Dates:
Weather:

Localities:

21 - 25 Feb 2025.
Variable. First two days dry with variable cloud, followed by two days of rain. Temperatures ranged from 21°C to 32°C.
Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Indochinese Blue Flycatcher

Heart-spotted Woodpecker

Grey-headed Woodpecker

Black-naped Oriole

Additionally, for the month leading up to our visit, a Silver Oriole had been seen daily in the upper reaches of the mountain, so we were hopeful that it would hang around.

21 Feb. We took the 01:00 red eye Thai Airways flight from Colombo to Bangkok, arriving on time at 06:00. Having collected our pre arranged rental vehicle, we headed southward to Kaeng Krachan. Due to heavy traffic the drive took longer than expected. We arrived at Baan Maka and met up with Ian just prior to lunch. Mid afternoon we visited one of the local hides finding Bar-backed Partridge, Large Scimitar Babbler and Kalij Pheasant.

22 Feb. A day earmarked for finding Silver Oriole. But whilst Mike and Ian ascended the road inside the park, the rest of us had a trip to the local hospital since one of the local dogs had taken a bite out of a hand. Patched up and repaired, it was back into the park to join the afternoon hunt for Silver Oriole. Unfortunately, despite an all day effort, we failed to locate the bird. It subsequently turned out to have departed just two days previously. Talk about bad timing. We also failed to find Olive-backed Woodpecker which had been regularly seen in the same area. On the way out of the park we stopped and scanned for White-faced Scops Owl. Excellently picked out by Ian, it was hiding high in a bamboo stand.

23 Feb. A return to the park, but this time we worked the lower elevations around the stream crossings, where we were successful in finding Heart-spotted Woodpecker, plus the White-faced Scops Owl again. Being a Sunday, the park was rather busy with traffic to and from the mountain. On one of the trails we encountered several Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, though taking photos proved impossible. With deteriorating weather, the afternoon was spent around the accommodation, with Indian Nightjar and Indian Stone-curlew at dusk.

24 Feb. Although we had booked another hide for the morning, heavy rain commencing by 05:00, made the morning a wash-out. With the rain easing by early afternoon we spent a few hours at one of the other hides with great photo opportunities of Grey-headed Woodpecker, Black-hooded Oriole, Black-naped Oriole and Lineated Barbet. Another unseasonably wet night.

25 Feb. As the overnight rain continued into the morning, by 10:00 we cut our losses and returned to Bangkok, dropped vehicle, and overnighted near the airport for our early flight to Kuala Lumpur and onward to Fraser's Hill for the third leg of our trip.