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NAMERI |
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NAMERI NATIONAL PARK - 3rd to 6th
April 2008
Gillian Wright
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Nameri |
It was with great regret that we left Wild
Grass in Kaziranga
and set out for our next destination. The
road to Nameri from Kaziranga is not long,
about two hours journey non-stop, across
the Brahmaputra at Tezpur, through the Tezpur
cantonment area and on down the road to
Bomdila and Tawang until you turn off and
make you way into the degraded forest of
the park's buffer zone. Near the end of
the road is the Eco Camp – a circle
of thatched tents and rooms on stilts around
a clearing just by the forest department
office where you get permits, and the enclosure
of the pigmy hogs – some of the world's
most endangered mammals – that have
been bred in captivity and will one day,
hopefully, be successfully re-established
in the wild. The camp is next to an Assamese
village complete with "namghar"
or temple and plots of areca palm with betel
vines growing up them.
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Black
Baza Aviceda leuphotes copyright
Anand Arya; Nameri National Park |
We arrived at 2pm and were determined at
once to go out at once in search of the
white-winged wood duck, pausing only to
regard the oriental hobby, with its brick
red breast and black eye patches, perched
on a tree within the camp – its regular
haunt. Permits had been arranged in advance
and we drove the kilometer or so down to
the river bank of the Jia Bhorelli river.
Jia means living and it is called that as
it is a new course for the Bhorelli river
– the former course is known as the
"dead" Bhorelli. We clambered
down the bank and into the forest department
boat which was half punted and then paddled
carefully across this wide, fast-flowing,
cool and clean river. On the other side
we marched to the Patasoli forest camp where
we showed our permits and were introduced
to duck specialist forest guard Zamiruddin.
We then set off along the forest paths allowed
for tourists which run in a circular route.
The total circuit takes about two hours
walking. Starting from the path leading
into the forest towards the mountains of
Arunachal, we entered a grassland between
two tree covered ridges. One after another
Great Hornbills flapped across from one
side to another – at least half a
dozen of them, the whisper of their wings
sounding loudly in an environment where
there are no vehicles or other human- related
noise at all. Two grey-headed fishing eagles
were on the trees to the right, one with
a large, round fish in its talons.We systematically
covered every pool on the route from what
the guards called number one (to the left
of the path in that grassland). Our guard
pointed to two ducks on the far side and
we peered forward. Unfortunately they were
not white-winged but wigeon – a new
record for the park. It soon became obvious
that Zamiruddin was a stranger to w.w. duck.
Nevertheless he knew his forest. He guided
us to the watchtower beside a forest and
on to the final pool – which would
be pool number one if approached from the
path leading from the forest camp along
the river. This pool was full of algae and
had fallen trees lying along one side and
reasonable cover around it. By now it had
become apparent that the unseasonal rain
had encouraged leeches, and none of us were
left unscathed. We completed our circuit
by walking down the riverside, with fantastic
dillenia (chalta) and kanak champa forest
on our right and the river on our left.
The air was scented with kanak champa flowers
and in places the ground was carpeted with
wild strawberries.
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Black
Baza Aviceda leuphotes copyright
Anand Arya; Nameri National Park |
We decided to try for the w.w. duck the
next morning.
The Eco-camp resounded to the calls of
brown hawk owls and barred owlets as dawn
approached. It was overcast and grey.
As we took the boat across the river the
rain started and by the time we had marched
over the silver sand banks and marshy
area to the camp we were all drenched.
Luckily a chula was burning and we warmed
ourselves around
it and were about to have some tea when
our new guard returned with news of w.w.
duck. We set off regardless of the rain
still falling and did the best part of
a circuit – but if there were ducks
they had flown leaving just moorhen behind.
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Pygmy
Hog copyright Nikhil Devasar |
Sitting on the verandah of the forest
camp, a pool of blood under myankles,
I decided to stay put, while a few of
us bravely set off to do the rounds again.
They walked a total of six hours and checked
every water body within reach and still
no duck. However they were rewarded with
a flock of sultan tits, a brown wood owl
and a lesser yellownape,
amongst other birds. I saw a lone wreathed
hornbill flapping across the river and
watched as a pair of velvet-fronted nuthatches
climbed up and down a tree a few feet
from me, and a pair of greater flamebacks
noisily pecked and worked a tree a little
further off. A long-billed crow set off
alarm bells in the pebbly spit where a
smaller river joined the Bhorivelli, setting
dozens of nesting lesser pratincoles,
several pairs of river lapwing and a pair
of river terns into the air.
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Wreathed
Hornbill Aceros undulatus copyright
Nikhil Devasar |
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The most easily seen woodpeckers in Nameri are
the greater flameback. Golden fronted leafbirds
were common, singing from exposed perches at the
top of trees, either in pairs or flocks. Jungle
and hill mynahs were everywhere. The most common
dove was the spotted and the most common pigeon
the imperial green.
When we crossed back to the Eco camp we found
a jubilant Anand Arya – who had decided
to walk the road between the Eco Camp and the
river. While we had been battling leeches and
route marching, he had drunk tea and read until
the weather cleared at eleven o'clock and then
found five black bazas in one tree mid-way between
the camp and the river.
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Anand
going for Ibisbill copyright Nikhil Devasar |
The next day we rafted down the river from
a spot about 17 kms upstream. There are very
gentle rapids and it was a very pleasant trip
indeed, especially as we saw the last two of
this season's ibisbills. There were a little
flighty – perhaps because they were about
to migrate but gave excellent views beside another
colony of lesser praticoles, river lapwing and
one pair of river terns. The river lapwings
had young chicks and many of the pratincoles
did their broken-wing display as we approached.
Greater thick-knees flew across the river and
ran along one bank, greater cormorants flew
downstream To the right were a group of three
crested grebe, which are also a new record for
the park.
The right bank was clearly very much deforested.
The range officer for Patasoli forest area himself
told me that in the monsoon the forestry department
was not in a position to stop illegal felling,
and others told us this was not just a seasonal
activity.
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Small
Pratincole Glareola lactea copyright Nikhil
Devasar |
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Small
Pratincole Glareola lactea copyright Nikhil
Devasar |
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In the afternoon Bikram Grewal, who had by then
come to the park with Sumit Sen, joined us for
a walk across the river. The sun was out and the
leeches in and we had just past pool number one
in the grasslands and were heading for the watchtower
when there was a rumble in the jungle. Having
seen no evidence of any mammals, we had began
to wonder if they existed. A giant squirrel, langorously
dozing on a branch, its forelegs hanging down
on each side and its tail swishing proved that
there were small mammals in Nameri. Now the solid
grey forms visible above the elephant grass proved
the big ones were here two. Elephans Maximus of
various sizes trooped across the footpath in front
of us, while others remained to our right, grazing
on the newly sprouted grass, and tossing mud on
to their backs. A wreathed hornbill and a mountain
imperial pigeon flew across in front of us. Stone-chats
of local sub-species perched on the topmost grass
stems.
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Capped
Langur copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Capped
Langur copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Capped
Langur at Dusk copyright Nikhil
Devasar |
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At this stage we realized Aditya was missing.
Having had his fill of duck hunting, he had
set off to the watch tower a little ahead of
us and was now separated from us by this now
immobile elephant herd. The guard loaded his
rifle and waited for a chance to pass the herd
and recover Aditya, while we retreated to the
forest camp. Here we noted a grey-capped pigmy
woodpecker with an unusual amount of red about
the crown. After some considerable time Aditya,
who had seen Indian pied hornbills from the
watchtower, strolled into camp with the guard.
We arose and were setting off for the river
when two wreathed hornbills flew low over our
heads, taking us all by surprise.
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Oriental
Hobby Falco severus copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Walking back along the road to the Eco Camp we
came across a Siberian Rubythroat taking a bath
in a puddle and then shaking the drops off in
a bush, and a Durian Redstart hunting from a perch
just above the level of the road. Lineated barbets
and Blue-throated barbets called around us.
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Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope
copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Siberian Stonechat copyright Nikhil Devasar |
We dined with Bikram, Sumit and Bittoo Sehgal
at a newly renovated tea garden bungalow a forty
minute drive away. The next morning we planned
to walk the road to the river, which we did.
However the weather was again overcast and bird
activity very low, although a roller rolled
for us and a dollarbird displayed the so-called
dollar signs on its underwings. Black and yellow
common birdwing butterflies and blue tigers
fluttered by. We saw what we could and then
bade farewell to Ranesh Roy, the manager of
the camp – a very fine man and wonderful
company.
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Ronesh
Roy copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Brown
Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis copyright
Nikhil Devasar |
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We returned by the Mongoldai road to Guwahati,
pausing only to mend four punctures in the inner
tube of our taxi's rear tyre. Our return flight
was on time and we had plenty of experiences and
lifers to mull over on the journey back.
We had, in less than perfect conditions, seen
well over 200 species.
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Asian Barred Owlet Glaucidium cuculoides
copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Checklists
Nameri National Park
1. RED JUNGLEFOWL Gallus gallus.
2. KALIJ PHEASANT Lophura leucomelanos
3. BAR-HEADED GOOSE Anser indicus
4. RUDDY SHELDUCK Tadorna ferruginea
5. COMMON SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna
6. GADWALL Anas strepera
7. GREY-CAPPED PYGMYWOODPECKER Dendrocopos canicapillus
8. FULVOUS-BREASTEDWOODPECKER Dendrocopos macei
9. LESSER YELLOWNAPE Picus chlorolophus
10. GREATER FLAMEBACK Chrysocolaptes lucidus
11. LINEATED BARBET Megalaima lineata
12. BLUE-THROATED BARBET Megalaima asiatica
13. COPPERSMITH BARBET Megalaima haemacephala
14. ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL Anthracoceros albirostris
15. GREAT HORNBILL Buceros bicornis
16. WREATHED HORNBILL Aceros undulatus
17. INDIAN ROLLER Coracias benghalensis.
18. DOLLARBIRD Eurystomus orientalis
19. WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER Halcyon smyrnensis
20. CRESTED KINGFISHER Megaceryle lugubris
21. PIED KINGFISHER Ceryle rudis
22. CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER Merops leschenaulti
23. ASIAN KOEL Eudynamys scolopacea
24. GREEN-BILLED MALKOHA Phaenicophaeus tristis
25. GREATER COUCAL Centropus sinensis
26. LESSER COUCAL Centropus bengalensis
27. ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET Psittacula krameri
28. BLOSSOM-HEADED PARAKEET Psittacula roseata
29. RED-BREASTED PARAKEET Psittacula alexandri
30. BROWN FISH OWL Ketupa zeylonensis
31. ASIAN BARRED OWLET Glaucidium cuculoides
32. SPOTTED OWLET Athene brama
33. BROWN HAWK OWL Ninox scutulata
34. SPOTTED DOVE Streptopelia chinensis
35. BARRED CUCKOO DOVE Macropygia unchall
36. EMERALD DOVE Chalcophaps indica
37. YELLOW-FOOTED GREEN PIGEON Treron phoenicoptera
38. GREEN IMPERIAL PIGEON Ducula aenea
39. MOUNTAIN IMPERIAL PIGEON Ducula badia
40. WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN Amaurornis phoenicurus
41. COMMON MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus
42. COMMON GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia
43. GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus
44. COMMON SANDPIPER Tringa hypoleucos
45. GREAT THICK-KNEE Esacus recurvirostris
46. IBISBILL Ibidorhyncha struthersii
47. LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius
48. RIVER LAPWING Vanellus duvaucelii
49. SMALL PRATINCOLE Glareola lactea
50. BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus
51. RIVER TERN Sterna aurantia
52. BLACK BAZA Aviceda leuphotes
53. ORIENTAL HONEY-BUZZARD Pernis ptilorhyncus
54. BLACK KITE Milvus migrans
55. PALLAS’S FISH EAGLE Haliaeetus leucoryphus
56. GREY-HEADED FISH EAGLE Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
57. SHORT-TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus
58. CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE Spilornis cheela
59. ORIENTAL HOBBY Falco severus
60. LITTLE CORMORANT Phalacrocorax niger
61. GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
62. LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta
63. INTERMEDIATE EGRET Mesophoyx intermedia
64. CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis
65. INDIAN POND HERON Ardeola grayii
66. LITTLE HERON Butorides striatus
67. CINNAMON BITTERN Ixobrychus cinnamomeus
68. ASIAN OPENBILL Anastomus oscitans
69. LESSER ADJUTANT Leptoptilos javanicus
70. GOLDEN-FRONTED LEAFBIRD Chloropsis aurifrons
71. LONG-TAILED SHRIKE Lanius schach
72. GREY-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius tephronotus
73. RUFOUS TREEPIE Dendrocitta vagabunda
74. GREY TREEPIE Dendrocitta formosae
75. LARGE-BILLED CROW Corvus macrorhynchos
76. BLACK-HOODED ORIOLE Oriolus xanthornus
77. LARGE CUCKOOSHRIKE Coracina macei
78. BLACK-WINGED CUCKOOSHRIKE Coracina melaschistos
79. SCARLET MINIVET Pericrocotus flammeus
80. BLACK DRONGO Dicrurus macrocercus
81. SPANGLED DRONGO Dicrurus hottentottus
82. COMMON IORA Aegithina tiphia.
83. LARGE WOODSHRIKE Tephrodornis gularis
84. COMMON WOODSHRIKE Tephrodornis pondicerianus
85. RED-THROATED FLYCATCHER Ficedula parva
86. Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope
87. ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN Copsychus saularis.
88. BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros.
89. DAURIAN REDSTART Phoenicurus auroreus
90. COMMON STONECHAT Saxicola torquata
91. CHESTNUT-TAILED STARLING Sturnus malabaricus
92. ASIAN PIED STARLING Sturnus contra
93. COMMON MYNA Acridotheres tristis
94. JUNGLE MYNA Acridotheres fuscus
95. HILL MYNA Gracula religiosa
96. VELVET-FRONTED NUTHATCH Sitta frontalis
97. GREAT TIT Parus major
98. SULTAN TIT Melanochlora sultanea
99. SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia
100. RED-WHISKERED BULBUL Pycnonotus jocosus
101. RED-VENTED BULBUL Pycnonotus cafer
102. BLACK BULBUL Hypsipetes leucocephalus
103. ORIENTAL WHITE-EYE Zosterops palpebrosus
104. STRIATED GRASSBIRD Megalurus palustris
105. GREATER NECKLACED LAUGHINGTHRUSH Garrulax
pectoralis
106. WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
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