Tuesday 30th March 1982: Ghoropani to Naudanda (16 miles)
We left Ghoropani by 07:30 and I felt OK having eaten two Star Bars for breakfast. We walked reasonably quickly to Naudanda (4800 ft) and I even took the 1500 ft climb up from Birethanti in my stride. Seeing two new birds on the way, both summer visitors, added to my sense of wellbeing. We arrived at the Unity Lodge at 18:25 just before it got dark. My feet felt that I’d walked the distance and were also damp as it was raining from Chandrakot onwards. Dinner included excellent apple museli and curd.
Birds recorded: Egyptian Vulture 2, Hen Harrier 1, Black Francolin h, Common Hawk Cuckoo h, Cuckoo h, Collared Pigmy Owl h, White-breasted Kingfisher 1, Common Kingfisher 1, Great Barbet 2, Darjeeling Pied Woodpecker 1, Upland Pipit 2, Olive-backed Pipit 1, Rosy Pipit 1, Grey Wagtail 1, Large Pied Wagtail 1, Long-tailed Minivet 4, Mountain Minivet 1, Black Bulbul 15, Brown Dipper 3, Wren 1, Blue-fronted Redstart 6, Plumbeous Redstart 20, Grey Bushchat 4, River Chat 4, Little Forktail 5, *Blue-headed Rock Thrush 1 male, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush 2, Blue Whistling Thrush 10, Grey-hooded Warbler 10, Black-faced Warbler 2, Blyth’s Crowned Leaf Warbler 2, Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler 15, Lemon-rumped Warbler 40, Verditer Flycatcher 6, *Ultramarine Flycatcher 2 (male and female), Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher 1, Grey-headed Flycatcher 4, Yellow-bellied Fantail 4, White-throated Laughingthrush 6, White-crested Laughingthrush 5, Streaked Laughingthrush 4, White-browed Shrike Babbler 1, Chestnut-tailed Minla 3, Rufous-winged Fulvetta 10, Whiskered Yuhina 2, Stripe-throated Yuhina 20, Rufous-vented Yuhina 10, Green-backed Tit 6, Black-lored Tit 1, White-tailed Nuthatch 4, Green-tailed Sunbird 5, Black Drongo 5, Hair-crested Drongo 1, Large-billed Crow 20, Common Myna 30, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch 40, Scarlet Rosefinch 1, Pink-browed Rosefinch 1 female, Red-headed Bullfinch 2.
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| the picturesque village of Birethanti
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| Blue Whistling Thrush at Birethanti, a common riverside bird often understandably mistaken for Blackbirds by European trekkers
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| Plumbeous Redstart at Birethanti, another common bird that most trekkers notice |
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| Large Pied Wagtail by the river at Birethanti
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| male Blue-headed Rock Thrush near Birethanti, a summer visitor to the Himalayas and a most welcome new bird for me
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