Bhutan Apr 05—30, 2011
Posted by David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop loves his vocation and cannot imagine anything better than exploring wild and beautiful places in Asia and the Pacific in the company of friends and clients. H...Related Trips
Our 23rd tour to Bhutan was everything we had hoped it would be and more. While clearly everyone wants to see such mega-charismatic species as Satyr Tragopan, Ward's Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Himalayan Monal, Ibisbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, and a host of other specialties, there is always a tremendous sense of excitement at experiencing the unknown in Bhutan. And because we know this country and its birds so well, we are in an excellent position to take our clients to less utilized sites.
Migration adds enormously to the excitement of Bhutan tours; for example, sometimes you can go for several days without seeing a species you would typically expect to find fairly easily, and then you bump into a migrating flock of 200 or so. And then there is the thrill of something completely off the wall such as this year's very responsive Long-billed, Wedge-billed, Pygmy, Rufous-throated, Bar-winged, and Spotted wren-babblers—arguably some of Asia's most desirable and yet at times most difficult to find species!
Flowering plants are a constant distraction, and the more you get into them the more you see. A spray of orchids gracing lichen-dappled rock and mountainsides ablaze with as many as 8–10 species of flowering rhododendrons—most of them in giant tree-like growth-forms—merely hints at the floristic joys of the "kingdom of the thunder dragon."
The summary of our daily activities includes some of the trip's highlights together with a list of what we heard and saw. Nevertheless it only conveys part of the story and can never really express the wonderful sights and sounds of Bhutan, its land, its forests, its wildlife, and its people. I doubt any of us will forget the male Satyr Tragopans that put on such a wonderfully prolonged performance so close to our Pele La camp; fine views of a flock of very infrequently encountered Lesser Rufous-headed Parrotbills together with an exceptionally confiding Sultan Tit; and that gorgeous orange apparition on a tree at eye level alongside our bus one night near our Yongkola Camp—one of, if not THE world's largest flying squirrel. Of course, the birding is always great in Bhutan and any time you find Rufous-necked Hornbills as well as we did is very special. But, as seems to be a recurring theme on VENT's Asia tours, it was also a very good trip for mammals with a total of 19 species seen, including many golden langurs—some at very close range, and looks at the goat-like antelope goral and the Himalayan palm civet.
This was a very special tour, one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of leading to Bhutan. In large part this success was due to a wonderful group of participants and our fantastic ground-crew. I would like to thank you all for making the entire tour such a great experience.
Our Bhutan tour is a wonderful exposition of the rich biodiversity, landscapes, and culture of this fascinating kingdom. I cannot wait to return.