Doi Lang to Doi Inthanon

The Doi Lang magic worked again this morning with a Hume’s Pheasant picking its way along the side of the road as we drove up to the feeding station area early this morning. Once at the top we found we had the place to ourselves and discovered two more feeding stations, so deposited some mealworms and waited. 

Spot-throated Babbler

At the first there was a female Siberian Rubythroat, a couple of Silver-eared Laughingthrushes, White-gorgeted Flycatcher and best of all, a Spot-throated Babbler. The latter is another species you’d just never see usually. At the other site, just across the road we had another female Siberian Rubythroat and a superb White-bellied Redstart – all giving wonderful photo opportunities. 

White-bellied Redstart

Then we walked the road a short way, finding a Marten’s Warbler giving its distinctive call and a Sapphire Flycatcher. A flock crossed the road here as well, with Grey-chinned Minivet, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, White-browed Laughingthrush and Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler. A short drive then took us to another patch of woodland where a male Chestnut-bellied Rock-thrush and Fire-breasted Flowerpecker were found. 

Sapphire Flycatcher

Another Sibethroat

So by now it was mid-morning and we decided to head out towards our next base at Doi Inthanon, a journey of some 4 hours. We called in to a site for Burmese Shrike, which showed nicely and ended the day with a pair of Blossom-headed Parakeets perched in some nearby trees, as well as Japanese Sparrowhawk, Chestnut-tailed Starling and Plain-backed Sparrow before reaching the Inthanon Highland Resort. As dusk fell we could hear Collared Scops-owl, Asian Barred Owlet, Spotted Owlet and a couple of us saw a Large-tailed Nightjar flyby. So not a bad day and i'm looking forward to tackling Doi Inthanon once again.

Doi Lang (again)

We drove up the old road to Doi Lang this morning and got off to a very good start with a pair of Mountain Bamboo-partridges running along the road in front of us. 

Mountain Bamboo-partridge

At a large flowering tree we saw several Hair-crested Drongos, along with a few Blue-throated Barbets before moving on up the road a short distance. Our next stop was prompted by a large, perched raptor on the ridge above which turned out to be an Oriental Honey-buzzard. As we scoped it, another flowering tree was proving attractive to lots of birds. A Maroon Oriole was accompanied by a Slender-billed Oriole, whilst a Great Barbet was also very nice. Unfortunately both Grey Treepie and Stripe-breasted Woodpecker didn’t play ball and a Bay Woodpecker was equally unresponsive. 

Chestnut-bellied Rock-thrush

A fine male Chestnut-bellied Rock-thrush showed nicely beside the road as well before we made it up to the feeding station area. It was rather quiet to begin with whilst we put rice down at the various spots around the small huts and we suspected that all of the local photographers were not bothering here and going to the other sites on the new road. How wrong we were! First of all, 3 Scarlet-faced Liocichlas came down onto a mossy log speckled with rice and were quickly followed by a Spectacled Barwing and we enjoyed wonderful views at close quarters. 

Scarlet-faced Liocichlas

Spectacled Barwing

Over the road a male Himalayan Bluetail was offering point blank views and kept diving down for rice between a male Large Niltava, Dark-backed Sibias and a confiding Eye-browed Thrush. What a show they all put on and when confronted by such an amazing sighting all you can do is sit down and watch…. 

Himalayan Bluetail

Large Niltava

We then walked along the road and picked up quite a few birds in some mixed flocks including Whiskered Yuhina, Davison’s Leaf-warbler, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Blue-winged Minla, Mountain Tailorbird and a Black-eared Shrike-babbler for some of us. Up at the viewpoint an Aberrant Bush-warbler was called in and we finally nailed a Stripe-breasted Woodpecker.

Davison's Leaf-warbler

Just as we were about to leave a flock could be heard just inside the forest and we walked in and saw a Yellow-browed Tit, Rufous-winged Fulvetta and a close Hume’s Treecreeper. Leaving here we drove back down the mountain, to the ricefields near Thaton, seeing a flock of Cook’s Swifts, and walked out between the rice paddies seeing Green and Wood Sandpipers, Paddyfield and Richard’s Pipits, Citrine Wagtail, Eurasian Wryneck, and best of all, a male Pied Harrier. 

Pied Harrier

Then we drove to another site and scanned the tall grassland where we eventually scoped a pair of Jerdon’s Bushchat. They were a bit distant but through the scope the views were acceptable, and whilst scanning picked up what may be only the 5^th record of Black-headed Bunting for Thailand when a pair flew down on to the waters edge. Then we walked to some closer grassland and also managed to get Bluethroat, Chestnut-capped Babbler, Grey-breasted Prinia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Black-faced Bunting and a few Small Pratincoles flying over. 

Doi Lang - or Return of Rusty!

We left Doi Ang Khang after breakfast and headed down to the lowlands where it was decidedly warmer, following a narrow road to a very special site. Here we got the day off to a flyer with a flock of 20+ Spot-winged Grosbeaks feeding in a large tree. The surrounding area also had a few Pin-tailed Green-pigeons, White-capped and Plumbeous Water-redstarts, Yellow-vented and Plain Flowerpeckers, Olive-backed Pipit, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Black-headed and Black-crested Bulbuls and a few other common species. Then we drove up into the wonderful hills of Doi Lang full of optimism, as several very special birds have been seen here recently. Our immediate priority was to find Giant Nuthatch which had eluded us so far – and sure enough after a bit of a search we found a vocal bird calling from a large pine tree on the slope below us. It was really good to be able to look down on it and admire it properly! Then we drove on to a small feeding station that been set up by some Thai photographers and put out some mealworms. Within seconds we had a few Silver-eared Laughingthrushes out in the open just 12 feet away from us, along with White-gorgeted Flycatcher, female Siberian Rubythroat and a male Large Niltava as well. 

Siberian Rubythroat - female

Silver-eared Laughingthrush

White-gorgeted Flycatcher

A Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher also put in an appearance as well, but when a pair of Spot-breasted Laughingthrushes showed up we only had eyes for them. A notoriously elusive and nigh on invisible species to catch a glimpse of elsewhere, here we were with two of them giving eye-ball popping views within touching distance. 

Spot-breasted Laughingthrushes

With nothing else on offer we walked back out to the road and amazingly a couple of us got a glimpse of a Rusty-naped Pitta in the shadows but unfortunately it disappeared. A few minutes later we got a call and raced back to the feeding station, where we had just missed another Rusty-naped Pitta…! What was going on? So we sat down and waited patiently and sure enough this skulking bird reappeared at the far side of the feeding area but remained within the safety of the foliage. But we still had crippling views. Anyway, having left again we decided to give it another crack and this time the pitta came out into the open right in front of us. How lucky were we..? 

Rusty-naped Pitta

So that left us the rest of the afternoon to bird the ridge road and we picked up yet more goodies with pride of place going to a pair of Spot-breasted Parrotbills feeding on an open hillside. We also had Grey-capped Woodpecker, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Blyth’s Shrike-babbler, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Buff-throated and Bianchi’s Warblers, Davison’s Leaf-warbler, a flock of Black-throated Tits, and ended with a Crested Bunting. What a day!

Doi Ang Khang

So here we are on the north Thailand mountain of Doi Ang Khang. And it took ages for it to get light this morning and was damn chilly as well. Huddled around the breakfast table at 6am hugging cups of coffee it was apparent that we would have to wait a while longer than anticipated to begin birdng! So when the sky became a little lighter we drove down the road to the pheasant spot and waited in the minibus for Hume’s Pheasant to appear, but nothing was happening so drove on further. The forest was pretty quiet here today, but we got started with a little mixed flock following the sunshine up the hill towards us containing several Chestnut-vented Nuthatches, Long-tailed Minivet, and a cracking Blyth’s Shrike-babbler. 

Chestnut-vented Nuthatch

A Little Pied Flycatcher appeared next and we also had a pair of Velvet-fronted Nuthatches and a brief Blue-winged Minla – but we’d see the latter species very well later in the day. Then we headed down to a couple of stake-outs where at the first a pair of Black-breasted Thrushes and a pair of Large Niltavas were coming down to mealworms. Both gave great prolonged views, but we also became distracted by a brief appearance nearby from an Eye-browed Thrush, as well as Taiga Flycatcher, Little Bunting and Crested Finchbill, plus plenty of Common Rosefinches in the gardens as well. 

Large Niltava - male

Large Niltava - female

The next place was even better as we had point-blank views of over 8 Black-breasted Thrushes, 3 White-tailed Robins, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Niltava, White-rumped Shama and unbelievably and best of all, a Japanese Thrush! Wow! Oh and there was also Yellow-bellied Warbler and Scarlet Minivet as well. 

Just 4 of the Black-breasted Thrushes present at the feeding station

Japanese Thrush

White-rumped Shama

White-tailed Robin

What a great place and a real privilege to just sit down and watch all of this activity happening right in front of us. 

After lunch we birded the road on the ridge and had our first really decent flock with some showy Blue-winged Minlas, Short-billed Minivet, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Pallas’s Leaf-warbler, Buff-barred Warbler and a flock of Grey-cheeked Fulvettas. A quick check along a trail produced several Eye-browed Thrushes flying over and not a lot else. So we spent the last hour of daylight birding the road close to the lodge and had Flavescent, Ashy and Mountain Bulbuls, Davison’s Leaf-warbler, Olive-backed Pipit and a brief pair of Scarlet-faced Liocichlas. 

If I was excited about today then there are an unbelievable pair of star-quality birds to find tomorrow…