Doi Inthanon. Collared Falconets and Green Peafowl

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.