At the end of January, I went to Riverside Springs Resort to conduct a survey of the birds in and around the property. Day one (Jan 31) concluded with some late-night macro photography. I began the first day of February with an early morning walk outside the property, accompanied by Jay, heading to the eastern side of Kurintar and along the banks of the Trishuli River.

As we walked down to the beach, the swelling of the Trishuli River—caused by the floods at the end of September 2024—revealed noticeable damage. One thing was quite clear: garbage from various areas, carried downstream by the river, was scattered everywhere as the water level slowly decreased. Further down, we encountered Kurintar’s garbage dumping site. As is evident almost everywhere in Nepal, the disposal site is located near a river, which can cause leachate from the garbage to run off directly into the water.

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Budgets in many village development committees and municipalities are often allocated to non-productive projects like view towers, while serious issues—such as garbage management—are sidelined. This negligence poses a significant public health concern.

As we walked down the rocky beach I paused for a moment to listen to the calls of the birds around me. I could hear the distinctive call of the River Lapwing, and as we looked around, three Mallards (one male and two females) flew in from upstream in search of a landing spot. After a couple of flyovers, they settled on a beach about 300 meters from our location on the opposite side of the river. We also observed a Great Cormorant perched atop a rock in the middle of the river. The local crows did not appreciate its presence; they flew around it, trying to shoo it away.

The rocky beach did not have much bird activity, but we managed to see a Common Sandpiper, Hodgson’s Redstart, White Wagtail, Plumbeous Water Redstart, and White-browed Wagtail. It was a strange walk, as the sandy beach had turned into scattered rocky outcrops now littered with garbage and dead wood.

Returning to the grounds of Riverside Springs after breakfast, I took another walk around the property. During my rounds, I spotted a few Black Drongos and a Lineated Barbet. On the same walk, I noticed a bird that made a short burst of flight to a nearby branch while catching insects near a bamboo grove. Moving closer, I identified it as a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher. This was the first time I had seen it in this area, so I kept a respectful distance while documenting it. Later in the day, I observed that the bird was still in the area, likely because there were plenty of flies to feed on. As the first day of February drew to a close, I managed to spot a couple of Egyptian Vultures, a Verditer Flycatcher, some Pied Bush Chats, a couple of Great Cormorants perched on rock outcrops in the river, and a couple of Crimson Sunbirds.

The next day brought more exciting sightings and species documentation. Waking up early, I resumed my customary walk around the area. A light fog had covered the surroundings, and I walked very slowly to avoid spooking any birds. The call of an Asian Barred Owlet was quite prominent when I began, and I eventually spotted it roosting on a tree branch. I quickly took an ID shot and continued toward the small grassland within the resort property. Suddenly, I noticed movement on one of the shrubs along the trail. I paused and scanned the area, noticing a faint red hue amid the brown vegetation. Lying low, I waited until the red color reappeared, and soon the bird emerged from the thicket to inspect the area, seemingly curious about my presence.

Surprised and excited to see a Siberian Rubythroat, I calmly tried to document it. This marked my third sighting of this bird in different locations—previously in Kathmandu and in the Dhading area. Siberian Rubythroats are migratory species that appear in Nepal during winter. Later, while moving around the area, I observed several other species: Grey-breasted Prinia, Spotted Dove, Rufous Treepie, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Irrawaddy Squirrel, Long-tailed Shrike, White-rumped Munia, Red-vented Bulbul, Grey-backed Shrike, and Greater Coucal. Additionally, a female Plumbeous Water Redstart was quite adventurous, lingering around the swimming pool in search of food.

I am excited to see what spring and summer will bring to this place—when the insects return and the birds become more active in foraging. Back in 2018, I had seen a Masked Palm Civet in this area; although these nocturnal creatures are regular visitors to the fig trees around the resort, they are hard to observe. We decided to stay late at night to document them, and around 1 a.m., we finally noticed some movement among the tree branches and were able to capture them on camera. Foraging around the trees and finding resting spots, these Masked Palm Civets are clearly residents of the area.

After a successful night documenting a mammal, the next morning I took a final walk around the property to search for new species. I observed the usual Greater Coucal, Blue Whistling Thrush, Oriental White-eye, Red-vented Bulbul, and Grey-breasted Prinia. While walking along the trail, I also spotted a Grey-backed Shrike. Hidden among the dried leaves on a tree, a Spotted Owlet was basking in the sun, its drowsy eyes surveying the surroundings. This trip to Riverside Springs Resort has been quite eventful, with the opportunity to see migratory birds and new species that I had missed on previous visits.

With high hopes of spotting new birds in this property and surrounding area once the Simal trees flower and the figs ripen, I headed back home. Combining the species I documented during this and previous visits, along with a short list of species spotted by the resort guests between 2011 and 2016, the total number now stands at 65 bird species. I am excited to see that even more species will likely be added to the list in the near future.

Back in Kathmandu, reports and photos were circulating among the birding community about a migratory bird called the Baikal Teal (Sibirionetta formosa) being spotted in the city for the first time in 20 years. Since it was such a rare moment, I decided to head to Nagdaha to capture an ID shot of the bird. Nagdaha is one of the few ponds in the Kathmandu Valley where migratory birds come to rest during their journeys—whether while on migration or on their way back home to Siberia or similar regions.

Once I reached the edge of the pond, which had been walled to set a boundary, I set up my camera and waited for the bird. While waiting, I observed a couple of Ferruginous Duck sleeping on the southern side of the pond, an Eurasian Coot foraging around a patch of Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), a Common Moorhen swimming, and an Indian Pond Heron attempting to catch fish nearby. As the sun slowly emerged from behind the horizon and illuminated the pond, a small flock of five Mallards began moving out from a water-plant hideaway on the western side.

The Baikal Teal soon started following the Mallards as it swam around, allowing me to finally see the bird clearly and capture an ID shot. Since it was at a distance, I waited for the bird to come a bit closer; however, when the Mallards headed back into the undergrowth at the pond’s western edge, the Baikal Teal followed and remained in that area for the rest of the day.

While waiting for the Teal, I also spotted a couple of Common Snipe on a small floating pontoon at the center of the southern side of the pond. I observed an Eurasian Coot taking refuge nearby and, while I continued waiting, noticed a Red-eared Slider Turtle (non-native and invasive) basking on the edge of the pontoon. In addition, a Little Grebe was swimming nearby, and a Common Sandpiper flew in and landed atop a couple of floating water lettuce clumps.

Local authorities, following recommendations from water and wetland conservation experts, should take measures to improve the habitat in Nagdaha to ensure it remains a safe space for birds. The rapid urbanization in the area—more pronounced than what I observed back in 2006—is concerning for its future.

Later in the month, I took a short mountain biking and birding trip to Bungamati. While riding through the mustard fields, I spotted Grey Lapwings, Zitting Cisticola, White-throated Kingfisher, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, and a couple of Black Kites. I was also on the lookout for Steppe Eagles, scanning the tall trees along the edge of the Bagmati where they had nested in previous years. I eventually located three nearby and spotted a fourth one along the riverbanks.

My final outing was to Phulchowki Hills with Prakash Dai. We walked along the trails near Marble Danda and spotted species such as the Greater Yellownape, Grey-winged Blackbird, Grey-hooded Warbler, Alexandrine Parakeet, Grey Treepie, and Maroon Oriole. While heading back to the road, I also saw a couple of Crested Serpent Eagles flying far off on the western side of the hill—their calls reminding me of my last trip to Bardiya National Park a couple of years ago.

After a brief stopover in Marble Danda, we ascended Phulchowki Hill toward a very small pond where birds and mammals come to drink. As we waited, the songs of Rufous Sibia echoed from the treeline, and a gentle tapping on a tree trunk—likely from a woodpecker chiseling a hole—could be heard in the background.

After about an hour, a Chestnut Thrush flew in, pausing near a shrub to check if the surroundings were safe before slowly making its way down to drink. As we remained still, a flock of Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrushes also descended—some bathing while others drank. A Eurasian Jay then made its way toward the pond after a careful survey of the area, and once the drinking and bathing frenzy began, a White-collared Blackbird joined in, exploring the banks for foraging opportunities.

Phulchowki Hills is a treasure trove of biodiversity, yet as we descended, cases of littering and noisy crowds were evident. The behavior of people exploring the area or simply being in nature needs to change. While Shivapuri National Park has enforced strict rules regarding food packaging and noise pollution—with bans on portable speakers—for the past few years, Phulchowki remains a place where authorities do not enforce such rules. It is not even on the list of areas designated as conservation areas. With numerous species of flora and fauna documented here, it is high time someone works to designate it as a protected area, ensuring that its rich biodiversity is preserved forever.

It has been quite a month of exploring different places, and below are some of the species I was able to see or document in February.

Bird:
Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-browed Wagtail, Hodgson’s Redstart, Mallard ♂ ♀, Common Sandpiper, Great Cormorant, White Wagtail, Pied Bush Chat ♂ ♀, Chestnut-tailed Starling ♂ ♀, Black Drongo, Lineated Barbet, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Egyptian Vulture, Verditer Flycatcher, Crimson Sunbird, Asian Barred Owlet, Siberian Rubythroat, Spotted Dove, Rufous Treepie, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Irrawaddy Squirrel, Long-tailed Shrike, White-rumped Munia, Red-vented Bulbul, Grey-backed Shrike, Greater Coucal, Blue Whistling Thrush, Oriental White-eye, Spotted Owlet, River Lapwing, Oriental Magpie Robin, Himalayan Bulbul, Baikal Teal ♂, Common Snipe, Eurasian Coot, Common Moorhen, Little Grebe, Indian Pond Heron, Ferruginous Duck, Grey Lapwing, Pipit, Zitting Cisticola, White-throated Kingfisher, Steppe Eagle, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Black Kite, Greater Yellownape, Grey-winged Blackbird, Grey-hooded Warbler, Crested Serpent Eagle, Alexandrine Parakeet, Grey Treepie, Chestnut Thrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Eurasian Jay, White-collared Blackbird, Rufous Sibia, etc.

Mammal:
Asian Palm Civet, Irrawaddy Squirrel, Yellow-throated Marten.

Reptile:
Red-eared Slider Turtle (Non-Native and Invasive).Plant:
Scarlet Clock Vine (Thunbergia coccinea), Banyan (Ficus benghalensis), Fern, Peepal Tree (Ficus religiosa), Indian rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo), Simal (Bombax ceiba), Ferns, Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), Utis (Alnus nepalensis), Lali gurans (Rhododendron arboretum), Chilaaune (Schima wallichi), Bamboo, Castanopsis indica, etc.

Ajay Narsingh Rana