Current Status:
The water level in Kaziranga National Park has risen because of recent floods in parts of Assam. The animals from the park have moved to higher grounds, reportedly to Karbi Anglong Hills. According to the local news 14 rhinos have either drowned or have been killed by the poachers as the animals become vulnerable once they leave the protected areas.

Much of the area around Silchar is also completely submerged under water. However Guwahati and Pobitora have remained unaffected by the floods.

This report pertains to the trip to NE including Shillong, Cachar plains around Silchar and places near Guwahati from 6th. May to 20th. May 07, accounted here chronologically.

The trip was off the beaten track and I would say is exploratory in nature. So, not many species were recorded and being in the month of May the diversity was less.


Shillong

Shillong is a three hours drive, exactly 100 Kms., from Guwahati which is well connected to the rest of India. The journey begins from the plains and soon it is an uphill drive all the way to Shillong. Best is to start early in the day. The drive is OK and as they say the road condition changes every season.

The newish restaurant 'Woodlands' midway just after Nongpoh is good for tea/snacks etc. From Nongpoh there is a diversion to Nongkhylem wildlife sanctuary, supposed to harbour many rare birds, which is on my wish-list for a future visit.

30 Kms. after Nongpoh, en route Shillong, the next place is the very huge Barapani lake and the woody surroundings must be worth exploring. Here many House swifts are met with. Soon one sees many Pine trees and of course there is an appreciable drop in the temperature.

Shillong is quite a delight when it comes to the weather and was a welcome change from the oppressive heat of May and June at Delhi. It rains almost every day for a short duration and hence the city always wears a fresh look. The houses are well maintained and almost every house has a variety of flowers in the small compounds. Many old houses with the Victorian design give a nice feeling.

Sadly Shillong proper offers a few species, only the ubiquitous Eurasian Tree Sparrow and a profusion of House Swift (likely 'Apus affinis nipalensis').

However many more species remain hidden in suitable habitats and it must be worthwhile exploring the region around the Golf course, Lady Hydari Park and the small jungle in the midst of the city at Bomsley.

Meghalaya as such has more to offer, the lower altitudes like that of Nongpoh with its warmer clime must be providing shelter to more birds as a typical call of a Golden Backed Flameback along with others was heard.


Next anchor of the trip was Silchar, in the heart of Cachar distt.

Silchar

The journey from Shillong to Silchar is a very tedious 215 Kms. I was expecting to see something at Sonapur before reaching Silchar but a hurried drive past doesn't produce anything. As we enter the plains of Cachar it becomes apparent that the whole place is a big swampy area. So much of water is there every where that I am sure the birds get dispersed. White-breasted and Common Kingfishers and Chestnut-tailed Starling are met with easily.

Silchar is an old town by the river Barrak, with a high density of people and with perennial power problems. Old properties are being sold to haphazardly create many apartments adding to the congestion. Now only a few old mansions remain with big ponds surrounded by beetelnut trees and a promise of birds. The humidity is always very high and usually there is a shower in the evening.

In the four days the areas explored were:
a. Regional Engg. College with open woods and water bodies. One can drive around here and look for birds.
b. Jatingamor with a huge ploughed land and places near the beel. This place is definitely promising and must be worth exploring in the winter.
Jatingamor should not be confused with nearby Jatinga of North Cachar Hills which owing to disturbance remains out of reach.
c. Srikona Park tea gardens. The walk through the small hillocks covered with tea shrubs is truly enchanting.
d. Dupatil with its hillocks and a very huge Banyan tree looked very promising.

The Silchar list:

REC
1. Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos macei macei
Seen in many open woody areas mostly away from habitations, is dispersed around Silchar.
2. Long-tailed Shrike, Lanius schach tricolor
Lone specimen only seen here, perhaps too many Indian and Eurasian cuckoos are decimating its population by being parasitic to its nest.
3. Lesser Whistling-duck, Dendrocygna javanica
Seen everywhere in the open water bodies.

Jatingamor
4. Black-hooded Oriole, Oriolus xanthornus xanthornus
Seen everywhere in the leafy trees usually shying away from humans.
5. Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis tigrina
Seen everywhere usually on the ground.
6. Purple-rumped Sunbird, Leptocoma zeylonica flaviventris
Lone Specimen high up in the canopy.
7. Blue-throated Barbet, Megalaima asiatica asiatica
Many and widely dispersed.

Srikona Park
8. Indian Cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus micropterus
Many and widely dispersed, flying between tree tops and constantly calling its four syllables-Fufoo;Fufoo. At times choosing the highest branch and continuing with its call for very long durations.

Dupatil
9. Greenish Warbler, Phylloscopus trochiloides trochiloides
Lone Specimen hopping about the mid level branches.
10. Eurasian Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus bakeri
Many widely dispersed but appeared silent.
11. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Dicaeum cruentatum cruentatum
A restless lone Specimen seen.

Jatingamor
12. Great Tit, Parus major nipalensis
Many and widely dispersed.
13. Common Tailorbird, Orthotomus sutorius
Many and widely dispersed.
14. Pacific Golden Plover, Pluvialis fulva
A max of three nos. seen and at least one in full breeding plumage scurrying the paddyfields and gorging on worms. The flight seemed quite strong.

After an interesting Silchar the next stop was Guwahati.

Guwahati

Guwahati, the state capital of Assam is well connected to the rest of the country. The humidity here is always very high and swampy regions are plentiful where one is bound to meet the Bronzed-winged Jacana.

The famous Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary, Manas National Park, Eaglenest wildlife sanctuary, Namdhapa etc. are all easily approachable from Guwahati.

The places visited were the
a. Deepor Beel near Guwahati Univ. and next to Guwahati Engg. College. A covered shed overlooks the expanse of water, suitable for watching the activity there, though not many species were seen at any given time.

b. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which is apprx. 50 Kms.

The Guwahati list:
1. Greater Adjutant, Leptoptilos dubius
Many seen circling gracefully in the sky in the city.

Inside Guwahati, the huge garbage dumps attract the Greater Adjutants in large nos. and interestingly many birds, in early mornings, rest on top of the Meghdoot Cinema Hall right in the middle of the city at Paltan Bazar, but this tendency is again on a decline.

Deepor Beel
2. Watercock, Gallicrex cinerea
Lone and very still with only its neck visible.
3. Lesser Adjutant, Leptoptilos javanicus
Many were seen dispersed widely in the muddy plains, paddy fields etc. with no affinity at all to the garbage dumps (like that of the Greater Adjutant). They move by walking slowly and were seen roosting in trees and one on a lamp post!
4. Bronze-winged Jacana, Metopidius indicus
Many, widely dispersed.
5. Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida hybrida
Many skimming the water for a few seconds and constantly flying. Most were in their breeding plumages.
6. Pied Kingfisher, Ceryle rudis leucomelanurus
Lone, watching intently the clear water of Deepor beel perched on a bamboo pole.
7. Asian Openbill, Anastomus oscitans
Many widely dispersed.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
8. Common Iora, Aegithina tiphia tiphia
Lone with its usual acrobatics.
9. Ashy Woodswallow, Artamus fuscus
Many near the sanctuary and seen nesting on the upper joints of lamp posts.
10. Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa intermedia
Lone calling incessantly and extraordinary sweetly from the top of a tree towards the dusk.
11. Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensis affinis
Lone. Well, seen rolling on a dry and dusty portion of the path leading to the sanctuary.
12. Lineated Barbet, Megalaima lineata hodgsoni
Lone, its call is a bit different from the similar Brown Headed.
13. Bengal Bushlark, Mirafra assamica
Lone, trying to retire for the day.
14. Zitting Cisticola, Cisticola juncidis cursitans
15. Striated Grassbird, Megalurus palustris toklao
Many, in almost all the marshy places full of water hyacinth from Guwahati to Pobitora.
16. Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
Two recorded within 100 meters in the sanctuary, described by the guards as being capable of capturing and devouring large, 3-4 Kgs. fish.
A rivulet almost 20 mtrs wide borders one side of the Pobitora sanctuary. I could see the first Fish Eagle perched in the foliage keenly watching a mahout washing an elephant on the other side of the rivulet. A few tame elephants are used for patrolling the sanctuary by the forest guards. A little later the eagle flew, in a kind of majestic rush, to another tree very near the elephant. Soon the elephant was taken away and now the eagle started watching the clear water intently and was very still. To get a better image I decided to get near the bird.

A few boats were anchored on this side where I was and somehow could convince a boatman about to cross the rivulet to row me near the eagle. The boat was freshly covered with oily charcoal and was not fully dry yet, but I was not deterred and put a few sheets of newspaper on the wooden crosspieces and somehow stabilized myself on the long and thin boat. Very gently we sailed near the bird but I was not getting a clear shot. The boatman said that there was a second eagle just 100 mtrs ahead. I could see the silhouette of another Fish-eagle on an overhung branch. On my request the boatman started to row towards this second eagle. Slowly we drew near and the eagle was quite disinterested even on our approach of about 5 mtrs, I had to eventually zoom out my camera lens to get the full bird. We remained motionless near the eagle for a few minutes admiring the magnificence and then slowly we backed off.

All in all a memorable trip and will remain etched in my mind for the time to come.

Acknowledgements:
The NE trip would not have been as productive without the support of Partha Pratim Debroy who helped in arranging almost all my trips around Silchar. Also many thanks to Arindam Ghosh for taking me to Srikona park.

I am thankful to Animesh Chowdhury for his immense support in arranging my movement across the city of Guwahati including the trip to Deepor Beel. My thanks also to Manish Bhowmick for helping me explore the banks of the mightiest river Brahamaputra.

Last but not the least, I am grateful to Mrinal Kanti Deb for driving me to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary according to my convenience, many earlier trips also are to his credit.