Khao Yai - Petchaburi

Back into Khao Yai for a few hours this morning and after a picnic breakfast in one of the campgrounds (and guarding our food against a gang of Pig-tailed Macaques intent on mugging us) we walked along the road and into a beautiful valley. Well, we finally found some woodpeckers (where have they been..?) with Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Yellownape and a fine Laced Woodpecker showing well. Just a shame a Greater Yellownape didn’t play ball. Undoubtedly bird of the morning was the stunning male Banded Kingfisher sitting over the road In the morning sunshine, totally oblivious to our presence. 

Banded Kingfisher - male

Things were going very well so far, with Hainan Blue and Hill Blue Flycatchers being seen, along with Crested Goshawk, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Pin-striped Tit-babblers, Radde’s Warbler and Green-billed Malkoha also showing well. Leaving here we headed out of the park, stopping at our usual site to connect with Van Hasselt’s and Crimson Sunbirds easily, and there was also our first Black-capped Kingfisher and a Striated Heron as well.

We then set out on the long drive to Petchaburi, which took 5 hours with a lunch stop and spent the last couple of hours in the middle of the patchwork of drainage channels, rice-fields and marshes. We thoroughly enjoyed being out in this open country and at the first lake had 30+ Grey-headed Lapwings, Purple Heron, Intermediate Egret, Marsh Sandpiper and lots of other common species. Across the road Phil found a Yellow Bittern, whist a tree full of Pink-necked Green-pigeons looked really nice in the lovely afternoon sunshine. 

Pink-necked Green-Pigeons

We particularly liked the male Siberian Rubythroat, but there was also Cotton Pygmy-Goose, both jacanas, Brahminy and Black-eared Kites, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Blue-throated and Little Green Bee-eaters, Germain’s Swiftlet, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Oriental Reed and Black-browed Reed Warblers, Baya Weaver and Asian Pied Starling.