NEPAL 15–27 March 2010 Extension to 31 March 2010 Leaders: Suchet Basnet and Vaughan Ashby

Landlocked between India and Tibet, Nepal was for centuries the forbidden land. Visitors are now welcomed in this tiny kingdom which includes the highest mountains on Earth. From the lowlands at just 300 feet to the highest peak at over 29,000 feet, a total of over 850 species can be found, more than any other country of its size in Asia, and the scenery is some of the most stunning on Earth. This tour is designed to ensure that you will see a wide diversity of birds with some mammals and experience a variety of habitats and scenery.

Day 1 Overnight flight from London to Kathmandu.

Day 2 Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to our hotel. En route we will see our first common Nepalese birds, including Red-vented Bulbul, Jungle Myna, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Kite, Large-billed and House Crows, Oriental Magpie-robin and Common Tailorbird, and have an introduction to the fascinating culture and architecture of this country.

Day 3 In the morning we fly to Birathnagar and, weather permitting, enjoy stunning views over the Himalayas to Mount Everest. The drive to Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, our base for the next four nights, takes under two hours. This beautiful reserve is situated on the Koshi River, one of the main tributaries of the Ganges. It was established to protect Nepal’s only herd of wild Water Buffalo, one of the world’s most endangered large mammals, and hosts a variety of habitats from sandbanks and small ponds to huge river islands. Riverine grassland is one of the endangered habitats, which, in the reserve, supports a small population of the rare Swamp Francolin. Our accommodation at Koshi is a tented camp with modern shared facilities, including hot water showers, set in an isolated compound by ponds and riverine forest. This enables us to see species like Lesser Whistling Duck, Spotted Owlet, Brown Fish-owl, Brown Hawk-owl, Fulvous-breasted and Streak-throated Woodpeckers, Blue-throated Barbet, Pied, White-breasted and Stork-billed Kingfishers, Ashy Woodswallow, Black-hooded Oriole, White-throated Fantail, Siberian Rubythroat, Plain and Red-rumped Swallows, Dusky, Smoky and Thick-billed Warblers, Hume’s and Tickell’s Leaf-warblers, Brown and Grey-backed Shrikes and Red-throated Flycatcher close to our base.

Day 4 Today we will visit the bird-rich Koshi Barrage, taking a packed lunch with us. En route we will stop at several sites looking for speciality birds including Yellow-wattled Lapwing, White-eyed Buzzard, Chestnut-tailed and Asian Pied Starlings, Ashy-crowned Finch-lark, Bengal Bushlark, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Richard’s, Paddyfield, Olive-backed and Rosy Pipits and Crested, Little and Yellow-breasted Buntings. Eventually, we will arrive at the barrage and will start to scan through the waterfowl looking for Bar-headed Goose, Falcated Duck and Baer’s Pochard amongst the commoner species. There will be plenty of waterbirds feeding around the edges and species we may see include Asian Openbill, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Black (Red-naped) and Black-headed Ibises and Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas. At the barrage we may have glimpses of the uncommon Gangetic Dolphin.

Day 5 We will explore the Koshi River by inflatable boats, again taking packed lunches with us. Black-bellied and River Terns can be found but the former is now very rare. We will visit the river islands for such species as Great Thick-knee, White-tailed Stonechat, Rufous-vented Prinia, Bright-capped Cisticola and Sand Lark. Wildfowl can be numerous and we should also encounter Caspian and Great Black-headed Gulls, Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant, Purple Heron and Intermediate Egret. A wide variety of raptors hunt over the area including Greater Spotted, Steppe, Imperial and White-tailed Eagles, Pallas’s Fish-eagle, Short-toed Snake-eagle, Eurasian Griffon-vulture, White-rumped and Black Vultures and Pied Harrier. We will return to the camp via the many ponds where we will look for Cinnamon Bittern, Greater Painted-snipe, Purple Swamphen and Striated Grassbird.

Day 6 Today we will visit a neighbouring tract of forest where such species as Oriental Pied Hornbill, Orange-breasted and Yellow-footed Green Pigeons, Verditer Flycatcher and Abbott’s Babbler occur. Mammals, including Asiatic Golden Jackal and Jungle Cat, are occasionally seen.

Day 7 It will take all day to drive west to the world famous Royal lant-l National Park, situated in the central Terai on the southern border with India. We will stop for some birding on the way, possibly seeing Crested Kingfisher, Indian Roller, Black, Ashy, Bronzed and Spangled Drongos, Chestnut-bellied and Velvet-fronted Nuthatches, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Little Forktail and the amazing Ibisbill on the shingle banks of the Rapti River. We will spend four nights at the comfortable Machan Paradise View Lodge. All cabins have en-suite facilities and hot water.

Days 8–10 Chitwan National Park preserves the most extensive lowland grassland and forest remaining in Nepal. It hosts a huge variety of birds as well as a population of over 500 Indian Rhinoceros and most of the country’s remaining Tigers. Our stay will include birding in various parts of the park from dense forest to grasslands. The list of birds found here is superb, with highlights including Collared Falconet, Changeable Hawk-eagle, Brown Crake, Red Junglefowl, Indian Peafowl, River Lapwing, Small Pratincole, Jungle Owlet, Emerald Dove, Black-rumped, Himalayan and Greater Flamebacks, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Red-headed Trogon, Small Minivet, White-browed Wagtail, Long-tailed Shrike, Spot-winged Starling, Striped Tit-babbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Hill Myna and Chestnut-crowned, Pale-footed and Spotted Bush-warblers. A visit to some ponds rich in waterfowl may produce some exciting species of raptor including Crested Serpent-eagle and Grey-headed Fish-eagle. We will spend half a day in boats travelling down the river and walking back through some fine forest. Some of the many highlights of this part of the trip are looking for Gharial on the river and an optional elephant ride into the forest to look for the Indian Rhinoceros. On the way we will see many birds, which should include Speckled Piculet, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Green-billed Malkoha, Lesser Coucal, Plum-headed, Red-breasted and Blossom-headed Parakeets, Jungle and Puff-throated Babblers, White-bellied Yuhina, Crimson Sunbird, Streaked Spiderhunter and perhaps Black Baza. Close up views of mammals such as Sambar, Chital, Barking and Hog Deer or even Sloth Bear are possible. Special efforts will also be made to see some of the park’s rarer birds including Bengal Florican, Grey-crowned Prinia, Rufous-rumped Grassbird and Slender-billed Babbler.

Day 11 After some early morning birding, we will return to Kathmandu for two nights, birding en route.

Day 12 Today we have an early morning departure to Mount Pulchowki, where we aim to arrive before sunrise. Weather permitting, we will drive to the very top and will be able to observe one of the most incredible sights in the world – sunrise over the Himalayas. The view here extends for nearly 200km, from Dhaulagiri Himal to the Everest area. We will descend on foot, birding on the way. Most of the slopes are covered by Himalayan sub-tropical forest, and we will look for a number of the local species including Darjeeling, Rufous-bellied and Crimson-breasted Woodpeckers, Green-tailed Sunbird, Cutia, Rufous Sibia, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler, Rufous-winged, Nepal and White-browed Fulvettas, Blue-winged Minla, Stripe-throated and Whiskered Yuhinas, Red-flanked Bluetail, White-browed Bush-robin, Dark-throated Thrush, Grey-winged and White-collared Blackbirds, Buff-barred and Black-faced Warblers and a great many others. In the afternoon we will visit the botanical gardens of Godaveri where we will look particularly for Spotted Forktail and various flycatchers.

Day 13 Today, depending on flight timings, we will transfer to the airport either for the return journey home or to fly to Pokhara for the extension.

Extension

Day 13 On arrival in Pokhara, we will drive for about two hours over a 2000-metre pass. Species we may see en route include Egyptian and Slender-billed Vultures, Common Woodshrike, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Black-backed and Slaty-backed Forktails, Long-tailed Minivet, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Green-backed Tit, White-capped and Plumbeous Water Redstarts, Brown Dipper, Blue Rock-thrush, Blue Whistling-thrush, Little Pied Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Wallcreeper, Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler, Black-chinned Babbler, Ashy-throated, Lemon-rumped and Whistler’s Warblers, Western-crowned and Blyth’s Leaf-warblers. Arriving at Lumle, the start of the trek, we will walk a short distance before taking lunch. After lunch we will walk for about three miles up to our first night’s accommodation, with Sherpas carrying our luggage. On the trek we will see a great many species including Lammergeier, Red-headed Vulture, Himalayan Griffon-vulture, Asian Barred Owlet, Great Barbet, White-crested Laughingthrush, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Yellow-browed, Black-lored and Black-throated Tits, Nepal House Martin, Himalayan Bulbul, Grey Bushchat and Pink-browed Rosefinch to name but a few, and the ever-changing light on the spectacular Annapurna Range is a simply stunning sight. Overnight in a basic lodge with shared facilities.

Days 14–15 We will continue our travels on foot into the Annapurna Massif, eventually reaching the village of Ghandruk at 2200 metres. We will stay for two nights at a basic but perfectly adequate and stunningly located lodge with mostly private facilities. From here we will explore various parts of this incredible area. Himalayan temperate rainforests are a fascinating sight, with huge lichens hanging from rhododendrons and oak trees. Colours and light change dramatically, and the apparently pink peaks of the Himalayas can suddenly appear. Scenically this is one of the highlights of the trip, as well as providing a variety of Himalayan resident and wintering birds. Possibilities include Kalij Pheasant, Bonelli’s Eagle, Cinnamon Sparrow, Snow Pigeon, Speckled and Ashy Wood-pigeons, Barred Cuckoo-dove, Chestnut Thrush, Slaty-backed, Rufous-gorgetted, Snowy-browed and Slaty-blue Flycatchers, Blue-fronted Redstart, Slaty-headed Parakeet, Green and Yellow-billed Blue Magpies, White-tailed Nuthatch, Rusty-flanked and Brown-throated Treecreepers, Mountain and Black Bulbuls, Striated Prinia, Golden-spectacled and Grey-hooded Warblers, Hill Partridge, Aberrant Bush-warbler, Spiny Babbler (Nepal’s only endemic), Black-faced, White-throated, Streaked, Striated and Rufous-chinned Laughingthrushes, Hoary-throated Barwing, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Black-throated and Fire-tailed Sunbirds, Himalayan, Robin and Rufous-breasted Accentors, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Scarlet Finch, Brown and Red-headed Bullfinches, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Tibetan Siskin and many others.

Day 16 We will make the seven mile return journey to Lumle to meet our coach in the late afternoon. This will be followed by a two-hour journey to Pokhara, where we will spend the night.

Day 17 An early morning flight back to Kathmandu where we will connect with our international flight home.

General Information The climate varies from very cold in the mountains to warm in the lowlands with some rain/snow possible. Accommodation ranges from medium-standard hotels with en-suite facilities to basic camps. The camps do, however, all have shared showers and WCs. Food is good and will include some picnic lunches. Transport is by minibus and four-wheel drive. There are some health requirements and you should contact your GP. A moderate degree of fitness is required for walks of up to five miles, mainly on good paths with gentle inclines. The maximum altitude is about 2000 metres. Photographic opportunities are excellent. Visas can be arranged on arrival.

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 14 with 2 leaders.

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