NEPAL REP 09 - Birdquest

Owlet, watching him shiver all over as he called, and we then explored an area of scrub on the lower
slopes of Phulchowki. The hoped-for Spiny Babbler did not appear, but we did pick up a displaying
Crested Goshawk, several neat little Speckled Piculets, Mountain Bulbul, singing Orange-bellied
Leafbirds, Slaty-blue Flycatchers, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Blackbreasted
Sunbird, Ashy Drongo and a superb Scaly-bellied Wren-Babbler for our efforts. As a result it
was later than planned when we entered the botanic gardens at Godaveri, but here the terrain was
gentle and the birds still active, with White-capped Riverchats and Plumbeous Redstarts along the
stream, Blyth's Crowned, Yellow-browed and Yellow-rumped Leaf Warblers in the trees (keeping the
necks strained upwards), together with another Barred Owlet, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Chestnutbellied
Nuthatch and Himalayan Black Bulbul. We also admired Orange-gorgeted Flycatcher, Greybellied
Tesia, Hodgson's and a very smart Blue-fronted Redstart, as well as enjoying our picnic. To
round off the day we returned to the lower slopes of Phulchowki, where it was very quiet, but we did
manage to squeeze in great looks at a pair of wonderful Spotted Forktails before returning to our
hotel.
Day three started well on Phulchowki with a group of Red-billed Blue Magpies moving through the
trees, shrieking to each-other. We headed straight up the hill, and this paid off when a trio of Cutias
were spotted almost as soon as we got out of the bus in the target zone. We had great views of them,
and in the same area enjoyed White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Grey-winged
Blackbird and several caterwauling Maroon Orioles. Moving higher, we found a Himalayan Redflanked
Bush-Robin (what a mouthful), Hoary Barwing, Chestnut-tailed Minla, three great Whitecollared
Blackbirds and a party of Black-throated Thrushes feeding on some tasty-looking red berries.
A party of Green Shrike-Babblers was a very nice surprise (and we saw a fourth later in the day), but
then things really slowed down and the middle of the day was rather quiet. We persevered, however,
finding Whistler's Warbler, Yellow-browed Tit, some diamond-tailed Large-billed Crows, a smart
male Little Pied Flycatcher, Small Niltava and finally a Pygmy Wren-Babbler (a very nice comparison
with the Scaly-bellied Wren-Babbler seen well earlier in the day). It had been a great session, but at
last it was time to weave our way back to the hotel through the twilight traffic (and ask, who in their
right minds would ride a bicycle in Kathmandu?).
For a change we had a morning at Nagarjung on our final day in the Kathmandu valley. Dozens of
Red-billed Blue Magpies greeted us, as did Grey Treepie, and along the dusty road we spent some
time looking at low scrub, finding Grey-sided and Aberrant Bush-Warblers, Black-chinned Babblers,
Rufous-bellied Niltavas, a vocal Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler and more Whistler's Warblers.
Nagarjung is fairly open forest, and by walking quietly through the low shrubs we found several
Small-billed Scaly Thrushes (it must be one of the easiest places to catch up with 'White's Thrush' as
it once was). The trees held Blue-throated Barbets, Hair-crested Drongos and a Lesser Yellownape,
but we could not track down a calling Collared Owlet, which went silent whenever we thought we
had got close to it, much to my chagrin. In the late morning we drove a long way up the dusty road
towards the summit, but apart from a Booted Eagle this was not productive, so after a picnic and
another bash for White's Thrushes, we headed back to the gate (the rear vehicle picking up Whitecrested
Laughingthrush, compensation for the lead vehicle's Black Francolin on the way up). It was
then through the congested streets of the city to emerge back into the 'countryside' along the Bagmati
river for some waterbirds and a change of scene.
We spent some time in the late afternoon exploring a short section of the polluted, rubbish-filled
Bagmati River. Despite the filth, we started well with a flock of Himalayan Greenfinches, and then
found some Grey-headed Lapwings (at least 15), a real bonus bird. Other waders included three
Black-winged Stilts and several Greenshanks, and there was a variety of alba wagtails and a Rosy
Pipit as well. A nearby pool held a variety of ducks, including Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon,
Ferruginous Duck and a vagrant Chinese Spotbill. Also seeking sanctuary were White-breasted
Cormorants and Black-crowned Night Herons, as well as a lone Dabchick. The surrounding fields
held quite a few Olive-backed Pipits and we had a brief look at a Jungle Cat before it slunk off into
the bushes.
2 Birdquest: Nepal 2009