|
|
|
|
There are surely few birdwatchers who haven't dreamt of visiting the mighty Himalayas or magical Nepal. A land of stark contrasts, of ancient legends, and of superb Himalayan mountain and lowland scenery, Nepal also has a rich, vibrant and diverse culture and equally fascinating and readily accessible wildlife. It is a country dominated by the ever-growing Himalayan mountain chain that separates the icy, inhospitable Tibetan wastelands to the north from the dusty, sun-baked Indian plains to the south. Cut off from the rest of the world for centuries, Nepal remains one of Asia's most fascinating countries, where a veritable feast of spectacular scenery, cultural contrasts and rich biological resources awaits the visitor. Over 850 species have now been recorded in this tiny landlocked kingdom – more than in any other region of comparable size in Asia, and on this tour we hope to sample a variety of the country's richest natural habitats. These range from the moist, moss-covered oak-rhododendron forests surrounding the Kathmandu Valley to areas of riverine grassland, marsh and scrub at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in the southeast, and on to the subtropical forests in the world-renowned Chitwan National Park. PLEASE NOTE THIS TOUR WILL NOT RUN IN 2005.
with Paul Holt and a local leader.
Day 1: The tour begins with an evening flight from London to Kathmandu. Day 2: We'll arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal's mystical capital, and transfer directly to our hotel. There may be time for a brief sightseeing excursion just before dinner. Days 3-4: The Kathmandu Valley is a circular basin in the heart of Nepal and few of the world's capital cities can summon up, by their name alone, images of the mysterious, the fabulous and the exotic in the way that Kathmandu does. The valley bottom is fairly densely populated and quite seriously deforested, so we'll begin by exploring Phulchowki Danda, which, at 2767 metres, is the highest summit on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley. We'll spend two days here inthe luxuriant moss-encrusted remnant oak-rhododendron forest near the radio tower at the summit and the subtropical broad-leaved forest at lower levels. We'll search for a host of montane specialities ranging from tiny tesias and skulking wren babblers to flocks of vociferous laughingthrushes. We'll expect to see well over one hundred species and hopefully these will include Kalij Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Asian Barred Owlet, Golden-throated Barbet, Rufous Sibia, Chestnut-crowned and Black-faced Warblers, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Tibetan Siskin, and Spiny Babbler, Nepal's only endemic. With luck we might even discover a stunning Cutia among one of the mixed-species feeding-flocks that we're sure to encounter. Phulchowki offers exciting birding, as we encounter feeding-flock after feeding-flock of arboreal sprites. It's great fun for novice and expert alike, and we're sure to encounter a whole host of other Himalayan specialities such as yuhinas, fulvettas and barwings. If we can pull ourselves away from Phulchowki's magic, we'll also visit the bird rich botanical gardens at Godaveri. Nights in Kathmandu. Days 5-8: Today we'll fly from Kathmandu down to Biratnagar in the southeast, before driving the short distance to Koshi Tappu where we'll spend the next four nights in a comfortable safari-style camp. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve encompasses a large area of riverine grassland, marshes, swamps and small tracts of woodland and scrub along the flood plain of the Koshi river. We'll be busy here and intend to make a lengthy boat ride, take a series of walks, and thoroughly explore what the reserve has to offer. On one day we'll visit a neighbouring tract of forest in search of species such as Oriental Pied Hornbill, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Abbott's Babbler. We'll also head south from our camp to explore areas around Koshi barrage, Nepal's largest wetland and an important staging post for a host of migrant wildfowl and waders. During our stay we'd expect to see at least part of the reserve's small population of threatened Swamp Francolins as well as Lesser Adjutant, Cinnamon Bittern, Striated Grassbird, and Paddyfield and Smoky Warblers. A wide variety of raptors hunt the area, ranging from Pallas's Fishing and White-tailed Eagles to Red-headed Merlin and, with luck, we might also find a Falcated Duck, Baer's Pochard, Pied Harrier, Spotted Bush Warbler, Bristled Grassbird, Rosy Minivet or even a Gangetic Dolphin, yet another uncommon and declining species. Nights at Koshi Tappu. Day 9: Leaving Koshi we'll drive west through the fertile terai, stopping en route to search for Ibisbill before reaching Chitwan National Park. During our five nights in Chitwan we'll spend time at two different bases, one at either end of this fabulous park. We'll start with two nights at Gaida Tented Camp in the east before transferring to the world famous Tiger Tops Tented Camp further west. Days 10-14: Over half of Nepal's rich avifauna has been recorded inside the park, and we'll see a representative sample of these, including Red Junglefowl, Black Francolin, Crested Serpent Eagle, Brown Crake, White-rumped Needletail, Great Hornbill, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Spot-winged Starling, Chestnut-capped Babbler, and Spotted, Pale-footed and Chestnut-crowned Bush Warblers. We should also be able to find some of the park's rarer inhabitants such as Bengal Florican, Grey-crowned Prinia, Rufous-rumped Grassbird, and Slender-billed Babbler. With luck we might even stumble across a Black Baza, Rosy Minivet or Rufous-necked Laughingthrush. Mammals abound in Chitwan and while we're practically guaranteed sightings of Indian Rhinoceros. Tigers and Sloth Bears are both much rarer and considerably more elusive. An elephant ride is usually one of the best, safest and often also the most enjoyable way of seeing much of this wildlife. We might also find a curiously long-snouted Gharial basking on a sand bank or floating in one of the numerous river channels that bisect the park. We’ll leave the Park on the morning of day 14 to return to Kathmandu. Day 15: We'll have a full day in the Kathmandu Valley, searching for any species still missing from our list, and we'll almost certainly return to Phulchowki once again. Later that night we’ll transfer to the airport to catch an early morning flight back to London where the tour ends on Day 16.
Cost £2930 Single room supplement £350 Maximum group size: 14 participants and 2 leaders. E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
|
|
Bird List