Wat Phra Phuttabat Noi Temple - in search of Rufous Limestone Babbler

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.