An overnight visitor

Erebus hieroglyphica

Woke up in the hotel room in Lampang this morning to find the above moth at the window, it is a widespread species recorded throughout south east Asia, China, India, Indonesia and Philippines.

A few birds seen on the way up to Chiang Dao this afternoon including a Racket Tailed Treepie across the road, Oriental Honey Buzzard and a group of 50 Open-billed Stork in fields just outside Chiang Dao a species which in the last couple of years has increased dramatically in northern Thailand.

Arrived Chiang Mai mid afternoon and headed straight to Malees our home for the next three months, unless there is a family fallout! Whilst unpacking the car an Emrrald Ground Dove zipped through the gardens, many Crested Treeswift, Striated Swallow and a few Indochinese Swiftlets fed high over the garden and on one of the bungalows a Blue Rock Thrush was already in residence for the winter. By the time the car was unloaded and all the family news was caught up with, i only had time to walk up to the temple car park and back, with lots of leaves on the trees birding was hard, but i did manage to see Puff-throated Babbler, 4 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Two-barred Warbler, Streaked Spiderhunter and a fair selection of common birds. In the evening both Asian Barred Owlet and Brown Boobok were calling bringing the Chiang Dao trip list to 34 on the first day.