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3 Apr 2026

Thailand - the final day.

Sadly our trip had come to an end and we were leaving Jay behind in the north to meet up with another group whilst we returned to Bangkok. There was still time for some birding before we had to catch our flight.

We visited paddy fields north of Chang Mai and were rewarded with an avian feast! Amur Stonechats, Red-throated Pipits, Richards pipits and Citrine Wagtails vied for our attention with track side Long -tailed Shrikes and both Common and Pin-tailed Snipe. This was a well known site for Rosy Pipit although none had been reported in 2026 on eBird. Luckily for us Jay's eagle eyes picked one out and we had good scope views of this subtle pipit species that breed in the mountains and winters in the lowlands.

Rosy Pipit

Long-tailed Shrike
We hoped to find Striated Grassbird and a singing bird eventually gave itself up as it sang distantly on top of a reed bed. The same area held several Yellow-breasted Buntings and our first Bluethroat of the trip.

All to soon it was time to leave for Chiang Rai where we'd be flying from back to Bangkok. There was one last trip tick in store for us thought as the airport is the best place to see Burmese Shrike. Sure enough, as we pulled into the car park, Jay spotted one across the other side of the airport approach road. Marc and I, in full ninja stealth mode, moved from post to post until we got superb views of this bird sat on the same razor wire as a Brown Shrike for comparison. A real hardcore bird - most shrikes in Europe use barbed wire or thorns as 'larders' for their prey. This one was using razorwire! 


Saying goodbye to our drivers we headed for the check in desks where we said a sad farewell to our wonderful guide, Jay. A truly great guy and an expert birder and co-author of the 'Birds of Thailand'.

Thailand is a fabulous place and I'm sure I'll be visiting again. Thanks To Alan & Marc for making the trip so memorable along with the other guests.We had plenty of laughs, saw some stunning scenery and birds =, ate loads of fantastic food and enjoyed the warmth and friendship of the Thai people.



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