An International Tour organised in conjunction with our friends at Oriole Birding. In 18 days, just in north and central Thailand, we recorded 433 species. If you like what you read, we already have dates for 2026 – you would be very welcome to join us next year! You can find all the details here.
This blog has been split into two. The first, covering our time in North Thailand, begins below. Part 2 to follow…
Monday 3rd February
It was a rather misty morning at Heathrow, down to zero overnight with the temperature up to a heady 5C by the time we arrived. Very different from the sort of temperatures we would be enjoying for the next few days! We met up at the Thai Airways counter in Terminal 2 at 8.50am before checking in. Our flight to Bangkok departed pretty much on the scheduled time of 11.50am. With a +7 hour time difference and a scheduled 11 hour flight time, we settled in for the rest of the day on the plane.
Tuesday 4th February
Our flight landed on schedule in Bangkok at 6.15am local time. We had a bit of a walk through the terminal to get to the desks for connecting flights to Chiang Mai and passport control, but we were quickly through and we then had three hours to wait for our onward flight. Sitting in the terminal by the gate, we started to add our first birds for the trip. There were several House and Tree Sparrows inside the terminal building, the ubiquitous Feral Pigeons on the outside of the windows, and our first Common and Great Mynas were feeding around one of the skybridges. A Painted Stork flapped slowly across one of the taxiways and a Grey Heron flew past.
There are several drainage channels between the taxiways and runways with small pools of water in the bottom. A Common Sandpiper appeared on the back edge of one we could see close to the terminal, followed by a non-breeding Pond Heron of indeterminate species, an Eastern Yellow and a White Wagtail (the latter of the subspecies leucopsis). A Medium (formerly Intermediate) Egret was just visible on another pool much further back. Quite a decent list already and we hadn’t even left the terminal!
Eventually our flight to Chiang Mai was ready for boarding. We pushed back pretty much on time at 10.15 and arrived as scheduled at 11.30am. Having cleared immigration in Bangkok, there was no need to here and in the time it took us to walk into the terminal and through to the international baggage reclaim area all our bags were already waiting for us on the carousel. Remarkable efficiency which puts most of our UK airports to shame!
Nick Upton, who would be guiding us for the northern leg of the tour, was waiting for us just outside. We had to locate one of the group, who had travelled separately to Bangkok the day before and joined us for the flight to Chiang Mai today, so come through domestic baggage reclaim which was conveniently located right at the far end of the terminal. Then we walked out to where the minibus was waiting for us, along with a separate truck for our luggage and Chatree, the driver. Outside, it was a very pleasant 29C, a bit of a shock after the cold of the UK!
It was just a short drive from the airport to our hotel for the night. We were a bit early for check-in time of 2pm, but most of the rooms were already available and it was just a short wait for the remaining ones to be cleaned. We had a little bit of time to get sorted out before we met again in the lobby for our first proper birding excursion.
Outside the hotel, while we waited for everyone to arrive, a pair of Wire-tailed Swallows were swooping around the neighbouring buildings. Several Ashy Woodswallows circled over and a couple landed on the wires. A Streak-eared Bulbul flew in to a small palm right in front of the hotel and a Spotted Dove landed on the wires above.
The hotel is very conveniently located for the nearby Mae Hia Agricultural College. As it was a bit warm still, we headed first for the more wooded area at the back. The first bird we heard was an Asian Koel calling in the trees.
Parking on the edge of the road, we got out and were quickly onto a couple of Ashy Drongos nearby. Several Racket-tailed Treepies were in the top of one of the trees at the back of the field, along with a couple of Hair-crested Drongos and several more Streak-eared Bulbuls. The male Asian Koel now started to chase one of the Bulbuls through the branches and a couple of times landed in full view where we could get it in the scopes. A Grey Bushchat posed nicely on the wires nearby and an Asian Brown Flycatcher flew out and landed on them too.
Walking slowly down the road, we found a noisy group of White-crested Laughingthrushes the other side. We could see them moving through the bushes at the back of another field with a couple of Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes with them briefly. A pair of White-crested Laughingthrushes did work their way through to the trees by the road where they called in duet but generally remained half hidden in the leaves as they like to do. The group were keen to get a better look at them and reluctant to move on, but had to be reassured that we would see them very well later in the trip.
A little further on, several Red-whiskered Bulbuls appeared in one of the trees above the road and were then joined by a Coppersmith Barbet. An Olive-backed (Ornate) Sunbird flicked through and landed briefly and a young Himalayan Striped Squirrel ran through the branches.
There are some pools under the trees a bit further on where a couple of Water Buffalos were tied up, which had attracted two Eastern Cattle Egrets. As we approached, a White-breasted Waterhen ran across the road in front of us and another three scattered from the edge of the water and several Red-wattled Lapwings flew up noisily.
A Yellow-browed Warbler called from somewhere in the trees and a Black-naped Monarch and a couple of Pin-striped Tit-Babblers were lurking in a particularly dense, dark bush just beyond the fence. One or two White Wagtails were by the pools and a Grey Wagtail picked its way along the back edge. Scanning the tops of the dead trees, another Coppersmith Barbet flew in to the top of one and posed nicely, at first calling with a large fruit in its bill before it ate it. Our first Red Collared Doves were in the trees further back.
The temperature had dropped a bit so we drove back the very short distance to the more open ricefields. As we got out of the minibus again, there were flocks of Scaly-breasted and a few White-rumped Munias flying in and out of the crops. Several Asian Green Bee-eaters were hawking from a nearby fence, a Brown Shrike was hunting from the top of an old Stevenson screen just behind and a couple of Oriental Magpie Robins were displaying.
Two Striated Swallows (now strangely lumped with Asian Red-rumped Swallow – surely a decision which will be reversed at some point) flew over and landed on the support wires for a nearby transmission tower. Further back, a White-throated Kingfisher was perched on a post in the fields and a Rufous-winged Buzzard was in the top of a tree behind. A Chinese Pond Heron flew across, flashing its white wings – easy to identify here, as there are no other species present.
Lots of swiftlets were coming down to drink at a nearby pool but we were looking into the light from here – never ideal conditions for identifying the tricky swiftlets! – so we walked down the road to the other side for a better view. They looked like mainly Himalayan Swiftlets but with one or two paler Germain’s Swiftlets in with them. There were several Barn Swallows hawking round over the water too.
Three Alexandrine Parakeets flew over calling, followed by a couple of singles. Some flocks of Great Mynas flew up into the trees at the back and were joined by two Black-collared Starlings and a couple of Siamese Pied Starlings. A Lineated Barbet appeared in the top of another tree further back. A couple of Hoopoes flew across and landed on some wires next to a Pied Bushchat. Red-billed Blue Magpie called from somewhere in the trees the other side of the road and in the reeds behind us, we could hear Chestnut-capped Babblers now too. They refused to show themselves other than a few glimpses through the vegetation, not helped by a constant stream of joggers running past, a couple of cars and several dogs walking in front of us.
A smart male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker was feeding in a small tree in the edge of the reeds, a Brown Shrike and several some flocks of Scaly-breasted Munias posed nicely on the wires. Several larger flocks of smaller Ring-necked Parakeets flew in over our heads and into the trees behind the reeds now, presumably heading in to roost.
A nice, gentle introduction to Thai birding after our long journey, the sun was starting to set as we walked back to the minibus. After a quick break back at the hotel to drop off our birding gear, we drove the very short distance to a nearby Thai restaurant for a delicious dinner. The northern Thai pork curry, Gaeng Hung Lay, was particularly popular. After dinner, everyone was pretty tired following two long days travelling so it was time for an early night.
Wednesday 5th February
We checked out and left early this morning. It was just starting to get light as we arrived at Mae Taeng and parked by the river. Scanning the lake opposite, we found a few Little Grebes, Common Moorhen, Grey Heron and Chinese Pond Heron and a fairly large group of Black-winged Stilts roosting out in the middle. Nick had brought pastries, ricecakes and fruit and Chatree brewed up coffee for us on his gas burner, so we ate our breakfast overlooking the river bank.
As the light started to improve, birds started to appear in the bushes, perching up in the tops. First several Red-whiskered Bulbuls, then quickly followed by a Wryneck which stayed on view for some time, accompanied in the same scope view first by a Purple Sunbird and then a Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker. A couple of Malaysian Pied Fantails, two Taiga Flycatchers and both Grey-breasted Prinia and a Common Tailorbird flicked around below us. Both Yellow-browed and Dusky Warblers were calling and showed occasionally and a Swinhoe’s White-eye appeared briefly. A succession of flocks of Baya Weavers flew in and soon the tops of the bushes were alive with them.
We walked down the track a little further and across the wide verge which had been cultivated. It was now covered with low spiny mimosa regrowth, but we cut over to a gap in the taller bushes beyond from where we could look back down across the trees on the bank towards the river. As we did so, a male Black-faced Bunting flew out past us and dropped down into the low thorny vegetation. There was no way we could see it in there, so we walked slowly towards it, getting rather scratched in the process, hoping it might flick up into the top. After a couple of brief views as it flicked up and back in, it flew out, up over the taller bushes and back down towards the river.
We walked back to the gap. It had obviously wanted to come out of the thicker trees and we figured it might perch up in the tops now, before it had another go. We had better views of some of the birds we had seen earlier from here, like Baya Weavers, Yellow-browed Warblers and Streak-eared Bulbuls. A couple of Rusty-capped Babblers called but wouldn’t show themselves but a Yellow-bellied Prinia was more obliging and perched in the top of the bushes. We didn’t have to wait too long before the Black-faced Bunting appeared in the tops now too. The first time, it didn’t stay up for very long but when it came up the second time it perched in full view for several minutes so we could all get a good look at it through the scope.
As we walked back down past the minibus, a Greater Coucal flew up from the verge and a Lesser Coucal flew out of the reeds. There have been some wintering Long-billed Plovers here again this year so we continued on down to the dam to see if we could find them. When we got to the top of the bank above, we could see a fisherman wading in the water just beyond the shallow pools where the plovers had been and no sign of them now. There were just a single Little Ringed Plover, a Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers.
Last year we had seen one a little further downstream, so we thought we should try there next. Crossing the more open verge here we flushed a couple of Paddyfield Pipits but then as we approached the river again we could see a farmer down on the far side checking on his irrigation pump and no waders. A little further down still, we did flush a male Painted Snipe and a Common Snipe from a muddy pool on the bank. Checking the river again down to the bend beyond, the bed was muddier here, not really ideal for the plovers, and all we could see were a couple of Black-winged Stilts and two Green Sandpipers.
We made our way back up the verge to the minibus. Several Small Pratincoles flew high overhead, we picked up a small flock of House Swifts across the other side of the river and then some Himalayan Swiftlets followed by four Asian Palm Swifts. We stopped to look at a couple of flowering trees which were full of Great Mynas and a large flock of Chestnut-tailed Starlings flew in too.
It was just a short drive, further up the track, to a large muddy pool. It didn’t take long to locate our main target here, getting nice views of a couple of Small Pratincoles on the ground now. Further back, we found a much larger flock of Black-winged Stilts here than we had seen earlier, plus three Common Snipe and a few more Little Ringed Plover. There were a several White Wagtails around the muddy edges, including a single ocularis amongst the commoner leucopsis subspecies. An Amur Stonechat flicked around in the low vegetation on the bank.
On our way back, we had a quick stop to scan the river from the bridge, but even though the bed looked better here for a Long-billed Plover, all we could find were a couple more Green Sandpipers and another Little Ringed Plover. We stopped again briefly to check the dam from the other side, but two more fishermen had appeared now and perhaps unsurprisingly the plovers had not returned. With a long drive ahead of us, we had to admit defeat – it was just too disturbed here today.
The journey to Fang took a couple of hours and thankfully there were not too many lorries today on the twisty climbs to slow us down. When we got to the town, it was time for lunch so we headed straight round to a local restaurant. The food was delicious, a small bowl of soup with fried rice or boiled rice with crispy pork and kale in oyster sauce, topped with a fried egg, all cooked to order in front of us with the freshest ingredients.
After lunch, we had a quick pit stop at the hotel. Our rooms were not ready yet, but we dropped the larger luggage off and then set off to drive up to Doi Lang West. We hadn’t gone too far out of town when Nick spotted several Crested Treeswifts on the wires above the road, so we pulled over for a look. Stunning birds with their spiky crests and orange faces on the adults, we had fantastic close views now of a species which we more often see just in flight. An Oriental Honey Buzzard circled high overhead above them.
Driving on up the hillside, we could see several Oriental Turtle Doves feeding on the verge where seed is put out for the pheasants in the mornings, so we pulled up briefly for a look.
At the top, we stopped again under the trees and got out. It was a very pleasant temperature up here for birding, despite it being mid afternoon. Two Bronzed Drongos were flycatching from a tree above the road as we walked on. There are a series of feeding stations along here where photographers put out meal worms for birds. Stopping on the road by one, a Grey Treepie flew out of the trees as Nick walked in to restock it. A female Hill Blue Flycatcher flew straight in, followed by several Sooty-headed Bulbuls.
A brief male Slaty-backed Flycatcher was only seen by one of group who was standing in just the right place, but this was quickly followed by a gorgeous male Rufous-bellied Niltava which showed well for all of us when not chased off by the bulbuls. A flock of Large Woodshrikes flew over the road and landed briefly in the tops of the trees above us and a female Ultramarine Flycatcher was flicking around feeding high in a pine tree the other side of the road.
Nick had walked back to the minibus and heard a mixed flock in the trees back by where we had parked, so we followed. When we arrived, there were several Yunnan Fulvettas, plus Golden Babbler and Grey-throated Babbler in the low vegetation on the bank right above the road. A Pallas’s Warbler flitted through the bushes above flashing its yellow rump, and we could hear several Hume’s Warblers calling.
The Fulvettas moved quickly through and were clearly looking for food at another nearby stake-out, so Nick put out more mealworms and they immediately came in to feed right in front of us. A Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher and a female Rufous-bellied Niltava both waited patiently until the greedy Fulvettas had finished and moved away. A Hume’s Treecreeper flew in and climbed up a tree trunk in front of us and a 1st winter male Gould’s Sunbird flicked around high above.
When the flock had moved on again, we walked back down the road past where we had been earlier. The Cook’s Swifts were starting to descend and from time to time a small group would flash past over the trees. At another feeding area just beyond, we found a female Grey Bushchat waiting patiently. Once the mealworms were out, it didn’t take long before the male Siberian Rubythroat appeared out of the undergrowth behind – stunning close views now of what can otherwise be a very skulking species and a most-wanted bird for several members of the group.
A female Slaty-backed Flycatcher came in and out too and a couple of Buff-throated Warblers were feeding in the bushes on the verge a little further on. There had been a Hodgson’s Frogmouth on the nest here last February, right by the road above the path to one of the feeding stations, but despite checking the trees all around we couldn’t find any sign of it here this year sadly.
We were heading back to the minibus for coffee, but Nick heard Long-tailed Broadbills calling beyond so we quickly followed the sound to see if we could catch them. Unfortunately we were just too late and they disappeared down the slope before we could get to them. Walking back to try for our coffee again, at the back of the group we picked up some movement in the trees, a large mixed flock. They were deep in and up the slope above but we stopped to scan. First we picked up some Grey-chinned Minivets and then we had a glimpse of a Himalayan Cutia. Shouting to the others, they came hurrying back.
The flock were moving quickly through the trees but the Cutias stopped to bathe where there must have been a small pool in a fork high in a tree above us up the slope. We could at least get everyone on to them now, even if we were looking through all the branches in front. The Cutias were joined by several Rufous-backed Sibias too, just to confuse matters at one point. The flock moved on and started to come down towards the road. We could see Scarlet Minivets in with them too now, plus Grey-capped and Stripe-breasted Woodpeckers, Grey Treepie, European (White-faced) Jay and White-browed Shrike-Babbler. A Giant Nuthatch called but we couldn’t see it, and we were concentrating on the Cutias.
The flock crossed over the road and both the Cutias and Sibias stopped to feed in some trees the other side. Downslope now, we were not having to look so high up and they were significantly closer so we had much better views. Himalayan Cutia can be a hard bird to find, so we were very pleased to catch up with this already on our first afternoon up here. Eventually the Cutias moved away down through the trees away from us and we turned our attention to a couple of Chestnut-vented Nuthatches and a small group of Velvet-fronted Nuthatches which were still in the trees.
Back to the minibus, we finally got our coffee and ricecakes. Before we could actually drink it though, we noticed some Thai photographers moving into position further along the road. We hurried down and found they were watching a small group of Mountain Bamboo-Partridge which had come out to feed on the edge of the tarmac. We managed to catch them ourselves before they crept back into the vegetation. As we turned to head back, a couple of Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babblers had come in to one of the feeding stations.
It was time to head back to the hotel now and it was starting to get dark by the time we arrived. Check-in was very quick and we had time for a short break to freshen up before dinner in the restaurant. Nick picked a selection of different Thai dishes for everyone to try, non-spicy as well as spicy. Afterwards, we finally got a chance to go through the bird list for the last two days before turning in for the night.
Thursday 6th February
It was still dark as we left the hotel after breakfast, and the Asian Koel was already calling, but it was getting light when we got to the top of Doi Ang Khang about 45 minutes later. As we got out of the minibus opposite the campground, a Grey Bushchat was singing from the wires above. Two Olive-backed Pipits flew in calling and landed in the tops of a tree in front of us where we watched them moving around in the branches. We thought they might drop down onto the grass below but a couple of minutes later they flew off again.
There were a few people in the campsite itself so we walked a short distance up the road and in through the pines to view the hillside below. The sun was just starting to catch the trees here now. Looking down the slope, a Grey-backed Shrike was perched on a branch, a small flock of Dark-backed Sibias moved through above it and we saw our first Flavescent Bulbuls. We were hoping to find Giant Nuthatch here, but we couldn’t hear one.
It was a bit too steep to walk up further through the trees so we cut back out onto the road. A Davison’s Leaf Warbler was singing across the other side and we could see it flicking around in the leaves. Stopping again and walking back into the pines, there were several Hume’s Warblers calling above us now and a Chinese Leaf Warbler low down in the bushes in front. An Indochinese Roller flew off through the trees before we could find an angle to get on it. We could see both Grey-chinned and Short-billed Minivets, a male of the latter posing nicely in the top of the bushes right in front of us at one point.
An Asian (formerly Japanese) Tit was singing right at the top of a nearby pine, looking like a monochrome Great Tit, and a Stripe-breasted Woodpecker landed on a branch high above us. We could see a Golden-throated Barbet in a fruit tree behind the tops of two pines but it was very well camouflaged in the green leaves and hard to see until you looked through the scope. After a while, it was joined by a second and then a third.
A flock of Striated Bulbuls seemed to come out of the same tree, moving through the tops quickly, dropping down into another fruiting tree the other side of the road. We walked across for a closer look and had great views now of them feeding right in front of us. The Golden-throated Barbets dropped across into the same tree too, a Blue-throated Barbet following them now, but they all disappeared deeper in. A couple of Blue-winged Minlas came out to feed on the edge, above the tarmac.
Walking back down the road, we stopped to watch a flock moving through the trees. The Yunnan Fulvettas and Flavescent Bulbuls came out to feed in the vegetation on the verge, but the Silver-eared Mesias kept a little deeper in and were harder to see.
We were then distracted as a Giant Nuthatch called in the pines above the campsite behind us, on the other side of road. The sound seemed to be moving downhill towards the campsite, so we walked down to view from there where we wouldn’t be looking into the sun. It didn’t take long to locate the Giant Nuthatches, and we had good views of them feeding in the pines above the campground, following them for a while before they disappeared back out of view.
Back out onto the road, some Dark-backed Sibias were feeding around the fence and a smart male Black-breasted Thush appeared above them. The flock of Yunnan Fulvettas was still in the trees the other side so we stopped to see what we could find with them. A Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo swooped around through the trunks and landed briefly a couple of times. Nick whistled the call of Collared Owlet and a female Asian Emerald Cuckoo flew out and landed above us. It was followed shortly after by a male, which went across the road into the trees the other side.
While we were looking at it, we noticed a pair of Chestnut-vented Nuthatches in the branches above. They were chasing round after a striking darker nuthatch with deep chestnut on the breast and belly. There is not supposed to be anything like that here, but we managed to get some photos of it and eventually confirmed it was a Burmese Nuthatch. They are mainly a lowland species, occurring up to 800m according to the field guides (and we were at 1750m!) but apparently there are some small isolated populations in these montane pine forests.
Moving on, we drove round to a nearby temple. We stood to watch under the trees where some rice had already been scattered on the ground and Nick added some mealworms. It seemed rather quiet initially, but then first a couple of Olive-backed Pipits dropped down to feed in the leaves and gradually more and more birds appeared. After a while there were several Black-breasted and Eye-browed Thrushes feeding on the ground, some of the former coming right up to the edge of the buildings below us.
A couple of Mountain Bulbuls flew in, followed by several Blue-winged Minlas which seemed to particularly like the low bushes right in front of us. A Pallas’s Squirrel came down to grab some rice and a Blue Whistling Thrush (of the migratory black-billed form) landed by some dog bowls behind us where the monks had put more food out.
We could hear Large Niltava singing in the trees nearby but it never came into view. Eventually the large flock of Silver-eared Mesia came in and proceeded to drop down onto the ground, some right in front of us giving us fantastic close-up views of what is one of the most colourful of species.
Our next stop was at the King’s Project. Through the entrance gate, we drove in past the beautifully manicured ornamental gardens and parked by the main buildings. Immediately, Nick could hear Spot-winged Grosbeaks calling and we quickly found them in some fruiting trees by the back of the restaurant. They were not feeding but we had what we thought were good views of several males and females up in the branches. We could see a distant Bombax tree on the hillside beyond was in flower, so we set up the scopes to scan and as well as lots of Red-whiskered Bulbuls, we found a female Maroon Oriole, Orange-bellied Leafbird and another Blue-throated Barbet all feeding on the flowers.
There were some closer flowering Bombax trees the other side of the buildings, so we walked round to check them out now. Another female Maroon Oriole flew out as we walked up but the same or a third reappeared in one of the trees a little later and we had better views of it high above us. We stood a while underneath to watch. Another Orange-bellied Leafbird was feeding on the flowers and several Indian White-eyes came in. We could hear more Blue-throated Barbets and saw one fly out. A Banded Bay Cuckoo landed in the branches briefly too and a couple of Asian Red-rumped Swallows circled high overhead.
Then we found some more Spot-winged Grosbeaks in another fruiting tree here, which showed even better than the ones we had seen earlier. Amazing!
It was getting hot now, so we walked back to the restaurant to use the facilities. Nick went to the minibus to get the mealworms while the rest of the group walked up towards a nearby stake-out, but when Nick joined us there he didn’t have any mealworms with him, just a ricecake. We had left the mealworms back at the temple! We tried to con the birds in with some sprinkles of broken ricecake but nothing was tempted. The fact that nothing even came in to investigate suggested maybe it was too late in the morning now, and nothing was feeding. Walking back down through the shady bamboo garden, two Yellow-bellied Warblers flicked around above us.
Driving out of the King’s Project, we made a quick diversion to collect the bag of mealworms back at the temple, but when we got there we couldn’t find it where it had been left. One of the monks outside, who we had seen earlier, denied any knowledge of it but then we noticed the plastic bag on the compost heap below the building. The monks had clearly thrown them away and taken the nice paper shopping bag Nick had carried them in. We rescued what we could, then drove back to the village below the King’s Project for lunch.
Again, Nick ordered a selection of dishes for everyone to try, including a delicious Yunnanese pork curry. Afterwards, we stopped at a local shop to try some of the dried fruits which are grown here and several of the group bought bags to take home (though most seemed to get eaten over the following days). We walked round past the stalls and looked at all the different local vegetables but sadly the one selling ginger tea wasn’t open today.
It was early afternoon now and the heat of the day, but we decided to try a nearby site for Black-headed Greenfinch. As we got out of the minibus, we saw three or four fly off through the tops of the trees but thankfully we could still hear some calling high in the pines above. It wasn’t long before several dropped down onto some lower branches where we could set them in the scopes. A scarce species which we don’t often see here. Walking on a short distance along the road we stopped to admire the views, first one side back into Thailand, then the other side looking across over into Myanmar.
We drove round to the army checkpoint on the Burmese border next, which is a bit of a tourist attraction. On our way in through the gate, we passed all the stalls selling scarves, hats and other souvenirs made by the local hill tribes and parked in the car park. A Burmese Shrike was singing in the garden beyond and we quickly located it in a nearby conifer.
Walking in past the bunkers and lookout posts, we stood and looked down beyond the razor wire. Two Long-tailed Shrikes and another Burmese Shrike were making good use of the overgrown scrubby no man’s land. The Burmese Shrike flew up and landed on the razor wire in front of us, as if standing guard – somehow, it seemed a strangely appropriate place to see a species with this name!
We had a quick look in the grounds behind the toilet block but unsurprisingly at this time of day there was no sign of the Daurian Redstart which had been seen here recently. Several Cook’s Swifts zoomed back and forth overhead. Driving back to the other side of Doi Ang Khang, we had a quick stop at the Chinese Cemetery. Several bulbuls were feeding in a fruiting tree above the road, including at least three Brown-breasted Bulbuls. Otherwise, the trees here seemed fairly quiet still. Having spent most of the day up here, we decided to do something different for the remainder of the afternoon, and head back down to the ricefields.
It took just under an hour to drive back down to Fang and out into the ricefields beyond. As we got out of the minibus, a Brown Shrike was perched in the stubble in front of us, a Medium (Intermediate) Egret, several Cattle Egrets and Chinese Pond Herons were in the growing paddies beyond, and we could see lots of Black-winged Stilts over the far side. Walking in across the stubble, there were several Amur Stonechats and we noticed a Citrine Wagtail on a nearby bund.
A couple of Chestnut-eared Buntings flew up ahead of us but quickly dropped back down out of view into the rice stubble. We stopped and waited to see if they would reappear. One came up and perched in the top feeding briefly but dropped down before everyone could get onto it. Thankfully, a second then appeared in line of taller vegetation of the edge of one of the bunds in front of us and stayed up a little longer. Good views now in the scopes.
We could hear an Oriental Skylark singing but it was doing so from the ground and we couldn’t see it in the stubble. After a while it flew up in front of us and circled round still singing, before it dropped back down. Watching where it landed, we could see it on the ground now. It was singing from the top of the bund in front of us and even though it was covered in vegetation, the Oriental Skylark was visible looking down the path along the top. We could even get it in the scopes now.
A Bluethroat flashed across but too quick and not seen by the rest of the group, landing in a wet area where we couldn’t get to it. A ringtail harrier flew in low over the stubble, a juvenile Pied Harrier. It flew past quite close in front of us, then landed in the stubble where we managed to get it in the scopes too before it flew off again. A very distant Shikra flew up over the fields beyond.
Walking on over to the far side, we flushed at least three Oriental Skylarks now and two Chestnut-eared Buntings. Several Zitting Cisticolas flew up ahead of us and one landed in the taller vegetation on the bund. Looking across into the wet paddies at the back, we could see several more Citrine Wagtails, and lots of White Wagtails, including some of the both the regular leucopsis subspecies and several ocularis.
There were at least a couple of Wood Sandpipers and Common Sandpipers that we could see and probably more out of view feeding in the growing rice. A distant Black Bushchat was perched on a post and a White-throated Kingfisher on another post nearby. A very distant Richard’s Pipit was running down one of the bunds. It was time to start heading back. We got back to the hotel with plenty of time for a rest and a chance to freshen up before dinner tonight.
Friday 7th February
It was an early breakfast this morning, as we were heading back up Doi Lang to try to see Mrs Hume’s Pheasant. We drove up in the dark, getting stuck behind another minibus obviously heading up to the same place, and it was just starting to get light as we arrived at the stake-out. There were only two cars there ahead of us and we got into position behind the other minibus. Just a single pop-up photography hide had been erected on the verge opposite this morning, but too close to where the pheasants come out to feed for our liking, as often seems to be the case.
Two Oriental Turtle Doves were already in, feeding on the side of the road. A couple of Grey Bushchats, plus Slaty-backed and Rufous-gorgeted Flycatchers flicked in and out of the trees above and an Olive-backed Pipit was feeding on the ground in front of the hide. There seemed to be a lot of noise today, which is the opposite of what is needed when trying for the pheasants. The person in the hide was fidgeting, then the man from the second car back got out and walked up to talk to the photographer’s guides who were standing behind their vehicle at the front. Two more cars pulled up behind us, with people getting in and out noisily.
Just getting to the best time for the pheasants, a moped drove through along the road, which certainly wouldn’t help. To compound matters, the occupants of one of the cars which had just arrived decided to leave, slamming the car doors as they got in and driving straight through the crowd past the verge. The minibus which had arrived in front us then went too. All at just the wrong time, and it was perhaps no surprise that the time for the pheasants to emerge came and went. Very frustrating!
A Radde’s Warbler worked its way through the vegetation on the verge calling and a couple of Black-throated Tits were feeding high in the pines opposite. We heard a Slender-billed Oriole calling, and just got sight of it in the top of a tree through a gap as it dropped down out of view. The photographers started packing up their tent, so it was definitely all over now.
Moving on, we drove further along the road and parked. We were looking for Spot-breasted Parrotbill here, but there was no sign at the first place we tried. There were a couple of Scarlet Minivets in the trees and a Common Rosefinch which flew off calling. As we walked on along the road, a pair of Rufescent Prinias were in the vegetation on the verge and the first Cook’s Swifts started to circle up overhead.
When we heard a distant Collared Owlet calling, Nick mimicked its whistle and it seemed to be coming in a bit closer. With a bit of luck, we found it looking through a small gap in the closer trees and got it in the scopes. We would have settled for those views, but without prompting it took off and flew straight towards us, landing again above our heads. It was followed by a noisy mob of small birds, Scarlet Minivets, Asian Tits and a brief female Fire-breasted Flowerpecker. We could still hear it calling, and now we could see its throat moving as it did so.
Walking on, a male Siberian Rubythroat appeared on the edge of the road ahead of us, with a female in the bushes on the verge directly opposite. A Long-tailed Shrike was perched in some bamboo beyond. We could hear Spot-breasted Parrotbill calling now, possibly two, but it took a while to work out where the sound was coming from. Then we realised one was very near to the road, so we positioned ourselves opposite and it eventually came up into the tops of the dense vegetation where we could see it.
We could hear Maroon Orioles calling and a couple of Long-tailed Sibias flew over without stopping. Through the trees on the verge to the edge of the ridge, we had a lovely view out across the valley beyond. A Brown-breasted Bulbul was perched in the top of a tall tree below, enjoying the morning sun. Back out along the road, a Golden-throated Barbet flew over. When we stopped to look at two Grey Treepies, Nick noticed a very well camouflaged Crested Finchbill perched in a fruiting bush really close on the verge opposite.
Walking on up the hill, we came to the army checkpoint and the end of the road (or at least as far as we could go). There were several Flavescent Bulbuls here, one waiting patiently by the stake-out but no one had put any mealworms down this morning. A flock of Silver-eared Mesias and a couple of Black-crested Bulbuls were feeding on a fruiting bush in the trees the other side.
Nick whistled Collared Owlet again, and lots of birds appeared to investigate – several Gould’s Sunbirds, Indian White-eye, Little Pied Flycatcher. An Asian Emerald Cuckoo called, but didn’t come out. We watched a Claudia’s Leaf Warbler feeding like a nuthatch on the boughs of a tree further back. Chatree had brought the van up and put the water on for coffee and ricecakes.
After our coffee break, Chatree took Nick back for the minibus and he came up to collect us. As we drove back along the road, a large Wild Boar ran across the tarmac ahead of us. It was warming up, so we stopped in the shady spot under the thicker trees. A Blue Whistling Thrush came in to check out the stakeout opposite while Nick was getting the mealworms, while a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher and a female Rufous-bellied Niltava waited patiently above.
There were a few birds in the trees, including a rather dark Cuckooshrike which reviewing the photos confirmed was Indochinese Cuckooshrike, plus Hume’s Treecreeper, Rufous-backed Sibia and White-browed Shrike-Babbler. Nick could hear Grey-headed Parrotbills, but they were too far down the slope to see and didn’t seem to be moving. We had brought a packed lunch today, and after our early start we were hungry now. Fried rice with lime and, for those who wanted it, chilli sauce (as some was left over, double helpings were available for the really keen!).
After lunch, we walked up and down slowly a short way along the road for a bit. It is cooler here and there are usually a few birds to see here, even in the middle of the day. A pair of Pale Blue Flycatchers were in the trees, and the Rufous-backed Sibias were a bit closer now. A Marten’s Warbler was helpfully vocal in the vegetation on the verge (impossible to separate from similar species unless it calls), along with Chinese Leaf Warbler, and a Pallas’s Warbler above. A Davison’s Leaf Warbler was singing and showed off the very white underside to its tail.
Nick heard a distant Rusty-naped Pitta down the hillside, but it went quiet instead of answering. A few birds deeper in the trees turned out to be a group of Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes and two Blue-bearded Bee-eaters. The usual flock of Yunnan Fulvettas worked their way through along the verge, together with a couple of Golden Babblers. We continued on a little further to the stake-out in the drier, more open trees where we found a mixed group of both Rusty-cheeked and White-browed Scimitar-Babblers.
A change of scene for the rest of the afternoon, once it started to cool down a little we drove back down to Fang and out into the ricefields beyond. There were lots of egrets in the wetter fields, as we turned off the road and onto a track along the top of a bank. We hadn’t gone far before we found a couple of lorries laden with dirt ahead of us. They were working on the irrigation channel below the track, clearing it and reinforcing the banks. The trucks saw us and quickly moved out of the way, and the way ahead looked clear, so we drove past.
We could see Grey-headed Lapwings in the distance, but as the bank curves round, we knew we would get closer further up. Then, as we drove round the corner, we found a large digger on the side of the road ahead. It still looked like we could probably get through at first, but we stopped first and got out to look at the Lapwings. Scanning the fields, we could see more egrets and a single Common Snipe dropped in. They seemed to be working right where we wanted to park and then one of the trucks drove past us and dumped its load of earth right in the middle of the track. We definitely couldn’t go on now, so we decided to turn around, drive over to the other side of the river and try our luck there instead.
It was a lot less disturbed round on the other side. We were hoping to find Yellow-breasted Buntings here, but at first all we saw were lots of Baya Weavers in the reeds. A Striated Grassbird flew up and started singing from the top of a tree nearby, as a Black-crowned Night Heron landed below. We just had time for a quick look through the scopes, before the Night Heron flew off again and flushed the Grassbird. It was still singing further up, but we couldn’t see it again.
While we were scanning, we picked up four Yellow-breasted Buntings as they flew up out of the reeds, but they disappeared off high without us getting a good look. There were still more Yellow-breasted Buntings calling on and off now and after some brief views of a couple in the reeds and more flying out, eventually a male posed beautifully on the top of a reed stem. In the last twenty years it has become clear that the population has crashed due to heavy hunting pressure in China, and it is now considered to be Critically Endangered, so it is always good to see some flocks still wintering here.
There was a small group of bare muddy paddies, out in the middle of the others full of growing rice, the other side of the track. Scanning across, we could just see several pipits and wagtails feeding on the mud behind the bunds. Thankfully, from time to time, they came into view or perched up on the banks.
At first, we found several Red-throated Pipits, some with developing red throats. Then we noticed a couple of Rosy Pipits too, one starting to go pink on the breast. At one point, we had one Rosy and two Red-throated Pipits preening together on a bund, a really good opportunity for comparison. There were a few Paddyfield Pipits as well, and the wagtails were mostly leucopsis White Wagtails and Citrine Wagtails, with one or two Eastern Yellow Wagtails with them.
There were a few waders in the paddies too, feeding in the rice. We found Common, Green and several Wood Sandpipers, a small group of three or four Pacific Golden Plovers and several Little Ringed Plovers. A White-throated Kingfisher was perched on a distant post. Two Glossy Ibis flew over and a very large flock of Asian Openbills circled up out of the trees in the distance. To round it all off, one of the group turned round to see a cracking male Pied Harrier flying in behind us which carried on straight past and off over the fields beyond.
Back to the hotel, we just had half an hour to freshen up quickly before dinner. Nick ordered the usual selection of dishes for us all to sample, including a delicious panang red curry tonight, watched over by the House Geckos on the wall beyond. We would be checking out in the morning, so after going through the day’s list we settled up our bar bills at reception before turning in.
Saturday 8th February
The Asian Koel was calling outside again as we loaded our bags into the truck after breakfast. It was still dark as we drove over to Fang Hot Springs but just getting light as we arrived. We stopped in the parking area and stood scanning the trees. A Greater Racket-tailed Drongo swooped around and landed high in one of the trees above us, then was joined by a Lineated Barbet next to it, so we turned scopes onto each of those. We found a couple of Eurasian (White-faced) Jays feeding the trees here too.
A noisy flock of Black-crested Bulbuls descended on a fruiting bush next to us with one or two Black-headed Bulbuls in tow and a Coppersmith Barbet perched on the top of a dead tree calling. Then an Asian Barred Owlet flew through the trees above us with a crowd of mobbing birds in pursuit. In landed high in one tree, where it was not such a good view, then flew back into another tree where it was much clearer, perched looking down at us.
As we walked across the campground, we could hear Great Barbets calling but we couldn’t find them at first. Scanning the tops of the trees on the surrounding ridge, we could see lots of Hair-crested Drongos gathering in the early morning sun which was just starting to break through. From the bridge, we found a very distant Oriental Honey Buzzard on a dead tree on the top of the ridge the other side.
Another Great Barbet started calling and this one sounded closer, so we walked on further and found two of them perched nicely in the open where we could get a good look at them. There were several Lineated Barbets which posed nicely in the trees here too.
This proved a good spot to scan from as lots of birds started to appear in the trees as the sun started to rise. A flock of Chestnut-tailed Starlings whirled round and landed above us, two Black Bulbuls then appeared on a tree behind, a Thick-billed Pigeon flew in briefly and we picked up a Black-hooded Oriole which landed in a bush high on the ridge in the distance. Then an Asian Koel started singing from a bare tree very close to us where we could watch it in the scopes, joined by a Great Barbet and two Lineated Barbets.
We decided to head round to the hot springs now. There were several Long-tailed Minivets which had been feeding in the low trees behind us and they were joined by an Orange-bellied Leafbird. A Common Kingfisher perched on a tree stump in the corner of one of the small lakes. The Eurasian Jays were still in the trees by the car park as we stopped to use the facilities.
Walking along the road to the springs, three Olive-backed Pipits flew up from the grass and two Taiga Flycatchers flitted in and out of the trees above us. We stopped to admire the view out across the open grass with the channels and pools of steaming water, the artificial ‘geyser’ spouting high into the sky behind. A male Blue Rock Thrush hopped up onto a rock on the near edge of the grass and we could see a female over the far side, on the platform. A Black-naped Oriole worked its way through one of the trees in front of us, looking for food. A Grey Wagtail flew ahead of us and landed again on the path, wagging its tail up and down. We were hoping to find more green pigeons along here, but all we came across were several Feral Pigeons flying round.
From the platform, we had a good view out across the hot springs and to the hillsides all around. Lots of Barn Swallows were hawking low, back and forth over the grass, and hundreds of Swiftlets were in the sky over the ridge behind. Hard to identify to species against the light but the one we had a bit lower in front of the trees at one point was a Himalayan Swiftlet.
The Spot-winged Grosbeaks had already departed up into the mountains when we were here last year. Ironically, having enjoyed fantastic close views of them the other day at Doi Ang Khang, we now found two Grosbeaks perched in the trees behind us. A little later, when they had dropped into a nearby fruit tree to feed, we counted five of them in total, still here. The Black-naped Oriole had continued to work its way through the trees around the grass and now arrived at the ones closest to the platform. This tree was a bit more open, and the Oriole was even closer than earlier, so we had some wonderful views of that now as it hopped up and down through the branches.
We took the path out across the grass between the steaming hot pools now. Several Black Drongos were hawking from the trees around the edges, two White Wagtails were hopping around on the rocks and two close Black-collared Starlings were feeding on the short grass. Looking back to the ridge behind the ‘geyser’ from out in the middle, Nick picked up a young Crested Serpent-Eagle perched half way up, sunning itself, and then we found a very distant Blue-eared Barbet right on the top too. Several small Lesser Grass Blue butterflies were fluttering round in the grass.
We made our way back to the minibus now for coffee and to use the rest rooms. A Black Bulbul was perched on the bushes beyond the health centre, a little closer than the ones we had seen earlier and in lovely light now.
It was a little over two hours drive to Chiang Saen, with a break to refuel at a filling station where loads of Asian Palm Swifts were zooming round and round a small palm tree. The skies clouded over, high and hazy, as we got into Chiang Rai province but the temperature was still in the lows 30s °C. We started to see lots more Asian Openbills in the ricefields as we passed.
When we got to the local restaurant on the bank of the Mekong which Nick normally uses for lunch, we found it was closed for refurbishment. Nick asked the proprietors where else they could recommend instead and they told him the name of a couple of tourist restaurants further up the river. Apparently they aren’t very good! So Chatree asked and was told about a local restaurant back towards the village. It was still by the river, but on the other side of the road. As we got out, there were lots of birds feeding in the trees on the riverbank. Most of the group went straight in for lunch, but for those who lingered as we stopped to photograph a Coppersmith Barbet over the pavement, we found a small group of Swinhoe’s White-eyes and a Common Iora.
The restaurant was a good recommendation and the food was delicious. As usual, a variety of different dishes to suit all palates was available, but the Moo Nam Tok (grilled Thai pork salad) was very good indeed and one of the group tried the Tom Yum (spicy soup) which arrived in a huge bowl and was apparently really delicious too. After lunch, we checked the trees and found the White-eyes still there for the rest of the group, plus a Pallas’s Squirrel. We checked into our nearby hotel now and had a little bit of time to settle in and get sorted out before we met again in the lobby.
The main Chiang Saen Lake doesn’t have much out on it the middle of it these days, it is too often disturbed by fishermen, but there can be good birds around the edges. As we drove down along one side, we could already see lots of Grey-headed Swamphens on the marshy area between the road and the water and when we stopped and got out we had good views of them.
There were Lesser Whistling Ducks and a Glossy Ibis here too, a Purple Heron in the shallows, a Citrine Wagtail and a Grey-headed Lapwing flew off calling. Four Oriental Darters were perched in the trees on an island at the back. We scanned the open water but all we could see were several Coots, Moorhens, Little Grebes and some more distant Little Cormorants. Just as we got back into the minibus, another Little Cormorant flew in and landed in a small dead tree in the middle of the marshy area at the front.
We drove on a little further and stopped again. There had been a Baer’s Pochard here last month, but there had been no report of it since 26th so we presumed it had been disturbed. We couldn’t find anything different out on the lake, no ducks at all, so we decided to move on.
Last winter, lots of the ducks were found on some newly dug pits which have been Nick-named (literally!) Hellscape Water Pits, including a couple of Baer’s Pochard, so we decided to check that out now. Apparently, it used to be a huge area of marsh, one of the last remaining but for some reason in the last couple of years it has been turned into a vast area of huge, sculpted lakes. What they are meant to be used for, nobody seems to know but all in the name of economic development probably.
The drive in was down a maze of tracks through the fields. We stopped to look at some close Asian Openbills and found a dozen or so Eastern Yellow Wagtails in the wet grass, along with a Paddyfield Pipit. As we drove on, a male Pied Harrier was quartering the fields just beyond.
The pits are aptly named, a hellscape indeed. Large areas of open water separated by huge earth banks, with little in the way of vegetation either on the ground or in the water yet. Surprisingly, the ducks seem to like them though. We stopped on a large area of bare earth between several of the pits where some workers seemed to be erecting some solar panels – out in the middle of nowhere! With the sun behind us, we scanned the water one side and found hundreds of Indian Spot-billed Ducks, a few Garganey in with them too.
We were looking into the sun on the other side but there were a couple more pits there. The smaller one held just more Indian Spot-bills but the bigger one was covered in large rafts of ducks. Despite the light, we managed to pick out hundreds of Pintail, Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon and Lesser Whistling Ducks, and more Garganey and Indian Spot-bills among the closer birds.
Scanning through some more further back, we spotted a small group of four ducks in close association just as they swam behind an island. Moving further over, we could see them again. They were just silhouetted, but one had the distinctive shape of a male Falcated Duck, probably the other three were females. We could see the drake’s uniquely-shaped, big head and its long sickle-shaped (‘falcate’) tertials hanging over its rear end. It was not a great view though, by any stretch of the imagination and a couple of members of the group were not entirely convinced!
Surprisingly, we couldn’t see any diving ducks at all though, given that there had been quite a few here last winter. A Black Kite drifted over the open area behind us, and then a Peregrine flew low over the pits and disappeared over the bank at the back.
We were heading back to Chiang Saen Lake to watch the harriers coming in to roost this evening, so we had to leave. On the drive out, we stopped briefly to watch a male Pied Harrier quartering over a small area of ricefields. It was flying away from us, then turned and started to come back, circling up to get over the trees around the edge. Another raptor drifted over, a dark morph Booted Eagle, and then came back the other way to join the harrier on its thermal. The harrier swooped at it several times before the two of them disappeared back over the trees.
Further on, a Black-winged Kite was hovering over some rice stubble next to the road. It was staring intently down, obviously onto something, and as we watched it dropped down and came up with a small rodent in its talons.
Stopping on the track overlooking the harrier roost, we could see several Bronze-winged Jacanas out on the marshy area in front, along with another Purple Heron and a White-throated Kingfisher. A brief Yellow Bittern flew up but dropped straight down again before anyone could get onto it. A Plaintive Cuckoo flew in low and dropped down several times into the vegetation, and a Lesser Coucal in non-breeding plumage was hopping around in the grass on the bank along one side.
A Striated Grassbird perched up briefly on the bushes in the distance just as we were distracted by an Eastern Marsh Harrier coming in overhead. In the fifty minutes or so we stood and watched, at least a half dozen Eastern Marsh Harriers flew in, plus four or five Pied Harriers including another adult male. It was still light and the pace of arrival seemed to be accelerating still, but unfortunately we had to leave as we had dinner booked at the hotel tonight. It was about twenty minutes’ drive back and we only had a short time to freshen up before dinner.
Sunday 9th February
A slightly more leisurely start today, we met for breakfast at 6.30am in the hotel restaurant overlooking the Mekong. We were hoping to watch the sun rise over the river but it dawned cloudy. Still, it is a mighty fine view to start the morning. After breakfast, we headed back over to Hellscape Water Pits first. On the way, we finally managed to get everyone onto a couple of Zebra Doves which were feeding on the verge – they may be common, but it was surprising we had not run into any other than when driving past so far.
We were hoping to get better views of the Falcated Ducks and we quickly located them a bit closer this morning. The light was behind us too, making for much better views. There was a single smart drake accompanied by four rather drab looking females today. The falcate tertials on this male looked shorter and less striking than the one we had seen yesterday, but probably it was just the way the feathers were arranged. Falcated Duck is a rare bird even here, so a good one to catch up with.
A single Ferruginous Duck was one up on yesterday but was the only diving duck we managed to locate and a pair of Gadwall on the lake the other side with the Indian Spot-billed Ducks were also new for the trip. Like yesterday, there were some large rafts with a good selection of other ducks – Pintail, Garganey, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and Lesser Whistling Ducks.
There were a few other birds here too. Several Paddyfield Pipits flew round calling and landed on the bare ground. Their sharper calls alerted us to a pair of Plain-backed Sparrows which were perched in a dead tree further back behind the minibus, long enough for us to get a good look through the scopes before they flew off. An Eastern Buzzard flew low over the scrub beyond the pit and landed in the top of a small tree.
We were about to leave when we spotted four Ruddy Shelducks fly up in the distance, followed by another six. They dropped down again, in the direction of another pit out of view behind the banks at the back. It wasn’t possible to get over there directly from where we were but Nick had a quick look at Google Maps and decided there was a possible way round and in through a ‘State Park’ area the far side. We decided to give it a quick go.
Following the directions, we came out into an area of older, smaller pits which were more overgrown with trees around and lilypads. All we could see were several Black-winged Stilts at the back of one and a single Moorhen on the next one. Then the track came out into another open area of vast newly created pits with more large, embanked areas in between of almost completely bare earth. Another part of the same ‘Hellscape’ complex. There was nothing at all out on the pool by the track but two Common Greenshanks flew up from the edge and off calling low over the water as we drove past.
We could see from the map that there should be yet another pit just over the large bank next to us. It was a bit of a climb up over the bare earth but we managed to get to the top. Sure enough, there was the pit and this one had a lot of Spot-billed Ducks on it. We were far enough away not to spook them but the ducks were close to the front edge and started to swim back away from us. More emerged from out of view below the bank in front of us, which were followed by several small groups of Ruddy Shelducks. We had found them – and we eventually counted seventeen of them in total. But there was nothing else – the only other ducks we could see this side were a couple of Garganey and a Shoveler.
Walking on to the far end of the large new earth bank, we found ourselves looking down on a small area of ricefields below. There were the usual Asian Openbills, herons and egrets, plus a couple of Black Bushchats and Asian Pied Starlings on the bunds. The bushes along the edge held some Plain Prinias, two or three Dusky Warblers, Brown Shrike and Streak-eared Bulbul.
Looking over to some more ricefields beyond, we could see lots of wagtails lined up on a bund, about half and half White and Citrine Wagtails. Another Paddyfield Pipit started singing from the bare earth behind us. A couple of Oriental Darters flew over. As we started to walk back, a Peregrine flew over low, possibly the same one we had seen the other side yesterday. Back to the minibus, we made our way back out to the main road.
We were heading back to Chiang Saen Lake now, but the other side from where we tried yesterday. Prompted by Google Maps, we took a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end, so we had to turn round and head back out to the main road. After a bit of Thai driving (the wrong way down the edge of the dual carriageway) we took the next turn in a little further on, the way Nick knew. Getting out of the minibus, a Coppersmith Barbet was singing nearby and we found it perched in the top of a bare tree just above the road behind us, looking particularly smart in the sunshine.
In the area of short grassy marshland beyond, lots of Grey-headed Swamphens were feeding and chasing each other round. A couple of Indian Spot-billed Ducks were dozing a little further back, with a single Bronze-winged Jacana just behind. We walked along the track round the temple the other way, finding a couple more Bronze-winged Jacanas, Common and White-throated Kingfishers on the marshland that side. A little further on, we got the scopes on a distant Pheasant-tailed Jacana.
Out onto the floating platform on the far side of the temple, we could see more ducks out on the larger pool. They were mostly more Spot-bills but then we found three Gadwall and a single female Falcated Duck with them. The latter had been found earlier in January but had not been reported since 2nd February, so we were a little surprised to find it still here. A female Eastern Marsh Harrier was hunting out over the islands of floating vegetation and a Black Kite drifted over. Back on the path, we carried on round, stopping to look at another Pheasant-tailed Jacana slightly closer. We walked round past the Swamphens we had seen earlier and ran the gauntlet of some annoying dogs barking at us from the front of the temple.
We hadn’t checked out of the hotel this morning, so we drove back to Chiang Saen now to do it. A small group of Long-tailed Minivets were feeding in the trees outside when we arrived. That done, it was time for lunch, so we went back to the same restaurant we had visited yesterday. Several people had the Moo Nam Tok again, and more were tempted by the enormous bowl of Tom Yum soup. Once again, a variety of different dishes were available though.
After lunch, we had time for a bit of local culture. We visited Wat Chedi Luang, a temple believed to date back to the 13th century in the ancient walled city of Chiang Saen. A Taiga Flycatcher flew across the car park and over the wall beyond as we pulled up in the car park. It is still a working temple today but was ruined – a newer wooden structure was built over the remains of the impressively thick walls which are now only half standing. Inside, the large gold buddha statue was apparently found in the forest and regilded. Walking round the outside, we stopped to look at the remains of several other buildings and then admire the tall, moss-covered chedi (stupa) from which the temple gets its name.
Back to birding, we drove out of town to a nearby, smaller river. Scanning from the minibus on the main road bridge which crosses it, we could see what looked like martins in the distance, swooping over an area of bare sandy bank. We turned off main road, down onto a small track which runs along the side of the river, where we parked and got out. We could see holes in the bank opposite and a couple of Grey-throated Martins flying in and out of them.
A little further on, we found several more Grey-throated Martins hawking low over the top of a maize field with a couple of Barn Swallows. A couple of Asian Green Bee-eaters were flying out from the trees on the bank over the river. It was the heat of the day now, so perhaps unsurprisingly there was not much more activity.
With a long journey ahead, we decided to head off, but as the road crossed another large bridge we pulled up quickly to check the river below. We could see lots of Black-winged Stilts on the bank, so we parked and got out to scan. There were several more Grey-throated Martins here, swooping low over the water in the distance. Another Green and Common Sandpiper were on the mud. Scanning round the reed island in the middle, we couldn’t see anything else so we decided to press on.
We were heading back to Fang tonight but had enough time for a quick stop on the way at Thaton. Nick had spotted a new area of open sand on the edge of the river just before the village on the way up, deposited in last rainy season’s floods, so we wanted to check it out. We found a small road which led us down towards the river and a track through an orange grove to the riverbank. A couple of Common Sandpipers flew off from an island in the middle as we walked up and a Common Kingfisher was perched on a nearby snag.
Looking downstream, four Ruddy Shelducks were standing on another island further down. They took off and flew towards us, into the sun, then turned and headed off back the other way. Further down still, we could see a couple more Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers and a single Small Pratincole. Several Great Mynas and Chestnut-tailed Starlings flew down to the shore to bathe. Two Rufous-winged Buzzards circled up over the hillside behind us.
It was time to head on to Fang and check back into the hotel. There was a party in the restaurant tonight, so we had our own private room to one side. As usual, Nick ordered a selection of Thai dishes for everyone to try. The new dish of the day was the Pad Pong Garee – a stir-fried prawn curry. Afterwards, we went out through the main restaurant and the party was in full swing with the karaoke machines set up, but none of the group fancied joining in. We went across to the hotel, where it was quieter, to sit in reception to go through the day’s list, then it was time to turn in.
Monday 10th February
Having not seen them last time, we needed to have another go for Mrs Hume’s Pheasants, which meant another early breakfast again this morning. They had apparently been seen the previous two mornings so we were hoping we might be in luck today. When we arrived on site, we found the photographers were out in numbers today, with seven portable hides set up, three on one side of the road and four the other. They were not quite as far forward as the one last time though, which at least was a positive.
We had to park behind several other vehicles, but we were able to walk up and stand behind the one in front. The usual flycatchers, Sooty-headed Bulbuls and Grey Bushchats were already coming in to feed and an Olive-backed Pipit was creeping around on the grass but there was no sign of any Oriental Turtle Doves this morning. There was no door slamming and walking around and no people decided to drive off early, so it settled down and everyone was quiet.
After a nervous wait, the Mrs Hume’s Pheasants appeared, a male and two females. They approached down the road and were hidden from our view by the hides at first, but as they walked down towards the usual feeding area we could see them by leaning out from behind the cars. When they came closer, we all had a clear view. The females were much bolder, one coming right up in front of the hides and the other walking out into the road, but the male was much more nervous, staying further back and keeping not so far away from the vegetation. The sun was coming up now and as it shone through a gap in the clouds it reflected off the firey orange of the male’s back.
At one point, some noise from one of the hides must have disturbed them because all three froze and stood stock still without moving. You could see how nervous and easily spooked they are. They resumed feeding but did not look so settled now and, after being on show for about half an hour, first one of the females then the male crept slowly back into the vegetation. The second female stayed out feeding longer before it too walked in out of view. Relief all round, having missed them the other day.
We drove up to the top now and parked where we normally do. We had a look under the trees and found both White-browed and Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babblers coming in to check out one of the feeding stations, followed by the male Rufous-bellied Niltava again. There were no mealworms put out for them yet this morning, so they quickly moved on. The usual female flycatchers, Hill Blue and Ultramarine Flycatcher, were waiting in the trees nearby.
The sun was now on the open area beyond, so we walked on to see what it brought out. There were several Grey Treepies in the trees and Nick heard a couple of Spectacled Barwings which eventually showed very well in the vegetation by the side of the road.
Back to the minibus, we drove on a bit further and parked again at the top of a steep slope. There was more activity here, a couple more Grey Treepies were in the trees and one showed well in the back of a small quarry. A Giant Nuthatch flew out and over our heads, landing in a dead tree the other side of the road very close to us where it posed nicely. A Mountain Imperial Pigeon was calling from somewhere high in the tree above our heads and another flew over.
We could hear a Collared Owlet way off in the distance and Nick whistled the call now. Lots of birds appeared in the trees. A flock of Long-tailed Sibias came in, took a look and quickly shot off out again.
There were several warblers including better views of Claudia’s Leaf Warbler now and a young male Sapphire Flycatcher in the trees above. A pair of White-browed Shrike-Babblers appeared in a tangle just above the road and while we were watching them Nick heard Grey-headed Parrotbills calling. They were feeding in the trees just past the Shrike-Babblers and we had good if brief views of a pair of them before they moved quickly higher up the slope away from us. As the activity died down a little here, we walked further down a short way. Nick heard a Little Cuckoo Dove and managed to get it to come in briefly by imitating its call.
We watched a pair of Black-throated Tits feeding in the tops of the trees but a Hill Prinia remained out of view in the thick vegetation by the verge below. Another Mountain Imperial Pigeon was calling in a tree close to the road but it was very thick with leaves at the top and despite trying from different angles we couldn’t find it. It went quiet and we had been looking at other things but then it called again, taunting us. After another scan of the tree, we did manage to find where it was hiding now but as soon as it realised it had been rumbled it helpfully flew off. Typical!
Walking on down the slope, a mixed group of bulbuls worked their way up and over the road, including three Ashy Bulbuls, a couple of Mountain Bulbuls and a single Striated Bulbul. At the bottom of the hill, Nick walked back to get the minibus and Chatree drove down to get the hot water on for coffee. The Collared Owlet was still calling in the distance and then suddenly we heard it in the pines right above us. It was hard to see in all the branches, but eventually we found it, looking down at us. While we were enjoying our morning coffee and ricecakes, an Oriental Honey Buzzard circled up over the hill behind us. It wasn’t a great view, silhouetted against the bright sky, and the bird was tatty with a large gap in its left wing.
After coffee, we drove on again and stopped in the area where we had seen the Crested Finchbill and lots of other birds a couple of days ago. It was much quieter today, just another Grey Treepie, a couple of Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes and a very distant Long-tailed Shrike, so we continued on to the checkpoint at the end.
A large flowering tree by the road was chock full of Mrs Gould’s Sunbirds and a couple of Black Bulbuls flew in to the top of another tree beyond the barrier. There were lots of Flavescent Bulbuls feeding in the fruiting bushes by the fence and a Bay Woodpecker called from somewhere deep in the trees further back. We were just about to leave when a Crested Goshawk circled up behind the trees and eventually out into the open above. We could see its puffed-out undertail coverts and it started to display above our heads too.
We drove back to the shadier area of trees again for lunch, fried rice and optional chilli sauce again, which we had brought with us from the hotel. The female Rufous-bellied Niltava and the Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher were both waiting patiently for mealworms above the log on the edge of the road opposite. An Ashy Drongo and a Bronzed Drongo were making occasional sallies out from the branches of a large tree further back. A small moth fluttered across and landed in the middle of the tarmac (genus Bocula, but struggling to identify it to species at the time of writing).
After lunch, we had a short walk along the road. There were lots of birds feeding quietly here in the trees, Scarlet, Grey-chinned and Short-billed Minivets, Blue-winged Minlas, Grey-capped Woodpecker, and both Chestnut-vented and Velvet-fronted Nuthatches. A Hume’s Treecreeper and a Pale Blue Flycatcher were both singing. The Martens’s Warbler was calling in the same place we had seen it a couple of days ago. Chatree put the water on for coffee.
Everyone was tired after the early start and the plan for the afternoon would involve a later finish, so after coffee we drove back down to Fang and round to the hotel. There was then the option of meeting again after an hour’s break for the late excursion or taking the rest of the afternoon off. For those who wanted to come out, we met again outside at 3.30pm. After a quick stop for fuel on the way, we drove back up to Thaton and out through the fields beyond.
We had checked out one area by the river briefly on our way back from Chiang Saen yesterday, but now we were heading to a larger area slightly further downstream and approached from the opposite side. Parking on the edge of the fields, we made our way down and out across the sand. A Long-tailed Shrike was perched on a telegraph post and several Pied Bushchats and small flocks of Scaly-breasted Munias flew off ahead of us. We stopped to watch an Asian Green Bee-eater perched on one of the tree stumps which had washed up on the sand.
From the edge of the river beyond, we looked across to a more muddy area on the opposite bank. There were lots of Small Pratincoles out on here and a nice variety of other waders – several Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers, Green and Common Sandpipers, seventeen Pacific Golden Plovers, at least six Common Snipe and two Temminck’s Stints.
Lots of Barn Swallows were starting to gather on a line of dead bushes a little further up. Two Siberian House Martins flew high over the river and three Sand Martins hawked up and down. There were more Small Pratincoles on our side of the river a little downstream, so we walked over for a closer look. Some looked like they might be nesting already, hunkered down on the bare gravel, while others were paired and displaying. Lovely birds to watch.
An island of reeds on the sand nearby held lots of Baya Weavers and Scaly-breasted Munias, plus two Plain and three Yellow-bellied Prinias. We had to walk round the reeds to view the river further down and as we rounded the corner we found even more waders on here. They were hard to count as many were out of view down in the channels behind the mud banks or hidden by the huge piles of detritus which had been washed up.
There were at least 50 more Pacific Golden Plovers and two large flocks of (mostly) Common Snipe flew round totaling in excess of 170 birds, as well as more of many of the other species we had seen earlier. Two Grey-headed Lapwings flew off calling and a couple of Red-wattled Lapwings were lurking on the drier sand higher up. Great numbers of waders but unfortunately no sign of anything different.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to walk all the way down to check out the larger stand of reeds along the edge of the cultivations in the distance more closely. Scanning from here, all we could see were lots more Baya Weavers and a single Amur Stonechat. The Small Pratincoles started to get more active now, flying up from the open mud and over our heads, probably heading off to feed. Back round the reed island, presumably the same four Ruddy Shelduck we had seen yesterday were now on the mud bank the other side of the river which we had been looking at earlier.
A couple of farmers were spraying the field of onions right next to the minibus when we got back to it. Nick covered his face and brought it down the track to pick us up. The sun was already setting as we drove back. When we got to Fang, we needed a quick stop to buy more ricecakes (caramel this time, rather than mixed nuts and seeds). The group was now addicted to them, and we were getting through the stocks in the minibus fast!
Pulling up in front of one of the shops on the main street, hundreds of birds flew out from the wires across the front, Barn Swallows. Looking up, we could see thousands and thousands more rowed up wing to wing three, four or five rows deep. Amazing! When we got back to the hotel, we only had ten minutes before dinner, so just enough time for a shower if you were quick. The new dish of the day in Nick’s selection was Yum Sam Grob, Thai crispy pork skin salad. Delicious!
Tuesday 11th February
Mainly a travel day today, so we had our bags packed before breakfast. We had some time for birding first this morning so we drove back up to Doi Ang Khang. The sun was just starting to rise over the hills so we stopped at a small campsite where the light was already on the trees. There were a few birds behind the toilet block by the entrance, including another Grey Bushchat. Grey-crowned Warbler was new for the list, flicking round in the undergrowth below us, and a Grey-backed Shrike was perched in the bushes beyond (not quite as ‘grey’ as it all sounds!).
A pair of White-browed Shrike-Babblers worked their way through the trees behind us. Nick heard a Barred Cuckoo-Dove in the distance but it wouldn’t come in to show itself. At the far end of the car park, a small flock of Long-tailed Minivets flew in and landed briefly. Nick whistled the call of Collared Owlet and it immediately attracted several Blue-winged Minlas, Hume’s Warblers and Indian White-eyes. A pair of Common Rosefinches landed in the trees behind us but flew off as we turned round, then a more obliging but plain female was a little more obliging, which just meant that everyone really wanted to see a nice pink male now.
Walking down the road, we stopped by a gap in the trees where the locals had been dumping bags of rubbish. Not the best foreground to what was quite a nice view out over the valley beyond. We could hear Great Barbets calling and a pair appeared in one of the trees and showed nicely in the scopes. Three Common Rosefinches landed in some bare branches, all pink males this time, which made up for views of just the female earlier.
Further on, a couple of local residents were picking over the small rubbish tip down the path we had planned to check, so we carried on to check out the overgrown fields beyond. They were still mostly in shade and largely birdless. The people from the rubbish dump drove off past us so we figured it would be quieter there now. As we walked in down the track, a Grey Wagtail was perched on top of all the rubbish and a pair of Grey Bushchats were in the undergrowth behind. Several Brown-breasted Bulbuls were enjoying the sunshine in the top of the bushes behind.
From the far edge of the path, right on the edge of the rubbish, we could just see a fruiting bush and more bulbuls were feeding in that, including a couple of Crested Finchbills, but they moved on before everyone could see them in the scope. Nick found a way through the trees round the rubbish to where we could all get a better view of the bush. There had been four Eye-browed Thrushes in there too apparently, but by the time we had all got in through the trees there were only Brown-breasted Bulbuls left. We stood and watched for a while and they were joined by a single Grey-eyed Bulbul but nothing else.
Back out onto the road, we walked down to have a look at the field again. The four Eye-browed Thrushes were now in the top of the fruiting tree further down by the road but three photographers were standing underneath and they wouldn’t settle. Despite the sun being on it now, there was still little in the way of activity in the field, so we decided to walk back. On the way, we could hear a croaking call in the trees and Nick whistled in a female Slaty-backed Flycatcher along with several Gould’s Sunbirds and both Hume’s and Davison’s Leaf Warblers.
We drove further on now and parked at the start of a track by some houses. Some workmen were building a wall and mixing concrete on the side of the track and we had to wait for their small tipper truck to deliver a load of stones before we could walk past. A couple of Maroon Orioles were singing, one male in the trees above us, but it flew out before we could get a good look at it. Further on, there were lots of bulbuls and an Ashy Drongo in the trees and down at the bottom a couple of Dark-backed Sibias were feeding on some bright purple flowers in the sunshine – very photogenic.
We were doing well for Spot-winged Grosbeaks already this trip and at least another four were feeding in the trees here, one male showing particularly well feeding at eye level in the leaves. Another perched up in the purple flowers but unfortunately its head was hidden behind a branch.
One of our main targets here was White-capped Water Redstart and as we walked quietly round the side of the house it was apparently perched on the top of the rubbish bin. Only those at the front of the steps saw it though before it dropped down to the stream beyond out of view. We were all edging slowly forward to look down at the stream when the owner of the house walked through the garden in front of us and it was no surprise that there was no sign of the Redstart now.
Nick knows him and as he stopped to chat we scanned up along the stream. A male White-tailed Robin flicked in and out from the shady bushes on one side and one of the group spotted a female Large Niltava perched on a low stump in the shade of a small plot of banana palms the other. There were flowering trees next to us and more Dark-backed Sibias came in to feed along with a couple of Swinhoe’s White-eyes and a Streaked Spiderhunter which landed above our heads briefly.
There was no sign of the White-capped Water Redstart coming back to the stream, so Nick walked up through the garden and found it feeding on the path in front of the chalets above. It was very nervous and as everyone walked on it dropped again, thankfully just to a nearby picnic table where we were finally able to find somewhere to view it preening and then feeding on the path again further down. Mission accomplished, as we walked back round through the garden a Taiga Flycatcher flew across the path ahead of us.
Back up to the minibus, we drove back to the temple where we had been the other day for coffee. While Chatree heated the water on his gas stove, we stood and scanned the trees. There were many of the same birds as we had seen before, like the Mountain Bulbuls, Silver-eared Mesias, the dark-billed Blue Whistling Thrush and a couple of Olive-backed Pipits. But this morning a Grey-sided Thrush dropped in to feed with the Eye-browed Thrushes and Black-breasted Thrushes.
The water had boiled and several of the group had gone to get coffee already when a male Large Niltava appeared. It dropped down into the leaves right in front of us a couple of times in quick succession, the brighter blue parts of its plumage shining as it caught the sun, then flew back up into the trees. We walked over to the minibus to get the others and thankfully it quickly reappeared and posed nicely in the branches in front of us. A very smart bird indeed. The caramel ricecakes were pretty good too – everyone agreed, better than the healthy seeded ones!
With a long drive ahead of us now, we drove round to the main campground to use the facilities first. They were selling ginger and honey tea in front of the stalls next to the car park so Nick bought a cup for anyone who wanted one. It was just over an hour and a half in the minibus to Chiang Dao, with a single Indochinese Roller on the wires the main highlight of the journey. We stopped for lunch in a local restaurant then a nearby garage to refuel where most of the group bought an ice cream for pudding.
After the monks had thrown away most of Nick’s mealworms the other day, we had to take a short diversion in to Chiang Mai to restock. Unfortunately, we were running a little later than planned and hit traffic which held us up a little. One of the group had missed the Ashy Woodswallows in front of the hotel on our first afternoon here, so in the slow moving traffic we were able to point out some more now. After our bus tour of Chiang Mai, it was then a relatively easy journey on to Doi Inthanon.
We checked into the hotel and had some time to get settled in and have a rest before we met again for dinner. As usual, Nick ordered a different selection of things for us to try, and like everywhere else we have stayed the food was really good. After a quick run through the bird list for the day, we were then all ready for bed.
Wednesday 12th February
After breakfast, we headed up into the park just as it was getting light. Nick got our entry tickets from the ticket office just before the entrance gate and we drove on a few kilometres before stopping on a small side road. This is a regular spot for Black-backed Forktail and we could hear one calling as we got out of the minibus. They are very shy, so we walked very quietly up to the bridge. One of the Forktails flew off upstream before we could see where it was but thankfully landed again on some boulders on the edge of the river just a short distance away. It then flew again, and landed on some larger rocks in midstream where we could get it in the scopes.
With our first target in the bag, we drove on a bit higher and stopped again at the start of another side road. The sun was just starting to hit the tops of the trees here and we could hear birds calling. As we walked up to look we came around a corner and found another couple with cameras pointed up in the trees. They were photographing a couple of raptors perched there, but unfortunately they flew off through the trees just as we all arrived. One then came round again and we had a quick view of it as it flew back into the branches, a young Changeable Hawk-Eagle. Looking up into the trees, we couldn’t find it anywhere though, so presumably it had flown straight through.
We were then distracted by a large mixed flock in the lower trees opposite. A Clicking Shrike-Babbler was calling and eventually both the male and female appeared. In the same tree, a female Large or Chinese Vivid Niltava was sallying out from the tops, a male Asian Emerald Cuckoo flew in and was joined by a Verditer Flycatcher. A Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo landed above our heads just as a load of White-Eyes flew in, including one or two Chestnut-flanked White-eyes. Two or three Rufous-backed Sibias worked their way through the branches and a Spectacled Barwing appeared briefly in the top.
The flock moved away into the trees and it went quiet, but then came back up to the side of the road again. We watched a pair of Grey-chinned Minivets courtship feeding, a male Slaty-backed Flycatcher flew in and out of the branches and a Sulphur-bellied Warbler was flitting around in with several Davison’s Leaf Warblers and a Claudia’s Leaf Warbler, but hard to get onto. A Striated Bulbul perched up briefly in the trees above us and a Speckled Piculet was drumming but we couldn’t see where it was through a large clump of bamboo.
Eventually, the flock moved off again and we were able to walk on along the track. The trees were much quieter here until we found another flock, this time mainly Silver-eared Mesias and Yunnan Fulvettas. Nick could hear Long-tailed Broadbills deep in the trees and we hoped they would come towards the track, but they moved off away from us. A little further on, an Asian Barred Owlet was being mobbed in the trees but flew off as we approached. Into some pines, we could hear a Stripe-breasted Woodpecker calling and then drumming.
We took a small side track into the trees and not very far in we found a White-gorgeted Flycatcher perched in a small tree ahead of us. Nick pus some mealworms on a log nearby and two Flycatchers quickly came down to feed in front of us.
In the undergrowth nearby we could see two impressive flowers of the parasitic plant Sapria himalayana, like a small Rafflesia, plus another which had already gone over.
A little further down, we came to an open muddy area. Nick scattered some more mealworms and quickly birds appeared from all directions. A male Small Niltava was first in, followed by a male and then later a female Large Niltava.
Both a male Himalayan Shortwing and a Lesser Shortwing tried to feed on the ground below them, but the male Large Niltava now started to try to chase everything away.
By the time the Pygmy Cupwing came in, it was particularly aggressive and the Cupwing was afforded little chance to feed. A Slaty-bellied Tesia was singing and we could see it above us in the undergrowth, though it was constantly on the move.
Back out onto the main track, a Speckled Piculet was drumming and this time we found it working its way through a tree above us. A flock moved quickly through over the track and a Little Pied Flycatcher lingered briefly, flycatching from one of the trees in the sunshine. It was time for coffee and caramel ricecakes, so we walked back to the minibus where Chatree was waiting for us with the water already boiling.
Our next stop was at a regular site for Slaty-backed Forktail. There was no sign on the stream behind the restaurant, so most of the group went to check upstream while Nick went downstream. All we managed to find was a male Hill Blue Flycatcher perched in some bamboo but Nick located the Forktails his side. They were very flighty though and in an area which was impossible for us all to get into without them just flying off, so we hatched a plan. We all stood looking down along a straight section of the stream from a discreet distance above, while Nick swung round below onto the other side. It didn’t work at first, the birds lingering in an area we couldn’t see.
We thought we might be able to get onto them from our side, and as we walked down through the grass four Olive-backed Pipits flew up into the trees. We could hear one of the Forktails calling as it flew off just into the area we had just been looking at! Quickly, we walked back and Nick stayed below and this time the plan worked. We could see one of the Slaty-backed Forktails from time to time when it flicked up onto one of the rocks or walked out on a small weir.
It was time for lunch, so we drove round now to a new restaurant which had only opened earlier this year. It has a great view, looking down the valley over the ricefields. Sadly, it might not last long though – despite being very large, over two floors, we were just about the only customers in there and the food still took forever to arrive. It is also very conveniently located for the hide which we visited after lunch, just a short drive down the track beyond.
Settled in to the hide, the owner appeared and topped up the pool with water and filled the feeders. Birds were already around his feet, including a male Siberian Blue Robin, a couple of Buff-breasted Babblers and a female White-tailed Robin. Once he retreated, more came in – lots of Brown-cheeked Fulvettas, several Puff-throated and one or two Grey-eyed Bulbuls, a Grey-throated Babbler, a Little Spiderhunter and a male Rufous-bellied Niltava. A White-rumped Shama was rather nervously lurking in the background and only came in once the activity had died down a little. After a while, there didn’t seem to be anything new arriving and we wanted to allow ourselves enough time for a visit to the summit, so we decided to move on.
As we got out of the minibus at the top, a Rufous-throated Partridge was calling below the café so we hurried up and round to the back, but by the time we arrived it had gone quiet. There were a few birds in the fruiting tree in front of the café, Chestnut-tailed Minlas, Dark-backed Sibias and Black-crested Bulbuls. We stopped to watch and a male Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker appeared, followed by a second. They chased each other through the branches and when they settled down, one of the two put on a great display, feeding on the ripe fruit on a branch above us.
The Minlas had moved off but we found them again in another fruiting bush in front of the main park building. A Grey-sided Thrush posed nicely, feeding on the berries, but a Silver-eared Laughingthrush disappeared through the undergrowth.
Across the road, we walked down the steps to the summit marsh boardwalk. A yellow-billed Blue Whistling Thrush was lurking in the bushes and when we got out into the sunshine in the middle, two Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantails were flycatching from the trees. A couple of Silver-eared Laughingthrushes were down in the thick vegetation below us but one of them came up a couple of times so we could get a proper look at it now. Back into the shade, we walked very slowly and quietly along the boardwalk. A pair of Rufous-throated Partridges were feeding below. We could hear the noise as they kicked up the leaves and then had very good views as one walked up and down through the shallow water.
As we walked up and down, scanning the undergrowth, an Eye-browed Thrush and a Grey-sided Thrush were feeding down here too, a Snowy-browed Flycatcher flitted round the small trees and a female Himalayan Bluetail put in a brief appearance. We walked back round the way we had come and found a couple of Blyth’s Leaf Warblers on the edge of the boardwalk. An Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler flashed through and then came back up and perched preening, wet after a bathe.
We could have stayed longer on the boardwalk, and there were a couple of things we had hoped to see still, but we had one last appointment on our way back down. Stopping on the side of the road, we got out and set up the scopes. Several Speckled Woodpigeons were perched in the sunshine in the top of a large tree on the opposite side further down. We stood and watched them for a bit, before they dropped back down.
Long-tailed Broadbills were calling behind us and one flew across the road but disappeared straight into the trees the other side while most of the group were watching the pigeons. Several Chestnut-tailed Minlas appeared in the bushes beside us along with another Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail. Then it was time to head back to the hotel. There is an opportunity to get laundry done at most of the hotels and this correspondent’s was waiting back in his room, all neatly folded, having handed it in at reception last night. Great service.
Thursday 13th February
As we had seen the Speckled Woodpigeons last night, we didn’t need an extra early start today. We set off at 6.30am as usual and drove up towards the summit. The sun was just catching the trees higher up beside the road, so knowing that the summit would still be cold, we stopped short to see what the early warmth had brought out. There were a couple of distant minivets further and higher up and several bulbuls flew across the road.
A Collared Owlet was calling in the distance and Nick whistled something similar here. Various small birds came in to investigate, female Slaty-backed and immature Rufous-gorgeted Flycatchers, Gould’s Sunbird and several Davison’s Leaf Warblers. There was nothing we hadn’t seen before though, so we decided to press on to the top.
At the summit, the sun was just catching the tops of some of the trees. At least four Grey-sided Thrushes were feeding in a fruiting bush by the side of the road and several Chesnut-tailed Minlas came in to join them. Both Buff-barred and Ashy-throated Leaf Warblers flitted around in the bushes too and a male Green-tailed (Doi Inthanon) Sunbird posed nicely in the sunshine briefly.
A couple of Rufous-winged Fulvettas worked their way through the moss covered trunks and then dropped down into the lower vegetation on the verge. One of the group spotted a Yellow-throated Marten running across the road behind us. It was already quite busy here despite the early time, with vehicles up and down the road and sightseers coming to watch the sunrise and then explore the summit.
At the top of the steps down to the summit marsh, a Davison’s Leaf Warbler was collecting nest material from the mossy branches and a couple of Rufous-winged Fulvettas picked around on the boughs of the trees above our heads. Half way down, the Blue Whistling Thrush was singing quietly in the trees. Along the boardwalk, there was a steady succession of people walking round. We walked up and down along the shady section over the marsh a couple of times and there seemed to be fewer birds than yesterday. There was no sign of the Partridges and no thrushes, but we did see the usual Himalayan Bluetail, Himalayan Shortwing and Snowy-browed Flycatcher, and a Pygmy Cupwing was feeding in the shallow water at one point too.
A flock of birds moved through the trees, with a pair of Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantails and several Blyth’s Leaf Warblers. It was interesting to watch the latter doing their distinctive flicking of alternate wings. With the amount of disturbance here now, it was clear we would struggle to see some of the shyer species.
Back out on the road, we scanned the trees to see if we could find an Ashy Woodpigeon. There was no sign on the outside, so we walked up the steps to the toilet block and tried from behind there. It didn’t take too long before we found one half hidden in the branches.
It was still chilly up here (down to about 8C), particularly down on the boardwalk, so we had earned a warming hot drink. Sadly, the coffee shop at the top no longer stocks the delicious chocolate brownies we had enjoyed here in previous years and the replacement chocolate cake thing they have now was a bit disappointing. The hot chocolate was as delicious as ever though, or for those who needed caffeine, Chatree boiled some water for coffee and ricecakes in the car park. The fruiting tree by the café hadn’t really warmed up yet.
We made our way lower down now, into the warmth of the slightly lower slopes. Turning onto a small side road, an Oriental Turtle Dove flew up from the tarmac as we drove along and then stopped on the verge. A small flock of nine Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters landed in a bare tree opposite where we had parked and spent several minutes hawking for bees and wasps from the bare branches over the grassy clearing beside, so we stopped to watch them. When they flew off, we started to walk down the road.
Two female Short-billed Minivets were in the pines above. Nick whistled the call of Collared Owlet again but there was not much response at first. However a little further on, we found a nice mixed flock on a warm slope above a stream. A male Clicking Shrike-Babbler showed very nicely in a dead tree and both Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher and a male Black-throated Sunbird were new birds for the trip for most of the group. There were several Indian White-Eyes and the usual selection of Leaf Warblers and a Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike flew out and over our heads.
Walking on, an Olive-backed Pipit was standing on the tarmac in the middle of the road. We could hear Yellow-cheeked Tit calling from a narrow belt of pines but it remained stubbornly on the far side and it took a bit of time before we managed to find it. It had food in its bill and looked like it was trying to take it to its nest, so we retreated. A male White-tailed Robin was lurking in the bamboo beside the road and we could hear a Chinese Leaf Warbler calling.
We continued walking along the road to the viewpoint at the far end, while Nick went back to get the minibus. There was a good view from here, looking back across to the summit. A pair of Asian (Japanese) Tits were flying in and out from a hole under the roof of the viewpoint, bringing in food for their young which we could hear calling. A Red Lacewing butterfly landed on the bushes to sun itself.
It was time for lunch now, so we drove round to Mr Daeng’s restaurant. In the car park, several people were staring at the flowers in the garden and we were called over to look at an Orchid Mantis which someone had found on a leaf. A really incredible looking small insect. Inside, we had time to admire the photos of all the birds on the walls while our food was prepared. Most of the group opted for the green curry which, as ever with the food we have had, was excellent.
Some photos had been circulating of a Hodgson’s Frogmouth on the nest on Doi Inthanon taken in the last couple of days. Nick had asked around and no one seemed to know exactly where it was, but he had been told that another was unusually back in the same tree where it had nested last year. It was on one of the tracks we had walked yesterday, though further down than we had gone. If we had known, we would have gone to see it then but we went straight back round there now.
Sure enough, there it was, in a small tree right over the side of the track. So well camouflaged, looking like a moss-covered branch, it would be very easy just to walk straight past the Hodgson’s Frogmouth if you didn’t know it was there. It shifted on its nest and opened its eyes as we walked up but then settled back down. Like many well-camouflaged birds, they rely on the fact that they probably can’t be seen and will sit tight. After photos from various angles, we left it in peace. There were a few White-browed Shrike-Babblers calling in the trees, but otherwise it was quiet now in the middle of the afternoon.
Several of the group wanted to visit the hill tribe market so we drove down there next. All the stalls seemed to be offering pretty much the same products at the same prices, so it was a slightly random process choosing where to shop. There was a good selection of dried fruits and nuts again, which were the most popular, but no takers for the homemade fruit liqueurs or the woolly hats in various animal shapes.
We still had time to squeeze in one more quick stop now, so we went to try a different site to see if we could find any laughingthrushes. It was warm and there was very little activity though and we could not hear any sound of them. We did get some nice views of a Hill Prinia which eventually perched up nicely in the bushes in an overgrown field. There were a few butterflies fluttering round, including Cream-spotted Sailor and Common Fivering, and a Metapercnia ductaria moth which landed on the trunk of a tree.
Having not seen a couple of the shyer species up on the summit this morning, we decided to head back up for another go this afternoon, when it would be quieter. There were still a few people coming and going from the boardwalk, so we went up to the fruit tree by the café first. A couple of Black-crested Bulbuls were in the branches and then we spotted two Golden-throated Barbets, which were well camouflaged amongst the leaves but eventually gave great views.
The Dark-backed Sibias and a couple of Chestnut-tailed Minlas came down to get the crumbs from around the picnic table right in front of us but the pair of Silver-eared Laughingthrushes were a little more shy and remained around the tables further over, in the shade, where there weren’t any people now.
Down the steps, the Blue Whistling Thrush was now feeding under the bushes by the ‘sacred water source’ and another Silver-eared Laughingthrush was in the undergrowth at the start of the boardwalk. A couple of Rufous-winged Fulvettas were feeding in the moss-covered trees and the two Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantails were back flycatching in the open sunny area in the middle.
Round on the shady part of the boardwalk over the wet marsh it still felt a bit quieter than yesterday at first. As we walked round slowly and quietly, we could just see the usual small birds initially. At the far end, the Rufous-throated Partridges appeared, walking up over the remains of the old boardwalk from the valley below. They showed well before disappearing into the thicker undergrowth today. Just beyond, an Eye-browed Thrush was digging around in the wet leaves.
A White-crowned Forktail called behind us, back the way we had come, so we crept very slowly back. It was feeding down in the damp ground below and we could see it looking through the trees, but it was very flighty. It moved on ahead of us and we managed to follow it for a bit, but when we lost sight of it, it turned out it was behind a large tree and when it came back out it saw us and flew deeper in. We walked slowly back to the corner, then it called again behind us. This time we were able to creep back up to it and watch it feeding out in a more open area.
It had been quiet here for a few minutes but now two late sightseers came round on the boardwalk and it flew in again out of view. We waited a few minutes to see if it would come back again, but it didn’t look like it was going to and we couldn’t find anything else. We drove back down and it was already getting dark by the time we got back to the hotel. Dinner was pushed back by half an hour and we all had to settle up our bills with the hotel reception tonight as we were checking out in the morning.
Friday 14th February
Today we would be leaving the north and flying back down to Bangkok. We had time for some birding first thing though, so we left after breakfast with our bags packed and loaded onto Chatree’s truck. It was only a short drive before we parked at the top of a track. We walked down to a tower and climbed up the steps to look out over the surrounding trees. It was just getting light and we could see at least four Green Peafowl perched up in the trees. We got them in the scope and gradually the light improved before they flew down out of sight.
Our other main target here was Blossom-headed Parakeet, and we didn’t have to wait too long before one landed in the top of a nearby tree. It was a female, with a grey head, but it was silhouetted against the sky. There were a couple of Hair-crested Drongos perched in the tops and a Purple Sunbird singing from the trees in front.
After a while, the Green Peafowl reappeared on the ground under the trees. Much better views now, the light was getting better all the time, as we watched them feeding. They were joined by a pair of Red Junglefowl, our first wild ones of the trip. A pair of White-crested Laughingthrushes came out too, along with several Red Collared Doves.
The tower is surrounded by several flowering trees and as the sun came up, more birds came out to feed in them. The bulbuls were first, initially lots of Streak-eared and a couple of Black-crested Bulbuls, followed by Red-whiskered, Sooty-headed and a single Stripe-throated Bulbul. They were joined by Ashy and Black Drongos and a couple of Greater Racket-tailed Drongos flew through behind. A Shikra was perched in the top of a tree in the distance, which we got in the scopes.
We could hear a Common Koel calling nearby and found it perched in one of the trees behind us and we picked up both an Ashy-necked Tailorbird and a brief Two-barred Warbler in the bushes below. A pair of Black-hooded Orioles came out to feed on the flowers and looked stunning in the morning sun, followed by a Black-naped Oriole too, which was not quite so obliging.
There was a pair of Lineated Barbets in the top too now. A male Brown-throated Sunbird flew in to the tree where the Purple Sunbird had been singing earlier.
Another female Blossom-headed Parakeet flew in and landed in the flowering tree in the sunshine now, much better views than the one earlier. All the birds were so close and in such good morning light. Gradually, as it warmed up, activity levels started to drop. It was time for us to move on. After thanking the tower’s owner and posing for a quick group photo with him, we walked back to the minibus.
The drive to Chiang Mai airport was uneventful. We saw a few birds along the way, with a flock of Asian Openbills circling over the fields, egrets in the rice paddies, and Ashy Woodswallows on the wires. When we stopped to fill up at a service station and use the facilities, a pair of Zebra Doves were walking round on the forecourt nearby. At the airport, we said our goodbyes and thanks to Nick and Chatree. Checking in was easy and we had some time to get a coffee before we boarded. The flight took off pretty much on time and we were on our way back down to Bangkok.
The second part of this blog, Central Thailand, the Gulf and inland to Kaeng Krachan, follows. Read it here.
