Borong A birding hot spot in Sikkim

Sikkim is a to go place for a family with kids. Borong is a birding hot spot in Sikkim for sure. It also offers convenient base for trekking to Maenam peak, lazing in the hot springs, romancing the Bhanjan valley trek and for just endless walks and waterfalls.

Why Borong is a birding hotspot?

National parks or wildlife sanctuaries are often cited in terms of ‘Sighting rate’ , like Tadoba has a good sighting rate of tigers while Pench has poor. Further, dry forests give a clearer view as compared to dense forests. Birding also has its own popular zones- like raptor sighting is very good in Tal Chapar, Indian Skipper is sure to be sighted at Chambal National Sanctuary and so on.

During our trip to Sikkim in April 2019, Kaluk provided us with some good birds and we were happy with whatever we could see as it was not a birding trip.

However, when we reached Borong, we were simply stunned by the sheer variety of birds, and the number of birds of each variety; most importantly these birds were sighted easily, as if served on a platter.

What was the Plan in Borong for us as a family?

Again, this trip was not a bird-watching trip per se, even though Borong is a birding hotspot. But which trip has ever been? We have always traveled as a family, from the diaper days to the present argumentative teen! And a family trip is never exclusively birding trip, especially when kids want to go on hikes or just wander and wander aimlessly, if not doing any of these then they are on a gluttonous trip eating a slice here and sipping something there. We, poor parents, have to adjust it accordingly.

We had planned a trip to Borong to do a hike to Maenam trek, hot water spring, and visit Ralang monastery and walk to a nearby hanging bridge and waterfall.

A full-day was washed by rains which resulted in cancelling the hot-spring adventure, Maenam trek was cancelled because of imminent muddy path and leeches after heavy rains.

We visited Ralang monastery did go for a trek to Bhanjan Valley.

We could spend only two early mornings and two late evenings for birding at Borong. And all of it was done in not a radius, but a straight line of less than kilometer.

I would better start my story now.

So it was our first morning to experience Borong as birding hotspot. It was not yet morning. Kids were sleeping like a log in cold Borong. We were out almost by the twilight. The pink berry bushes were teeming with berries but not any bird to eat these up. Some hanging down kind of large flowers should attract nectar loving birds but these were also waiting for customers.

Morning session of bird-watching in Hotel Property in Borong

It was like all the breakfast shops were open in the Wildflower Retreat at Borong but birds were yet to venture out in cold mornings. But it was because the resort gets sunrays or light a little late, being not on the east facing slope.

We waited in the cold and just kept holding each other’s hands for warmth and togetherness. I would say early morning birding is the only date we ever get to go to. And we both love it more than any other date.

While we behaved as the new lovers, sun rose a little higher and birds started to arrive. We sat on a stone step in resort in a somewhat hidden place and berry shrubs invited a continuous raiding party of Black Bulbul, Yuhina, Mrs Gould’s Sunbird, rosefinch and sometimes …Rufous Sibia too.

The Hyper active Red-billed Leothrix

Nearby bushes had another greatly admired visitor- Red billed Leothrix. Despite it visiting us every morning, I just have a record shot of this amazingly colorful bird. It just kept flying and moving from here and there. But we did see it to our heart’s content.

White Throated Fantails

Then there were White-throated fantails. These beauties are surely fit for their appearance and attitude at red carpet in Cannes. They attire themselves in black fanning gowns, have a made to the hilt brow and boy! their attitude.

Though they keep themselves in the lower storey mostly, but they do fly high up and they rustle and tussle so much that they continuously draw viewer’s attention on themselves, even when someone like Redbilled Leothrix is present there too!

Bigger birds

The lawn silently attracted a Black bird, a Grey winged Black Bird and its female too. Though these were big in size and we could easily spot them, but they were shy and ran away to hide as soon as we even took a step. These were continuously eating at ground mostly. At times, the dove also landed on the lawn, spent some time and went away.

Raiding parties of Striated Bulbuls and Great Indian Barbet

Now, that the sun was up, two big trees with geeen cherry sized fruits invited raiding parties of Striated Bulbuls and Great Indian Barbet in such large numbers that you wonder if indeed you were imagining the crows or the pigeons to be changing into these wonderful species. But they were there for true. And for a long time.

Taking a little break for Kids!

By the time we went to room, coaxed kids to wake up, presided over a banter on who gets to use the washroom first, pushed their snail like paced bodies to the washroom and made herculean efforts to douse the fire which always arise if the first one to washroom has left the bathroom wet, and finally landed in the restaurant for a breakfast around eight am, these two birding aka raiding parties were still there on those two trees, hell bent to overeat.

Young boys go gaga over Birds now!

These were big enough to be seen, and all the boys took delight in watching with binos and using the cameras. But the tree was a bit far for the lens we have.

Spot Winged Grosbeak arrives to monopolize the tree.

Then, another raiding party arrived on these trees and simply established a monopoly of the breakfast. I could not identify it easily that day in the field guide at that moment. These were stoutly beaked, aggressive Spot winged Grosbeak.

The same tree also hosted Golden fronted Barbet and Grey winged Blackbird for its green berries a little later.

Next morning, Manish and I decided to take a stroll outside the property. What we saw in a single line distance, not radius, of one km was amazing and unbelievable.

Second Morning birding along the main road in Borong

The road we walked was carved on a mountain side and had lots of tree canopies below the road level on one side while other side provided excellent viewing for ground level birds as these were a little above us.

This morning was rich. We could see as many as twenty great barbets, thirty Striated Bulbuls, bright red and yellow flying feathers of minivets, Neeltavas, Verditor flycatchers in plenty, Russets sparrows creating a ruckus, Striated laughing thrushes in groups on ghostly trees, rosefinches, sunbirds, yellow naped woodpecker busy with thakthak,

Tits delighted us with their shapely bodies, and then there were plenty of warblers which I never try to identify or photograph.

The reds- Minivet

First Minivets. They simply kept flying from trees on one side of the road to the other side. They were at our eye level at times and other times perch really high. But you sure get to see them many a times and in plenty.

The Blue- Niltava and Verditor

Then Blues were no behind. Niltava and Verditor Flycatcher. Every hour , we could spot a verditor at Borong; chasing its female, busy staring at us, still other sitting around homes and on wires. They really behaved as if they were mere sparrows.

Political rivalry of Russets Sparrows

And while we are on sparrows, we found a lot many Russets Sparrows everywhere. But the most interesting was the group just outside the school on a wooden pole, where everyone wanted to sit at the top of the pole and others displaced the one sitting. It was such a fierce political battle being played out by the deceptively humble looking sparrows.

Dark blue Niltava could not escape our eyes even if it tried hard. We spotted it on both side of the road.

Hill Patridge calls!

There was a continuous call of Hill Patridge and we were trying hard to get just a glimpse of it by moving like a pendulum in a distance of 50 metres. We could not spot it but in the process, at a place, some ten thrushes flew one after another and so fast that we could not even get to see with binos and we just could not even identify which were these.

Have I proved enough for Borong to be a birding hotspot?

Similarly there were so many flycatchers, but we could not get a single shot of any of those and we could not even see them with bino as other birds appeared so easily and made us look at them. How should I describe it. It was like a mall displaying so many dresses, that you don’t know which one to pick.

Tits, fantails, flycatchers were in abundance and so were the barbets, treepies, minivets. But most aplenty were the thrushes. Was it so? No. I don’t know what was most aplenty as there were just too many all at once.

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Green backed tit, was friendlier and mostly sat in full view. But the Sibia would always drew it away. Rufous Sibia was in plenty, more than the Russets sparrows.

Evening birding in Borong

Meeting Asian Barred Owl

On a far away tree, below the road, sat an owl, like a statue, in evening on the same road. Before we spotted it, it must have spotted us. It sat nonchalantly for a long time, without moving. We also stood there, without moving. It got bored and then turned its head away.

Ahh! I like the way these wise owls look when they turn their head and you don’t know if it is its back or front. And the best is when they look you into eyes!! They do give appearance of the headmistress of my school, peeking thorough behind her glasses.

Diurnal owls are the only owls that people who have become parents can get to see.

Crested Serpent Eagle does not get bothered

It was not over yet. Further stroll showed us an eagle sitting without a care in the world on a tree. I mean it was a bit far for our lens, but not far for its size, and we stared and stared at it, and it just did not bother. Of course, it has chosen a perch for that night, but man, you should show some apprehensions towards humans!

Grey Treepies chatted good byes vigorously, before settling on for a night perch, while doves settled silently without making a fuss.

Birds on way to Titanic View Point

Another fine evening, driving down to look at the titanic named viewing spot, we came across Kestrel.

This titanic view point had nobody but us, indeed set amidst a dramatic location. And it had colonies, no! cities of swifts who were zooming and zipping like the fighter drones. But these were far more intelligent. These never collided with each other, even when brushing past ten others at a hair distance of 10-50 cms, in all the directions at the same moment.

It is not over yet!

So, what is the takeaway? Do I still need to write anymore to give you a takeaway?? Yes, there is more. It is not for nothing that Borong is called a birding hotspot.

The property where we stayed, had plenty of flower, fruit and other kinds of trees and attracted lots of birds. Two days when it rained heavily, we just sat in our balcony and the nearest pink cherry tree became a hotbed for Yuhina and Black Bulbul.

Yuhina was most voracious eater perhaps among all these, continuously eating and eating.

Then suddenly, drenched in rain, arrived a Mrs Gould’s Sunbird couple. We dashed inside to call kids and all of us were very very happy to see it for long.

In between you would get a few bonuses in the form of butterflies and squirrels. All in a single line of one km!

Hence proved that Borong is a birding hotspot !!

Travel Tips: Borong is a little further from Ravangla in Sikkim. The only way to reach there is personal vehicle or a long wait of shared taxi. Bus timings are not regular.