Sikkim - Oct 2017

This was my first trip to Sikkim, and no surprises that I ended up with two dozen lifers.

466. Grey-crested Tit (Lophophanes dichrous)

The Grey-crested Tit was present at all the camps, and didn't seem to mind the presence of humans at all. Wasn't beyond scavenging from the waste we had left behind.

Here's a video of one of them scavenging, shot from my GoPro.

467. Coal Tit (Periparus ater) 

Seemed even more numerous than the Grey-crested Tit. Also, seemed to favour scavenging. 

468. Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis)

Spotted this one in Yuksom town.

469. White-tailed Nuthatch (Sitta himalayensis) 

470. Red-headed Bullfinch (Pyrrhula erythrocephala) 

471. Black-faced Laughingthrush (Trochalopteron affine) 

472. White-browed Fulvetta (Fulvetta vinipectus) 

473. Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) 

Lucky to spot this group of blood pheasants near the Phethang camp. Was really hard to photograph them.

Here's the female of the species

474. Greenish Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides) 

I'm never really sure about Warblers. This one, too, needs confirmation from an expert.

475. Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) 

Paid a brief visit at Dzongri on our morning hike.

476. Snow Pigeon (Columba leuconota) 

We spotted Snow Pigeons at almost every high altitude camp. A flock would land, forage around our tents, and fly off in some neat formations. 

477. Tickell's leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus affinis) 

Once again, I'm a little doubtful about the ID of this warbler.

478. Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos macrorhynchos) 

479. Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) 

Spotted one of these at nearly 5000m. Seemed completely unafraid of human beings.

480. Bar-tailed or Himalayan Treecreeper (Certhia himalayana) 

The tail is not visible in this picture, but I'm reasonably sure about the ID from my notes and other record shots.

481. Yellow-billed blue, or gold-billed Magpie (Urocissa flavirostris) 

This one's the adult.

...and this one's the juvenile (notice the coloration of the bill).

482. Rufous Sibia (Heterophasia capistrata) 

483. Ashy-throated Warbler (Phylloscopus maculipennis) 

484. Yellow-bellied Fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxantha) 

485. Whistler's Warbler (Seicercus whistleri) 

486. Green-tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga nipalensis) 

The female

487. Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra) 

488. Fire-tailed Myzornis (Myzornis pyrrhoura)

489. Darjeeling Woodpecker (Dendrocopos darjellensis) 

490. Hodgson's Redstart (Phoenicurus hodgsoni)
Doubtful about the ID, but I'm basing this one on having spotted the male in around the same place.

491. Rufous winged Fulvetta (Alcippe castaneceps)

And finally

279. Common Kestrel in flight