Birding ! Driving ! Soul-searching !: Birding in Dehing Patkai WLS, Digboi, Maguri Beel and Roing Grasslands

We had an 8-day birding trip to East Arunchal and North Assam. For the convenience of record keeping, I am making two separate posts. This post will cover the birding that we did in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam), Digboi (Assam), Maguri Beel (Assam) and Roing Grasslands (Arunachal). The next post covers Mishmi Hills.

Birding in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam) -

We did only one session of evening birding on 21-March-19. Even though we spent only a few hours there and yet that single session was enough to give us 14 lifers including some of the rarest of rare sightings of Oriental Bay Owl and Pale-capped Pigeon.

Scarlet Minivet Male

Scarlet Minivet Female

Red-headed Trogon Female (lifer)

Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (lifer)

Green Imperial Pigeon

Oriental Bay Owl (lifer)

Pale-chinned Flycatcher (lifer)

Lineated Barbet (lifer)

Ashy Bulbul (lifer)

White-throated Bulbul (lifer)

Jungle Myna (lifer)

Blue-winged Leafbird Male (lifer)

Pin-striped Tit Babbler (lifer)

Great Myna (lifer)

Red Junglefowl Male (lifer)

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (lifer)

Overnight Stay at Digboi, next morning we got ready for our morning birding session inside Digboi Oil Field campus. Pemissions are required to enter the campus, which was duly arranged by our tour operator.

22-March: Digboi Oil Field Campus (Assam)

One can find these warning placards all over the campus, but the leopard or Wild Elephant was nowhere to be seen. Birding however was amazing with some classic sightings of Laughingthrush. 9 lifers in a half day morning session.

Rufous-necked Laughingthrush (lifer)

Short-billed Minivet Male (lifer)

Short-billed Minivet Female (lifer)

Black-crested Bulbul (lifer)

Chestnut-backed Laughingthrush (lifer)

Large Woodshrike (lifer)

Sultan Tit (lifer)

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Collared Treepie (lifer)

Chestnut-tailed Starling

Kalij Pheasant Male

On our way to Maguri Beel, we took a detour to Barekuri Hoolock Gibbon Park. Although we couldn't spot the Gibbon, but were enthralled by the sightings of Pale-capped Pigeon and Asian Barred Owlet.

Asian Barred Owlet (lifer)

Pale-capped Pigeon (lifer)

Asian Barred Owlet (lifer)

Pale-capped Pigeon (lifer)

After finishing the morning birding session, we drove to Maguri Beel (Assam) for one full day birding in the Wetland and Grasslands. Got 10 lifers in one morning and one evening session. Overnight stay at Kohuwa Eco Camp.

Ruddy Shelduck Male and Female

Ruddy Shelduck

Asian Openbill Stork

Little Cormorant

Common Stonechat Male

Eastern Marsh Harrier (lifer)

Purple Swamphen

Bronze-winged Jacana

Purple Heron

Chestnut Munia (lifer)

Shikra

Striated Grassbird (lifer)

Black-winged Kite

Oriental Scops Owl

Brown Hawk Owl (lifer)

Collared Scops Owl (lifer)

Rosy Pipit (lifer)

Ruddy-breasted Crake (lifer)

Rose-ringed Parakeet Male

Chestnut-capped Babbler (lifer)

Watercock

Plain Martin (lifer)

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (lifer)

Wild Buffalo

We also had a half day birding opportunity in the grasslands of Roing (Arunachal), with some wonderful lifer sightings here as well. Again 10 lifers in half day session. Overnight stay at Mishmi Hill Camp in Roing.