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30 odd Blood Pheasants, both males
and females, the former displaying
a wonderful selection of white, grey,
blood-red and apple-green plumage.
This sighting was followed by three
Himalayan Monals - another superb
pheasant, the male of which is an
iridescent copper, purple, blue and
green. It revealed wonderful in-flight
views of a cinnamon tail, snow white
Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird (DS)
back and iridescent mantle, its head
sporting a spatulate-tipped crest, as
it plunged into the valley below.
Nu100 Commemorative Coronation Souvenir (RS)
our doctor friend who had previously After checking into our ‘shoes off’ lodge
missed seeing it. It provided prolonged of traditional architecture, we visited a
and excellent views for all to enjoy. bamboo forest where we enjoyed the
antics of a small flock of Brown Parrotbills
New birds seen on this memorable before adding White-browed Bush-
day included Chestnut-breasted Robin, then a pair of White-throated
Partridge, Spotted Nutcracker, Rufous- Redstarts, a flying flock of Mountain
fronted Bushtit, Stripe-throated and Finches and finally scope views in the
Satyr Tragopan (DS)
Rufous-vented Yuhinas, Rusty-flanked Chamkhar Chu (river) of the monotypic
Treecreeper and Pale Blue Flycatcher. Ibisbill, (another iconic species recorded
in the book 100 Birds to See Before
Our campsite at Sengor was surrounded You Die) to our growing bird list.
by forest-clad hills, the highest slopes of
which were covered in snow, so it was Pushing on over the top of Yutong La, we
not surprising that in the early morning reached our overnight accommodation,
our tents were covered in frost and the a good hotel in Trongsa (2 200m),
temperature was a mere 5°C. Our early in time for a visit to the enormous
morning search for Ward’s Trogon, a real Trongsa Dzong (a fortress of towering
cracker and best-looking, in my view, walls enclosing a complex of a temple,
of the Trogon family was unsuccessful administrative offices and monks’
Blood Pheasant (MA)
land and before taking leave of us he despite hearing it call, along with the accommodation), a marvellous cultural
gave each of us, including our ‘over the eerie wailing of a Satyr Tragopan, from break before some late-afternoon birding
moon’ prostrate guides and driver, a its lofty perch high up in the hills. in which we recorded Slender-billed
complimentary souvenir in the form of a Scimitar-Babbler, White-tailed Robin,
mounted Nu100 coin commemorating Birding in the afternoon was good Alpine Accentor, Little Bunting and the
his coronation following the abdication and I added Speckled Woodpigeon, ‘bird of the day’, a Fire-tailed Myzornis,
of his father, the previous king. Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow- which was positively glowing in the
billed Blue Magpie, Rufous-vented dim light of the bushes it frequents.
Regarded by his people as ‘a real cool and grey-crested Tit, Yellow-bellied
guy’, the king is very popular. It was a Bush Warbler, a flock of Black-faced Travelling due south to the lowlands of
memorable, and most unusual birding Laughingthrush, golden Bush Robin Tingtibi as a 2-day camping diversion
experience which was, as Tserin put it and Red-headed Bullfinch to a growing from the main east-west road, we
“one of the greatest moments of his life”. list of lifers. A pair of delightful Eurasian arrived at our campsite, which was
Woodcock at the roadside, spotted from in a field of wild cannabis (800m)
The one-way traffic, that was held our bus, concluded birding for the day. located in a clearing of broad-leaved
up by our roadside discussion with tropical forest 25km beyond the town
the King, was then permitted to Ascending the lofty pass of Thrumsing of Zhemgang, having spotted only a
continue as was our birding and we La (3 400m) en route to Bumthang, single Large Woodshrike on the way.
soon discovered a second male Satyr 100km distant, we were rewarded Collared Scops Owl called around
Tragopan, to the extreme delight of with absolutely fabulous views of our camp at dusk and a walk along a

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