INDIA 2010: The Mongoli Valley and Ramnagar

Dec 9 – John and I were the only ones that made the pre breakfast trip up to Snow View (above). We hoped to find Hill Partridges but the number of local people now utilizing the slopes and disrupting the birds made it almost impossible. I was glad that everyone had gotten great views of the majestic Himalayas yesterday, since this morning there were low clouds obscuring the scenic peaks.

Rufous Sibias were very active around some buildings, while an Oriental Turtle Dove (above) perched in the open on its roost spot. A Grey-winged Blackbird showed briefly on a path through the rubbish dump and Bronzed Drongos took to the skies from their high tree perches.

Back at the hotel, we all finished breakfast, packed-up and headed out for our next destination. From Nainital we descended in elevation, drove out of the Greater Foothills of the Himalyas, then briefly crossed the gangetic plain before ascending into the Lesser Foothills north of Ramnagar.

We made several stops along the way, firstly at Char Khet where we walked down the road looking for Red-fronted Serin. Activity was minimal, but we did get to see a Blue-capped Redstart posing in a shrub. Two pairs of Kalij Pheasants (above) caught our attention as they negotiated a rocky wall, followed by several Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babblers who are normally quite shy, but felt safe enough to come out and forage at the wall and grasses below, not far from the pheasants.

Our next stop was at the entrance to Mongoli Valley (above). Vinod was keen to have us try the local veggie samosas, and they were indeed delicious. We spent almost two hours here in the Valley, walking only a short distance, as bird activity kept us delightfully occupied. A mixed tit flock included Golden-spectacled and Grey-hooded Warbler, Lemon-browed and Ashy-throated Warbler. A large group of Slaty-headed Parakeets took off from the far side of the valley, banked and descended into a ficus to feed voraciously and show-off their stunning yellow tail tips.

Early on we had heard a Blue-throated Barbet (above) calling but could not locate it. As we returned back up the trail, a streak of green shot into a tree, and after some searching we found the barbet. A Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch showed well before departing for the thicker part of the woods. Black Bulbuls were moving about the canopy above the trail and a Red-billed Leiothrix made a very brief appearance near the narrow stream that ran down the valley.

At midday we enjoyed a boxed lunch picnic at an overlook, looking down at the plain, and in the presence of a Peregrine Falcon that put on a nice aerial display.

About 65 kms from Naintal, we reached the bustling safari town of Ramnagar on the Kosi River. This is often referred to as the Tiger capital of India, primarily because of its reputation of having man-eating tigers in what is now Corbett National Park, India’s first National Park, on the outskirts of town. Though rare, there have been several incidences recently of people being killed by a tiger, and leopard, along the road out of town.

The Kosi River (above) offered great birding opportunities. A number of Ruddy Shelduck, Little Egrets and Little Cormorants loafed around the Ramnagar Dam, while a Cinereous Vulture glided slowly overhead. We were unable to locate a Wallcreeper here, nor in two other spots further upriver. The rocks that lined the river is ideal habitat for the much sought-after Ibisbill, a beautiful silt-sized wader with a decurved bill, but this eluded us as well! We fared better with River Lapwings, Plumbeous Redstart and White-capped Water Redstart (below), and found a Blue-bearded Bee-eater on one of our walks to the river bank.

We checked into the Den on the banks of the Kosi at dusk, eagerly anticipating new experiences in the next few days.