What a cracker of a bird !
Thursday, May 30, 2019
A few birds from Sela Pass
Alpine Accentor
Sorry, I know it's blurred but this is a Blood Pheasant. You won't believe how difficult this photo was. We were at 4100 metres, struggling to stand, this was our first stop at the top and Lakpa spots a pair of blood pheasants so literally drags Simon off with him along a track with a vertical drop. Lakpa Tensing Sherpa is sherpa in name and body ! This is the best Simon could manage as he slithered down a mountain with the blood pheasant beating a retreat ! I didn't move away from the van and was happy with the glimpse I had. Wise move !
Fire-tailed Sunbird - very active and seen for a split second
Golden Bush Robin
Grey Crested Tit
Orange-flanked Bush Robin (Himalayan Bush Tail)
Rosy Pipits in the sun and snow. Four seasons in one day !
Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher
Upland Buzzard
White-browed Rose Finch
White-capped River Chat
White-collared Blackbird
Yak !
Sela Pass, Arunachal Pradesh
It is now day 7 of our Eaglenest trip and time for us to leave the sanctuary and head down through Tenga Valley to our homestay in Dirang. Our base for the next 3 nights. From Dirang we will bird Sela Pass and Mandala Road, both very high elevation. Lets see how we get on !
Our homestay in Dirang, it was lovely. Running water, electricity, tea with milk....luxury !
We were at the top of the world on Sela Pass
The views were simply mindblowing. Our pics don't capture the beauty but we will remember it forever
The summit of Sela Pass at 4170 metres above sea level, a magical, spiritual place where the flags carry your prayers to the gods. The memories of this day will stay with us forever
Hillsides covered in rhododendrons
The view from our homestay in Dirang to a monastery on the hillside
The mountains went forever
Yak - be careful as they don't like people and often attack !
Karen spinning her first prayer wheel, hope her prayers were answered xx
I haven't mentioned the army yet but we have never seen so many barracks and army personnel on maneuvers ever. The trucks never stopped some days, a constant stream of army on patrol. Being so close to China, they needed to make their presence felt by constantly driving 100's of trucks around - some with machine guns mounted on the front! We must have passed 100 barracks, all fully staffed and ready to go.
Our stop for coffee at Sela Pass. A tiny shop that stocked the essentials that made the most gorgeous coffee ever.
The shop and cafe
Coffee was served in the cafe around the wood burning stove. Here we are all deep in thought, coffee and chocolate biscuits at hand. I didn't like to admit but I was really struggling with the altitude.....another coffee and second packet of biscuits would help !
Karen felt so dodgy that we thought it best to sit outside. Dizzy, pounding head, thumping chest........let's bird, take my mind off it !!
Simon on the top of the world
SNOW !
It did snow on us twice that day then 5 minutes later the sun would be glaring down.
Lots of sunburnt faces that night
And this is Bhutan, just across the river. The house with the red roof is in Bhutan
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