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NATURE

interesting to see how monks as young as
four years old live their lives of dedicated
Buddhism every day.

In the town, we were also treated to a visit
to a true oriental bazaar market, replete
with a great variety of grains, garlands of
chillies, silk, hand-woven bamboo crafts,
hocks of yak meat, fermented cheese balls
and colourful textiles. Nearby, Blue-capped
and Blue Rock-thrushes, noisy White-
crested Laughingthrush, Grey-winged
Blackbird and Black-throated Parrotbill
were spotted, whilst in drier scrub,
encounters with Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-
Babbler, Striated Prinia, Himalayan Bulbul
and Three-banded Rosefinch, were made.

Departing from Trashigang, we travelled
through Chir Pine forest to our next
campsite located in broad-leaved forest
Black-necked Crane (RS) Great Hornbill (MA) 20km east of Mongar (largest town of
eastern Bhutan). Crossing the Kulong Chu,
obviously of high intellect, and married German authorities. Then, aged 55, he we passed a hillside studded with Royal
to a financially-independent woman devoted all his time and a good deal of his euphorbias, a very African scene, before
who hated travel of every conceivable resources to birding, producing his own making a surprising discovery - on a rocky
type (because of motion sickness) and bird field guides for every trip undertaken. hillside, we saw a pair of Himalayan Brown
was accordingly more or less confined to But what was, in my view, remarkable Goral (type of goat). Following the contour,
the village in Germany where they lived. about him was his diet whilst on birding the road took us through subsistence
They had two grown-up children and he trips, which consisted exclusively of cheese farms, which were mainly terraced lands
was retired. Apparently, having secured a and chips/crisps (if available) for breakfast, of rice paddies and fields ploughed (two
doctorate (PhD) in forestry science after and three 750ml bottles of the local beer oxen and a wooden plough) for potatoes
leaving school, he found his way into for both lunch and dinner, supplemented and beans, largely on the lower slopes of
commerce, making a small fortune in again by cheese and chips/crisps. He the valleys. Birding stops along the way
trading derivatives, before being shut- collected the labels of the beers he drank, produced Darjeeling Woodpecker, Smoky
down by legislation introduced by the pasting them into a scrapbook of sorts, Warbler, White-browed Shrike-Babbler,
had a lovely dry sense of humour, was very Red-tailed Minla and Nepal Fulvetta.
bright and knowledgeable, surprisingly
physically fit despite his unusual trip diet, Onwards further west to Yongkhola (1
and never suffered any stomach upsets. 800m), we reached our next campsite
Totally contrarian in almost everything he for two nights. Birds seen during the day
did, he was a very interesting character!
included Golden-throated Barbet, Large
Hawk-Cuckoo, Common Green Magpie,
Commencing the 100km journey to Rufescent Prinia, Grey-bellied Tesia, Yellow-
Trashigang, we stopped alongside a vented Warbler, Steaked Yuhina and Large
cliff-face where Giant Rock Bees had Niltava. Rain accompanied by strong winds
constructed massive combs clinging to right through the night resulted in the
overhanging ledges. These were attended collapse of four of the five accommodation
by a single Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, tents, most of my companions emerging
(one of the only two Asian representatives in the morning wet and cold.
of this African bird family), which was
intent on helping itself to bee grubs in the Continuing on to the fabled Limnethang
combs.
Road, a birding hotspot which can
produce some of the most awesome
After passing through forests of flowering birds on the planet, we encountered even
magnolias and colourful rhododendrons more rain and mist, resulting in very few
on the slopes of the Yongphu La en route, new birds for the day, other than Golden-
we eventually reached the settlement spectacled Warbler, Collared grosbeak and
of Trashigang, located at the foot of a Golden-breasted Fulvetta which braved
steep wooded valley, at midday. During the weather.
the afternoon, we indulged in a bit of
local culture, visiting the very impressive Having now dealt with almost half of the
Trashigang Dzong overlooking the new bird species (lifers) I was hoping for
confluence of the Drangme and Gamri during the trip, this concludes the first
Chu (rivers). It was constructed over 100 part of my chronicle about my Bhutan
years ago, and we were given a guided adventure.
tour of the establishment by Salaam. It was

Monks at Trashigang Dzong Monastery (DS)

INTRA MUROS SEPTEMBER 2020 31