Introduction
Michael Carmody contacted me in late 2014 asking me to assist
him in creating a birding trip to Thailand for Legacy
Tours in early December. At that time of year forests
in the central and southern regions are well below their best
so I designed a trip that would spend the bulk of the time
in Northern Thailand but also giving a taste of tropical forest
birding at Kaeng Krachan as well as enjoying some superb shorebirding
at Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia.
Participants Nick Upton, Michael Carmody, Gary Breece, Pat Mitchell,
Bob Adams
Vehicle
We used a Toyota Commuter van which had plenty of space for
the five of us to spread out; the luggage was stored on the
back row of seats. Vans are not allowed up the dirt road to
Panoen Tung at Kaeng Krachan so we hired a local driver (Mr
Neung) to take us up to this prime birding spot, although
it was a little bumpy and dusty for those in the back. The
road up the Thatorn side of Doi Lang is in a terrible state
of repair and we had to engage the services of a local songthaew
driver to take us up - once again a bit bumpy for those in
the back but worth it for some great birds.
Accommodation
All the places we stayed in were simple, but comfortable and
clean local hotels and guesthouses. All accommodation had
air conditioning and private bathroom with heated showers
and complimentary bottled water. Everyone was happy with our
accommodation and any small problems or sensible requests
were dealt with quickly.
Food
All the places that I regularly visit serve good food and
everyone on the trip really enjoyed the variety of Thai dishes
available, indeed, dinner was highly anticipated every day
and thoroughly enjoyed.
Notes on Finding Birds
At Kaeng Krachan some areas were excellent while some provided
very slow birding and were a little disappointing; most certainly
this is not the prime time to visit this area but even at
the slowest of times Kaeng Krachan provides sightings of some
fantastic birds and this is why it was selected over Khao
Yai at this time of year for this trip.
Birding the open areas and wetlands was typically fairly easy
and armed with the knowledge of where to find a number of
key species these areas provided us with some of the best
birding of the trip and several extremely rare birds.
Cool weather was slow in arriving in Northern Thailand in
late 2015 and this limited the abundance of migrant species.
However, the birding in the mountains of the north was always
good with hardly any slow periods and many flocks of colourful
species to work through. As was expected at this time of year
birding in the mountains was a delight with good abundance
of birds, a wide variety of species which included some very
special birds.
Petchaburi Rice Fields Leaving the Mariya
Boutique Residence at 5.30am we arrived at Petchaburi
Rice Fields at around 7.30am where we were able to see lots
of open country and freshwater wetland species quickly and
easily. At this time in the morning it was fairly easy to
get good views of a few skulking species such as Thick-billed
Warbler, Dusky Warbler and Black-browed Reed Warbler as well
as the more easily seen Oriental Reed Warbler. Being in this
area in the early morning gave us the chance to get great
views of the beautiful Pink-necked Green Pigeon perched in
the open before it retreated to shady perches as the day heated
up - we saw around 10 of these lovely birds.
Wetland species in this area included small numbers of Grey-headed
Lapwing, a Cinnamon Bittern in flight as well as both Bronze-winged
and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, the latter in their non-breeding
plumage. We also stopped to study some Purple Swamphens feeding
in a freshly planted rice field. This species has recently
been split with the birds in this area supposedly being Black-backed
Swamphens as opposed to Grey-headed Swamphens further north
in Thailand. The birds in this area showed no hint of black
backs and are very grey-headed indeed so I would suggest that
further research is required regarding the splitting of this
species.
Wat Khao Takrao
As the temperature increased we moved towards the fish ponds
near Wat Khao Takrao where large numbers of birds were present
including 500+ Northern Pintail, 800+ Garganey and a small
group of Pied Avocets as well as our first Western Osprey
of the trip. This area is always good for Black-headed Ibis
and we were able to get good views of 3 birds from the vehicle
as well as several Painted Storks. Purple Heron, Grey Heron,
Caspian Tern, Whiskered Tern, Lesser Whistling Duck and Indian
Cormorant were all other birds we were able to add to our
very quickly growing list.
Having enjoyed a good morning with a very large number of
species we headed towards our accommodation at Ban Maka for
lunch, anticipating our 3 days at Kaeng Krachan National Park.
Kaeng Krachan
During our stay at Kaeng Krachan we spent our mornings in
the lowland areas, spending time birding at Km 9, Bang Krang
campsite and between streams 1 and 3. All three of these areas
provided us with sightings of great birds but at Km 9 we really
had some of the best birding of the trip with several fruiting
trees drawing in lots of species which we were able to view
for long periods. The most memorable of these was 10+ Great
Hornbills all in one tree, together with even greater numbers
of Oriental Pied Hornbills and several White-handed Gibbons.
Other species feeding on fruiting trees included Thick-billed
Green Pigeon, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Common Hill Myna and
Green-eared Barbet.
This area was also a good place for several species of woodpeckers
with Greater Flameback, Common Flameback, Greater Yellownape
and Heart-spotted Woodpeckers all showing well and allowing
us good 'scope views and a pair of Sultan Tits were also enjoyed
by the whole group. Our several stops at this area allowed
us to get repeated views of many species here which is always
nice on a trip like this and on one evening stop we were able
to add a party of 4 Black-thighed Falconets to our list -
a nice way to end the day! One of the birds I am always keen
to show people is Black-and-red Broadbill, so it was exciting
for all of us when a pair of these amazing birds emerged from
the vegetation around a pool in the Km 9 area - Black-naped
Woodpecker was another nice species seen in this area.
Bird
Watching Trips:
The Gulf of Thailand, Kaeng Krachan and the northern
mountains always form the core of the Central/Northern
Thailand itinerary but depending on the time of year
this can vary to reflect where the best birding is to
be found.
The wetlands are superb between November-late March
but the forests of the Central region are best visited
January to July while the Northern mountains are at
their best late December-February; but there are always
lots of good birds to be seen.
Contact me to arrange a birding trip and/or to discuss
the best bird watching options for you: nickupton@thaibirding.com
Birding around Bang Krang campsite allowed us to see a number
of species of small, arboreal birds that can be difficult
to see in forest with taller trees. This open area with some
low trees provided was the only place we saw Crimson Sunbird,
Golden-fronted Leafbird, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker and Hainan
Blue Flycatcher and a Violet Cuckoo feeding on an emergence
of caterpillars was a real highlight here. We also had our
best views of Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Blue-winged Leafbird
and Asian Brown Flycatcher here as well as being able to call
in both Banded Bay Cuckoo and Asian Drongo Cuckoo.
Some of the most sought-after birds at Kaeng Krachan are found
between the stream crossings in the mature and moist forest
but November and December are some of the harder months for
birding this area. However, we still managed to see some nice
species including Orange-breasted Trogon, Streak-breasted
Woodpecker, brief views of Common Green Magpie and two very
obliging Black-and-yellow Broadbills here. A fruiting tree
at stream two was a nice find with Blue-eared, Green-eared
and Red-throated Barbet feeding in it but generally birding
was slow in this area - to be expected at this time of year.
The remainder of our time at Kaeng Krachan was spent at higher
altitude, around Km 27-28 looking for the specialities of
that area. We spent two afternoons in the area with very different
results. The first of our two visits provided us with sightings
of some really memorable birds including Red-bearded Bee-eater,
Red-headed Trogon and a wonderful flock of Long-tailed Broadbills
as well as plenty of other birds to see. However, our second
visit was extremely quiet and frustrating hearing many good
birds, none of which would respond to call playback or show
themselves. We did see a number of warblers here including
Alstrom's, Sulphur-breasted and Yellow-bellied as well as
good views of both sexes of Rosy Minivet and Buff-rumped Woodpecker;
eventually we caught up with a noisy Speckled Piculet after
much hunting for it.
Lung Sin Waterhole On our final afternoon staying in the Kaeng Krachan area
we spent time at the Lung Sin Waterhole. This man-made waterhole
in an area of dry forest always provides an amazing wildlife
spectacle, allowing for excellent close-up views of many common
forest birds as well as a number of species which can be really
hard to observe in the forest. All members of our group were
keen to get into the hide early and this really paid off with
a pair of Kalij Pheasants visiting at around 2pm and hoards
of smaller birds bathing throughout the hottest part of the
day. Lesser and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes were wonderful
to see at close range as was Black-naped Monarch, Abbott's
Babbler and some number of Siberian Blue Robins. Waiting around
until the latter part of the afternoon provided an incredible
finale with 2 Red-legged Crakes and 2 Slaty-legged Crakes
coming to bathe. Both of these species are incredibly seldom
seen away from waterholes such as these and to see both of
them at the same time is extremely unusual.
Khao Look Chang
Our morning here was to target Black-headed Woodpecker, a
bird I see here on 95% of visits. On every birding trip in
Thailand it always seems that one location will be rather
hard work, providing frustrating birding, and this was that
location on this trip. Bird activity was very low, probably
as a result of overcast and oppressive weather which is always
bad for birding in Thailand. We found a pair of Black-headed
Woodpeckers but some members of the group struggled to get
onto them and after a period of tracking them we completely
lost the birds. However, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and
Rufous Treepie were obvious, a Spotted Owlet was a nice distraction
while our walk out provided our only Forest Wagtail of the
trip.
Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale
These two adjacent sites on the Gulf of Thailand always provide
some of the best birding of any trip and it is the Spoon-billed
Sandpiper which can be found here that inspires many people
to go birding in Thailand. We spent an afternoon and a full
day at these excellent locations seeing 40 species of Shorebirds
including 2 Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpipers
which we were able to watch feeding at close range. For many
this is the highlight of the trip but we also managed to get
good views of a total of 9 Nordmann's Greenshank (Endangered),
4 Far Eastern Curlew (Endangered), several thousand Great
Knot (Endangered) as well as Red-necked Phalarope, Long-toed
Stint, Pied Avocet and very large numbers of Red-necked Stint,
Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover and
Broad-billed Sandpiper.
Gulls provided typical problems with 4 adult Heuglin's Gulls
at Pak Thale along with another large gull which seemed a
different structure to the Heuglin's and displayed some plumage
detail in the greater coverts that I cannot see in any photos
of Heuglin's Gulls of similar ages. I photographed this bird
in the morning and afternoon and I am yet to receive full
expert feedback as to what its identity may be. Six Slender-billed
Gulls were unexpected but far easier to identify!
One of the highlights here was our boat trip to the sand spit
with Mr Daeng our boatman. Here we were able to observe the
colourful Malaysian Plover (Near Threatened) and the intriguing
White-faced Plover (Data Deficient) in great light as well
as at least 2 Chinese Egrets (Vulnerable). Large numbers of
Great Crested Terns, a few Lesser Crested Terns, Pacific Reef
Egret, Collared Kingfisher and Striated Heron all added to
a very enjoyable and successful excursion and a great lunch
provided by Pi Da (Mr Daeng's wife) added to an excellent
day.
We finished our first afternoon at Laem Pak Bia in the King's
Project area where we managed a really grand finale seeing
Common, Pintail and Greater Painted Snipes as well as well
as two Indian Nightjars, Slaty-breasted Rail and Ruddy-breasted
Crake - great birding! This was all rounded off by the emergence
of over 7000 Lyle's Flying Foxes heading off into the sunset.
Our second day in this area finished on the mudflats at Pak
Thale where we got improved views of Far Eastern Curlew and
added Terek Sandpiper to our list; this was a nice place to
end with thousands of shorebirds arriving to feed as the tide
went out.
Petchaburi Rice Fields
A second visit to this large area of rice fields provided
a final afternoon's birding before heading to the North of
Thailand and allowed us to catch up with some species that
we did not see on our first morning. A nice male Plaintive
Cuckoo was seen early on when things were quiet hot and we
also managed to get good flight views of both Yellow Bittern
and Watercock.
As the afternoon drew on we visited an area which is frequented
by a number of large raptors and we were successful in getting
close-up flight views of 2 adult Steppe Eagles as well as
up to 4 Greater Spotted Eagles on the ground. Black-eared
Kite, Black-winged Kite and a female Eastern Marsh Harrier
made it a good raptor afternoon and Cotton Pygmy Goose on
a lotus pond was a nice way to end this part of the trip.
We also found 5 Eurasian Coot which was quite a notable record
for this part of Thailand.
Our journey into Bangkok was not too bad, taking around 2
hours to the Airport Hotel at Don Muang airport for the next
morning's flight to Chiang Mai.
Thatorn Rice Fields
After arriving at Chiang Mai airport we drove towards out
accommodation for the next 3 nights at Thatorn, arriving in
time for a few hours of birding at Thatorn Rice Fields for
our first visit to this location; on another afternoon we
made a short visit to look further around the area. This site
is usually a good place to see Citrine Wagtail, Black-collared
Myna, Green Sandpiper, Chestnut-tailed Starling and Dusky
Warbler and having seen all of these birds a large bird was
spotted in flight which turned out to be Eurasian Bittern,
a very scarce bird in Thailand. As not everyone in the group
had seen this bird we tracked it down to its landing place
where we able to obtain exceptional views of it.
This area always turns up some interesting species and we
used the last of the light to locate a Siberian Rubythroat
which was seen briefly as was a Eurasian Wryneck. We had already
seen a juvenile Pied Harrier but it was wonderful to also
see an adult male hunting as the light began to fade; this
has to be one of Thailand's most spectacular raptors. Other
good birds we found at this location included a flock of 19
Yellow-breasted Buntings, now listed as an endangered species,
a flock of 6 Grey-headed Lapwings and a Striated Grassbird.
This site always has some interesting birding and it often
feels like more time would be rewarded with some rarities.
However, it is the mountains and their birds which draw people
to this region and that would be our next stop.
Doi Lang (Fang approach)
There is so much habitat on the Fang side of Doi Lang that
spending many days here would not be a waste of time but as
it turned out we ended up spending just the one full day here,
but what a day it was to be. At first things looked disastrous
with thick cloud obscuring our view and heavy rain by 8am.
Even in these awful conditions we managed to see some good
birds at a couple of feeding stations - Rusty-cheeked Scimitar
Babbler, Siberian Rubythroat, Silver-eared Laughingthrush,
White-gorgetted Flycatcher and a male Slaty-blue Flycatcher
but with it still raining at 9.15am things looked bad. However,
as is so often the case, the rain stopped, the clouds broke
up and the birds began to be active.
Very shortly after the rain ceased we located our first Giant
Nuthatches in pine forest, a species that we were to see a
number of times throughout the day. Often this Endangered
species is difficult to find but on this occasion we were
treated to many views. Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, a superb
male Maroon Oriole, a male Little Pied Flycatcher, Japanese
Tit and Radde's Warbler all quickly followed before we moved
along to some more moist forest patches. With the sun emerging
bird activity became quite high and we ran into several flocks,
seeing birds such as Buff-throated Warbler, Stripe-breasted
Woodpecker, Sapphire Flycatcher, Rufous-backed Sibia and most
of the commoner species that occur on the mountain. Such was
the level of bird activity that even our lunch was difficult
to fit in with a flock of Striated Yuhinas and a Rufous-gorgetted
Flycatcher taking our attention.
After our lunch the action began again, a walk along the road
revealing a female White-bellied Redstart, 3 Eurasian Jays
and more flocks of small birds. While I left the group waiting
at a stakeout to go and fetch something from the vehicle I
bumped into an aquaintance who called to me that he was photographing
a group of Himalayan Cutias. Not wanting anyone to miss this
fantastic bird I ran back and called everyone to me and in
record time the group assembled to enjoy fantastic views of
this difficult-to-find speciality as it hung from fruiting
branches at close range. After this excitement we had time
to go and locate a pair of Spot-breasted Parrotbills and a
male White-bellied Redstart, lured out by mealworms.
With the day drawing to a close we began to head to our accommodation
but with one more stop in the pine forest where a lovely male
Ultramarine Flycatcher was waiting for his supper. Back at
our accommodation we enjoyed an excellent meal for a great
end to a great day.
Doi Lang (Thatorn approach)
With the military blocking usage of the through road it was
necessary to ascend the mountain from the Thatorn side for
some key species. The state of the road is awful these days
and the border police will not allow access in saloon cars
or minivans, so we hired a local driver for the day. Passing
through the gate at 7am (no earlier is allowed) we made our
first stop at the large concrete bridge where early morning
activity can be high at time. On this visit things were a
little quiet but a flock of Grey-headed Parakeets repeatedly
flew around, giving us plenty of opportunities to see them.
A little bit of call playback awoke a group of Collared Babblers
which showed themselves very well and these led us onto a
party of Red-billed Scimitar Babblers which made us work to
see them but in the end we all got good views.
Our main targets were higher up the mountain at the second
border police checkpoint. Here a number of colourful birds
performed for us at the feeding stations with the amazing
Scarlet-faced Liocichlas as the star of the show, although
Spectacled Barwing was not far behind. Here we also saw many
Dark-backed Sibias and several Himalayan Bluetails, including
a nice male. The moist forest here harbours many nice birds
and we managed to call out a pair of Whiskered Yuhinas and
spot a nice male Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher. Observing the
tree tops we located a Golden-throated Barbet, several Black
Bulbuls and our only White-headed Bulbul of the trip - a really
nice bird when seen in the sunshine among pink flowers. A
commotion alerted us to the fact that a Collared Owlet was
sitting in the branches of a mossy tree, gathering some warmth
from the sun.
A walk along the road did not turn up very much at all so
it was up to the San Ju view point for lunch. We managed to
get a few more birds up here too - Mountain Hawk Eagle, Striated
Bulbul and Common Rosefinch but unfortunately failed to see
the Golden Bush Robin that I heard in the undergrowth - a
very rare and skulking species in Thailand. With the levels
of bird activity having become very low we headed down the
mountain for an afternoon in the lowlands and to everyone's
surprise and delight we came across one of the birds of the
trip - Blue Pitta. A nice male was hopping around in the road
and we somehow managed to get everyone out of the van so that
we were all able to get a great view of this beautiful bird.
A Blue Pitta in the road at 2pm at a location that I had never
before seen this species was a major stroke of luck, never,
I am sure, to be repeated.
Thatorn Riverside
A late afternoon session at Thatorn Riverside often turns
up some nice birds, although it can be a bit hit-and-miss.
On this afternoon we managed to get some good views of some
rare species as well as catch up on a few species that some
members of the group had missed. Red-throated Pipits gathering
to roost were notable and a good view of Eurasian Wryneck
was nice. On the river we spotted Wire-tailed Swallow, Temminck's
Stint, White Wagtail and Common Sandpiper as well as seeing
our first Paddyfield Pipit on some farmland. As it got close
to dusk a number of skulking species came out into the open
to feed - several Siberian Rubythroats were very obliging
and a male Jerdon's Bushchat feeding from a short post was
a very welcome surprise. This late time of day offers a chance
to see a very skulking species - Baikal Bush Warbler which
is rather common on thick wetland habitat but very hard to
see. A little call playback got at least 5 birds responding
but another song attracted my attention and I confirmed that
it was a Spotted Bush Warbler by listening to my collection
of calls/songs. There are fewer than 5 records of this bird
in Thailand, although it is probable that it is rather commoner
as it is so hard to observe. This bird came out into the open
several times for us to see and as song is the key to identifying
this bird we were very pleased. Moments later we also called
out a Baikal Bush Warbler as the light was fading.
Fang Hot Springs
Our morning here was all about finding Spot-winged Grosbeak,
and finding a flock of 60+ birds was easy as they occurred
at their regular place at the appointed time! Our other target
birds were found in the river with a very nice White-capped
Water Redstart and a pair of Slaty-backed Forktails giving
us great views. A walk around this picturesque location turned
up a few more species including Red-rumped Swallows hawking
for insects around the hot springs, a Blue-bearded Bee-eater,
Lineated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet
as well as Oriental and Japanese White-eyes.
Doi Ang Kang
Although this is a beautiful location we did not schedule
much time here due to it being busy with tourists visiting
over a national holiday period; with that in mind we spent
an afternoon and a morning at Doi Ang Kang. This, in fact,
gave us plenty of time to find most of our target species
for this location with a very nice mixed flock that repeatedly
moved back and forth in front of us at the King's Project
revealing Blue-winged Minla, Marten's Warbler, Golden Babbler
and Yellow-bellied Warbler. A couple of fruiting trees here
were excellent with Great Barbet, Mountain Bulbul, Hill Blue
Flycatcher, Common Rosefinch, Black-breasted Thrush and Slaty-backed
Flycatcher. The feeding station was not as good as it can
be, being early on in the season and birds not yet habituated
to coming for food. Still, we got great views of a male White-tailed
Robin, female Siberian Blue Robin and both sexes of Black-breasted
Thrush.
The view into Mynamar from Ban Nor Lae military camp is always
of interest and we also found a few interesting species here
- Daurian Redstart, Yellow-streaked Warbler and female Purple
Sunbird.
Another area we spent some time at was the Chinese Cemetery,
an area of scrub and farmland which has often provided some
good birding over the years. Several Buff-throated Warblers
were found in low bushes and a flock of Asian House Martins
were seen in the late afternoon but the most notable thing
here were the large numbers of Brown-breasted Bulbuls and
Crested Finchbills feeding on fruit in the old orchard here.
Crested Finchbill seems to be a nomadic species which can
disappear at times so it was nice to see many of these birds
in such good light.
In this area we also caught up with the secretive
White-browed Laughingthrush, a flock of 6-7 were seen in a
bare tree, and Hill Prinia. When the temperature began to
increase and bird activity tailed off we headed towards Chiang
Mai, making a stop in the farmland near Ban Arunothai where
we were able to view a pair of Rufous-winged Buzzards perched
on a hillside; we also spotted an Oriental Hobby on a dead
tree too, making this a nice raptor stop. Mae Hia Agricultural College
This area of fields and ponds close to Chiang Mai airport
is a good place to see a number of open country birds, particularly
the colourful Burmese Shrike which we found perched on a supporting
wire of a radio mast. Several Red Avadavats were seen in flight
but when we went closer to get a better view an unfriendly
man on a motorbike rudely shooed us away. It seems that certain
areas have been closed off to public access but the rude way
in which the man spoke to us was very uncharacteristic in
such a friendly country. As the day grew cooler lots of birds
emerged including Yellow-eyed Babbler, a skulking bird that
responded to call playback, and we also obtained good views
of both Wire-tailed and Striated Swallow perched on wires.
As we were leaving a subadult Eurasian Sparrowhawk flew past
us at close range and 3 Crested Treeswifts flew overhead.
This was a nice ending to the day in an area where we were
able to get more good views of many of the commoner species
such as Pied Bushchat, Long-tailed Shrike, Scaly-breasted
Munia, Brown Shrike, Paddyfield Pipit and Lineated Barbet.
Doi Lo
This area of rice fields, between Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon,
was newly discovered as a birding site in late 2015 and has
turned up a host of rarities in a couple of months. We visited
on our way to Doi Inthanon in hope of seeing the Jack Snipe
that had been recently reported there. Unfortunately, despite
finding large numbers of Common and Pintail Snipe we failed
to find the Jack Snipe, which we later learned, had disappeared
the previous day. Large numbers of Citrine Wagtail were present
along with White Wagtail and Eastern Yellow Wagtail and as
we scanned the fields we located lots of Wood Sandpiper and
a single Common Greenshank but it was 4 Northern House Martins
that were the most notable species seen.
Doi Inthanon
Our final birding site of this trip was Doi Inthanon, the
highest point of Thailand. This is one of the most frequently
visited birding sites in the country and it continues to produce
some great birds even though large numbers of tourists visit.
The large number of public holidays during our trip made it
impossible to be in quiet locations for all of them so even
though I knew it would be busy at Doi Inthanon at this time,
it is the one site where I can continue to find good birds
even though there are large numbers of people around; this
proved to be true once again, although at times noisy people
and traffic tested the patience.
Many of our best sightings were at or near the summit where
we got great views of 2 Speckled Woodpigeons sunning themselves
in the early morning and tracked down skulking birds including
the bizarre Dark-sided Thrush, Pygmy Wren Babbler, several
White-browed Shortwings, a wonderful Northern White-crowned
Forktail, a male Snowy-browed Flycatcher and a pair of Rufous-throated
Partridges. Just being at the summit area is wonderful in
the early morning and late afternoon when the crowds are not
present, with mossy, ferny forest and some lovely birds. As
ever we also found the local subspecies of Green-tailed Sunbird
as well as Ashy-throated Warbler and a nice prolonged sighting
of a male Fire-breasted Flowerpecker.
The checkpoint at Km 37.5 was very busy with traffic but even
so it proved to be worth being patient here with amazing close-up
views of Large Niltava and a singing male Small Niltava along
with a female White-browed Shortwing appreciating the mealworms
we had for it. These birds were perhaps eclipsed by a wonderful
male Asian Emerald Cuckoo which I somehow heard over the noise
of talking, passing traffic and a crowd of noisy motorcycles.
The 'scope views we had of this bird were probably the best
I have ever had.
At Km 34.5 we experienced some of the best birding of the
trip with lots of mixed flocks of birds which included Rufous-backed
Sibia, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Blyth's Shrike-babbler, Golden
Babbler, Grey-chinned Minivet and lots more. This is where
we also managed to locate some species I associate with Doi
Inthanon - Clicking Shrike-babbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler
and Hume's Treecreeper, the latter coming in very close indeed.
A pair of Vivid Niltavas was a nice surprise, feeding on small
fruits and a couple of male Large Niltavas were rather more
anticipated but no less welcome.
Further down the mountain we saw a Lesser Shortwing at Mr
Daeng's as we had lunch as well as a soaring Eastern Buzzard,
while at Watcharitan waterfall we found a female Plumbeous
Redstart and a couple of Puff-throated Bulbuls before the
crowds arrived. Down low at Km 13 we got a good view of a
Black-backed Forktail in the stream and our crazy decision
to drive into the burning hot dry dipterocarp forest at 10.30am
paid off with several Collared Falconets. Our last new bird
of the trip was a pair of Oriental Honey-buzzards soaring
near Inthanon Highland Resort where we had our last lunch
together before parting company at Chiang Mai airport after
a really enjoyable trip.
Petchaburi Rice Fields: PRF
Kaeng Krachan: KK
Laem Pak Bia: LPB
Pak Thale: PT
Wat Komnaram: WKN
Khao Look Chang: KLC
Lung Sin Waterhole: LSW
Wat Khao Takrao: WKT
Thatorn Rice Fields: TRF
Thatorn Riverside: TRS
Doi Lang: DL
Fang Hot Springs: FHS
Doi Ang Kang: DAK
Mae Hia Agricultural College: MH
Doi Lo: DLo
Doi Inthanon: DI
1. Rufous-throated Partridge:
2 on two days at DI summit.
2. Bar-backed Partridge: 2 seen
by some at LSW.
3. Mountain Bamboo Partridge: 2
seen by some at DL.
4. Red Junglefowl: KK, LSW &
DL. 5. Kalij Pheasant: 1m
& 1f at LSW. 6. Lesser Whistling-duck: WKT,
LPB, PRF & MH. 7. Cotton Pygmy Goose: A
few at PRF. 8. Northern Pintail: A
large flock at WKT. 9. Garganey: Large
numbers at WKT. 10. Little Grebe: A
few at PRF & LPB. 11. Painted Stork: A
few at LPB, PT, & WKT. 12. Asian Openbill: PRF,
LPB, WKN & DLo. 13. Black-headed Ibis: A
few at WKT. 14. Eurasian Bittern: 1
seen in a rice field at TRF. 15. Yellow Bittern: Just
1 flushed from a field at PRF. 16. Cinnamon Bittern: 1
at PRF. 17. Black-crowned Night Heron: King's
Project, LPB. 18. Striated Heron: 2
at LPB sand spit. 19. Chinese Pond Heron: Common
& widespread. 20. Javan Pond Heron: Known
to be common at LPB, PT, WKT, WKN & PRF but inseperable
from Chinese Pond Heron in non-breeding plumage. 21. Eastern Cattle Egret:
Many sites. 22. Grey Heron: PT,
LPB, WKN, WKT, PRF & TRF. 23. Purple Heron: A
few at WKT & PRF. 24. Eastern Great Egret:
PRF, PT, LPB, WKN & WKT. 25. Intermediate Egret: PT,
LPB, WKN & WKT; a few at DLo. 26. Little Egret: Seen
at all wetland sites. 27. Pacific Reef Egret: A
few at LPB sand spit. 28. Chinese Egret: 2
at LPB sand spit. 29. Little Cormorant: PRF,
PT, LPB, WKN, KLC & WKT. 30. Indian Cormorant: Fairly
common at PT, LPB & WKT. 31. Western Osprey: 1
at WKT on two visits. 32. Oriental Honey-buzzard: 2
at the base of DI. 33. Black-winged Kite: A
few at PRF & TRF. 34. Black-eared Kite: A
few at PRF & DLo. 35. Brahminy Kite: PRF,
PT, LPB & WKT. 36. Crested Serpent Eagle: 1
at KK. 37. Eastern Marsh Harrier: 1f
at PRF. 38. Pied Harrier: A
few including adult males at TRF. 39. Crested Goshawk: A
few at KK, DAK & DI. 40. Shikra: A few at
KK, KLC, FHS & DI. 41. Besra: 1 at Siripum
waterfall, DI. 42. Eurasian Sparrowhawk: 1
at MH. 43. Rufous-winged Buzzard: 2
near Ban Arunothai, near DAK. 44. Eastern Buzzard:
1 at DI. 45. Greater Spotted Eagle: 4
at PRF; 1 at DLo. 46. Steppe Eagle: 6
adults at PRF. 47. Mountain Hawk Eagle: 1
at DL. 48. Collared Falconet: 3
at Km 13, DI. 49. Black-thighded Falconet: 4
at Km 9, KK. 50. Common Kestrel: 1
at PRF; a few at TRF. 51. Oriental Hobby: 1
near Ban Arunothai, near DAK. 52. Peregrine Falcon: 1
japonensis at DI. 53. Slaty-breasted Rail: 1
at King's Project, LPB. 54. White-breasted Waterhen: PRF,
LPB, TRS & DLo. 55. Ruddy-breasted Crake: 1
at King's Project, LPB. 56. Red-legged Crake: 2
at LSW. 57. Slaty-legged Crake: 2
at LSW. 58. Watercock: 1 at
PRF. 59. Purple Swamphen: A
few at PRF. 60. Common Moorhen: A
few at PRF & Ban Maka. 61. Eurasian Coot: 5
at PRF. 62. Black-winged Stilt: Common
in wetlands. 63. Pied Avocet: Small
numbers at LPB, PT & WKT. 64. Grey-headed Lapwing: A
few at PRF, WKN & TRF. 65. Red-wattled Lapwing: PRF,
WKT, WKN, LPB, KK, MH. 66. Pacific Golden Plover: PT,
LPB & WKN. 67. Grey Plover: PT,
LPB & WKN. 68. Little Ringed Plover: Many
sites. 69. Kentish Plover: Fairly
common at PT & LPB. 70. White-faced Plover: 1m
& 1f at LPB sand spit. 71. Malaysian Plover: 10+
at LPB sand spit. 72. Lesser Sand Plover: Common
at PT & LPB. 73. Greater Sand Plover: A
few at PT & LPB. 74. Greater Painted-snipe: A
few at LPB & TRF. 75. Pheasant-tailed Jacana:
A few at PRF. 76. Bronze-winged Jacana: A
few at PRF & Ban Maka. 77. Pintail Snipe: A
few at King's Project, LPB, TRF & DLo. 78. Common Snipe: Abundant
at LPB, TRF & DLo. 79. Eastern Black-tailed Godwit: Large
numbers at PT & LPB. 80. Bar-tailed Godwit: Fairly
common at PT & LPB. 81. Whimbrel: 40+ at
PT. 82. Eurasian Curlew: 1000+
at PT. 83. Far Eastern Curlew: 4
at PT. 84. Spotted Redshank:
Common at PT & LPB. 85. Common Redshank: A
few at PT & LPB. 86. Marsh Sandpiper: Very
common at PT, WKT & LPB. 87. Common Greenshank: Fairly
common at PT & LPB; 1 at TRF; 1 at DLo. 88. Nordmann's Greenshank:
7 at LPB; 2 at PT. 89. Green Sandpiper: 1
at TRF.
90. Wood Sandpiper: PRF, WKN,
WKT, PT, LPB, TRF & DLo. 91. Terek Sandpiper: 2
at PT. 92. Common Sandpiper: A
few at PT, LPB, WKT & TRS. 93. Ruddy Turnstone: 1
at LPB sand spit. 94. Great Knot: Large
numbers at PT & LPB. 95. Red Knot: 50+ at
PT. 96. Sanderling: A few
at PT & LPB. 97. Red-necked Stint: Very
common at PT & LPB. 98. Temminck's Stint: A
few at LPB & WKN. 99. Long-toed Stint: Fairly
common at PT, WKN & LPB. 100. Curlew Sandpiper: Very
common at PT & LPB. 101. Spoon-billed Sandpiper: 2
seen well at PT. 102. Broad-billed Sandpiper: Fairly
common at PT & LPB. 103. Ruff: A few at
LPB. 104. Red-necked Phalarope: 1
at LPB. 105. Slender-billed Gull: 6
at PT. 106. Brown-headed Gull: PT,
LPB, WKN & WKT. 107. Heuglin's Gull: 4
adults at PT; 1j at LPB sand spit. 108. Unidentified large Gull: 1
subadult bird showing many features atypical of Heuglin's
Gull; the only expert feedback so far is that it should be
Heuglin's but I cannot find any photos of Heuglin's that share
the plumage features of this bird. 109. Gull-billed Tern: Fairly
common at PT & LPB. 110. Caspian Tern: Fairly
common at PT & LPB. 111. Great Crested Tern: 30+
at LPB sand spit. 112. Lesser Crested Tern: A
few at LPB sand spit & PT. 113. Little Tern: Common
at PT & LPB. 114. Common Tern: Fairly
common at PT & LPB. 115. Whiskered Tern: Common
at PT & LPB. 116. White-winged Tern: A
few at LPB. 117. Rock Pigeon
118. Speckled Woodpigeon: 2
near summit of DI.
119. Ashy Woodpigeon: 3 fly
past near summit of DI.
120. Oriental Turtle Dove: 1
surprisingly seen at TRF.
121. Red Collared Dove: Common
in open country. 122. Spotted Dove: Common
in open country, seen daily. 123. Common Emerald Dove: A
few at KK; 1 at LSW. 124. Zebra Dove: Common
in open country. 125. Pink-necked Green Pigeon: A
few at PRF. 126. Thick-billed Green Pigeon:
Several at Km 9, KK. 127. Mountain Imperial Pigeon: KK,
DL & DAK. 128. Vernal Hanging Parrot: A
few at a fruiting tree at Km 9, KK. 129. Grey-breasted Parakeet:
30+ in flight at DL. 130. Greater Coucal: A
few at KK, PRF, DL, DAK. 131. Green-billed Malkoha: A
few at PRF, KK & DI. 132. Asian Koel: A
few at PRF. 133. Asian Emerald Cuckoo: 1m
at Km 27.5, DI. 134. Violet Cuckoo: 1
subadult male at KK. 135. Banded Bay Cuckoo: 1
at Bang Krang campsite, KK. 136. Asian Drongo Cuckoo: 1
at Bang Krang campsite, KK. 137. Eurasian Barn Owl: 1
seen in flight at Thatorn. 138. Collared Owlet: 1
at DL. 139. Asian Barred Owlet: 1
at Inthanon Highland Resort. 140. Spotted Owlet: 2
at KLC. 141. Large-tailed Nightjar: 1
at KK. 142. Indian Nightjar: 2
at King's Project, LPB. 143. Crested Treeswift: 3
flyover at MH; 2 flyover at base of DI. 144. Grey-rumped Treeswift: A
few in flight at Km 9, KK. 143. Himalayan Swiftlet: A
few at KK, DAK & DI. 144. Pale-rumped (Germain's) Swiftlet: Very
common at PRF, PT, LPB, WKN & WKT. 145. Asian Palm Swift: Common. 146. Pacific Swift: 1
flock at DL. 147. Cook's Swift: Common
at DL & DAK. 148. House Swift: A
few at LPB. 149. Orange-breasted Trogon: 2
near stream one, KK. 150. Red-headed Trogon: 1f
at Km 27.5, KK. 151. Indian Roller: At
most open country sites and roadsides. 152. Oriental Dollarbird: A
few at Km 9-12, KK. 153. White-throated Kingfisher: Common
in open country. 154: Black-capped Kingfisher: A
few at PT, LPB & Km 9, KK. 155. Collared Kingfisher: PT
& LPB. 156. Common Kingfisher: PT,
LPB, Ban Maka, TRF & DLo. 157. Red-bearded Bee-eater: 1
at Km 27.5, KK. 158. Blue-bearded Bee-eater: 1
at FHS & 1 near base of DI. 159. Green Bee-eater: PRF,
LPB, WKT, MH, DLo & DI. 160. Blue-tailed Bee-eater: A
few at PRF & LPB. 161. Chestnut-headed Bee-eater: A
few at KK. 162. Eurasian Hoopoe: 2
at KLC. 163. Tickell's Brown Hornbill: A
group of c12 at Km 9, KK. 164. Oriental Pied Hornbill: Fairly
common at KK. 165. Great Hornbill: c10
at a fruiting tree, Km9, KK. 166. Great Barbet: 1
at King's Project, DAK. 167. Lineated Barbet: 2
at FHS; 2 at Inthanon Highland Resort. 168. Green-eared Barbet: A
few at Km 9, KK. 169. Golden-throated Barbet: Dl
& DI. 170. Blue-throated Barbet: A
few at Km 27.5, KK; a few at FHS; 1 at DL. 171. Red-throated Barbet: 1
in fruiting tree at stream 2, KK.. 172. Blue-eared Barbet: A
few at KK & FHS. 173. Coppersmith Barbet: KK,
KLC, FHS. 174. Eurasian Wryneck: 1
at TRF; 1 at TRS. 175. Speckled Piculet: 1
at Km 27.5, KK. 176. Heart-spotted Woodpecker: 1
at Km 9, KK. 177. Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker: Several,
DL. 178. Freckle-breasted Woodpecker: 1m
at LPB. 179. Stripe-breasted Woodpecker: DL
& DAK. 180. Greater Yellownape: Several
in lowlands, KK. 181. Streak-breasted Woodpecker: 1m
between streams one & two, KK. 182. Black-headed Woodpecker: 1m
seen briefly at KLC. 183. Black-naped (Grey-headed) Woodpecker:
1m at Km 10, KK. 184. Common Flameback: Several
seen in lowlands at KK. 185. Greater Flameback: Fairly
common in lowlands, KK. 186. Bay Woodpecker: 1
seen well between streams two & three, KK. 187. Buff-rumped Woodpecker: 1
at Km 27.5, KK. 188. Black-and-red Broadbill: 2
at Km 9, KK. 189. Long-tailed Broadbill: A
flock of 10+ at Km 28, KK. 190. Black-and-yellow Broadbill: 2
between streams one & two, KK. 191. Blue Pitta: 1m
on the road at 2pm as we descended DL. 192. Golden-bellied Gerygone: 1
at PT. 193. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike: Many
sites. 194. Ashy Woodswallow: Seen
at many open country sites. 195. Common Iora: KK,
Ban Maka, KLC & DL. 196. Great Iora: 2
at Ban Krang campsite, KK. 197. Large Cuckooshrike: A
few at DL. 198. Indochinese Cuckooshrike: 1m
at DL; 1f at DAK. 199a. Black-winged Cuckooshrike (jabouillei):
KK. 199b. Black-winged Cuckooshrike (melaschistos):
1m in pine at DAK. 200. Rosy Minivet: A
few at Km 27.5 & Km 17, KK. 201. Swinhoe's (Brown-rumped) Minivet: Common
at KK. 202a. Grey-chinned Minivet: A
few in mixed flocks at DI. 202b. Grey-chinned Minivet (montanus):
A few at Km 27.5, KK. 203. Long-tailed Minivet: DL
& DAK. 204. Short-billed Minivet: DL
& DI. 205. Scarlet Minivet: KK,
DL & DI. 206a. Brown Shrike (confusus): Common
in open country. 206b. Brown Shrike (luscionensis):
1 at DAK. 207. Burmese Shrike: 1
at MH. 208. Long-tailed Shrike: 2
at PRF; also DAK, DL, MH & DLo. 209. Grey-backed Shrike: 1
at DL. 210. White-bellied Erpornis: A
pair at LSW. 211. Blyth's (White-browed) Shrike-babbler:
DL, DAK & DI. 212. Clicking (Chestnut-fronted) Shrike-babbler:
A pair at Km 34.5, DI. 213. Slender-billed Oriole: 1m
in pine, DAK. 214. Black-naped Oriole: Common
in lowlands at KK. 215. Maroon Oriole: 1m
at DL; 1f at DAK. 216. Black Drongo:
Seen at all open country sites. 217a. Ashy Drongo (leucogenis):
A few at KK. 217b. Ashy Drongo (salangensis):
2 at Km 9, KK. 217c. Ashy Drongo (mouhoti): Fairly
common at KK, also seen at DI.
217d. Ashy Drongo (hopwoodi):
Several at DAK. 218. Bronzed Drongo: KK,
FHS, DAK, DI. 219. Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo:
Km 27.5, KK. 220. Hair-crested Drongo: KK,
DI, DAK, FHS. 221. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo: KK
& KLC. 222. White-throated Fantail: A
few at DL, DAK & DI. 222. Pied Fantail: PRF, LPB,
WKT, KLC. 224. Black-naped Monarch: KK
& LSW. 225. Blyth's (Asian) Paradise-flycatcher (indochinensis):
Seen by a few at Km 28, KK. 226. Eurasian Jay: 3 at DL. 227. Common Green Magpie: 1 seen
briefly between streams one & two, KK. 228. Rufous Treepie: KLC &
Inthanon Highland Resort. 229. Grey Treepie: A few at DL
& DAK. 230. Racket-tailed Treepie: 2
at KLC. 231. Eastern Jungle Crow: At
many open country sites. 232. Yellow-bellied Fantail-flycatcher:
DL & DI. 233. Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher: In
mixed flocks at most sites. 234. Japanese Tit: In
pine at DL & DAK. 235. Yellow-cheeked Tit: DAK
& DI. 236. Sultan Tit: Seen
every day in lowlands at KK. 237. Indochinese Bushlark: 1
at LPB; 1 at MH. 238. Oriental Skylark: A
few at WKN. 239. Crested Finchbill: Numerous
at Chinese Cemetery, DAK. 240. Striated Bulbul: A
few at DL: 1 near DI summit. 241. Black-headed Bulbul: Numerous
at KK; a few at LSH; 1 at DAK; a few at FHS. 242. Black-crested Bulbul: Common
at many forest sites. 243. Red-whiskered Bulbul: Common
at DAK. 244. Brown-breasted Bulbul: At
Chinese Cemetery, DAK. 245. Sooty-headed Bulbul: Common
in northern Thailand. 246. Stripe-throated Bulbul: A
few at Km 9, KK; a few at LSW; a few at FHS. 247. Flavescent Bulbul: Common
in northern mountains. 248. Yellow-vented Bulbul: 2
at PRF. 249. Streak-eared Bulbul: Common
in open country. 250. Puff-throated Bulbul: 2
at Watcharithan waterfall, DI. 251. Ochraceous Bulbul: Common
at KK. 252. Grey-eyed Bulbul: Common
at KK. 253. Mountain Bulbul: DAK
& DI. 254a. Ashy Bulbul (davisoni): A
few at Km 28, KK. 254b. Ashy Bulbul (hildebrandi):
Dl & DAK. 255. Black Bulbul: DL,
DAK & DI. 256. White-headed Bulbul: 1
at DL. 257. Barn Swallow: Seen
every day. 258. Wire-tailed Swallow: 1
at TRS; a few at MH. 259. Asian House Martin: A
small flock at DAK. 260. Northern House Martin: 4
at DLo. 261. Red-rumped Swallow:A
few at FHS. 262. Striated Swallow: A
few at MH. 263. Pygmy Wren Babbler: 1
at DI summit. 264. Yellow-bellied Warbler: A
few at Km 27.5, KK; a few at King's Project, DAK. 265. Mountain Tailorbird: A
few at Km 34.5, DI. 266. Dusky Warbler: PT,
PRF, TRF & TRS. 267. Buff-throated Warbler: 1
at DL; a few at DAK. 268. Yellow-streaked Warbler: 1
at Ban Nor Lae, DAK; 1 at Chinese Cemetery, DAK. 269. Radde's Warbler: 1
at DL. 270. Orange-barred (Buff-barred) Leaf Warbler:
A few at Dl & summit, DI. 271. Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler: A
few at summit, DI. 272. Chinese Leaf Warbler: 1
at DL; a few at Km 34.5, DI. 273. Pallas's Leaf Warbler: A
few at DL. 274. Yellow-browed Leaf Warbler: Common
at most sites. 275. Hume's Leaf Warbler: A
few in pine at DL, DAK & DI. 276. Greenish Warbler: A
few at DL. 277. Two-barred Warbler: KK,
Ban Maka & KLC. 278. Blyth's Leaf Warbler: 1
observed displaying its alternate "wing-drooping"
behaviour. NOT wing-flicking, all Phylloscopus flick
their wings to some degree. Blyth's flicks its wings and then
drops one wing as the other wing continues to flick. Usually
it holds this "dropped" wing slightly away from
its body, sometimes it stretches it away from its body. Also
seen at DI summit. 279. Claudia's Leaf Warbler: DL,
DAK& DI. 280. Davison's Leaf Warbler: Fairly
common on DL, DAK & DI where it frequently sings. 281. Sulphur-breasted Leaf Warbler: In
mixed flocks at KK. 282. Bianchi's Warbler: 1
seen & identified on call at DL. 283. Marten's Warbler: 1
at King's Project, DAK. Id on call. 284. Alstrom's Warbler: A
few at Km 27.5, KK. Id on call. 285. Chestnut-crowned Warbler: 1
at DL; a few at DI. 286. Oriental Reed Warbler: A
few at PRF, TRS & DLo. 287. Black-browed Reed Warbler: A
few at PRF. 288. Thick-billed Warbler: 1
at PRF; 1 at TRF. 289. Striated Grassbird: 1
at TRF; 2 seen briefly at TRS. 290. Baikal Bush Warbler: 1
seen, many heard at TRS. 291. Spotted Bush Warbler: 1
seen singing, song contrasting with Baikal Bush warblers singing
nearby. Papers on this bird say that song is critical to identifying
it from Baikal Bush warbler which is much more common in Thailand.
There are fewer than 5 records for this species in Thailand. 292. Zitting Cisticola: A
few at MH & DLo. 293. Bright-capped Cisticola: 2
at DLo. 294. Hill Prinia: 2
at DAK. 295. Rufescent Prinia: A
few at KLC & DL. 296. Grey-breasted Prinia: A
few at TRF. 297. Yellow-bellied Prinia: 2
at PRF; 1 at TRS. 298a. Plain Prinia (herberti): PRF,
LPB, WKN. 298b. Plain Prinia (blanfordi):
TRF, TRS, MH, DLo. 299. Common Tailorbird: PRF,
Ban Maka, KK. 300. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler:
1 at DL. 301. White-browed Scimitar Babbler: A
few at KK; 1 at DL; 2 at DAK. 302. Red-billed Scimitar Babbler:
5 at DL. 303. Grey-throated Babbler:
2 at Km 27.5, KK. 304. Rufous-fronted Babbler: A
few at KK. 305. Golden Babbler:
A few in mixed flocks at DAK & DI. 306. Pin-striped Tit Babbler: Common
at KK; 2 at LSW. 307. Chestnut-capped Babbler: 2
at TRS. 308. Rufous-winged Fulvetta: A
few at Km 34.5 & summit, DI. 309. Brown-cheeked Fulvetta: Many
at LSW. 310. Collared Babbler: A
small flock at DL. 311. Abbott's Babbler: 2
at LSW. 312. Puff-throated Babbler: A
few at LSW. 313. White-necked Laughingthrush: Briefly
seen at DL. 314. Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush: LSW
& Ban Maka. 315. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush: LSW
& Ban Maka. 316. White-browed Laughingthrush: Briefly
seen at DL; a small group seen well at Chinese Cemetery, DAK. 317. Silver-eared Laughingthrush: DL
& summit, DI. 318. Himalayan Cutia: A
party of 5 at DL. 319. Blue-winged Minla: Seen
in mixed flocks at DL, DAK & DI. 320. Chestnut-tailed Minla:
Common at summit, DI. 321. Scarlet-faced Liocichla: 3
at DL. 322. Spectacled Barwing: DL
& DI. 323. Silver-eared Mesia: 1
flock of 15+ birds at DAK. 324. Rufous-backed Sibia: Small
numbers at Dl & DI. 325. Dark-backed Sibia: Common
in northern mountains. 326. Yellow-eyed Babbler:
2 at MH. 327. Spot-breasted Parrotbill: 2
at DL. 328. Striated Yuhina: A
large flock at DL. 329. Whiskered Yuhina: 2 at DL. 330. Chestnut-flanked White-eye: Many
at Km 34.5, DI. 331. Japanese White-eye: DAK
& FHS. 332. Oriental White-eye:
FHS & DI. 333. Everett's White-eye: Km
28, KK. 334. Asian Fairy-bluebird: KK. 335. Chestnut-vented Nuthatch: DL,
DAK & DI. 336. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch: Seen
daily at KK. 337. Giant Nuthatch: DL
& DAK. 338. Hume's Treecreeper: Several
at Km 34.5, DI. 339. Common Hill Myna: A
few at fruiting trees, Km 9, KK. 340. White-vented Myna: Seen
at all open country sites. 341. Common Myna: Seen
at all open country sites. 342. Black-collared Myna: TRF,
TRS, MH & DLo. 343. Asian Pied Myna:
LPB, PT, WKN, WKT, KLC, PRF & DLo. 344. White-shouldered Starling: 1
at PRF; 1 at TRF. 345a. Chestnut-tailed Starling (nemoricola):
TRF & DI. 345b. Chestnut-tailed Starling (malabaricus):
2 at TRF. 346. Orange-headed Thrush (innotata): 1m
at LSW. 347. Dark-sided Thrush:
1 at DI summit. 348. Black-breasted Thrush: 1m
& 1f at King's Project, DAK. 349. Oriental Magpie Robin: Most
open areas. 350. White-rumped Shama: Ban
Maka & LSW. 351. Dark-sided Flycatcher: A
few at Km 24, KK. 352a. Asian Brown Flycatcher (dauurica):
KK & KLC. 352b. Asian Brown Flycatcher (siamensis):
1 at Km 9, KK. 353. Vivid Niltava: 1m
& 1f at Km 34.5, DI. 354. Small Niltava: 1m
at Km 27.5, DI. 355. Large Niltava: 2m
at Km 34.5, DI; 1m at Km 27.5, DI. 356. Verditer Flycatcher: Seen
daily at KK; a few at DI. 357. White-gorgetted Flycatcher: A
few at DL. 358. Hainan Blue Flycatcher: 1f
at Bang Krang campsite, KK. 359. Hill Blue Flycatcher: 1m
at King's Project, DAK. 360. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher: Several
at LSW. 361. Blue-throated Flycatcher: 1f
at KK. 362. Chinese Blue Flycatcher: 1m
& 1f at KK. 363. Lesser Shortwing: 1
at Mr Daeng's, DI. 364. White-browed Shortwing:
3m at summit, DI. 365. Siberian Blue Robin: Several
males & females at LSW; 1f at DAK; 1f at Mr Daeng's, DI. 366. White-bellied Rdstart: 1m
& 1f at DL. 367. Siberian Rubythroat: 1m
at TRF; 3m at TRS; 2 at DL. 368. White-tailed Robin: 1m
at King's Project, DAK. 369. Himalayan Bluetail: c6
at DL; 1f at DI summit. 370. Slaty-backed Forktail: 2
at FHS. 371. Black-backed Forktail: 1
at Km 13, DI. 372. Northern White-crowned Forktail: 1
at DI summit. 373a. Blue Whistlingthrush (eugenei):
FHS, DAK & DI. 373b. Blue Whistlingthrush (caeruleus):
A few at DI. 374. Slaty-blue Flycatcher (cerviniventris):
1m & 1f at DL. 375. Slaty-backed Flycatcher: 1m
at DAK. 376. Sapphire Flycatcher: 1m
& 1f at DL. 377. Taiga Flycatcher: KK,
Ban Maka, KLC, FHS, TRF. 378. Snowy-browed Flycatcher: 1m
at DI summit. 379. Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher: 1m
& 1f at DL. 380. Ultramarine Flycatcher: 1m
at DL. 381. Little Pied Flycatcher: A
few at DL. 382. White-capped Redstart: 1
at FHS; 1 at Watcharitan Waterfall, DI. 383. Plumbeous Redstart: 1f
at Watcharitan Waterfall, DI. 384. Daurian Redstart: 1f
at Ban Nor Lae, DAK. 385. Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush: 1m
& 1f at DL. 386. Blue Rockthrush: 1m
at FHS. 387. Jerdon's Bushchat: 1m
at TRS. 388. Grey Bushchat: Dl
& DAK. 389. Pied Bushchat: TRF,
TRS, MH, DLo. 390a. Eastern Stonechat (stejnegeri):
PRF, TRF, TRS, MH, DLo. 390b. Eastern Stonechat (przewalski):
1m at Chinese Cemetery, DAK. 391. Blue-winged Leafbird: A
few at KK. 392. Golden-fronted Leafbird: 1m
at KK. 393. Orange-bellied Leafbird: Many
at DL, DAK & DI. 394. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker: 1
at KK. 395. Plain Flowerpecker: A
few at DAK & DI. 396. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker: 1m
at DI summit. 397. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker: A
few at KK. 398. Brown-throated Sunbird: 1m
& 1f at PRF. 399. Purple Sunbird: Many
at Inthanon Highland Resort. 400. Olive-backed Sunbird: Many
sites. 401. Mrs Gould's Sunbird: DL,
DAK & DI. 402. Green-tailed Sunbird (angkaensis):
A few at summit, DI. 403. Black-throated Sunbird: A
few at Km 28, KK; a few at DAK & DI. 404. Crimson Sunbird: A
few at Bang Krang campsite, KK. 405. Little Spiderhunter: 1
at Watcharitan Waterfall, DI. 406. Streaked Spiderhunter:
2 at King's Project, DAK. 407. House Sparrow: PRF
& TRF. 408. Eurasian Tree Sparrow: All
open and urban areas. 409. Plain-backed Sparrow: PRF
& base of DI. 410. Asian Golden Weaver: PRF
& DLo. 411. Baya Weaver: PRF
& TRS. 412. Red Avadavat: A
few at MH. 413. White-rumped Munia: PRF. 414. Scaly-breasted Munia: Most
open country sites. 415. Forest Wagtail: 1
at KLC. 416. Eastern Yellow Wagtail (macronyx): PRF
& DLo. 417. Citrine Wagtail: TRF,
TRS & DLo. 418. Grey Wagtail: FHS,
DAK, DI. 419. White Wagtail: TRF,
TRS, FHS, DAK. 420. Richard's Pipit: LPB,
PRF, MH & DLo. 421. Paddyfield Pipit: TRS
& MH. 422. Olive-backed Pipit: FHS
& DI. 423. Red-throated Pipit: c8 at
TRS. 424. Common Rosefinch: A few
at Dl & DAK. 425. Spot-winged Grosbeak: 50-60
at FHS. 426. Yellow-breasted Bunting: 19
at TRF.
Mammals
1. Northern Treeshrew: LSW. 2. Stump-tailed Macaque: Many
on the road at Km 7-8, KK. 3. Long-tailed Macaque: Lots
in Petchaburi town. 4. Dusky Langur: Seen daily at
KK. 5. White-handed Gibbon: A few
groups at KK. 6. Black Giant Squirrel: A few
at KK. 7. Pallas's Squirrel: DI. 8. Grey-bellied Squirrel: Common
at KK, LSW & Ban Maka.
9. Western (Burmese) Striped Squirrel:
Many locations. 10. Small Asian Mongoose:1 at
LPB. 11. East Asian Porcupine: 3 seen
on the road at night at KK. 12. Lesser Mouse Deer: A few
at LSW. 13. Red Muntjac: 1 at Km 10,
KK. 14. Sambar: 2 at Km 9, KK. 15. Lyle's Flying Fox: Thousands
at LPB.
If you are interested in arranging a bird
watching tour you can see some suggested itineraries here
- Birdwatching
Trips - and you can contact me at the above email address
to discuss the best options.
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