Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park

Yunnan Fulvetta
by Fred Rowe

As it was relatively close to Nam Nao, we spent 22nd till 24th January at Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, the last stronghold of the Thai communist movement. Our stay here was blighted by low cloud and fog, we had hoped to see Nepal House Martin and Jerdon's Bushchat  by the Taberg Checkpoint, but with visibility of just a few feet it was impossible to see anything. We entered the park after paying an extortionate 500THB entrance fee, per person, for which we were not even given a park leaflet and many of the park signs were in Thai only, clearly this park wants to keep all foreigners away!. 

We stayed in one of the national Park bungalows, which was basic, but adequate, spending much of the time birding along the entrance road and quieter side roads. Along the main road we found a pair of Striped-breasted Woodpecker, a male Slaty-backed Flycatcher and a mixed group of Silver-eared Mesia and Blue-winged Minla. A couple of decent walks along the side road leading to the loop trail was the most productive, with the best birds here being a group of at least 15 Long-tailed Broadbill and a very vocal Rusty-naped Pitta, which despite calling from the side of the road failed to show. Other species seen/heard here included Fork-tailed Drongo Cuckoo, Blue-throated, Blue-eared and Great Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Swinhoe's and Long-tailed Minivet, Clickling Shrike Babbler, Claudia's, Davison's and Sulphur-breasted Warbler and Yunnan Fulvetta. 

Mountain Bulbul
by Fred Rowe

The campsite and park HQ was less productive, but a fruiting tree did attract a good selection bulbuls including Mountain and Black. Also seen around the campsite were huge numbers of Large-billed Crow scavaging in the dustbins, with lots of Olive-backed Pipit and smaller numbers of Eye-borwed Thrush also feeding under the pines. Other species present in the area included large numbers of Striated Swallow and Cook's Swift, Black-winged and Indochinese Cuckooshrike, Grey-backed Shrike, Pied Bushchat and Green-billed Malkoha.