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.