INDIA 2010: Kosi River and Kumeria Forest

Dec 10 – Our lodge was well-situated on high banks overlooking the Kosi River (above), a wide expanse of water riddled with rocks and gentle rapids, surrounded by the Kumeria Forest. We awoke to find that a very windy night had given way to another beautiful day, and we were eager to explore this lush habitat.

The morning started well with several gorgeous birds, a male Crimson Sunbird (above) and a pair of Orange-bellied Leafbirds, noisily flitting about the hotel gardens, posing for photographs in a bottlebrush and pink powder puff tree.

We strolled down to the river stopping frequently to enjoy a number of birds and a handful of butterflies. Highlights included Red Junglefowl (the original chicken), White-throated Fantail (above), Grey-hooded Warbler, Common Woodshrike, Grey-headed Woodpecker and Lesser Whitethroat.

The monsoon had been good to this part of the country in completely rearranging the various-sized rocks in the river bed; the birds didn’t seem to mind at all. We watched a Brown Dipper forage busily along the edge, then fly across the river to its large moss nest tucked under a huge boulder. White-capped Water Redstarts and Plumbeous Redstarts were seen sitting on partially submerged rocks, and a pair of Crested Kingfishers (above) surveyed for fish from prime vantage points.

We ascended back up the trail and jumped into the van to drive up the road about 8 kms to the hairpin bend at Saural (above). Here a fast-running stream meanders down the valley and we got excellent looks at a Little Forktail. The trees below us bustled with activity, primarily with many Bar-winged Shrike Flycatchers and also a Small Nilvata.

Mammals were the stars here, with three Yellow-throated Martens (above) running up and down the ravine that were chased off by a small troop of Rhesus Macaques holding fort at the waterfalls. While some of focused on tracking down a Mormon (a butterfly in the swallowtail family), John patiently waited for the White-crested Laughingthrushes to show themselves in the open and was duly rewarded with great photographic opportunities.

After lunch, a sunny afternoon walk around the gardens of The Den produced a fair number of butterflies that included many Jezebels, Wanderers (above) and Crows.

We headed down the hill towards the village of Mohaan to find the surrounding Kumeria forest (above) was exceedingly quiet. There was the obliging Blue Whistling Thrush, Oriental Magpie Robin and even a Besra, but where were the drongos? We had good luck with woodpeckers, scoping pairs of Himalayan Flamebacks and Lesser Yellownapes at a distance up the hill. We managed to pick out a distant Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch too, but access to that particular area was almost impossible. An Emerald Dove shot by at an alarming rate giving us barely a glimpse. We flushed a Muntjac also know as a Barking Deer, as it was drinking in the river. In a boggy spot we mustered up Puff-throated Babblers and had good looks at Ashy Bulbuls. A few of us glimpsed a Red-billed Leiothrix.

Vinod and I decided to stock up on hot water bottles for the group. Overnight temperatures were chilly, and our rooms were unheated. One of the ladies took over a dozen to bed with her!