Hargrove Annual Report 2003: Bhutan
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Bhutan

Our Bhutan trip exceeded out expectations on virtually every front. Even the food was excellent, despite warnings that the national dish, uma datzi, a fiery combination of chilies and cheese, would be served for every meal. Instead, we had to request it! Our new favorite vegetable, delicious fiddlehead ferns, pleased us at on six successive meals. Similar ferns in Austin are briefly available for about $20/pound.

The Country

Somewhat smaller than West Virginia, Bhutan lies between Tibet and India. The western-educated King, who's married to four sisters, is guiding the country in establishing a parliamentary democracy. The only officially Buddhist country in the world, Bhutan presents a picture of a land lost in time, emerging from an agrarian tradition while seeking to preserve its pristine environment. The King has prohibited export of timber from Bhutan. This means that few trees are cut each year, mostly for firewood and poles for prayer flags. As a result, the mountains are still covered with forests, in sharp contrast to neighboring countries. Needless to say, this is great for the wildlife.

Contradictions abound. One day, we watched a farmer plowing a field with a wooden plow drawn by two oxen, a sight that could have been seen 500 years ago. Next door, another farmer plowed a similar field with a small tractor about the size of a riding lawnmower. We captured the contrast on video before moving on to important tasks: catching sight of the Large Hawk-cuckoo we heard repeatedly calling, “Brain fever!”

Despite the fact that Bhutan is statistically one of the poorest countries in the world, beggars are completely unknown, and indeed, poverty is not obvious. They claim that everyone has a job and a roof over his head. Instead of GNP, the focus is on Gross National Happiness.

All buildings are covered with elaborate decorations, painted with loving care by skilled craftsmen, with “flying penises” hung from every corner as a symbol of power. Click here for some pictures of buildings. Or click here for scenery.

The People

Originally settled from Tibet — the country was known as the “southern valleys of Tibet ” until the British gave it its current name — with later immigrants from Nepal , Bengal , and Bangladesh , Bhutan is one of the smallest countries in the United Nations, with an official population of about 700,000. Tourists are still uncommon in Bhutan , representing only 1% of national revenues, but all the hard currency. Only a few thousand tourists are allowed into the country each year, in contrast to Nepal , where the number is about half a million. The difference in environmental degradation is startling. School children rushed to the road to greet our entrance to each village, our 20 passenger Toyota bus being instantly recognizable. Happily shouting, “Goodbye,” they waved enthusiastically as we passed by. Click here for pictures of people in Bhutan.

Propitiating Angry Spirits

We were awakened about 1:00 a.m on March 26 by the sound of a train running through our hotel room. It took only a second or two to remember that there are no trains in Bhutan . Brief fears of terrorist attacks gave way to the realization that we were experiencing angry spirits , who were shaking the ground. Rushing outside, we saw every light in the city ablaze — a good sign, the power was still on — and heard a chorus of barking dogs that lasted for hours. We came to no harm from what we learned was a moderate quake centered in northeast India . After that, though, we took care, removing our hats when we drove over a pass, and ensuring that we always walked around sacred chortens in a clockwise direction.

Typical Birding in Bhutan : Two Days at Pele La

We left Punakha in the Bumthang valley in the dark, about 5:00 , after a quick snack of tea and cookies. Breakfast was scheduled for the pass Pele La (La means “pass”), at 3404 meters, one of the highest points on the trip. Birding was intense, with numerous stops along the way, where we spotted such great birds as a very cooperative Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler, followed closely by a pair of stunning Blue-bearded Bee-eaters that acted as though they were planning to nest in the area. We approached the pass about 11:00 , ready to eat, but stopped yet again for incredible views of a pair of Slender-billed Scimitar-babblers, a bamboo-dwelling species that responded to a tape by displaying right in front of us. After breakfast, we birded along the road for hours, finally getting lunch about 4:00 in the afternoon before proceeding to our camp. At each stop, we found our Bhutanese crew waiting for us with food and warm drinks, tents set up with sleeping bags on the cots.

That night was the coldest of the trip, with nighttime temperatures well below freezing. In the morning, we spent about an hour in futile pursuit of the fabled Satyr Tragopan , the signature bird of Bhutan . We heard one calling close by, but it refused to give us a look. Then we explored the old road to Pele La, discovering why our esteemed driver, Wangdi, refused to go up that way. Dion performed magic and found two Himalayan Black Bears and a couple of Ghorals , a curious goat-like antelope, on the opposite hillside before we turned back for breakfast. Later, we had one of the most fabulous sightings of the trip. First, we saw a flock of giant Himalayan Griffon Vultures , at least 30, soaring in the early thermals. As we watched them, we spotted first a Golden Eagle , the same species we have in the US , but completely unexpected, followed by a Lammergeier , a fantastic stroke of luck. As we started back for the bus, a flock of about 50 beautiful Snow Pigeons flew past and wheeled over the hillside.

The unexpected sightings continued. We stopped briefly at the Chendibji Chorten, which memorializes the struggle between the legendary Guru Rimpoche and a local demon that the guru subdued and converted into a protectress for the valley. As we hiked along the road, David spotted a flock of Grandala , unbelievably blue birds normally found at much higher elevations, who circled around giving us a tantalizing look at the spectacular plumage. As darkness approached, we pulled into Trongsa, catching a view of the recently renovated Dzong , its gold roof scintillating in the setting sun.

The Birds

As this was our first trip to Asia , we had no trouble racking up lifers. Most of the sightings were level 4 or higher on the Hargrove scale, which has 5 as “once in a lifetime.” We found problems with the scale when we recorded once-in-a-lifetime views of the globally threatened Rufous-necked Hornbill three days in a row. Our favorite bird was the spectacular Himalayan Monal , a pheasant the size of a small turkey, with plumage that would make a Peacock jealous. One day, we saw an incredible 19 individuals when we were lucky enough to arrive on the day the flock migrated to higher elevations for the summer.

One amazing bird we were lucky to see was the Wedge-billed Wren-babbler. This species was thought to be extinct — known from only six specimens collected in the 19 th century — until it was rediscovered in 2001. David Bishop stopped by a wet area on the side of the road when he heard a bird call he didn't recognize. Since this was the first time he seemed stumped by a bird call, we knew we were onto something outstanding. Unfortunately, the bird refused to respond to a recording of its own call. We were about to give up when Dion suggested trying a recording of the Wren-babbler that another guide had shared. Instantly, the bird responded, calling excitedly and moving around. Dion, whose visual acuity is off the charts, spotted the bird first, closely followed by David, who described it as “looking like a large black rat.” He came to regret that description when, after we had all seen the bird well, he disputed our view that it was one of the ugliest birds we'd ever seen, even uglier than a Jabiru. “No, no!” David complained. “It's not ugly. It's fantastic!” One member of the tour summed it up, “Looks like a giant Starling in drag.”

The Mammals

Besides birds, we also saw several interesting mammals. Monkeys were the hit of the trip. Golden Langur monkeys are virtually unknown outside a small area in Bhutan and neighboring areas in India . These beautiful animals were common along the Shemgang road, where we saw several troops of about 20-30 animals jumping around in the trees. We also got close-up views of Assamese Macaques feeding by the side of the road, Common and Capped Langurs , to go with the Rhesus Monkeys we saw around buildings in Delhi . Other notables included the Giant Asian Pied Squirrel , which draped itself across a branch near our lunch site, and the cute Himalayan Striped Squirrel , which we saw several times.

Photos

Click on the links below to see photos of Bhutan :

Lists and Such

Those of you who are into birding may want to peruse these lists of what we saw: Note: We each had four half-birds, seen by one of us and not the other, so the lists are not identical.