30 years ago: 15 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 12, Jomson to Kagbeni

Monday 15th March 1982:  Jomson to Kagbeni (5 miles), Jomson Trek

My cold was worse today especially from midday onwards.  Dave went to Jomson Post Office before we left for Kagbeni but it didn’t open until 10:00.  We then had the obligatory stop at the police checkpost on the edge of town where our trekking permits were examined.  It was easy walking to Kagbeni (9100 ft) as we followed the locals in cutting out a few unnecessary climbs by crossing to the W bank of the Thak Khola and then back to E bank half way to Kagbeni.  In 1979 I stuck to the E bank, as recommended in my guide book, and didn't realise the locals walking along the flat on the other side of the river were going to Kagbeni too, until they crossed back to my side half way there.  By then I'd climbed and dropped more than 500 feet crossing irritating ridges, but I did see 7 Wallcreepers along the harder route that day so wasn't greatly worried.  Today the fields at Kagbeni were disappointing and we gave up after a couple of hours of seeing very little.  We returned to the Red House Lodge were we'd left our bags.  It was reputed to be the best in Kagbeni, but that wasn't saying much!  We were shown the Buddha they keep in a cupboard there.

Birds seen:  Black Kite 1, Himalayan Griffon Vulture 1, Kestrel 1, Common Sandpiper 1, Rock Dove 20, Chukar 10, Crag Martin 4, Grey Wagtail 1, Pied Wagtail 5, Brown Accentor 10, Robin Accentor 5, Red-throated Thrush 10, Stoliczka’s Tit Warbler 1 male, Green-backed Tit 1, Wallcreeper 3, Chough 200, Raven 1, Tree Sparrow 20, Beautiful Rosefinch 1, Eastern Great Rosefinch 4, Rock Bunting 1.

Red-throated Thrush at Kagbeni

Brown Accentor at Kagbeni

30 years ago: 14 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 11, Jomson

Sunday 14th March 1982:  Jomson and surrounding area (5 miles), Jomson Trek
After breakfast wandered up to the bread and cheese shop buying 100g of yak cheese and some interesting bread for 13 rupees.  Revisited the fields but saw little.  Wind was from N during the morning, dropped at midday but was then whistling up the valley so a good excuse to stop birding.  Visited the Post Office and bought several airletters and spent the rest of the afternoon writing them.  Had a slight cold in the morning, which was worse by evening.

Birds seen:  Black Kite 1, Himalayan Griffon Vulture 2, Common Sandpiper 1, Rock Dove 50, Blue Hill Pigeon 3, Chukar 30, Grey Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail 2, Brown Accentor 30, Robin Accentor 5, Hodgson’s Redstart 1 male, White-throated Redstart 3, River Chat 1, Red-throated Thrush 15, Wallcreeper 1, Chough 200, Raven 1, Tree Sparrow 25, Russet Sparrow 10, Red-fronted Serin 1, Hodgson’s Mountain Finch 5, Beautiful Rosefinch 10, Eastern Great Rosefinch 1 female, Pine Bunting 30, Yellowhammer 2, Rock Bunting 5.

Chough were common at Jomson, on the cliffs

and in the fields

Chukar in the fields at Jomson

typically turning its head away at the critical moment

Looking south to the summit of Dhulagiri with the moon just about visible

30 years ago: 13 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 10, Marpha to Jomson

Saturday 13th March 1982:  Marpha to Jomson (7 miles), Jomson Trek, Nepal

After a longish wait we had excellent porridge and Tibetan bread for breakfast.  Pretty flat walking again.  Birded around the fields at Marpha for buntings but only found Pine and Yellowhammer, although a Saker on the cliff face opposite was an unexpected bonus.  An excellent sunny morning but a cold wind.  Returned to the lodge for more Tibetan bread then walked on to Jomson.  In the fields before Syang (8900 ft) Colin found an excellent male Eversmann’s Redstart - really brilliant.  Arrived at Jomson (8900 ft) for a late lunch in the Snow Land Hotel then spent the rest of the afternoon in the fields.  The wind was now blowing up the valley and few birds were seen.  Rice and daal the worst to date but excellent apple fritters.  Toes are rubbing if I wear two pairs of socks so am down to one again.  Burned my fingers on the stove in the lodge but fortunately not badly, throbbed a bit during the night but OK in the morning.

Birds seen:  Black Kite 1, Himalayan Griffon Vulture 12, *Saker 1, Common Sandpiper 1, Rock Dove 50, Blue Hill Pigeon 2, Chukar 26, Small Skylark 2, Crag Martin 2, Red-rumped Swallow 1, Rosy Pipit 2, Pied Wagtail 4, Wren 1, Brown Accentor 46, Robin Accentor 9, *Eversmann’s Redstart 1 male, White-throated Redstart 8, Guldenstadt’s Redstart 2 males, Stonechat 2, River Chat 1, Red-throated Thrush 19, Hume’s Leaf Warbler 1, Stoliczka’s Tit Warbler 4, Variegated Laughingthrush 1, Green-backed Tit 5, Wallcreeper 2 (one in full breeding plumage and singing), Brown Shrike 1 (same), Grey-backed Shrike 2, Alpine Chough 2, Chough 100, Raven 2, Tree Sparrow 25, Hodgson’s Mountain Finch 20, Beautiful Rosefinch 30, Eastern Great Rosefinch 40, Pine Bunting 36, Yellowhammer 3, Rock Bunting 20.

looking south to Marpha fields and town

Colin on the move north of Marpha, encountering a pony train on one of the main routes south from Tibet

poor shot of male Eversmann's Redstart at Syang, one of the hoped for highlights of the Jomson Trek

another Brown Accentor

fields at Jomson

Small Skylarks in Jomson fields

30 years ago: 12 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 9, Kalopani to Marpha

Friday 12th March 1982:  Kalopani to Marpha (10 miles), Jomson Trek, Nepal

Left Kalopani at 08:00.  An excellent day, though cool until we passed the ‘bottle neck’ where the Kali Gandaki valley opens out.  Here we met a Swede who had been at Taman Negara.  We crossed to east of the Thak Khola soon after Kalopani and back to west again at Larjung (8400 ft) where there were good fields and we saw our first Brown Accentor.  We stopped at Tukche for lunch (excellent apple bread and jam at Sunkil Lodge) then slowly continued on to Marpha.  An easy day's walking as pretty much flat.  Really into dry Tibetan plateau habitat now, having left conifers behind.  We arrived in Marpha (8800 ft) at 16:00 and left our bags in the New Dhulagiri Lodge before spending the remaining daylight birding the fields there.  The ‘stubble’ type grassy ones were good for Pine Buntings and a female Yellowhammer was also present too, a species Dave had added to the Nepali list with Nick Preston on their previous visit.  A long wait for food when we got back to the lodge and vegetables were a bit spicy but pleasantly the daal was not.

Birds seen:  Goosander 2, Black Kite 3, Lammergeyer 1, Himalayan Griffon Vulture 10, Sparrowhawk 1, Ruddy Shelduck 1, Common Sandpiper 1, Rock Dove 30, Chukar 10, Fork-tailed Swift 25, Darjeeling Pied Woodpecker 1, Crag Martin 3, Rosy Pipit 2, Grey Wagtail 10, Pied Wagtail 10, Wren 2, Brown Accentor 20, Robin Accentor 1, Blue-headed Redstart 10, Hodgson’s Redstart 2, Blue-fronted Redstart 2, White-throated Redstart 20, Plumbeous Redstart 1, Stonechat 2, Red-throated Thrush 20, Black-throated Thrush 1, Stoliczka’s Tit Warbler 2, Streaked Laughingthrush 1, Variegated Laughingthrush 5, White-browed Fulvetta 1, Red-headed Tit 2, Green-backed Tit 8, Wallcreeper 3, Brown Shrike 1, Grey-backed Shrike 1, Alpine Chough 20, Chough 3, Large-billed Crow 10, Raven 2, Tree Sparrow 30, Russet Sparrow 5, Beautiful Rosefinch 15, Eastern Great Rosefinch 10, White-winged Grosbeak 20, Pine Bunting 75, Yellowhammer 1 female, Rock Bunting 10+.

the trail north to Tukche

following the Thak Khola north, here the gravel plain is at one of its widest points

Goosanders on the Thak Khola, no scaly sides unfortunately

me by Thak Khola, north of Kalopani looking south

White-winged Grosbeak at Tukche

Brown Accentor on route to Marpha

very much smarter than depicted in Flemming's Birds of Nepal, as a result Brown Accentor took me a while to identify on my previous visit to Jomson

Robin Accentor at Marpha

Robin Accentor, no problems identifying this one!

Rock Buntings at Marpha

Pine Buntings at Marpha

30 years ago: 11 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 8, Kalopani

Thursday 11th March 1982: Kalopani and surrounding area (6 miles)

Latish start after good oat porridge breakfast.  Many fewer thrushes in the wood today but loads of choughs in the fields. After checking the wood I crossed the small river, the Lete Khola, to SW. I tried a short cut down the cliff but crumbling rocks made it a quicker/scarier journey than I had anticipaed.   There were few birds on the other side, especially in the clearings which are often productive, until I came across some White-winged Grosbeaks which were really good (a new bird) and some impressive flocks of Grandalas in flight (250, 75, 100-125 and 3).   Back into the wood in the afternoon, climbing higher into the pines where Himalyayan Treeecreeper was another new bird.   Returned to lodge at 18:00. The doctor from PNG was there, on his way back from Muktinath.  We were barely half way there!

Birds seen: Lammergeyer 1, Himalayan Griffon Vulture 4, Hen Harrier 1, Goshawk 1, Common Buzzard 1, Snow Pigeon 20, Darjeeling Pied Woodpecker 2, Rosy Pipit 5, Grey Wagtail 2, Long-tailed Minivet 3, Wren 1, Rufous-breasted Accentor 1, Himalayan Accentor 30, Red-flanked Bluetail 2, Blue-headed Redstart 20, Blue-fronted Redstart 2, White-throated Redstart 10, Grandala c450, Dusky Thrush 1 (same), Red-throated Thrush 100, Black-throated Thrush 1, Mistle Thrush 3, Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler 2, Streaked Laughingthrush 8, Variegated Laughingthrush 10, Chestnut-tailed Minla 5, Whiskered Yuhina 4, Red-headed Tit 10, Grey-crested Tit 10, Black-crested Tit 10, Spot-winged Black Tit 30, Coal Tit 10, Green-backed Tit 12, White-tailed Nuthatch 3, *Himalayan Treecreeper 1, Common Treecreeper 2, Nutcracker 10, Chough 200, Large-billed Crow 5, Tree Sparrow 10, Russet Sparrow 2, Beautiful Rosefinch 40, Spot-winged Rosefinch 1, Red-headed Bullfinch 1 female, *White-winged Grosbeak 5.

Kalopani

male Beautiful Rosefinch at Kalopani

Nilgiri (summit almost lost) from Kalopani

lower slopes of Nilgiri

30 years ago: 10 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 7, Ghasa to Kalopani

Wednesday 10th March 1982: Ghasa to Kalopani (6 miles) Jomson Trek, Nepal

Left Ghasa by 08:30 and a leisurely walk to Kalopani with some good birds on the way, especially the Lete plateau where we saw Pine Bunting and Red-throated Thrush. Arrived in Kalopani (8400 ft) at 13:00 and lunched in See You Lodge, though pancakes were disappointing.   We spent the rest of day in Frank Lambert's ‘Dusky Thrush wood’ to SW of Kalopani and the conifers above it.  It was hard going over rough terrain interspersed with large boulders but we actually saw a Dusky Thrush, although a very poorly marked one, amongst 250 Red-throateds.   The thrushes were totally outclassed by five amazingly brilliant blue male Grandalas, one of my target birds for the trip.  In sunlight they were the brightest birds I've ever seen.  Almost thrush sized, making them larger than I was expecting, the blue was a cross between the colour of my coat and notebook!  Back to reality and the food served in lodge was not too agreeable - very spicy daal, lumpy rice and stringy vegetables!

Birds recorded: Himalayan Griffon Vulture 8, Hen Harrier 1, Common Buzzard 1, Darjeeling Pied Woodpecker 1, Crag Martin 1, Olive-backed Pipit 1, Grey Wagtail 4, Long-tailed Minivet 5, White-cheeked Bulbul 3, Brown Dipper 1, Maroon-backed Accentor 1, Himalayan Accentor 12, Blue-headed Redstart 5, Hodgson’s Redstart 1, Blue-fronted Redstart 1, White-throated Redstart 4, *Grandala 5 males, Stonechat 4, Grey Bushchat 2, River Chat 2, Blue Whistling Thrush 2, White-collared Blackbird 3, Dusky Thrush 1, Red-throated Thrush 250, Black-throated Thrush 1, Grey-hooded Warbler 8, Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler 2, Lemon-rumped Warbler 10, Chiffchaff 1, Goldcrest 10, Grey-headed Flycatcher 2, Streaked Laughingthrush 1, Variegated Laughingthrush 4, Black-capped Sibia 4, Whiskered Yuhina 15, Stripe-throated Yuhina 5, White-browed Fulvetta 2, Red-headed Tit 12, Grey-crested Tit 4, *Spot-winged Black Tit 3, Coal Tit 40, Green-backed Tit 20, White-tailed Nuthatch 4, Fire-tailed Sunbird 1, Oriental White-eye 2, Nutcracker h, Large-billed Crow 6, Tree Sparrow 10, Russet Sparrow 2, Hodgson’s Mountain Finch 1, Beautiful Rosefinch 10, Spot-winged Rosefinch 3, Pine Bunting 6, Rock Bunting 4.

Darjeeling Pied Woodpecker

Blue-fronted Redstart

  

first-winter male Red-throated Thrush at Kalopani

adult male Red-throated Thrush with a plentyful supply of berries 

an incomparable male Grandala at Kalopani, in no way does this photo do it justice 

Kalopani sunset

30 years ago: 9 March 1982, Jomson Trek day 6, Ghasa

Tuesday 9th March 1982:  Ghasa and surrounding area (6 miles), Jomson Trek, Nepal

Up early.  Thankfully the hillside fire was out.  Porridge for breakfast then left lodge at 07:30 to climb the grassy slopes of the hill opposite (on west side of the valley) to look for Cheer Pheasant.  It was quite steep but I went up slowly and didn't find it too hard.  Most birds were around the edge of the forest on the way up and through the middle of it when I came back down but I had to settle for Kalij rather than Cheer Pheasant (and a smart Plain-backed Mountain Thrush and vocal Collared Pigmy Owl).  Light rain from 13:00 and I returned to the lodge for a late lunch at 14:20.  Continued birding at 15:05 trying the rather dead woodland in the valley bottom to the north of Ghasa but returned again at 16:35, having seen little, when the rain got heavier.  Unfortunately daal was more spicy today, made up for by very nice Tibetan bread.

Birds seen:  Himalayan Griffon Vulture 5, Goshawk 1, Golden Eagle 1, Kestrel 2, Kalij Pheasant 2, Rufous Turtle Dove 1, Collared Pigmy Owl 1, Olive-backed Pipit 6, Rosy Pipit 2, Grey Wagtail 2, Long-tailed Minivet 5, White-cheeked Bulbul 2, Black Bulbul 2, Red-flanked Bluetail 1, Blue-headed Redstart 1, White-throated Redstart 4, Stonechat 2, Grey Bushchat 4, Blue Whistling Thrush 2, Plain-backed Mountain Thrush 1, White-collared Blackbird 4, Grey-winged Blackbird 2, Grey-hooded Warbler 8, Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler 1, Lemon-rumped Warbler 1, Goldcrest 10, Grey-headed Flycatcher 2, Yellow-bellied Fantai1, White-throated Fantail 1, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler 1, Black-chinned Babbler 4, Streaked Laughingthrush 5, Variegated Laughingthrush 25, Red-headed Laughingthrush 3, Chestnut-tailed Minla 2, Black-capped Sibia 4, Whiskered Yuhina 6, Stripe-throated Yuhina 12, Red-headed Tit 2, Coal Tit 4, Green-backed Tit 10, White-tailed Nuthatch 8, Purple Sunbird 1, Grey-backed Shrike 1, Gold-billed Blue Magpie 2, Nutcracker 1, Large-billed Crow 2, Beautiful Rosefinch 6, Spot-winged Rosefinch 8, Rock Bunting 6.

female Grey Bushchat at Ghasa

Green-backed Tit at Ghasa, quite like our Great Tit (which is monochrome in Nepal) until seen head on!

Red-headed Tit at Ghasa

Variegated Laughtingthush 

this impressive laugher was fairly common above Ghasa