Upper Assam (March 2022) - Jewel in the Birding crown

For a birdwatcher, it is impossible to not love Assam.  For one, this beautiful state in the Indian North East boasts of a mind-bending record of 950 species (out of the 1400 odd found in the subcontinent) Then, it is the gateway to all the other 6 states in the region, each with its spectacular birding. And for those still not moved, the crowning glory is the amazing people and the utterly spectacular food. If you're a foodie birder, you're in paradise.

This time eastern Assam would be the appetizer in a two-week birding feast, with Walong and Mishmi Hills in Arunachal being the main course and dessert respectively. Lakpa, Manjunath and I planned to cover all three legs with other friends dipping in and out. We were joined by Dr. Mukundan, one of the most enthusiastic people I know and someone who knows a thing or twelve about hearts. He happened to be in Kolkata on a work trip and decided to join us for three days before he headed back home. At least that was his plan.

The first afternoon was spent in the grassland adjoining Maguri Beel, with Lakpa and Jibon Dutta (who also runs the camp we stayed in) leading us. Manjnath and Dr. Mukundan started their North East birding tally with good sightings of a Smoky Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Black-faced Bunting, glimpses of Swamp Francolins and a Chestnut-capped Babbler who was more intent on playing hide and seek. Post sunset, we headed to the nearby tea gardens for some owls but despite hearing them really close, we didn't get a peek. And that began a seriously epic trip.

The next morning we headed out for some of the local grassland specialities. And that involved crossing the river on a rowboat. We arrived at the bank only to find both boat and boatmen missing. They arrived at their own leisurely pace to cross us over to the promised land, so to speak. And pretty much in front of the landing spot we got the Swamp Prinia. It's a bird that required a little coaxing, but once inclined, it came out to pose for some grand portfolio shots. A dream lifer! A Chinese Rubythroat pair replaced the Prinia at the exact same spot, as if to take their turn in the studio. 

We ventured further into the island and encountered some more of the local specialities - Striated & Jedron's Babblers and a Yellow-bellied Prinia. The star of the grassland kept calling but didn't make an appearance just yet, he was a star after all. And then, just like that we got him - a Black-breasted Parrotbill. He came, gave a virtuoso cameo and disappeared, to be subsequently heard but not seen. We got another super bird - a Marsh Babbler. My photographic deficiencies lay exposed by this master skulker but Manjunath got some excellent frames. A Baikal-bush warbler kept us on edge with its continuous calling but it never really intended to come out. 

And as the sun rose high (and hot) we headed back and (thankfully) found the boatmen without much delay this time round. A short walk from the camp was Jibon's home and his backyard had some beauties - Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker and a glimpse of the elusive White-tailed Robin. The afternoon was reserved for a boat ride on the vast Maguri Beel - I recused thanks to a sore back and relaxed at camp as the others had a rewarding afternoon with some local specialities.

We headed to the stunning Dehing Patkai National Park for some forest birding the next morning. No sooner did we get off the car and on the track, than we got one of the Park's specialities - a Red-headed Trogon. The light wasn't great but the bird certainly was! We headed forth for another prized species - The White-winged Wood Duck, the State bird of Assam. It wasn't in its usual pond but a Spot-bellied Eagle Owl certainly was- he evidently didn't want to be the star attraction as he hastily abandoned his spellbound audience. 

We headed back towards another pond and suddenly both Lakpa and Jibon looked skywards, tracking a telltale honking. And we saw two White-winged Wood Ducks fly overhead and into the jungle. They were headed to the second pond.We stealthily followed and found one of them at the far side of the pond. We could only see it through a gap in the leaves. A couple of record shots happened and then the slightest of movements on my part meant that the chap hastily legged it. Anyways, we'd got a spectacular lifer and one that I'd been desperately seeking.

The rest of the day went off really well too with a lot of species added to Doc and Manjunath's list - Streaked Spiderhunter, White-throated and Black-crested Bulbuls, Dark-necked Tailorbirds and White-hooded Babblers being the highlights. We had an awesome lunch at a home just adjoining the park. Back at camp that night and the owling threw up a Collared Scops Owl for me. The next day at Dehing Patkai had some super birds, including notorious skulkers like Greater-necklaced Laughingthrushes and Rufous-throated Fulvettas. The one disappointment was the Silver-breasted Broadbill which we tried desperately hard to find but didn't manage to. It was one of those that I really wanted to see, but it wasn't to be. 

That afternoon we headed to a faraway grassland where a local had found an Eastern Grass Owl family. For those new to birding, this is a highly-coveted Owl and not very common. We reached the village, joined our local guide and then walked a couple of kilometres, including a fascinating wade across a river. We reached the vast grassland and waited as darkness fell. A shadowy form took flight. Owl, we all mentally exclaimed! But it turned out to be a fruit bat. And that set the tone for the evening... more bats but the owl didn't play ball. The return wade across the river (in near total darkness) was the highlight of the evening. What fun!

The final morning of our Maguri stint opened with a bang! We were having tea in the open when a cuckoo flew into the camp and settled on a tree. It looked unlike anything I'd seen before, even in the poor early morning light. We thought it was a Banded-bay Cuckoo (Lifer) but it turned out to be an even bigger lifer - a Plaintive Cuckoo. Handed on a platter. Unbelievable!  

We decided to have another go at the grssland island where we saw the usual suspects again. And on or way back, Jibon took us to the far side of Maguri Beel to try and find the Eastern (Chinese) Spot-billed Duck. The light was harsh and a few ducks really far from the shore weren't easy to identify at first. Especially because they tucked their faced into their wings! When one of them finally lifted its head, we were able to identify it as the bird we wanted. A lifer to close out a lovely few days in eastern Assam.  

Back at camp and we were joined by Atul Jain, birder extraordinaire and an absolute fountain of birding knowledge and Ravi Mekola, another local legend and ace bird guide. They would join us for main course - Walong! Coming up in the next post.

 

Maguri Beel/Dehing Patkai Trip Guide

This is one of the most fertile and truly versatile birding areas, with habitats ranging from waterbodies to grassland and spectacular lowland forests. This area deserves 4-5 days to do it justice, especially if you're going for the first time. Also, being the gateway to eastern Arunachal makes it easy to combine into a larger trip. 

Getting there

Dibrugarh is the nearest airport (connected to most Indian cities with one stopover) and Tinsukia is the nearest town and railhead.

It's worth making an evening trip to Tinsukia. It's a pleasant town and you can get pretty much everything you want there. I got a support belt for my back (on Doc's recommendation) and it was a lifesaver for me.

Stay and Naturalists

Staying near Maguri Beel is better than staying in Tinsukia town because you're closer to the birding. There are two stay options at Maguri - Kahuwon Eco Camp run by Jibon is the older one and a decent option, with excellent food. Jibon is also a very competent naturalist. You can reach him on +91 9954135613.

There is also the pretty Maguri Eco Camp which is owned by Binanda Hatibaruah, another of the well known bird guides of the area. We stayed there for a night on our way back and it's a really nice place, comfortable and excellent food there too! Binanda's number is +91 7002189756

We of course, had the peerless Lakpa Tenzing - brother, friend, teacher. Spending a couple of weeks birding with Lakpa is an absolute treat. There is so much to learn from him - from how planned and organized he is, his commitment and incredible work ethic and last but certainly not the least, his amazing knowledge of birds and his ability to conjure up some magic practically every time. Lakpa can be found on lakpatenzing84@gmail.com or +919733018122/ +917319025123

Food

Assam is foodie paradise. The simplest of food magically tastes incredible here. Try the local specialities, from the humble (but super tasty and mustardy) pitika, to the yummy bamboo-cooked pork and so much more. You cannot go wrong with the food here. And there's plenty for the veggies too, very tasty if sightly predictable. Those button potatoes were so good, I carried some back home to Mumbai!

Other tips

Always carry some rain gear, for yourself and your equipment.

Pack some leech socks when there's even a slight chance of rain.