Still birding in northern India. Pt 6 Vangat.

Our final destination was Vangat River Camp next to the Ramganga River in the Corbett N. P. buffer zone. Again different habitat meant different birds. This was an idyllic spot although the fact that tigers are probably ambling about close by meant that you had to be on your guard and you couldn't wander off on your lonesome. A bit dangerous apparently.

Me...birding along the Ramganga River.

The river valley held good numbers of Plumbeous Water Redstart and White-capped Water Redstart as well as White-browed Wagtail, a lonesome  Brown Dipper, Crested and Common Kingfisher, a single Small Forktail, Lesser Fish Eagle and, for me, the star bird Wallcreeper. The Wallcreeper was feeding amongst  the boulders along the river banks but it did occasionally fly over the river to crawl along the cliff walls...just like it should.

Wallcreeper  Tichodroma muraria. A real, proper, real bird!

Crested Kingfisher   Megaceryle lugubris

Female Plumbeous Water Redstart   Rhyacornis fuliginosa

White-capped Water Redstart  Chaimarrornis leucocephalus

Little Forktail  Enicurus scouleri

White-browed Wagtail  Motacilla maderaspatensis

Away from the river valley there were plenty of birding opportunities in the grounds of the lodge and woodland on the slopes on the other side of the valley. Here we had crippling views of White-tailed Rubythroat but, unfortunately, my photos are too embarrassing to post.

Black-crested Bulbul  Pycnonotus flaviventris  They look completely bonkers.

Black-throated Tit  Aegithalos concinnus

Himalayan Bulbul  Pycnonotus leucogenys

Indian Silverbill  Eurodice malabarica

Scaly-breasted Munia  Lonchura punctulata

Whiskered Yuhina  Yuhina flavicollis

After we left Vangat we had a few days in Delhi doing a bit of touristy sightseeing although you couldn't see much because of the terrible smog. I'm still coughing six weeks later. Our man on the ground Prasanna Gautam who organised our extension accompanied us to Okhla wetlands just outside of Delhi were we added a further 15 species to the trip including such majestic birds as Wigeon and Pochard.

The sun sets over Okhla wetland and on our trip to Northern India.

Many thanks to Chris Mills, Prasanna Gautam, all of the guides rickshaw drivers and taxi drivers that made the trip so memorable. If you fancy a trip yourself then I suggest you check out Norfolk Birding's website at: http://www.norfolkbirding.com/