Thursday, January 15, 2009

Birding at Kaeng Krachan National Park - 17/1/2009

Birding at Barn Krang Campsite
As today is not feasible at all to bird anymore at Panoenthung as normally there would be more crowds during the weekend, we try some birding at Barn Krang campsite.

I heard of the news that Grey Pheacock Pheasant has been seen for a few days bathing at the 3rd stream. For this I aim to walk to the 3rd stream to try. I planned to have a heavy breakfast, stuff in some biscuits into my pockets, skip lunch , stay on the track KM15 - KM18 and will only come out at 5pm.


The park rangers would not allow any visitors to pass the gate after 7pm to avoid danger from the wild elephants. For those who wish to look out for night birds at Barn Krang and summit Panoenthung will need to camp at the respective campsite.

While we have breakfast, notice this flycatcher. This looks more like the Asian Brown Flycatcher. A Cattle Egret in the forest ... This indeed surprise me but Kaeng Krachan have numerous habitat.

Aim with high hopes I makes the 1st move to trek to KM18. To my surprise the birds are not as active as at 15/1. A few thoughts came to my brain ... this is also what I experience back in Malaysia.. birding at low land forest birdlife are not guarantee....

As I trek noticed Tickell Blue, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Dusky Warbler..ooops I heard fro far a 4WD is approaching.. and another ... and another... Waaaah so dusty...

I then started to count how many vehicles are comming down from Panoenthung. 1 ...2...80...and I'm still counting ... 90... ..100... All in all I counted about 119 4wd comming down that morning.

Nevertheless at Stream 2 I notice the same Asian Fairy Bluebird and the Puff-Throated Bulbul will comes to feed at the same fruiting trees during in between of silence after a while a 4WD pass through. I have to remember well that it is indeed a waste of time birding along this jeep track during weekend. There are so many vehicles plying up and down and it is extensively dusty.

I was surprise to see Little Egret in the forest..This is a lone individual as I walk back to Barn Krang campsite.Maybe you all cannot imagine how dusty.. This is how a green leave looks like.. The 2 hrs as I was at that trek I seems to feel that I'm being powdered up from top to bottom. There seems to be 1 layer of dust on my equipment just after the 4th vehicle pass by..
This is only part of the amount of vehicles that are waiting to ascend to Panoenthung.
While waiting for our lunch to be serve, I try the trail behind the restaurant. I spotted a flock of Rosy Minivet, White Rumped Shama, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher a flock of Stripe Tit Babbler.. Red Throated Flycatcher, Golden Babbler... and this Heart-Spotted Woodpecker (lifer).

This is the only spot at Barn Krang that can have mobile phone's coverage. Just need to walk around and find the strongest hand-phone signal
Only later we discovered this is another trail that we can try.


We met up with 2 park rangers who is surveying and noted down what are the fruiting trees and what spp of animals are feeding on them. They told us of a tree that are full of fruits. We look out for that tree. Here we have flocks of Thick-Billed Green Pigeon, Copersmith Barbet, Green Eared Barbet, Ruby-Checked Sunbird, Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker. As we are heading down back to A & B Resort.. Someone spotted a Shikra.We were at this spot for a while and then Mr Chaew said... hei looks like a cuckoo bird.. just perched.. OOOPs no is an Owl. Another lifer.Along the journey back to Kaeng Krachan village we spotted Red Jungle Fowl, White Breasted Waterhen..

Our birding windows seems to diminished so fast.. tomorrow we need to fly back to Malaysia..

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