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Black-necked Crane (RS) Golden Langur (DS) Great Hornbill (MA)
by legislation introduced by the located at the foot of a steep wooded subsistence farms, which were mainly
German authorities. Then, aged 55, valley, at midday. During the afternoon, terraced lands of rice paddies and fields
he devoted all his time and a good we indulged in a bit of local culture, ploughed (two oxen and a wooden
deal of his resources to birding, visiting the very impressive Trashigang plough) for potatoes and beans, largely
producing his own bird field guides Dzong overlooking the confluence of on the lower slopes of the valleys.
for every trip undertaken. But what the Drangme and Gamri Chu (rivers). Birding stops along the way produced
was, in my view, remarkable about It was constructed over 100 years Darjeeling Woodpecker, Smoky
him was his diet whilst on birding ago, and we were given a guided tour Warbler, White-browed Shrike-Babbler,
trips, which consisted exclusively of of the establishment by Salaam. It Red-tailed Minla and Nepal Fulvetta.
cheese and chips/crisps (if available) was interesting to see how monks as
for breakfast, and three 750ml young as four years old live their lives Onwards further west to Yongkhola
bottles of the local beer for both of dedicated Buddhism every day. (1 800m), we reached our next
lunch and dinner, supplemented campsite for two nights. Birds seen
again by cheese and chips/crisps. In the town, we were also treated during the day included Golden-
He collected the labels of the beers to a visit to a true oriental bazaar throated Barbet, Large Hawk-Cuckoo,
he drank, pasting them into a market replete with a great variety Common Green Magpie, Rufescent
scrapbook of sorts, had a lovely dry of grains, garlands of chillies, silk, Prinia, Grey-bellied Tesia, Yellow-
sense of humour, was very bright hand-woven bamboo crafts, hocks vented Warbler, Steaked Yuhina and
and knowledgeable, surprisingly of yak meat, fermented cheese balls Large Niltava. Rain accompanied
physically fit despite his unusual and colourful textiles. Nearby, Blue- by strong winds right through the
trip diet, and never suffered any capped and Blue Rock-thrushes, night resulted in the collapse of four
stomach upsets. Totally contrarian noisy White-crested Laughingthrush, of the five accommodation tents,
in almost everything he did, he Grey-winged Blackbird and Black- most of my companions emerging
was a very interesting character! throated Parrotbill were spotted, in the morning wet and cold.
whilst in drier scrub, encounters with
Commencing the 100km journey to Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler, Continuing on to the fabled
Trashigang, we stopped alongside a Striated Prinia, Himalayan Bulbul and Limnethang Road, a birding hotspot
cliff-face where Giant Rock Bees had Three-banded Rosefinch, were made. which can produce some of the
constructed massive combs clinging most awesome birds on the planet,
to overhanging ledges. These were Departing from Trashigang, we we encountered even more rain
attended by a single Yellow-rumped travelled through Chir Pine forest to and mist, resulting in very few
Honeyguide, (one of the only two Asian our next campsite located in broad- new birds for the day, other than
representatives of this African bird leaved forest 20km east of Mongar Golden-spectacled Warbler, Collared
family), which was intent on helping (largest town of eastern Bhutan). grosbeak and Golden-breasted
itself to bee grubs in the combs. Crossing the Kulong Chu, we passed a Fulvetta which braved the weather.
hillside studded with Royal euphorbias,
After passing through forests of a very African scene, before making Having now dealt with almost half
flowering magnolias and colourful a surprising discovery – on a rocky of the new bird species (lifers) I
rhododendrons on the slopes of the hillside, we saw a pair of Himalayan was hoping for during the trip, this
Yongphu La en route, we eventually Brown Goral (type of goat). Following concludes the first part of my chronicle
reached the settlement of Trashigang, the contour, the road took us through about my Bhutan adventure.

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