Day 1: Bagdogra to Latpanchar
Arrivals into Bagdogra airport this morning. Once our group has assembled, we’ll set out on the drive into the low hills of West Bengal to spend the night at Latpanchar, a small village on the edge of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary at an elevation of 1,525m. We will spend the rest of the day in search of foothill species in secondary forests, such as Rufous-necked and Oriental Pied Hornbills, Green-billed Malkoha, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Sultan Tit, Orange-bellied Leafbird, White-throated Bulbul, Blue-throated and Great Barbets, Black-chinned and Whiskered Yuhinas, and Collared Falconet. At night, we will look for some of the night birds that inhabit these forests, including Asian Barred Owlet, Oriental, Collared and Mountain Scops Owls, Brown Boobook, Brown Wood-Owl, and Hodgson’s Frogmouth. Night in Latpanchar.
Day 2: Latpanchar to Okhrey
We have a full morning to spend around Latpanchar, perhaps adding Indian Blue Robin, Scaly and Himalayan Thrushes, the bamboo specialist Pale-headed Woodpecker, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Rufous-necked, Greater Necklaced and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Snowy-browed and Sapphire Flycatchers, Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail, Red-tailed and Chestnut-tailed Minlas, Ashy-headed Green-Pigeon and Red Junglefowl. Later, we’ll set out on the drive north into Sikkim’s southwest corner to Okhrey for a two-night stay near the Indo-Nepal border. We will no doubt stop for some roadside birding as we climb further into the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas. Along the way, we may make a visit Tiger Hill in Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Darjeeling, where we will have the chance to look for several parrotbills, a selection of laughingthrushes including Grey-sided, as well as Rufous-bellied and Darjeeling Woodpeckers, Silver-eared Mesia, Thick-billed and Yellow-footed Green Pigeons, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Black Baza and Hill Partridge. We will arrive in time for some initial exploration of the area. Night in Okhrey.
Day 3: Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, Hilley and Okhrey
Okhrey sits at 2,745m, and we can expect to encounter an exciting selection of higher elevation Himalayan species in these sub-alpine habitats. We have two full days to explore the atmospheric moss-draped forests, rhododendrons, bamboo and ferns of Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary at elevations of around 3000m. The list of potential birds includes some of the Eastern Himalayas’ most sought after, and we will be looking for gems such as Fire-tailed Myzornis, Ferruginous, Pygmy and White-gorgeted Flycatchers, Hodgson’s Treecreeper, Pin-tailed and Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons, Brown Bullfinch, Abbott’s Babbler, Rufous-breasted Bush Robin, Black-headed Shrike-babbler, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, and a cacophony of vocal laughingthrushes that include Black-faced, Blue-winged, Scaly, and the near-endemic Bhutan Laughingthrush. Throughout the day we’ll keep our eyes open for some of the more elusive residents of the area in the dense understorey, including Grey-bellied and Chestnut-headed Tesias, Rufous-throated Wren-Babbler, diminutive Pygmy Cupwing, Rufous-capped Babbler, and White-tailed Robin. We will also encounter a diverse selection of warblers here, perhaps Ashy-throated, Green-crowned, Grey-cheeked, Broad-billed, Yellow-vented and Whistler’s Warblers, Blyth’s, Tickell’s and Large-billed Leaf Warblers, and Aberrant, Grey-sided, Brownish-flanked, Russet and Hume’s Bush Warblers. This is perhaps the prime site in Sikkim for the star-studded Himalayan pheasant Satyr Tragopan, and spring is the best time to hope to find this stunning but notoriously elusive bird. Kalij Pheasant is less elusive, and we may also come across Hill Partridge and the brightly coloured Rufous-throated Partridge moving through the undergrowth. Nearby Hilley lies in the buffer zone of Barsey and holds some good stands of high elevation bamboo. Here, we will look for many Eastern Himalayan highlights, including Himalayan Shortwing, and the Eastern Himalayan endemic Black-crowned Scimitar Babbler, as well as all four parrotbills that occur in Sikkim, including Fulvous and Great. Surrounding areas of cultivation provide important foraging grounds for many birds, and we will spend time in these open habitats too, looking for Black-throated and Himalayan Prinias, Russet Sparrow, Gold-naped Finch, Dark-rumped Rosefinch, White-collared Blackbird, and Long-billed Thrush. The rhododendrons that drape these hills in a riot of red, white and pink in late spring will have begun to bloom at the time of our visit, and we’ll have spectacular views towards the snow-capped peaks of the Kanchendzonga range as a backdrop to our birding. If we are very lucky, we might even come across a Red Panda. Nights in Okhrey.
Day 4: Okhrey to Selep
After a final morning at Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, we’ll head further north into Sikkim to the sleepy village of Selep for the night. We will spend much of the day birding as we travel, looking for some of this region’s more widespread species, such as Himalayan and Striated Bulbuls, Olive-backed and Rosy Pipits, Grey Bushchat, Grey-backed Shrike, Common Green-Magpie, Yellow-billed Blue-Magpie, Nepal House Martin, White-throated Needletail, and birds of prey such as Crested Honey-buzzard, Black Eagle and Mountain Hawk-Eagle. We will also stop to scan mountain streams for Slaty-backed and Spotted Forktails. We will arrive in Selep in time for some late afternoon birding around our homestay, and at night, we will listen out for Himalayan Owl and the incessant tooting of Collared Owlet. Mammals are difficult to see here given the density of the forest, but if we are lucky, we may come across Hoary-bellied and Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrels, Yellow-throated Marten, and Assam Macaque. Night in Selep.
Day 5: Selep to Mangan
We will spend the morning birding around Selep on the edge of Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary. Wedged between Nepal and Bhutan, with the Tibetan plateau to the north, Sikkim hosts the most humid tract of the Himalayan chain, and this is reflected in the richness of its forest habitats, particularly in the mid-altitudes. Here, at 1,980m, we can expect a good selection of Himalayan and other species, perhaps Blue Whistling Thrush, Himalayan Bluetail, the skulking monotypic Spotted Elachura, Lesser and Rusty-bellied Shortwings, Blue-fronted Redstart, Red-billed Leiothrix, Streaked, Striated and White-throated Laughingthrushes, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Blue-winged Minla, Yellow-throated and Nepal Fulvettas, Rufous Sibia, Scarlet Finch, Pink-browed Rosefinch, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, and Grey Treepie, with Grey-winged Blackbird and Tickell’s Thrush in surrounding fields. Later, we will continue our journey northwards to Mangan for an overnight stay midway to North Sikkim. Night in Mangan.
Day 6: Mangan to Lachen
We will make use of the productive early morning birding time around Mangan, looking for a selection of species including Silver-eared Mesia, Blue-throated Flycatcher, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Golden Babbler, White-browed Shrike-babbler, White-tailed Nuthatch, the delightful White-browed Piculet, striking Himalayan Cutia, and Spotted Forktail, with Collared and Spot-winged Grosbeaks regular visitors to a cherry tree near our homestay. Later, we’ll leave on the drive north to Lachen at 2,600m for a three-night stay. We will have plenty of opportunities for birding along the way, in subtropical forests that gradually become more temperate from Chungthang, at the confluence of the Lachen Chu and Lachung Chu rivers. We will follow the valley of the Lachen Chu as we make our way further north, and we will have good chances of finding birds such as Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Red-faced Liocichla, Collared Treepie, Yellow-browed Tit, White-naped Yuhina, and Wallcreeper. Night in Lachen.
Day 7-8: Lachen and the Thangu Valley
Lachen will be our base for exploring North Sikkim’s subtropical broadleaved forests, stands of bamboo, and alpine juniper and rhododendron forests in the Chopta and Thangu Valleys. This is an exciting transition area, and in the cold desert landscape we will encounter an entirely different birdlife to that we have experienced in the humid forests further south. Around Lachen, we’ll look for Speckled Wood Pigeon, Snow Pigeon, Spotted Nutcracker, Spotted and Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrushes, Scaly-breasted Cupwing, Rufous-capped Babbler, Hoary-throated Barwing, Rufous-vented and Stripe-throated Yuhinas, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Bay Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, Red-throated and Black-throated Thrushes, White-browed Bush Robin, Alpine, less common Altai and occasional Robin Accentors, Red-billed and Alpine Choughs, and Little Owl, with White-capped Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-throated and Brown Dippers, and Little Forktail in the glacial rivers. In particular though, we will be looking for the flocks of stunning indigo blue Grandala that frequent this area over the winter. We’ll also have the chance to see Blood Pheasant lingering into early spring. We will ascend to 3,500m along the Thangu Valley, where we will add unequivocal high elevation species such as Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch, Plain and less regular Black-headed Mountain Finches, Ground Tit, White-winged and White-throated Redstarts, White-winged Grosbeak and possibly Solitary Snipe. The Trans-Himalayas beyond Thangu are home to some enticing high-altitude species. Although foreign nationals are not permitted to travel further north onto the Tso Lhamo plateau, we may still have the chance to see some of the most range-restricted species that occur at the higher elevations here, including White-rumped and Rufous-necked Snowfinches, Brown Accentor and Tibetan Snowcock. There is a host of exciting Himalayan mammals in this area, and although these are also largely restricted to the plateau, we may still see Himalayan Serow here. Night at Lachen.
Day 9: Lachen to Lachung
This morning, we will make our way to the next valley to the east, that of the Lachung Chu, for a two-night stay at Lachung at 2,900m. We will spend time birding along the way in some good forest and bamboo habitats where we’ll look for Streak-breasted and distinctive Slender-billed Scimitar Babblers, delightful Brown and Black-throated Parrotbills, Golden-breasted, Rufous-winged and White-browed Fulvettas, Black-eared and Green Shrike-babblers, Large and Small Niltavas, and the diminutive Pygmy Cupwing. Around Lachung, and along the road east towards Katao at the border with neighbouring Tibet, we will encounter a good selection of species, perhaps Alpine Thrush, Rufous Turtle Dove, Long-tailed Minivet, and Whiskered Yuhina. Overnight Lachung.
Day 10: Lachung and the Yumthang Valley
Today, we’ll explore the mountain flanked pastures of the Yumthang Valley and the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary north of Lachung up to 3,500m. Here, we’ll be looking for Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Red-headed Bullfinch, Maroon-backed and Rufous-breasted Accentors, Hodgson's Redstart, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, and Sikkim Treecreeper. Many species associate in fast-moving mixed flocks, and we’ll have some exciting encounters with yuhinas, fulvettas, tits including Grey-crested, Rufous-vented, Black-browed, Green-backed and Coal Tits, Fire-tailed and Green-tailed Sunbirds, and a large selection of colourful warblers including Buff-barred, Lemon-rumped and Black-faced as they sweep through the flowering rhododendrons. Ibisbill breed along the Yumthang River, so we will hope that they have arrived here by the time of our visit. We can also expect a good variety of birds of prey, including Steppe and Golden Eagles, Himalayan and Upland Buzzards, Himalayan Griffon and Bearded Vulture. Night in Lachung.
Day 11: Lachung to Gangtok
Today we will make our way south to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, for the night. There will be time for birding along the way, perhaps in the oak and rhododendron forest of Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary where we will look for Golden Bush Robin, Grey-throated Babbler, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Short-billed Minivet, Black-throated Tit and Barred Cuckoo-Dove. Night in Gangtok.
Day 12: Gangtok to Bagdogra, depart Bagdogra
We will find time for some early morning birding on the outskirts of Gangtok before leaving on the drive south back to Bagdogra. Departures from Bagdogra airport this afternoon.
