Doi Lang Mrs Hume's Pheasant stake-out

Mrs Hume's Pheasant was one of the target bird we really wanted to see up on the slopes of Doi Lang in the Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park. The site is very close to the border with Myanmar and involves getting there well before first light and sitting silently in the vehicles until the pheasants (hopefully ) appear oat the edge of the road at dawn.

A very early start meant we'd miss breakfast so the hotel arranged for a packed breakfast and lunch as we'd be out all day. Surprisingly only Marc & I opted to get up at 4.30 for the 5.00 am start. The others decided on a more relaxing day and forgo the opportunity to see one of Thailands spectacular pheasant species. Alan, being tour leader, had to stay behind with the other guests but he'd seen the pheasants on a previous trip.

Meeting up with jay and our driver we set off in the darkness climbing high into the park along narrow twisty roads until we eventually arrived at the designated spot in complete darkness. Another car was already there and Jay knew the guide and we'd already seen  the couple with him at another site. They conferred and we parked on the opposite side of the road level with them so as to leave plenty of space for passing vehicles and, more importantly, not to crowd the pheasants if they showed. Jay admitted this was the most stressful part of the tour for him as a number of factors outside his control could dictate whether or not the pheasants showed. The main factor being noise and disturbance............

We parked up with, the doors and windows open, and settled down to wait and eat our breakfasts. Suddenly headlights appeared behind us and unbelievably a car pulled up right in front of us and reversed up to our front bumper and a Chinese photographer got out with the intention of sitting in the road! Needless to say he was given short thrift and told in no uncertain terms that he couldn't park in front of us and definitely couldn't sit in the road! Luckily he complied and manoeuvred behind us but the other guide had to lend him a portable hide. Fuming I sat thinking what I might do to hm if he'd ruined our chances of seeing the pheasants. This wasn't the first time we'd come across the rudeness and arrogance of Chinese photographers. None of them carry binoculars and they're just after the best photos at the expense of fieldcraft and upsetting others more socially aware than they are. At another site I was looking through my binoculars at something and a photographer stood right in front of me without even knowing what I was looking at. I moved in front of him and backed up so his lens was touching my back. He took the hint......

Jay explained that the female pheasants usually turned up first and started feeding whilst the male hung back and waited to make sure there was no danger. Once the birds had settled feeding for a few minutes we could quietly creep out of the side door of the minivan, which was against the roadside bank, and use the van as cover to try and get some photos. 

Surprisingly it was a male that appeared about 50 m away whilst it was still quite dark and walked towards us before disappearing back into the vegetation. We thought that might be it but Jay was hopeful they'd reappear.

The small feeding station in front of us was attracting birds with Pied Bushchat, Daurian Redstart, Olive-backed Pipit and a juvenile Grey-backed Shrike all visiting whilst an Oriental Turtle Dove landed further down the road

Pied Bushchat

Juv Grey-backed Shrike

Olive-backed Pipit

Sooty- headed Bulbul

Fem Daurian Redstart

We waited what seemed an eternity until a female appeared, joined quickly by another and then the male appeared again. It was a real 'wow' moment and there was a palpable sense of relief! After about 5 minutes Jay suggested marching and I slowly get out the van. As quietly as possible I crept out and made my way forward to use the wing mirror as a camera support. 

Jay's photo of me photographing Mrs Hume's Pheasants.

I couldn't hear Marc or see him but glanced down and saw he'd exited, ninja style, in his socked feet and was kneeling below me.  What a brilliant experience and the light had improved sufficiently to get some spectacular photographs as all three birds fed unconcerned by our presence.

We just had time for one more treat when marc spotted two bids hopping down the verge behind us. A pair of Red-eyed Scimitar Babblers! 

By now the second mini-van with Alan and Howard had arrived and we decided to set off the few km up the road for our second target species of the day. Scarlet-faced Liocichla. The ladies had all elected to stay at the hotel and have a more relaxing day. Another uncommon skulker and the best chance we had of seeing one was early morning a few km up the road at the border checkpoint with Myanmar where the guards put food out for the birds.

5.Thaton & Doi Ang Khang

Our stay at the Kaomai Resort ended with an early breakfast and packing our bags into the mini-vans for the journey to what would be our final destination before flying back to Bangkok. We would be staying at the Maekok River Village Resort for two nights and spending the days birding right up to the Myanmar border in the Do Pha Hom Pok National Park.

Several birding stops were planned on the way and the first of these was the Mae Tang irrigation project,  an extensive government funded project to transfer water into canal systems for agricultural use. A few years ago this was found to be the most reliable site in Thailand for wintering Long-billed Plover. Breeding in S Korea, Japan and China this plover is very reminiscent of a Killdeer.

Arriving on site we started scanning the extensive gravel beds where the birds were likely to be found. Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plover were present but there was no sign of Long-billed Plover. The heat haze was causing an issue and there were several false alarms before a single Long-billed Plover was seen flying in and promptly getting lost in the gravel. Getting closer and constantly scanning through the scope we eventually found three one of which eventually showed quite well albeit still distant. No photos but I managed a short phonescoped video.

We hit our 400th species for the trip at this site with a flock of flyover Temminck's Stints. Another highlight was being able to prove, through photographs, the presence of a number of Siberian House Martins. A rare bird this far south and we eventually counted 10 birds flying high above the flocks of House Swifts. A Collared Falconet, found by Marc, was a first record for the  site! 

Leaving this site behind we drove north along some pretty scary roads towards Doi Ang Khang and the Royal Agricultural Project in the Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park. This was a really stunning area with beautifully laid out flower beds and trees attracting a wide variety of birds.

After another superb lunch we started exploring the extensive grounds with a number of new species being added to the list including Indian White-eye and the briefest of glimpses of a Scaly Thrush.

GouldsSunbirds were feeding on nectar in the profusely blossoming trees and a Chestnut-vented Nuthatch reminded me of the Eurasian Nuthatch's at home as it did what Nuthatches all over the world do  - climbing both up and down tree branches.

Our next stop involved a short trip to the Wat Phra monastery where, once again, the local Buddhist monks putting food out for the wildlife had attracted some pretty special birds. We hope to see Black-breasted Thrush and the site was well known for attracting Grey-winged Blackbirds - both rare winter visitor to the region.

Arriving at the site we found a few other birders having the same idea but no visible birds. Jay picked out a Black-breasted Thrush partially obscured by leaves viewable from the road, sitting quietly calling to itself and probably digesting its recent crop full of food! 

Hoping it would return to feed I walked back to the view point in the monastery grounds and suddenly birds were appearing from everywhere. Not only did we get Black-throated Thrush and Grey-winged Blackbird, our two target species,  but other species such is Blue-winged Minla, Silver-eared Mesia, Large Niltava, Eye-browed Thrush, Grey-sided Thrush Olive-backed Pipit and Mountain Bulbul came down to drink, bathe or feed.

Grey-winged Blackbird

Black-throated Thrush

Black-throated Thrush female

Eye-browed Thrush

Silver-eared Mesia

Large Niltava (female)

Blue-winged Minla

Within a short space of time the birds all disappeared again and we decided to head off to our hotel. Next day was going to be a very early start for Jay, Marc and myself........

Doi Inthanon National Park

After landing  at Chang Mai we met up with our new mini-van drivers who drove us to our hotel. The historic Kaomai Resort which was once a tobacco leaf processing site. The old tobacco drying barns were converted to uniquely styled hotel accommodation when tobacco pressing stopped in 1995. With well vegetated gardens and lots of mature trees it looked to be a birders paradise.

After a restless night I woke early to find a message from Marc. It was still dark outside but he was out birding with the thermal imager so I quickly got dressed and joined him looking and listening for nocturnal avian activity before breakfast. This was our routine for the next three day.

After breakfast we were heading into the Doi Inthanon National Park where we'd be spending two full days birding. Doi Ithanon is Thailands highest mountain rising to an impressive 2565 m above sea level and has a number of impressive waterfalls on its forested slopes. We had one treat in store before we left the hotel when a superb Litchi Lantern Bug was found as we waited for our drivers and the vans. This bug is actually a sap-sucking planthopper. Despite its name it doesn't emit light.

As usual our first stop, once entering the park, was for the all important toilet break.We took the oppurtunity to bird around the edges of the car park where Marc picked up a leucopsis Pied Wagtail along the banks of the river whilst a shout from one of our drivers alerted us to the presence of one of our target species - Red-billed Blue magpie. A good start to the day! 

Climbing higher we passed terraced cultivated fields tended by the resident hill tribes until we turned off onto a well vegetated track where we left the vans and started birding.

The relative coolness of the mountain air was more comfortable than the climate in the lowlands and the chilly early morning air meant I was quite glad to wear a hoody.  New birds were coming thick and fast - Little Pied Flycatcher, Black-backed Sibias and Silver-eared Mesia.

Black-backed Sibia

Scanning the canopy and low level vegetation I thought I'd see na Treecreeper but lost it again almost immediately only for jay to pick it up on another tree trunk a few metres away. A Humes Treecreeper. My imagination wasn't playing tricks on me after all. 

After 2-3 hours birding we returned to the vans where our drivers and Jaeb had laid on morning tea or coffee and some more lovely fresh bananas. These really were addictive and much sweeter and tastier than the ones we get in the UK. A short drive took us to the famous Siriphum Waterfall beauty spot where we'd hoped to see both Plumbous and White-capped Water Redstarts. Navigating the steep and slippery path to the waters edge, alongside a torrent of rushing water and with the air full of spray, was accomplished without mishap and it wasn't long before we were watching a magnificent male White-capped Water Redstart and a cryptically plumaged female Plumbeous Water Redstart. Mission accomplished. White-capped Redstart is an uncommon winter visitor to Thailand and is typically found alongside fast flowing rivers. Plumbeous Water Redstart is commoner and is both a winter visitor and thinly distributed resident

Buoyed by our success and with lunch beckoning there was still time for the obligatory tourist photographs.  It really was a beautiful spot.

Lunch was at one of the Royal Agricultural Project restaurants supported by the Thai Royal family to promote agriculture among the Hill Tribes rather than growing opium. The food is delicious and the restaurant is situated at around 1400 m above sea level surrounded by cultivated terraces where most of the food served is grown.

Superb food like this was the main reason I returned from Thailand 3 kg heavier than when I arrived! The presentation was fantastic and these sites are well worth seeking out when in Thailand. After lunch we headed to the peak to carry on birding. 

As usual we made a beeline for the toilets and our ablutions were rudely interrupted with the appearance of a Silver-eared Laughing Thrush followed by the discovery of a pair of endemic Green-tailed Sunbirds of the race angkanensis also known as Doi Inthanon Sunbird. It's only found on Doi Inthanon in evergreen forest between 2000-2565 m elevation! We generated a lot of interest from other tourists as we watched these birds whilst only a few metres from the entrance to the only toilets for miles.

Our next stop was the easily walked boardwalk taking us into the cloud forest. Birds were everywhere but Marcs thermal came in handy for picking up two skulkers. Both Snowy-browed Flycatcher and Rufous-throated Partridge were both picked up using this. A Yellow-bellied fairy Fantail didn't require the thermal and we spent a happy hour or so sorting through leaf warblers. Yellow-browed were the commonest but we also had Ashy-throated, Blyths and Buff-barred Leaf Warblers. 

The boardwalk was a ciruclar loop and walking back to the van we came across a feeding flock of Bar-throated Minla's and Rufous-winged Fulvetta's.

We weren't done yet though as on the way back down the mountain we stopped at a vantage point for Ashy Woodpigeon and saw 50 explode from the forest canopy as if they were trying to escape a raptor. The icing on the cake was when Jay found a Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush perched at the very top of a dead tree. Golden-throated Barbet was also picked up singing in the scope and everyone managed to get views.

Stopping at another superb local restaurant for dinner we reached our hotel well after dark and after a hot shower and a hot mug of local tea I settled down to sleep knowing the alarm would go off at 5 am the next morning to meet up with Marc before breakfast...