Andaman Islands - 29th November (Day 5)

Today we were up at 03:45 for a 04:15 departure from our hotel in Port Blair with a limited number of endemic birds to see. We headed back to the Government Secondary School in Port Blair to try for Barn Owl of the endemic subspecies deroepstorffi. Arriving just as the sun was rising we waited for 30 minutes and once again despite hearing the bird there was no sight of it.

We then headed around Flat Bay stopping at various wetlands looking for Andaman Teal. The water bodies held good numbers of birds with Purple Gallinule, Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Lesser Whistling Duck, Intermediate Egret, Striated Heron, Pacific Golden-plover, Red-throated Pipit and Eastern Yellow Wagtail, but we had no luck with the Teal. We reached the main pool for the Andaman Teal located approximately 1.5km south-east of Tusnabad, this was a very large lake surrounded by rushes, sedges, reed and papyrus with extensive areas of open mud. There were many waders with the highlights being Long-toed Stint (55), Red-necked Stint (15), Oriental Pratincole (1), Wood Sandpiper (c.75), Whimbrel, Pacific Golden-plover, a winter plumage Broad-billed Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper (6). In the surrounding scrub we recorded Oriental Reed-warbler and Dusky Warbler but again there was no sign of the Teal.

Purple Gallinule - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Pacific Golden-plover - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Whimbrel of subspecies variegatus - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

White-breasted Kingfisher - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Great Egret - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Yellow Bittern - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Redshank of subspecies eurina - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Wood Sandpiper - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Eastern Yellow Wagtail - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

Lesser Whistling-duck - Near to Chouldari, Andaman Islands

We then headed over the island to Chidiatapu Biological Park. It was fairly slow going but we had only two main targets. Walking past the pens containing various deer we recorded Grey-capped Emerald Dove, Green Imperial-pigeon and Changeable Hawk-eagle. There was a shout and a quick sprint and Jejo had found our first target, an Andaman Serpent-eagle soaring over the canopy. Wandering on we recorded Greenish Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler and then Barry found our last target, three Andaman Wood-pigeon perched quietly within the under scrub and lower canopy.

Andaman Green Bronzeback - Chidiatapu Biological Park, Andaman Islands

Grey-capped Emerald Dove - Chidiatapu Biological Park, Andaman Islands

Andaman Serpent-eagle - Chidiatapu Biological Park, Andaman Islands

Andaman Woodpigeon - Chidiatapu Biological Park, Andaman Islands

Dragonfly species - Chidiatapu Biological Park, Andaman Islands

Changeable Hawk-eagle - Chidiatapu Biological Park, Andaman Islands

We headed back to the hotel for lunch and a siesta in the heat of the day before heading back out at 2:45 for another try for the Andaman Teal south-east of Tusnabad. We briefly scanned the first ponds making our way for the main pond. There were far more waders this afternoon with perhaps 175 Long-toed Stint and 25 Red-necked Stint with larger numbers of most of the other species we had previously recorded. Barry then located four Andaman Teal and we enjoyed rather distant views of this rare species as they preened on the edge of the pond. This was the last endemic species we needed. Come 16:30 we needed to head for the bus to get back to the Barn Owl site before dusk. Once again we were unsuccessful with this subspecies and all that we succeeded in was being eaten alive by mosquito. We headed back to the hotel to pack for tomorrows flight to Chenai and enjoyed our final Indian buffet and Kingfisher beers.

Distant shot of our last endemic, Andaman Teal - Near to Tusnabad, Andaman Islands

List of Birds Recorded in the Andaman Islands
We recorded 114 species, 22 of which were ticks for me (shown in bold). All ticks were Andaman endemics with the exception of Lesser Cuckoo and Indian Cuckoo. We saw all of the endemic species of the Andaman Islands.

Lesser Whistling-duck
Cotton Pygmy-goose
Andaman Teal
Rock Dove
Andaman Woodpigeon
Red Turtle-dove
Andaman Cuckoo-dove
Grey-capped Emerald Dove
Andaman Green-pigeon
Green Imperial-pigeon
Andaman Nightjar
Brown-backed Needletail
Glossy Swiftlet
Edible-nest Swiftlet
Pacific Swift
Andaman Coucal
Western Koel
Indian Cuckoo
Lesser Cuckoo
Andaman Crake
Watercock
Purple Swamphen
Common Moorhen
Yellow Bittern
Cinnamon Bittern
Green-backed Heron
Chinese Pond-heron
Cattle Egret
Purple Heron
Great White Egret
Intermediate Egret
Little Egret
Pacific Reef-egret
Pacific Golden Plover
Lesser Sandplover
Greater Sandplover
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Long-toed Stint
Red-necked Stint
Pintail Snipe
Common Snipe
Common Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Wood Sandpiper
Oriental Pratincole
Whiskered Tern
Common Barn-owl
Hume's Boobook
Andaman Boobook
Andaman Scops-owl
Oriental Scops-owl
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Black Baza
Crested Serpent-eagle
Andaman Serpent-eagle
Changeable Hawk-eagle
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Brahminy Kite
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Oriental Dollarbird
Common Kingfisher
Stork-billed Kingfisher
White-breasted Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Andaman Woodpecker
Freckle-breasted Woodpecker
Common Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Vernal Hanging-parrot
Red-breasted Parakeet
Long-tailed Parakeet
Alexandrine Parakeet
Black-naped Oriole
Scarlet Minivet
Andaman Cuckooshrike
White-breasted Woodswallow
Andaman Drongo
Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo
Black Drongo
Black-naped Monarch
Brown Shrike
Andaman Treepie
Large-billed Crow
House Crow
Oriental Reed-warbler
House Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Andaman Bulbul
Yellow-browed Warbler
Dusky Warbler
Greenish Warbler
Oriental White-eye
White-headed Starling
Common Myna
Common Hill Myna
Orange-headed Thrush
Oriental Magpie-robin
Andaman Shama
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Asian Fairy-bluebird
Plain Flowerpecker
Olive-backed Sunbird
House Sparrow
Red-throated Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)

• Day 1 – International flight from London Heathrow.
• Day 2 – Landed Chennai then flight to Port Blair. Birding on Andaman Islands PM.
• Day 3 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 4 – Andaman Islands.
• Day 6 – Travel day from Port Blair (Andaman Islands) to Ooty (Western Ghats). 
• Day 7 – Birding Ooty then on to Mudumalai. 
• Day 8 – Birding Mudumalai then drive back to Ooty.
• Day 9 – Birding Ooty and then drive to Munnar.
• Day 10 – Birding Munnar area.
• Day 11 – Drive from Munnar to Periyar Tiger Reserve.
• Day 12 – Periyar Tiger Reserve. 
• Day 13 – Drive from Kumily to Thattekkad.
• Day 14 – Thattekkad area. 
• Day 15 – Thattekkad area then travel to Chennai.
• Day 16 -  International flight.

Mongolia - 19th May (Day 12) - Sangiin Dalai Lake, and Hustai National Park (Part 2)

Arriving at Bayan Nuur from Sangiin Dalai Lake it was immediately apparent that this lake was teaming with birdlife even though it was blowing a gale. Almost the first birds we picked up were a pair of stunning White-naped Crane on the far hillside with another pair closer in the reeds, we saw nine in all and had some very good views. Two pairs of Eastern Marsh Harrier patrolled the reed beds. Hundreds of Citrine Wagtail and Eastern Yellow Wagtail foraged within the vegetation occasionally giving good views while hundreds of Barn Swallow of the subspecies tyleri with a good number of the rufous race saturata, Pale Martin and House Martin foraged back and forth over the reedbeds.Waders and wildfowl included Red-crested Pochard, Swan Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Garganey, Long-toed Stint, Temminck’s Stint and Ruddy Shelduck. We had lunch sheltered from the increasing wind by the vehicles when Tumen announced that he had seen and photographed an Brown Cheeked Rail – a new bird for many of us including Jon. So, after downing our pot-noodles we waded through the reeds and mud to the spot where Tumen had seen the rail. The rail soon showed to us all and was somewhat unremarkable being barely distinguished from our Western Water Rail both in plumage and in voice - it was once considered a subspecies of Western Water Rail. Also here were Bearded Reedling of the race russicus which looked remarkably pallid, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas’s Warbler and Reed Warbler plus a male Japanese Sparrowhawk that regularly zipped through disturbing all the birds. Way too soon it was time to head off and as we drove north we ran into a significant sand storm stirred by the strong winds.

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

White-naped Crane - Bayan Nuur

Common Crane - Bayan Nuur

Swan Goose - Bayan Nuur

Citrine Wagtail - Bayan Nuur

Citrine Wagtail - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Yellow Wagtail of subspecies macronyx - Bayan Nuur

Greater Spotted Eagle - Bayan Nuur

Greater Spotted Eagle - Bayan Nuur

Greater Spotted Eagle - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier (female) - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier (female) - Bayan Nuur

Eastern Marsh Harrier (female) - Bayan Nuur

Red-crested Pochard - Bayan Nuur

Horses - Bayan Nuur

Brown-cheeked Rail - Bayan Nuur

Brown-cheeked Rail - Bayan Nuur

Bayan Nuur

Dust storm on the way to Hustai

Roadside village

We arrived at Hustai National Park in the early evening and after paying the park entrance fee, plugged the coordinates for our digs at the research centre into the sat-nav and headed off. We followed dusty tracks through rolling brown hillsides and then the tracks pettered out and we drove onwards, offroad trustingly following the satnav. A Woodcock was flushed a from roadside scrub as we drove but there were remarkably few birds. Barry and I gave a rolling commentary, 5km to go, 3km to go, 2.3km to go, it must be around the next hill, around the next hill still 2.3km to go, oh, so it must be around the next hill, we rounded the next hill and the satnav said 2.5km to go and then 3km. We had gone wrong and no sign of the accommodation. We turned around to check we hadn’t simply driven by but still no sign – not easy to miss a research centre on a barren hillside. Not only that but we had lost the other two vehicles and the support vehicle. We turned around and headed back in search of the other vehicles and too our relief found them after around 30 minutes of searching – the support vehicle having run out of fuel while one of the other vehicles having had a puncture. After repairing tyres and filling up the support vehicle from a jerry-can we headed to a nearby Ger and the residents pointed us in the direction of the research station. It was getting dark and we had been searching for almost two hours, with a local on board we headed into the park through the dark and eventually arrived at some ramshackle huts – we were only 6km from the park entrance where we started and now15km from the co-ordinates for the orginal research centre, still we were pleased to have found a roof and there were beds and we had vodka – all was good and today had been one of the best birding days of the trip.

Hustai is a pretty barren looking National Park

Its that way

Time for Vodka

Links to Other Days of the Trip (Click to View)
Day 1 and 2 – International flight then Ulaanbaatar to Mungum Sum
Day 3 -  Mungunmorit and Gachuurt area
Day 4 - Drive to Dalanzadgad
Day 5  – Gurvan Saikhan National Park
Day 6 - Gurvan Saikhan National Park
Day 7 - Gobi Desert and Khongor Sand Dunes
Day 8 – Gobi Desert to Bogd
Day 9 - Baga Bogd Mountain and Kholboolj Lake
Day 10 - Kholboolj Lake and Barig Mountain
Day 11 - Barig Mountain and Sangiin Lake
Day 12 (Part 1) - Sangiin Lake and Bayan Lake
Day 13 - Hustai National Park and Terelj National Park
Day 14 - Terelj National Park and Gachuurt Area
Day 15 and 16 - Gachuurt Area, Tuul River and International flight