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.