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9 - 23 November 2012.
Hot in the lowlands. Pleasant in the highlands. Cloudy with rain at Mae Wong National Park, Doi Ang Khang and Thaton.
Bueng Boraphet, Mae Wong National Park, Mae Ping National Park, Doi Inthanon National Park, Doi Ang Khang, Doi Lang, Thaton, Chiang Saen and Huay Hong Khrai.

Black Drongo

Barn Swallow

Pied Kingfisher

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

10 Nov. Early start to arrive at the Water Bird Sanctuary for a dawn breakfast in the parking area. Onto our pre-arranged boat by 07:15 and the next four hours spent slowly working our way across the lake and back again, seeing at least 15 Spot-billed Pelican, a number of White-browed Crake, Watercock and hundreds of Streaked Weaver. A new, concrete, boardwalk has been constructed which loops from the monument area to the new toilet block. Back to town, checked-out and onward to Mae Wong National Park, where we arrived around 16:00.

11 Nov. Drove up to Chong Yen at first light. On arrival at summit, as expected judging from the volume of cars yesterday, the campsite was packed and cars backed-up all over the place. However, most left by 09:00 mainly on account of the biting flies which were worse here than usual and particularly bad according to the rangers on site. The morning was spent mainly scanning the valleys for hornbills, but none seen. Around 12:00 we descended a kilometre and birded the road, seeing Pale Blue Flycatcher and Olive Bulbul. Returned to the summit again, this time splitting up to cover both the hides and the road. Not particularly constructive but a Grey Peacock-Pheasant was very obliging. The last hour of light spent with another walk down the road, with Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler and Collared Babbler. All in all a fairly slow day with some key birds not found - it being particularly disappointing not to find Rufous-necked Hornbill which had been present yesterday. Dinner in town, then late drive back to the accommodation.

12 Nov. Cloudy and overcast, and decidedly cool at the upper levels at Chong Yen. The first hour of light very productive with Burmese Yuhina, White-necked Laughingthrush and Rufous-throated Partridge. Around 08:30 rain started and continued for two hours when, as it didn't look like easing, we descended to bird lower levels and avoid the rain.

Buff-breasted Babbler

Collared Babbler

White-lipped Pit Viper

Yellow-throated Marten

Red-throated Pipit

White-necked Laughingthrush

However, little seen. Lunch at the park canteen where a Red-throated Pipit found feeding on the grass clearing. As weather was clearing, back to the summit, with the last three hours spent around the campsite and scanning valleys. Good numbers of Chestnut-flanked White-eye, a pair of Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler and Collared Babbler. At 17:00 rain started in earnest so returned to accommodation at the park HQ. A cool and damp night.

Blue Rock Thrush

Grey Bush Chat

Great Mormon

14 Nov. Overcast and cool as we headed into Mae Ping National Park, running into Neil Lawton along the way. All morning spent along the track to Thung Kik with a number of the usual suspects seen such as Black-headed Woodpecker, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Common Flameback, Large Cuckooshrike, Red-billed Blue Magpie and Indochinese Blue Flycatcher. Some of the less often seen species included Grey-headed Parakeet, Common Woodshrike, Black-winged Cuckooshrike and Two-barred Warbler. Lunch in Li town and a couple of hours drive to Doi Inthanon. Our first stop was at the campsite with an attempt for Black-tailed Crake, which was not even heard. The last hour spent at the Siriphum Garden and waterfall which was almost totally birdless. The only bird of note seen all afternoon being Eastern Buzzard.

15 Nov. Up to the top of Doi Inthanon for sunrise. Surprisingly few people today. Temperature was moderate at around 10 degrees, with no wind. We spent a few hours in the parking area, the boardwalk and along the upper stretches of road. The expected species included Ashy Wood Pigeon, Ashy-throated Warbler, Blyth's Leaf Warbler, Pygmy Cupwing and Himalayan Shortwing, along with the less usual Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush. Lunch at the park headquarters canteen and then a drive over to the Mae Pen campsite area with the whole afternoon spent there, seeing Silver-breasted Broadbill, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Rosy Minivet, Slaty-backed Forktail and White-capped Redstart.

16 Nov. We started at the second checkpoint at Km 37.5 just after dawn and a hectic couple of hours produced Rufous-backed Sibia, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Chestnut-capped Warbler, Claudia's Leaf Warbler and Rufous-bellied Niltava. A subsequent stroll up the road held White-headed Bulbul and Chestnut-vented Nuthatch. Around 10:00 we decided to try the Wachirathan Waterfall as we'd missed some key waterside birds yesterday. Again we initially were without luck, but a dedicated wait finally rewarded us with good views of Plumbeous Water Redstart and Slaty-backed Forktail.

17 Nov. Due to being Saturday we decided to avoid the summit and birding along the road in favour of off-road birding along the Km 13 track. Decidedly devoid of birds with three hours spent finding at best Black-headed Woodpecker, but little else. Around 10:00 we left and headed to Doi Ang Khang, arriving late afternoon to wet conditions. The last hour of light spent in cool. damp conditions at the Km 19.5 campsite where we found Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Japanese Tit, Common Rosefinch, Rusty-necked Scimitar Babbler and a number of Cook's Swift passing over.

18 Nov. As the day was overcast with fog we were forced to descend, and started the day by driving down the Arunothai road to about Km 34 where we were finally below the cloud base. En route down we had a male Hume's Pheasant by the roadside. Most of the morning was spent birding between Km 34 and Km 32, seeing Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Striated Bulbul, Greenish Warbler, Claudia's Leaf Warbler and a couple of Sapphire Flycatcher. With improving conditions we returned to the area around the Chinese cemetery and had White-browed Laughingthrush and Siberian Stonechat. After lunch we headed to the area of the Ang Khang Pagoda and in a fruiting tree had a good selection of bulbuls plus two Spectacled Barwing.

White-tailed Robin

Black-breasted Thrush

Whiskered Yuhina

Necklaced Woodpecker

20 Nov. Early start up Doi Lang, with a first stop at the lower sections of evergreen forest. As not particularly productive we continued up to the upper army camp where we hoped to find a variety of species feeding on the food put out here. However only Dark-backed Sibia present and after an hour we continued up to the viewpoint high on the mountain. Eventually we tracked down Crested Finchbill and Brown-breasted Bulbul, and added Common Rosefinch and Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher for good measure. The rest of the day spent slowly working our way back, picking up a number of interesting birds including White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Whiskered Yuhina and Yellow-browed Tit. All in all a slow day with some key species remaining unfound. The road up has been repaired in the really bad places and a team of guys were busy clearing vegetation from the roadside in the upper stretches, which has combined to improve the road to the summit considerably over the last month.

21 Nov. A much better day weather wise, so we headed straight up to the upper army camp. Unfortunately a bit of a zoo up there with blaring radio and friends of friends camped out, with nothing conducive to photographing any feeding birds. So, lacking the photo opportunities we started to walk downhill after the camp. The early hour and the cool, bright, weather provided excellent birding and within the first hour we'd found, Black-throated Parrotbill, Whiskered Yuhina, Spectacled Barwing and Scarlet-faced Liocichla.