Doi Lang and White-tailed Rubythroat

Early Wednesday morning myself, Kurt (my brother-in-law) and Uthai from Chiang Mai Birding headed to Doi Lang for a couple of days birding, we camped on the mountain by the army camp, the weather was mild, mostly overcast, with periodic low cloud and light patchy rain. Leaving at 5am and taking the western  route up from Fang, we were birding by 640am. An excellent list of species was noted over the two days, best bird was a very surprising Thai tick for me. Whilst scoping up a small group of Crested Buntings feeding on seed at the side of the road, a male White-tailed Rubythroat hopped into view. White-tailed Rubythroat is apparently a rare bird in Thailand, though possibly under recorded as ringing especially around Chiang Saen has recorded a few in recent years. After a minute or two the bird disappeared back into the roadside grass and despite waiting another 30 minutes never reappeared.  

Spot-breasted Parrotbill

 Most of the Doi Lang specialties were seen included 6 Rufous-throated Partridge feeding by the main army camp on Wednesday evening, with many others heard calling, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Rusty-naped Pitta one calling just before the first army checkpoint, 2 White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, male Sapphire Flycatcher, Golden Bush Robin, White-tailed Robin, 2 Giant Nuthatch, 12 Black-throated Tit, 20 Crested Finchbill, 15 Brown-breasted Bulbul, Chestnut-headed Tesia, 6 Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, 8 Whiskered Yuhina, 6 Long-tailed Sibia and 2 Spot-breasted Parrotbill.

Female Himilayan Bluetail

Male Himilayan Bluetail

Male Chesnut-bellied Rock Thrush

An impressive list of high altitude and other scarce species were also seen  including 4 Mountain Bamboo Partridge, 2 Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Stripe-breasted woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, 5 Speckled Piculet, 2 Lesser Yellownape, 6 Greater Yellownape, 5 Bay Woodpecker, 2 Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, 2 Little Pied Flycatcher, 3 Large, 2 Small and 3 Rufous-bellied Niltava, c20 Himilayan Bluetail, 4 White-bellied Redstart, 4 Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, 6 Yellow-cheeked Tit, 3 Slaty-bellied Tesia, 4 Buff-throated, 2 Buff-barred and 30 Pallas's leaf Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, 2 Bianchi's Warbler, 10 White-browed Laughingthrush, 8 White-necked Laughingthrush, 4 Rusty-cheeked Scimiter Babbler, 2 Pygmy Wren Babbler, 5 Golden Babbler,  c20 Spectacled Barwing, 4 Rufous-backed Sibia, 100 Gould's Sunbird, 60 Common Rosefinch, 30 Crested, 10 Little, 5 Chesnut and a single Yellow-breasted Bunting.

Dark-backed Sibia

Common species recorded included Golden-throated, Blue-throated and Great Barbet, Lesser Coucal, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Oriental Turtle Dove, Emerald Ground Dove, Eastern Buzzard, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Peregrine, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Grey-backed and Long-tailed Shrike, Eurasian Jay, Grey Treepie, Maroon Oriole, Large Cuckooshrike, Long-tailed, Short-billed and Grey-chinned Minivet, Yellow-bellied and White-throated Fantail, Northern White-crowned Forktail, Grey Bushchat, Striated, Mountain and Black Bulbul, Mountain Tailorbird, Claudia's, Hume's and Davidson's Leaf Warber, Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Marten's and Grey-crowned Warbler, Silver-eared Lughingthrush, Chestnut-capped and Yellow-eyed Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Grey-cheeked and Rufous-winged Fulvetta and Dark-backed Sibia.   

The department of national parks have put up a number of signs in Thai and English forbidding the use of tapes, photography of nesting birds and feeding, these rules were widely ignored during our visit, with numerous feeding areas in operation and some appalling use of tapes, at a photographers stakeout for Chestnut-headed Tesia tapes were being played from dawn to dusk over the two days we were there. Elsewhere parts of the mountain echoed to the taped calls of Rusty-naped Pitta and Spot-breasted Laughingthrush. 

Species seen by other birders whilst we were there included several Hume's Pheasant, male Scarlet Finch and Ultramine Flycatcher.      

Doi Lang west side

View into Burma from Doi Lang east side

  

Red Avadavat

This morning I decided to wander around fields, scrub and secondary growth around Chiang Dao in search of Freckled-breasted Woodpecker which has yet to be recorded in the area, no woodpeckers but plenty of other birds. One large overgrown field was very productive, where best bird was a Red Avadavat a new Chiang Dao species for me. With the grass being very wet following heavy overnight dew a number of normally skulking species showed well as they dried themselves in the sun, at least 8 Siberian Rubythroats being either heard or seen, along with 6 Thick-billed Warbler, 5 Radde's Warbler, 2 Yellow-bellied Prinia and several hundred Scaly-breasted and White-rumped Munia. A small group of half a dozen Yellow-eyed Babblers also showed well, but two Chestnut-capped Babblers took an age to get decent views of. A single male Chestnut Bunting showed briefly, but frustratingly several other unidentified buntings dropped into long grass and were not seen again. All morning the loud raucous calls of several Chinese Francolin could be heard but typically none were seen, a Barred Buttonquail showed better as it ran down a track in front of me.

Racket-tailed Treepie
by Fred Rowe

In scrub two pairs of Racket-tailed Treepies, 30 Chestnut-tailed Starling, a Violet Cuckoo and a Rufous-winged Buzzard were noted. A patch of forest and bamboo supported a low number of species, but in high densities, with at least 17 Grey-crowned Warbler, 11 Radde's Warbler, 9 Rufous-fronted Babbler and 5 White-rumped Shama. Also in the area were three Red-billed Blue Magpie, female Siberian Blue Robin, 2 Golden-fronted Leafbird and a Verditer Flycatcher.

Other species recorded during the morning included Linneated Barbet, Green Bee-eater, Plaintive Cuckoo, Indian Roller, Long-tailed Shrike, Black-hooded Oriole, Pied Bushchats, Eastern Stonechat and Olive-backed Pipit.

Forktails

Yesterday morning I walked along the road to the checkpoint and a little beyond, it was a cold morning, the first of the dry season and thick fog stubbornly hung around well into the morning, as a result bird activity was subdued. A pair of Northern White-crowned Forktail and a single Slaty-backed Forktail were both present along the stream just before the checkpoint. On the same stream a Little Heron and a Common Kingfisher were also present. Little else of note was seen, with 3 Grey-crowned Warbler, 8 Black Bulbul, Violet Cuckoo, 5 Thick-billed Green Pigeon and a Purple-naped Sunbird were easily the best of the rest.

Bamboo Woodpecker

Most of the morning was spent birding on the nature trail, or the mosquito trail as it should be renamed, as there were clouds of the buggers. Best bird was a Bamboo Woodpecker which was seen well but briefly in the mature bamboo at the summit of the trail, another bird drumming nearby was also presumed this species. Other birds were few and far between, but in the bamboo a male and two female Red Junglefowl showed well, along with 4 Yellow-bellied Warbler, several White-rumped Shama, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Rufescent Prinia and two Radde's Warblers. Birds elsewhere along the trail included 3 Siberian Blue Robins, 2 Buff-breasted Babblers, Black-throated Sunbird, 2 Sultan Tit and a Banded Bay Cuckoo, meagre pickings for about four and half hours birding.

Drongo Cuckoo
A scruffy looking individual which showed well this morning

Banded Bay Cuckoo
By Fred Rowe

This morning was spent birding the temple and gully trail, lots of birds around especially form the steps where several large feeding parties. Though not rare best birds were excellent views of Drongo Cuckoo and Banded Bay Cuckoo feeding in the canopy at eye level from the rest area on the steps. Green-legged Partridge were heard calling from at least four localities, and amongst the good numbers of warblers seen were at least 7 Claudia's Leaf Warbler, 5 Marten's, 3 Grey-crowned Warbler and in roadside grass single Radde's and Thick-billed Warbler. Species noted in the bird waves included single Speckled and White-browed Piculet, 2 Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, 3 Great Iora, 4 White-throated Fantail, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, 2 Purple-naped, male Ruby-cheeked and Black-throated Sunbird. At least three Bay Woodpeckers and in trees by the temple gates two Orange-breasted Trogons and a pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eaters showed well. Best birds from the highest point of the temple was a female Maroon Oriole and a stunning male Asian Emerald Cuckoo. In a quite corner of the temple car park an Asian Stubtail showed very well down to a few feet and a flock of around 10 Necklaced Laughingthrush were typically tricky to get decent views of, but did include at least one Greater.

The gully trail was very quiet, with the only birds seen the usual pair of Northern White-crowned Forktail, 2 Marten's Warbler and a pair of Buff-breasted Babbler. 

Other common species noted this morning included Great, Blue-throated and Blue-eared Barbet, Green-billed Malkoha, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Emerald Ground Dove, Crested Goshawk, Spangled Drongo, Verditer Flycatcher, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker and Olive-backed Pipit.

Streaked Wren Babbler

After a three day non birding break in Chiang Mai, yesterday we returned to Chiang Dao and this morning I was back birding at the temple. On limestone along the temple steps a pair of Streaked Wren Babbler showed well by the rest area. A pair is often present in this area but had been absent for sometime. Bay Woodpeckers were much more vocal than recently with at least three calling around the temple, with one seen briefly as it flashed across the temple steps.

Two good feeding parties were bumped into which included 2 Speckled Piculet, 2-3 Sulphur-breasted Warbler, several Great Iora, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, 2 White-throated Fantail and 3 Claudia's Leaf Warbler. Despite inappropriate footwear, I walked up the first couple of hundred metres of the gully trail, it was fairly quite but I did mange good views of an Asian Stubbtail, male and female Siberian Blue Robin, a pair of very noisy White-crowned Forktail and the arse end of a pair of Green-legged Partridge.

Other species recorded included several Great Barbet, 2 Orange-breasted Trogon, 2 Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Drongo Cuckoo, 15 Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Crested Goshawk, Maroon Oriole, 6 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, 4 Grey-crowned Warbler, 20 Striated Yuhina, 2 Purple-naped and a Ruby-checked Sunbird.

Rosy Pipit

The last couple of hours yesterday was spent wandering around the rice paddies south of Chiang Dao Town, where best birds were three Rosy Pipit which flew over calling just before dusk. The standard local species were all recorded with 21 Grey-headed Lapwing, 6 Wire-tailed Swallow and 4 Oriental Skylark. Just before dusk many birds were heading to roost including a total of 125 Chestnut-tailed Starling in three flocks, 18 Green Bee-eater, 40 Red-throated Pipit and at least 100 White Wagtail.

Black-collared Starling
by Fred Rowe

Other species also recorded included a Wryneck, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Rufous-winged Buzzard, 9 Pintail, 7 Common and a single female Painted Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, Bluethroat, 2 Siberian Rubythroat, 3 Black-collared Starling, 6 Richard's Pipit and a single Citrine Wagtail.   

Recent sightings by other birders around DYK included male and 2 female Hume's Pheasant, male Daurian Redstart by the toilet block, but unusually no Giant Nuthatch despite three separate lots of birders looking.