Dates:
Weather:
Localities:

4 - 16 Dec 2015
Wet at Doi Inthanon. Remainder of trip dry, warm with variable cloud cover.
Doi Inthanon National Park, Mae Ping National Park, Mae Wong National Park, Nong Pla Lai, Pak Thale, Laem Phak Bia and Kaeng Krachan National Park.

4 Dec. A morning pickup of Martin from Chiang Mai airport, and drive to Doi Inthanon through rather unseasonably cloudy and overcast weather. Started at Km 34 in cool conditions with drizzle, resulting in limited bird activity - White-gorgeted Flycatcher and Large Niltava being the best. After an hour we gave up and headed to the summit where similarly cloudy but at least not raining. Birded the boardwalk and summit area for a couple of hours, finding Dark-sided Thrush and the usual Blyth's Leaf Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Silver-eared Laughingthrush, Bar-throated Minla and Rufous-winged Fulvetta. With the last hour we descended a little to bird around the sunrise viewpoint, finding Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Speckled Wood Pigeon and many Black Bulbul.

5 Dec. Heavy overnight rain continued until 08:00, after which we ventured out, but fog and cool conditions thwarted our birding till 11:00, with us having tried areas around Km 42, Km 37 and down to the Mae Pan campsite. After lunch returned to Km 34 where in much improved conditions had Chinese Vivid Niltava. Left at 16:00 with a quick stop outside park for Chestnut-capped Babbler before returning to Chiang Mai where we overnighted and met up with Jeff.

6 Dec. Still overcast and cloudy during our drive to Mae Ping, where we arrived by 09.00. As usual, despite the public holiday, Mae Ping had few visitors and we had a peaceful day's birding, recording more than 40 Yellow-footed Pigeon, Black Baza, White-bellied Woodpecker, Black-headed Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Grey-headed Parakeet, Red-billed Blue Magpie and Burmese Nuthatch. Hog Deer were also present. A major disappointment was finding an erect, abandoned mist net in the national park campsite with a dead Collared Falconet. How the hell does a mist net get erected and left in a national park campsite in view of all staff and rangers? A total disgrace. A night session eventually located a couple of calling Oriental Scops Owl that despite a lot of effort could not be seen.

7 Dec. A short session back at Mae Ping to hunt for Yellow-streaked Warbler before continuing our journey, in the rain, to Nakhon Sawan. Late afternoon around Bueng Boraphet was very successful in finding a number of target birds with Indian Spot-billed Duck, Savanna Nightjar, White-browed Crake and Ruddy Shelduck. No luck with Glossy Ibis though, that may have temporarily abandoned the area due to the very low water level.

8 Dec. Although we'd earmarked another morning at Bueng Boraphet, due to our success yesterday decided to head to Mae Wong early, starting at Chong Yen where it was a pleasant 19°C. However, it was not particularly active at the top so descended to work the road below, where we picked up Little Cuckoo-Dove, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Maroon Oriole, Olive Bulbul, Martens's Warbler, Collared Babbler, Striated Yuhina and Rufous-browed Flycatcher.

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - Doi Inthanon

Hog Deer - Mae Ping

Collared Falconet - Mae Ping

Yellow-bellied Prinia - Bueng Boraphet

Grey Peacock-Pheasant - Mae Wong

Mid afternoon we switched to the Grey Peacock-Pheasant feeding station with a spectacular male arriving after just one hour, plus White-necked Laughingthrush, Rufous-bellied Niltava and Rufous-throated Partridge.

Collared Babbler - Mae Wong

Small Niltava - Mae Wong

9 Dec. Full day in Mae Wong, working the top four kilometres of road extensively. Some long quiet spells but by the end of the day a good list - Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Shikra, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, White-browed Piculet, Clicking Shrike-babbler, Slender-billed Oriole, White-throated Bulbul, Asian House Martin, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Brown-crowned Scimitar Babbler, Collared Babbler, a large flock of Black-throated Parrotbill, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Small Niltava and Rufous-browed Flycatcher. On the road out, a pair of Kalij Pheasant crossing.

Eurasian Curlew - Laem Phak Bia

Chinese Egret - Laem Phak Bia

11 Dec. A day at Laem Phak Bia including three hours on the sandspit. A long, hot day in the sun from dawn to dusk, which finished with Indian Nightjar just before dark. We started with Pak Thale where we failed to find Spoon-billed Sandpiper, but did have Far Eastern Curlew, Slender-billed Gull, Heuglin's Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot. Around the salt pans of Laem Phak Bia were a few Nordmann's Greenshank, Pied Avocet, Temminck's Stint and Long-toed Stint, together with Ruff and Greater Painted-snipe in the King's Project. Afternoon on the sandspit with Khun Daeng gave us Pallas's Gull, no less than four White-faced Plover, Black-headed Gull, Chinese Egret and Lesser Crested Tern. Late afternoon we tried again and this time were successful in finding Spoon-billed Sandpiper. We had a horrendous drive back to Phetchaburi, arriving an hour late due to the Bike For Dad event being held across the country, with thousands of cyclists ensuring road closures everywhere.

12 Dec. A return early visit to Nong Pla Lai where around 09:00 the hoped for Greater Spotted Eagle turned up; three of them just to be sure. Drove to Kaeng Krachan by lunchtime and joined the madding crowd at the entrance, given that this was a long weekend. Never seen the park so busy with the lower campsite overflowing with tents and cars.

13 Dec. As a public holiday, with crowds in the park, we opted to spend the day at the hides outside. In the morning, at Song Nok, Kalij Pheasant, Green-legged Partridge, Bar-backed Partridge, Common Emerald Dove and a number of the usual visitors - generally rather quiet. After lunch we switched to Lung Sin hide where we sat from 14:00 till 18:00. Initially slow, but with a gradual build up to a bathing crescendo late in the day. Additional species included Large Scimitar Babbler, Siberian Blue Robin, Malaysian Pied Fantail and Lesser Mousedeer.

14 Dec. Back into Kaeng Krachan park where nice to see the crowds departed. As Jeff's last day we worked the lower elevations, starting with a major fruiting tree near the campsite containing 100 Thick-billed Green Pigeon, 10 Golden-crested Myna, 12 Common Hill Myna and various bulbuls, Thick-billed Flowerpecker, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Sultan Tit, Eyebrowed Thrush and Great Iora. We spent at least an hour here. The rest of the day in forest between the stream crossings and along the entrance road later, with White-browed Piculet, Black-thighed Falconet, Large Woodshrike, Swinhoe's Minivet, Common Green Magpie, Dark-sided Flowerpecker, Chinese Blue Flycatcher and a surprise Slaty-backed Forktail.

Common Emerald Dove - Song Nok hide

Mountain Hawk-Eagle - Kaeng Krachan

White-handed Gibbon - Kaeng Krachan

15 Dec. With Jeff departing, the two of us headed up the mountain again in pursuit of Kaeng Krachan's most sought after speciality - Ratchet-tailed Treepie. Despite a whole day's effort, only a single bird heard, although a small group of Pin-tailed Parrotfinch in seeding bamboo more than made up for that.

Pin-tailed Parrotfinch - Kaeng Krachan

On the return journey we had tantalisingly poor views of Ferruginous Partridge.

16 Dec. With our final day we decided to try again for the treepie. This time we started at Km 27 as usual but decided to walk downhill rather than higher as usual. A lot of effort, but eventually great reward with some key species such as Bamboo Woodpecker, Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill heard and three Ratchet-tailed Treepie. Also a Common Palm Civet. Late afternoon we returned to lower levels, encountering a good group of Tickell's Brown Hornbill at a fruiting tree.

Black-and-buff Woodpecker - Kaeng Krachan