Doi Inthanon, Mae Ping, Chiang Dao, Doi Ang Khang & Doi Lang, 10 -17 January 2015

We thought another trip to North Thailand in the winter months would give us another birding perspective even though this will be our 4^th trip to Inthanon and the Doi’s.  This time we asked Uthai to plan the itinerary and he also helped to book the accommodation at Inthanon, Mae Ping, Doi Ang Khang and Doi Lang.   

We arrived Chiangmai on Saturday 10th January and stayed in the Old City district at the Royal Peninsula.   In the morning Uthai came at 0600 hours and we were at Mae Hia to look for the Spotted Owlet that he had seen.  Although we saw it fly overhead we could not get a good look as it was still dark.   We left and continue to the Doi Suthep area and got really good views of two Asian Barred Owlets high on a tree.  On the road to Inthanon Uthai stopped by a rice field when he spotted a Eurasian Wryneck and we got some good shots of it. 

Arriving Doi Inthanon we stopped by the bridge to look for the Collared Falconent and were able to see it, although far away on the tree top.  At 10.30 am we found the Black-backed Forktail at the small waterfall.  He had booked us at the King’s Project accommodation which was a chalet with breakfast at 1500B per night. As it was too early to check-in, we birded around the restaurant car park area where a flock of Yellow-bellied Fantails were feeding among the tea trees.  Lunch was at a local shop where Rainbow trout was its speciality.   After lunch we spotted Mrs Gould Sunbirds and a Banded Bay Cuckoo from the park HQ carpark.  The night was very cold.

Next morning after breakfast we were out birding at the summit at 7.30 am and just as we arrived some visitors were taking photographs of Mrs Gould and Green-tailed sunbirds at the entrance of the trail.   We entered the trail and at around the same spot on the boardwalk where we previously saw the Eurasian Woodcock, we were pleasantly surprised to see it again.  This time a good view.  The Brown-cheeked Fulvettas were also bathing while a Dark-sided Thrush was hiding nearby.  We drove to the big waterfall car park for lunch and later down to Li Town for our next birding site, Mae Ping.

It was late when we arrived and checked into Palm Resort.  The next day, Tues 13 Jan 6am, we started out for Mae Ping National Park for woodpeckers. The Great Slaty flew off too quickly but we later managed to get the Black-headed Woodpecker and the Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker.  We continued to the camp ground and saw a Drongo-cukoo, Blue Rock Thrush, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Crested Serpent Eagle and Red-billed Blue Magpie.  Then  it was back to the hotel for lunch, and on to Chiang Dao where we checked into Maelee’s Resort at 6pm.

On Wed 14 Jan at 6.45 am, we went to the temple ground and a fruiting tree was full of Barbets, Asian Fairy Blue Birds, and Bulbuls.  We walked up to the top for the Asian Stubtail, and saw a White-tailed Robin, Buff-breasted Babbler and Dark-sided Thrush.  Then it was time to go back to Malee and checked out for Doi Ang Khang.  We arrived at The King's Project after lunch and proceeded to the hide behind the bamboo research garden. At the hide there were 3 photographers, one of them was Katy, whom we had met at Chumphon Raptor Watch 2 months ago. A Siberian Blue Robin, Rufous-bellied Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Black-breasted Thrush and a Blue Whistling Thrush were easily seen.  Katy had just taken the Rusty-naped Pitta but we waited till almost 3pm and it did not show.  At 4 pm it showed but was too shy and hid behind the bamboo.  In the evening we checked into Ang Khang Villa. The park was busy with many visitors who came to observe and take photos of the flowering trees.

On Thu 15 Jan 7.30 am we drove to the cemetery area for Mrs Hulme Pheasant, again it did not show, but we saw Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Crested Finchbill. Great Barbet, Brown-breasted Bulbul and Flavescent Bulbul.  We drove back to the Kings Project and got the Streak Wren Babbler at the hide. On our way out we saw the Yellow-cheeked Tit going into a hole in the tree and a Pygmy Blue Flycatcher.  We drove to Fang and checked into Vien Kaew Resort.

On Fri 16 Jan 6.15 am we checked out and it was on to Doi Lang.  On the mountain road we saw 5 Mountain Bamboo Patridges feeding on the road side and Mrs Hulme Pheasant appeared but moved away too quickly and did not reappear.  Further on we saw the Large Niltava, Rusty-cheeked Babbler, Silver-eared Laughing Thrush and Slaty Blue Flychatcher from a hide.   The Spot-breasted Parrotbill was calling from the same bush we had encountered on our last trip.  We walked to the guard post and looked into the Burmese side of Doi Lang but not many birds except for a Golden-throated Barbet, Giant Nuthatch and Chestnut-flank Nuthatch.  We left in the afternoon for the 3 hour drive to Chiangmai, and checked into Chiangmai Plaza Hotel for our last night, before flying home.  This trip was rather tiring doing 5 sites in 6 days however we managed to get 12 lifers and planned to have another trip with Uthai in March.

                         Jan. 2015 Northern Thailand Highlights

                      Birds Seen:

1)     Ashy Bulbul		49) Grey Bushchat
2)     Ashy Drongo		50) Grey Wagtail
3)     Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler		51) Grey-backed Shrike
4)     Asian Barred Owlet		52) Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
5)     Asian Fairy Bluebird		53) Grey-eyed Bulbul
6)     Asian Stubtail (L)		54) Grey-headed Lapwing (L)
7)     Banded Bay-cuckoo		55) Hainan Blue Flycatcher
8)     Black crested Bulbul		56) Hil Blue FC Female
9)     Black-backed Forktail (L)		57) Himalayan Bluetail  (L)
10) Black-breasted Thrush		58) Indian Roller
11) Black-headed Bulbul		59) Inornate (yellow-browed) Warbler
12) Black-headed Woodpecker (L)		60) Japanese White-eye
13) Black-hooded Oriole		61) Large Cuckoo Shrike
14) Black-throated Sunbird		62) Large Niltava
15) Blue Rock Thrush		63) Little Pied Flycatcher
16) Blue Whistling Thrush		64) Little Spiderhunter
17) Blue-eared Barbet		65) Long-tailed Shrike
18) Blue-throated Barbet		66) Mountain Bamboo Patridge
19) Blue-winged Leafbird		67) Mountain Bulbul
20) Blue-winged Minla		68) Mrs Gould Sunbird
21) Blyth’s Leaf Warbler		69) Olive-backed Pipit
22) Bronzed Drongo		70) Plumbeous Redstart
23) Brown-breasted Bulbul		71) Pygmy Blue Flycatcher (L)
24) Brown-cheeked Fulvetta		72) Radd’s Warbler
25) Buff-breasted Babbler (L)		73) Red-billed Blue Magpie
26) Burmese Shrike		74) Red-whiskered Bulbul
27) Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush		75) Rufous-bellied Niltava
28) Chestnut-flank White-eye		76) Rufous-winged Fulvetta
29) Chestnut-tailed Minla		77) Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
30) Chinese White-eye		78) Rusty-naped Pitta (L)
31) Collared Falconet (L)		79) Scarlet Minivet
32) Common Rosefinch		80) Siberian Blue Robin F
33) Coppersmith Barbet		81) Siberian Ruby-throat
34) Crested Finchbill		82) Silver-eared Laughing Thrush
35) Crested Serpent Eagle		83) Slaty Blue FC F (L)
36) Dark-back Sibia		84) Sooty-headed Bulbul
37) Dark-sided Thrush (L)		85) Spot-breasted Parrotbill
38) Davidson Leaf Warbler (L)		86) Streaked Wren Babbler (L)
39) Drongo Cuckoo		87) Striped-throated Bulbul
40) Eurasian Woodcock		88) Taiga Flycatcher F
41) Eursian Wryneck		89) White-bellied Redstart F (L)
42) Fire-breasted Flowerpecker		90) White-capped Redstart
43) Flavescent Bulbul		91) White-gorgetted FC
44) Giant Nuthatch		92) White-tailed Robin
45) Golden-fronted Leafbird (L)		93) Yellow-bellied Fantail
46) Golden-throated Barbet		94) Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker (L)
47) Gray-headed Canary Flycatcher		95) Yellow-cheeked Tit
48) Green-tailed Sunbird