F SC IL O IE C N l Inform N C ta at U E n io O & e n m C T S E n y E o ]C s T r i C t H e A o t e v ll a e n T N i c m n t m Co se S l s O late Di E L M I O K G K I Y S INDIA ENVIS CENTRE S I K K I M On ECOTOURISM ISSN: 0974-6072 Strong-Footed Bush Warbler BIRD WATCHING SPECIAL Newsletter Volume 13 Number 2 April - June 2015 BIRDING IN EAST SIKKIM - A REPORT BY AN ECO TOURISM ENTHUSIAST (PART-1) East Sikkim- Gangtok, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary- Tsomgo, Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary Tour Leader: Chewang Rinchen Bonpo E-mail: [email protected] Introduction forests of Darjeeling Hills offers you Sikkim the second smallest state of the best choice with many good India with an area of 7,096 sq. km. and important Birding areas and a with the least population among all the minimum of 200 Species in a span of states of India. Located between the one tour. two Himalayan countries of Nepal in the west and the Kingdom of Bhutan in the East, Sikkim is one of the star point for the of the Indo-Malayan type species with most of them endemic to Fambonglho Wildlife Sanctuary: The the Eastern Himalayas. sanctuary is situated on the hills opposite to Gangtok. The highest point of this sanctuary is Tinjurey, which is one of the better places for B i r d w a t c h i n g . T h e L o g h u t Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary: accommodation within the sanctuary Kyongnosla and Tsomgo region lies in makes bird watching more worthwhile East Sikkim. As the name suggests it is compared to other places. The an Alpine forest with dominant species temperate forests of Oak, Chestnut, like the Rhododendrons and Junipers and Bamboo with small shrubs of ferns and small shrubs making it a good are an ideal habitat for Babblers and The Birdlife of Sikkim is estimated to habitat for game birds like the Blood Wren Babblers. be of 550 species with most of the Pheasant , Himalayan Monal (Dec to species resembling the Kingdom of May) followed by many good high Detailed Tour Report Bhutan. Thus if one want to come for a altitude species like the Fire-tailed Day 1- 25th June 09 Bird-watching Holiday with reasonable Sunbirds. The Bamboo forest on the expenses and interest in the Eastern way to Tsomgo is one of the favourite As soon as arriving in Gangtok at noon Himalayan species combined with the sites for many good bamboos Amit was anxious and impatient for lovely view of the world's third highest habituating species like Parrotbills, photographing birds with his powerful mountain then Sikkim along with the Laughing Thrushes etc. 500mm lens so we headed to the National Highway between Ganesh Tok started form Gangtok at half past five c o u p l e o f B l a c k - f a c e d and Tashi view point after a few meters in the morning and even the weather Laughingthrushes near the restaurant from Ganesh Tok we started our walk on which was not on our side with its mist feeding on the food waste and called on the Highway where we came across a and little showers could not dampen Amit to take his shot. Also at a distance mixed flock of birds which we managed our optimism. After we crossed the 9th was a White Collared Black Bird. get good shots of some of the species mile Check post we came across a The weather seemed to improve after like the Green Crowned Warbler, Blue- Bamboo forest near a small village half an hour so we moved towards the winged Minla, Red-tailed Minla and where we saw a flock of Red-headed Sanctuary. As we began our trek to the Red-billed Leiothrix. Laughingthrush crossing the road. We top of the sanctuary the first bird that made a stop and followed the flock. As we came across were a flock of Stripe- we approached a waiting shed near the throated Yuhinas followed by road, we took a shelter for a while form R u f o u s v e n t e d Yu h i n a . T h e the showers. Suddenly a bird popped disappointing part was that as we out from the nearby bamboo grove trekked more inside the park, the path which was identified was Brown slowly disappeared and we were Parrotbill. This was one species we c o m p l e t e l y l o s t a m o n g t h e never expected to see on this tour. As Rododendron Shrubs. So we had to trek usual, Amit was quick enough to back and came across a little wooden capture the bird in his Camera. bridge where Amit managed to photograph an Orange-gorgeted F l y c t a c h e r [ Ru f o u s - g o r g e t e d flycatcher] and a Fire-tailed Sunbird that was flying around all over the place. On reaching the entry gate we Red-tailed Minla encountered two White-capped River chats [White Capped Water Redstarts]. As we walked just a few meters we After the trek we drove towards the came across a pair of Russet Sparrows lake and came across a Grey-backed of which Amit could capture the male. Shrike perched on an electric wire. As After the flock passed on we carried on we reached the lake we scanned the walking towards Bulbulay as the place lake for any interesting water birds. seemed to have lesser traffic. As we Despite the place being a rush of traffic entered the Park, Amit encountered a of tourists and Yak herders, Amit Red-headed Laughing thrush perched sighted a Dark-breasted Rosefinch on one side of the lake. on a stone sunning itself but could not Red-headed Laughingthrush capture it in his camera. However, we were not as disappointed as we were We loitered around the area for sure we would encounter it again. As sometime searching for more birds and we walked a few meters we came happened to sight some birds like Dark- across the sharp-pitched dual note sided Flycatcher flying around the area singing of a Strong-footed Bush Warbler and a Dark-throated Thrush perched in [Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler] which Electric wire about hundred meters took us a couple of minutes to capture from us of which we had no chance to it as like other bush warblers it is also a photo because of the fog. other birds very restless bird. We did manage to in that area were the Russet Bush get a very good picture of the species Warbler calling from the distance and Dark-breasted Rosefinch singing in a bamboo grove. As we also Spotted Laughingthrush calling reached near a gully we could hear a down from the Gully about a kilometre After the visit to the lake we decided to flock coming towards us and we could away. We then proceeded on our head back towards Gangtok but were get good shots of Rufouscapped journey towards Tsomgo Lake. stuck up for couple of hours due to the Babblers in the flock. road construction. On our way back we After a drive of about an hour we sighted a flock of birds passing in front th Day 2- 26 June 09: reached a small village where we of our vehicle. Amit was able to After a very good start on the first day, decided to have a sip of tea and wait for photograph the male Gold-naped Finch we had great expectations for sighting the weather to improve, As we were meanwhile I was trying to capture the more star birds especially in the taking our sip of tea I looked outside White-browed Shortwing without Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary. We the window of the restaurant and saw much success due to the place being slowly covered with fog. We also could The first bird of the day was a White- not capture the Lesser Cuckoo that was tailed Nuthatch just by the side of the perched on an Electric wire a few road. As we trekked few meters inside meters from us. from the entry point we heard a flock of Though we were hungry we forgot all Grey-sided Laughingthrushes moving about lunch as soon as we reached the inside a thick shrub but could not Parrotbill Bamboo forest where Amit capture them on camera. As soon as we captured very good shot of the Red entered the forest there was mixed Headed Laughing Thrush followed by a flock of birds all around us. Some of the species that we managed to take Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler. Rusty-fronted Barwing photos of where the Indian blue Robin, We had a late lunch at Tashi view point Pygmy Blue Flycatcher (both Male and of a flock of Wedge-tailed Green and decided to seek birds in North Female) and a Rusty Fronted Barwing. Pigeons, Ashy Drongo and the very shy Sikkim highway as it has a very good A couple of White-tailed Blue Robins and difficult to sight Blue-fronted Blue Bamboo mixed forest. We soon [White-tailed Robin] kept coming near Robin (couple of them singing near the encountered a flock of Green-tailed us but was too quick for the camera.