Day 1 Mon 15th Feb Grimsby to London Heathrow to Doha Qatar, overnight on the plane

Day 2 Tues 16th Feb Doha to Kathmandu Nepal, overnight Kathmandu Guest House

Day 3 Wed 17th Feb Birding on Phulchoki Mountain, overnight Kathmandu Guest House

Day 4 Thur 18th Feb Birding at Godawari Botanical Gardens overnight Hotel Star, Kathmandu

Day 5 Fri 19th Feb Drive Kathmandu to Meghauli, birding local area, overnight Chital Lodge, Meghauli

Day 6 Sat 20th Feb Birding Meghauli, Chitawan NP, overnight Chital Lodge, Meghauli

Day 7 Sun 21st Feb Birding Meghauli, Chitawan NP, overnight Chital Lodge, Meghauli

Day 8 Mon 22nd Feb Birding Meghauli, Chitawan NP, overnight Chital Lodge, Meghauli

Day 9 Tues 23rd Feb Drive Meghauli to Hetauda, birding local area, overnight Motel Avacado, Hetauda

Day 10 Wed 24th Feb Birding on the Kerra Hola River in Hetauda, drive to Koshi Tappu, birding local area, overnight Aqua Birds Unlimited Camp

Day 11 Thur 25th Feb Birding Koshi Tappu and local area, overnight Aqua Birds Unlimited Camp

Day 12 Fri 26th Feb Birding Koshi Tappu, Koshi Barrage, local area, overnight Aqua Birds Unlimited Camp

Day 13 Sat 27th Feb Birding Koshi Barrage, drive to Hetauda, woods 60Km east of Hetauda, overnight Motel Avacado, Hetauda

Day 14 Sun 28th Feb Drive Hetauda to Kathmandu, birding on Phulchoki Mountain, overnight Hotel Star, Kathmandu

Day 15 Mon 1st March Birding on Phulchoki Mountain, overnight Hotel Star, Kathmandu

Day 16 Tues 2nd March Birding on Phulchoki Mountain, overnight Hotel Star, Kathmandu

Day 17 Wed 3rd March Kathmandu to Doha, Doha to London Heathrow, London to Grimsby


BIRDING SITES

Phulchoki Mountain

The largest and easiest accessible mountain in the Kathmandu valley, rising 2800mtrs, cloaked in deciduous trees, with quite large expanse of bamboo, a small area of standing water, a small stream running through the ravine. The summit is topped with a radio communications tower, complete with a road of variable quality all the way to the top.

Species seen included : Kalij Pheasant, Oriental Turtle Dove, Rufous-bellied & Darjeeling Woodpecker, Long-tailed Minivet, Striated & Himalayan Bulbul, Plumbeous Water Redstart, Grey Bushchat, Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey-winged Blackbird, Chestnut & Black-throated Thrush, Spotted Forktail, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Aberrant Bush, White-spectacled, Chestnut-crowned, Black-faced, Buff-barred & Lemon-rumped Warbler, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied & White-throated Fantail, White-throated, Striated, Rufous-chinned, Grey-sided & Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Red-billed Leiothrix, Cutia, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Rufous-winged, White-browed & Nepal Fulvetta, Rufous Sibia, Whiskered & Stripe-throated Yuhina, Black-throated, Green-backed & Black-lored Tit, White-tailed Nuthatch, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Mrs Gould's, Green-tailed & Fire-tailed Sunbird, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Oriental White-eye, Maroon Oriole.

Godawari Botanical Gardens

A large flat open area similar to a public park, with large areas of short grass, mature trees and scrubs with a couple of small streams running through. A second site opposite the main entrance leads to an experimental area on the lower slopes of Phulchoki. This area is accessible to birders by invitation or by requesting permission from the staff inside the grounds.

Species seen included : Besra, Oriental Turtle Dove, Speckled Piculet, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Olive-backed Pipit, Long-tailed Minivet, Himalayan Bulbul, Hodgson's, White-capped Water and Plumbeous Redstart, White-tailed Stonechat, Grey Bushchat, Blue Whistling Thrush, Common Tailorbird, Buff-barred & Western-crowned Warbler, Rufous Gorgeted, Red-throated & Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Niltavia, Yellow-bellied & White-throated Fantail, Black-throated, Great & Black-lored Tit, Chestnut-bellied & White-tailed Nuthatch, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Oriental White-eye, Bronzed Drongo, Red/Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Grey Treepie, Yellow-breasted Greenfinch.

Royal Chitawan National Park

An area of some 932 sq km, listed as a world Heritage Site, comprising of wooded hills, Sal forests, flat grasslands, oxbow rivers, lakes and flood plains.

Species seen included : Black & Wooly-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Black Ibis, Black-shouldered Kite, Crested Serpent, Lesser Spotted and Changeable Hawk Eagle, Collared Falconet, Long-legged & White-eyed Buzzard, Black Francolin, Red Jungle & Indian Peafowl, River & Red-wattled Lapwing, Temminick's Stint, Spotted, Red-collared & Emeral Dove, Yellow-footed Green Pigeon, Alexandrine, Rose-ringed, Plum-headed & Red-breasted Parakeet, Common Hawk & Banded Bay Cuckoo, Green-billed Malkoha, Oriental Scops Owl, Jungle Owlet, Crested Treeswift, Alpine Swift, Stork-billed, White-throated & Pied Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Indian Roller, Oriental Pied & Great Hornbill, Linneated & Coppersmith Barbet, White-browed Piculet, Fulvous-breasted & Grey-headed Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape, Black-rumped & Greater Flameback, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Sand Lark, Richards, Olive-backed & Rosy Pipit, White-browed & Citrine Wagtail, Large Cuckooshrike, Small & Scarlet Minivet, Black-crested, Himalayan & Black Bulbul, Common Iora, White-tailed Rubythroat, Oriental Magpie Robin, White-rumped Shama, Pied Bushchat, Black-backed Forktail, Zitting Cisticola, Grey-crowned, Grey-breasted, Yellow-bellied, Ashy & Plain Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Greenish & Western-crowned Warbler, Red-throated, Pale-chinned Blue & Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, White-throated Fantail, Lesser & Greater Necklaced and Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, Puff-throated, White-browed Scimitar, Striped Tit, Chestnut-capped, Yellow-eyed, Slender-billed & Jungle Babbler, Chestnut-bellied, White-tailed & Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, Large Woodshrike, Long-tailed Shrike, White-bellied, Spangled, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Common Green Magpie, Rufous Treepie, Spot-winged, Chestnut-tailed & Asian Pied Starling, Jungle & Hill Myna, Baya Weaver, White-rumped Munia, Yellow-breasted Bunting.

Kerra Hola River at Hetauda

A wide area of undulating rock / pebble strewn river with wooded valley sides on the north and the built up town on the south side.

Species seen included : Black Ibis, Ibisbill, Small Pratincole, River Lapwing, Temminck's Stint, Alexandrine Parakeet, Sand Lark, Richard's & Rosy Pipit, White-capped Water Redstart, Black-throated Thrush.

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Refuge

An area of 175 sq km of the Sapta - Koshi River, comprising of sandy flood plains, raised embankments, scrub, deciduous and riverine forest with thick under-storey, Khar-pater grassland, both open and vegetation covered ponds, surrounded by farm land, fish ponds and paddy fields.

Species seen included : Oriental Darter, Intermediate Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-necked Stork, Lesser Adjutant,Black-headed & Black Ibis, Falcated Teal, Ferruginous, Pochard, Cinerous Vulture, Shikra, Imperial Eagle,Swamp Francolin, White-breasted Waterhen, Baillon's & Ruddy-breasted Crake, Purple Swamphen, Bronzed-winged Jacana, Red-wattled Lapwing, River & Black-bellied Tern, Common Koel, Greater Coucal, Brown Fish & Brown Hawk Owl, Jungle & Spotted Owlet, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Black-rumped Flameback, Sand Lark, Large & Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Oriental Magpie Robin, Scaly & Black-throated Thrush, Striated Grassbird, Black-browed Reed, Paddyfield, Blyth's Reed, Clamourous, Dusky, Smoky, Tickell's Leaf & Greenish Warbler, Common Tailorbird, Striated Babbler, Purple Sunbird, Brown & Long-tailed Shrike, Ashy Woodswallow.

Koshi Barrage

An area of open water created by the barrage across the Sapta-Koshi river with reed / grasslands on the sides, surrounded by reservoir ponds and farm land, down stream the river opens out into a huge flat sandy delta.

Species seen included : Lesser Adjutant, Lesser Whistling Duck, Cotton Pygmy Goose, Ferruginous Pochard, Pallid & Pied Harrier,Red-necked Falcon, Black & Swamp Francolin,Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Grey-headed Lapwing, Greater Coucal, Ashy-crowned Sparrowlark, Sand & Oriental Skylark, Hodgson's Redstart, Pied Bushchat, Striated Babbler, Long-tailed Shrike, Ashy Woodswallow.

click here for systematic list