Guided birdwatching trips in NW-Thailand.

With a focus on the birds found on 6 different mountains.

Departures possible November 2010 through to April 2011.

Interested? You’re welcome to enquire ; info@birding2asia.com

 will both be visited on our this trip.                                                                             common on Doi Inthanon

Day 1

Evening arrival at Chiang Mai airport. Transfer to Chiang Mai (10 min.) for check-in at the hotel and dinner.

Those with arrivals earlier in the day may use the afternoon as an opportunity to visit some sights in the old walled city.

Day 2

Day 3

Another full day on Doi Inthanon where we will make a quest to reach the summit boardwalk before the crowds do so. Specialities to look for at these heights include Pygmy Wren Babbler, White-browed Shortwing, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-throated Partridge and Chestnut Thrush. With the first rays of sunlight catching the moss covered trees and rhododendrons, the flocks with Sunbirds, Chestnut-tailed Minla etc. become active and add plenty colour to our visit. Temperature will be just above freezing and that’s why the kiosk selling hot chocolate, tea or coffee is so popular while watching the Green-tailed Sunbirds flit around in the flowers from a nearby bench.

Lunch at Mr. Deang’s cafe , in recent years ‘the’ stake-out for Dark-sided Thrush and a few other quality birds have turned up too in the garden here.

Later on we’ll visit a couple waterfalls where birds as White-capped Water Redstart and Slaty-backed Forktail might be expected.

  Silver-eared Mesia -fairly common on Doi Inthanon                       Long-tailed Broadbill -a possibility throughout   

Day 4

Another morning on Doi Inthanon after which we transfer back to Chiang Mai where we have lunch and check-in again before going out for an afternoon visit to Doi Suthep - Doi Pui, followed by our search for Hodgon’s Frogmouth and Mountain Scops Owl at dusk.

Day 5

We visit Huay Hong Krai near Chiang Mai for Green Peafowl this early morning. This is a short ‘twitch’ so it will be early still when having breakfast back at the hotel where we pack up and leave for Chiang Dao, visit the rice paddies and later on apply for the permits for Doi Chiang Dao the next day. This should only take a couple minutes so we have plenty time to explore the grounds of the nearby temple that are an excellent birdwatching site with Streaked Wren Babbler and others to look for.

After dinner a short walk from the resort brings us into Bay Owl and Javan Frogmouth territories.

Day 6

Early start for the rough drive (we’ll have a 4WD for the whole trip) up Doi Chiang Dao. Hume’s Pheasant, Giant Nuthatch, Chestnut Bunting, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Bay Woodpecker, Scaly Thrush, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush are amongst the specialities to look for.

In the afternoon we head for Thaton where we might check out the reed beds for Jerdon’s Bushchat if time allows.

Our resort is set next to the river in an orchard and a nice spot to relax for a while before or after dinner.

 Some rarities -but all possible on this trip; Golden Bush Robin, Lesser Rufous-headed Parrotbill and Purple Cochoa

Day 7

Full day up Doi Lang. A narrow dead end road leads up this mountain to well over 2000m altitude and provide excellent opportunities for roadside birding. Apart from the specials like Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, a feature are the many mixed flocks that seem to keep active throughout the day. A high day list can be expected.

Day 8

Another nearby mountain is Doi Pha Hom Phok where we’ll take on the steep summit trail in this National Park. That this trail provides excellent birding is clear as it’s probably the best spot to see Cutia and Brown-breasted Bulbul in Thailand and I’ve seen Chestnut-headed Tesia, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Abberant and Russet Bush Warbler, Golden Bush Robin and plenty Grey-sided Thrushes too. The campground might produce birds as Chestnut Thush and Daurian Redstart while it’s good to keep an eye out on the sky for Black Eagle and Mountain Hawk Eagle.

Day 9

Full morning and part of the afternoon  on Doi Ang Khan. The Royal Project has proved to be a good stakeout for Dark-breasted Thrush in recent years. Plenty other birds to look for in the more open forest and scrubs on the mountain here before we head back to Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.

Day 10

Our last morning is used to bird a nearby site in the lowlands. This might well add quite a few species to the list still ; Rufous Treepie, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Rufous Woodpecker, Painted Snipe, Indochinese Bushlark and even Red Avadavat are some of the birds to look out for before our return to Chiang Mai airport for our flights.

General info : Nice rooms in good standard hotels with private facilities.

Transport by air-conditioned 4WD.  Walking is easy and most birding is done on level

roadside/tracks/trails, but the occasional steeper trail might get us to the best birds. 

Temperatures are pleasant throughout but chilly in the early morning at higher altitude,

especially on the summit of Doi Inthanon. Any rain would be unusual.

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher                                           Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush

                        Golden-throated Barbet                                                         Great Barbet