Off to Khao Yai

Left Bangkok early doors and headed to the usual stake-out for Limestone Wren-Babbler, which duly performed right on cue with nice, close views. Moving on to Khao Yai we spent a little while watching a flock of Red-breasted Parakeets before heading up into the hills to take a look at the Mugimaki Flycatcher which has returned to winter in its usual area of the park. 

Red-breasted Parakeets showed very well this morning.

Mugimaki Flycatcher is a rare winter visitor to Thailand

Then a short walk to an open area proved to be very successful as we had a pair of Banded Broadbills, followed by Orange-breasted Trogon, Laced Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, a flock of White-crested Laughingthrushes and a couple Common Green Magpies.

After lunch we drove to one of the campsites where we saw Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Orange-headed Thrush, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Swinhoe’s Minivet, Puff-throated Babbler, Alstrom’s Warbler, a gorgeous male Siberian Blue Robin and a White-rumped Shama. It was just a shame that the calling Blue Pitta and Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo weren’t more responsive! 

Hainan Blue Flycatcher

So leaving here we birded along the road which turned out to be very quiet apart from a Heart-spotted Woodpecker and male Siamese Fireback.

We ended the day watching Brown-backed Needletails flying low over the treetops, and at dusk at least 4 Great Eared Nightjars flying overhead. Oh and on the way out of the park, we narrowly missed a huge bull Gaur crossing the road in the dark right in front of us!

Bangkok or Bust!

One last time up onto the slopes of Doi Inthanon and what a great result to start the day as we scoped a cracking Asian Emerald Cuckoo as it sat calling from the top of a sunlit tree. Wow! And eventually we also found our other target bird, when a small group of Black-throated Parrotbills passed close by in company with some Golden Babblers. 

Black-throated Parrotbill

Apart from that, we saw a close male Clicking Shrike-Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, some close Silver-eared Mesias, Rufous-backed Sibia, and other previously seen species. 

Then we headed off to Chiang Mai airport for our afternoon flight to Bangkok. Upon arrival we checked in to the Amari Don Muang Hotel and then had a nice little birding session nearby with Red-rumped Swallow, Germain’s Swiftlet, Yellow-vented Bulbul and best of all, a few Java Sparrows.

Doi Inthanon Day 2

After a 5.30am breakfast we headed up to the higher reached of Doi Inthanon and parked up alongside the road in readiness for the early morning sunshine to hit the tops of the trees. Sure enough within a few minutes we were scoping several Speckled Woodpigeons perched up in the scope – a scarce bird in Thailand. I always think it bodes well for the day when you get the first target bird of the day quite easily. Anyway, we then visited the summit boardwalk where, with a bit of perseverance, we saw a Snowy-browed Flycatcher and eventually a White-browed Shortwing. We did also get great looks at a Chestnut-headed Tesia picking its way out in the marsh and right out in the open – a very unusual sighting indeed. And we also had nice views of a Slaty-bellied Tesia dancing along an exposed branch in a rather more gloomy section of moss-encrusted forest. Shortly after, a nice warming cup of coffee was needed to help thaw out our shivering bones, and as we enjoyed this were able to enjoy all the usual ‘summit’ birds at close quarters once again. As luck would have it, some friends of Nick had found a Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker which showed rather well in the bright morning sunshine.

Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker

Moving to a lower elevation, a female Small Niltava and female White-browed Shortwing appeared beside the minibus as soon as we parked up. Then along a narrow trail we had a male Small Niltava, but I remember this walk for the invisible calling Green Cochoa and a ‘mega-flock’ feeding high in the canopy. There were so many birds and I can’t remember ever seeing a bigger flock on this mountain before. We picked up loads of previously seen species such as Maroon Oriole, Yellow-browed and Yellow-cheeked Tits, as well as White-bellied Erpornis amongst others.

A quick check of a more open area after lunch gave us another big flock with Speckled Piculet, Scarlet Minivet, and a Black-winged Cuckooshrike, plus a few Hill Blue Flycatchers nearby. Then we drove to the base of the mountain and enjoyed scope views of a male Blossom-headed Parakeet perched on top of a tree, plus Nick U picked up a perched Collared Falconet which was a nice bonus bird. A Freckle-breasted Woodpecker was also quite special and we saw a few other lowland birds such as a soaring Shikra and Burmese Shrike before returning to our nearby hotel a little earlier than usual.

Doi Inthanon

After a full English breakfast we drove up to the entrance gate to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand. We began with excellent views of Black-backed Forktail along a quiet mountain stream before heading to our favourite trail. After quite a tussle a Silver-eared Mesia got the ball rolling here, and at the same spot a couple of us watched a pair of Grey-throated Babblers carrying nesting material across the track. Walking up into good forest we had a successful couple of hours with Clicking Shrike-Babbler, Maroon Oriole, Orange-bellied Leafbird, and a very cooperative Pygmy Wren-babbler.

Had lunch at Mr Daeng’s with two different Siberian Blue Robins and a Lesser Shortwing mooching around below the restaurant. Then we headed for the summit and had great close-up views of all the main birds, beginning with a male Green-tailed Sunbird, here of the blue-tailed race endemic to this mountain. There was also Ashy-throated, Yellow-browed, Davison’s, Claudia’s and Blyth’s Leaf-warblers to sort through, Yellow-browed Tit, a cracking male Clicking Shrike-babbler, Rufous-winged Fulvettas, Dark-backed SIbias and Chestnut-tailed Minlas all feeding right in front of us. 

Clicking Shrike-Babbler showed well today.

Along the boardwalk a Dark-sided Thrush fed quietly amongst the leaf litter below us, and we even heard it call which was a new experience for me, and a Eurasian Woodcock showed well. 

Eurasian Woodcock posing at the summit marsh.

However, a White-browed Shortwing only gave the briefest of glimpses and with the light going we decided to leave, but not before a Rufous-throated Partridge appeared right beside the boardwalk giving outstanding views. Wow! 

Rufous-throated Partridge along the summit boardwalk.

We ended the day with a large flock of birds comprising all the previously seen mountain species right beside the minibus to round off a glorious day.

Big Nuthatches and Parrotbills at Doi Lang

A rather quiet day by Doi Lang standards started with a calling Giant Nuthatch beside the road, with a pair of Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babblers, 3 Olive-backed Pipits and a brief Chestnut Bunting nearby. The top forest held a large flock that we just caught the tail-end of with several Grey-headed Parrotbills, Short-billed Minivet, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Rufous-backed Sibia and others.

Way too far for a photo - but it's a Giant Nuthatch

 Along the road a flock of Grey-cheeked Fulvettas held both Golden and Rufous-fronted Babblers. The Spot-breasted Parrotbill was also in attendance, along with Himalayan Bluetail, Siberian Rubythroat, and a few Silver-eared Laughingthrushes.

Silver-Eared Laughingthrush is common here

 

Another White-gorgeted Flycatcher...

Driving down the mountain a pair of Giant Nuthatches looked fantastic in the scope and we came across another flock of Grey-headed Parrotbills, and a group of Black-throated Bushtits. Just a shame a Speckled Piculet flew off before everybody saw it. And then it was a long drive to the Inthanon Highland Resort where we will be staying for the next 3 nights.