Hi
heres the second part of my trip report where i wud narrate my birding and adventure in the upper reaches of the Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Day4 (8th June): After the rewarding early morning jungle safari in Jianti forests, we returned back to our resort and packed our luggages. We would leave Jainti today and wud spend three days in the Buxa hills. A Tata Sumo took us to Santhalabari a small settlement at the base of the hills..from where we trekked uphill along the wide rocky path that leads to Sadar Bazar. Generally the car takes tourists to the View point...but our car didnt want to take that risk as the road was broken,steep and slippery. We had planned to stay at Rover's Inn- a small resort at Sadar Bazar village.
The owner of the resort Mr.Indrashankar Thapa had sent porters to carry our luggages. The porters came at the right time, and went away with all our luggages.The path was steep at some points...and so we walked slowly. This path runs through the forested hills of Buxa..and is definitely a good spot for birds. We spotted a flock of Great Hornbills on the way...but they were out of photographic range.So we had to remain contented seeing them thru binoculars. The forests were all covered with dense mist...and the path was not clearly visible at times. I heard calls of Whiskered Yuhinas coming from the lower vales. And a Blue Whistling thrush was calling continuously but it didnt show up. After about half an hour of trekking, we finally reached the View point....i was sweating like anything..even in that cold weather. So we sat under the cement-umbrella and took rest for sometime. We checked our trousers and legs for leeches...which are found in plenty in these hills. Suddenly a small flock of Whiskered Yuhinas appeared as if from nowhere..and flitted among the bushes. They were busy collecting berries and insects. they were soon joined by a pair of Black-crested bulbuls...which are quite common in this area. We observed the activities of these birds for sometime..and prepared ourselves for the next half of the journey.
A pair of Great barbets greeted us...and we got a glimpse of the Blue-whistling thrush..that came out once to oblige us.
Finally we reached Rover's Inn at 130pm. Sadarbazar is a small settlement in the Buxa hills...consisting of 22 families.
Mr.Thapa was waiting to receive us. I told him about my interest in birds, and he assured me to show some nice hill birds..which they have many in these hills. It was really nice to learn that Mr.Thapa was spreading conservation awareness among the villagers...and he has also asked the village-kids not to kill birds with catapults.
After a nice lunch, Mr.Thapa took us to Buxa Fort. Fortunately the weather had become clear by that time....and we took some good snaps of the forests. streams and the spectacular hills.
We had to cross a small stream...and i got a White-capped water Redstart hopping on the rocks. The habitat was ideal for laughing thrushes...and i came to know from Mr.Thapa that he had seen the White-crested species in this part. So we waited for few minutes near this stream...and soon we were rewarded by the wonderful sight of a small flock of these birds. the entire flock was moving through the dense shrubs. Finally one of the birds obliged us..it came out in the open...and searched for insects in the leaf litter. Soon the laughing thrushes vanished in the mist-shrouded foothill forests....and a cacophony of laughter-like calls echoed in the vales.
The melodious calls of the White-rumped Shama was frequently heard...add we were lucky to see the bird as it came out of the bushes and perched on a tree nearby.
The cool hill-forests finally gave way to a plain land surrounded by small huts and cottages. We have reached Daragaon....a small village adjacent to the Buxa Fort. Parts of the forests have been cleared for human habitation...but higher up the hills were still densely forested. We visited the Buxa Fort and came to know many things about the history of this ancient structure. Most parts of the fort have been destroyed in course of time...and what remains are the ruins. The area was overgrown with bushes and ferns , and the walls were covered with mosses and lichens. A lone Spangled drongo could be seen atop a leafless tree. A Greater Yellownape kept calling loudly as it looked for grubs in a mango tree. A pair of Chestnut-tailed nuthatches scampered up and down the trunk of an old tree.
We sat on a cement platform inside the ruins of the fort..and observed the activities of the birds. Soon a dense mass of cloud came floating from the hills..and covered the entire area.
We came down to Daragaon, and enjoyed a refreshing cup of tea at a shop. The owner of the shop was glad to know that i came to watch birds, and he told us many things about the birds and wildlife of the place. I told him about my plans to go to Rover's point at the top of a hill the next morning. He advised it was better not to go there in the monsoon, because the slopes are very sleepery and leeches might fall from the trees.
Some other villagers soon joined us in the discussion.
While discussing about birds, I came to know that an old man often comes to this place and he searches for the the Red-breasted Hill partridge (Arborophila mandelli) in the hill forests. This bird is considered to be vulnerable by the IUCN Red Data List...and has been sighted in the upper reaches of Buxa hills recently. This bird is also known as the Chestnut-breasted Partridge. The old gentleman had also given a painting calendar of the bird to many villagers to spread awareness. The shopkeeper showed me the calendar, and we were surprised to learn that these hills are home to this rare beauty.
Many villagers have heard the calls of the bird...but its difficult to observe and study the habits of the species due to its secretive nature. Moreover it is found in the most inaccessible parts of the hills.
After a long interesting chat with the villagers, we returned back to our resort. It was already dark...and the misty hill-forests looked so mysterious. Calls of owls resounded in the vales. Crickets were chirping loudly. We sat in the long veranda of our resort for sometime listening to the different calls coming from the hills. There is no electricity in this resort....only there was a small battery light in our room...that remained off for most of the time. There was complete darkness all around us.....cool mist was entering our room thru the window. I spent the evening telling Corbett's stories of man-eating leopard to my friend Saurabh.....and he took a lot of interest in it.
But he was really scared to know that leopards are known to frequent these hills in the evening..and he asked me to lock the door properly. I assured him nothing wud happen becoz leopards dont have the guts to enter rooms of resorts. Suddenly the door of the room opened...and both of us started screaming with terror. But it was the care-taker boy who had come to ask about dinner......ooof!..what a relief.
I got up and locked the door immediately.
Day5 (9th June): It was five in the morning and the sun was yet to spread its warmth. I got up and was ready to explore the adjoining hills.
The air was chilly and wet. Saurabh gave me a casual glance...and immediately covered his face with the warm quilt......perhaps he laughed at my craziness about birds....
i gave him a smile and went away.
Not far from our resort, a tall banyan tree with its huge root buttresses povided a perfect perch from many winged visitors.
This was the tree where a group of birders spotted Great Hornbills a month ago. A few Black-crested bulbuls gathered in the tree and quarreled among themselves. Some hill Mynahs perched on the upper branches sometime. Then came a pair of Great Barbets. A tiny Pygmy woodpecker was tapping on the rotten branches of the tree to extract grubs. I waited under the tree for almost half an hour but the Great hornbills didnt show up. So i decided to go to Lepchakha village a few kms away.
The trek route was very nice...and i got some interesting birds on the way. A flock of Red-tailed Minlas were encountered...and the sweet melodious call of the Indian Cuckoo was also heard. A few Pompadour pigeons were perched high up on the canopy of a towering tree. Suddenly there was a flash of blue in the lower bushes....a small Niltava.
The village Lepcha Kha is really an artist's dream...its a beautiful painting in the canvas of nature. The birds that were spotted in the village consisted of Black crested bulbuls, Maroon orioles, Racket-tailed drongoes,White-eyes, and few Nuthatches. The Buddhist Gumpha is a also lovely place to visit....and adds to the beauty of the place.
On my way back to Rover's Inn, i got Asian Fairy bluebirds and some Green-backed tits. The former seemed to be equally at home in the hills.
I came back to the resort only to find that Saurabh was sitting in the veranda and brushing his teeth.....he gave me an angry look as if i have done a great mistake by not taking him with me.
I was feeling really weary and exhausted,after the long walk to Lepchakha...and so had a short nap after showing the pics to Saurabh. He repented for not going with me to this lovely village.
In the afternoon, we climbed down the hills to reach View Point..from where we got some great breathtaking views of the entire Buxa tiger reserve,,,,intersected by the mighty Jainti and Bala rivers....we took many snaps of sceneries from this spot.
There was little bird activity ...and it had started raining. So we decided to return to the resort before the drizzle is transformed into a downpour. I spotted two Barred cuckoo doves on the way.
In the evening, we enjoyed listening to Thapa da's Rabindra Sangeet. He sings extremely well…and his Bengali pronounciation is quite good. He played his wooden musical instrument Byanjo…and the music was really soothing.
Day 6 (10th June): Next morning, I planned to go to Chunavati village and insisted Saurabh to go with me. But he refused to come out of the quilt asusual. I thanked to God for giving me the perfect "birding companion"…
I left for Chunavati village with my guide- a little boy who works in the resort. He took a lot of interest in birds and we trekked thru the narrow trails. We have to cross three hills to reach Chunavati. At some places, the trail was very steep….and we trudged thru the leech infested thickets. I was carrying some salt that I wud sprinkle if I find any leech crawling up my legs. A mixed flock of birds flitted past.
I looked thru my binoculars and found that the group consisted of Blue-winged Minlas, Long-tailed Minivets, and Black-faced Warblers. We climbed up the first hill and reached a high spot wherefrom the lower forests and streams could be clearly seen.
A Black Eagle was soaring below....and few Spangled Drongoes were defending their territories.
We cautiously moved along the narrow trail and waited in some spots for birds.....we stumbled upon a flock of medium-sized birds. They were the rarely seen Blue-winged laughing thrushes...i had never expected these birds in Buxa hills.
I was trying to take snaps of the birds...when i felt an itching sensation in my ankles....some nettle leaves have brushed against my leg. The portion of the leg reddened instantly and i scratched the area to get relief. I missed the birds meanwhile...
What a pathetic end of a great beginning....
The guide-boy advised me to be careful...as nettles grow in abundance here. Cool breeze was blowing and was brushing past our hair. The trail cut thru dense pristine montane forest, creepers and epiphytes festooned the trees.....the inpenetrable hill-shrubs made bird sightings impossible. Unknown warblers and fulvettas were more audible and rarely visible.
An ashy-throated warbler emerged out of the thickets and danced on a shrub...
My legs had started paining....so i prefered to sit on a rocky ledge...overlooking the green forested valleys. I looked down the vertcal rocks, into the deep gorge below. The shimmer of water of a small stream that gurgled below was barely visible thru the curtain of dense vegetation. The trail led to a hangning bridge on the mountain stream...and we waited there for sometime in anticipation of spotting some stream-side birds. The smart Whitecapped Redstart soon appeared and danced on the rocks....
the walls of the steep forested ravines with their infinite shades of green were a perfect complement to the blue ribbon of the stream....we climbed up the steep slopes....and finally reached a very high spot. I stood at the edge of the hill....admiring the picturesque beauty of the lovely Buxa hills.
A Common Kestrel soared above the gorge. what a wonderful sight indeed. I was feeling like at the top of the world...
I have always had a soft corner for rugged hills and inaccessible terrains...so my dream was fulfiled.
Another two kms trek thru the forest-clad hills took us to Chunavati village where i had my first Black bulbuls....the birds preferred to live in human habitations, and gave some good photo opportunities. A few White-vented Yuhinas were also spotted in a garden. The small village lodged in the slopes of the Buxa hills was really nice....some school children came running to me....and i showed them the bird pics. We had a good conversation too.
It was already 10am...and we decided to go back to resort as Saurabh might be getting bored. So we had our breakfast in Chunavati village and returned.
We were quite surprised to find that the forests were now alive with birds and butterflies....a tiny Green-tailed sunbird darted out of the bushes..and hopped on the branches above. Some scarlet minivets adorned a tall tree nearby. Few Velvet-fronted Nuthatches scurried along the lichen-covered tree trunks....emitting sweet squeaks...A lone Grey-headed Canary flycatcher showed its acrobatic skills in the air....
i was awestruck to find so much bird activity in one spot...
later i realised all these birds belonged to the same hunting party....i sat there for sometime. Soon all the birds vanished and there was complete silence in the place. Bird behaviour is really strange and unpredictable.
On our way back, we also got a Gaint Squirrel (Ratufa indica) that was lying spead-eagled high up on a branch. Suddenly it leapt almost 4 metres to another tree right above us, where i once again flattened itself on a branch.....funny animal indeed!
I m grateful to Prakash...who showed me the rodent.
After a great early morning birding....i returned to the resort. Saurabh gave me a warm welcome with a big grin on his face....and i showed him the bird pics and told him about my trekking adventure thru the Buxa hills. This time he didnt regret for not going with me, when he learnt that the trek route was very narrow and leech-infested. We left Rover's Inn that afternoon bidding goodbye to Mr.Thapa and promised him to come back soon.
we planned to spend the next two days in Phuentsholing of Bhutan.
The upper reaches of the Buxa Tiger Reserve is a wilderness not visited by too many poeple, and these mysterious hill-forests reflect with the green vistas and a huge diversity of birdlife...that will tempt you to come back again and again.
regards
Shantanu : )
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