Pitta Tour, 23rd-30th June 2015

Introduction
Due to many visiting birders hoping to see Pittas in Thailand a short central Thailand trip with 3-4 species of these enigmatic birds as the target was arranged. With the early wet season being the best time to see Pittas the trip was planned for June when it was also expected that many species of Broadbill would be easy to see as well as a few other species that are easier to see at their best in the wetter months.

Participants
Nick Upton, Bart Brieffies, Ian Kirk & Richard Foster

Transport
We made this trip in a four-door Toyota Vigo which was chosen for its high ground clearance and four-wheel drive facility as the road at Kaeng Krachan can be quite bad in the wet season; in fact this year it was in extremely poor condition. We never needed to use four-wheel drive but this vehicle dealt with ruts and bumps extremely well as well as the wet road surfaces.

Field Guides
1. Birds of Southeast Asia by Craig Robson
2. Guide to the Birds of Thailand by Philip D. Round & Boonsong Lekagul
3. A Guide to the Large Mammals of Thailand by John Parr

Birding Highlights
Khao Yai: Silver Pheasant, Siamese Fireback, Banded Broadbill, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Hooded Pitta, Blue Pitta, Wreathed Hornbill, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Red-headed Trogon, Orange-breasted Trogon
Wat PraPhuttabaht Noi: Limestone Wren Babbler
Petchaburi Rice Fields: Asian Golden Weaver, Streaked Weaver, Black Bittern, Watercock, White-browed Crake, Stork-billed Kingfisher
Laem Pak Bia: Milky Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork, Greater Painted Snipe, Indian Nightjar
Khao Look Chang: Black-headed Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker, Vinous-breasted Starling, Blue-throated Bee-eater
Kaeng Krachan: Hooded Pitta, Blue Pitta, Blue-winged Pitta, Long-tailed Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, Great Hornbill, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Northern White-crowned Forktail, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Black-thighed Falconet, Red-bearded Bee-eater, White-browed Piculet, Red-headed Trogon, Buff-rumped Woodpecker
Lung Sin Hide: Red-legged Crake, Scaly-breasted Partridge
Ban Maka: Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Blue-winged Pitta, Oriental Pied Hornbill

23rd June
After collecting the group from Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok, we headed straight to Khao Yai National Park arriving in time for lunch and then started birding. Unfortunately the weather had not read the script with very dark skies and persistent rain. We did manage to find Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Green-billed Malkoha, Asian Fairy Bluebird and Blue-bearded Bee-eater as well as Plain-backed Sparrow, a species that is much nicer than its name implies. With everyone keen to get into birding mode even common species such as Black-crested Bulbul, Paddyfield Pipit, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Scarlet Minivet and Hill Myna were of interest. With too much rain at the normal spot for Great Eared Nightjar I drove further along until we came across an area with broken cloud and waited. Just before dusk a superb Great Eared Nightjar flew close to us several times so that we could clearly see that it had no white spots on its wings and that its size and shape was reminiscent of Pallid Harrier.

24th June
Waking up to overcast skies and light rain was not what we had hoped for but that is what we had to deal with for most of the day, with winds of varying strength. The plan was to drive the Khao Khieo road in search of Pheasants but the sound of an Oriental Pied Hornbill distracted us for a while; we found it mobbing a sub adult Mountain Hawk Eagle which made quite a spectacle through the telescope. Birding along the road was hard going although a male Silver Pheasant crossing the road was very welcome. Higher up the mountain it was too windy to see much so we birded along the lower parts of the road finding a few nice species including Common Green Magpie, White-crested Laughingthrush, Heart-spotted Woodpecker and White-browed Scimitar Babbler.

Birding trails at Km 33 and HQ were very quiet indeed with just Ochraceous Bulbul seen while we beat the trails trying to elicit a call from either Blue or Eared Pittas. At lunch, though, we had a fantastic, prolonged sighting of Blue-eared Kingfisher, a species which is quite scarce and hard to observe usually. After lunch, we had better luck with Pittas, looking for Hooded Pitta in a regular spot near Haew Narok waterfall. With a few bursts of call playback we all obtained great views of our first Pitta of the trip. Walking the trail to the waterfall provided us with a few nice species such as Orange-breasted Trogon and Ruby-cheeked Sunbird.

We decided to spend the last few hours at Pa Gluai Mai campsite where we found quite a lot of activity; Oriental Pied Hornbill, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Hill Myna, Moustached and Green-eared Barbets as well as some nice Laced Woodpeckers following a group of White-crested Laughingthrushes. We did have time for one last stop to watch a large group of Brown-backed Needletails drinking at a pond - quite an amazing sight..

Wet Season Bird Watching Trips: The early wet season is a good time to see resident breeding birds much more easily than at other times. In particular, several species of Pittas are quite likely to be encountered during the months of April-July that cannot be seen during the dry season. Contact me to arrange a birding trip and/or to discuss the best bird watching options for you: nickupton@thaibirding.com

25th June
Repeating yesterday's plan of driving the Khao Khieo road gave us an excellent start to the day with our first bird being a superb male Siamese Fireback that froze, mid-step, in the road for us to admire before it disappeared into the forest. Further along the road we came across a wonderful flock of Silver Pheasants with a total of 3 adult males, a couple of adult females and a whole host of almost fully-grown juveniles. Walking along the road we briefly heard a Blue Pitta but it would not come into view, however, Banded Broadbill and Red-headed Trogon were both good birds.

Much effort was put into trying to find Pittas but they just were not calling, very unusual for the time of year but probably explained by the strange weather we were experiencing; El Nino was doing his best to make things hard. Still, during the course of the day we had more views of Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Laced Woodpecker and Green Magpie as well as a very close-up encounter with Silver-breasted Broadbill.

We ended the day waiting for some Golden-crested Mynas that never showed up but while we waited we had some excellent views of a huge flock of Thick-billed Green Pigeons feeding on a fruiting tree, some Greater Flamebacks, a wonderful fly past of 7 Wreathed Hornbills and finally a Blue Pitta; our second Pitta of the trip which was much-deserved considering the amount of effort we had put in throughout the day.

26th June
This was a day for something different; starting with breakfast as we watched Red-breasted Parakeets we then drove to Saraburi where we quickly got good views of 2 Limestone Wren Babblers singing at Wat PraPhuttabaht Noi. Although we found our target species very quickly we decided to have a look around the area for an hour finding some of the commoner open country species including a nice pair of Common Ioras, a Peregrine Falcon, a pair of smart Plain-backed Sparrows, a calling Coppersmith Barbet and a Sooty-headed Bulbul. With these we began our journey to Petchaburi.

Making very good time we arrived in the Petchaburi rice fields in time for lunch, but we held out hunger pangs for a short time while we enjoyed really close up views of Asian Golden and Streaked Weavers at their nests. These birds take on a completely different image when in breeding plumage and although most of the group had seen these species in non-breeding plumage they all really enjoyed seeing these lovely little birds like this. After lunch we visited the fish ponds near Wat Khao Takrao where we found small numbers of Painted Storks and several groups of Spot-billed Pelicans and several Javan Pond Herons looking good in their breeding plumage - another bird which makes quite a transformation in the wet season. After enjoying close-up views of these water birds we went back to the rice fields to spend a few very nice hours observing a large number of species. This area is abundant in birdlife and in a few hours we added a large number of species to our list including many Black Bitterns, Purple Herons, a pair of Long-tailed Shrikes, several handsome Cotton Pygmy Geese, Bronze-winged Jacanas and a huge colony of Baya Weavers. One bird high on our list of target was Watercock and after hearing one call we did our best to locate the bird. Unfortunately it was hidden in tall vegetation but we did get great views of 3 White-browed Crakes and 2 Yellow Bitterns. I often favour looking for difficult birds in places where there is a realistic chance of actually seeing them rather than persevering where views are unlikely, and so driving down the road I found some rice fields where the height of the rice would give us a chance of seeing a Watercock and after a few moments we spotted the frontal shield of a male. Watching this bird for 15 minutes we got nice views of its head and shoulders as it repeatedly took a look over the tops of the rice, retracting its head like a periscope. The contract of the bright yellow and red frontal shield and black head of the bird against the bright green rice was quite a sight. More birds came quickly with Chestnut Munia, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Lesser Whistling Duck, a very tame Yellow-bellied Prinia and Pink-necked Green Pigeon as well as a couple of flyover Oriental Pratincoles. With this we decided to go somewhere that I knew we could get far better views of pratincoles; a twenty minute drive to Wat Komnaram.

With a couple of hours of daylight remaining we arrived at Wat Komnaram where we observed large numbers of Oriental Pratincoles attending chicks of all sizes and a couple of Oriental Skylarks in song flight. A short drive to the salt pans at Laem Pak Bia revealed larger numbers of Spot-billed Pelican and Painted Stork and as we were driving out Bart's sharp eyes spotted a Milky Stork emerging from a line of mangrove trees. We were able to get very close views of this very rare bird and were able to see all the features that allowed us to separate it from the hybrids and leucistic Painted Storks that can often appear to be Milky Storks. With this success we entered the King's Project wastewater treatment area where we managed excellent views of Indian Nightjar just after dark, however, an inland Pacific Reef Egret was also notable as well as superb views of Greater Painted Snipe; some great birds to talk about over dinner.

27th June
Arriving at Khao Look Chang our prospects did not look good, with heavy rain keeping us in the car until it eased off. We braved the lighter rain and started our walk into the woodland, observing a pair of Pied Kingfishers at the lake. Among the trees things were really quiet until the rain pretended to stop but even though the weather was not good we still found our target birds, Black-headed Woodpecker, in less than 20 minutes with fine views of a small group. In the woodland itself we also saw Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Asian Barred Owlet and Spotted Owlet before heading out to an area where I had seen Blue-throated Bee-eater in the past. This bird was wanted by several members of the group so it was great to find a few of these birds which gave us excellent views around the edges of a sand quarry. Walking around the woodland edge revealed more nice birds with Large Cuckooshrike a surprise but Lineated Barbet a more expected, but welcome, sighting. Singing Indochinese Bushlarks gave good views and a pair of scarce Vinous-breasted Mynas were also found. Before leaving we had time to find some more nice woodland birds and a pair of Rufous Woodpeckers were lovely in good light and close range before we finished our visit with both Rufous and Racket-tailed Treepies.

Leaving Khao Look Chang we then drove to our accommodation near Kaeng Krachan National Park: Ban Maka. This location plays host to one of our target species in the wet season - Blue-winged Pitta. I always thought we should see this bird fairly easily but even then it surprising to have it sitting in the middle of the road before we had time to get out of the car. After getting out we continued with prolonged views of this great bird before having lunch and adding Orange-bellied Flowerpecker to our tally.

Lunch was followed by an adventurous drive into the national park and up the very rutted and wet road to Km 27.5. Although there was on and off rain over the course of the afternoon we saw a large number of good birds walking up and down the road including a party of Collared Babblers, 2 very showy Rufous-browed Flycatchers, a family of Red-headed Trogons, a group of Buff-rumped Woodpeckers, a Red-bearded Bee-eater, Great Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet and our main target of the afternoon - Ratchet-tailed Treepie. This afternoon was a good end to a very successful day and even the heavy rain that then closed out the rest of the day did not dampen our spirits even if it did make us quite wet.

28th June
Birding the lowlands of Kaeng Krachan always promises some superb birds so at breakfast there was much anticipation of our first visit to this habitat and we set off soon after a 5.30am breakfast. It is so often the case in the wet season that birding in the early morning starts slowly and with the cloud cover left over from yesterday evening's rain things were very slow to start indeed. However, with a known Black-thighed Falconet nest to stake-out we were able to get our first really good bird of the day. Little else was to be seen at our first stop although a female Common Flameback was found not too far away. Driving further into the forest an unfortunate event was the toppling of a tree by the fierce weather the previous day which had contained a Dusky Broadbill nest; with this species highly anticipated this was a big upset, not least because there had been 2 Dusky Broadbill chicks in the nest! Next was a visit to a location where 3 species of Pitta had recently been coming for mealworms but with the torrential flow of the nearby stream nothing could be heard and no Pittas arrived. So far things were not going according to plan but as things warmed up the birds became more active in mid-morning - frequently the case at this time of year. Over the next few hour up to lunch time we slowly added some good birds to our list of sightings including a group of Dusky Broadbills, a pair of Black-and-yellow Broadbills, an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, a pair of Great Hornbills, a family group of Sultan Tits and our second sighting of Blue Pitta of the tour, this time a very brightly coloured male.

After lunch we drove up hill to Km 27.5 once again to see if we could find anything different from the previous day. Oppressive weather made things start slowly again but with patience we managed to see some highly sought-after species. A Northern White-crowned Forktail was seen foraging on the road as were a pair of Little Cuckoo Doves while a Black-throated Laughingthrush revealed itself after treating us to a musical interlude. Streaked Spiderhunter was also appreciated but we really had to work hard to see Long-tailed Broadbill but were rewarded with great views of these stunning birds. Nearby a pair of White-browed Piculets entertained us and were highly popular with the group after which we continued to see new birds; Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and a really nice Spot-necked Babbler.

Heading downhill the weather began to improve and we made series of stops being rewarded with our second sighting of Hooded Pitta and a nice view of a pair of Great Hornbills in flight being mobbed by 2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos.

Some More Trip Reports Central Thailand Birdwatching Tour, February 2015 A Short Thailand Birding Trip, June-July 2013 Rainy Season Birdwatching Tour, June-July 2012 Kaeng Krachan & Tung Bang Jak; A 2-Day Trip 4-5th July 2008

29th June
A brighter start to the day was welcome and it was nice to be birding in the sunshine. Returning to the lowland areas of Kaeng Krachan we began looking for Black-and-red Broadbill. Searching in some likely places gave us nice views of Streak-breasted Woodpecker, Common Flameback and Great Iora but no Broadbill. However further along the road I spotted a pair of these wonderful birds by the roadside and we were able to get out and appreciate them properly, obtaining fine views.

After this success we went deeper into the forest searching for Eared Pitta for the remainder of the morning but instead we found another Blue Pitta as well as another view of yesterday's Hooded Pitta. Despite much searching we could not add much more to our list, so instead we drove back to Ban Maka where we were able to see Black-hooded Oriole and Blue-winged Pitta once more. In fact the garden at Ban Maka turned out to have more bird activity than the forest and while having lunch we got close views of Oriental Pied Hornbill, Little Spiderhunter and Crimson Sunbird visiting the bird feeder.

In the afternoon we visited Lung Sin Waterhole. This area brings in lots of good birds in the dry season but we were hoping for a wet season visitor; Red-legged Crake. We spent more than 5 hours watching birds come to feed and bathe, with far more activity than is usual for this time of year. Many species repeatedly returned to the water, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Black-naped Monarch, Black-crested Bulbul, Streak-eared Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Racket-tailed Treepie, Puff-throated Babbler and Tickell's Blue Flycatcher but towards the end of the show a pair of Scaly-breasted Partridges arrived with the final act being delivered by two different Red-legged Crakes; a wonderful end to the day.

30th June
On our last day together we decided to head uphill to Km 30 to enjoy some of the species found at high altitude. Unfortunately, on our arrival strong winds made birding very difficult indeed although we did manage good views of Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Ashy Bulbul, Rufous-browed Flycatcher and Black-throated Laughingthrush. Birding in windy conditions in Thailand is the least productive one can imagine so as soon as we were allowed to drive back downhill, we did.

Between streams two and three we stopped to walk along a trail and very soon heard an Eared Pitta call. The next hour and a half saw us searching for it in the forest. Finding Eared Pitta can be very difficult as it calls very seldom and there were gaps of about 25 minutes between it calling. Sadly, we never found ourselves quite close enough to pinpoint its location and as the calls got further and further away we were forced to abandon the search. Back at Ban Maka we enjoyed a good lunch and more excellent views of Blue-winged Pitta as it performed in front of us.

On our journey back to Bangkok we had time to call in at Laem Pak Bia to see if we could find Malaysian Plover on the beach. We did see one at a great distance but as we were getting closer it was flushed by some people on motorbikes, then a heavy rain shower prevented us from getting better views. We did see 3 out of season Sanderling on the beach as well as Pacific Reef Egret, Collared Kingfisher and I spotted a distant Bridled Tern feeding with a flock of Little Terns. We then drove back to Bangkok and finished a great trip with our final dinner together.

Nick Upton (nickupton@thaibirding.com)

Khao Yai: KY
Wat PraPhuttabaht Noi: WPN
Petchaburi Rice Fields: PRF
Laem Pak Bia: LPB
Wat Komnaram: WKN

Way Khao Takrao: WKT
Khao Look Chang: KLC
Ban Maka: BM
Kaeng Krachan: KK
Lung Sin Waterhole: LSW

1. Scaly-breasted Partridge: 2 at LSH.
2. Red Junglefowl: a few along the road, KK & LSH.
3. Silver Pheasant: 4m & several f on Khao Khieo road, KY.
4. Siamese Fireback: 1m on Khao Khieo Road, KY.
5. Lesser Whistling Duck: 10-20 at PRF.
6. Cotton Pygmy Goose: c10 at PRF.
7. Little Grebe: a few at WKT.
8. Milky Stork: 1 at LPB.
9. Painted Stork: WKT & LPB.
10. Asian Openbill: PRF.
11. Yellow Bittern: 2 at PRF.
12. Black Bittern: a10 at PRF.
13. Black-crowned Night Heron: a few at LPB.
14. Striated Heron: 1 at WKT.
15. Chinese Pond Heron: 1 on two day at Km 9, KK.
16. Javan Pond Heron: many at PRF, WKT, WKN & LPB.
17. Eastern Cattle Egret: a few at various places.
18. Purple Heron: many at PRF.
19. Eastern Great Egret: a few at WKT, WKN, LPB & PRF.
20. Little Egret: KY, LPB, WKT, WKN & PRF.
21. Pacific Reef Egret: 1 at LPB.
22. Spot-billed Pelican: 40+ at WKT & LPB.
23. Little Cormorant: KY, BM, PRF, WKT & LPB..
24. Indian Cormorant: a few at WKT & LPB.
25. Black-winged Kite: 1 at KY.
26. Brahminy Kite: a few at LPB, WKT, WKN & PRF.
27. Crested Serpent Eagle: 1 at KK, KM 8; 1 at KY.
28. Shikra: 1 at KLC.
29. Besra: 1 KY.
30. Mountain Hawk Eagle: 1j at KY.
31. Black-thighed Falconet: 1 attending a nest at Km 9, KK.
32. Peregrine Falcon: 1 at WPN.
33. Red-legged Crake: 2 at LSW.
34. White-breasted Waterhen: a few at PRF & LPB.
35. White-browed Crake: 3 at PRF.
36. Watercock: 1m at PRF.
37. Purple Swamphen: 3 at PRF.
38. Black-winged Stilt: many at LPB, WKT & PRF.
39. Red-watttled Lapwing: all locations.
40. Malaysian Plover: 1f seen at distance at LPB.
41. Greater Painted Snipe: 1f & 2m at LPB.
42. Bronze-winged Jacana: a6 at TBJ.
43. Eastern Black-tailed Godwit: 2 at LPB.
44. Sanderling: 3 at LPB.
45. Oriental Pratincole: many at WKN.
46. Little Tern: a20 at LPB.
47. Bridled Tern: 1 at LPB (leader seen only).
48. Whiskered Tern: 1 at LPB.
49. Feral Pigeon
50. Red Collared Dove: WPN, PRF, LPB & WKN.
51. Spotted Dove: a few every day.
52. Barred Cuckoo Dove: a few flyovers at KY.
53. Little Cuckoo Dove: 2 at Km 27, KK.
54. Common Emerald Dove: at KY & KK every day.
55. Zebra Dove: a few at LPB, KLC, WPN, WKT & PRF.
56. Pink-necked Green Pigeon: a few at PRF.
57. Thick-billed Green Pigeon: Many at a fruiting tree at KY.
58. Mountain Imperial Pigeon: a few at KY & Km 30, KK.
59. Vernal Hanging Parrot: 1 at Pa Gluai Mai campsite, KY.
60. Red-breasted Parakeet: c10 near KY entry gate.
61. Greater Coucal: a few along the road, KK.
62. Green-billed Malkoha: many at KY, KLC & KK.
63. Asian Koel: 1m at KLC; 1f at PRF.
64. Violet Cuckoo: 1 poor view of a flyover at Km 9, KK.
65. Plaintive Cuckoo: 1j at PRF.
66. Collared Scops Owl: 1 at BM.
67. Asian Barred Owlet: 2 at KLC.
68. Spotted Owlet: 1 at KLC.
69. Great eared Nightjar: 1 at KY.
70. Indian Nightjar: 2 at King's Project, LPB.
71. Pale-rumped Swiftlet: many at LPB, PRF, WKN & WKT.
72. Brown-backed Needletail: a12 at Km 12, KK.
73. Asian Palm Swift: All locations.
74. House Swift: A few at KY.
75. Orange-breasted Trogon: A few at KY.
76. Red-headed Trogon: 1m at KY; 1m, 1f & 2j at Km 27.5, KK.
77. Indian Roller: KY, BM, KLC & WPN.
78. Oriental Dollarbird: A few here and there at KY & KK.
79. Stork-billed Kingfisher: 1 at PRF.
80. White-throated Kingfisher: A at KK; 1 at KY.
81. Collared Kingfisher: 1 seen briefly at LPB.
82. Blue-eared Kingfisher: 1 at HQ, KY.
83. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher: 1 between streams 2 & 3, KK.
84. Pied Kingfisher: 2 at KLC.
85. Red-bearded Bee-eater: 1 at Km 28, KK.
86. Blue-bearded Bee-eater: A few at KK & KY.
87. Green Bee-eater: A few at PRF, WPN, KLC & LPB.
88. Blue-tailed Bee-eater: A few at PRF, KLC, LPB & WKT
89. Blue-throated Bee-eater: A few nesting at KLC.
90. Eurasian Hoopoe: Several at KLC; 1 at BM.
91. Oriental Pied Hornbill: Fairly common at KY & KK; 2 at BM.
92. Great Hornbill: 1 at Km 28; 2 at Km 9, KK.
93. Wreathed Hornbill: 7 flying overhead at KY.
94. Great Barbet: Several at Km 28, KK.
95. Lineated Barbet: A few at KLC.
96. Green-eared Barbet: A few at Km 9, KK.
97. Blue-throated Barbet: A few at Km 27 & Panoen Tung, KK.
98. Moustached Barbet: Fairly abundant at KY.
99. Blue-eared Barbet: A few at KY & KK.
100. Coppersmith Barbet: A few at WPN.
101. White-browed Piculet: 2 seen very well at Km 27.5, KK.
102. Heart-spotted Woodpecker: 3 on Khao Khieo road, KY.
103. Streak-breasted Woodpecker: 1f at Km 9, KK.
104. Laced Woodpecker: Several at KY.
105. Black-headed Woodpecker: 3 at KLC.
106. Common Flameback: A few at Km 9-10, KK.
107. Greater Flameback: Several at Pa Gluai Mai campsite, KY & Km 9, KK.

108. Rufous Woodpecker: 2 at KLC.
109. Buff-rumped Woodpecker: A family party at Km 27.5, KK.
110. Black-and-buff Woodpecker: 1 at Km 28, KK.
111. Black-and-red Broadbill: 2 at Km 13, KK.
112. Long-tailed Broadbill: 3 atKm 28, KK.
113. Silver-breasted Broadbill: Common in lowlands at KK; 1 at Pa Gluai Mai campsite, KY.
114. Banded Broadbill: 2 at KY.
115. Black-and-yellow Broadbill: A pair at stream 3, KK.
116. Dusky Broadbill: A group at stream 2, KK.
117. Blue Pitta: 2m between streams 2 & 3, KK & 1f at KY.
118. Hooded Pitta: 1 near stream 3, KK; 1 at Haew Narok, KY.
119. Blue-winged Pitta: Many in lowlands at KK & BM.
120. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike: Fairly common at KY; a few at BM.
121. Ashy Woodswallow: A few in all open areas.
122. Common Iora: WPN, KLC & BM.
123. Great Iora: A few at KK.
124. Large Cuckooshrike: 2 at KLC.
125. Scarlet Minivet: A few at KY & KK.
126. Long-tailed Shrike: 2 at PRF.
127. White-bellied Erpornis: Common at KY.
128. Black-hooded Oriole: 2 at BM.
129. Black Drongo: 2 at PRF.
130. Bronzed Drongo: A few every day at KY & KK.
131. Hair-crested Drongo: A few at KLC.
132. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo: Every day at KY, KK & a few at KLC.
133. Pied Fantail: A few at WPN, LPB & PRF.
134. Black-naped Monarch: A few here and there at KK; great views at LSW.
135. Common Green Magpie: A few at KY & KK.
136. Rufous Treepie: 2 at KLC.
137. Racket-tailed Treepie: A few at KLC & LSW.
138. Ratchet-tailed Treepie: 1 at Km 28, KK.
139. Eastern Jungle Crow: KY & PRF.
140. Sultan Tit: A few in lowlands, KK.
141. Indochinese Bushlark: A few at KLC.
142. Oriental Skylark: A few at WKN.
143. Black-headed Bulbul: A few at KY.
144. Black-crested Bulbul: Common at KY & KK.
145. Red-whiskered Bulbul: A few at KY.
146. Sooty-headed Bulbul: 1 at WPN & 1 at LSW.
147. Stripe-throated Bulbul: Fairly common at KY & KK.
148. Flavescent Bulbul: A few at Km 28 & PT, KK.
149. Yellow-vented Bulbul: A few at PRF.
150. Streak-eared Bulbul: WPN, KLC, PRF, BM & LSW.
151. Puff-throated Bulbul: Common at KY.
152. Ochraceous Bulbul: Common at KK.
153. Grey-eyed Bulbul: A few at KY & KK.
154. Ashy Bulbul: A few at Panoen Tung, KK & KY.
155. Yellow-bellied Warbler: A few at KK.
156. Zitting Cisticola: A few at PRF.
157. Bright-capped Cisticola: Several at KY.
158. Grey-breasted Prinia: A few at KLC.
159. Yellow-bellied Prinia: 1 at PRF.
160. Plain Prinia: A few at PRF.
161. Common Tailorbird: 1 at Km 30, KK.
162. Dark-necked Tailorbird: A few at KY & KK.
163. White-browed Scimitar Babbler: KY & at Km 27.5, KK.
164. Grey-throated Babbler: A family party at Km 27, KK.
165. Spot-necked Babbler: 1 at Km 27, KK.
166. Rufous-fronted Babbler: a few here and here at KK.
167. Pin-striped Tit Babbler: Common at KY & KK.
168. Brown-cheeked Fulvetta: A few at LSH & KK.
169. Limestone Wren Babbler: 2 at WPN.
170. Collared Babbler: A few at Km 27.5, KK.
171. Abbott's Babbler: 2 at KY; 2 at LSW.
172. Puff-throated Babbler: 2 at LSH; 2 at stream 3, KK.
173. Buff-breasted Babbler: A few at Km 27.5, KK.
174. White-crested Laughingthrush: Fairly abundant at KY.
175. Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush: KLC, KK & LSW.
176. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush: A few at LSW.
177. Black-throated Laughingthrush: 1 at Km 27.5; 1 at Panoen Tung, KK.
178. Everett's White-eye: Fairly abundant at Km 28, KK.
179. Asian Fairy Bluebird: fairly abundant at KY & KK.
180. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch: 1 at Km 28 & 2 at Km 9, KK.
181. Common Hill Myna: Fairly common at KY.
182. White-vented Myna: Common in open country.
183. Common Myna: Common in open country.
184. Vinous-breasted Myna: 2 at KLC.
185. Asian Pied Myna: Common at LPB & PRF.
186. Oriental Magpie Robin: A few at BM, WPN, PRF & LPB.
187. White-rumped Shama: Common atKY, KK & BM.
188. Rufous-browed Flycatcher: A few at Km 27.5, KK.
189. Hill Blue Flycatcher: 1f at KY; 1f & 1j at Km 27.5, KK.
190. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher: 1m & 1f at LSW.
191. Northern White-crowned Forktail: 1 at Km 27, KK.
192. Greater Green Leafbird: 1f at Km 28, KK.
193. Blue-winged Leafbird: A few here and there at KK & KY.
194. Yellow-vented Flowerpecker: 1 at KY.
195. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker: 1m & 1f at BM.
196. Plain Flowerpecker: Several at KY.
197. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker: A few at WPN & BM.
198. Ruby-cheeked Sunbird: 1m at stream 2, KK.
199. Olive-backed Sunbird: A few at WPN & KLC.
200. Crimson Sunbird: 1m at BM; 1m & 2f at LSW.
201. Little Spiderhunter: A few at KY & KK.
202. Streaked Spiderhunter: A few at high altitude, KK.
203. House Sparrow: A few at PRF & LPB.
204. Plain-backed Sparrow: A few at KY.
205. Eurasian Tree Sparrow: Common in urban areas.
206. Asian Golden Weaver: Many at PRF.
207. Streaked Weaver: Many at PRF.
208. Baya Weaver: Many at PRF.
209. Scaly-breasted Munia: A few at WPN & PRF.
210. Chestnut Munia: 4 at PRF.

Mammals: All participants were surprised how many mammal sightings we had. Asian Elephant, East Asian Porcupine & Pileated Gibbon were highlights.

1. Northern Treeshrew: KY, KK & LSW.
2. Lesser Gymnure: Leader seen only at Km 28, KK.
3. Pig-tailed Macaque: Common at KY.
4. Stump-tailed Macaque: A large troop at Km 7, KK.
5. Long-tailed Macaque: Many in Petchaburi town centre.
6. Banded/Tennasarim Langur: A group at Km 27, KK. There seems to be some confusion as to which species occurs here.
7. Dusky Langur: Common at KK.
8. White-handed Gibbon: A few at KK.
9. Pileated Gibbon: A pair at KY.
10. Black Giant Squirrel: A few at KY & KK.
11. Variable Squirrel: KY & WPN.
12. Grey-bellied Squirrel: KK, BM & LSW.

13. Cambodian Striped Squirrel: A few at KY.
14. Burmese Striped Squirrel: A few at KK, BM & LSW.
15. East Asian Porcupine: 2 groups seen along the road, Km 2-5, KK.
16. Yellow-throated Marten: 1 crossed the road in front of us, Km 23, KK.
17. Crab-eating Mongoose: 1 at Km 16 & 1 at Km 8, KK.
18. Asian Elephant: 1 at KY.
19. Lesser Mouse Deer: 1 at LSW.
20. Red Muntjac: Common at KY.
21. Sambar: Common at KY.
22. Lyle's Flying Fox: Many thousands at LPB.

More Information on Khao Yai
More information on Kaeng Krachan
More information on Ban Maka

More information on Petchaburi Rice Fields
More information on Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale

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.

Email me at nickupton@thaibirding.com

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