Wednesday, April 9, 2008

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..

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