01 Day. Guwahati/Samdrup Jongkhar (110km)
We will cross the border (India-Bhutan) and reach Samdrup Jongkhar, a major trade hub, the southern part of Bhutan in the east and spent a night in Samdrup Jongkhar town. We are in tropical broadleaved forest. People speak Sharchop (dialect of the easterners), one of the 18 local dialects of Bhutan. Sharchop is mainly spoken by the eastern Bhutanese.
Birding in Samdrup Jongkhar and nearby areas, will bring to us birds such as Lineated Barbet, Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Black-naped Monarchs, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Large Wood shrike, Crimson Sunbird, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Common Iora, Ashy Wood swallow, White-throated Bulbul, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Grey-throated and Striped-tit Babblers, Ashy Bulbul, Common Tailorbird, Black Redstart, White-rumped Sharma, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Blythe’s Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Slaty Blue Flycatcher, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Asian Palm Swift, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Grey-capped Woodpecker etc.
02 Day. Samdrup Jongkhar/Narphung
The journey from Samdrup Jongkhar to Narphung will take about two hours drive, however birding stops will entail extra time. Spend there for two nights camping. One day full birding exercise within Narphung areas, we will spot some birds like Little Bunting, Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Rufous-throated Partridge, Cutia, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Wreathed Hornbill, Common Myna, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Indian Pond Heron, Little Egret, Asian Pied Starling, Jungle Myna, Common Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail, Common Kingfisher, Crested Kingfisher, Green Sandpiper, Black-backed Forktail, White-throated Kingfisher, Hill Myna. The Hodgson’s Frogmouth was recorded around Narphung for the first time in 2007.
03 Day. Narphung/Trashigang
Reaching Trashigang, we halt a night in hotel in Trashingang town and take a day to reach there. Birding along the motorable road, some of the birds we will find are Red-rumped Swallow, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Upland Buzzard, Little Bunting, Tibetan Siskin, White-browed Shrike Babbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Common Hoopoe, Common Kestrel, Asian Black Eagle, Darjeeling Woodpecker, White-throated Laughing Thrush, Streaked/Bhutan Laughing Thrush, Grey-sided Laughing Thrush etc
.04 Day. Trashigang/Yongkola
We will cross Mongar town and camp at Yongkola or Norbugang for three nights, 2 days full birding around Yongkola, Norbugang and Namling areas and experience incredible birding day.
Along the road, from Trashigang to Yongkola, stop by at the bird hotspots area like Korila inhibited by cool-broadleaved forest and few locations. We will be able to see some birds like Rufous-necked Hornbill, Crested Laughingthrush, Bhutan Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, Pygmy Blue flycatcher, Blue-throated flycatcher, Blue-fronted Flycatcher, Green Magpie, Bonelli’s Eagle, Barn Swallow, Hill Prinia, Grey-winged Blackbird, Brown-throated Treecreeper, Grey-sided Laughingthrush, Little Bunting, Wallcreeper etc.
05 Day. Yongkola/Namling (Camp at Yongkola)
Birding around Namling areas, we will see birds such as Mountain Scops Owl, Hill Partridge, Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Ward’s Trogon, Collared Owlet, Asian Barred Owlet, White-throated Laughingthrush, Striated Laughingthrush, Golden Babbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-faced Warbler, Yellow-rumped Honey guide, Yellow-vented Warbler, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Grey Bushchat, House Sparrow, Black Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Himalayan Bulbul, Red-flanked Bluetail, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Little Forktail, White-capped Water Redstart, Green-tailed Sunbird, Stripe-throated Yuhina, White-naped Yuhina, White-tailed Nuthatch, Plain-backed Thrush, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Large-billed Crow, Rufous-throated Wren Babbler, Pygmy Wren Babbler, Black-faced Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Lemon-rumped Warbler, White-spectacled Warbler, Yellow-vented Warbler, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Grey Treepie, Olive-backed Pipit etc.
06 Day. Yongkola/Jaineyla or Broksar (Lingmethang) (Camp at Yongkola)
Birding Yongkola and Lingmethang areas, one can see birds like Greater Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Sultan Tit, Lesser Yellownape, Slaty-backed Forktail, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Ashy Bulbul, Nepal Fulvetta, Golden Tree Babbler, Little Pied Flycatcher, White-rumped Munia, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, Mountain Bulbul, Striated Laughingthrush, Streaked Laughingthrush, Red-faced Liochichla, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Sapphire Flycatcher, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Grey-cheeked Warbler and Black-faced Warbler etc.
07 Day. Yongkola/Norbugang to Bumthang via Ura
We will drive towards north crossing Sengore village and Thrumshingla pass (3700m). From Yongokla to Ura, we are entering inside the Thrumshingla National Park. On the way, we will come across lovely and beautiful waterfall called Namling waterfall before reaching Sengore. We will also find large tract of old growth Fir forest. Reaching Bumthang, we will halt at a Hotel. Bumthang is culturally rich district in Bhutan. One can see various monasteries and sacred sites.
For the day, we can observe species like Snow Pigeon, Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan, Monal Pheasant, Whiskered Yuhina, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Dark-rumped Rosefinch, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Broad-billed Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Green Shrike Babbler, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Streaked Laughingthrush, Spotted Forktail, Spotted Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Great Barbet and many other species.
Forest type: Warm and Cool-broadleaved forest, Hemlock, Fir, mixed conifer and Blue pine forest. Ethnic group: Bumthap, speaking Bumthangpa language, a local dialect.
08 Day. Bumthang/Trongsa
We will drive along the road passing through various ecotypes; Blue pine forest, mixed conifer forest, Fir forest and finally crossing Yotongla pass and broadleaved forest. Then we are in another district, Trongsa. People there speak Mangdeb and Trongsab languages, local dialect. In Trongsa, we will stay overnight in hotels.
Along the road, we will find birds such as Grey-hooded Warbler, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Yellow-browed Tit, Green-backed Tit, Green Shrike Babbler, White-browed Fulvetta, Plain-backed Thrush, Plain Mountain Finch, Spotted Nutcracker, Black-faced Laughingthrush,, Rufous-vented Tit, Coal Tit Rufous-fronted Tit, Gold crest, Red Crossbill, White-winged Grosbeak, Alpine Accentor, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Blue-fronted Redstart, Hodgson’s Redstart, Red-billed Chough, Rosy Pipit, Black-necked Crane (Gyesa), Ibisbill, Solitary Snipe, Wood Snipe, Buff-bellied Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Himalayan Swift, House Swift, Asian House Martin, Red-rumped Swallow etc.
09 Day. Trongsa/Tingtibe
Birding along the road, you come across birds such as Yellow-browed Tit, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Striated Prinia, Striated Laughingthrush, White-throated Laughingthrush, White-crested Laughingthrush, Beautiful Nuthatch, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Brownish-flanked Bush Warble, Verditer Flycatcher, Lemon-rumped Warbler, Hume’s Warbler, Tickell’s Leaf Warbler, Crested Bunting, House Swift, Common Kestrel, Chestnut-bellied Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Ashy Bulbul, Golden-fronted Leaf bird, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Pacific Swift, Greater Spotted Eagle, Black Drongo, Ashy bulbul, Mountain bulbul, Striated bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Red-vented bulbul, Great Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Striated Yuhina, Black-chinned Yuhina, Whiskered Yuhina, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Asian Barred Owlet, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Spotted Dove etc.