ARUNACHAL PRADESH

March 1           Guijan * Miao * Deban Village (Namdapha National Park)
March 2           Namdapha
March 3           Namdapha
March 4           Namdapha
March 5           Namdapha
March 6           Deban * Miao * Digboi

ASSAM

March 7           Digboi
March 8           Digboi * Dibrugarh * Delhi
March 9           Delhi * Vienna * Brussels * Chaam

NOTES ON SITES

The notes are only information supplementary to Krys Kazmierczak’s excellent “A Birdwatcher’s Guide to India”, the essential guide to the bird sites of India. For a detailed report of species and numbers please refer to the systematic list at the end of this report.

ASSAM

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Accommodation: The Wild Grass Resort 5 kms east of Kohora is strongly recommended for comfort and convenience. They arrange for everything and can provide top class guides. Telephone no. 037626-62001,62805.

Kaziranga National Park is the premier mammal site in Assam and holds an excellent range of birds. Located on the south banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River in the far northeast of India, Assam, Kaziranga National Park covers an area of approximately 430 km² with its mosaic of swamps, vast reed-beds, tall thickets of elephant grass and lowland subtropical forests making it the ideal habitat for the Indian Rhinoceros. Due to limitless poaching of this prehistoric survivor, the Kaziranga National Park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1940.

Kaziranga's visiting season is from mid-November to early April months. During the monsoons, the Brahmaputra River bursts its banks, flooding the low-lying grasslands and causing animals to migrate from one area to another within the Kaziranga National Park.

We divided our visit between Kaziranga and the tea plantation behind the Wild Grass Resort. Each visit to the park includes an obligatory armed Forest Guard.

Inside the National Park elephant rides are available between 6.00 am and 7.00 am from Kohora. One ride is recommended to get a feel of the place and, if lucky, to get up close to the Bengal Florican, an endangered rarity. Various four-wheel drive vehicles are available to tour the three ranges. The Eastern Range at Agaratoli is about 30 kms away from Kohora. Factor in the travel time plus the fact that this is the longest trip inside the forest before you set off. The Western range at Baghori is the shortest run, but great for rhinos and buffaloes.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Spot-billed Pelican, Little Cormorant, Darter, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Asian Openbill, Black Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black-headed Ibis, Greylag Goose, Bar-headed Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Cotton Pigmy-goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard, Tufted Duck, Osprey, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Pallas’ Fish-Eagle, Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, Indian Vulture, Himalayan Griffon, Short-toed Eagle, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Western Marsh-Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Pied Harrier, Shikra, White-eyed Buzzard, Indian Spotted Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Eurasian Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Swamp Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, White-breasted Waterhen, Purple Swamphen, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Bronze-winged Jacana, Northern Lapwing, River Lapwing, Grey-headed Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, River Tern, Pale-capped Pigeon, Spotted Dove, Yellow-footed Pigeon, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Alexandrine Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Blossom-headed Parakeet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Green-billed Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Collared Scops-Owl, Brown Fish-Owl, Asian Barred Owlet, Spotted Owlet, Savanna Nightjar, Himalayan Swiftlet, Asian Palm-Swift, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Oriental Pied-Hornbill, Lineated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Blue-eared Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Grey-faced Woodpecker, Black-rumped Flameback, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Oriental Skylark, Plain Martin, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, Oriental Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit, Rosy Pipit, Large Cuckoo-Shrike, Long-tailed Minivet, Short-billed Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Black-crested Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, White-throated Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Common Iora, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Scaly Thrush, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Dusky Warbler, Smoky Warbler, Tickell’s Leaf-Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Yellow-vented Warbler, Striated Grassbird, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Small Niltava, Pale-chinned Blue-Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Siberian Rubythroat, Oriental Magpie-Robin, White-rumped Shama, Daurian Redstart, Black-naped Monarch, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, Abbott’s Babbler, White-browed Scimitar-Babbler, Striped Tit-Babbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Great Tit, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Purple Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, Maroon Oriole, Asian Fairy-Bluebird, Brown Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Black Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Lesser Racked-tailed Drongo. Hair-crested Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Ashy Woodswallow, Rufous Treepie, Grey Treepie, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, Spot-winged Starling, Common Hill Myna, White-vented Myna, Jungle Myna, Common Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Baya Weaver, White-rumped Munia.

DIBRU-SAIKHOWA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Accommodation: The River Island Camp in the reserve, however just before we arrived at Dibru-Saikhowa the separatists had attacked a military camp in the neighbourhood and the police did not permit that foreigners would camp in the reserve.

We spent three nights in the house of our local guide and host Joynal Abedin in Guijan

The little known wildlife sanctuary of Dibru-Saikhowa is an area of grassland and swamp forest sandwiched between the Brahmaputra and Dibru rivers in the east of Assam.

Contained between these rivers, the park is a 340km² reserve, which was set up with a view to protecting the grassland and swamp habitat on the flood plains of the Brahmaputra River.

It has numerous internal water channels & bodies, seasonally flooded forests, "beels", and grassy pockets. This makes it an interesting birding destination for rare specialised grass land and swamp forest birds such as the threatened Marsh Babbler, Jerdon's Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Swamp Prinia and Jerdon’s Bushchat.

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is generally kept open for tourist from month of November to April or as notified by the National Park Authority. A written permission from the Park Authority for entering into the National Park is obligatory.

No entry after sunset and before sunrise is permitted in the Park. Guijan Ghat and Saikhowa Ghat are the two entry points for tourists.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Great Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Darter, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, Little Bittern, Asian Openbill, Lesser Adjutant, Ruddy Shelduck, Eurasian Teal, Spot-billed Duck, Tufted Duck, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Black Kite, White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Western Marsh-Harrier, Northern Harrier, Crested Goshawk, Shikra, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Buzzard, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Eurasian Kestrel, Swamp Francolin, White-breasted Waterhen, Greater Painted-Snipe, Red-wattled Lapwing, Pintail Snipe, Common Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Temminck’s Stint, Long-toed Stint, Great Black-headed Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Red-collared Dove, Spotted Dove, Yellow-footed Pigeon, Green Imperial-Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Asian Drongo-Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Brown Hawk-Owl, Asian Barred Owlet, Jungle Owlet, Himalayan Swiftlet, Asian Palm-Swift, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Indian Roller, Lineated Barbet, Lesser Yellownape, Greater Yellownape, Grey-faced Woodpecker, Sand Lark, Plain Martin, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Richard’s Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit, Rosy Pipit, Rosy Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Common Iora, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Zitting Cisticola, Swamp Prinia, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Plain Prinia, Pale-footed Bush-Warbler, Grey-sided Bush-Warbler, Spotted Bush-Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler, Thick-billed Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Smoky Warbler, Grey-hooded Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Striated Grassbird, Little Pied Flycatcher, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Small Niltava, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Bluethroat, Oriental Magpie-Robin, White-rumped Shama, Daurian Redstart, Blue-fronted Redstart, Common Stonechat, White-tailed Stonechat, Jerdon’s Bushchat, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, Marsh Babbler, Striped Tit-Babbler, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Great Tit, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Oriental White-eye, Black-hooded Oriole, Long-tailed Shrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Black Drongo, Hair-crested Drongo, Green Magpie, Rufous Treepie, Large-billed Crow, Jungle Myna, Common Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Streaked Weaver.

DIGBOI IOC NATURE RESERVE
Accommodation: The Indian Oil Corporation Guesthouse is strongly recommended for comfort and convenience.

The oil town of Digboi in eastern Assam is a convenient last night’s stopover en route to or from Arunachal Pradesh.

Digboi, the site of India's first active oil field is now primarily a refining centre. The IOC has recently proposed a nature park surrounding the complex of old derricks and drilling platforms including the lowland forests and pools inside the park. Access must be requested from the IOC. We had bad luck, because in the week prior to our visit the Assam separatists had kidnapped a few people, amongst them a few Western people, so we did NOT get a permission to visit the forests.

Most of our time we spent at the golf-course near the guesthouse and we also walked a few hours on the (public) tarmac road along the IOC forest, where we did not see many birds.

Birds seen here during our trip:

Little Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Pied Harrier, Besra, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, White-cheeked Partridge, White-breasted Waterhen, Red-wattled Lapwing, Solitary Snipe, Pintail Snipe, Spotted Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Plaintive Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Greater Coucal, Collared Owlet, Asian Barred Owlet, Himalayan Swiftlet, White-throated Kingfisher, Indian Roller, Oriental Pied-Hornbill, Lineated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Rufous Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Grey-faced Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, White Wagtail, Blyth’s Pipit, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, Red-whiskered, Red-vented Bulbul, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Common Iora, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Black-breasted Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Grey-breasted Prinia, Brownish-flanked Bush-Warbler, Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Smoky Warbler, Tickell’s Leaf-Warbler, Blyth’s Leaf-Warbler, Striated Grassbird, Oriental Magpie-Robin, Common Stonechat, White-crested Laughingthrush, Chestnut-backed Laughingthrush, Great Tit, Sultan Tit, Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch, Black-throated Sunbird, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, Brown Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Ashy Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Green Magpie, Collared Treepie, House Crow, Large-billed Crow, White-vented Myna, Jungle Myna, Common Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Baya Weaver, White-rumped Munia, Nutmeg Mannikin.

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