Birdtour Asia Myanmar 2012

Myanmar (Burma)

2nd - 14th December 2012

Leader: James Eaton

Max Group Size: 7

Myanmar - one of the most ornithologically diverse countries in south-east Asia, is still relatively unexplored, yet offers some of the most exciting birding in the region.
Our tour concentrates on the dry interior around the temples and ruins of Bagan and the magnificent Mount Victoria, the highest peak in the Chin Hills – a mountain range with a distinctive Himalayan avifauna.
We will concentrate on searching out the endemics and regional specialities – in the lowlands these include Burmese Bushlark, White-throated Babbler and the semi-nomadic Jerdon’s Minivet and Hooded Treepie while in the mountains we will be looking in particular for the enigmatic White-browed Nuthatch, near-endemic Chin Hills Wren Babbler and Mount Victoria Babax and a whole host of Himalayan species including Brown-capped and Striped Laughingthrushes, Grey Sibia and Black-headed Shrike Babbler.
We then head to the hills of Shan state in search of the near-endemic Burmese Yuhina and Collared Myna and finish our tour at the pictureseque Inle Lake hoping for the scarce Jerdon’s Bushchat.

Day 1:
International arrivals into Yangon International Airport. Night in Yangon.

Day 2:
We will take an early morning flight from the capital Yangon (formally Rangoon) to the town of Bagan.
Bagan is one of the cultural highlights of Asia, with the thousands of ancient Buddhist monuments and temples dotting the arid landscape providing a wonderful backdrop for our birding exploration of the area. We will spent the remainder of the morning exploring the area and we should find our first dry-zone specialities which could include Burmese Bushlark and White-throated Babbler both of which are common is the area.
In the afternoon we will take a relaxing boat trip along the nearby Irrawady River. River Lapwing – a classic Asian ‘big-river’species will be a prime target. Waterbirds include good numbers of Indian Spot-billed Ducks and Ruddy Shelduck, Sand Lark can be seen scuttling along the sand-bars alongside roosting Small Pratincoles and forays ashore should produce handsome White-tailed Stonechats. Night in Bagan.

Day 3:
We have a full day to explore the Bagan area. Here we will be looking in particular for the exquisite Jerdon’s Minivet and the smart Hooded Treepie – both endemic to Myanmar – although the later is rather nomadic and unpredictable. Other species possible here include Rain Quail, Indian Nightjar, 'Burmese' Vinous-breasted Myna, Lagger Falcon and Burmese Shrike.
Migrants here may include such delights as Daurian Redstart, Taiga Flycatcher, Yellow-streaked Warbler, Thick-billed Warbler and Siberian Rubythroat.

Day 4:
We will leave early today, initially traveling south to cross the Irrawady at Chauk before heading west. We will look for White-eyed Buzzard and Long-billed Pipit in the more open areas before reaching areas where dry deciduous forest predominates. Here amongst an abundance of woodpeckers including Himalayan Flameback, Large and Common Woodshrikes and other birds typical of this habitat we have further opportunities to see the elusive Jerdon’s Minivet and Hooded Treepie along with White-rumped Falcon.
We also have a good chance of seeing all five species of Parakeet; Alexandrine, Red-breasted, Rose-ringed, Blossom-headed and Finsch's – which still occur in good numbers here, having declined in many other areas of Asia.
In the late afternoon we will arrive at the Pine Wood Villas above Kampetlet, our base for the next 5 nights.

Days 5-8:
We have four full days to explore Mount Victoria, the focal point of the tour. At 3095m Mount Victoria is the highest Peak in the Chin Hills - this fascinating area forms a southward extension from the Eastern Himalaya and contains several exciting Himalayan species together with some regional endemics and distinct sub-species.
During our time here we will explore all the habitat zones associated with different altitudes on the mountain ranging from stunted, mossy oak forest and rhododendrons at the highest altitudes, through evergreen broad-leaf with montane bamboo patches, Pine forests, grassy clearings and scrub to dry deciduous forest at the foot of the mountain.
Arguably the star bird here is the endemic White-browed Nuthatch, which is known only from the higher reaches of Victoria and surrounding peaks. We will also search in particular for two recently split species – Mount Victoria Babax and Chin Hills Wren Babbler, both true specialties of this area.
The list of potential species here is large and we will hope to locate some of the scarcer species among these which may include some of the following; Brown-capped, Assam, Blue-winged and Striped Laughingthrushes, Crimson-faced Liocichla, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Black-headed Shrike Babbler, Himalayan Cutia, Streak-throated and Rusty-fronted Barwings, Slender-billed and Spot-breasted Scimitar Babblers, Black-browed Tit, Green Shrike Babbler, Grey-hooded and Broad-billed Warblers, Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker, Mrs Hume’s and Kalij Pheasant.

Day 9:
Today we return to Bagan, making birding stops in the dry deciduous forest for any species that we might have missed so far, while rarities sometimes seen in the area include White-rumped Falcon and Kalij Pheasant. Night in Bagan.

Day 10:
We have a final morning around Bagan with the option for birding or sightseeing around the fascinating temples for which the area is best known. In the afternoon we will take a short flight to Heho, continuing to the scenic former hill-station of Kalaw for a two-night stay.

Day 11:
We will spend a full day around Yay-aye-kan reservoir near Kalaw. The area still holds some good evergreen forest and it is here that we will be searching in particular for the near-endemic Burmese Yuhina. Other possibilities in the area include Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Brown-breasted Bulbul, Spectacled Barwing, Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Silver-eared and White-browed Laughingthrushes, Rusty-cheeked and White-browed Scimitar Babblers, Black-headed Greenfinch and wintering Crested Buntings.

Day 12:
This morning we will take a boat out to explore the lake, famous for its unique ‘leg-rowing boatmen. We will of course be focused on the birds and will be looking in particular for the rare Jerdon’s Bushchat which still occurs here in good numbers but often requires diligent searching to locate. Other possibilities include White-tailed Stonechat, Eastern and Western Marsh Harriers, Indian Swamphen and the near-endemic Collared Myna. In the afternoon we take a flight back to Yangon for a final dinner to celebrate the conclusion to this wonderful tour. Night in Yangon.