DAY 9 FRI 17 FEB LAMA CAMP EAGLENEST

As usual, we were up early to bird the trails above and below Lama Camp. Before leaving, we had hot tea and biscuits at the camp, followed by a more substantial breakfast taken on the trails of hot porridge, pancakes, hard boiled eggs, bread and jam etc washed down with tea (Assam of course)

Green-tailed sunbird

It's difficult to recall exactly what we saw where from the trails above and below Lama Camp and some of the spots probably did not have names anyway.

Birding in the forests is often hard work, with periods of inactivity followed by a mad five minutes when you encounter a quickly moving flock of many different species.

It's very exciting when you find the flock but also frustrating if you don't get on a bird that has been called! I know I did not see all of the birds listed below but here is a summary of some of the birds seen today:

Plain-backed thrush

Scaly-breasted wren babbler, black- faced warbler, chesnut-bellied rock thrush, golden-naped finch, greater rufous-headed parrotbill, mountain hawk eagle, grey-cheeked warbler, scarlet finch, Darjeeling woodpecker, dark-breasted rosefinch, black-faced laughingthrush, slender-billed scimitar babbler and bar-winged wren babbler.

A discussion on fieldguides!

Having dipped on the Bugun liocichla the previous day, I was keen to have another go, eventually getting good views in an overgrown gully below Lama Camp.

We had another good meal in our bamboo dining room and were later joined by Abid and another guide Chewang and had a good old discussion about field guides and bird ID around the woodburner.

We were moving to Sunderview camp tomorrow and it was also the earliest start of the trip...330am! We had to be in position at the top of Eaglenest Pass before first light to stand a chance with Temminck's tragopan!

In the dull light of the forests, we did not get many bird shots so there is no image gallery today.