Northern Thailand 28Dec10 - 6Jan11
Danny, Con and Marisol went to Northern Thailand.
From Con
Red-faced Liocichla
Here is the first photo of the trip that I processed, .... because I thought
it was one of the most unique birds of the trip! An uncommon Thai resident at
elevations over 1400 meters; and from India to China in tropical montane
forests. A member of the true babbler family and a dense undergrowth skuller.
One of four species of Liocichlas, the most recent one was scientifically
described only in 2006. The Bugun Liocichla
(Liocichla bugunorum) in the
Eagle Nest region of NE India. A few folks from Nature Society Singapore have
seen the new species.
Green-billed Malkoha
This is the only photo I got of the bird at Doi Chiang Dao. We were up a hill
very near the Den Ya Khat (DYK) forestry outpost probably at around 1450 meters
elevation.
Also, here are three of the more interesting birds I saw, but didn't get
great photos, all from Doi Lang.
Rusty cheeked Scimitar Babbler
This bird was calling at
the first place we stopped, just a couple of kilometers into the long ridge road
at Doi Lang. I taped the call and played it back and the bird came out one time,
and after that refused to come out anymore, although it keep calling. The
recording I made matches that of Sharringa. When we came back in the late
afternoon, the bird was still calling there.
White-browed Scimitar Babbler
This one was further along
the ridge after one of the police outposts, and also was calling. It also showed
itself just briefly.
White-browed Piculet
This one was taken at the same spot
as the White-browed Scimitar Babbler. Danny was off somewhere looking for other
birds and this little guy flew in and perched briefly and then was gone.
White-eyes
At Doi Inthanon at Mr. Daeng's place there was a rhododendron tree that was
attracting lots of white-eyes, a couple of rosefinches, and black-throated
sunbirds.
Some of the white-eyes were very clearly
Chestnut-flanked.
However, some of the white-eyes lacked the chestnut flank, and although Round
warns this can happen and be confusing, I think they were
Japanese White-eyes with just enough of a hint of a "narrow yellow green band above
the base of the bill and (just below) the darker forehead" per Round, which is
the feature that separates them from unmarked Chestnut-flanked. So I think we
had a mixed flock at this location.
At Doi Chiang Dao we got more Chestnut-flanked at the Maetaman Water Research
unit but I recorded no other types of white eyes.
The next day at Doi Chiang Dao at DYK I got a much lighter more yellow
colored white eye with a hint of a yellow median strip on the lower chest and
belly with is a feature of the
Oriental White-eye. I got no other types of white eyes at this location.
So I think we got all three species of white eyes which should be no big
surprise since they all are common in the winter.
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush
At the very first stop we may on the Doi Lang ridge road, this bird popped
up. It was partly blocked by some grasses so I couldn't get a very clear shot. I
got three shutter clicks and it flew away. I'm pretty sure Danny was looking in
another direction and never saw this bird. Taken at 8:17am in the morning. To
me, the closest it looks like is a Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush female.
Pied Bushchat
We were chasing this female bird with the slightly rufous tail for two
evenings.
Warblers
Blyth's Leaf Warbler
These were taken on Dec 30 at Doi
Inthanon on the "jeep" trail just next to the 2
nd checkpoint.
unid warblers
The last set of photos
The
Himalayan Swiftlets pictures are from the first day in Doi Chiang Dao.
The female
Siberian Stonechat photo was that same evening in the rice paddy in Chiang Dao.
The
female Slaty-backed Flycatcher photo is also from Doi Chiang Dao.
From Danny
To avoid duplication, try not to repeat any species; only listed at location
1
st seen.
12/28 - along road to and within Inthanon Highland Resort and area at base of Doi Inthanon
1) Spotted Dove
2) Indian Rollers
3) Iora, green
4) Little Egret
5) White rumped Shama
6) Asian Brown FC
7) Red Throated FC, female
8) Chinese Pond Herons
9) Greater Coucal
10) Common myna
11) Wagtail, grey
12) ET Sparrows
13) RT Drongo
14) Tailorbird, dark-necked
15) WT Kingfisher
16) Spotted Owlets (heard and saw shadow
while dinner at In Highland Resort)
17) Brown Shrike
18) Rock Pigeons
19) Scarlet backed flowerpecker
20) Bulbul, black crested
21) Large billed crow
12/29 - Doi Inthanon - Summit was terribly crowded & missed a number of well known birds
1) WB Waterhen
2) Mrs Gould sunbirds
3) Green tailed sunbirds
4) Dark backed Sibias
5) Warbler, ashy throated
6) Warbler, white tailed
7) Golden babbler
8) Black-backed forktail (I was lucky to spot it but Con missed at wattan... waterfall)
9) Bulbul, Flavescent
10) Bulbul, White headed (beautiful bulbuls, later at Doi Lang, seen the white headed species of Black bulbul)
11) Yellow-bellied fantail
12) Chestnut flanked white-eye
13) Japanese white-eye
14) Slaty-bellied tesia (easily heard but difficult to see well and take photo)
15) Ashy Drongo
16) Hill blue FC
17) Thrush, Dark-sided - Mr Daeng's place feeding station.
18) Myna, white vented (the crest is much more impressive than the Javan)
19) Indian cuckoo (heard)
20) Common Rosefinch (male & female)
12/30 - Doi Inthanon
1) LRT Drongo
2) Barbet, golden throated
3) Barbet, Great
4) Fulvetta, grey cheeked (from #4 to 9, bird wave started by
GC Fulvetta, don't forget the playback)
5) Warbler, Blyth's
6) Niltava, Large
7) Fulvetta, rufous winged
8) Nuthatch, chestnut bellied
9) Treecreeper, brown throated
10) Minivet, scarlet
11) Grey backed shrike (info from Mr Daeng's place exact location of black tailed crake seen yesterday, heard the distinct call of the crake but no show, probably due to the crowd)
12) Black naped oriole
13) Bulbul, puff throaed
14) Minivet, grey chinned
15)
Shrike babbler, black-eared
12/31 - Doi Inthanon/Mae Pang Waterfall/way to Doi Ang Kang
1) Magpie Robin
2) White crowned Forktail
3) Riverchats - 3
4)
Plumbeous Redstart - male & fem
5) Wagtail , white
6) Treeswift, crested
7) Olive backed pipit
8) Babbler, striped tit
9) Verditer FC
10) Common Kestrel (1
st raptor on way to Doi Ang Kang)
1/1/2011 - Doi Ang Kang
1) Bulbul, sooty capped
2) Tailorbird, common
3) Puff throated Babbler
4) Ashy Woodswallow
5) Great Tit
6) Bubul, Mountain
7) Drongo cuckoo
8) Black Drongo
9) Bulbul, red-whiskered
10) Bronze Drongo
11) Crested Goshawk - 2
12)
Rufous Gorgeted FC
13) Nuthatch, chestnut vented
14) Drongo, hair crested
15) Chestnut headed bee-eater
16) Pied bushchat (a female was also seen 1/4/11 - Doi Lang)
17) Himalayan swiftlet
18) Siberian stonechat
19) Scaly breasted munia
1/2/11 - Doi Ang Kang
1) Black throated sunbird
2) Minivet, short billed
3) Long tailed Broadbill - 6
4) Orange bellied leafbird
5) Blue rock thrush
6) Woodpecker- striped breasted
7) Woodpecker - grey capped
8) Spiderhunter, streaked
9) Crested Serpent Eagle
10) Green-billed Malkoha
11) Cuckoo, Plantive - heard
12) Oriental white-eye
13) Nuthatch, giant
14) Bush warbler - unid
15) Accipiter unid - sounds like
Accipiter nisus - Ah Yi, Ah Yi!
1/3/11 - Doi Ang Kang
1) Streaked wren babbler
2) Lesser shortwing - heard
3) Owl, collar scop - heard
4) Owl, brown hawk - heard
5) Oriole, black hooded
6) Sunbird, olive backed
7) Large Hawk Cuckoo
8)
Grey bushchat (also seen 1/4/11 - Doi Lang)
9) BWK
10) Nuthatch, Velvet fronted
11) White browed shrike babbler
12) Shikra - 4
1/4/11 - Doi Lang
1) Yellow cheeked Tit
2) Grey headed FC
3)
White browed Scimitar Babbler
4) Black throated Tit
5) White throated fantail
6) Bulbul, Ashy
7) Spectacled Barwing
8) Black Bulbul
9)
Piculet, white browed
10) Crested finchbill
11) Hume's warbler or
Yellow-browed Warbler
12) Buff throated warbler
13) Bunting, chestnut - male
14) Jerdon's bushchat - male and female
15) LT nightjars
16)
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
17) Chestnut-bellied rock thrush - female
1/5/11- Doi Lang
1) Oriental turtle doves
2) Little Heron
3) Blue winged minla
4) Blue throated barbet
5) Black eared shrike babbler
6) Common Buzzards - 2
japonicus
7)
Collared falconet
8) Grey faced buzzards - 2
9)
Scarlet faced Liocichla
10) Yuhina, whiskered
11) Silver eared Laughingthrush
12) White gorgeted FC
13)
Himalayan bluetail
14) Golden Spectacled Warbler,
Seicercus burkii (initially mis-id as brown cheeked Fulvetta in a bird wave but distinct yellow
eye-ring do not match; Green crowned warbler in OBI)
15) Long-tailed Sibia
1/6/11 - Doi Lang paddyfield
1) Black collared Starlings
2) Burmese Shrike
3) Long tailed Shrike
4) Baya weavers
5) White rumped munia
6) House Sparrow
7) Little Bunting
8) Common Kingfisher
9) Yellow eyed babbler
10) Common Kestrel - 2
11) Pied Harrier - female
12) Barn swallows
13) Lesser coucal
14) Paddyfield Pipit
15) Zitting Cisticola
16) Yellow billed Egret
17) Cattle Egret (road passing DAK)
The white-headed bulbul was simply beautiful with human like eyes
and the
white faced,
White wagtail (many plumages variations).
This male
Plumbeous Redstart was special as it was recorded at the highest
water fall in Thailand and took us almost half an hour to climb up together with
Marisol. For her efforts, Con rewarded her a new pair of shoes. Later we found a
few Redstarts including the female in the picture above easily along a small
stream next to base camp. Posting these pictures brought back fond memories of
the birds, locations and wonderful couple as company. Not forgetting the Thai
foods and beers.
Yellow-bellied Fantail
Olive-backed Pipit fairly common
Common Rosefinch seen outside Mr Daeng's place.
The female
Blue Rock Thrush perched on tree for almost half an hour - so rename as tree-thrush.
The
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher was first seen at Doi Ang Kang and subsequently seen more at Doi Lang.
Female
Grey Bushchat
