Jungle Lore Birding Lodge

There's not that many lodges in Asia that offer a feeding station in the gardens - in fact i'm struggling to think of any..! There has been around 250 species recorded in and around the lodge and extensive gardens and you can sit on the veranda sipping coffee watching some truly great birds feeding within arms length. During our stay we spent quite a while enjoying the garden birds and were rewarded with some excellent sightings.....

This is the view from the top of the gardens

Jungle Lore is surrounded by mountains

There are some well placed cottages in the garden

Upon reaching the excellent Jungle Lore Birding Lodge we barely had time to get our kit into the cottages before new birds appeared from everywhere and a fine lunch really got in the way! But at the feeding station below the veranda a flock of White-throated Laughingthrushes were joined by several Streaked Laughingthrushes, as well as groups of Russet Sparrows, along with a pair of Oriental Turtle-Doves, a superb Black-headed Jay, and a cracking Grey-winged Blackbird. 

Black-headed Jay

Oriental Turtle Dove

Russet Sparrow

Streaked Laughingthrush

Streaked Laughingthrush

White-throated Laughingthrush

Grey-winged Blackbird

All of these birds were extremely close and confiding and it was a very unique experience to be able to study these birds at such close quarters.

Pink-browed Rosefinch

Walking around the gardens we had amazing views of a male Pink-browed Rosefinch, along with Rufous-breasted Accentor, Blue-fronted Redstart, Rufous Sibia, a flyover Mountain Hawk-Eagle, exceptionally close views of Black Eagle, Himalayan Griffon, and Common Rosefinch, but only a couple of us managed to see a huge Spot-winged Grosbeak feeding in a fruiting tree. Hope it will be back tomorrow.....

Spot-winged Grosbeak

A short walk into the forest in the late afternoon was rather quiet, although a male Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush was nice, as was a Green-backed Tit.