our lunch halt, we were able to see some of the other target species like the Long-Billed Wren- Babbler, Pygmy Cupwing, Large and Small Niltavas etc.

Our lunch halt yielded some unexpected surprises. The Eye-Browed Wren-Babbler and the Spotted Wren-Babbler were quite close to where we stopped. We also saw a Malayan Giant Squirrel moving through the canopy. Just as we were wrapping up, we had the good fortune to see a pair of Emerald Cuckoos. Making our way back we saw many of the same species with the addition of a White-Tailed Robin.

Checklists for 5th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374870 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374875 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374879

6th April: Bompu to Khellong and back

Khellong is at an altitude of about 750m so the bird life is distinctly different, and we wished to give ourselves maximum time for our birding to be productive. We left our camp in pitch darkness so we could reach close to Khellong at sunrise. Like all days, we would walk in patches where there was any activity or if Dombe was aware of specific spots for rarities.

On one such occasion, we realised some Laughing Thrushes moving in the undergrowth and we got down to observe them. As soon as we did, we heard calls of White-Hooded Babblers, Pale-Billed Parrotbills, Red-Billed Scimitar-Babblers coming

Page 5 of 10 from further down the valley. All three rarities were on our target list and before we knew it this mixed flock was all over the place. Like any self-respecting bird from North- East India, they did not settle on a perch for more than a second. We barely got good glimpses of them before the entire flock moved up the slope. Even if we had tried to race them up in the cars, we would not have been able to catch up. Just as we marvelled at our luck, a Pale-Headed Woodpecker graced us. He too did not settle, and we could not even get a record shot of it. All in all, we had a very successful session.

Further down Ameya was quick to spot a mega-jackpot in the form of a Violet Cuckoo. Dombe after spending the better part of his life in and around Eaglenest had only seen it thrice; and his last sighting of it was in 2018. Buoyed by our luck we made our way to the Khellong camp to try for Piculets, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, and Red-Headed Trogon which are reported from the area. But by then the sun was high up in the sky and activity had become woefully still. Just then we heard an Emerald Cuckoo and immediately after that we saw a pair perched high up on a tree.

We made our way back to Bompu camp but not before I had a brief glimpse of a female Red-Headed Trogon from the moving car. Since the female has a brown head, I did not register it as a trogon. I asked our driver to reverse while I clumsily fumbled for my binocs. Just as we reached a spot offering a clear line of sight, the bird flew down the valley. Dombe identified the bird as a trogon. Not the best way to see a bird we wanted.

In the evening we tried specific areas near Bompu camp to cover some species we had dipped on or did not have good photographs of. It came to us as a surprise but our three nights at Bompu were already over.

Checklists for 6th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374882 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374885

7th April: Bompu to Dirang via Eaglenest pass

We had to reach Dirang by evening which was not more than 5 hours’ drive. This gave us plenty of time to bird along the way. We heard the Blyth’s Tragopan on a few occasions, but we were just not lucky to see it. We were able to twitch some other rarities like Sapphire Flycatcher, Black-Throated Parrotbills and Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler to name a few.

At a spot, we saw a pair of Chestnut-Crowned Laughingthrush fly into the undergrowth. As we searched there, we saw a few more birds and Chinmay was quick to see a Scaly Laughingthrush as well. A few metres ahead I got a bird in the open for a second

Page 6 of 10 which turned out to be a Blue-Winged Laughingthrush. We were astounded by three rarely seen (though often heard) birds all bunched up together.

As we crossed Eaglenest pass and headed towards Lama camp we saw a bunch of cars parked on the road. We were asked to slow down as a Blyth’s Tragopan had just crossed the road and a group of birders were trying to spot it. We joined forces and 20 minutes later we were able to see it. We would have got great photos of it only if one of the birders had not acted hastily just as the Tragopan poked its head from its cover. There would be no recovery the way the pheasant was spooked.

On our way down the slope another birding group informed us that the Bugun Liocichla was sighted not too long ago at the Alubari trail. We rushed along the trail only to be met by rain 2 minutes into our walk. We had to make our way back to the car. Our last hope of seeing this endemic was dashed. Saying we were disappointed was an understatement. The mascot of Eaglenest was a few hundred meters away and we could not try and search for it because of rain. The whole implication of this untimely rain hit us when we reached Dirang. Rainfall at Dirang is always a precursor for fog and snowfall at Sela where we were headed the following day.

Checklists for 7th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374888 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374892

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8th April: Sela, Sangti Valley and back to Dirang

To reach Sela at an appropriate time, we left our hotel at 3:30am. As we were nearing Sela we were greeted by a thick blanket of fog. We pulled over when we heard calls of Blood Pheasants. While trying to discern where the call was coming from, we realised the female was observing us from above. Just as we got a few photos we heard the male callout from nearby. We anticipated the male would make its way to the road approximately 20 meters ahead of us. It popped up less than 10 feet away. It was so close that the whole bird did not fit in the frame. Just as I tried to zoom out the bird made its way back down the valley. Further up the road we saw a pair of Monal Pheasants but as we tried to search for it the fog just engulfed us completely. We had no choice but to wait it out.

After conditions improved slightly, we tried searching for snow partridges on an offbeat trail. This meant walking in snow and crossing tiny rivulets which had frozen on top. One wrong step and our feet would be soaked in ice cold water. The thin air meant we made slow progress. We could hear the Snow Partridges, but fog made it impossible to see beyond 10 feet away. We accepted defeat and decided to search for other species.

Further down the road, Chinmay was quick to spot the Solitary Snipe. This bird, like all Snipes camouflages very well and takes a long time to spot. On the contrary the White-Throated Dipper which is easily seen made it very difficult for us. We crossed 2-3 frigid streams with our equipment only for the bird to fly across the road where we had parked our cars. As we made our way back any thoughts to try for the Snow

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Partridges went out the window as it started snowing. Within a few minutes’ snowfall turned to a mixture of hail and snow, which made for treacherous conditions. We beat a hasty retreat to a lower altitude.

At lower altitudes the visibility was decent, but it was overcast and drizzling. Birding was hampered considerably. We made our way to Sangti Valley to try and spot the Long-Billed Plover. As soon as we saw it, we called it a day and made our way back to the hotel.

Checklist for 8th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374899 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374904

9th April: Dirang to Tenzingaon via Mandala

From the first day we always heard of all the species that were seen in Mandala. Any bird we dipped during our trip had been recorded in Mandala. All this had hyped upz birding at Mandala. The fog followed us like a loyal puppy throughout the day and burst our bubble. We did get some target species like the Russet Bush Warbler, Eurasian Nutcracker and Bar-Winged Wren-Babbler but the bird activity was poor in general.

Checklists for 9th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374911 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374916 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374920

10th April: Tenzingaon to Guwahati

We started our drive back to Guwahati with regular birding halts. Since this habitat was quite similar to the area, we drove through on the first day we saw many of the same species. We did get good shots of Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo and heard calls of Lesser Shortwings. We also saw the Red-Faced Liocichla in two very unexpected spots but as a true skulker, it barely gave us a chance to get record shots.

Closer to the Arunachal and Assam border we were lucky to see the Buff-Chested Babbler and a Grey-Throated Babbler. After that it was pretty much a regular drive through the towns. After 8 days of going through jungles we had to start adjusting to

Page 9 of 10 its concrete counterpart. We still had one last halt to see a critically endangered bird in the least likely places.

The Greater Adjutant is globally on the brink of extinction and the Guwahati dumping ground is one of the only known places to see it. The dumping ground is filthy to the say the least. Yet on any given day, hundreds of storks come to scavenge. An extremely short visit later we made our way to the water body close by to try for the Fulvous Whistling-Ducks. We did not see those and as light faded out we made our way to our hotel.

Checklists for 10th April https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374924 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374929 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374933 https://ebird.org/india/checklist/S85374937

In eight days, we had seen over 250+ species which was more than what we had hoped for. No birding trip can yield all target species in a single trip. We discussed the best places to see the bird species we dipped on. While a few places got shortlisted and added to our bucket list, we knew we would need to come back to Eaglenest. The Bugun Liocichla would not be seen anywhere else. Like the quest for the holy grail, we would have to go back there and seek this bird for ourselves.

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