FOB members Krishna Gurung, Vimal Thapa and Bhushan Shrestha gathered at Budhanilkantha and followed the trail from Budhanilkantha - Hospital - temple of Satidevi as usual trail for birdwatching in this area. This time group took another route instead of taking the usual motorable route from the temple to the Tokha Village. It was along the shivapuri forest boundary in the North until it meet the way to Tokha village. It is a nice trail for nature lover with beautiful loandscapes in the south and the shivapuri forest in north, though the trail was not very comfortable for walking. Birdwatching begined at 8 am and ended at around 1 pm in Tokha village. Pictures above are some landscapes that can be viewd along the trail. All together 52 species of birds were sighted and recorded as listed below:


Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Besra (Accipiter vigratus), Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Black-lored Tit ( Parus xanthhgenys), Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta castanea), Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), Great Barbet (Megalaima virens), Great Tit (Parus major), Grey Treepie (Dendrocitta formosae), Grey-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus), Grey-hooded Warbler (Seicercus xanthoschistos), Himalayan Bulbul, Himalayan Griffon (Gypus himalayensis), Himalayan Swiftlet (Collocalia brevirostris), Hodgson's Redstart (Phoenicurus hodgsoni), House Crow (Corvus splendens), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Hume's Warbler (Phylloscopus humei), Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus), Large Cuckooshrike (Coracina maccei), Large Niltava (Niltava grandis), Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), Lemon-rumped Warbler (Phylloscopus chloronotus), Lesser Yellownape (Picus chlorolophus), Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus), Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach), Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientali), Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata), Plumbeous Water Redstart Ryacornis fuliginosus) Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha), Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri), Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher (Ficedula strophiata), Slaty Blue Flycatcher (Fecedula tricolor), Slaty-headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana), Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis), Spotted Forktail (Enicurus maculatus), Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalasina), White Wagtail (Motacilla alba subspecies ocularis and baicalensis), White-capped Water Redstart (Chaimarrornis leucocephalus), White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Yellow-bellied Fantail (Rhipidura hypasxantha)

Nagarjun, March 17, 2007

This birdwatching was organized by BCN as of Saturday Birdwatching Schedule for 2007. Total number of 15 participants including 3 French guests were gathered infront of Nagarjun entrance gate and birdwatching began at 8 am. It was nice birdwatching with beautiful forest on the trail. The program ended at 12 noon. The participants of the day were Bhushan Shrestha, Surbendra Pachhai, Rey Christophe (Franch), Rey Monique (French), Rey Guy (French), Pusha KC, Deepak Shrestha, Gopi Shrestha, Vimal Thapa, Anuroop Shrestha, Tirthraj Thapa Magar, Ramesh Chaudhary, Ranjeev Dev, Nirmal Chaudhary and Keshavraj Joshi.

Number of birds sighted and recorded was 50 that includes following birds - Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus macei), Great Barbet (Megalaima virens), White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Green-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus tristris), Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri), House Swift (Apus affinis), Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Besra (Accipiter vigratus), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), Common Buzzard (Butea butea), Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach), Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha), Grey Treepie (Dendocita formosae), House Crow (Corvus splendens), Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorynchos), Black-winged, Cuckoo (Coracina melaschistos), Maroon Oriole (Oriolus traillii) – call only, Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus), Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus), Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus), Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus hottentotus), Blue Whsitling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), Scaly Thrush (Zoothera dauma), Slaty-blue Flycatcher (Ficedula tricolor), Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassina), Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher (Culicicapa ceyloneus) – call only, Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata), Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus), Common Myna (acridotheres tristis), Chestnut-tailed Nuthatch (Sitta castanea), Black-lored Tit (Parus xanthogenys), Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), Black Bulbul (Hypsipetus leucocephalus), Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus), Hume's Warbler (Phylloscopus humei), Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trichiloides), Grey-hooded Warbler (Seicercus xanthochistos), Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus erthrogenys) – call only, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker (Dicaeum ignipectus), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus).


Ichangu, March 24, 2007

In this regular Saturday birding trip, FoB received an encouraging number of participants consisting of the regular members, children and locals from the same area of birding, who actually assisted the group too.

Ichhangu located beyond the west of ring road near Swayambhu is just an ideal location for watching the birds of urban and forest as it shares the boundary with the Raniban of Nagarjun forest. The village seems still unspoiled by much of modern facilities inspite being near the capital yet seems far. The village, within and around is blessed with wonderful and lively birds. Icchangu also has great cultural asset - famous temple of Icchangu Narayan and is also a place, from where Kathmandu gets the regular supply of flowers as this area farms the flowers well.

The birding started at about 7.30AM and lasting till the noontime, concluded after an important discussion of birds and the publication that FoB is currently working on. The birding was done along the road in the beginning and along the creek and the border area of Nagurjun forest. During this birding period of about four hours forty-six species of birds were sighted among which Eurasian Cuckoo the summer visitor was heard for the first time in this season's birding of the group. There was a great sight of two species of Swallows – Barn and Red-rumped Swallow feeding together on the ground and sharing the same wire for perching very closely. The Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler was very loud above the creek and persisting gloomy call of Great Barbet was very obvious and the breeding call of White-throated Kingfisher was also conspicuously heard often. Following birds were recorded - Great Barbet (Megalaima virens), Blue-throated Barbet (Megalaima asiatica), White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Eurasian Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), House Swift (Apus affinis), Spotted Owlet (Athene brama), Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis), Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Common Buzzard (Butea butea), Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculasea), Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach), Grey-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus), Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha), Grey Treepie (Dendrocitta formosae), House Crow (Corvus splendens), Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus), Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus), Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus), Blue-capped Rock Thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus) – call, Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassina), Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquata), Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata), Jungle Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus), Black-lored Tit (Parus xanthogenys), Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Red-rumped Swallow (Hirunda dau rica), Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys), Black Bulbul (Hysipetus leucocephalus), Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), Hume's Warbler (Phylloscopus humei), Buff-barred Warbler (Phylloscopus pulcher), Grey-hooded Warbler (Seicercus xanthoschistos), Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus ruficollis), Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus erythrogenys), Black-chinned Babbler (Stachyris pyrrhops) – call, House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni)

The participants were – Lasta Karmacharaya, Renu Chitrakar, Urmila Maharjan, Yashman Karmacharaya, Lalit Lalchan, Gopi Shrestha, Phurkel Sherpa, Krishna Gurung, Bhusan Shrestha, Surbendra Pachhai, Deepak Shrestha, Anuroop Shrestha and Vimal Thapa.