Jagjit and self decided to do the Chakimor-Bhojpur-Timbertrail Hights Parwanoo Track. We left early (6 am) on 5/2/2011 and we were at the Chaki mor turnoff at first light.
One part of this range of the mountains had been covered by me on 29th of Jan i.e Parwanoo Kasauli the idea was to cover this stretch with the intention of comparing the two sides. This stretch of the mountain has more streams a better forest cover and is basically facing the opposite side ie away from the plains.
The day started with the customary sighting of the Blue Whistling Thrush and as the day wore on it became obvious that there is a very healthy population of these birds in this section. This was followed by the sighting of a Spotted forktail foraging in a trickle stream flowing across the road.
I stopped at the bridge about 50m bellow the turn off from the national highway, to look for the Kalij that is normally seen in the area but was disappointed. We decided to scan the stream for Water redstarts and while we were doing so a typical call revealed the Grey-headed Woodpecker, I had missed this bird on my visit to the Kasauli road, in fact that day there were no woodpeckers on offer. Of the water redstarts the only one seen was the Plumbeous water redstart. A pair of Spotted Forktails did makeup for the absence of the White capped water redstart and after enjoying the antics of these unique birds we moved along.
There is a small settlement 500m down the road and we scanned the adjacent area because certain birds prefer staying around isolated settlements as they have developed a symbiotic relationship with man. We were rewarded with the sighting of the Russet sparrow, and White capped buntings, a Red Jungle Fowl could be heard on the slope above the road.
Not wanting to offend the human residents who by now were moving out of their homes to perform their morning ablutions, we drove on to the temple where we were greeted by a few Oriental white eyes. The mixed hunting party of which they were a part also included the Black chinned babblers. A Streaked laughing thrush was playing hide and seek in the thick undergrowth where it was busy trying to garner some breakfast. The area around the temple normally has more birds, maybe we were early. We spent ten minutes looking around but not finding anything to hold our flagging attention we moved on.
Red vented bulbuls could be seen moving around as we drove to a cluster of homes a Km from the temple. The farm houses were surrounded by terraced fields and a group of White crested Laughing thrush could be seen foraging near the stored hay. Not wanting to miss a good photo opportunity, I made my way up the path leading to the hay stacks and was able to click some nice pictures. ( for anyone who would like to see this species - More often than not one finds these birds on this stretch.) The farmers had planted wheat in some fields and mustard in the others. The flowering mustard fields had a mixed flock of Finches consisting of Yellow breasted Green Finch and Common Rose Finch. A Grey Treepie and the Great Barbet were also seen in the area.
The Road from this section on travels through a mixed forest which gives way to a pine forest, we made a few stops along the way, at one point we could hear the Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler at another we got to see the Fulvous Breasted Woodpecker and the Long-tailed Minivets, at yet another we came across Lemon-rumped Warblers. The drive is extremely scenic and Jagjit kept an eye out for what he felt would make excellent camping sites.
Just before Bhojpur we stopped to explore a stretch where on an earlier trip I had spotted the Rufous-bellied Niltava. The Niltava seems to be quite territorial because it did not disappoint us a brief sighting led to a short uphill trek at the end of which we only had a poor record shot of a beautiful male. A Grey-hooded Warbler and another Grey treepie were also seen the later obliged us by posing for a portrait.
I wanted to stop and take a walk into the fields (opposite the Private University being built across the valley) where I had seen the Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrush during my last visit to the area, unfortunately we were engaged in light banter and over shot the spot so much so that before we realized it we were at Bhojpur. Here we saw a few House Sparrows while washing down some rusks with a nice hot cup of tea at the local tea stall. We decided to go back via the Gorkha fort – Timber Trail Heights , the locals encouraged us to take this route and we decided to give a lift to a few of them. Well on the way we realized that the road was not in too good a shape and the reason we had been encouraged was because the local buss had not turned up in the morning. All the same we made it through with only a few rocks scraping the paint off from the underside of my car the only serious loss was that I could not bird and drive at the same time. (For those of you who attempt this track do not venture on it if it has rained in the recent past you could end up getting stuck). We did however stop to see a Pied Bush chat a Brown Fronted Woodpecker a few white capped buntings and amongst them a lone Humes Warbler. After dropping off our Co- passengers near Timber Trail Heights we started moving at birding pace again and were rewarded with the sighting of a Rock Chat, a tomato field full of Himalayan and red vented bulbuls, with Grey breasted Prinia providing the Chorus. This was followed by a flock of Fire Fronted Serins followed by more Fire-fronted Serins and then more Fire-fronted Serins.(now you know where to find them in winter)
At the Base of Parwanoo one has to cross a bridge over a mountain stream, (The same one we crossed at Chaki ka mor) the road, if you can call it that is in a bad shape and to top it, having a truck moving ahead of us brought out our preservation instinct to the fore, not wanting to be buried under dust or suffocated by the diesel exhaust we decided to stop near the bridge and let it trundle along till it got onto a tarmacked section of the road. Having stopped we walked along a short stretch of the stream and finally caught up with the Red-capped Water Redstart. There were a few Plumbeous water redstarts and a Little Cormorant on this section of the stream , a Blue Whistling Thrush stopped by to Quench it’s thirst presenting a nice photo opportunity. This would have been an excellent birding spot but for the fact that the resident homosapien population seems to use this area in the morning for defecation. Those who do venture down the bridge please mind your step.
We were back on the road after the short break and at Parwanoo we found birds having a feast on the flowering Bombax trees. One saw some Black Bulbuls a few Spangled Drongos , Himalayan and Redvented bulbuls and of course the House Crow and its cousin the Large-billed Crow. We heaved a sigh of relief when we reached the Main highway (a road better less traveled), and a flock of Rock Pigeons gave us a flypast bringing to an end a lovely morning of birding.
