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Kaziranga and Nameri, 30th March 2008 to 2nd April 2008
Gillian Wright
Kaziranga copyright Nikhil Devasar

Kaziranga copyright Nikhil Devasar

delhibirders assembled for the 5.30am flight to Guwahati on 30th March. The flight arrived early at Guwahati, where a storm the night before had felled trees, taken the roofs of houses and blocked roads. With some difficulty we managed to find our way to the home of Anwaruddin Choudhary, author of several guides to birds in the North-East. and confirm the location of adjutant stork colonies. We then set out along the national highway to Nowgong.

At Khutikotiya, just within Nowgong, we looked over to the right and spotted a tall silk cotton tree still with a colony of greater adjutants in residence. Immediately we took out our binoculars and a class 10 student aptly named Sanskriti offered to act as a guide to take us to the nest tree. She told us that the birds were highly esteemed in Nowgong and that a local group called the Green Guards helped to protect the colony. The greater adjutant is known as "hargeela" and is also the symbol of the local Rotary Club. The lesser adjutant is called "baatukula" meaning "large pouch" although the world is often used to refer to both species. She told us that the colony used to be bigger and had suffered from the felling of other large trees.

Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius copyright Nikhil Devasar

Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius copyright Nikhil Devasar

The chicks were more or less full size but parents were still returning and regurgitating food from them. As we approached the nest tree the storks took off and circled showing off the pale bar through their magnificent wings before landing back on the tree. Some of their pouches were extended and we noted their downy heads and their dark
brown eyes. From behind us came the screeches of flying foxes that hung in hundreds from a tree behind, and in front we could glimpse a second nest tree which we also approached. The was much preening going on – perhaps to repair the damage from the previous night of heavy rain.

Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer Nikhil Devasar

White-throated Bulbul Alophoixus flaveolus copyright Nikhil Devasar

It was here we also noticed the local sub-species of the red-vented bulbul with has a black head and conspicuous pale brown cheeks. We were later to see that the red-whiskered bulbuls in the region lack the red whisker.

Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus Nikhil Devasar

A few kilometers beyond Nowgong on the left, just by the highway, we found the second colony we were looking for – this time a silk cotton tree full of lesser adjutant storks. By now the sun was strong and some stood with wings outstretched to shade their nests, while others preened. There was no sign of chicks and so it could be that the nests still only contained eggs. The eyes of the lesser adjutants were pale blue and their hairstyle an extravagant bouffant. At the base of the nest tree a black-hooded oriole called from the greenery, while a puff-throated babbler hopped in undergrowth near the ground.

Abbott's Babbler Malacocincla abbotti Nikhil Devasar

Throughout our trip we found the lesser adjutant much more common than the greater. The lesser could often be seen striding through fields and in open land by the wayside. The black-hooded oriole is also the standard oriole throughout these parts of Assam.

Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
 
After stopping to see all we could on the journey, we finally approached Kaziranga which stretches between the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra and the NH 37. Just beyond the Gajaraj Viewpoint at the western edge of the park we saw our first two rhinos. We drove into the Wild Grass, beyond the Central Gate too late to go into the park that day and decided to restrict ourselves to the area around Wild Grass.

The traditional-style buildings of Wild Grass are set in a well wooded village with many bamboo and mud houses, some of them belonging to owners of small tea gardens which adjoin the village. There is also a large organic tea garden nearby. The village fences are open bamboo trellises, easily moved and allowing movement birds and visibility for birdwatchers..

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus copyright Nikhil Devasar

Regularly on view at the resort were chesnut-tailed starlings, feeding on coral tree flowers, crimson sunbird, red-breasted flycatchers, house sparrows, black drongos, rufous treepies, grey-backed shrikes, green imperial pigeons and spotted doves while barred owlets could be viewed from the verandah in the trees beside the pool. A short walk away, scarlet-backed flowerpeckers flitted around the circular growths of a parasite plant found high on tall trees. The evenings were illuminated by fireflies. Just after dark, over two village ponds just beyond the Wild Grass gates, thousands of them danced while just above them shone the stars of the Milky Way in the black sky.

Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus copyright Nikhil Devasar

Kaziranga is a very large park and very difficult to cover thoroughly in four days – especially as it rained everything from gentle showers to cats and dogs. We wanted to visit all three zones – Western, Central and Eastern as well as to look at the celebrated Panbari Reserved Forest and the Tea estates. In the event we managed on visit each to the Western and Eastern Zones, both limited by the rain which had made many roads waterlogged and muddy. We were able to visit the Central Zone twice as well as take an elephant in Florican country – Mihimikh on the edge of Central Zone. Panbari was visited three times, and the tea garden near Wild Grass once.

Elephant copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
Elephan Calf copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
 
Rosy Pipit (In Breeding plumage) Anthus roseatus copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
 
Elephant ride

We began with an elephant ride accompanied by the song of oriental skylarks and the zitting of cisticolas. Less adjutants strode around the Mihimikh grasslands just inside the Central Zone gate where a dozen or so rhinos glistened black from the morning's torrential shower. A herd of fifty or so swamp deer, luminously golden, walked past, some of the fawns not more than a few days old, bleating like lambs. There were many russet-brown hog deer, with rounded pig-like haunches. Several woolly-necked storks stood to one side and we saw swamp francolin in flight. But no floricans. The mahout told us there were about four on the grassland. Unfortunately it was not our fate to see them, although in following days lone males were seen in the distance. The other florican area, Devasiri was closed and we decided not to try for it.

Swamp Deer copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
Swamp Deer copyright Nikhil Devasar

Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis copyright Nikhil Devasar
 

Panbari

Panbari is a small area of dense forest bordered by tea estates just outside the park's southern boundary. Permits and armed guards (wild elephant often pass through) are taken from an office by the side of the national highway. Paths into the forest progress up the hillside. Despite its limited size, Panbari is full of surprises and progression was hassle-free thanks to the Wild Grass leech guards. As often you only catch glimpses of birds, a pair of experienced eyes is a great asset. Palash, from Wild Grass, came with us as our guide and each walk was a new experience. Highlights were:

Khalij pheasant, Blue-Eared Barbet, Emerald Dove, Oriental Pied and Great Hornbills, Red-headed trogon (male), Common Hawk Cuckoo, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Asian Fairy Bluebird (male), Common Green Magpie, Blue-naped Pitta,Golden-Fronted Leafbirds, Black-crested Bulbul, Greater Necklaced Laughing Thrush, Abbot's Babbler and Spot-throated Babbler – the latter a new addition to our Kaziranga list.

Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis copyright Nikhil Devasar

Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculatus copyright Nikhil Devasar

Brown Boobook copyright Nikhil Devasar

The Blue-eared barbet is smaller than other barbets we saw and has a weaker call. The individual we saw appeared to be working on a nest hole in one of the top bran ches of a tall, leafless tree on the edge of the forest next to the tea estate. The Great Hornbills have a great ability to fly through dense trees, the whoosh of their wings giving them away. We had good, close views. The red-headed trogon seems to like to perch not far off the ground, often (luckily for us) in good light, and when disturbed, to fly only a short distance before perching again. It was silent. The Emerald cuckoo was with a mixed flock of long-tailed and scarlet minivets all on one tree, devouring hairy caterpillars. The green magpie, revealing the bright red on its wings as it flew, was near a troop of capped langurs feeding in the trees. The Blue-naped pitta was calling in Panbari and the tea estates, but is a shy bird and easily put off by a large group with cameras and tripods. So only a few of us were privileged to catch a glimpse of it but all of us heard its whistle many times. The spot-throated babbler required a lot of patience, as it is a skulking bird. But finally it showed itself and then two came so close they were over our heads in the bushes. It was particularly thrilling to see as it is a new addition to the Kaziranga list.

Hoolock Gibbon copyright Nikhil Devasar

The mammals we saw at Panbari were hoary-bellied squirrels, capped langur (one large troop), Assamese macacque and the forest's lone male hoolock gibbon. A gorgeous animal he was in a tree above a red trogon perch very carefully eating the sepals of the flowers of the kanak champa (. Sheila developed a special friendship with him and they had a long , whooping conversation.

Tea Estates

Tea Plucking copyright Nikhil Devasar

We birded first in an organic tea estate close to Wild Grass. Workers were planting out young tea saplings and some had just cornered a very attractive, almost pinkish, striped snake which we were able to photograph. It is still not clear whether this was some kind of pit viper or trinket snake. The shade trees over the mature tea bushes provided perches for large and black-winged cuckoo-shrikes, as well as long-tailed minivets. A flock of greater necklaced laughing thrushes bounced and glided among the bushes, retreating before us, while a flock of Rufous-necked Laughingthrush

Trinklet Snake copyright Nikhil Devasar

gave us their best views in scrub lower down the hillside. Both magnificent species. Mixed bamboo forest borders the gardens and at one spot we heard the characteristic call of the Pin-striped Tit Babbler (something between a tailor-bird and a long-tailed nightjar). A little patience revealed a flock of them, while a white-browed scimitar babbler made a brief appearance, and then a tiny luminous orange bird flitted into view. This outrageously beautiful bird, (the illustration in Inskipp does it great injustice) was the white-browed piculet – another addition to our Kaziranga list.

Striped Tit-Babbler Macronous gularis copyright Nikhil Devasar

Our visit to the tea garden next to Panbari, on an overcast day, led to unexpected leech attacks, and close but unsatisfying encounters with the blue-naped pitta, which was under tea bushes or in the bamboo nearby, but always a step ahead of us.

Kaziranga : Grasslands and Bils

The landscape of Kaziranga is dominated by grassland and bils (ox-bow lakes). The grassland was sprouting with new growth after burning earlier in the year. The dominant trees of the grassland – the silk cotton – had finished flowering and were coming into leaf., as were the many ajaar trees whose new leaves were a pale red. Many sacred barnas were in creamy flower.

Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus copyright Nikhil Devasar

As we entered the central range we scanned Mihimikh area for floricans, but instead found two barred owlets in the trees lining the road and some spangled drongos. Moving on, Okhla birders in the group were quick to recognize a bristled grassbird in flight, and we also saw a striated grassbird. Practically all shrikes seen were grey-backed while we saw Hodgson's and many Siberian Stonechats of the local sub-species. Rollers were common and barn swallows abundant. So were the gorgeous red-breasted parakeets with their croaky voices. The parakeets were easily visible at their nests in tree trunks. We spotted some white-vented mynahs could be seen, but jungle and common were much more apparent.

Lesser adjutants were easy to see and there were occasional greater ones too. On the far side of a bil in the eastern range we saw a large number of jungle crows on the ground finishing off a dead animal. Several adjutants were nearby but there was not a vulture in sight. Palash gave the explanation that the vultures had already eaten and left, which may well be the case, but we only saw a very few vultures throughout our stay.

We were able to see one black stork and several black-necked ones. Openbills were in abundance. Waders and ducks were not present in large numbers, but we did see a fairly wide range of species. Among the most abundant water birds were bar-headed geese seen grazing on the edge of bils or in flight overhead and spot-billed pelican,
both on bils and in flight formation. Stork-billed kingfishers were seen inside the park as well as over water by the national highway.

Stork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis copyright Nikhil Devasar

The rain seemed to bring out at least one skulking species – the green malkoha. We found five in one low tree beside the road in Central Zone, looking somewhat bedraggled and reluctant to move.

The grassland and bils are good raptor habitat and we came close to an adult female pied harrier gliding over the grass. Grey-headed fishing eagles gave good views, especially one on the ground by a small bil. It roosted with its mate in a tree overhanging the road. A Pallas fishing eagle nest stood by the first major bil you come to in the Central Zone, and we saw both adult birds circling and landing on the nest tree. At one point a crested serpent took off from the roadside as our Gypsies approached and landed nearby, a slim snake flailing around in its talons. The eagle despatched it and then swallowed it, the tail still writhing. We also spotted an osprey outside the eastern gate
of the park.

Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus copyright Nikhil Devasar

Forested Areas

In the more thickly forested areas lineated were more obvious than the otherwise ubiquitous blue-throated barbets. An Abbot's babbler was persuaded to come out of the undergrowth in response to a recording of their call. White-rumped shamas sang in the undergrowth while oriental Pied hornbills flew overhead. When we stopped to watch a barking deer, Anand spotted a shape in the forest in front of us. It was a brown hawk owl. We then found a second on the other side of the road. Wide awake it stayed put while our photographers took it from all angles.

The swamp francolin is one of Kaziranga's special birds and the best sightings we had were in the eastern range, on the other side of the road to the forest. Five walked slowly along giving us excellent views of their stunning plumage.

Mammals

Indian One Horned Rhinocerous copyright Nikhil Devasar

Tiger eluded us, as it does most visitors to Kaziranga but elephants, rhino, and wild buffalo were easy to see. A large herd of buffalo, complete with sandy haired young calves, crossed the road in front of us. Rhinos walked up to the Gypsy and we could hear them snorting in the grass. Both young rhino and buffalos suckle by putting their heads between their mother's rear legs. Adult elephants in a herd faced outwards as we drove up, the elephant calves kept behind them for protection. We even saw otters by a bil and several wild boar.

Water Buffalo copyright Nikhil Devasar
 
Water Buffalo copyright Nikhil Devasar

From here we went on to Nameri.....

Checklists
Kaziranga National Park and Panbari Reserve Forest

C=central zone E=eastern zone P=Panbari TE=tea estates WG=Wild Grass W=western zone.
Birds seen in several parts of the park unmarked.

1. Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis C,E
2. Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus
3. Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos P,E
4. Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus
5. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
6. Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus
7. Gadwall Anas strepera
8. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
9. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos C
10. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
11. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
12. Garganey Anas querquedula
13. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula E
14. White-browed Piculet Sasia ochracea TE
15. Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus P
16. Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos macei
17. Streak-throated Woodpecker Picus xanthopygaeus
18. Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
19. Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus
20. Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineata
21. Blue-throated Barbet Megalaima asiatica
22. Blue-eared Barbet Megalaima australis P
23. Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala WG
24. Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis P
25. Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris P,C
26. Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
27. Red-headed Trogon Harpactes erythrocephalus P
28. Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
29. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
30. Stork-billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis
31. White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
32. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
33. Blue-bearded Bee-eater Nyctyornis athertoni
34. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis
35. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus
36. Chestnut-headed Bee-eater Merops leschenaulti
37. Common Hawk Cuckoo Hierococcyx varius P
38. Indian Cuckoo Cuculus micropterus
39. Asian Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx maculates P
40. Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea
41. Green-billed Malkoha Phaenicophaeus tristis
42. Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis
43. Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis
44. Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
45. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
46. Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata
47. Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri
48. Asian Palm Swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
49. Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides
50. Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutulata C
51. Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus C
52. Rock Pigeon Columba livia
53. Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
54. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
55. Red Collared Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica
56. Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
57. Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica
58. Thick-billed Green Pigeon Treron curvirostra P
59. Yellow-footed Green Pigeon Treron phoenicoptera
60. Green Imperial Pigeon Ducula aenea
61. White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
62. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
63. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
64. Common Coot Fulicata atra
65. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
66. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
67. Common Redshank Tringa totanus
68. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
69. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
70. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
71. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
72. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
73. Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
74. Ruff Philomachus pugnax
75. Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus
76. Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus
77. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
78. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
79. Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
80. River Tern Sterna aurantia
81. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida E
82. Osprey Pandion haliaetus E
83. Oriental Honey-Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus
84. Black Kite Milvus migrans
85. Pallas's Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus
86. Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
87. Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus
88. Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis
89. Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus
90. Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela
91. Pied Harrier Circus melanoleucos
92. Shikra Accipiter badius
93. Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
94. Changeable Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
95. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
96. Little Grebe Podiceps ruficollis
97. Darter Anhinga melanogaster
98. Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
99. Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
100. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
101. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
102. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
103. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
104. Great Egret Casmerodius albus
105. Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia
106. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
107. Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
108. Little Heron Butorides striatus
109. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
110. Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis
111. Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
112. Black Stork Ciconia nigra
113. Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus
114. Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
115. Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus
116. Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius
117. Blue-naped Pitta Pitta nipalensis
118. Asian Fairy Bluebird Irene puella P
119. Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons
120. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
121. Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
122. Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus
123. Common Green Magpie Cissa chinensis
124. Rufous Treepie Dendrocitta vagabunda
125. Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae
126. House Crow Corvus splendens
127. Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
128. Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus
129. Black-hooded Oriole Oriolus xanthornus
130. Large Cuckooshrike Coracina macei
131. Black-winged Cuckooshrike Coracina melaschistos
132. Long-tailed Minivet Pericrocotus ethologus
133. Scarlet Minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
134. White-browed Fantail Rhipidura aureola
135. Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
136. Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucocephalus
137. Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus
138. Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
139. Greater Racket Tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
140. Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
141. Common Woodshrike Tephrodornis pondicerianus
142. Red-throated Flycatcher Ficedula parva
143. Pale-chinned Flycatcher Cyornis poliogenys TE
144. Oriental Magpie Robin Copsychus saularis
145. White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus
146. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
147. Hodgson's Bushchat Saxicola insignis
148. Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
149. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
150. Chestnut-tailed Starling Sturnus malabaricus
151. Brahminy Starling Sturnus pagodarum
152. Asian Pied Starling Sturnus contra
153. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
154. Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus
155. Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus
156. White-vented Myna Acridotheres cinereus
157. Northern Hill Myna Gracula religiosa
158. Great Tit Parus major
159. Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
160. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
161. Black-crested Bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus P
162. Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
163. Himalayan Bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys
164. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
165. White-throated Bulbul Alophoixus flaveolus
166. Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus
167. Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
168. Ashy Prinia Prinia socialis
169. Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
170. Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola
171. Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
172. Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis
173. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides
174. Striated Grassbird Megalurus palustris
175. Bristled Grassbird Chaetornis striatus
176. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush Garrulax pectoralis P, TE
177. Rufous-necked Laughingthrush Garrulax ruficollis TE
178. Abbott's Babbler Malacocincla abbotti P,E
179. Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps
180. White-browed Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus schisticeps TE
181. Striped Tit-Babbler Macronous gularis TE,E
182. Rufous-winged Bushlark Mirafra assamica
183. Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula
184. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum TE, WG
185. Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja
186. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
187. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus C
188. White Wagtail Motacilla alba
189. Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
190. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
191. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
192. Rosy Pipit Anthus roseatus W
193. Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus WG

  
 
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