Thursday, January 31, 2013

Eye-browed Thrush

Paddyfield Pipit
Suphanburi

A couple of days ago I suspected that I had flushed a thrush of one off the paths through a thick area of scrub on the patch , this morning I slowly walked along the same path and almost at the same spot were two Eye-browed Thrush feeding quietly in the shade under a scrub thicket, a pleasant winter surprise.

Plenty of warblers around the site this morning, with around 32 Oriental Reed, 23 Dusky, 12 Black-browed, 9 Pallas's Grasshopper, 3 Lanceolated and one Thick-billed. Waders totals this morning 60 Black-winged Stilt, 39 Wood Sandpiper, 20 Common Snipe, 19 Grey-headed Lapwing, 7 Pintail Snipe, 2 Marsh Sandpiper, Common and Green Sandpiper. Also recorded were 2 Pink-necked Green Pigeon, 2 Watercock, 3 Ruddy-breasted Crake, 3 Purple Heron, 5 Yellow Bittern, 2 Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, 6 White-shouldered Starling, 3 Black Baza, 8 Golden Weaver and 3 Red Avadavat.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Rubythroats and Bluethroats

White-breasted Kingfisher
Suphanburi
Finally found time for a leisurely walk around the local paddies this morning, it was fairly quiet but as always there a few highlights. Best birds but not the rarest were two male Siberian Rubythroats which showed very well whilst having a bit of territorial dispute, at one point they were joined by a Bluethroat briefly, later in the morning I saw a further rubythroat and two Bluethroats. Three Black Baza were present and were presumably the same birds seen at the back end of last year.

With some rice recently harvested and paddies reflooded there were a reasonable selection of waders with 13 Grey-headed Lapwing, 55 Wood Sandpiper, 27 Common and 19 Pintail Snipe, 11 Marsh Sandpiper, 9 Little-ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper and a single Green Sandpiper.

Also present were five White-shouldered Starling, Watercock, male Eastern Marsh Harrier, two Black-naped Oriole, five Yellow and two Cinnamon Bittern, 12 Eastern Yellow Wagtail, 7 Red-throated Pipit, 10 Golden Weaver and two Red Avadavat.   

250 not out

On Saturday Jan 19th with a few hours to spare before our flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok our final bit of birding as a group was at Mae Hia Agricultural College, Chiang Mai. This was a  new location for myself and I was surprised even in the heat of the early afternoon sun, how many birds were around including a few species which can be difficult to connect with elsewhere. At least 3 Rufous-winged Buzzard were dotted about in trees around the fields, 3 Burmese Shrike were noted on roadside wires as were two Indochinese Bushlark. Others species recorded included Thick-billed Warbler, many Little Green Bee-eater, Pied Bushchat, Eastern Stonechat and Purple Sunbird. Very much out of place was a long staying escaped Crowned Crane.

David Bennet, Fred Rowe ( currently a happy Luton Town fan),
The Mrs and Marian Rowe
Over 17 days the group recorded just short of 350 species, which was pretty good considering that the combined age of David, Fred and Marian was over 250 and that we only did four main sites, the coast around Petchaburi, Kaeng Krachan, Chiang Dao and Doi Inthanon. Highlights included 38 species of wader, four species of Hornbill, Silver Oriole, Rachet-tailed Treepie, Duksy Broadbill, Dark-sided Thrush, Streaked and Golden Weaver, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Whites Thrush, Red-headed Trogon, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Golden-crested Myna, Giant Nuthatch, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, Spectacled Barwing, Brambling and Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker. Personnel favourites amongst the group where the various barbets, minivets and subirds we saw and the afternoon we spent in the Lung Sin Hide at Kaeng Krachan.

A trip report will be available shortly, if anyone wants any more information about this trip and the places we visited and stayed or help with futures trips please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Doi Inthanon National Park


Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker 
Doi Inthanon

We spent the two and half days birding in Doi Inthanon National Park Jan 17th-19th, we largely concentrated on two main areas, we had two morning sessions around the summit marsh and adjacent forest, despite it being incredibly busy and noisy we managed some excellent birds. In addition to the previous mentioned Brambling, best birds here were Eurasian Woodcock, Dark-sided Thrush, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, White-browed Shortwing, Pallas's Warbler, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, at least one male Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker and a dozen Common Rosefinch. Common species included many Silver-eared Laughingthrush, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Dark-backed Sibia, Yellow-bellied FantailAshy-throated and Davison's Leaf Warbler, at least 50 Gould's and a dozen Green-tailed Sunbird.

Green-tailed Sunbird
Doi Inthanon

We also spent a considerable amount of time birding around the second checkpoint, alongside the road beyond and the jeeptrack. There were always plenty of birds around, with several Golden-throated Barbet, a Large Hawk Cuckoo, 3 Asian Emerald Cuckoo, 3 Maroon Oriole, both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Blue Whistling Thrush, at least 40 Eye-browed Thrush, Little Pied Flycatcher, 4 Large Niltava, 5 Rufous-bellied Niltava, 2 Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, 6 Yellow-cheeked Tit, 4 Striated Bulbul, 2 Slaty-bellied Tesia with many calling birds early mornings, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, many calling Pygmy Wren Babbler, Golden and Grey-throated Babbler, 4 Blue-winged Minla, 5 Spectacled Barwing, two Rufous-backed Sibia and a Chestnut-fronted Shrike Babbler. Also impressive were the huge numbers of Davison's Leaf Warblers present in forest around the area, with large feeding flocks regularly encounted and calling birds everywhere. 

Plumbeous Water Redstart
Doi Inthanon

White-capped Water Redstart
Doi Inthanon

On the way down the mountain, we made several stops at various waterfalls and added both White-capped  and Plumbeous Water Redstart to the trips list and enjoyed incredible views down to a few feet of three Scaly/White's Thrush.With the campsite ponds looking more like a construction site there was no sight or sound of any Black-tailed Crakes.


Scaly/White's Thrush
Doi Inthanon

All videos courtesy of Uthai Cheummarung www.chiangmaibirding.com

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Peafowl and Parakeets

On the 16th we left Chiang Dao and headed towards Doi Inthanon National Park, on the way we stopped at Hua Hong Krai Royal Project just outside Chiang Mai to look for Green Peafowl. Very soon after arriving we located two male Green Peafowl just outside the small zoo, as soon as they saw us one sprinted off into the forest, whilst the other flew across the nearby lake. Additional birds in the forest included a male Hainan Blue Flycatcher, several Greater-racket Tailed Treepie and Black-naped Monarch.  High over one of the lakes was a group of 8 Black Baza and a displaying Crested Serpent Eagle.

After an excellent lunch in Chiang Mai we headed to Doi Inthanon National Park and checked into the very average Touch Star Resort, from where we headed to the nearby Blossom-headed Parakeet roost. After 30 minutes we had heard several and one of the group had seen two zip over, but at around 530pm we located a small group settled in distant trees, over the next 30 minutes numbers swelled to at least 20 before all disappeared to roost. Also in the area was a single Eastern Buzzard, Rufous-winged Buzzard, two distant Collared Falconets, 4 Rufous Treepie, 5 Linneated Barbets, 50 Striated Swallow, Hoopoe, White-rumped Shama and at least 9 Purple Sunbirds in a flowering tree.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Brambling



Whilst at Doi Inthanon, Uthai found two Brambling a male and female on the summit marsh on the 17th and 18th Jan despite huge number of noisy visitors around the boardwalk, both birds fed quietly just a few feet away. Our driver and fellow birder Uthai Cheummarung of www.chiangmaibirding.com was also lucky enough to take the above video, perhaps the first ever film of Brambling in Thailand. The two birds represent just the 5th or 6th record of Brambling in Thailand.

Gould's Sunbirds

Brown Shrike
Chiang Dao
by Michael Rooney

On Jan 15th we spent the day birding around the DYK sub station at Chiang Dao, with all the cherry trees in blossom around the campsite there were plenty of birds around including at least 15 stunning Gould's Sunbirds. The same trees also held at least 12 Orange-bellied Leafbirds and many fast feeding flocks of Japanese and Chestnut-flanked White-eye.

First birds of the morning were two Giant Nuthatch, with birds seen almost continuously during the morning including one singing male in cherry trees around the campsite and probably 7 different birds seen during the day. Other notable sightings included calling Mountain Bamboo Partridge, three Slender-billed Orioles, 40 Cook's Swifts, 150 Indochinese Swiftlet, Burmese Shrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, 15 Grey Treepie, Long-tailed and Grey-chinned Minivet, three White-bellied Redstart, Grey Bushchat, 200 Black Bulbuls (in one flowering tree), Buff-throated Warbler, Pallas's and Sulphur-breasted Warbler, 3 Blyth's Shrike Babbler, 4 Blue-winged Minla, 12 Common Rosefinch and 8 Chestnut Bunting.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Forest and Paddie Birding


Ashy Bulbul
Doi Cum Fa

On Sunday Jan 13th, we spent the morning and early afternoon birding along the lower stretches of the jeep track at Doi Cum Fa. It did not take long for us to hear and then briefly see two Giant Nuthatch. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch were everywhere with at least a twenty seen, also common were Japanese and Chestnut-flanked White-eyes with large flocks feeding in fruiting trees. In the same fruiting trees were good numbers of bulbuls including Ashy, Mountain, Black and Flavescent. One large and fast moving feeding flock contained at least 20 Grey-headed Parrotbills, Black-winged Cuckooshrike and many Grey-cheeked Fulvetta. Woodpeckers included several Grey-capped and Stripe-breasted, a Rufous and two calling Bay. Many Hair-crested Drongo and a large flock of Chestnut-tailed Starlings were feeding in flowering trees.

Also present were Green-legged Partridge, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Crested Serpent Eagle, Orange-bellied Leafbird, three Grey-backed Shrike, Grey Treepie, Davison's Leaf Warbler and Black-throated Sunbird.

White Wagtail
Chiang Dao Rice Paddies
On the way back to Chiang Dao we had a look around the rice paddies south of Chaing Dao, with one lot of rice recently harvested, the paddies being ploughed and flooded there was huge numbers of White Wagtails present with at least 400 recorded. All the usual suspects were present including 9 Grey-headed Lapwing, half a dozen Wire-tailed Swallow along with a Kestrel, three Black-collared Starling, four Little Ringed Plover, Eastern Stonechat, Pied Bushchat, Paddyfield and Richard's Pipit.

Wedge-tailed Pigeons

Red-whiskered Bulbul
Chiang Dao
Still a common bird around Chiang Dao
but declining across much of Thailand due to trapping

Between Jan 11th and 16th we spent five nights at Chiang Dao, during when we spent some time birding around Wat Tham Pha Plong and along the road to Muang Khong. Best birds were a large flock of 28 Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons feeding in fruiting trees around 10 kilometers past the checkpoint, probably the largest flock of this species I have ever seen. The were plenty of birds along the higher parts of the Checkpoint Road including several Grey-capped Pygmy and Stripe-breasted Woodepckers, Blue-eared and Blue-throated Barbets, two Grey-backed Shrike, Slender-billed Oriole, Long-tailed and Grey-chinned Minivet, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Hill Blue Flycatcher and Grey Tit.

Birding around the Wat was pretty slow but did include Green-legged Partridge calling from at least five locations, the tame Silver Pheasant, Bay Woodpecker, Drongo Cuckoo, calling Emerald Ground Dove, Asian Fairy Bluebird and several Grey-crowned Warbler.

The heat of the day and one morning was spent birding around Malee Nature Lover Bungalow, where a large clump of seeding bamboo always contained plenty of birds including an obliging male Chestnut Bunting, a Grey Crowned Warbler, several large flocks of Japanese White-eyes and numerous bulbuls. Birds overhead included a a Rufous-winged Buzzard, Crested Serpant Eagle and many Striated Swallows, but as usual during the colder winter months no Crested Treeswifts.    

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Kaeng Krachan

White-fronted Scops Owl
Kaeng Krachan


Between Jan 7th-11th we spent four nights at Baan Makka resort just outside Kaeng Krachan National Park, whilst in the park we spent a day birding around the streams, another day along the road to Panom Teung and around the campsite and a morning along the lower sections of the entrance road. 

Tickell's Hornbill
Kaeng Krachan
Best birds included 4 Great Slaty Woodpecker, 6 Great Hornbill, 4 Tickell's Hornbills, two Wreathed Hornbills, Red-headed Trogon, 2 White-fronted Scops Owl, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, 2 Dusky Broadbill, 4 Rachet-tailed Treepie, Silver Oriole, male Mugimkai Flycatcher, 4 Hill Myna, 2 Golden-crested Myna, 2 Sulpur-breasted Warbler, 5 Black-throated Laughingthrush,  four Spot-necked Babbler and 2 Collared Babbler.  

Great Hornbill
Kaeng Krachan
Commoner species also seen included Laced Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker, Orange-breasted Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Violet Cuckoo, Vernal Hanging Parrot, Collared Owlet, Emerald Dove, Short-billed Minivet, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Chesnut-tailed Starlings, Sultan Tit, Lesser and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Blyth's Shrike Babbler and Straited Yuhina.  

Oriental Pied Hornbill
Baan Makka
Species seen in the garden at Baan Makka inlcuded several Red Junglefowl, a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbill, Banded Bay Cuckoo (feeding on the ground), many Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, HoopoeBrown Boobok, Collared Scops Owl, Racket-tailed TreepieBlack-hooded Oriole and Ruby-cheeked Sunbird.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Baan Makka
One afternoon we spent between 230pm and 620pm in Lung Sin hide over looking an artificial waterhole just outside the park, though none of the hoped for crakes or pittas appeared, there was always plenty of birds on show all down to just a few meters, including 6 Green-legged Partridge, 4 Bar-backed Partridge, 3 Red Junglefowl, Black-naped Monarchs, Orange-headed Ground Thrush, 6 Tickell's Blue Flycatchers, 8 Siberian Blue Robins, a Large Scimiter Babbler, a mixed flock of 20 Lesser and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, several Abbott's and Puff-throated Babblers.

Asian Brown Flycatcher
Kaeng Krachan



Sunday, January 13, 2013

Last Morning at Petchaburi

Indian Roller
Petchaburi

For our final morning (Jan 7th) at Petchaburi we head just south of the town and stopped at a small reed fringed roadside pool and adjacent rice paddies. There were huge numbers of weavers around the pool, with perhaps 4-500 present, mostly Baya but also at least 30 Streaked and 20 Golden Weaver. Also amongst the flock were three Chestnut Munia and a single Red Avadavat. On the pond were three Bronze-winged Jacana, Little Grebe, several Moorhen and in the reeds at least six Yellow Bittern, several Oriental and Black-browed Reed Warbler and two Ruddy-breasted Crakes. In the adjacent rice paddies there were many Plain Prinia and Zitting Cisticola, a Lanceolated Warbler, Eastern Marsh Harrier, ten Red-throated Pipits and a two Purple Heron.    

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Chinese Egret, White-faced and Malaysian Plovers

Whiet-faced Plover
Laem Pak Bia
This morning we took the boat out to the sand spit at Laem Pak Bia, within a few minutes of arriving we had seen a male and female White-faced Plover, a Chinese Egret, 20 Malaysian Plover, 3 Pacific Reef Egrets and 25 Sanderling.

Chinese Egret
Laem Pak Bia

Malaysian Plover
Laem Pak Bia
We spent the rest of the morning birding around the abandoned building at Laem Pak Bia, best birds here was a Rose-coloured Starling in scrub around the rubbish tip (a Thai tick for me), 20 White-shouldered Starling, 5 Ruddy Shelduck on the saltpans, along with 29 Painted Storks.

Yesterdays Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Pak Tahle

Late afternoon we returned to Pak Thale, we failed to find any Spoon-billed Sandpiper, we did see a flock of 50 Broad-billed Sandpiper and a Temminck's Stint.

No up dates for a few days as tomorrow off to Keang Krachan National Park for five days.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Dowitcher and Nordman's

We spent the day birding along the coast, starting early morning at Pak Thale and finishing at the research station at Laem Pak Bia. Once again within twenty minutes of arriving at Pak Thale we had excellent views of a single Spoon-billed Sandpiper. There were many more waders around than the previous evening, with good numbers of Broad-billed, Curlew and Marsh Sandpiper, Eastern Black-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint, Lesser Sandplovers, Great Knot, Kentish Plovers, Grey Plover and smaller numbers of Long-toed Stint, Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Little-ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit and a single Sanderling.

Asiatic Dowitcher
Pak Thale
Amongst a large group of Marsh Sandpipers we managed to find a single Asiatic Dowitcher, which for all but one of the group was a new bird.

Common Tern
Pak Thale

Greater-crested Tern
Pak Thale
Large numbers of terns were roosting on the saltpans with many Whiskered and Common and smaller numbers of Gull-billed and Caspian and on post off shore a dozen Great-crested Terns. Also around Pak Thale were three Bhraminy Kite, two Little Heron, Yellow Bittern, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Germain's Swiftlet and two Richard's Pipit.

Heuglin's Gull
Pak Thale
As we headed south along the coast road, we found a Heuglin's Gull amongst a large flock of Brown-headed Gulls, a group of 50 Caspian Terns and a very large but distant flock of Curlew. On saltpans at Laem Pak Bia were 16 roosting Nordman's Greenshank, 56 Avocet and an amazing looking completely albino Eastern Black-tailed Godwit.

Grey Heron and Great Egret
Laem Pak Bia
We finished the day in the research station at Laem Pak Bia, where at least 350 White-shouldered Starling came into roost and three White-winged Black Tern fed amongst the Whiskered Terns.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Petchaburi Province

Myself, Fred and Marian Rowe from the UK, David Bennet from Australia and our driver Uthai left Bangkok shortly after dawn, we headed straight for the eagle watchpoint at Nong Pla Lai, it was very quiet and after around one and half hours all we had seen was one very distant probable Greater Spotted Eagle, 20 Black Kite, 6 Bhraminy Kite, half a dozen Red-throated Pipits, a Purple Heron and a few standard open country birds.

Pacific Golden Plover
Laem Pak Bia

After checking into our hotel at Petchaburi and a leisurely lunch we head to the coast and spent a couple of hours birding around the research project at Laem Pak Bia. As usual there was plenty of birds and photo opportunities, waders present including four Ruff, 80 Black-winged Stilt,10 Spotted Redshank, 8 Wood Sandpiper, 6 Common Sandpiper and a Marsh Sandpiper. Around 50 Whiskered Terns fed over the pools, along with 2 Little and 2 Caspian Terns. A walk through the mangroves produce relatively little, apart from several singing Golden-bellied Gerygone and at the end of the boardwalk five Collared Kingfisher. Good numbers of waders flew out to feed on the mudflats as the tide receded with 500 Great Knot, 30 Common Redshank and smaller numbers of Whimbrel, Greater Sandplover, Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank.

Ruff and Black-winged Stilt
Laem Pak Bia

For the final hour and half of the day we headed towards Pak Thale, where within 20 minutes we had found and enjoyed excellent views of a Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Other waders included good numbers of Red-necked and Long-toed Stints and a few Curlew and Broad-billed Sandpiper.  

Fred and Uthai
Trying to Photograph Spoon-billed Sand

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Bangpoo

Early afternoon we had a few hours to kill whilst waiting for friends to arrive from the UK and Australia, so we headed to Bangpoo south east of Bangkok for a bite to eat and a bit of birding. As usual there was many Brown-headed Gull's waiting to be fed alongside the pier, along with good numbers of Whiskered Terns.



Brown-headed Gulls
Bangpoo

Whiskered Tern
Bangpoo
Despite the area around the mangroves and pools being closed due to repairs, we climbed through a hole in the fence, good numbers of waders were roosting on the pools, with around 1200 Black-tailed Godwit, 33 Marsh Sandpiper, 50 Black-winged Stilt, 25 Common Redshank, 13 Greenshank, 9 Pacific Golden Plover and 8 Wood Sandpiper. Other species present included three Painted Stork, two Bhraminy Kite, several Golden-bellied Gerygone and Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Black-tailed Godwits
Bangpoo

Black-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank
 and Paccfic Golden Plover
Bangpoo

Painted Stork
Bangpoo


New Years Eve

Blue Rock Thrush
Chiang Dao

Spent the first few hours of new years eve birding around Wat Tham Pha Plong at Chiang Dao, best birds were a Orange-breasted Trogon and two more calling, four Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Violet Cuckoo, Bay Woodpecker, Sultan Tit and Oriental Pied Hornbills.
  
Common species included Scaly-breasted Partridge calling from at at least 6 localities, Banded Bay Cuckoo, six Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Grey-backed Shrike, White-throated Fantail, Striated Swallow, Omei Warbler, three Claudia's Leaf Warbler, Black-throated Sunbird, Streaked and Little Spiderhunter.

Blue-throated Barbet
Malee's Chiang Dao

Birds in or over the garden at Malee's included Blue-throated Barbet, Green-billed Malkoha, Oriental Honey Buzzard and in the evening a Red Angry Bird.

Angry Bird
Chiang Dao



Wednesday, January 2, 2013

A Tail of Two Pheasants

On 29th and 30th I spent both days birding with David and Michael Bruce at the DYK sub station at Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary and along the track near the second checkpoint. On the first day we were also joined by Dave Lindo (www.theurbanbirder.com).

Happy Birders
David Bruce, Dave Lindo and Michael Bruce

Day One
We left Malee's at around 530am, the first bird we saw was a Large-tailed Nightjar flushed off the track, followed a little later by two Blue Whistling Thrush and several Olive-backed Pipits. Dave had a brief  Hume's Pheasant in the forest as we drove along, but as we approached the campsite all four of us had excellent views of a stunning male running down the track in front of the truck. We all jumped out of the truck and almost immediately had saw of at least two Giant Nuthatch which was also joined by a Chestnut-vented Nuthatch to be followed a few minutes later by several Velvet-fronted. We spent the next few hours birding along the track and around the campsite, before the hoards of new year visitors arrived, though the area was generally quite, we did manage a good selection of species. Along the track we had good views of Maroon and two Slender-billed Oriole, several Grey-capped Pygmy, Stripe-breasted and Lesser Yellownape Woodpeckers, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, c50 Cook's Swifts, Eurasian JaysCrested Serpant Eagle, Hill Prinia, White-browed Scimiter Babbler, Blyth's Shrike Babbler, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and a dozen Grey Treepie. We also heard a White-bellied Redstart and Rusty-cheeked Scimiter Babbler. Birds around the campsite included a noisy party of Mountain Bamboo Partridge several of which showed very well, Oriental Turtle Doves, Gould's Sunbird, Grey Bushchats, Grey Tit, Black Bulbuls, Grey-backed Shrike, Greenish's, Pallas's and Humes Warbler and Grey-crowned Warbler.

Collared Owlet
Chiang Dao
Day Two  
We spent most of the day birding along the track beyond and before the second checkpoint, first bird of the day was a very obliging Collared Owlet. Though there was a lot of traffic beyond the checkpoint there was still plenty of birds including a stunning male Silver Pheasant seen by one of the group. New birds along this section of the track included Bay Woodpecker, Green-billed Malkoha, Lesser-racket Tailed Drongo, Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike, at least a dozen Claudia's Leaf Warblers, good numbers of Davidson's Leaf Warbler, two Omei Warbler, Grey-cheeked Fulvetta's, two Speckled Piculets and best of all a group of at least eight Silver-breasted Broadbills which we all watched down to a few feet for at least 20 minutes. There were numerous birds feeding in flowering trees around one of the hill tribe villages, with at least 50 Chestnut-tailed Starlings, many Chestnut-flanked and Japanese White-eyes, 10 Large Woodshrike, 15 White-headed Bulbul, 50 Black Bulbuls (half of which were white-headed birds) and a male Black-throated Sunbird.

Purple Sapphire
Chiang Dao

In rice fields at the start of the DYK track there was a single Chestnut Bunting, along with several Pied Bushchat, Eastern Stonechats and Plain Prinia. A breif walk to Wat Tham Pha Plong produced a Violet Cuckoo, a group of Rufescent Prinia and numerous Grey-eyed Bulbuls feeding in a fruiting tree.