Spot-bellied Eagle Owl

Yesterday evening at the dusk, one of the local Spot-bellied Eagle Owls was calling from tall trees around the garden, before flying across the road into the forest. Chiang Dao, especially along the road between the temple and Malee's must be one of the best places to see this species in Thailand. The best strategy to see them would be to wait at dusk by the turning to the Wildlife Sanctuary Headquarters, when birds can usually be seen flying between the very tall trees, before disappearing of into the forest to feed. These trees are also worth checking during the day, as on at least one occasion I have found one roosting during the day.

Also calling just after dusk yesterday were both Mountain and Collared Scops Owl and Brown Boobok.

   

male Asian Paradide Flycatcher

Spent several hours at the temple this morning, for little reward, there were plenty of common species around such as Asian Fairy Bluebird, Hill Blue Flycatcher and common bulbuls. New birds for the list did include Brown Cheeked Fluvetta, Yellow-bellied Warbler and Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike. Lots of  warblers around with both Yellow-browed and Two-barred both being very common, but no sign of any Claudia's Leaf Warblers yet. Species currently being seen daily at the moment include Blue-bearded Bee-eater with two pairs in the area and Violet Cuckoo usually being seen as the call and fly between the tall trees.

Early afternoon the Chestnut-winged Cuckoo was again in the garden.  

Garden Visitors

The best birds today were both in the garden, the first a fine male Crimson Sunbird and at lunch a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo in the hedge by the restaurant, which was the first time i have seen this species at Chiang Dao at this time of year.

No raptors on the move today with just a local Oriental Honey Buzzard and a Crested Serpant Eagle a species which is often conspicuous by its absence at this time of year, but surprisingly common by the end of December once birds are vocal and displaying. Bee-eaters however were on the move south this morning with 65 Little Green and a flock of 27 Chestnut-headed.

Lots of Grey-backed Shrikes  around currently with 2 around the garden, 2 along the road to the temple and a further one in the temple car park. The pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eater were once again in roadside trees as well as 8 Thick-billed Green Pigeon.

Moths Chiang Dao - Early October 2013

Numenes siletli

Over the last few nights I have once again been running a light to attract moths at Chiang Dao, catches have been fairly poor, due to cool nights, despite this there has been more than enough moths to give me a headache. Around a third have so far been identified, the rest sit in an ever growing file of ones still to name. 

toccolosida rubriceps

Gastropacha xenaptes

Rajendra tripartita

Asota producta

Asota ficus

Cyana catorhoda

Cyana bianca

Cyclosia panthosa

Theretra nessus

Barsine euprepioides

Black Baza

Have been confined to barracks for the last couple of days, though did find some time today to look for raptors, it was the best morning so far, Black Baza was the commonest species with a total of 34 south in four groups. Also heading south were 6 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 3 Chinese Sparrowhawk and single Eastern Buzzard, Grey-faced Buzzard and Common Kestrel. Other species moving south included 30 Chestnut-tailed Starling, 12 Spangled Drongo, 8 Ashy Minivet, 7 Olive-backed Pipit and at least 550 Himalayan Swiftlet. 

There were many hirundines and swifts feeding over the garden throughout the day, including at least 60 Striated Swallow, 60 Crested Treeswift and once again around 20 Brown-backed Needletail.

Early yesterday morning manage to squeeze in a quick visit to the temple where there was a White-crowned Forktail feeding in the corner of the car park briefly, two Black Bulbuls and a Drongo Cuckoo. There did not appear to be any raptors on the move yesterday though a local Oriental Honey Buzzard and Oriental Hobby were noted.  

 

Bamboo Woodpecker

Just after first light I headed up the road to the nearby temple, just off the steps in some bamboo a woodpecker was drumming loudly and persistently, after around 20 minutes I managed brief views of a Bamboo Woodpecker, a species not that uncommon around Chiang Dao but is often difficult to get views of. In trees around the car park an adult Oriental Cuckoo showed well, as did several Violet Cuckoo. There was a constant stream of birds in and out of a small fruiting tree, which included Blue-throated and Blue-eared Barbet, six species of bulbul, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Thick-billed and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker and a male Black-throated Sunbird.

Blue-throated Barbet

Other species recorded around the temple included calling Green-legged Partridge and Red Junglefowl, Great Barbet, at least 10 Black-hooded Oriole, Plaintive Cuckoo and Purple-naped Sunbird.  In tall trees back along the road just outside the entrance to Malee's a pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eater showed well, the tall trees along the road to the temple seems to be a fairly reliable site for this species. 

From mid morning until mid afternoon time was once again spent looking upwards for raptors, there was nothing on the move until early afternoon when 3 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 3 Black Baza and single Eastern Buzzard and Grey-faced Buzzard headed south. A pair of Oriental Hobby were also around for much of the afternoon. 

Late afternoon I headed into town and the market, taking small back roads I added several new species to the list, such as Pied Bushchat, Little Green Bee-eater and best of all 40 Open-billed Stork which was a new species for myself at Chiang Dao. 

Open-billed Stork
photo by Fred Rowe

At dusk an Oriental Scops Owl was calling near the resort and moved the list onto 94 species. 

Up on the roof

Spent from dawn until midday up on the old rooftop restaurant at Malee's hoping to see some overhead passge of raptors and passerines. It was not until nearly 10:30am before the first raptors were recorded when a group of 5 Amur Flacon moved north followed over the next hour by a further six. The only other migrant raptor was a splendid adult male Pied Harrier which headed high south over the forest. Local raptors included a Shikra and at least 5 Crested Goshawk including several displaying males.  The only passerines possibly on the move were 17 Olive-backed Pipit. The surprise bird of the day was a male Grey Buschat in the garden the first time i have seen this species so low down and presumably a migrant.

Grey-backed Shrike one of two present this morning

Other species seen during the migration watch this morning included 4 Oriental Pied Hornbill, 2 Violet Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, 2 Grey-backed Shrike and 20 Brown-backed Needletail.

Emarald Ground Dove

Early in the morning an Emerald Ground Dove few into a nearby window, knocking its self out, after a couple of hours rest in a cage it was later released unharmed.

A late afternonn walk up to the temple added Scaret Minivet and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker to the list moving the total on to 65 species.

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.