Birding at Doi Inthanon, North Thailand - 2nd day

11/1/2008 - Birding at Doi Inthanon

Yesterday stop-over at Uncle Daeng restaurant, we been given the news of this birding site of 2nd checkpoint left junctions and drive for at least 10km. He told us in the morning this place should be good. Today after breakfast we head to this place and this road leads to Haui Sai Lueng Waterfall. I do recall been here last april, we were at this place towards lunch time, bird life was not very good then. This time we visit this place in Jan, during winter. I notice there are a few trees that seems to give me the atmosphere of Chinese New Year mood. The trees are with pink cherry blossom. Waaaw..this is my first time seeing it's real flowers. We look up the trees, we saw a few Green Tailed Sunbird.

Birding around this place during winter is the best experience that we ever have. We seems to have bird waves upon bird waves and it only ends at about noon time. It seems to be an easy birding just choose your favourite spots sit down and the birds just fly in and out for you to view.

Blue-Winged Leafbird seems to looks different in this new environment..:-)

Scarlet Minivet - Male and female would never seems to get tired to show up themselves to you.

He caught a moth, as usual he swing it left and right hit it on the hard surface before he consumed it.Bird in this plumage, was my lifer. I have never encounter Scarlet Minivet in this stage of their life.
Blue Rock Thrush seems to have mark her territory on the roof top of this bungalow.

Me and another birder friend decided to sat at the bench near the river looks somewhat like a drain as the bird waves near the car park seems to be end. We never expect to met up with this bird. White-Capped Water Redstart normally is a lone bird. It looks like their territory seems to be huge.
Red-Throated Flycatcher.
Until today I yet to be able to ID this flycatcher. I have never encounter Flycatcher in this plumage. I can only suspect that this would be a somewhat a female flycatcher.
At this place we sighted.

Grey-Backed Shrike, White Capped Water Restart, White Wagtail, Scarlet Minivet, Artic Wabbler, Verditer Flycatcher, Grey-Headed Flycatcher, Black-naped Monarch, Blue-Winged Leafbird, Asian Brown Flycatcher,Ashy Drongo, Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo, Red Throated Flycatcher, Black-Naped Oriole, White Bellied Yuhina, Grey Wagtail,Blue Rock Thrush, Green Tailed Sunbird, Flavescent Bulbul,Slaty-Back Forktail, Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrike, Black-Throated Sunbird.

For Lunch we head up to the Doi Inthanon Park HQ at KM31. There are alot of stall at this food court. All seems to serves local thai food. The price are reasonable cheap compares with Malaysia food stalls. After lunch we head to Kew Mae Pan Nature Trail at 42km on the summit road. Most birders commented that this trail is not productive for birds. It is worth also to trek into it's 5 km walk (moderate level of trek) at least 2 hrs that would leads you through prestine forest, and then to the clift where you can have very nice scenary view of the mountain . Here Rhododendrons (one thousand years roses) blooms from november till march is worth to have a look. To trek into this trail a nature guide need to be accompany you in with the rate of 200Baht per group. This fees is to up-keep the trail and to ensure peoples no pouching and hunting of animals inside this trails.

In this trail we sighted.

Brown-Throated Treecreper, Yellow-Bellied Fantail, Ashy-Throated Warbler, Bronze Drongo, Hume Warbler, Black-Headed Sibia. I could not believe my eyes that me and a few friends bump into 2 Rufous-throated Partridges here.

Wah....wooow.. this trail is not unproductive for birds as being commented by alot of birders, cause we did not sighted the Rufous-Throated Partridges at the Summit but we have it here. With this sightings it really makes my day, as I trek down my brain habour with the thoughts of I need to have "Soom tham" -papaya salad down there once I get out from this trail.. Did not realised that the stall owner are in the midst of closing her stall once I get out from the trail.. :-(.. I have to leave having my Soom tham on halt then...

One thousand Rose inside Kew Mae Pan Trail..

Birding at Doi Inthanon, North Thailand - 3rd day

12/1/2008 - 3rd day birding at Doi Inthanon

Times flies today mark as the 3rd day of our birding at this "Birding Heaven". During winter due to the drastic temperature difference from the town center and the Mountain, their local also likes to takes advantage to have their weekend holiday up in the mountain. As we are staying at the Electrical Government Authority staff's accommodation during our stay and their staff wish to have our chalet to night, we have to to check out today. After breakfast at about 6:30am we line our baggage with not valuable contents at EGAT with the help from our van drivers. After hand back to them the 2 bungalow keys we head to KM37.5. This place is usually refer to the 2nd checkpoint. The jeep trek trail seems to have good quality of birds in the recent sightings recorded at Uncle Daeng restaurant. Someone found a fruiting fig tree at about 600m and they saw Purple Cochoa, Green Cochoa...etc..etc. We park our vehicles outside the milestone of 37.4. We waited for more lightnings before we enter to the jeep trail. At the entrance of this trail we have flocks of Grey-Checked Fulveta feeds on this fruiting trees. Silver-Eared Mesia, Golden Babbler also flocks in.

As the lightnings are more promising inside the trails we trek into this well mark trail. Through out the trail you would notice 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m,500m.... signboard. With this would enable birders to record at which junction they have the bird sightings. This trail the trees here is very tall and it has thick undergrowth. We heard birds call but yet could not sight them. A few of us sighted a small Babbler, but it's keeps hopping around those thick undergrowth. We have at least 4 person trying to trek down this small ground babbler but yet we could not make up our mind what spp cause none of us have a good view of it. This is one of the signboard that you would notice as you trek inside.

This is inside the jeep trek trail. This trail reminds me of some trail in Taman Negara. Good quality birds would be there but have to work very hard to see one cause the trees are tall and thick forest. Finally I found where is the fruiting fig trees but what a disappointment cause the tree is very high. I have to use my bino on a 180 degrees looking up, yes I saw alot of birds flock in and out around that area but I could not figure out what are there.
Outside this jeep trek I spotted this pair of Flavescent Bulbul. They perched very closely to each other. Noticed one of the bird use it's bill to scrub the other bird. The other bird just enjoy this intimate moments. I think this is called bonding behaviour.

This is another look of the Flavecents Bulbul feeding outside the 2nd checkpoint.

Black-Headed Sibia also feeds on this fruit

Finally one of the van driver came back from Chom Tom with Mam. She told me that she have collected all our baggage from EGAT and transfer them to Karen Eco-lodge as well as she pack along "kaw man kai" for us. We head to Haui Sai Lueng Waterfall to have picnic lunch while we can spend sometimes to do birding there. Chicken rice from chiangmai is very yummy maybe because it was wrapped with banana leaves.

Here we sighted.

White Capped Water Restart, White Wagtail, Scarlet Minivet, Artic Wabbler, Verditer Flycatcher, Grey-Capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Dark-necked Tailorbird, Great Iora, Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Black-naped Monarch, Common Tailorbird, Blue-Winged Leafbird, Asian Brown Flycatcher,Ashy Drongo, Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo, Grey Backed Shrike, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Little Spiderhunter, Red Throated Flycatcher. One of the members saw Speckled Piculet..

A few Velvet-fronted Nuthatch keeps circling this tree trunk.

This is the Grey-Capped Pygmy Woodpecker that resemble so much like the Sunda Pygmy. Sunda Pygmy are normally found at mangrove while Grey-Capped are found in the secondary forest. I have the Grey-Capped as my neighbourhood therefore I do managed to ID them here

As we have travel all the way to Chiangmai for birds, we also like to do some twitching. No doubt Haui Sai Lueng Waterfall birdlife is very good from morning till about noon time. Maybe it would be active again from 4pm but it looks like most of the birds here can be sighted in Malaysia. After some rest we head down to KM23 to another Jeep Track Road. There is a big river down the valley along the Jeep Track Road. We heard White-Capped Water Restart.. Here we wait..and wait for birds but hardly any interesting character turn up except Ashy Drongo, some warblers. We called end of our birding day at about 6:30pm.

Birding at Doi Inthanon, North Thailand - 4th day

13/1/2008 - The final day of birding at Doi Inthanon

I thought that we can escapee the cold as we shift from EGAT at KM30 to the Karen Eco-Lodge at KM26 last night. Towards to the late night till to the early morning the cold breeze is indeed let me able to experienced what is the meaning of COLD. Office and Data Center air-con coldness is nothing compare to the real coldness at that Doi. Due to Karen Eco-Lodge do not have the facilities of hot shower many of my friends skip bath, but I did have a brief quick bath with 3 scoops of water to wash hair and 2 scoops of water with little body foam. Finish off with 2 scoops of water to rinse off. Every scoops of water indeed a real struggle that makes me keeps mumbling "AAARGh.... Coooold". Anyway after the struggle inside the bath room it makes me feels good and smells good.. :-)

VERY.. cooooold... through out the night, I keeps wonder when is 5am cause due to the coldness I could not have a good rest even though I'm very tired. At last 5am arrived, this morning I have to skip bath even though is my normal routine after I jump out from bed.

Breakfast with only a Cup of thai instant noodles is very yummy. Thai instant noodles taste more better than those from Malaysia.: -) After that we pack our gears and head back to KM30. We wish to have a glimpse of the Black Tailed Crake near a small marsh lake near the campsite. As we are aware that Crake normally is a very shy bird, each one of us choose our own corner to try our luck. I and a few choose to stand near the bird hide. If the cold breeze is unbearable the hide can shed it away. We wait and wait... we have a lone blue flycatcher appears not far from me. Scan it with my binoculars. Me, Mam, Siew Ping, Kim and Lam determined it is the Hill Blue Flycatcher. Still no activities near the marsh yet. Waiting for bird who do not understand what is appointment is really an agony.

This is the marsh land all our eyes are set to this little place, waiting for any movements around this spot. We have no sign of Crake but we have Olive Backed Pipit. :-( Anyway that would gives us all the reason to comes back to Doi Inthanon cause in Birding lifers cannot be keeps pouring. A few young children in their hand a few bunch of flowers keeps pestering us to buy from them. This young children can speak very good American English, therefore don't bully them. They just want to earn some pocket monies. A bunch of flowers is only 10baht. Uncle B bought a bunch of flowers from them and he then hand this flowers to me. As of today this bunch of flowers are in my house living hall.

We then head to Royal Project to try our luck having in mind to met up the Common Rosefinch. Setting goals for able to tick this spp and that spp is norm but able to see them is another stories. That morning I realised that Agricultural Royal Project is indeed very huge.
Coincidentally we bird near Ling's Farm that morning. That site can gives us a good view on the valley with rows and rows of vegetables plots. Mam our thai birder friend met some farmers and as they exchange some greetings she asked about the Daurian Redstart, a good quality migrants that we wish to tick. That farmer replied Daurian Redstart oooh is actually now at my farm..you come.. come.. We all rush from all directions to Daurian Redstart. The farmers normally would spread some seeds as an offering to the bird. Daurian Redstart would linger at his farm until the migrant season is over. He mentioned that it has been a few years already that this same Daurian Redstart would be wintering at his farm. A few of my friends use the tree trunk to hide of their present. I sat on the ground with less movements to view and takes it's photos. This bird I realised behave alittle bit cautions of it's surrounding as we try to aim for a better pictures. Someone in our group says.. let try with no flash/lower down the flash as to not to scared it.

While waiting for the Daurian Redstart to appear to feeds again, I noticed Olive Backed Pipit and some warbler. None of my friends bother them cause everyone wish to have a better glance of the Daurian Redstart. I point my lens to one of the character (The Olive Backed Pipit).

Everyone is with good smile on their face as we never could expect to be able to tick Daurian Redstart. At about 11am we head down to KM26 to check out. The weather is a bit warm now. Now in the daylight I have a better looks at this small kampung type of accommodation that we spend a night. Inside this hut, it lay 2 very big hand made hard mattress. Each mattress can fits 3 person laying down like corpse. The bathroom and toilet is attached outside of this hut. The rental of this hut is not cheap, 1000Baht per night.
This is one of the van that we hire together with it's driver for our birding trips. Very cozy van and the drivers is a very skillful driver.
After I have settled the bill at Karen Eco-Lodge we head down to KM14 - Doi Inthanon National Park Information Center, overlooking the Mae Klang river on the left. The road passes through open dry dipterocarp forest. Aim to hunt for the Collared Falconet by scanning on those tress as show at the picture below. This is my second time stop-over at this spot, we scan on every tree tops to look out for a bird like the Black-Thighed Falconet. We sighted no Falconet :-(
This is how they keeps this national park clean. This is how the maintenace worker do their jobs. They use hand to pick up any unwanted rubbish. I was quite impress on their attitudes towards their jobs.

The information centre at KM14 is worthwhile to walk in. The poster of Birdlife at Doi Inthanon inform us that at the top those are the amount of birds that can be found years back as the times past the amount of birds is at the bottom chart. Well birdlifes gone due to habitat lost is one of the factors. :-(

Here we sighted a Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher.

2 lovers bird - Black Crested Bulbul keeping each other company.

A flock of Eurasian Jay. This bird perched very high.

We also sighted Orange-Fronted Leafbird, Coppersmith Barbet.

I can conclude that Doi Inthanon is indeed a must place to go for every birders, here is the foothill of the himalayan range. Bird life here is very different from what Malaysia can offer. I would come back again Doi Inthanon and hopes to be able to pick up more lifers.

If you are planning for a birding trips to Doi Inthanon, do click on the url link below.

http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/doi_inthanon_birds.html

13th of January 2008 - Chiangdao

13th of January 2008 at Chiangdao, North Thailand

Chiangdao is located just 77km north of Chiangmai in northern Thailand. From Chiangmai head to the direction of chiangdao cave. Normally this site is being visit by biders due to want to have a stop-over to break the journey between Doi Inthanon and Doi Angkhang. Doi Chiangdao is the 3rd highest mountain in Thailand with the peak 2,175m.

The National Park fees is only need to pay if want to head to Den Ya Kat Substation. The areas around Malee's Nature Lovers Bungalow to the Wat Tam Pa Plong can be can be accessed without any charges. Due to time constraints, me and my teammates have to makes the decision to skip Den Ya Kat. If you want to go to Den Ya Kat book the transportation from Malee, normally the jeep would pick up the customers at 5am and it takes 2 hrs bumpy ride to reach to the substation. This is a signboard that you would see as one takes a slow stroll from Malee's or Chiang Dao Nest to head to Wat Tam Pa Plong.

This is at the temple ground.

As you walk up the stairs that is somewhat like our batu caves that require some efforts in Wat Tham Phla Plong. Along the way there are many Buddhist teaching statement in green plague that you can read as you stop as you catch up with your breath. This is one of the example that reads.
"To harass others is to harass yourself,
To belittle others is to belittle yourself......

This is the place where the monk stay, it seems that this place one of the site where the Buddhist from all over the world would comes here for their meditations. As I climb the stairs I met up with some monks walked up or in their midst of their daily chores. I realised that being a monk they indeed have set their mind to have no interest at all in the outside world. They just have their mind walk with their head straight don't bother about the world. They do not even took a glace on me even thought I'm a female.

Birding here does not require any transport, therefore I told our drivers to take 1/2 day leave. It is only about 1km walk to the Wat Tam Pa Plong. As this is birding on a road therefore have to keep in mind to makes way if there is any car pass by. Vehicles who ply on this road are either heading to Malee's, Chiang Dao Nest or to Wat Tam Pa Plong.
There are only two guesthouse at this paart of chiangdoa that offers accommodation that you can choose from. Both are just a short walking distance to the Wat Pa Plong.

MALEE’S NATURE LOVERS BUNGALOWS
144/2 m.5 Chiangdao , Chiangmai 50170 Thailand
Mobile : 66-081-9618387 Tel/Fax : 66 (053) 456426 , 456508
maleenature@hotmail.com http://www.maleenature.com/

CHIANG DAO NEST
Chiangdao, Chiangmai, 50170, Thailand, Tel: (66) 053 455 339, Fax: (66) 053 455 931, Mobile: (66) 086 017 1985, Website: http://nest.chiangdao.com/, Email: nest@chiangdao.com

We put our nights at Malee. This is one of the Bungalow at Malee's Lovers Bungalow. This part of chiangdow that we birders would go is situated 5km outside of Chiang Dao town. Malee have a few bungalows here. Some are twin sharing with two beds, some with one queen bed, some are triple sharing, there is one family suite all this are with bathroom and toilet attached. Please do remind Mrs Malee to supply 2 separate blanket if you are not a married couple.. cause I overlook that some rooms are with queen size bed.. Haiyoh.. I put two men to share on a same bed sharing a comforter... Aiyak well can't see well as I only inspect it cleanliness but I overlook certain details due to we only check in at 9pm++. There is also rooms that are without bathroom and toilet facilities.This is the owner of this places everyone seems to address her as Mrs Malee. Her brother Tom is station here to help her out. Malee's Nature Lovers Bungalow are being around for 13 yrs now. There are some birds log at Malee's that detailed out the latest sighting being started by a birder long time ago. Since then it seems to be a ritual for any birders to note down the latest good sightings at chiangdoa then. Many birders would takes the opportunity to looks at the log books. By looking at this pictures do you all know where are those logs books are ? This is my first visit to Malee I presummed it is place on the same spot like in Mr Daeng Restaurant at Doi Inthanon. Yes I found it without much problem....
This is at Malee's guesthouse is quite cozy yah...

This is a scenery that I took near at the new bungalow that they just erected. Hei if anyone of you looking for a honeymoon site.. this is a good place... :-) Provided that your partner mind not to listen to owl calls at night and happy chirping birds around here.... Trust me I have checked this bungalow it is very cozy, clean and beautiful as well.What caught my attention on this bird was this individual clung and moves like woodpecker or treecreeper on this tree trunk. This bird is at a quite a far distance, I could not understand why is this individual behave in this manner. Only when I blow up this pix only I realised that this bird is feeding on some insect/worms from this tree trunk.
One can have a good looks at the Sooty-Headed Bulbul as they are abundance like our Yellow-Vented Bulbul here.
I suspect this is a warbler. Recall saw a bird perched on one of those reeds in the middle of the field earlier behaving like Reed Warbler. This birds does not have a supercilium much smaller of a bulbul size.. I do recall it have no crest but a bit puffy throat quite a uniform brown on the top.... Aiyoh I wish you perched nearer to have my brown jobs much easier.This is another looks of it.. Well by looking a bird at this angle ... it is just only bird.. just duno what spp..
Due to the surrounding is limestone, therefore Blue Rock Thrush is there too..
Common Tailorbird, ...don't ask me why I need to travel that far to takes photo of a common tailorbird...
Puff-Throated Bulbul appear among the others in the bird waves around at the temple car park.
Striped Tit Babbler is also among in the bird waves.
How I wish this is the Rufous-fronted Babbler...but...but... a chong...chong... bird again :-(
This is lonely male Hill Blue Flycatcher perched at the stair railing as I walk down from the Cendi..
There is some fruiting trees around at the car park of the temple. This Blue Throated Barbet is among those who appears.. THIS is our LIFER... well this pictures being taken by one of our teammate - Mr Lam.. Bird perched too high up ... too far... for me to freeze it...

A Red-Throated Flycatcher taken by one of our teammate as well - Mr Lam
Others birds sighted around Malee's and Wat Tam Pa Plong.
Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Spotted Dove, Striped-Throated Bubul, Great Iora, Streaked Spiderhunter, Grey Cheeked Fulveta, Brown Cheeked Fulveta, Blue Winged Leafbird, Yellow Eyed Babbler, Green Magpie (heard), Verditer Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Scaly-Breasted Munia, Black Crested Bulbul, Yellow Naped Woodpecker (greater or lesser... we need a scope...) , Oriental Magpie Robin, Streaked Wren Babbler, Artic Warbler, Grey Throated Babbler, Black Eared Shrike Babbler, Chestnut Fronted Shrike Babbler, Rufous Fronted Babbler.