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Duration: 14 Nights 15 Days
Season: March, April, May, October, November and
December.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Paro International Airport.
After clearing immigration we'll drive east
through an enchanting valley with its decorated
shingle-roofed houses and willow-fringed river.
Red billed Choughs are quite common in this
valley and as we head east we'll stop to search
for Ibis bill and Brown Dipper. We'll spend the
night in Thimphu, Bhutan's delightful capital.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 2: We'll head east out of Thimphu, up
onto the western slopes of Dochu la, the first
of a series of high altitude road passes.
Entering the pristine mixed forests of hemlock,
fir, oak, blossoming magnolias, and
rhododendrons we should see a wealth of birds
including some species rich feeding flocks.
Quarrelsome Nutcrackers are common and other
highlights may include a skulking Hill Partridge
or Satyr Tragopan, Golden Bush Robin, an
immaculate Cutia, Brown Parrot bill, or even a
gorgeous Fire tailed Myzornis.
We'll venture off road on to a couple of trail
that enables us to explore the forest more
thoroughly. Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 3: Spending two nights at a splendid
traditionally decorated hotel near Punakha, the
former capital of Bhutan, we'll have ample time
to explore the braided channels of MoChhu River
and the bird-rich subtropical forests it
contains. Our route on both days will take us
past the spectacular Punakha Dzong. We should
see an impressive array of species, including
the White bellied Heron, one of Bhutan's rarest
specialties. We are sure to encounter several
parties of brightly colored minivets, noisy
Striated Laughing thrushes and may also see more
Red headed Trogon, and Wedge tailed Pigeon, wait
to be discovered. Fire capped Tit breeds here,
as does White gorgeted Flycatcher and rare
Yellow vented Warbler. We will also search for
variety of sulkers including White browed
Shortwing, Spotted and Pygmy Wren Babblers and
all three species of tesia.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 4: Continuing east, past Wangdue
Dzong (a monastery and fortress combined), we
will make a series of brief stops to scan the
braided river channel. We have seen Palla's Gull
and Palla's Fishing Eagle regularly here. We
also check forest edges and explore some of the
small patches of cultivation. We will enter
productive forest near the end of our journey
and will stop here to look for species such as
Blood Pheasant, Satyr Tragopan or majestic
Himalayan Monal. Spotted Laughing thrush,
Yellowish bellied Bush Warbler, Rusty flanked
Tree creeper, and White winged Grosbeak also
occurs here. We will also make our proper search
for Ward's Trogon, perhaps Bhutan's premier
avian prize.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 5: Leaving Gangtey we will flow the
twisting road over the Pelela Pass and into
Central Bhutan. A stand of bamboo extend for
about three miles below the pass and we will
search here for specialties such as Great and
Brown Parrot bills, and Golden breasted Fulvetta,
surely one of the world's most attractive
passerines. Night in Trongsa.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 6: From Trongsa we will initially
head south. Our main target is the rare and
little known Yellow rumped Honeyguide but we
should see a number of other species perhaps
including Emerald Dove, Large Niltava, and
Russet Bush Warbler. The Valley here is also
good area for the rare Golden Langur. Retracing
our route we will climb over a pass into the
first four valleys and rolling hillsides covered
in spruce and fir and the avifauna alters
equally abruptly. Nutcrackers can be common,
though we will have to spend little more time
searching for Beautiful Rosefinches. Night at
Jakar.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 7: Continuing our circuit east we
will climb eventually across the Thrumsingla 12,
465ft is Bhutan's highest road pass. The road
then plunges dramatically down into rich
semitropical rain forest. This is Lingmethang
road, perhaps Asia's premier birding road. Many
of Bhutan's most sought after birds can be found
here including Chestnut breasted Partridge,
Ward's Trogon, the majestic Rufous necked
Hornbill, Blue napped Pitta, Blue fronted Robin,
and wedge billed and Bar winged Wren Babblers. 2
nights accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 8: In our day of exploring the
fabulous, lush primary forests in search of the
area's specialities will also include the
special area where the Rofous necked Hornbill
spend resting during mid day. Some of the rare
species are slender billed and Coral billed
Scimitar Babblers, Scaly and Blue winged
Laughing thrushes, Greater Rofous headed
Parrotbill, Broad billed Warbler and Rofous
throated Wren Babbler.
Day 9: We retrace our way back to
Bumthang across the Thrumsingla pass checking
the places that we missed. Night in Bumthang.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 10: Early drive from Bumthang to
Shemgang district south of Trongsa. Here we will
explore the mixed broad-leaved evergreen
forests. We will encounter a number of special
birds including the strange and rare Yellow-rumped
or Himalayan Honey guide. This bird is only
found in the vicinity of huge hives belonging to
the Rock bee.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 11: We will explore the lower roads
of Zhemgang, species we might see includes
Rufous-Bellied Eagle, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon,
Barred Cucukoo-dove, Himalayan Swiftlet, flocks
of nesting Fork-tailed Swifts, Crimson-breasted
Woodpeckers, Striated Bulbul, Spotted
Bush-Warbler, the richly marked Red-billed
Leiothriz, flocks of cativating Long tailed
Minivets, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush,
Long-billed or Scaly thrushes purple Cochoa,
pairs of Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Slaty-blue and
little pies Flycatchers.
It is a long drive to Zhemgang and our campsite
beyond. However, there will be plenty of
opportunities to stop and bird. The
ever-changing landscape and profusion of
flowering plants and trees, combined with the
imposing traditional Bhutanese homes are some of
the features one will come across.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 12: Today we will retrace our way
back to Trongsa birding along the way.
Overnight accommodation: Hotel or Resort.
Day 13: A day of driving and birding
while on the way to Thimphu.
Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 14: Half day of relaxation in Thimphu
or shopping. Afternoon depart to Paro, to visit
the sights there. Accommodation: Hotel or Resort
Day 15: Morning flight on the Druk
Airlines to Destination. End of the trip.
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