Starting the long trip back. Time for more expletives! May 4, 2022

 

It was time to start working our way back for our trip home, though it was still going to take few days before we flew home to Texas. We were driving from Bompu back to Lama Camp for one night. The weather on our trip had been pretty consistent, nice mornings and wet afternoons, though not heavy rain. The precipitation was taking a toll on the roads. Bompu was very muddy, and so was the jeep track heading back. Unlike other mornings, this one was rather misty and foggy. 

We were still able to bird along the way. We finally saw a wren-babbler really well, a Rufous-throated actually popped out and let me get this brief video. We also actually saw Gray-bellied Tesia, which is a really cute bird. Then we had another pair of Ward's Trogons. This time they hung around and Willie saw them, too. I felt better when he got it, too. It is never fun when one person in a group misses a bird.

Then we heard a very much wanted bird, a Blyth's Tragopan. Tragopans are Asian pheasants. I have wanted to see one ever since I hosted the AOL birding chat room back in the late 90s and there was a guy whose screen name was Tragopan. (Yikes! That was a few years back.) I didn't know birds outside of the United States and when I looked up tragopans I was stunned. I really wanted this bird! It came in closer and we got glimpses of it walking very deep in the under-story. We stayed there for quite a while, while it teased us. Then all of the sudden it walked across the road, maybe 50 feet away. It was gorgeous! Unfortunately, it was foggy and my camera wouldn't focus on it, so I did not get a picture, but Mike did, and it is embedded in our eBird list. https://ebird.org/checklist/S108969294 We also heard a Temminck's Tragopan, which we had heard earlier in the trip, but it never showed.

The mist and fog turned to a steady rain. The jeep track started getting very slick. There are spots where there are very steel drop-offs right next to the road. We were fish-tailing in spots and having trouble getting up inclines. The car was only two wheel drive, as I said previously. I was really sweating it. Mike had said earlier in the trip if we had a lot of rain we might not be able to get out. I was now starting to wonder. Willie and I said we were glad we were leaving when we did. In a few days, if the rains continued, we might not have been able to. Our driver really was amazing, but I did let loose with a few four letter words. 

Tbe rain finally slowed and we stopped. Dorjee pointed to something hanging off the window frame. It was the biggest leech I have ever seen! He put his finger near it and it twisted trying to get to him. I am not sure how it got on the window frame, but I was very glad it was not on me. I was not going to miss leeches when I got home!

We got out to walk and bird. I noticed a weird looking line of something across the road. I went over to check it out and was surprised to see it was made up of caterpillars, nose to tail. I couldn't help think of the Human Centipede movie. (No, I didn't see it. I only heard about it.) I had never seen caterpillars do this before. I called Willie and Mike over and they had never seen it before, either. The car had been parked behind us while we walked. The driver started to come up to catch up with us and Mike signaled him to drive around the line. Then we realized there were lines of them on other parts of the road. I am still trying to find out what they were and why they were doing this. If you know, please tell me!
 

We went over the pass and then found a Dusky Thrush. It showed very well, hopping around on the open ground.  The rain slowed down and we were able to get out for a bit. I was feeling a bit more comfortable with our situation. A couple of Barred Cuckoo-doves flew over,  which was another new bird. So was Chestnut-headed Tesia.  Despite the weather I was enjoying everything.

We got to Lama Camp and it was raining so hard I didn't want to get out of the car. We went into the dining area and there was a film crew who must have been doing some kind of documentary. I shouldn't say this, but they were one of the sourest groups of people I have ever seen!. I hope they didn't come across that way on their video. We had lunch and watched the mists come up through the valley below us. It finally stopped raining and we went down to our tents. The path was steep, muddy, and slick. My fear of falling came rushing up to the surface, and I said a few choice words.

The rain finally stopped and it cleared a bit. We decided to walk the road above the camp. It was a good choice. We found another pair of Ward's Trogons. I can't believe I was worried we wouldn't see them. I got to see a star anise tree. I have used star anise, but somehow didn't know it grew on trees! The weather had cleared enough that we had a nice sunset. We had run out of whiskey, so we only had dinner that evening. I have to say, I was glad it was our last night sleeping in tents.

Photos from the day:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sngcanary/albums/72177720299277290

Bird list:

1. Hill Partridge

2. Blyth's Tragopan *

3. Temminck's Tragopan

4. Barred Cuckoo-dove *

5. Mountain Imperial-pigeon

6. Large Hawk-cuckoo

7. Indian Cuckoo

8.  Himalayan Cuckoo

9. Collared Owlet

10. Ward's Trogon

11. Great Barbet

12. Ashy Drongo

13. Yellow-bellied Fairy-fantail

14. Gray-headed Canary-flycatcher

15. Green-backed Tit

16. Pygmy Cupwing

17. Ashy-throated Warbler

18. White-spectacled Warbler *

19. Whistler's Warbler

20. Large-billed Leaf Warbler

21. Chestnut-crowned Warbler

22. Blyth's Leaf Warbler

23. Gray-bellied Tesia

24. Chestnut-headed Tesia *

25. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler

26. Whiskered Yuhina

27. Stripe-throated Yuhina

28. Rufous-vented Yuhina

29. Rufous-capped Babbler

30. Rufous-throated Wren-babbler

31. Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler

32. Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush

33. Beautiful Sibia

34. Hoary-throated Barwing

35. Blue-winged Minla

36. Dusky Thrush *

37. Verditer Flycatcher

38. Lesser Shortwing *

39. Himalayan Shortwing

40. White-tailed Robin

41. Blue-fronted Robin *

42. Chestnut-breasted Rock-thrush

43. Gray Bushchat

44. Mrs. Gould's Sunbird

45. Green-tailed Sunbird

46. Russet Sparrow

47. Olive-backed Pipit

48. Scarlet Finch