Rongtong
The North East is one of the bright spots in India, especially when it comes to birding. During my visit in late September, 2023 (which was basically two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening), I saw some spectacular birds, including the Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes) and Jerdon's Baza (Aviceda jerdoni). According to Peter Beck, my guide, had I travelled two weeks earlier, I would have got some great pictures of the Asian Emerald Cuckoo, the Wreathed Hornbill and the Amur Falcon, all on my ‘wish list’. It also did not help that unseasonal rains made birding a little difficult.
My flight from Delhi to Bagdogra took just less than two hours. Peter Beck was there at the Bagdogra airport to receive me and we drove straight to his homestay called Rongtong, which was in a village called Rongtong. The owners are simple people and the food is very basic – with the option of veg or non-veg. I chose veg, as the last thing I needed was a bad stomach.
After I finished my meetings, which was around 3pm, Peter picked me up and we started our search for the Black Baza. Didn’t see the Black Baza, but had some spectacular sighting of the Jerdon's Baza. During our search, we saw largish flock of Yellow Footed Green Pigeons, Dollar birds, Blyth’s Leaf Warblers, Golden-fronted Leaf Bird, Great Hornbill, Collard Falconet, Black Drongos and Green-billed Malkoha. That evening, Peter took me for owl spotting and spotted the Himalayan Wood Owl.
The next morning, at five we were up and since it was dark, we started the morning looking for the Oriental Scoops Owl, which we found with a few calls made through a speaker. At dawn broke, we spotted the two Black Baza’s sitting on a tree. Unfortunately they were sitting at a distance and against the sun, so the pictures I took were not the best. Anyway, as the day progressed, we saw Himalayan Black Bulbul, Jungle Myna, Common Hill Myna, Black-crested bulbul, Blue Throated Barbet, Velvet-fronted nuthatch some more Great Hornbills.
To add to the beauty of Rongtong, the recently introduced a ‘Steam Jungle Tea Safari’, which is basically a toy train service between Siliguri junction and Rongtong station of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Watching it chugging through the hill side adds to the overall quaintness of the area.
Apart from the birds, the drive to and from Rongtong was absolutely breathtaking. The lush green forests, thick mist rolling through the hill side has ensured I visit this place again.
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