Doi Inthanon

The day began with an Asian Barred Owlet in the hotel gardens, followed by a few Red-billed Blue Magpies beside the road as we drove up Doi Inthanon. Stopping beside the river produced the hoped for Slaty-backed Forktail – a beautiful species. Then we took a trail up into good forest and began strongly with a mixed feeding flock encountered almost immediately. Grey-cheeked Fulvettas were in the front, and we picked up Golden Babbler, Spectacled Barwing, Sapphire Flycatcher, a brief White-browed Piculet, followed by two cracking Black-throated Parrotbills. Further up the hill and a stunning Clicking (formerly Rufous-fronted) Shrike-babbler performed admirably in the canopy overhead. Both Maroon Oriole and Claudia’s Warbler were also seen, along with Hume’s Treecreeper and a flock of wonderful Long-tailed Broadbills passed by. Best of all was a cooperative Slaty-bellied Tesia that gave very good views as it ‘danced’ to the ipod tune amongst some low bushes…!  

Returning to the minibus we saw a male Slaty-backed Flycatcher high up in the canopy and a pair of Golden-throated Barbets were spotted which looked very nice through the scope. A short drive up the mountain followed and we walked along the road a little way, finding a pair of confiding Grey-throated Babblers, Mountain Tailorbird and a Chestnut-crowned Warbler. A nearby trail held a large flock with Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, more fulvettas, Small Niltava, Yellow-cheeked Tit, White-bellied Erpornis, Blyth’s Leaf-warbler and other commoner species. 

Hill Blue Flycatcher (female)

Ashy-throated Leaf-warbler

Lunch at Mr Daengs failed to produce any hoped-for goodies at his feeding station apart from a female Hill Blue Flycatcher and Blue Whistling-thrush so we drove to the top of the mountain.

Bar-throated Minla

Up at the summit we quickly nailed Ashy-throated Leaf-warbler and a surprise find in the shape of Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker - a lifer for me and a species i'd really wanted for a number of years now.

Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker

There were also some Green-tailed Sunbirds, and then had a flock of Bar-throated Minlas, Rufous-winged Fulvettas, Buff-barred Warbler and the flowerpecker again.

Eurasian Woodcock

On the summit boardwalk the first of 2 Dark-sided Thrushes appeared, followed by a cracking White-browed Shortwing, Eurasian Woodcock, Snowy-browed Flycatcher and a superb Northern White-crowned Forktail.