We were moving up to Sunderview Camp today, so we had to pack and load up the vehicle in the dark. As usual this involved tieing a fair bit of luggage on the roof rack. This time it was more difficult then normal as the car was covered in a sheet of ice and Kanik displayed skills that Torvill and Dean would have been proud of standing on the icy roof of the vehicle!
We arrived at the top of Eaglenest Pass in the eerie light of dawn but despite playing the tapes, the tragopans refused to play ball. What was amazing was the fact that even up here at the 9200 feet there had been recent elephant activity - maybe this was the reason the tragopans did not show?
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| Sunderview camp |
It was a beautifully clear morning as we birded our way down the southern side of the pass to Sunderview Camp. On the walk down to the camp, we saw Hume's bush warbler, nutcracker and a cracking group of golden-breasted fulvetta. At 8200 feet, Sunderview is a thousand feet higher than Lama Camp and the tents are on on a flatish area, that catches the morning and early afternoon sun.
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| Stripe-throated yuhina |
We arrived late morning and were assigned to our tents, which were a bit bigger than those at Lama and the whole camp had a more homely feel. We ate our lunch to the sound of a calling collared owlet which refused to show itself. After a hot 'shower' we set off for an afternoon's birding, the main target being my most desired bird - fire-tailed myzornis. We pulled up at 'the spot', the tape was played and there it was shining like an emerald in the dappled sunlight of the forest. What a bird! Thanks Abid!
As we made our way back to the camp, thick mist suddenly descended which more or less stopped the birding.
The large French group were also staying at Sunderview and were assigned to the 'dining room' and it's wood burner while we had to slum it and eat our meal in a tent specially rigged up with electricity for us. Cosy enough, especially once we had made further inroads into the beer supplies brought up from Tenga.
Today's image gallery is
here
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