Thursday, April 16, 2015

Nam Nao, Phukieo & Khao Yai, 29 Mar - 4 Apr 2015

We heard Nam Nao Nat'l Park would be a reliable site to see the Red-headed and Orange-breasted Trogons but to go would require taking a domestic flight to Phitsanulok from Bangkok.  
Uthai C. from http://www.chiangmaibirding.com suggested that we include Khao Yai and also visit the wildlife sanctuary at Phukieo for a day visit during our 3 nights in Nam Nao.   


He helped to book accommodation inside the park, since Nam Nao is one of the least visited parks and no hotels outside to stay. We flew, with Lioe, on AirAsia to Bangkok on 28th March to connect NOK Air’s afternoon's flight to Phitsanulok, the nearest airport.  It was late afternoon when we arrived and Uthai picked us the next morning 29th March for the 3.5 hours drive to Nam Nao National Park.


The entrance fee was 200 baht per person and at the park HQ we got our keys to our chalet.  It was a newly renovated 2-bedroom unit with a fridge in the living room, which was better than we expected. There were not many visitors to Nam Nao except for a group of university students who left the next day.  It was very hot in the day walking the trails, but behind our chalet was the forest and some nice birds came in the late afternoon.  We saw the White-bellied Woodpecker, a Greater Yellow-naped and a Eurasian Jay from the veranda.   As it was low season, only 2 ‘restaurants’ were operating and food was good at both.  


The Red-headed Trogon was seen as we approached the camp ground the first afternoon. Unfortunately it flew into a bamboo grove and we did  not see it until our last afternoon.  On 31st March Uthai drove us to Phukieo Wildlife Sanctuary which was 3 hours away. We stopped at a 7-11 shop to purchase buns for lunch as there would be no food stalls at Phukieo.   When we arrived and enquired at the office, the park officer showed us a trail where a bird hide was located. As we approached the hide, leeches were wriggling on the dry leaves.  It was thus a short stay at the hide, and back to the camp grounds, where a flock of Red-billed Blue Magpies were foraging for food.  A pair of Siamese Firebacks came out from the forest to forage followed by a pair of Red Jungle fowls.  The Green Peafowls were quite tame walking around the camp grounds. 





We returned to Nam Nao in the afternoon and were rewarded with the Red-headed Trogon appearing near the camp ground and posed long enough for some good shots.




On 1st April we left Nam Nao at 06:30 am for the 5-hour drive to Khao Yai Nat'l Park.   We arrived Khao Yai in the afternoon, paid the entrance fee of 400 baht per person, and checked into our chalet, which we had previously occupied a few years ago.  Nearby was the former Boonsong Lekagul training center where a pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eaters were frequently seen.  Later we saw them nesting near one of the chalets.



We visited a couple of camp grounds and walked some trails for the next 2 days.  The Blue-throated barbet and the Green-eared barbet were calling all the time.   At the km 33 trail we saw the Great Hornbill and the Oriental Pied Hornbills, and had a glimpse of the Red-headed Trogon but this trail was busy with trekkers.   The next day we drove further towards Prachinburi and at  this waterfall location, we saw the Orange-breasted Trogon not too far from the trail entrance, and we saw a different pair on another trail.  We left on Saturday 4th April and Uthai drove us to Don Meuang, a 3-hour drive, for our flight home.   This trip we saw 69 species.


  Birds Seen:

1Abbot’s Babbler36Green-eared Barbet
2Ashy Bulbul37Grey Treepie
3Ashy Drongo38Grey-eyed Bulbul
4Ashy Drongo (White morph)39Grey-headed Woodpecker
5Ashy Minivet40Hill Blue Flycatcher
6Asian Barred Owlet41Hill Myna
7Asian Brown Flycatcher42Indian Roller
8Asian Fairy Bluebird43Little Cormorant
9Asian Openbill44Moustache Barbet
10Barn Swallow45Mugimaki Flycatcher
11Black-crested Bulbul46Orange-bellied Leafbird
12Black-crested Bulbul – Johnsonia47Orange-breasted Trogon
13Black-naped Monarch48Oriental Pied Hornbill
14Black-throated Laughing Thrush49Plain Flowerpecker
15Black-winged Cuckooshrike50Puff-throated Bulbul
16Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike51Radde's Warbler
17Blue Rock Thrush52Red Junglefowl
18Blue-bearded Bee-eater53Red-billed Blue Magpie
19Blue-throated Barbet54Red-headed Trogon
20Bronzed Drongo55Red-rumped Swallow
21Brown-cheeked Fulvetta56Red-wattled Lapwing
22Chestnut-headed Bee-eater57Scarlet Minivet
23Chinese Pond Heron58Siamese Fireback
24Common Woodshrike59Sooty-headed Bulbul
25Crested Serpent Eagle60Stripe-throated Bulbul
26Eastern Stonechat61Taiga Flycatcher
27Eurasian Jay62Thick-billed Green Pigeon
28Golden-fronted Leafbird63Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
29Great Barbet64White-bellied Erponis
30Great Hornbill65White-bellied Woodpecker
31Greater Yellow-naped Woodpecker66White-crested Laughing Thrush
32Greater-racket tailed Drongo67White-rumped Munia
33Green Magpie68White-rumped Shama
34Green peafowl69Yellow-browed Leaf Warbler
35Green-billed Malkoha

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