Hongbenghe 3rd Hide

We then left and went to the third hide of the day with Rufous-backed Sibia, Spot-breasted Laughingthrush, Grey-sided Laughingthrush and the much-wanted Grey Peacock-Pheasant being the key targets. All showed well but the peacock-pheasant left it to the last possible second to appear and just as we were about to leave at 6.15pm. 

Grey Peacock-Pheasant

Rufous-backed Sibia

Spot-breasted Laughingthrush

Grey-sided Laughingthrush

Other birds seen here:

1. 1 Grey Peacock-Pheasant
2. 4 Spotted Dove
3. 1 Black-naped Woodpecker
4. 1 Ashy Drongo
5. 2 Common Green Magpie
6. 4 Grey Treepie
7. 1 Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler
8. 1 White-browed Scimitar-Babbler
9. 3 Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler
10. 9+ White-crested Laughingthrush
11. 4 Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush
12. 8+ Black-throated Laughingthrush
13. 2 Grey-sided Laughingthrush
14. 2 Spot-breasted Laughingthrush
15. 1 Blue-winged Laughingthrush
16. 12+ Red-tailed Laughingthrush
17. 3 Scarlet-faced Liocichla
18. 10+ Silver-eared Mesia
19. 3+ Rufous-backed Sibia
20. 2 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
21. 1 Hill Blue Flycatcher
22. 2 Rufous-bellied Niltava
23. 1 Small Niltava
24. 2 Large Niltava
25. 3 White-tailed Robin
26. 2 Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush
27. 2 Orange-bellied Leafbird

Black-naped Woodpecker

Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush

Grey Treepie

Orange-bellied Leafbird

Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

White-browed Scimitar-Babbler

White-crested Laughingthrush

Driving back down the mountain this evening was punctuated with a stop to look at a roost of 8 Collared Falconets perched in the top of a leafless tree practically at eye-level from us. Wow!

Hongbenghe - 2nd Hide

The walk back up to the cars from the first hide was memorable for a huge flock of Pin-tailed Green-Pigeons, with a few Thick-billed Green-Pigeons present amongst them, and best of all a Spot-winged Starling perched at the top of a massive fruiting tree.

We left here to go a short drive downhill to another hide that was offering Silver-breasted Broadbills and Grey Peacock-Pheasant. It was a longish walk down a steep slope but as soon as we arrived there were a few broadbills already perched right in front of the hide. Unfortunately not everyone had arrived and sure enough the broadbills flew away. We needn’t have worried as an hour later they re-emerged from the forest and spent ages around the feeding station. 

Silver-breasted Broadbill

The peacock-pheasant never showed but a fine supporting cast was much appreciated:

1. 1 Greater Yellownape
2. 8 Silver-breasted Broadbill
3. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
4. 2 Common Green Magpie
5. 15+ Red-vented Bulbul
6. 4+ Flavescent Bulbul
7. 10+ White-throated Bulbul
8. 1 White-browed Scimitar-Babbler
9. 4 Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler
10. 5 White-crested Laughingthrush
11. 14+ Black-throated Laughingthrush
12. 1 Hill Blue Flycatcher
13. 2 Rufous-bellied Niltava
14. 1 Small Niltava
15. 4 Large Niltava
16. 4 White-tailed Robin
17. 1 Blue Whistling-Thrush
18. 1 Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher

Black-throated Laughingthrush

Black-throated Laughingthrush

Common Green Magpie

Black-throated Laughingthrush & Common Green Magpie

Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler

The laughingthursh and scimitar-babbler

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Greater Yellownape

Little Pied Flycatcher

Rufous-bellied Niltava (female)

Hongbenghe - First Hide

Difficult to put into words how good today was and when you tally up the best birds it reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of Himalayas Most Wanted birds! We visited 3 different hides that were offering some mega birds and we began at 8am with Blue-naped Pitta. Oh yes! It took a little while but eventually it showed at the back of the feeding station on several occasions, one time perching out on a branch lying on the floor only to be spooked by something and it darted back into the gloom of the forest. But it did come out into the open for a few seconds and I fired off a quick record shot before it hit warp factor 10 back into the forest, never to be seen again. 

Blue-naped Pitta

Back-up birds at this hide were many but everything was shy but we still saw:

1. 2 Kalij Pheasant
2. 1 Common Emerald Dove
3. 1 Blue-naped Pitta
4. 2 Large Scimitar-Babbler
5. 3 Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler
6. 2 Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler
7. 1 Spot-throated Babbler
8. 1 Puff-throated Babbler
9. 10+ Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush
10. 1 Hill Blue Flycatcher
11. 1 Chinese Blue Flycatcher
12. 3 Large Niltava
13. 2 White-tailed Robin
14. 1 White-crowned Forktail
15. 1 Little Pied Flycatcher

Common Emerald Dove

Large Scimitar-Babbler

Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler

White-crowned Forktail

White-tailed Robin (female)

White-tailed Robin (male)

White-throated Bulbul

The walk back up to the cars was memorable for a huge flock of Pin-tailed Green-Pigeons, with a few Thick-billed Green-Pigeonspresent amongst them, and best of all a Spot-winged Starling perched at the top of a massive fruiting tree.