Birding North-East India

Thursday, March 10





BIRD of the DAY: Brown Parrot-bill

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

We enjoyed a foggy, but spectacular, view of Darjeeling from the Cedar Inn in the early morning, and we spotted a few birds too. A Rufous Sibia posed in a flowering tree.



Soon we were on our way to Tiger Hill to have a good view of the Himalayas and to look for birds at a higher elevation.



We made a stop enroute at the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre. http://tibetancentredarjeeling.com/



Soon we were headed for the top of Tiger Hill. Prayer flags welcomed us. They represent Buddhism and, in the mountains, are used to bless the land and for healing ceremonies.



We got stunning views of Mount Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. It straddles Tibet and Sikkim in India. Sacred Treasure of the Snows. Sharon and Barbara were impressed with its amazing snow covered peaks. It seemed so close.



A young man working on the restoration of the site pointed out the tiny distant peak of Mount Everest, 172 km away.



We descended and birded a lower sector on Tiger Hill. Here a very cooperative Blue-fronted Redstart posed for us. A Griffon Vulture soared overhead.



Back in Darjeeling, we spotted the busy Darjeeling Himalayan Railway train again.



Now it was time to learn more about the famous Darjeeling tea.





We had our last view of the train, as we headed out on our way through the mountains to the Neora Valley Jungle Camp near Lava. We were greeted by a lively group of Rhesus Macaques as we travelled along.



It was dark when we arrived at the Camp up in the mountains. Again the staff greeted us with welcoming scarves. Soon we were having another excellent Indian dinner followed by our nightly bird check-list. We would be birding around here for the next few days.




Birds in the Photos Today

Rufous Sibia
Blue-fronted Redstart
Griffon Vulture
Eurasian Tree Sparrow