NE India part 3: Mishmi Hills and home (19-24 January 2025)

NE India part 3: Mishmi Hills and home (19-24 January 2025)

This is the third and final blog giving my take on an Ornis Birding Expeditions trip to NE India. New birds for me are shown in red. Unless stated otherwise photos are mine, mostly taken with a Sony RX10iv bridge camera.

Sunday 19 January. We left Roing at the unearthly hour of 03:00 to drive up into the Mishmi Hills to the Mayodia Pass (2655m). We had slightly misjudged how long it would take and arrived at about 04:45, 45 minutes before dawn, still very dark and very cold. A distant Himalayan Owl was calling but didn’t come any closer. At dawn we continued down the road to where a rocky raving crossed the road and a regular, but not frequent early morning crossing place for Sclater’s Monal as they worked their way up the forested hillside at dawn. At least that was the theory. The birds were so timid that we had to watch from the far side of the road while Rofik and Josh scanned the sloped below from a little further down the road and hope if they saw one it stayed in view long enough for us to get to them and see it. Wearing six layers was just about warm enough although probably only as there was no wind. After an hour or so we gave up and returned to a ‘lodge’ nearer to the pass for breakfast. Four Yellow-billed Blue Magpies, an unidentified (likely hybrid) Asian thrush and 4 Dark-rumped Rosefinches were feeding around a gulley that doubled as the ‘lodge’ rubbish dump, the latter an unexpected new bird. We birded along the road, walking sections at varying altitudes on the other side of the pass hoping to bump into bird flocks but it was rather quiet. Late morning and about as far down as we went we heard a Gould’s Shortwing by the road but it wasn’t very cooperative and I only saw its rear half through binoculars despite spending some time trying. This was better than a Mishmi Wren Babbler that some saw in dense vegetation but I only heard. Disappointing and I was very glad to have seen and photographed the shortwing in Nepal, albeit in 1982. We had lunch, returned to the pass and birded lower down on the Roing side without seeing much of note. Birds I recorded were Common Hill Partridge (heard), Jay, 2 Green-backed and 15 Yellow-cheeked Tits, 8 Black-faced and 2 Ashy-faced Warblers, 4 White-naped and 15 Stripe-throated Yuhinas, Striated Laughingthrush, 10 Bar-throated Minlas, 2 White-tailed Nuthatches, Blue Whistling Thrush, female Rufous-breasted Bush Robin, male Himalayan Bluetail, male Blue-fronted Redstart and 5 Green-tailed Sunbirds.

Mishmi Hills and probably distant China from near Mayodia Pass

one of a very active flock of Black-faced Warblers near Mayodia Pass

Black-faced Warbler near Mayodia Pass (photo: Josh Bergmark)

Mishmi Hills

Monday 20 January. We left Roing at 03:45, without Mike who was suffering from a violent stomach bug. We drove up to the Mayodia Pass, arriving soon after dawn but just before the Himalayan Owl stopped calling. We repeated our vigil for Sclater’s Monal with similar results although after an initial period we were allowed to scan the slopes below. Around the pass was a Darjeeling Woodpecker, 6 Yellow-billed Blue Magpies, Southern Nutcracker, 2 Black-faced Laughingthrushes and 5 Dark-rumped Rosefinches but little else. We birded sections over the pass down to the village at 65 km for lunch, which I skipped and walked a short distance back up the road. As the others arrived our first decent bird flock appeared in bamboo opposite. We birded our way back up to and over the pass, concentrating on Wren-Babblers with mixed fortunes. During the day I saw 8 Yellow-browed and 6 Yellow-cheeked Tits, 2 Black Bulbuls, Ashy-throated Warbler, 8 Brown-throated and 4 Manipur Fulvettas, 2 Whiskered, 10 Stripe-throated and 2 Rufous-vented Yuhinas, 2 Mishmi Wren-Babblers, Grey-throated Babbler, 2 Cachar Wedge-billed Babblers, 20 Yellow-throated Fulvettas, Long-billed Wren-Babbler (heard), 4 Beautiful Sibias, 6 Streak-throated Barwings, 2 Blue-winged and 8 Bar-throated Minlas, 12 Rusty-fronted Barwings, 2 Red-faced Liochiclas, White-tailed Nuthatch, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Green-tailed Sunbird and Olive-backed Pipit. I had history with two of the above, the superb but skulky White-gorgeted Flycatcher was a most welcome new bird that I had failed to see in Thailand (not helped by several having been collected from a ravine on Doi Inthanon shortly before I visited), Eaglenest (where I saw the back of a singing bird Nick was watching from further up the trail, it flew rather than turning around) and Myanmar (heard and a shape seen). For me hearing but not seeing Long-billed Wren-Babbler was a repeat of Eaglenest where Nick and I had heard but failed to see one in fading light. We were back in Roing at 19:30 after an unsuccessful try for Hodgson’s Frogmouth on the lower slopes although we did hear distant unresponsive Mountain Scops and Brown Wood Owls. Some excellent new birds and decent mixed flocks made for a much more enjoyable day.

Brown-throated Fulvetta near Mayodia Pass 

Southern Nutcracker at Mayodia Pass

Streak-throated Barwings below Mayodia Pass

showing the bar-wing

showing the streaked throat

Yellow-cheeked Tit near km 65

Manipur Fulvetta near km 65

Manipur Fulvetta near km 65 (photo: Josh Bergmark)

Mishmi Hills

Tuesday 21 January. Our last full day and a 03:30 start arriving at Mayodia Pass just before dawn. The Himalayan Owl was calling but immediately moved away, it didn’t appear to like us. At dawn we spread out to scan for Sclater's Monal with similar results – no Monal but Crimson-naped and Darjeeling Woodpeckers, 10 Yellow-billed Blue Magpies, 2 Manipur Fulvettas, 2 Black-faced Laughingthrushes, Blue-fronted Redstart, 9 Grey-headed Bullfinches and 6 Dark-rumped Rosefinches. After breakfast at our regular ‘lodge’ just below the pass we birded down to km 71 then returned to km 65 for lunch which I skipped again. I walked up the road and in the bamboo patch saw small mixed flock including at least 6 Golden-breasted Fulvettas. We drove back over the pass and split into two groups. One remaining at the mid elevations hoping for Ward’s Trogon and the other lower down after Beautiful Nuthatch and another chance of Long-billed Wren-Babbler. The wren-babbler would be new for me but I’d set my heart on improving on my Eaglenest views of Ward’s Trogon and Nick and I opted for that. Neither group were successful regarding their targets although we did see a male Blyth’s Tragopan, an upgrade on my Eaglenest female despite it being rather obscured. During the day I also encountered Common Hill Partridge (heard), Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Collared Owlet, Grey-backed Shrike, 6 Yellow-browed and 8 Yellow-cheeked Tits, 2 Black Bulbuls, 4 Black-faced, a Buff-barred and 3 Ashy-throated Warblers, Ashy-throated Warbler, a Whiskered, 2 Stripe-throated and 4 Rufous-vented Yuhinas, 2 Rufous-capped Babblers, a Yellow-throated and 4 Rufous-winged Fulvettas, 3 Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrushes, 2 Streak-throated and 2 Rusty-fronted Barwings, a Wren, 3 White-tailed Nuthatches, Blue Whistling Thrush, male Rufous-breasted Bush Robin, 2 female Himalayan Bluetails and 2 Green-tailed Sunbirds. We tried again for nightbirds on our return to Roing with marginally more success, although it didn’t feel it. This time we heard Hodgson’s Frogmouth as well as Mountain and Collared Scops and Brown Wood Owls but none were close or any more responsive. Probably not the best time of year to be trying?

Manipur Fulvettas in the rubbish at Mayodia Pass

male Grey-headed Bullfinches at Mayodia Pass

female Grey-headed Bullfinch at Mayodia Pass

male Grey-headed Bullfinch at Mayodia Pass (photo: Josh Bergmark)

Black-faced Laughingthrushes at Mayodia Pass

Yellow-billed Blue Magpies at Mayodia Pass

Mishmi

Blue-fronted Redstart near Mayodia Pass

km 65

Mishmi Hills

Collared Owlet below Mayodia Pass

km 65

prayer flags at km 65

Golden-breasted Fulvettas near km 65

fulvettas have a lot of character and this one is a real looker too

Rufous-bellied Bush Robin below Mayodia Pass (still on the north side)

Blyth's Tragopan below Mayodia Pass (on the south side)

Wednesday 22 January. Our final morning. We again split into two groups, along similar lines to yesterday. Those of us wanting to visit the last chance saloon for a final try at Sclater’s Monal, Nick and me included, left at 03:30 with our gear, having packed the previous evening. I slightly delayed our departure realising I had left my watch in the room, a present from my daughter so of sentimental value. We arrived at Mayodia Pass at 05:20. The Himalayan Owl was calling from below us but very distantly and it soon stopped. We spread out and birded just over the pass until 08:30 but again drew a blank with Sclater's Monal. We knew it was tough as our guide Rofik had only seen Monals a handful of times despite many visits but it was very disappointing, not only not seeing Sclater's Monal but spending so much time and effort on it when there were other nice birds to look for. Such is birding, and this time we did have some compensation as a Wood Snipe flew over, some seeing two. Around the pass were 2 Blue-fronted Redstarts, 10 Grey-headed Bullfinches and 4 Dark-rumped Rosefinches. We drove back over the pass and down to join the others who had been no more successful than us. They had heard the Blyth’s Tragopan and it had come in but remained invisible, probably more frustrating than if it had remained silent. Lower down we stopped for 20 minutes hoping for Long-billed Wren-Babbler but a calling bird wasn’t responsive. I’d heard one at Eaglenest and had hoped to do better on this trip. Time was against us and we left for the drive to the airport. Other birds I encountered were Sparrowhawk, Great Barbet (heard), Stripe-throated and 4 Rufous-vented Yuhinas, 2 Beautiful Sibias, 2 Streak-throated Barwings and a Green-tailed Sunbird. Driving to the airport I saw 2 Asian Openbills and a Lesser Adjutant, 20 Eastern Cattle Egrets, a White-throated Kingfisher, Black Drongo and Common Mynas. Like most sites we'd visited on this trip I felt that a day or two longer at Mishmi Hills would have been nice and given me a chance of seeing some of the birds I'd missed. Traffic was light and we had time for a meal near the airport before checking in. We were all on the Kolkata flight, Nick and I spending the night there before flying home via Dubai. The flight was on time, 16:10- 18:00, and at Kolkata Airport we caught a taxi to an OYO Airport Hotel 15-20 minutes away. It was noisy but a decent room with a sofa I could sleep on.

Dark-rumped Rosefinch at Mayodia Pass

Mayodia Pass (Sclater's Monal habitat)

Nick scanning for Monals

Blue-fronted Redstart at Mayodia Pass

Stripe-throated Yuhina at Mayodia Pass

Thursday 23 January. Nick ordered a taxi to the airport at 05:30 arriving just after 06:00 for our 08:55 flight to Dubai. There was thick fog in Kolkata and at times visibility was down to less than 200m. Our flight was delayed, the incoming plane being diverted to Chennai. It now wasn't due to arrive until early afternoon and with a departure time of 15:30 we would miss our connection. The earliest replacement flight from Dubai that Emirates staff in Kolkata could book for us was at 07:45 the following morning. It would arrive in London too late for Nick to catch the train he’d booked to Redcar but we were told to ask in Dubai if there was space on an earlier one. We departed at 15:00, by then the fog had cleared and I’d seen a Black Kite from a terminal building window, and arrived in Dubai at 18:55, almost two hours after our Heathrow flight had departed. Once in Dubai we managed to change to an 02:50 flight to Gatwick, being five hours earlier was enough for Nick.

Friday 24 January. We left Dubai at 02:50 and arrived at Gatwick at 06:45. Time enough for Nick’s train except he discovered that all London North East trains had been cancelled due to bad weather. Fortunately he managed to get one of the last seats on a coach from Victoria. I had a ‘Change and Go’ ticket from Heathrow to Shoreham but the National Express desk at Gatwick were apparently not allowed to change it despite my ticket being for a bus that stopped at Gatwick! Unimpressed I bought a train ticket but even Southern trains were running late and I missed my connection in Brighton. I arrived home at 09:30 rather than soon after midnight.