Bird Watching Tour Ladakh
Duration : 12 Days / 11 Nights
Attractions : Black Billed Magpie - Booted Eagle - Trisul Lake - Hill Pigeon - Himalayan Snowcock - Rumbak Valley - Ruddy Shelduck - Black Necked Crane - Eagle Owl - Plain Backed Snowfinch - Tanglang Pass
This tour is meant for birders who are in good physical health and can walk in high altitude area. The treks and walks are moderate in nature. The bird species are special trans-Himalayan species while a lot of them are Palearctic.
Day 01 : New Delhi to Leh
Meals : Dinner
Fly from New Delhi to Leh in the morning. We will spend the day in the vicinity of the hotel for birding and acclimatization. One can expect to see black redstart, common kestrel, black-billed magpie, mountain chiffchaff, black kite, red-billed chough, great tit etc. Hotel Snow View or similar.
Day 02 : Surrounding area of Leh
Meals : breakfast & dinner
Today morning we will bird along Shey marshes. One can expect common rosefinch, Hume's lesser white-throat, blue rock thrush, Eurasian hobby, common coot, booted eagle, blue throat, common tern, Hume's short-toed lark, plain mountain finch, rock bunting, citrine and grey wagtail etc. Afternoon visit to Trisul lake for red-crested pochard, northern pintail, common teal, tufted duck, little grebe, garganey etc. Hotel Snow View or similar.
Day -3 : Surrounding area of Leh
Meals : breakfast & dinner
Today morning we will bird at Thiksey. One can expect to see golden oriole, long-tailed shrike, blue-whistling thrush, Eurasian cuckoo, common rosefinch, hill pigeon etc. Afternoon visit to Hemis area after Stok Palace for Tibetan snowfinch, Eurasian crag martin, northern house martin, lammergeier, white wagtail, fire-fronted serin, plain mountain finch, blue sheep etc. Hotel Snow View or similar.
Day 04 : Excursion to Khardung Pass
Meals : breakfast, packed lunch and dinner
Today morning we will bird at Khardung La. We will be reaching a height of 18500 feet, the highest motorable pass in the world. One can expect winter wren, brown dipper, robin & alpine accentor, Himalayan snowcock, Brandt's mountain finch, great rosefinch, white-winged redstart, yellow-billed chough etc. Mammals will be Himalayan marmot, mouse hare, wooly hare, and blue sheep. Afternoon free at the hotel. Hotel Snow View or similar.
Day 05 : Leh-Rumbak Valley
Meals : breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
Drive to Chinjan in the morning (1 hour). Trek to Rumbak for birding (5 hours, moderate trek). Full day birding in Rumbak Valley. One can expect golden eagle, Himalayan griffon, Tibetan snowfinch, chukar, fire-fronted serin, sulphur-bellied warbler, white-throated dipper etc. Overnight stay in fully serviced tented camp or in a home stay (promoted by Snow Leopard Conservancy).
Day 06 : Rumbak Valley
Meals : breakfast, lunch & dinner
Full day birding around Rumbak. One can see brown & robin accentor, tickell's leaf warbler, streaked rosefinch, Tibetan snowfinch, chukar, common & fork-tailed swift, red-billed chough, Himalayan snowcock, fire-fronted serin, twite etc. One can also expect to see blue sheep, Red fox and the elusive snow leopard. Overnight stay in fully serviced tented camp or in a home stay (promoted by Snow Leopard Conservancy).
Day 07 : Rumbak Valley-Leh
Meals : breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
Morning birding in Rumbak Valley. Trek to Chinjan (3½ hours). Check the forest patch at Chinjan for unusual species such as rusty-tailed flycatcher, grey bushchat etc. Travel to Leh (1 hour) for overnight stay in Hotel Snow View or similar.
Day 08 : Leh-Puga
Meals : breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
We will spend the day travelling to Puga stopping en route for birding at Chumathang. One can expect to see golden eagle, common merganser, Ibisbill, horned lark etc. Check the stream at Puga emerging out of sulphur spring for black-necked crane, brown-headed gull, ruddy shelduck etc. Overnight stay in fully serviced tented camp.
Day 09 : Day excursion to Lake Tso Moriri and Lake Tadsang Karu
Meals : breakfast, lunch & dinner
Morning excursion to the lakes for ruddy shelduck, bar-headed goose, ruff, lesser sand plover, white-winged black tern, long-legged buzzard etc. Black-necked crane is big a possibility too. Spend the evening near the camp checking the stream, rock faces and bushes for Eurasian eagle-owl, white-winged redstart, robin accentor, Asian house martin, white-throated dipper, lammergeier etc. Overnight stay in fully serviced tented camp at Puga.
Day 10 : Puga-Lake Tso Kar
Meals : breakfast, lunch & dinner
Travel to the lake in the morning across Polo Kongka Pass. One can see large flocks of Brandt's mountain finch. As you enter the lake area, you may see black-necked crane, common redshank, lots of other waders and waterfowl. Tibetan wild ass, marmot, Stolizka's mountain vole are mammal species that are seen commonly. Explore the area for little owl, Tibetan sandgrouse, plain-backed snowfinch etc. Horned lark, Hume's short-toed lark and Tibetan snowfinch are some of the common birds here. Afternoon visit to fresh water lake for avocet, breeding colony of crested grebe, ruddy shelduck etc. Black-necked crane is a possibility too. Overnight stay in fully serviced tented camp.
Day 11 : Tso Kar-Leh
Meals : breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
After morning birding at Tso Kar, travel to Leh via Tanglang Pass (17500 feet) stopping en route for birding. Arrive Leh in the afternoon. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight stay in Hotel Snow View or similar.
Day 12 : Leh-New Delhi
Meals : breakfast in flight
Fly to New Delhi in the morning. Arrive Delhi before noon.
