Chiang Saen Lake

Between the March 3rd and 4th we spent an afternoon and a full day birding around Chiang Saen Lake. As usual most of the ducks on the lake were very distant, frustratingly we were unable to arrange a boat trip, though we did have distant views of 9 Ruddy Shelduck and amongst the many of hundreds of Lesser Whistling Duck and Spot-billed Duck were at least 20 Northern Pintail and 40 Garganey. A few waders were also noted including a 2 Small Pratincole, 4 Oriental Pratincole, Green Sandpiper, three Little Ringed Plover, 6 Spotted Redshank and several Common Snipe. Several hundred Purple Gallinule were present, as was a White-browed Crake and good numbers of Moorhen, Coot and Pheasant-tailed Jacana. We spent one evening at the Wat Bamakno harrier roost where at least 265 birds came into roost, with around 165 of these Pied Harriers and the rest Eastern Marsh Harrier. Several Purple Heron were noted, along with at least 175 Open-billed Stork, several Yellow Bittern and Night Heron. Six Great Cormorants came into roost on the island in the center of the lake and in scrub around the lake none of the numerous Racket-tailed Treepie sat still enough for a good photo.

Additional species noted included a Barred Buttonquail which we nearly ran over, Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, Lesser Coucal, Bluethroat, Black-collared Myna , 230 Chestnut-tailed Starling, Straited Grassbird, Dusky Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and several Citrine Wagtail.

Fang Hot Springs

On Monday morning before leaving for Chiang Saen we popped into Fang Hot Springs in the hope of finding  Spot-winged Grosbeak, it did not take long before the first small group were spotted flying over, these joined by two other groups and eventually a total of 14 birds settled to feed in distant trees. Other birds present around the springs included Hoopoe, Blue-whistling Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush and two Eurasian Jay.

Doi Lang

Hodgson's Frogmouth
simply stunning

Chestnut-headed Tesia

Himalayan Bluetail

Blue-fronted Redstart

Three full days were spent birding at Doi Lang Feb 28th-Mar 2nd, time was spent visiting the various photo stakeouts as well as walks along the road, and despite it being a weekend we virtually had the place to ourselves. The birding was excellent and the highlights were many, a few which where especially memorable included a Hodgson's Frogmouth sat on a nest right next to the road, a Chestnut-headed Tesia which fed at the roadside inches from our feet, a stunning male Himalayan Bluetail, several dazzling male Sapphire Flycatchers, a Blue-fronted Redstart and two Fire-tailed Sunbirds.

Three Rufous-throated Partridge were seen feeding around the army camp, with many others heard calling from within the forest. Early one morning a Spot-bellied Eagle Owl was flushed from roadside trees and raptors included a Mountain Hawk Eagle, two Black Baza and an Oriental Hobby. Several Grey Treepie were seen and heard and up to 5 Slender-billed and 4 Maroon Oriole were noted. Apart from several Blue-whistling Thrush the only other thrush seen was a male Grey-winged Blackbird.

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher

White-gorgeted Flycatcher

Ultramine Flycatcher

Flycatchers were very much in evidence with two Rufous-gorgeted, male Slaty-backed, 2 White-gorgeted, 5 Little Pied, male Ultramarine, Slaty-blue and 3 Sapphire Flycatcher, 5 Large Niltava and 3 Rufous-bellied Niltava noted.

Orange-flanked Bush Robin

White-tailed Robin

A great selection of chats and robins were also seen including two Siberian Rubythroats, 2 Orange-flanked Bush Robin, 10 Himalayan Bluetail, 2 Golden Bush Robin, 2 White-bellied Redstart and a very tame female White-tailed Robin. Two Giant Nuthatch were present in pines on the western side including a very vocal and obliging male, two Hume's Treecreepers were also seen and Yellow-cheeked Tits were seen daily. There was a good scattering of Crested Finchbill and Brown-breasted Bulbul on both sides of the mountain.

Hill Prinia

Hill Prinia was also fairly common as were phylloscopus warblers which included Buff-throated, Buff-barred, Pallas's, Hume's and very many Davidson's.

Silver-eared Laughingthrush

Scarlet-faced Liocichla

White-browed Laughingthrush

Both Silver-eared Laughingthrush and Scarlet-faced Liocichla were fairly common and at least one group of White-browed Laughingthrush were seen most days.

Rusty-cheeked Scimiter Babbler

Rusty-cheeked and White-browed Scimiter Babblers were common and other babblers included Chestnut-capped, Golden and Blyth's Shrike Babbler. Several small groups of Blue-tailed Minla were noted and on the higher parts of the mountain Whiskered Yuhina were relatively easy to find, as were Spectacled Barwing and our final morning we did well for parrotbills with two Spot-breasted and up to 20 Grey-headed showing well. Finch's included several Common Rosefinch and a male Spot-winged Grosbeaks. Chestnut Bunting were fairly common in open scrubby hillsides with up 50 seen and at least 20 Little Buntings were feeding in fields near one of the army checkpoints.

Ban Luang Resort

Grey-winged Blackbirds

We left Chiang Dao early Thursday morning and headed towards Fang, via Ban Luang Resort Doi Ang Kang where in the garden, we hoped to see some of the thrushes recently reported. We spent the all morning sat on the balcony at the back of the restaurants and enjoyed amazing views of birds coming into to drink and feed. A variety of thrushes were on show throughout, with totals of 5 Grey-winged Blackbird, 4 Black-breasted Thrush, 4 Eye-browed Thrush and a Grey-sided Thrush.

Black-breasted Thrush

Eye-browed Thrush

Grey-sided Thrush

Other species noted included 5 Black-headed Greenfinch, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, White-caped Redstart, Little Bunting, 6 Common Rosefinch, Blue-whistling Thrush, 5 Grey Bushchat, 2 Brown-breasted Bulbul and a male Verditer Flycatcher. Mid afternoon we left and headed for Fang and three days birding on Doi Lang.

Blue-whislting Thrush

 

Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush

Brown-breasted Bulbul