Thailand

Mountains of the North.                                                          Garantueed departure

Sunday 25 November – Tuesday 4 December 2012                                 Group size ; max. 6

Photos from the  November 2011 trip; Chestnut-tailed Minla and Red Avadavat.

Central Thailand extension              enquire;info@birding2asia.com  Add a visit to Laem Pak Bia / Pak Thale, Khao Yai  and Kaeng Krachan National Parks for waders incl.  Spoon-billed Sandpiper, up to 5 possible Hornbill  species + Broadbills, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers...  Extensions are possible either before or after the trip

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 or we may visit the nearby birding site Mae Hia.

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 nearby flowers.

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.

Photos from our  December 2009 trip; Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Great Barbet and Collared Falconet.

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 Huay Hong Krai near Chiang Mai for Green Peafowl.

Day 5

This morning we leave for Chiang Dao, where we have plenty time to explore the grounds of the nearby temple. That this is an excellent birdwatching site with Streaked Wren Babbler and others to look for got well proved on our visit in November 2009. You may read the article here.

After this we pay a short visit to the rice paddies near the town with Wire-tailed Swallow a target bird to look for. We then move on further north to Thaton where the banks of the Mae Kok river have long been a stake-out for Jerdon's Bushchat.

Day 6

An early start to Chiang Saen on the banks of the Mekong river. Long-billed Plover and Small Pratincole are the birds to look out for on the sandbanks and the nearby lake provides an opportunity to catch up on lots of waterbirds. It's definately a place that has turned up plenty rarities in the past so we might keep an eye open and set hopes high.

In the afternoon we head back to Thaton for the night, ready for tomorrow's day up nearby Doi Lang. Our resort is set next to the river in an orchard and is a nice spot to relax for a while before or after dinner. Asian Barred Owlet favours the garden.

Photos from our  November 2011 trip; White-rumped Falcon, Spectacled Barwing and Yellow-cheeked Tit

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 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. There's 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. On Doi Ang Khan, Hume's Pheasant, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Giant Nuthatch, Silver-eared Mesia, Crested Finchbill, Dark-sided Thrush and Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker are some of the possibilities.

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 minibus.  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 although it might be a bit chilly in the early morning at higher altitude, especially on the summit of Doi Inthanon. Any rain would be unusual.

We hope you may enjoy our photo gallery below. All are shots from our previous trips. Copyright B2A

Citrine Wagtail and Cutia

Silver-eared Mesia and Long-tailed Broadbill

Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher and Whiskered Yuhina

Lesser Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Striated Bulbul and White-capped Redstart.