A recent 4-day trip to Lava in Darjeeling district convinced me what Bikram Garewal had said some years ago: The Lava-Algarah Road from Km 4 to Km 10 is THE birding hotspot in India. However, the increased traffic on that road has largely destroyed its pristine quality and shooed away most of the birds, but the entire Lava area remains one of the hottest birding destinations in the country. Infrastructure is not too good (we stayed in Orchid Hotel, which is OK) but the habitat is just right for the birds of the Eastern Himalayas.
I am not a photographer per se, but I have enclosed two record shots of birds which gave me enormous pleasure when I saw them. Ramkumar Rai is one of the best bird guides in the area and he has a very keen eyesight and keener ear. He also knows the area like the back of his hand. Birding in Lava is strongly recommended.
Here is my checklist of birds seen. We went in mid-November, not the best time. The best is January when some bushes are in fruit and March to June.
1. Green-tailed Sunbird
2. Rufous Sibia
3. Green-backed Tit
4. Ashy-throated warbler
5. Blue-fronted Redstart (they were everywhere)
6. Black-throated Tit
7. Rufous-vented Yuhina
8. White-tailed Nuthatch
9. Dark-throated Thrush
10. Blue Whistling Thrush
11. Blue Rock Pigeon
12. Rufous-necked Laughingthrush
13. Yellow-breasted Greenfinch
14. Rusty-flanked Treecreeper
15.Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
16. White-browed Bush Robin
17.Hoary-throated Barwing
18. yellow-billed Blue Magpie
19. Stripe-throated Yuhina
20. White-browed Fulvetta
21. Black-faced Warbler
22. Grey-cheeked Warbler
23.Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
24.Black-faced Laughingthrush
25. Rufous-winged Fulvetta
26. Dark-breasted Rosefinch
27. Plain-backed Thrush
28. Whiskered Yuhina
29. Black Bulbul
30. Great Cormorant (in flight going northeast)
31. Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush
32. Olive-backed Pipit
33. Scarlet Minivet
34. Striated Bulbul
35. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
36. Grey Bushchat
37. Great Barbet
38. Rufous-throated Wren Babbler
39. Grey Treepie
40. Rusty-fronted Barwing
41. Short-billed Minivet
42. Shikra
43. Black-throated Sunbird
44. Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
45. Plumbeous Redstart
46. White-capped Water Redstart
47. Yellow Wagtail
48. Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler
49. Orange-bellied Leafbird
50. Oriental Turtle Dove
51. Nepal Fulvetta
52. Golden Babbler
53. White-browed Scimitar Babbler
54. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
55. Red-vented Bulbul
56. Grey-winged Blackbird
57. Little Forktail
58. Slaty-backed Forktail
59. Red-billed Leiothrix
60. Yellow-cheeked Tit
61. Scaly Laughingthrush
62. Large-billed Crow
63. Yellow-bellied Fantail
64. Citrine Wagtail
65. White-throated Laughingthrush
66. Striated Laughingthrush
67. White-browed Shrike Babbler
68. Orange-flanked Bush Robin
69. Darjeeling Woodpecker
70. Mountain Hawk Eagle
71. Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon
72. Blue-winged Siva
73. Red-tailed Minla
74. Rufous-capped Babbler
Happy birding.
Samar Jha
I am not a photographer per se, but I have enclosed two record shots of birds which gave me enormous pleasure when I saw them. Ramkumar Rai is one of the best bird guides in the area and he has a very keen eyesight and keener ear. He also knows the area like the back of his hand. Birding in Lava is strongly recommended.
Here is my checklist of birds seen. We went in mid-November, not the best time. The best is January when some bushes are in fruit and March to June.
1. Green-tailed Sunbird
2. Rufous Sibia
3. Green-backed Tit
4. Ashy-throated warbler
5. Blue-fronted Redstart (they were everywhere)
6. Black-throated Tit
7. Rufous-vented Yuhina
8. White-tailed Nuthatch
9. Dark-throated Thrush
10. Blue Whistling Thrush
11. Blue Rock Pigeon
12. Rufous-necked Laughingthrush
13. Yellow-breasted Greenfinch
14. Rusty-flanked Treecreeper
15.Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
16. White-browed Bush Robin
17.Hoary-throated Barwing
18. yellow-billed Blue Magpie
19. Stripe-throated Yuhina
20. White-browed Fulvetta
21. Black-faced Warbler
22. Grey-cheeked Warbler
23.Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush
24.Black-faced Laughingthrush
25. Rufous-winged Fulvetta
26. Dark-breasted Rosefinch
27. Plain-backed Thrush
28. Whiskered Yuhina
29. Black Bulbul
30. Great Cormorant (in flight going northeast)
31. Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush
32. Olive-backed Pipit
33. Scarlet Minivet
34. Striated Bulbul
35. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
36. Grey Bushchat
37. Great Barbet
38. Rufous-throated Wren Babbler
39. Grey Treepie
40. Rusty-fronted Barwing
41. Short-billed Minivet
42. Shikra
43. Black-throated Sunbird
44. Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
45. Plumbeous Redstart
46. White-capped Water Redstart
47. Yellow Wagtail
48. Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler
49. Orange-bellied Leafbird
50. Oriental Turtle Dove
51. Nepal Fulvetta
52. Golden Babbler
53. White-browed Scimitar Babbler
54. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
55. Red-vented Bulbul
56. Grey-winged Blackbird
57. Little Forktail
58. Slaty-backed Forktail
59. Red-billed Leiothrix
60. Yellow-cheeked Tit
61. Scaly Laughingthrush
62. Large-billed Crow
63. Yellow-bellied Fantail
64. Citrine Wagtail
65. White-throated Laughingthrush
66. Striated Laughingthrush
67. White-browed Shrike Babbler
68. Orange-flanked Bush Robin
69. Darjeeling Woodpecker
70. Mountain Hawk Eagle
71. Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon
72. Blue-winged Siva
73. Red-tailed Minla
74. Rufous-capped Babbler
Happy birding.
Samar Jha
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