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…

Thailand - at last!

A quick walk around the hotel this morning in a very pleasant temperature resulted in some decent birds to kickstart the tour. I think pride of place goes to a small group of Java Sparrows knocking about in a dead tree. Although not native to Thailand they have been here for many years and probably what we in the UK would term a Category C species. Nice! Several Asian Koels were around and pretty vocal, whilst Common and White-vented Mynas, Zebra Dove, Spotted Dove, Red Collared-dove and Common Iora were all more expected. A male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker lent a touch of exotic to proceedings before it was time to head inside, have breakfast and finish packing. A walkway took us into the airport and an almost uneventful flight got us to Chiang Mai just before midday.

After loading the luggage into our minibus we set off towards Doi Ang Khang, a journey of almost 3 hours. A few Indian Rollers, a Rufous-winged Buzzard, Striated Swallow and a flock of Fork-tailed Swifts were the only birds of note before the road began to wind its way up into the mountains. We made a quick rest stop alongside the road and had a brief Black-throated Sunbird and a Hair-crested Drongo before continuing ever higher. At the Chinese Cemetery we spent a pleasant couple of hours in the late afternoon sunshine. First up was a pair of Large Cuckooshrikes, followed by Chestnut-flanked White-eye, a stunning male Mrs Gould’s Sunbird and a White-browed Laughingthrush showed briefly. Further along the road we found the first of several Yellow-browed Warblers to be seen today, as well as Himalayan Swiftlet, White-throated Fantail, Hill Prinia, Grey Bushchat, Japanese Tit, Ashy and Bronzed Drongos and a Long-tailed Shrike. A bit more perseverance was necessary to get decent views of a White-browed Scimitar-babbler, and even more for Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler. Our bulbul list began to grow with Sooty-headed, Brown-breasted and Himalayan Black Bulbuls seen well, along with a Red-whiskered as well. At the rubbish dump we also had Silver-eared Laughingthrush, and whilst trying to tease out a male Siberian Rubythroat that did show to some of us, also picked up a few Olive-backed Pipits. So not a bad start at all and with news of  a few goodies to stake out tomorrow we retired to bed eager for the next day to come quickly….

Thailand Here We Come!

Well, it has been a while since my last post from South India and now we are firmly into 2013 i'm looking forward to the first tour of the year. I have two back-to-back trips in Thailand starting next week and thought it was a good time to reflect on some cracking birds from last year's tours - and some stunning photo opportunities this amazing country can give you.

Starting at Kaeng Krachen, if you have a small group then it is possible to get crippling views of some beautiful and skulking species.

Bar-backed Partridge

Kalij Pheasant - apparently!

Scaly-breasted Partridge

There are also a number of cool passerines coming in to the drinking pools at Kaeng Krachen, and it doesn't get much better than this male Siberian Blue Robin.

Siberian Blue Robin

But there's so much to see in Thailand and each year seems to get better and better........