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.
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 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 12 : Leh-New Delhi
Meals : breakfast in flight
Fly to New Delhi in the morning. Arrive Delhi before noon.