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.