NORTHERN INDIA TOUR REPORT

A Wildlife & Birding Tour of Northern India 20th November to 5th December 2016 Participants:- Rowland & Jenny Burgess, Roger Griffin, Meg Heyworth, Richard Horton, Andy & Pat Mason and Ricardo Montero. Tour Guide for Norfolk Birding – Chris Mills & Prasanna Gautam OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR This tour took in the amazing sights and sounds of Northern India’s wildlife and birds and included a visit to the amazing Taj Mahal. The tour included a wide and varied cross section of habitat, including the wetland and birds of Bharatpur with a vast array of wetland species, plus a good introduction to raptors and passerines. We then visited the forest and mountain areas of Pangot and Nainatal in the foothills of the Himalaya’s. We then spent 3 full days in the famous Corbett National Park and the final 2 days in the beautiful surroundings of the Vangat camp in the buffer zone forest near Corbett NP. Vangat is set in a secluded river valley alongside the Ramganga river, in a wonderful diverse area of primary and secondary forest.

Tiger – in full flight Corbett NP. Image © Jenny Burgess

IMAGES FROM THE TOUR A whole sequence of images taken during the tour by Norfolk Birding and clients can be viewed online by going to the following link. You do not need to be registered with facebook to use this link. Please click the link or copy and paste the following:- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154816616771684&type=1&l=100e1f07e2 All images in this report are copyrighted and should not be reused without our permission. All images Chris Mills Norfolk Birding & Jenny Burgess as detailed. Sunday 20th November The whole group met up at Heathrow airport to board our British Airways direct flight to Delhi. Everyone in the main group were soon through security and boarding our flight. The flight departed at around 11.40am, the flight was comfortable with good food and drink and the economy seats were relatively comfortable. Flight time is around 8 hours and we arrived in Delhi at a local time of 1.30am. We then had lots of fun trying to get money changed after the recent government’s decision to remove 100 & 1000 Rs notes! We managed the tour with a combination of paying in sterling or getting money changed at the Hotels! We were met at the airport by our local guide Prasanna, he escorted us to our minibus and driver. The luggage was loaded into the 12 seater minibus & we were soon tasting the bright lights, hustle and bustle of Delhi! Even at this hour the roads were busy! We soon arrived at the Hotel Ashok Country Resort, everyone was shown to their appointed rooms. Hotel Ashok Country resort had good rooms with a mix of Indian & English breakfast. Overnight at Hotel Ashok Country Resort. Monday 21st November Before a late breakfast at 9.45am we had time for a quick bit of casual birding around the hotel and nearby gardens before departing for Agra and the Taj mahal. The well attended and mature gardens yielded a mix of commoner birds, highlights were – Indian House Crow, 50+ Black Kite, 20+ Rose-ringed Parakeet, Oriental White-eye, 2+ Coppersmith Barbet, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Indian Magpie-robin and 2 Greenish Warblers – a nice little introduction! We then loaded up the minibus and starting heading for Agra and the Taj Mahal, though we made steady progress this was interrupted by couple of stops for birding at roadside pools! We were treated to a fantastic mix of birds from these roadside stops – Indian Peafowl, 3 Egyptian Vulture, Painted Stork, several White-throated Kingfisher, Purple Swamphen, Red-Wattled Lapwing, 100’s of Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Black Drongo, Black-winged Kite, Indian Mynah, Black-winged Stilt, 5+ Snipe, 2+ Wood Sandpiper, 2 Marsh Sandpiper, 3 Temminck’s Stint, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Long-tailed Shrike, Pied Bushchat, Asian Pied Starling, Scaly-breasted Munia and Citrine Wagtail.

We also screeched to a halt in the midst of some farmland for great views of 2 Sarus Cranes, this repeated several times and probably saw at least 12 Sarus Cranes en-route. We eventually arrived in Agra mid-afternoon navigating through the busy streets and traffic of the town soaking up some of the atmosphere and experience. We then spent a pleasant couple of hours visiting the famous Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of world it was great experience. The group all took their iconic photographs of the Taj Mahal, and we were also kept entertained by numerous Black Kite spinning overhead throughout. From the rear of the Taj the River Yamuna is visible, with shallow edges and deeper water we soon managed to spy rafts of waders and wildfowl, hundreds of Black-winged Stilt, Ruddy Shelduck, Pied Kingfisher, several River lapwing, Great Egret, Greenshank, Redshank, Ruff and Common Sandpiper. There was many Little Swift, Barn Swallow and a few Red-rumped Swallow flying overhead. As the light faded we headed to the minibus and then took the drive to Bharatpur. After around two and half hours we arrived and were soon comfortably settled into our rooms at the Birders Inn. Evening meals were a buffet style mixture of Soup & various curries, with good choice of rice & Indian breads. Puddings were a largely a variation on rice puddings and semolina, with some very nice natural yoghurt! Birders Inn has large comfortable en-suite rooms with hot showers set in nice lawned grounds and is just a short distance of 200m to the Park entrance. Overnight at Birders Inn, Bharatpur. Tuesday 22nd November We all arrived for an early breakfast served at 6.30am. Immediately after breakfast our guide Brijendra got us great views in the garden of an Indian Scops Owl sat roosting in the trees. Our local guide Brijendra Singh is very knowledgeable on all the flora and fauna. He has excellent knowledge of the parks’ birds and wildlife and I highly recommend him. The park is a haven for storks, egrets ducks and waders, also raptors and owls. Our chosen team of rickshaw riders met us outside the Hotel and we were soon heading to the park entrance. Before we entered the park we were stopping and watching lots of Rose-ringed parakeets, Mynahs and 2 perched Eurasian Hobby. The birding in the park was immediate, intense and very exciting!! It was slow progress as the birds came thick and fast. Over the next few hours we saw an amazing array of 70+ species of birds, exploring the main track and then off to the right in the nursery area. The highlights in the morning were as follows – very good views of Coppersmith Barbet, 3+ Grey Hornbill, a lovely sunning Hoopoe, several stunning White-throated Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, 3+ Little Green Bee-eater, Common Hawk-cuckoo, 2 Oriental Honey-buzzard, 3+ Booted eagle, Long-tailed shrike, a smart male Red-breasted Flycatcher, several eye-catching Red-spotted Bluethroat, Oriental Magpie-robin, Indian Robin, 3+ Greenish warbler, Large Grey Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Purple Sunbird, Chestnut-shouldered Petronia, 10+ Indian Silverbill, a cracking roosting Oriental Scops Owl plus roosting Spotted Owlets. A subtle and tricky Tickells Thrush in the nursery area was also a personal favourite!

We headed back at midday for lunch, had a break, then headed back out into another area of the park in the afternoon, heading towards the main Egret and heronry area for dusk. A lot more wetland birds this afternoon. The highlights in the afternoon were as follows:- 10+ Ferruginous Duck, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pintail and Teal were fairly numerous, more eye-catching and non-european were several Spot-billed Duck, and Lesser Whistling Duck. Raptors were in evidence with 2 Egyptian Vuluture, 1 Greater Spotted eagle, Booted eagle, plus beautifully perched Shikra, Black-winged Kite and Marsh Harrier. Other highlights were many! Indian Peafowl, Black-rumped Flameback, White-breasted Waterhen and Bronze-winged Jacana. The Heronry stole the show, the noise and numbers of birds were just amazing. We sat here for a couple of hours, with hundreds of egrets, storks and cormoarnts coming and going. Great White, Little, and Intermediate Egrets, Purple & Grey Herons, Indian Darter, Little and Indian Cormorants, Painted Stork, Asian Openbill, Spoonbill, Black-headed Ibis, Glossy Ibis. An amazing spectacle on the water, but complimented by overhead activity of raptors, Red-rumped Swallow and Plain Martin. As well as the avifauna we also saw Spotted Deer, Sambar, Nilgai, Rhesus Macaque and Golden Jackal. We headed back after a fantastic first full day on the reserve. After an early dinner and log call, everyone was tired and off to bed for rest. Overnight at Birders Inn, Bharatpur. Wednesday 23rd November After breakfast at 6.30am we departed aboard the rickshaws for the park again, again the visit was split into two visits. We arrived back at Birders Inn for lunch at around 12.30pm and then headed back out into the park at 2pm till dusk. We saw many species again and started to gain some familiarity with the regular wetland birds, but also added many new species today as well! Avian highlights and new birds in the morning on the central and west areas as follows:- 15 Bar-headed Goose, 20 Cotton Pygmy-goose, 5+ Comb Duck, 20 Little Green Bee-eater, 4 Pheasant-tailed Jacana, White-tailed Plover, River Tern, close views of 3 Pied Kingfisher, Peregrine, 3 Black Bittern, Striated Heron, Osprey, Pied Bushchat, Blyth’s Reed Warbler and Yellow-eyed Babbler. After lunch we searched the South & East tracks to the grassland area, new species and highlights were:- Much closer and great views of White-tailed Plover, many more egrets and herons, the rare Black-necked Stork was seen, the only pair in the park, lets hope the nest is successful, 100+ Pintail, 50+ Shoveler, 10 Pochard, Tufted Duck, 12 Ferruginous Duck, 2 White-tailed Plover, 3 Pied Kingfisher and Sarus Crane. A Wryneck appeared all too briefly, but Red Avadavat, Black-heaed Munia and Black breasted Weaver all showed well! A real mammal highlight was seen late afternoon, when we were able to walk under several roosting Indian Flying Fox. Though the day finished off in real style! Just as the light faded, we eventually tracked down the calls of a fantastic Dusky Eagle Owl and had great views! We got back had tea and biscuits, showered and then headed back for dinner and the log call. The group total already at 117 species! Overnight at Birders Inn, Bharatpur.

Bharatpur images – Painted Stork, Indian Darter (Jenny Burgess), Oriental Scops Owl, Spotted Owlet, Coppersmith Barbet, Indian Scops Owl, Indian Python & Red-spotted Bluethroat. All images © Norfolk Birding

Thursday 24th November After 6.30am breakfast we departed for the park again. This morning we took a boat trip, which was just wonderful with beautiful views of the wetland and it’s birds. However, our main target from the boat was not a wetland species! The guides soon had the boats right up close and alongside a beautiful roosting Indian Nightjar, sat camouflaged on a horizontal branch. Lots of wetland birds were seen again, but also good views of raptors and vultures up on to the thermals. Egyptian Vulture, 6 Marsh harrier, 3 Greater Spotted Eagle and Osprey, soared overhead. Also overhead were a fantastic flock of Wire-tailed Swallows, a few adults retaining their distinctive tail extensions! Nearby along the banks, we had very good views of a Common Hawk-cuckoo. We then headed back to a look at the nursery area again, and after a bit of searching we eventually tracked down and had good views of Brown-headed Barbets sat atop the fruiting trees. We then headed back for lunch, thanked and tipped the rickshaw drivers who are fantastic group of people, hard working, eager to please and with lots of wildlife knowledge! After lunch we headed for a different habitat, an area of farmland, this proved well worthwhile and provided quite a few new species. Firstly, we looked at one field that was full of Yellow-wattled Lapwing, an attractive addition to our list. We then drove further on and parked, we then explored the fields on foot. One of the first birds were a superlative group of 8+ Indian Coursers, these are beautiful, charasmatic birds and we got really nice views. We came across several Hoopoes, then 5 Sarus Cranes they flew by quite close and gave nice scope views. Overhead a Short-toed Eagle was new for the trip. On the ground, we were soon watching 2 Wheatears, the first an Isabelline, the second a Desert Wheatear! Next the distinctive calls of Sandgrouse could be heard distantly, a few minutes later we were watching all around us, as c150 Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse spiralled down and into the fields. We had good scope views as they fed on the ground. Whilst watching these we picked out several shrikes, in fact over the next hour we saw four species! Southern Grey Shrike, race “lahtora”, Turkestan Shrike, Isabelline Shrike and Long-tailed Shrike. Other terrestrial species were a big flock of Greater Short-toed lark and several Tawny Pipit. A great afternoons birding, quite different to the previous birding at the wetland area of Bharatpur. After a filling curry, rice pudding and a beer and an epic systematic list roll call we were off to bed. Bharatpur had served up 150+ mind boggling species in our 3 day visit!

Friday 25th November After a slightly later breakfast we packed cases and said farewell to the Birders Inn staff and our guide, Brijendra. We loaded the minibus with our gear and then headed for a local area on the outskirts of Bharatpur where we visited a village with a sequence of small pools. Incredibly the “organic” looking pools complete with locals hosted the following:- 2 Wood Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, 2 White-throated Kingfisher, Cattle Egret, Red-wattled lapwing, Bank Mynah, Also Citrine Wagtail, and the main target species – 5+ Painted Snipe! Also close by was a perched Spotted Owlet. We then took the 4 hour journey in the minibus to Delhi, to catch the train up to Kathgodom. The train journey proved rather arduous, it ended up arriving around 3 hours late. By the time we reached Jungle Lore lodge, it was well into the small hours. A highlight though was prolonged views of a Porcupine, running in the headlights of the minibus. We had some hot food and then headed off to bed, I decided on a late breakfast to give everyone the chance to catch up on sleep! Overnight Jungle Lore Camp, Pangot. Saturday 26th November Over a late leisurely breakfast we sat watching the feeding area and water pool just below the lodge, with a cup of Indian Chai we marvelled as the birds came and went! Years ago you would have searched the forest floor for many of these species, but here were White-throated, Streaked, Striated and Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrushes, Rufous Sibia, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler, Black-headed Jay just feeding on rice, brazenly at times on the lodges paths and borders! Late morning we took a ride higher up into the near forest, the birding was tougher, especially compared with the easy birding of Bharatpur, but we slowly teased out new species one by one! Red-billed Blue Magpies are startling birds and we watched as these flew between the trees, nearby a group of 4 Black-throated Thrush, then flocks of smaller birds were well represented with White-tailed and Chestnut-bellied Nutchatch, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Spot-winged, Green-backed, Great, Black-lored, Yellow-browed and Black throated Tits numerous Oriental White-eye, Buff-barred, Lemon-rumped, and Humes warblers. Lovely views of a Brown-fronted Woodpecker rounded off a good hours spell of birding. We then headed back for lunch, we decided in the afternoon to split into two groups and take a 2 hour turn using the forest hide within the camp. The group outside of the hide, did a circular walk along the edge of the camp. Highlights this afternoon were:- 5+ Himalayan Vulture, Eastern Imperial Eagle, 5 Kalij Pheasant, 20+ Black-headed Jay, 10 Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, 30 White-throated laughing thrush, 5 Chestnut-headed Laughing thrush & Rusty-cheeked Scimitar babbler. We all had a lovely evening meal, warmed by an open wood fire and then headed with hot water bottles off to bed, with alarms set early for a visit to the higher forest at dawn the next morning.

Sunday 27th November After tea and biscuits at 5.45am we headed up to visit the highest part of the valley the Vinayak area at 1800m with Pheasants on our minds! As we headed upwards along the mountain road, the headlights picked out very briefly a Large-tailed Nightjar. Unfortunately it didn’t come back on to the road, despite killing the headlights. We arrived on the higher tracks as the sun was rising, after a couple of brief stops to listen, we heard a Koklass Pheasant calling, but it was very distant. Despite several stops we were still out of luck with the Koklass. With no further pheasant calls we headed higher into the forest, a Plain-backed Thrush perched out. Scanning higher up produced Himalayan Griffon Vulture. Just below us on the hillside a flock of c70 Altai Accentor were very flighty, a group of Crag Martin and Red-rumped Swallow also contained 2-3 Nepal House Martin but despite extensive searching we were unable to locate any Cheer Pheasants. (Though Chris & Ricardo returned post tour in December and subsequently had good views of 5 Cheer Pheasant on 10th December!). The higher open areas produced a few more birds with Blue-fronted Redstart and Grey-breated prinia. As we headed down through the forest along the narrow lanes, the canopy opened out and a huge vista stretched in front of us, right to the wonderful distant snow-capped mountains. We stopped off to admire and photograph the 7000m plus mountains of the Himalaya’s – an awe inspiring sight! The lower forest produced good views of Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker and improved views of some of the tits and warblers seen the previous day. We arrived back at the camp late morning, we packed our gear had lunch and then headed down towards Corbett NP. We stopped off halfway down for great views of 2 Great Barbet, showing well from a roadside stop! On arrival we headed for a well known Ibisbill site, at the Kosi river near Garjiya temple. I was hoping these might prove easier than the pheasants!! On reaching the bridge I scanned with binoculars just below having seen them on occasions nice and close here! We were in luck! Not one but 3 IBISBILLS!! Mid-afternoon and showing very well, fantastic! We lapped them up over the next hour, close views, flight views of one of the most iconic waders in the world. As we watched them, everyone slowly became aware of other birds along the river as well. River Lapwing, Striated Heron and 2 Crested Kingfisher, kept company with White-throated, Pied and Common Kingfishers. We marveled at the kingfishers, as they hovered, dived & caught their prey! Flocks of Little & Cattle Egrets and parakeets passed overhead as they left for their night’s roosts. Nice views of Blue Whistling Thrush, plus close ups of White-browed wagtails, White-capped and Plumbeous Water Redstarts, numerous along the river & very approachable. It was a fantastic couple of hours birding! We retired to Tiger Camp, showered, had dinner and then enjoyed a lovely illustrated talk about Corbett NP by my good friend, Sumantha Ghosh. Overnight Tiger Camp.

Bharatpur & Corbett images – Indian Darter, Painted Snipe, Large Hawk Cuckoo, Indian Nightjar, White-throated Kingfisher, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Spot-bellied eagle Owl & Indian Elephant (Jenny Burgess). All images © Norfolk Birding

Monday 28th November After a hectic few days and with Ibisbill in the bag, we had a slightly later breakfast at 7.30am. We then departed for Corbett NP and the Park camp at Dhikala. We had now transferred the group into three open back 4-wheel drive jeeps and were introduced to our new drivers. Corbett NP is a mixture of dense deciduous forest, riverine forest, grassland and presence of large water body has endowed this region with extremely rich avifauna, we weren’t to be disappointed! Birding started intensely even before entering the park as we hit a large roving flock alongside the main road! The journey into the park kept the birds coming thick and fast often in large parties, it was difficult to know which bird to look at first! Highlights were many – 4 Red Junglefowl, 2 Kalij Pheasant, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Streak-throated Woodpecker, 2 Lesser Yellownape, Greater Flameback, 2 Plain-backed Thrush, 10 Lineated Barbet, 1 Blue-throated Barbet, Emerald Dove, Indian Grey Hornbill, 2 Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Emerald Dove, a stunning pair of Great hornbill, 2 Oriental Pied Hornbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Plum-headed parakeet, Red-breasted parakeet, 20 Pin-tailed Green Pigeon Lesser Fish Eagle, 2 Pallas’s Fish eagle, Indian Spotted eagle, Steppe Eagle, Mountain hawk-eagle, Collared Falconet, Black Stork, Black-hooded Oriole, Maroon oriole, Large cuckooshrike, Small Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, White-throated fantail, Bronzed Drongo, Common Woodshrike, Common Iora, Chestnut-bellied Rock thrush, Small Niltava, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Black-crested Bulbul, Ashy Bulbul, White-crested laughing thrush, Blue-winged Minla, Crimson Sunbird & Greater racket-tailed Drongo! The highlights weren’t limited to birds either, a lovely views of a group of eight Indian Elephants, Spotted & Samba Deer, Mugger & Garial crocodiles and Wild Boar were all seen!Plus good views of some large Golden Mahseer, a beautiful freshwater fish, below us in the river. More excitement came during the drive into the park, as the guides heard Spotted Deer alarm calling, a Tiger was not faraway and we were soon admiring the large fresh pug marks in the sandy edges along the track. We sat quietly waiting but weren’t lucky enough to see this Tiger! There were close alarm calls and fresh looking pug marks, but we did need to keep something back after an amazing day! We eventually reached Dhikala camp, we settled into our rooms, admired the fantastic view rom the restaurant area, stretching across the grasslands to the large water body. Overnight at Dhikala Forest Lodge

Tuesday 29th November We headed out at 6.30 for a pre-breakfast drive arriving back at 9.30 for breakfast. We then breakfasted and headed back out aboard the three jeeps at 10.30 and then back for lunch at around 12.30PM. We then headed out again from 2-5.30pm for the afternoon safari. We saw many of the species again from the previous day, but one of the highlights in the morning were wonderful views of a new species for me – Spot-bellied eagle Owl! Highlights and new species in the day:- 5 Mallard! Also good views of Blue-bearded Bee-eater, 10 Crested Treeswift, 5+ River Tern, Osprey, Lesser & Pallas’s Fish Eagle, 2 Red-headed Vulture, Changeable hawk-eagle, a very different looking Peregrine of the race “peregrinator”, 2 Woolly-necked Stork, 3 Green Magpie, Collared Falconet, Black Stork, Black-hooded Oriole, Maroon Oriole, Large Cuckooshrike, Small Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Spangled Drongo, and Brown Crake. The day was drawing to an end, but was culminated in an amazing fifteen minutes! It will undoubtedly be recalled many times and live-long in everyone’s memories! Dusk was almost upon us, nearby Peacocks & Deer were alarm calling, we knew a Tiger was on the move, but we had sat through this experience several times before and hadn’t even glimpsed the beautiful black and orange stripes. The atmosphere was electric, the adrenalin was flowing, and jeeps and people sat in silence. Suddenly it was there!!! A Tiger, a Tigress wandered down the bank, hidden from view she bathed, then suddenly she was leaping through the grass in pursuit of a young Samba, a truly awe inspiring experience! Overnight at Dhikala Forest Lodge Tiger female Corbett NP All images © Norfolk Birding

Wednesday 30th November We headed out at 6.30 for a pre-breakfast drive arriving back at 9.30 for breakfast. We then breakfasted and headed back out aboard the three jeeps at 10.30 and then back for lunch at around 12.30PM. We then headed out again from 2-5.30pm for the afternoon safari. Highlights and new species:- 5 Red Junglefowl, 2 Kalij Pheasant, 2 Himalayan Flameback, Stork-billed Kingfisher, better views of Green Magpie, White-tailed Rubythroat (for one jeep!) Another highlight on a personal level was seeing Nepal Wren Babbler, a species that had eluded on all my previous 12 visits! Shortly after this, another special bird, a Tawny Fish Owl that had eluded this trip until now, always an amazing bird to see, sadly not everyone got good views as it flew from its perch into the forest. We saw many of the same species again from the previous day, but one of the highlights in the morning were wonderful views of a new species for me – Spot-bellied eagle Owl! Over the lake 10+ River tern, Osprey, 2 Pallas’s Fish eagle, 4 Red-headed Vulture, 2 Cinereous Vulture, 2 Changeable Hawk eagle, Hen Harrier, 1 Mountain Hawk eagle, Collared Falconet. The grassland and lake provided a couple of new species, albeit much less obtrusive – Golden-headed Cisticola and Plain Prinia. Also nearby c10 Black-headed Oriole, a Large Cuckoo-shrike, flocks of Red-whiskered Bulbul, plus a big flock of White-crested Laughing Thrush cackling away. Mid morning and another “wait and see” moment as repeated alarm calls belied the presence of another Tiger. I glimpsed this one, just its head and ears as it melted away into the forest! However, after lunch, we headed back out and the alarm calls were again evident, after a bit off waiting, the guide JP took the decision for us to head up to one of the tower viewpoints. I led the way and reached the top with Andy, Ricardo and Richard close behind, they were just close enough along with me, to see a magnificent male Tiger walk silently underneath the platform! This big male, quietly evaporated in seconds! I was relieved the group had, had prolonged views the previous day! The afternoon’s birding was lovely along the shoreline of the lake. We came across some more Indian Elephants, lots of Swallows, Red-rumped Swallow and Plain Martins were hawking insects and the River Terns were gracefully fishing just offshore. As were several Mugger & Gharial Crocodiles! Lesser Fish Eagles and Ospreys were fishing and interacting, 2 Collared Falconets sat perched on top of dead trees. It was a lovely warm lazy afternoon on our final full day in the park! We finished the day with everyone getting far more satisfactory views of Brown Fish Owl.

Thursday 1st December Our last morning in the park and we headed out again early for a pre-breakfast jeep safari. Birds came thick and fast again, in concentrated flocks, highlights Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, 2 Himalayan flameback, great views of a big, noisy flock of White-crested Laughing Thrush. Down by the river, another set of alarm calls, but this time the big “stripey cat” failed to emerge! Whilst waiting we did have stunning views of 2 Crested Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher and a very tame White-capped Water Redstart. After breakfast we took a steady drive out of the park, but we still had one more special species to see, another “Fishing-Owl” and we had great views of 2 Brown Fish Owl sat roosting in dead trees along the river edge. At the Park gate, we said farewells to our drivers and guides of the last few days, switched vehicles and left the wonderful Corbett NP behind us. We next took the winding road onwards to our next destination in the buffer zone of Corbett NP, a wonderful remote camp alongside the Ramganga river at Vangat. We enjoyed the 2km walk to the camp and we all had fun crossing the river on the wooden raft. We were all fitted up with life-jackets & hard hats! There was also plenty of birds around the river 10+ White-capped Water Redstart, 10+ Plumbeous Water Redstart, Long-tailed Shrike, c20 Bronzed Drongo, several Blue Whistling Thrush, plus White-browed & Yellow-bellied fantail in the bushes. A star bird was captured on camera albeit distantly but enough to grab identification - a Rufous-bellied Eagle, not recorded at the camp before. We arrived at the camp mid afternoon, over a cup of tea we marvelled as many birds came into drink adjacent to the restaurant area. Particularly, striking was a stunning male Rufous-bellied Niltava, also bathing were Ashy Bulbul & lots of lovely Oriental White-eyes – good to get a nice clear view of these. We then took a short walk through the camp and along the river – 2 Lineated and Blue-throated Barbet showed extremely well around the camp as well as 2 Great Barbets, one heard and one seen. Down by the river the birds kept coming 2 Lesser Fish eagle were constantly up and down the river fishing, a Mountain Hawk-eagle soared higher above the ridge, across the river a small group of Long-tailed Minivets were flitting in the trees and several flocks of Bronzed Drongo were hawking insects over the trees. Probably the most watched bird though was a lovely Wallcreeper, most appreciated by Rowland (a species he had longed to see for many years!). Other noteworthy birds were Common Kingfisher, Crested Kingfisher, Water Redstarts another new species, Brown Dipper! Overnight Vangat River Camp

Bharatpur, Corbett & Pangot images – Brown Fish owl, Striated Laughing Thrush, Little Forktail, cattle herder in fields, (Jenny Burgess), Wallcreeper & Rufous-bellied Woodpecker. All images © Norfolk Birding

Friday 2nd December We took a breakfast walk just as it was getting light. We then headed back for breakfast and then we then explored the whole area after breakfast till lunch. We managed a very nice list of birds around the camp and all inside the beautiful settingof the river valley. The mornings birding was lively with Lineated and Blue-throated Barbets, Pallas’s & 2 Lesser Fish eagle, Long-tailed Minivet, Red Junglefowl, great views of Grey-headed Woodpecker. Overhead 20+ White-rumped Needletail, 1 Mountain Hawk eagle, and a Jungle Owlet sat out on a dead tree at dawn. Red-billed Blue Magpie, 15+Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Yellow-bellied & White-browed Fantail, a male Blue Rock Thrush, White-crested Laughing Thrush, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Black-crested Bulbul, Green-tailed and Black-throated Sunbird. Black-chinned Babbler, Red-billed Leiothrix, Whiskered Yuhina, Black-headed & Scaly-breasted Munia, Along the river the small water birds were much in evidence 10+ White-capped Water Redstart, 10+ Plumbeous Water Redstart, Grey & White-browed wagtail, Long-tailed Shrike, c20 Bronzed Drongo, several Blue Whistling Thrush. Plus great scope views perched and then in flight of the majestic Wallcreeper! We finished the day with an evening meal, a camp fire and a glass of wine, whisky or beer! Overnight Vangat River Camp Saturday 3rd December We all had a lie in this morning until 730am! We then had breakfast before heading across the river on via another raft journey and exploring the woodland on the other side. The forest this morning was quite busy and we scored with several good birds as well as several nice parties of species previously seen! Highlights and new birds were:- Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, 30+ White-rumped-Needletail, 10 Little Swift, Black-throated Thrush, 2 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Little Pied Flycatcher, 10+ Grey-breasted Prinia, 2 Lemon-rumped Warbler, Humes Warbler, 3+ Grey-hooded Warbler, 3+ Whistler’s Thrush, White-throated and White Crested Laughing Thrush the real stand out bird for everyone though, was a showy White-tailed Rubythroat! We then took a steep track, following a stream up through the forest, to a stunning and beautiful waterfall. Just as we headed up the stream a Spotted Forktail, took flight and flew past us, unfortunately it then managed to do a disappearance act! However, a Little Forktail was found at the base of a waterfall then climbing further up and feeding in the edges of the stream, everyone had great views. Then another movement higher up amongst the leaf litter alerted us to a thrush, a Long-billed Thrush! The Pallas’s Fish & Lesser Fish Eagle were both in evidence as we walked back, hunting up and down the river. We had a lazy lunch, then we had another walk along the camp and river. Repeat views of many species, the standout birds were 2 Wallcreeper, 2 Brown Dipper, 2 Crested Kingfisher. Overhead there was a good group of raptors - 14 Himalayan Griffon Vulture, 1 Greater Spotted eagle, 2 Steppe Eagle & the Rufous-belled Eagle put in another performance. Overnight Vangat River Camp.

Corbett & Pangot images Whistlers warbler, Red-billed Blue magpie, Blue Whistling Thrush, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Black-throated Tit & Great Hornbill All images © Norfolk Birding

Sunday 4th December After breakfast everyone packed there bags and we headed off via the river raft ride to the minibus and then onward to Kathgodom train station, where we were met by Prasanna who escorted the group for their onward journey to Delhi airport. So ended another amazing tour of North India, with 306 species of birds, 17 species of mammal including 2 Tiger sightings and a set of amazing memories with a great group.

Systematic list of birds recorded on the Tour

1 Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus

2 Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus

3 Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos

4 Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha

5 Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus

6 Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica

7 Greylag Goose Anser anser

8 Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus

9 Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos

10 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

11 Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus

12 Gadwall Anas strepera

13 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

14 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha

15 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

16 Northern Pintail Anas acuta

17 Common Teal Anas crecca

18 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca

19 Little Grebe Tachybaptus rufficollis

20 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala

21 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans

22 Black Stork Ciconia nigra

23 Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhyncus asiaticus

24 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcocus

25 Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus

26 Spoonbill Platalea alba

27 Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis

28 Little/Striated Heron Butorides striata

29 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycitorax nycitorax

30 Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii

31 Grey Heron Ardea Cinerea

32 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

33 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

34 Great Egret Casmerodius albus

35 Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia

36 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

37 Indian Darter Anhinga melanogaster

38 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger

39 Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

40 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

41 Collared Falconet Microhierax caerulescens

42 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

43 Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

44 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

45 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus

46 Black Kite Milvus migrans

47 Osprey Pandion halietus

48 Pallas’s Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus

49 Lesser Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis

50 Oriental Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus

51 White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa

52 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus

53 Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayanesis

54 Eurasian Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus

55 Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus

56 Red-headed Vulture Sargogyps calvus

57 Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela

58 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

59 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus

60 Shikra Accipiter badius

61 Eurasian Sparowhawk Accipiter nisus

62 Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata

63 Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga

64 Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis

65 Eastern Imperial Eagle Heraaetus fasciatus

66 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

67 Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus

68 Mountain Hawk Eagle Spizaetus nipalensis

69 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus

70 Brown Crake Amaurornis akool

71 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

72 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

73 Common Coot Fullica atar

74 Sarus Crane Grus antigone

75 Indian Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

76 Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus

77 Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus

78 Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii

79 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

80 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

81 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii

82 Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malarbaricus

83 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus

84 White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus

85 Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis

86 Ruff Philomachus pugnax

87 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

88 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

89 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

90 Common Redshank Tringa totanus

91 Common Greenshank Tringa nebulria

92 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis

93 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

94 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

95 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

96 Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii

97 Indian Courser Cursorious coromandelicus

98 Brown-headed Gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

99 River Tern Sterna aurantia

100 Rock Pigeon Columba livia

101 Eurasian Collared Dove Streotopelia decaocto

102 Laughing Dove Stigmatopelia senegalensis

103 Yellow-footed Green pigeon Treron phoenicoptera

104 Pin-tailed green Pigeon Treron apicauda

105 Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica

106 Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis

107 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus

108 Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri

109 Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana

110 Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala

111 Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri

112 Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius

113 Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea

114 Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis

115 Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis

116 Indian Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena

117 Oriental Scops Owl Otus sunia

118 Jungle Owlet Glaucidium radiatum

119 Spotted Owlet Athene brama

120 Dusky Eagle Owl Bubo coromandus

121 Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis

122 Tawny Fish Owl Ketupa flavipes

123 Spot-bellied Eagle Owl Bubo nipalensis

124 Indian Nightjar Caprimulgus asiaticus

125 Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus

126 White-rumped Needletail Zoonavena sylvatica

127 Crested Tree Swift Hemiprocne coronata

128 Little Swift Apus affinis

129 Common Hoopoe Upupa epops

130 Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis

131 White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis

132 Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

133 Crested Kingfisher Megaceryle lugubris

134 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis

135 Blue Bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni

136 Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris

137 Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis

138 Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris

139 Great Barbet Megalaima virens

140 Brown-headed Barbet Megalaima zeylanica

141 Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata

142 Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica

143 Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala

144 Wryneck Jynx Torquilla

145 Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus

146 Rufous-bellied Woodpecker Dendrocopus hiperythrus

147 Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos nanus

148 Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopus canicapillus

149 Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopus macei

150 Himalayan Woodpecker Dendrocopus himalayensis

151 Lesser Yellownape Picus chlorophus

152 Greater Yellownape Chrysophlegma flavinucha

153 Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus

154 Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus

155 Himalayan Goldenback Dinopium shorii

156 Lesser Goldenback Dinopium benghalense

157 Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus

158 Speckled Piculet Picumnus innominatus

159 Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondiceranius

160 Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus

161 Common Iora Aegithina tiphia

162 Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus

163 Small Minivet Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

164 Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus

165 Orange-bellied Leafbird Chloropsis hardwickii)

166 Southern Grey Shrike (lahtora) Lanius meridionalis

167 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus

168 Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach

169 Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus

170 Turkestan or Red-tailed Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides

171 Lesser racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus remifer

172 Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocerus

173 Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus

174 Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus

175 Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus

176 Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus

177 Maroon Oriole Oriolus traillii

178 Large Cuckooshrike

179 White-throated Fantail Rhipdura albicollis

180 Yellow-bellied Fantail Chelidorhynx hypozantha

181 Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius

182 Black-headed Jay Garrulus lanceolatus

183 Red-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa erythrorhyncha

184 Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis

185 Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda

186 Eastern Jungle Crow Corvus (macrorhynchos) levaillantii

187 Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos

188 Northern Raven Corvus corax

189 House Crow Corvus splendens

190 Great Tit Parus major

191 Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus

192 Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus

193 Black-lored Tit Parus xanthogenys

194 Spot-winged Tit (Coal Tit) Periparus ater

195 Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus

196 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola

197 Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris

198 Nepal House martin Delichon nipalense

199 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

200 Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica

201 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii

202 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla

203 Crested Lark Galerida cristatus

204 Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonutus leucogenys

205 White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis

206 Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus

207 Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus

208 Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonutus cafer

209 Ashy Bulbul Hemixos flavala

210 Striated Prinia Prinia criniger

211 Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii

212 Plain Prinia Prinia inornata

213 Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis

214 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis

215 Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis

216 Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius

217 Blyth's Reed warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum

218 Aberrant Bush-warbler Horornis flavolivaceus

219 Chestnut-headed Tesia Tesia castaneocoronata

220 Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus (tristis)

221 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

222 Buff-barred Warbler Phylloscopus pulcher

223 Lemon-rumped Warbler Phylloscopus chloronatus

224 Hume's Warbler Phylloscopus humei

225 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trocholoides

226 Grey-hooded Warbler Seicercus xanthoschistos

227 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

228 Whistlers Warbler Seicercus burkii

229 Black-faced Warbler Abroscopus schisticeps

230 Black-chinned Babbler Stachyris pyrrhops

231 Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus erythrogenys

232 Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus

233 Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi

234 Jungle Babbler Turdoides striatus

235 Nepal Wren-babbler Pnoepyga immaculata

236 White-throated Laughing-thrush Garrulax albogularis

237 White-crested Laughing-thrush Garrulax leucolophus

238 Striated Laughing-thrush Garrulax striatus

239 Streaked Laughing-thrush Garrulax lineatus

240 Chesnut-crowned L. Thrush Garrulax erythrocephalus

241 Blue-winged Siva Siva strigula

242 Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea

243 Whiskered Yuhina Yuhina flavicollis

244 Rufous Sibia Heterophasia capistrata

245 Yellow-eyed Babbler Chrysomma sinese

246 Oriental White-eye Zosterops ceylonensis

247 Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasi

248 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Sitta castanea

249 White-tailed Nuthatch Sitta himalayensis

250 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis

251 Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria

252 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

253 Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus

254 Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra

255 Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum

256 Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

257 Long-billed Thrush Zoothera monticolla

258 Plain-backed Thrush Zoothera mollissima

259 Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis

260 Tickells Thrush Turdus unicolor

261 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica

262 White-tailed Rubythroat Luscinia pectoralis

263 Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis

264 Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicata

265 Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosus

266 White-capped Water Redstart Chaimarrornis leucocephalus

267 Blue-capped Redstart Phoenicurus coeruleocephalus

268 Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis

269 Eastern Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus

270 Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri

271 Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus

272 Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata

273 Siberian Stonechat Saxicola (torquata) maura

274 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata

275 Grey Bushchat Saxicola ferrea

276 Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe picata

277 Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti

278 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solatarius

279 Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Montocola rufiventris

280 Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher Ficedula strophiata

281 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva

282 Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni

283 Slaty-blue Flycatcher Ficedula tricolor

284 Grey-headed Canary Fly Culicicapa ceylonsis

285 Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara

286 Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus

287 Green-tailed Sunbird Aethopyga nipalensis

288 Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja

289 Black-throated Sunbird Aethopyga saturata

290 House Sparrow Passer domesticus

291 Chestnut-shouldered Petronia Petronia xanthocollis

292 Yellow-breasted Greenfinch Chloris spinoides

293 Red Avadavat Amandava amandava

294 Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica

295 Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata

296 Black-headed Munia Lonchura atricapilla

297 Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana

298 Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus

299 Black-breasted Weaver Ploceus benghalensis

300 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola

301 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

302 White Wagtail Motacilla alba

303 White-browed Wagtail Motacilla maderspatensis

304 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris

305 Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni

306 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus

Systematic list of mammals and “others” recorded on the Tour MAMMALS

Indian Flying Fox

Rhesus Macaque

Hanuman Langur

Golden Jackal

Indian Grey Mongoose

Tiger

Indian Elephant

Wild Boar

Ghoral

Hog Deer

Indian Muntjac

Sambar

Spotted Deer or Chital

Nilgai

Five-striped Ground Squirrel

Black Rat

Porcupine

OTHERS

Mugger Crocodile

Gharial (crocodile)

Soft-celled Ganges Turtle

Golden Mahseer (fish)

Catfish (Goonch)

Indain Python

Future Tours If you are interested in joining us in India then we have a tour in December 2017 please contact us for details. Norfolk Birding www.norfolkbirding.com chrismills@norfolkbirding.com 07876 357677