(delhibirdpix) Trip Report South Sikkim 18 - 22.10.2010

Dear All,

 

Nearly three decades ago, I had trekked in Sikkim and had fallen in love with this Himalayan jewel. I had since wondered why, with a bird list of nearly 500 species, it lay outside the popular birding circuit. We  chose Kewzing, a village in South Sikkim, as home base for two reasons. Situated at an altitude of 6000 ft, it was easy to access  Rabongla(8 km), from where we could climb up to 11000 ft in Maenam WLS and 22 km the other way down to the Rangit River bed at 1500 ft. Secondly, the village, basically scattered farmhouses on a forested slope, had a rich bird-life of its own and also the home of our birding guide and host Chewang Bonpo.

Reaching Siliguri in flamboyant style on a brand new Mercedes-Benz bus on the morning of 18^th Oct, we were picked up by Chewang and his ever-smiling brother Sonam. Freshening up at their Siliguri apartment we commenced the 120 km drive up hill, birding on the way. The weather turned worse as we reached Damthang Tendong forest where we heard the calls of the Streak-breasted and Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler and marked the area down for future exploration. After checking in at the exquisite farmhouse we set out to explore the immediate environs and were rewarded with the sightings of the Brown Wood Owl, White-gorgeted Flycatcher and the Nepal Fulvetta. Dusk set in quickly and we returned to the farmhouse for an early dinner and bed.

 

19^th Oct Kewzing -   We left as the peaks of  Ratong and Kabru Dome were  turning to gold. At the perimeter of the farmhouse we saw the resident Small Niltava and then a mixed flock of Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, Green-backed Tits, White-bellied and WhiskeredYuhinas and the Brown-throated Treecreeper. We climbed down to the private forest patch where we had good views of the Pygmy Wren Babbler, the resident Brown Wood Owl followed by the Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher and the Orange-breasted Flowerpecker. A hurried breakfast  at the farmhouse and then  Sonam dropped us at the Doling Monastery path. We saw the Chestnut-crowned, Ashy-throated and Blyth's Leaf warblers with Black-throated and Mrs Gould's Sunbirds followed by the magnificent Snowy-browed Flycatcher near the Doling cemetery. Clouds built up quickly, thunder boomed across the valley and we bade a hasty retreat through dense forest and light rain on the ancient trail to Kewzing.

 

20^th Oct Maenam WLS – Drove through Rabongla to the forest gate at Maenam. The 10 km trail is a safe ( a bit slippery at places ) but  tough ascent of 4000 ft through a magical, dense, tall evergreen forest with moss and lichen-covered oaks, horse-chestnut, maple and rhododendrons up to a mixed deciduous tree zone with magnolias, 'maling' bamboo and conifers. A bewildering variety of bird and insect life greeted us. Fire-tailed Sunbirds, Black-faced Warblers, Rusty and Hoary-fronted Barwings, Minlas, Yellow-browed Tits, Darjeeling Woodpeckers, White-browed Fulvettas, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Rusty-flanked Treecreepers slowed us down, thankfully. Two sightings of the Rufous-throated Wren Babbler, Fire tailed Myzornis, Lesser Shortwing, White-gorgeted Flycatcher Golden Bush Robin, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-capped Tesia and our bowl was full. It was 1.30 pm and half an hour to the top when we decided to turn back on our quest of the Satyr Tragopan, the Coal Tits and the elusive Red Panda. The clouds had blanketed the slopes white, a light drizzle had set in and I decided that  we could not risk the trail in the dark. The return was easy on the lungs but hard on the knees and late afternoon we got a refreshing view of the lovely Scarlet Finch at the edge of a forest clearing. We had to negotiate the last km in the dark but the track there was more or less level with a water pipe along it and we managed it without any damage. A hot bath followed by warm chaang back home and we were ready for the next day.

 

21^st Oct Rangit River–  A mixed flock of White-browed Shrike Babblers, Scarlet Minivets, Himalayan Bulbuls, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatches, Lesser Yellownapes and Spangled Drongos greeted us below Kewzing. Below Rangitnagar, in the silent mixed bamboo and evergreen  slopes over the Rangit, Chewang searched for about an hour and finally the much awaited Sultan Tit made its appearance.  A huge flock of White-browed Shrike Babblers, Scarlet Minivets, Rufous & Lesser Yellownape Woodpeckers, Black-winged Cuckooshrikes followed, with Spangled Drongos dive-bombing everything in sight. We didn't have time to identify the few warblers that accompanied the flock.  Further up the road we heard the call of the Abbott's Babbler and the Puff-throated Babbler. Black-chinned Yuhinas, a female Rufous-bellied Niltava, Yellow-bellied  and Yellow-vented Warblers were sighted. Breakfasted on the road and  descended to the river. On the Tashiding Bridge we heard the call of the kingfisher and the Crested was soon spotted as it flew up river and perched on a branch on the West Sikkim side. Trekking down to the river bed Arka flushed an Ibisbill which flew up river. A hectic scramble up the boulders and it was finally spotted again and photographed and videoed by Prosenjit. A number of Brown Dippers, Plumbeous and White-capped Water Redstarts and a Little Forktail were seen well.

 

22^nd Oct Departure– We woke up to leaden skies and a light drizzle. Cameras/bins on the ready we opened up the windows of the cottage and settled down for a spot of  verandah birding. And soon the Small Niltava appeared, followed by the Grey-throated Babbler and the White-crested Laughingthrush. A mixed flock of  Minlas, Treecreepers, White-bellied Yuhinas, Grey Bushchat, Golden-spectacled, Grey-bellied and Chestnut-crowned Warblers and Green-backed Tits descended on the cherry trees  and bade us a rousing farewell. With a heavy heart we breakfasted and left. A last stop at the Damthang Tedong area was rewarded by a pair of  Fire-tailed Myzornis that flitted high up in the canopy.

 

We dropped Arka and Chewang at Teestabazar for their next leg at Lava – a story which surely Arka will tell us shortly – and reached Siliguri in time for the night bus haul back to Kolkata.

 

We must thank the Bonpo family for the excellent hospitality extended – the great food – we had some exotic 'lifers'in the brown orchid flower, wild mushrooms, the buckwheat roti, the excellent millet-beer - chaang and of course, the last evening bonfire at the farmhouse with stories of  the ancient 'King's road' through the Damthang forest which we must explore some day. And a final thanks to Chewang who took such pains to locate the various birds and explain the different calls.

 

Team members : Arka Sarkar, Prosenjit Singha Deo and myself.

Regards,

Kshounish Ray

PS:Attaching an image of the Sultan Tit taken below Rangitnagar.

 

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