may the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet
a few weeks in Thailand...
I think our planet has been blessed with Thailand! (Amongst many other places, I hasten to add...) I'm just back from leading a tour all over the country, starting with Khok Kam and Pak Thale on the Gulf of Siam in search of Spoonbilled Sandpiper, Nordmann's Greenshank and lots of other great shorebirds and waterbirds.
Asian Openbill en route to Kaeng Krachan
(we were en route, not the openbill...at least I don't think he was...)Asian Openbills are very common all around the greater Bangkok area. They are plentiful in the rice padi and often have huge roosts in the grounds of the multitudinous temples that dot the countryside.
Spoonie was playing hard to get at Khok Kam, despite a very thorough search. After much searching amongst all the little brown stints at Pak Thale, I eventually spotted one with a little spoon-shaped bill though. Just as well because I was starting to go cross-eyed!
Spoonbilled Sandpiper
We then moved on to Kaeng Krachan, one of my favourite places in Thailand. It's a large national park located near the border with Burma to the west of Bangkok. It protects a large expanse of evergreen forest with some drier forest in the lower areas. This trip we got lucky with two or three fruiting figs that were attracting a plethora of fabulous birds and primates. We stayed at a new lodge Ban Maka located near(ish) to the park entrance. It is laid back and friendly - I highly recommend it. Beware of the vicious hornbill though!
Dusky Leaf Monkey @ Kaeng Krachan
From Kaeng Krachan to Khao Yai, one of Thailand's most popular national park. Unfortunately it was a weekend and the weather was terrible but there was some good birding nevertheless. Blue Pitta was a highlight!
Abbott's Babbler @ Khao Yai
Sambar Deer @ Khao Yai
The butterflies of Thailand are outstanding and plentiful. This isn't the best time of year for them, I think that's in June or July, but there are still many beautiful ones to be seen.
Marbled Mapwing @ Khao Yai
White-browed Scimitar-Babbler
There are a number of excellent birding and natural history sites in the north west. Doi Chiang Dao is Thailand's third highest mountain, part of an isolated and spectacular limestone massif surrounding the town of Chiang Dao.
from the top of Doi Chiang Dao
Two star birds are to be found on Doi Chiang Dao. We found the spectacular Giant Nuthatch without too much difficulty but had less luck with Mrs. Hume's Pheasant...
Giant Nuthatch @ Doi Chiang Dao
Doi Ang Kang is a scenically spectacular area on the border with Burma with a mixture of habitats from farmland to gardens to forest patches.
Speckled Piculet @ Doi Ang Khang
the view to Burma
Doi Lang
Doi Lang was a new area for me and I was very impressed. This peak is Thailand's second highest and it is a beautiful, quiet and peaceful place overlooking Burma. The birdlife is very exciting with many large, bewildering mixed feeding flocks. It is chilly in the mornings but that doesn't seem to worry the thronging pestilent biting insects! That's the only drawback...
Hemipteran sp.
Chestnut-tailed Minla @ Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon National Park is possibly Thailand's most famous. Thailand's highest peak lies at the centre of the park and as one travels from the lowlands to the peak, the consequent changes in the vegetation and avifauna are fascinating. There is quite a large hilltribes population living within the park with all the attendant problems but, despite this, it is a fabulous natural history experience.
Green-tailed Sunbird @ Doi Inthanon 
rural Thailand
Water Buffalo
Dark-sided Thrush @ Mr. Daeng's, Doi Inthanon
For the last part of the tour, we flew south to the town of Krabi in southern Thailand. Krabi has a large expanse of old-growth mangrove forest on its doorstep and a boat trip through these is a must. Brown-winged Kingfisher is happily common but Mangrove Pitta requires a combination of luck and timing, neither of which we had this time! The nearby Khao Pra Bang Khram Wildlife Sanctuary, otherwise known as Khao Nor Chuchi is famous for its population of Gurney's Pitta. This of course was our main target here and after some initial worries that we were going to miss it, we had absolutely brilliant looks at a stunning male bird that walked obligingly into a beam of sunlight. Just gorgeous!
Javan Frogmouth @ Khao Nor Chuchi
The nightbirding was also very good and while Javan Frogmouth was very welcome, a superb Oriental Bay Owl was the undoubted star of the evening and an excellent way to finish off a very good trip.
If you'd like to read more about Thailand and its birds, take a look at Nick Upton's excellent website Thaibirding.
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