One of the main targets for our 2nd day at Doi Inthanon was the world's smallest raptor. The diminutive Collared Falconet. This tiny falcon hunts in family groups and can bring down prey much larger than themselves. They really are tiny being only 14-18 cm long. Putting that into perspective our smallest raptor in the UK, the Merlin, is 26-33 cm long. It was today that we learnt how good our drivers eyesight was!
Pulling up along a quiet stretch of road and with the promise the drivers would radio us if they saw a Collared Falcon we started walking and searching the roadside vegetation for falcons and any other birds we found. Superb views of Purple Sunbirds were had by everyone. A Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker gave better views than the one we'd seen previously and a calling Black-headed Woodpecker had us peering through vegetation trying to get a glimpse as it seemingly moved around us.
Purple Sunbird
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Our vigil was interrupted when a radio message came through from the drivers parked about 500m up the road. They'd picked up a Collared Falconet perched up in the top of a tree. How they'd seen this with the naked eye is beyond me. It was a tiny speck but it got even better when a look through the 'scope revealed there were actually 5 together.
A fantastic start to the day which got better as it went on. A flurry of small bird alarm calls had us looking for a perched raptor and Jay soon spotted a Collared Owlet to add to the list of owls and owlets we'd already seen.
Yellow-cheeked Tits and Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers provided good views but a skulking Lesser Shortwing only gave the briefest of views after initially being picked up through Marc's thermal.
Driving further up we stopped for lunch whilst still adding new species to the trip list. Oriental Tit (also known as Cinerous Tit) and Olive - backed Pipits were seen around the car park.
The tit looked very much like a washed out version of our familiar Great Tit. After lunch Jay had arranged with an enterprising local that we visit a hide and feeding station. Arriving at the designated spot we met the, owner dressed in traditional Thai clothing, and she led us the short 500 m path through the forest to her hide.
Whilst she filled the feeders we settled in the hide and waited for the birds to appear. We didn't have to wait long. They arrived as the feeders were still getting filled! What an experience. White-tailed Robins, Hill Blue-flycatchers, Buff-breasted babblers, Little Spiderhunters, White-rumped Sharma's, Puff-throated Babblers and Brown-cheeked Fulvetta's all came down to feed or drink.
White-rumped Sharma
Little Spiderhunter
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
Buff-breasted Babbler
Puff-throated Babbler
Hill Blue-flycatcher
Female White-tailed Robin
Male White-tailed Robin
1st winter male White-tailed Robin with retained juvenile greater coverts (brown tipped)
Best of all though was the male Siberian Blue Robin that, although skittish and very flighty, eventually stayed still long enough to give superb views. What a bird!
After an hour or so we made our move. We needed to get to a very important location just as it was getting light for a display that would live in the memory for a long time.
Jay was taking us to a lekking site for Green Peafowl, the smaller relative of the Blue or Indian Peafowl that seem to strut around the grounds of every stately home in the UK. These particular birds were safe in the Bang Hong no hunting area and are protected and revered by the locals.
A very special place and some very special birds. This was to be our last night at Kaomai before transferring to Thaton.
On last day at Khao Yai before flying to Chang Mai we went on the search for the range restricted and elusive Rufous Limestone Babbler at the Phra Phuttabat Noi Temple - the only accessible site for this endemic species in Thailand. We had a couple of hours to search before heading to the airport and our flight to Chang Mia where we'd be spending the next few days exploring the most northern National Parks.
For those that aren't familiar with the species the Rufous Limestone Babbler is a proper little brown job and a bird only a bird could get excited about. Obviously we were excited. Not because it was an attractive looking thing but because of its scarcity and the habitat it frequented. Towering limestone kasts and cliffs where it scuttled around like across between a mouse and a brown Wallcreeper, creeping along ledges and disappearing into cracks on the rocks only to reappear several metres away from where it was last seen. It's also small and not very vocal.
Arriving at the site we were struck straight away by the difference in scenery. Towering limestone kasts and cliffs surrounded a beautiful monastery.
Somewhere in this landscape was a small brown bird roughly the same size as a Redwing and we had a couple of hours to find it! Game on. After what seemed an eternity I spotted one creeping along a rock ledge covered in vegetation but it disappeared before everyone could get on it. Alan & I decided to climb the ornate stairway cut into the cliff leading to a small temple above where the bird was last seen so we could look down on the area but all we found were the resident Long-tailed Macaques.No enlightenment. Just breathlessness after so much delicious Thai food.
Luckily the others had relocated a babbler about 50 m from the first sighting and Jay came running to call us. Slightly breathless after climbing the 'stairway to heaven' we made quicker time getting down the stairs and joined the others. This time everyone managed to get onto the bird and we enjoyed good but distant views as it scurried round its limestone domain. I even managed a few heavily cropped record shots.
With time pressing we headed to the airport where we said our goodbyes to our fantastic drivers as we'd be meeting up with two new ones when we arrived at Chang Mai.
After a later than usual breakfast at 6.45 we were driven to the Khao Yai National Park for our second and final day.
Forest Wagtail was one species of bird I'd hoped to see in Thailand and eventually we ended up seeing four different birds at two locations. They were surprisingly elusive and hard to pick up among the dead leaves and shadows.
Whilst still in the car park we had a flock of five Golden-crested Myna's flyover with Hill Myna's and a shrike spotted by Alan & Marc turned out to be our first Grey-backed Shrike of the trip - a fairly common winter visitor to Thailand.
We also managed to catch up with a pair of Blue-bearded Beeeaters - the world's largest beeeater.
A fantastic looking bird and the fourth beeeater species we'd seen on the trip so far with Blue-tailed, Asian Green and Chestnut-capped having already been added to the trip list.
Siamese Fireback was one species we all wanted to see. It's Thailands National bird and features on the cover of 'The Birds of Thailand that our guide, Jay had co-authored. If we din't see one in the national park Jay had a plan B and so after lunch we found ourselves driving a couple of hours to the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve where we were, according to Jay, guaranteed to see this beautiful pheasant. Apparently they come out of the surrounding forest to feed on the edge of the tracks at certain hours of the day.
The habitat at the lower elevations of the park was markedly different to we'd experienced before - dry deciduous forest - and the birds were hard to find. We did manage one of our targets in this new habitat - Rufescent Prinia. We also saw several Red-breasted Parakeets and a Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker and several Oriental Cuckoo Shrikes.
Time waits for no man and we soon embarked back int the mini--vans to drive up to the visitors centre where we'd be able to enter the evergreen forest areas inhabited by the firebacks.
Our hearts dropped as we entered the car park to find a large party of high school students on a field trip. We were supposed to be climbing into one of the rangers pickups to take us to the site but everyone was filled with smiling and waving youngsters. We thought our chances of seeing the firebacks were very slim with som much noise! Luckily we were told that we could take our van up the path to a certain point where we'd then have to go forward on foot.
Walking forward we could see all the kids sitting quietly in a semi circle surrounding teacher who was talking to them whilst, unbelievably a male Siamese Fireback wandered around in full view just few metres away!
So began perhaps one of the most surreal birding moments I've ever experienced. We joined the throng of students to find not one but at least twelve male and female pheasants milling around feeding on grains. After 20 minutes or so the students waved their happy goodbyes and left us alone to enjoy these magnificent birds to ourselves.
Photography was hard as they were so close and at one point a male was displaying to me and pecking the sole of my boot as a I knelt down on the track.
A headshot of a male Siamese Fireback is the stunning front cover picture of the 'Birds Of Thailand' co-authored by Jay and I tried to get a similar photo.
As quietly as they'd arrived the birds started melting back into the forest and we headed back to our vans and the visitors centre where our student friends waved us all goodbye again. A very happy group of birders arrived back at our hotel for our last night. Tomorrow we'd be looking for Rufous Limestone Babbler before flying north to Chiang Mai where we'd be exploring the more mountainous areas of northern Thailand.
Patch list (walking distance from house): 136. Garganey
What this blogs about.
This is my blog about birding on the Wirral, in Cheshire and beyond. Its basically an online diary of my sightings and trips. It'll be updated regularly to include photographs of birds (and other wildlife) I've photographed both in the UK and abroad. Why a blog? It's a way of keeping memories of good birds. good trips and interesting ringing sessions for me to look back on when I get to old to be bothered going out in the cold and wet anymore!!#
All photo's are taken by me unless specified and I retain the copyright. Photos shall not be used for any other purpose without express permission.
Moved to Cheshire in 1983 and settled there after marrying in 1986. I've been birding since I was 7 or 8 - it was that long ago I can't remember!
My formative years were spent in Suffolk and birds became a passion in my teens. Started twitching when still at school but began seriously whilst at University in the late 70's and early 80's. I am old enough to remember Nancy's cafe!
Took a bit of a break due to other committment but now able enjoy getting out birding both locally and for long distance twitches and trips.
Married to my beautiful wife Janet since 1986 and have two grown-up children and 4 gorgeous grandchildren.
Trained as a ringer firstly in the 1970's but let it lapse after leaving University in 1982. Re-trained again a few years ago and now a regular with Hilbre Bird observatory and SCAN ringing group.
I first became interested in photography whilst still at school and used an old Zenith SLR with a Tamron 300 mm lens. I've rediscovered my earlier interest and have graduated to digital - much easier to use for an amateur like me!
