Chitwan and Kosi, Nepal Feb. 2000
By: Anand Prasad [swanandprasad@hotmail.com]


Kosi Barrage (17th-21st Feb.)
I was just at Kosi Barrage Nepal and thought anyone planning to visit soon 
could keep an eye out for the following.
  Possible Oriental/Great Reed Warbler. Seen in bushes by first marsh on the 
right heading eastwards to Kosi Tappu. The bird had fine streaking on the 
breast and I thought a longer and thicker bill than the Clamorous also there 
for comparison. It also had a thin yellowish super. extending a little 
behind the eye. It would be good if someone could see the tail edges (I 
didn't know what seemed less harsh than the Clamorous I have heard before.
Amendment: I have been reading the Fat Inskipp/Grimmett in Pilgrims 
Kathmandu (35 pounds) and see Clamorous can also have a streaked breast and 
the call chek chek chek chek also fits the introductory song of Clamorous. 
Damn! The pocket edition has none of these details.
  Also a Plaintive (Rufous-bellied) Cuckoo, just south of the Kosi Tappu 
boundary, which is a vagrant to Nepal.
  Swamp Francolin was seen on both sides of the river and were also calling 
from the derelict huts on the way to the pink tower. So no need to go to 
Kosi Tappu.
Falcated Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Striated Grassbird (by pink tower), 
Smoky Warbler, Black-faced Bunting, Hume's Short-toed Lark (allowing close 
views at their roost area near the huts about three Km south of the 
village), five other lark species in this area, a beautiful Great White 
Pelican, fantastic views of Pied Harrier, Short-eared Owl (south of 
village),Red-necked Falcon, Eurasian Griffon, Lesser Adjutant (common), 
Siberian Rubythroat and a possible female Hodgson's Bushchat (south of the 
village). Has anyone any recent records from here and is there any possible 
confusion with Common? This bird seemed large although Inskipp has them as 
same size in the "size" section but larger in the text? The wing bar was 
quite distinct. The greater primary coverts were only very finely tipped 
rufous although the medium primary coverts were more clearly tipped rufous. 
Help appreciated!
  Also saw 3 Common Shelduck and a Short-toed Eagle which are rare in Nepal.
  I spent a lot of time looking for sea eagles but although they were 
present I failed to catch up with them. A visit to one of the camps at Tappu 
and a river raft might help.
  An "un-named" tour saw Dusky Thrush but didn't tell me where!
  A bloke on the bus whilst still struggling with the Flemming book saw my 
Pocket Inskipp and realized he had seen Kessler's Thrush on the Annapurna 
Trek.
  I'm ashamed to say I failed to really scan a flock of Lesser Whistling 
Duck (2nd pond on right from Barrage to Kosi) as the tour had been scoping 
them for ages. A Danish friend saw Baer's Pochard there. So make sure you 
scan the small ponds as well as the river.
  The teashop at Kosi barrage is 50rps (ask for Shankar's) is not nearly so 
bad as expected and you get to like Nepali music (certainly better than 
Indian Pop). dhal bhat is 30rps. You can not lock the room but it feels 
safe. But better you can somehow lock your bags just to discourage curious 
hands. I repaired the mosquito net he has, with plaster.
  Bus from Narayanghat (Chitwan) is only 6hrs and 11 hrs back to Kathmandu. 
Ask for Mekalu luxury buses. Shankar's brother went to Ithahari to get me 
the ticket back and wouldn't accept a fee. Ithahari (Dharan) I will visit at 
a later time of year when Black Baza is there.
Tamaspur (15th Feb.)
  I tried Tamaspur for Great Slaty Woodpecker and couldn't find it in 6hrs 
of searching. Does anyone know any other sites? Has anyone else seen it 
there recently. Tamaspur was 1500rps (15 pounds) for the whole day from 
Narayanghat. There is not much else there.
Megauli, Chitwan (5th-14th Feb.)
  Chital Lodge at Megauli (Chitwan) was great. Basic but good food, and $15 
per day with beer and guide. Barter for bed and guide. I paid 100rps for bed 
and 300rps for Jib as a guide. Best birds were Blue-bearded Bee-eater (TT 
daily), Blue-eared Kingfisher (pond to west of elephant stable), Red-headed 
Trogon (TT tented camp), River Plover (once), Goosander (daily), Lesser 
Adjutant (daily), Great and Pied Indian Hornbill, Grey-throated Babbler (TT 
tented), Rufous-rumped Grassbird (5 sightings,east of Bhimle and west of the 
ferry landing), Striated Grassbird (east of Bhimle), Long-legged Buzzard 
(once). Eurasian Griffon(3),Long-billed Vulture (4) the teuirosris race (a 
possible split) is supposed to occur north of the gangetic plain which is 
unclear to me exactly what that means. Does this include Nepal because birds 
from the terrai are bound to range up to the foothills? ,Other goodies 
include Smokey and Dusky Warblers and many Bush Warblers which I will have 
to read up on but I have so far as Aberrant  Spotted and a possible 
Pale-footed. I have some tapes of the calls but had no speaker for playback. 
Also Black-backed Forktail (common), Hill Myna ssp. intermedia, Bengal 
Florican which Jib the owner of the lodge guarantees (no Florican no pay), 
Collared Falconet (scoped from one of the Florican sites), Silver-backed 
Needletail (from same site), White-tailed Robin (ravine near TT, ask Jib for 
the Trogon area's).
Many more brilliant common birds (fantastic to see immature Lesser Coucal) 
but Slender-billed Babbler and Rufous-necked Laughing Thrush were very 
difficult to catch up with in February!
  The river course has changed and moved further towards the park so some of 
the old sites and ditches are invalid or at least have different species.
  You can rent a bike (50rps) and cycle to as far as Bhimle checkpost.
  You don't have to have a guide.
  Also in Feb. there is fog in the morning which may not clear until 10am.
  There is also a new lodge near Megauli called Rhino Lodge. It is $30 per 
day (I don't know if this is all-inclusive). It is further to the ferry but 
you can wade the river from here and you can probably see flying Floricans 
from the lodge as the Florican area is about a km East of the crossing.
Pulchowki, Kathmandu (23rd Feb.)
  In Kathmandu, Pulchowki still has good forest further up and the scrub 
lower down is good. The path from behind the temple about a km up the road 
to Pulchowki is very good and is about an hour climb up to where it meets 
the road and an hour and a half down by road. The Goadavari Botanical 
gardens are good for flycatchers, and they don’t mind if you go in the back 
way and pay later as it opens at 9 am.
In one day I saw Slaty-backed and Ultramarine Flycatchers, Yellow-bellied 
Flowerpecker, Speckled Piculet, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Nepal Fulveta, 
Rufous-chinned Laughing Thrush, Scaly Thrush, Kalij and Hill Partridge.
The taxi to Godavari is 300rps plus 50 for his return. Last bus back 6.30pm
  I had a back problem and had to cancel the Ilam treks and Assam. At least 
I have plenty to see next year.

Anand Prasad     swananandprasad@hotmail.com