Eaglenest WLS is one of the most sought-after birding destinations amongst birdwatchers as it hosts some of the rarest bird species of the eastern Himalayas. The Eaglenest leg should be combined with Sela Pass and the Mandala region of Dirang, as clubbing the entire region would give you access to an altitude range and all the bird habitats that one can ask for.
In the higher regions of Sela (at 14,000 ft) bird species like Tibetan Blackbird, Grandala, Snow Partridge, White-browed Tit Warblers can be easily found. Sela and Baisakhi complex is also known to host a couple of other finch species, like Beautiful Rosefinch, White-winged Grosbeak, Collared Grosbeak, Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch, etc. Also, along the northern slope of Sela, towards Tawang, one can get sightings of Solitary Snipe and White-throated Dipper. Himalayan Monal and Blood Pheasants are easily seen in the months of summer. The months of March to May are considered the best time to visit Sela.
Little low is the elevation of Mandala - at 10,000 ft, it is home to the magnificent Temminck’s Tragopan. It is considered one of the best places to see and photograph this species of Tragopan. Otherwise, in Bhutan also we can see this bird, but at Mandala almost you have a guaranteed sighting. Also, some of the smaller bird species that twitchers mostly target while visiting Mandala are - Gray-headed Bullfinch, Blandford’s Rosefinch, Brown Bush Warbler, Russet Bush Warbler, etc.
There are some spots along the Mandala Phodong road, where the elusive Ward’s Tragon is also sighted. Thus, in summary, just before entering the Tenga Valley and hitting the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, one can easily cover the top five bird species of the eastern Himalayas. The top five birds from your Sela Dirang Mandala birding circuit will be Temminck’s Tragopan, Snow Partridge, Grandala, Blood Pheasant, and Himalayan Monal. The rest of the top five highlight bird species can be covered as you enter the Shertukpen Reserve Forest and the Eaglenest WLS.
The Bugun Tribe and Shertukpen Tribe live in the southern hills of Tenga Valley. A very rare bird Bugun Liocichla, is endemic to these hills and found exclusively in Alubari Gully of the Tenga region and Bompu Camp inside Eaglenest WLS. Tenga Valley is well connected with the nearby Sela and Mandala hills, and the mountain roads are fantastic. However, inside Eaglenest WLS, the forest department wants to preserve the pristine nature of the jungle, thus, no construction or road works are allowed. The entire sanctuary is rocky, cobblestone-clad, and has corduroy trails in places. Bugun Liocichla - the star bird of the sanctuary, prefers to stay in the mixed flock of Barwings. As one enters the Alubari Trail or the Glowbari Trail, birders should seek Barwing calls. We, in general, don’t ignore the Rusty-fronted Barwing calls. It is very likely to find a pair of Bugun Liocichlas in a mixed flock of Rusty-fronted Barwing and Red-faced Liocichla.
As you drive up and approach Eaglenest Pass, on the way, Streak-throated Barwing, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, and Brown-throated Fulvettas are some of the target species from the northern slope of the pass. Check for Gould’s Shortwing as well, along the grassy slopes. It is very important to mention another Tragopan species - Blyth’s Tragopan. Very early in the morning, as the dawn breaks, try for this elusive Tragopan species along the gullies above Lama Camp. Arunachal Pradesh is home to three species of Tragopan. The most common - Satyr Tragopan, which is well distributed across the Himalayas, is the least sought after, but can be planned in and around Tawang Town. Since most of the birders do Eaglenest after some birding maturity thus Satyr Tragopan is never been on their target list from Arunachal Pradesh.
Another place to sight Blyth’s Tragopan is Chaku. The mountainous trail offers great hiking opportunities. Sometimes, in winter, just 2-4 kilometers above Bompu or 200 meters below Bompu, Blyth’s Tragopan is seen. Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler, Long-billed Wren Babbler are two major target birds in the Bompu campus. Also, if someone spends some leisure time in the camp, just around the corners, White-breasted Parrotbills and Black-crowned Scimitar Babblers can be found. The later bird species mostly prefer the banana vegetation and company of Barwings. While the parrotbills hang around the bamboo thickets and lianas.
As you drive further down, the Sessni and Hathinala areas are famous for the Sikkim Wedge-billed Babbler as well. The name “Sessni” comes from the Nepali word “Sishnu”, which means “nettle leaves”. The entire coppice is full of Sishnu - nettle leaves. And some of the sought-after wren Babbler species like Eyebrowed Wren Babbler, Spotted Elachura, Slaty-bellied Tesia, etc., reside along the flowing streams, which are thoroughly covered by nettles.
The insects will disturb you now. Some will fly around your eyes and ears. You are now entering Khellong - officially the last leg of the Eaglenest WLS. Birders come here to cover the bamboo species of the lower Himalayas. This is the only last remaining patch in the entire Himalayas, where you get to see Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, White-hooded Babbler, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Gray-headed Parrotbill, Large Blue Flycatcher, Blyth’s Paradise Flycatcher, Pale-headed Woodpecker, and Rufous-vented Laughingthrush easily. Thus, this wholesome package of Tenga-Bompu-Sessni-Kellong offers the best of the Eastern Himalayas. And clubbing it with Sela-Mandala-Dirang is the cherry on top. Take a look at the detailed itinerary planner as mentioned below.
Day 1: You will be picked up from Guwahati Airport, and we will drive through Kalaktang-Shergaon and stay overnight there. On the way, we will do birding at Bhairabkunda and Kalaktang. If we arrive early, we will cover Shergaon as well. Overnight at Shergaon.
Day 2: This morning, we will check out very early and drive through the Shergaon-Phudong road and finally arrive at Mandala top by noon. In the afternoon, we will cover the north-eastern slope of Mandala and arrive at Dirang for an overnight stay.
Day 3: Early in the morning, we drive to Mandala Top and cover all the target species. Again, in the daytime, we drive down to Dirang and cover some birding trails on our way. Overnight at Dirang.
Day 4: Today, for the entire day, we will cover the Sela and Nuranang complex and arrive back in Dirang by afternoon.
Day 5: Very early in the morning, by 5 AM, we arrive at Sela and cover the missed species. By noon, we will drive down and go to Tenga for our Eaglenest leg.
Day 6: Today, we will do both the morning and afternoon sessions in the Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve. In the evening, we might go owling as well. Overnight at Lama Camp.
Day 7: An added day to cover Eaglenest Pass & Tragopanda Trail above Lama Camp. In the afternoon, we will cover Ramalingam village and Singchung Village. Lama Camp for overnight stay.
Day 8: Today, for the last time, we are covering the alubari trail or the Glowbari trail. Later, post breakfast, we will check out of Lama Camp and drive to Bompu. On the way, Eaglenest Pass, Chaku, and Sundarview areas will be birded. It will be late afternoon when we arrive at Bompu.
Days 9, 10, 11, and 12: We are keeping four nights here at Bompu, as most of the target bird species are around here only. We will cover major areas like Sessni, Khellong, and Doimara from here.
Day 13: Today, we will drive down via Doimara and go to Guwahati. As we hit the national highway, there won’t be many birding opportunities. You are requested to plan for return flights for the early evening.
March to May in summer is considered the best time to visit this part. Otherwise, from November to January is also a good time, but the bird vocalization is less. Sometimes, we encounter vagrant species in winter.
From Tibetan Plateau birds to Terai foothills Hornbills; mixed montane forests coppice - this tiny state has little bit of everything squeezed in it!
© 2024 Sierra Birds Tour. All Rights Reserved. Website developed by ACCENDITORE SOFTWARE PVT LTD.