Dates:
Weather:


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24 Oct - 10 Nov 2015
Very variable at Khao Dinsor from hot and sunny, to heavy rains. Much haze from Indonesian forest fires. Dry and hot with partial cloud in the southeast. Central and western areas cloudy but mainly dry with temperatures ranging from pleasant to hot.
Khao Dinsor, Kapo Waterfall, Laem Phak Bia, Khok Kham, Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, Namtok Phlio National Park, Khao Khitchakut National Park, Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Khun Thot, Huay Mai Teng and Laem Phak Bia pelagic.

24 Oct. Arrived midday at Thung Wua Lean where met up with Ian and Games. Lunch on the beach, after which we ascended Khao Dinsor to join the throng of photographers at the first viewing platform. Luck certainly on our side, as within ten minutes a Short toed Snake Eagle drifted over - quite amazing given that this was our number one target with only a few individuals recorded in any year. Weather hot and sunny with much haze from Indonesian fires. A variable procession of species during the afternoon with Booted Eagle, over 1,000 Black Baza, Oriental Pratincole, Western Osprey, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Ashy Minivet, a single White-throated Needletail and another Thai rarity late afternoon, in the form of a Eurasian Hobby.

25 Oct. With Games tied up with clients on tour, it was left to the two of us to start at Khao Dinsor this morning. No sooner had we started to ascend than an unexpected shower hit, causing us to pause at the first shelter for half an hour. Much windier today with a strong onshore breeze resulting in much improved visibility. Spent all morning at the lower platform before moving to the upper platform mid afternoon. Another good day with Western Osprey, 3 Jerdon's Baza, 3,000 Black Baza, 5 Booted Eagle, 30 Shikra, 6 Chinese Sparrowhawk, 400 Japanese Sparrowhawk, 3 Eastern Marsh Harrier, 3 White-bellied Sea Eagle, 1,000 Grey-faced Buzzard, 130 Oriental Pratincole, 6 White-throated Needletail, 20 Pacific Swift, another Eurasian Hobby, a couple of Peregrine Falcon and 200 Ashy Minivet.

White-throated Needletail

Jerdon's Baza

28 Oct. After Khao Dinsor our initial thoughts had been to head to parts southward, but a look at the weather prediction for the next week suggested we'd better head northward. Before leaving we had a final session on Khao Dinsor, with excellent weather and us adding Common Kestrel and Common/Japanese Buzzard to the trip list. Left Khao Dinsor at 12:00 in an attempt to twitch Little Stint - a Thai rarity - that had been observed at Laem Phak Bia yesterday. We managed an hour here but couldn't convince ourselves of any odd looking stints, so opted to overnight in Phetchaburi.

29 Oct. Back to Laem Phak Bia just after dawn to again peruse through the stints on offer. Very difficult to obtain any close views, so after an hour we quit and headed to Khok Kham where they had also been reported earlier. Much more promising here, with one particular pool full of stints allowing close approach by vehicle. After 40 minutes of scanning we discovered a prime candidate Little Stint, with good views obtained. Flushed with success, we drove to Khao Ang Rue Nai where in the last couple of hours of light we birded the waterfall track before the checkpoint, resulting in a couple of Green Imperial Pigeon and a treeful of Thick-billed Green Pigeon. Overnight at small resort locally.

30 Oct. As ever, in pursuit of the mythical Asian Woolly-necked Stork, we returned to Khao Ang Rue Nai as far as first ranger station cum checkpoint where we were informed that the track to the waterfall was basically blocked. Managed to convince the rangers we would drive and then walk, so were able to continue a further three kilometres at which point a number of tree falls blocked our route. Spent the next six hours walking a further four kilometres and back in the vain hope of finding Asian Woolly-necked Stork, but as usual, no chance. A good morning with Green-legged Partridge, Siamese Fireback, Malayan Night Heron, Orange-breasted Trogon, Oriental Dollarbird, Red-breasted Parakeet, Banded Broadbill, Blue-winged Pitta, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Van Hasselt's Sunbird and Crimson Sunbird. Also a young male Gaur in the track which fortunately decided to leave rather than investigate us. Plenty of leeches. We then headed southeast toward Chanthaburi where we stayed overnight east of town.

Little Stint

Gaur

Ferruginous Flycatcher

Common Red Forester

Grass Frog

Until recently renamed as Namtok Phlio, this park was formerly known as Khao Sabap National Park, and the massif hosts several waterfalls at intervals around its perimeter, the largest of which is Phlio Waterfall. We arrived at the main entrance just on 07:00 - well before the general public to this busy waterfall. A short walk to the stupa and then onto the Nature Trail loop of 1.2 kilometres. Although the habitat looked good, birds were few and far between, with the altitude barely touching 100 metres. An hour's walk up a dry mountain stream enabled us to get to about 150 metres only, so clearly something different was required.

In the afternoon we investigated Makok Waterfall on the eastern side of the park, where a 600 metre trail went likewise to only 145 metres, and mainly through secondary growth. We then headed to Trok Nong Waterfall, also on the east side. Here we discovered an old unkept Nature Trail which took off straight up the hill, rapidly climbing to 200 metres, but then descending again to a stream where the trail disappeared and could not be followed. So typical of Thai parks - build trails and let them fall into disuse. A tough day, on poor trails with a poor bird list to boot of only thirty species. Found a small resort nearby to look more thoroughly at Google Earth and try to come up with a plan for the next few days.

Common Buttonquail

Rain Quail

Chestnut Munia

5 Nov. A further morning at Khao Soi Dao, where we started with the new Nature Trail, but again finding little. We then tried the old Nature Trail but just as in 2011, it was only followable for 300 metres before disappearing totally - probably not been used since we last walked it four years ago. For a total change we drove north to Khun Thot in Nakhon Ratchasima province where an Oriental Plover had surprisingly been hanging around for almost a week. On arrival at the site we were knocked over by the appalling stench of silage on the field in question. However, much to our dismay, although a large number of Little Ringed Plover were enjoying the flies and filth, the Oriental Plover was missing. Several Rain Quail were calling. To our amazement, although somewhat in the boonies here, all the local resorts were full, so we had to drive 30 kilometres to find any accommodation. Evidently something happening locally.

6 Nov. Another shot at the Oriental Plover, but seems it had really left. Drive to Pak Chong, north of Khao Yai where we walked a number of field edges, finding Common Buttonquail, Rain Quail, Yellow-eyed Babbler, 50 Oriental Pratincole, Common Kestrel and a number of Richard's Pipit. During the afternoon drove to Ratchaburi to check out Huay Mai Teng with similar results in finding Rain Quail and Barred Buttonquail.

7 Nov. Up pre-dawn to find that it had been raining several hours. Nonetheless we continued out to Huay Mai Teng for another buttonquail hunt. Despite the light rain the weather was actually good for early morning birding as activity remained high and the light was good for photography. Found several singing Rain Quail which allowed close approach and lucked into a Common Buttonquail. Flushed with success and looking at the weather forecast which looked grim for the Ratchaburi for the rest of the day we decided to head south as far a Khao Sam Roi Yot where we thought to investigate areas for Yellow-legged Buttonquail - the hardest of the buttonquails in Thailand. Despite three hours of effort no buttonquail, but we did bump into a group of 30 Chestnut Munia - by far the largest group we'd ever encountered.

Bryde's Whale and White-winged Tern

Very few birds for several hours, but around the whales were the usual White-winged Tern, Common Tern and Whiskered Tern. Best birds of the day a single Parasitic Jaeger and a few Bridled Tern. Late return to Ratchaburi.

Parasitic Jaeger