New Thailand Tour - Pitta Special...!

Have just posted a brand new tour to Thailand arriving in Bangkok on 28th June and departing 6th July. The emphasis of this short tour is on seeing Eared, Blue-winged, Hooded and Blue Pittas, which during this wet season period are rather vocal and dare I say it, slightly easier to locate. My current group with Nick Upton leading, has just seen an Eared Pitta at Khao Yai on 15th February 2015 - so it is possible!

Eared Pitta

Also at this time of year up to 6 species of broadbill are usually quite confiding and often nesting close or even over the roads at Khao yai and Kaeng Krachen. Other species such as Banded Kingfisher, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher and Asiatic Golden Weaver are also very confiding and offer great photo opportunities. In fact the nesting colonies of weavers (Asiatic Golden, Streaked and Baya) are quite spectacular. 

Banded Broadbill

Black-and-red Broadbill

Black-and-yellow Broadbill

Dusky Broadbill

Long-tailed Broadbill

One of the things about visiting Thailand at this time of the year is that usually the local Thai birding community has most of these species 'staked out' either at a nesting site, or a special feeding station. Last year a Giant Pitta was performing to mealworms in southern Thailand and Hodgson's Frogmouth was pinned down at a day roost in the north - so you never know.... 

For me this is all very exciting and the possibility of not just seeing a select bunch of mouth-watering birds, but seeing them extremely well is what this tour is all about. Yes it is the wet season and we expect some rain, usually in the afternoons and a few leeches, but this is THE time to go and see pittas.... Our itinerary will remain flexible and we can act on current information to make the most of our time in this fabulous country.

Just follow this link for the tour itinerary: http://www.zootherabirding.com/page_3222263.html