BIRDING AT PALMAJUA---------A TRIP REPORT

[Subrato Sanyal]

Hello..

Just returned today from Palmajua,a small,pristine  village at the base of Singalila Nanional Park,Darjeeling District of West Bengal after spending four days in the lap of Nature and of course with many many Birds.Here is a trip report on our Birding at Palmajua 

A Trip Report to Palmajua(Afternoon ,19th May to morning 23rd May,2014)

Location:Palmajua (1800 mt), a small village ,located at the base of Singalila NationalPark ,is in the Darjeeling (Sadar) Subdivision and 130 km from Siliguri/NewJalpaiguri Rly Stn.

Theroad to Palmajua goes through Ghoom-Sukhia-Manebhanjan-Dhotre-Palmajua ORMirik-Sukhia-Manebhanjan-Dhotre-Palmajua 

Accommodation:‘Singalila Jungle Lodge’ having four nicely maintained cottages surrounded byforest is the only staying option.

Rate:Rs.2000/- (lodging and food for two persons)

HiringCharges of Reserved Transport(Sumo) from NJP to Palmajua::Rs.3700-to 4000/-

Onecan also avail share jeep to Ghoom and then ask the Lodge owner to pick up fromGhoom(Rs.2000/- from Ghoom to Palmajua)

Weather:Exceptsome fog, cloud and rain  in the first day, we got excellent sunny weather withpleasant temperature .

Our Team composition: We were four:Dr.Amarjyoti Guta,Mausumi Gupta,Maumi Sanyal and me,Subrato Sanyal. Avinash Rai, the Lodge owner accompanied us to Dhotrey, Lodhoma and Momo-khola.

BirdingSites:We stayed four nights from 19^th may to 22^ndmay,2014 and birded in and around Palmajua. The Lodge itself is a good birdingarea. Besides, we birded at the adjacent forest and along with the main road .We spent one morning at Dhotrey ( 2700 mt) and one afternoon at Lodhoma andMomo khola(having lower altitude than Palmajua). However, our visit to Dhotrey turned to be futile. We were late toreach Dhotery and drew almost blank except for a White collard Blackbird(atDhotrey) and a lesser Cuckoo(on the way to Dhotrey).

Theforested area behind the Lodge is an interesting birding site and can be birdedfrom the balcony of the cottage. Here,we sighted Bay backed Woodpecker, GreaterYellownape, Maroon Oriole, Great Barbet, Black throated Sunbird, Fire tailedSunbird, Grey headed Canary Flycatcher, Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, SomeFlycatchers, Tickell’s Thrush, Scarlet Minivet, Ashy Drongo, Blue WhistlingThrush etc.

Birdwalks through the pukka road at Palmajua was also very fruitful with surprises at every turn.

Thereis a small stream below the lodge and there we found Brown Dipper, LittleForktail, Plumbeous Water Redstart.

Ourvisit to Lodhoma planned by the Lodge Owner Avinash Rai(having some interest inbirding and bird photography) was simply a waste of time .Rather, we got somespecies at Momo-khola ( another lower altitude site) ,particularly  beside the river. The species found atMomo-khola:Spotted Forktail,Slaty backed Forktail,Little Forktail,CrestedKingfisher,Common Kingfisher,White breasted Kingfisher,and Redstarts,Greycapped Pygmy Woodpecker,Blue capped Rockthrush,Spangled Drongo,Himalayan BulbulBarn Swallow etc.

Overallwe sighted 60 identified  bird speciesand a few unidentified species during our stay at Palmajua.The list of  the species is given below:

1.BlackBulbul(plenty at Palmajua)

2.HimalayanBulbul(plenty at Lodhoma and Momokhola but interestingly we have not sightedone at Palmajua)

3.BaybackedWoodpecker

4.GreaterYellownape(sighted twice)

5.DarjeelingWoodpecker(sighted twice)

6)Greycapped Pygmy Woodpecker(once)

7)MaroonOriole(sighted thrice)

8.Redbilled leiothrix (plenty but failed to get them in the open for a decent shot)

9.Greyheaded Canary Flycatcher(plenty)

10.VerditerFlycatcher(Plenty)

11.FerruginousFlycatcher(a pair)

12.Rufousbellied Niltava(Thrice)

13.Bluewinged Minla(Sighted 3-4 times)

14.Redtailed Minla (Sighted 3-4 times)

15.Tickell’sThrush(Common)

16.BlueWhistling Thrush(Common)

17.Greyheaded Warbler(common)

18.IndianCuckko(Sighted twice)

19.LargeHawk Cuckoo(sighted once)

20.CommonHawk Cuckoo(common)

21.LesserCuckoo,hepatic female(once)

22.Bluecapped Rockthrush(male & female)

23.Olivebacked Pipit

24.largeNiltava(once)

25.HillPrinia(Once)

26.Whitetailed Nuthatch

27.Chestnitbellied Nuthatch

28.GreatBarbet

29.GreyTreepie

30.Blackthroated Sunbird(sighted several times)

31.Firetailed Sunbird

32.Greentailed Sunbird

33.Slatybacked Forktail

34.SpottedForktail

35.Littleforktail(including juvenile)

36.PlumbeousWater Redstart(male & female)

37.Whitebreasted kingfisher

38.CrestedKingfisher

39.CommonKingfisher.

40.BrownDipper.

41.Treecreeper

42.White Collared Blackbird

43.Greywinged Blackbird(male & female)

44.Chestnutheaded Warbler

45.ScarletMinivet(male & female)

46.SpangledDrongo

47.AshyDrongo

48.BlackDrongo.

49.Greenbacked Tit

50.BarnSwallow

51.Wedgetailed Green Pigeon

52.Orientalturtle Dove.

53.BarredCuckoo Dove

54.GreyBushchat

55.RufousSibia

56.Redvented Bulbul

57.WhiskeredYuhina(once)

58.Longtailed Shrike

59.Largebilled Crow

60.RussetSparrow

61.OneRaptor(might be a Buzzard)

62.Onespecies of Laughingthrush seen in the flight and could not be identified.

63.SomeWarblers could not be identified.

Moreover,learnt from Avinash  and another local boy,named Prem having interest in Birds that Satyr Tragopan is  sighted in the Palmajua-Dhotrey Road(within two km fromDhotrey) particularly in the winter and even Jerdon’s Buza and Fire-tailed Myzornis are also found in this place.

Regards

Subrato Sanyal