THAILAND FEBRUARY 3-16, 2024

Time for my 4th trip as an organizer and guide for https://fagelguidning.se/ with Gigi Sahlstrand at the helm! Always much fun and a special opportunity for me to reconnect with my Swedish origins!
Sven, Lena, Viktor from Sweden, Manfred and Annette from Denmark. A collection of people with a common interest in birds but with very different approaches and styles!
We met at Suwanaphum airport in Bangkok and were quickly in our bus with Chot, our driver throughout the journey. He was always punctual and fixed coffee in the field when needed and it was pretty often would say.

Day 1. We drove straight towards Pak Taley and did our best not to stop at gatherings of wetland birds.

Arrived a little late but still not so late that the viewing suffered.
Waders were seen everywhere and with the help of telescopes we were able to go through each species properly. Many birders are a little leery of waders, but with a little help and explanation, eyes will be opened.
Most of the birds did not forage but rested on sandbanks between the salt pans. This meant that it was much more difficult to find a small bird with a different beak in a mass of other species.
Well, we kept going and THERE IT WAS! See picture. Down to the right. Huge fun for everyone!
Food was served with authentic Thai dishes. We started a little slowly with the spice strength. Night at the hotel in each bungalow with access to a sandy beach.

Day 2.

Early morning at Pak Taley. Dawn gives such a beautiful light. We enjoyed and got a long time with 2 foraging Spoonbills. Even goodies such as Asian Dowitcher and Nordmann’s Greenshank could be studied in detail. A total of 43 species of waders were seen on this trip, the majority of which were seen in Pak Taley and Lampakbia. After lunch we went by boat through the mangroves out to a sand bar. It was low tide and many beautiful Terns were seen on a small sandbank. A little excursion that everyone enjoyed. Best species were Malaysian and White-faced Plover.

Day 3.

Wader watching had been so good that we decided to focus on something else. Started the morning at the Lampakbia Environmental Research and Development Project. Best species here were Ruddy-breasted Crake, Baillon's Crake and Slaty-breasted Rail. The latter two difficult species to see.

Then it was off to Bang Tabun Ok "Duck & Ibis" Lake about 20 minutes away. Here we had, among other things, 12 Spot-billed Pelicans, 10 Black-headed Ibis, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shovler and Painted Storks. It was hot and the air conditioning in the bus was very welcomed. 1.5 hour drive to Baan Maka Nature Resort and lunch at Kaengkrachan Dam with nice view and good food. An hour's rest and then offt to a hide in the forest. Many hard-to-see birds came to quench their thirst, cool off and get extra food. Kalij Pheasant, Green-legged and Bar-backed Partridges, Greater Yellownape and Common Flameback, Siberian Blue Robin and several other species were seen. We spent 3 hours in the hide. An experience everyone enjoyed.

Day 4.

Good breakfast at the hotel and then off for a day inside Kaengkrachan National Park.
Over the course of the day, around 60 species were seen, of which White-fronted Scops Owl was the highlight. It was my first time a bunch of Scandinavians could see this shy trusting species. The bird sat and slept 5 m from the road.

Other cool species: Great Slaty Woodpecker, Orange-breasted Trogon, Sultan's Tit, Great Hornbill, Brown Boobook and Red-bearded Bee-eater.
Several mammals and a variety of butterflies were also seen.
Back to Baan Maka with time to walk around the garden, shower or have a cold one!

Day 5.

We took the bus to Baankrahng campsite where we changed to a 4WD. The journey up to the top still took over an hour. Once up, we enjoyed a panorama of extended mountain peaks streteching far into Myanmar. White-handed Gibbons sang and the tropical forest lay like a dense carpet as far as the eye could see. Pretty much every species we saw was new to the group.
Common species were also appreciated.

Lunch at the top and then a 3-hour walk along the dirt road down the mountain. Ratchet-tailed Treepie only heard but we did see White-hooded Babblers!

At Baan Maka we had Large-tailed Nightjar, Collared Scops Owls, Brown Boobook and Asian Barred Owlet on several occasions during the night.

Day 6.

After breakfast we drove to Khao Look Chang, a temple surrounded by dry deciduous forest. We started with great observations of the Spotted Owlet and a little later followed a long drawn out battle with an Asian Barred Owlet which we finally won! A long drive to Nakhon Sawan followed. Again a fantastic dinner and sensible accommodation with AC, hot water and convenient location.

Day 7.

Beung Borapet is a shallow larger lake near Nakhon Sawan. Here you can rent a boat, which we did. 3 hours through reeds and open water gave us 58 species. My favorite is the Striated Grasswarbler. A larger warbler with a sonorous song, fine markings and usually seen from the top of a bush. Other prized species were Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas. Cotton Pygmy Geese was another. Scores of Oriental Darters, Cormorants, Egrets and Herons.

We had lunch along the way as we had a 4hours drive ahead of us. It was 3:30 when we arrived at Mae Ping National Park. The forest has many potential species but it was unusually quiet this afternoon. A pair of Red-billed Blue Magpies saved the day!

We stayed in Li in a modern hotel with our own balcony. Dinner and species review at the best restaurant in town.

Day 8.

Straight back to the park to meet the sunrise. Chod brought out breakfast and the rest of us taking in the morning chorus. A few hours later and we had seen many Black-headed Woodpeckers, White-bellied Woodpecker, Gray-headed Parakeets, Burmese Nuthatch and BEST OF ALL: White-rumped Falcon!

Lunch in Li, followed by an hour's drive and then arrived at a nature reserve where we saw several Green Peafowls, our target species.

An hour by a river and many new species: Citrine and White Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Small Pratincole, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater and Purple Sunbird and more. Off to Inthanon Highland Resort. Large garden, peaceful, good rooms and good food.

Day 9.

Then it was time for a real highlight of the program, Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain. It didn't look so good with a lot of fog up towards the summit but everything cleared up when we arrived at 2565m altitude. It was only 8C which of course I appreciated a lot. We actually went and stood in the sun to feel the heat and some of the participants put on their hats! What Vikings!

The birding went well and we spent most of the morning around Angkha, a small wetland area with lots of birds. We saw many of the expected species and everyone were pleased. Gould's and Green-tailed Sunbirds, Himalayan Shortwing, Bar-throated Minla, Silver-eared Laughingthrushes, Yellow-bellied Fairy Fantail, Gray-sided Thrush, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-throated Partridges and more. Then we went halfway down the mountain where we had lunch in fellowship with White-capped Redstart and Slaty-backed Forktail!

A short walk at Mae Oam (km 34.5) gave us Hodgson's Frogmouth and Gray Nightjar! Both species new to me for Doi Inthanon!

On our way out of the park we took a small detour at an area known for Collared Falconets. We saw 3! A happy group of birders!

Day 10.
Beautiful morning at Doi Lor, an agricultural area near a river with lots of birds. A short stop at Mae Hia where we saw some birds of prey: Rufous-winged Buzzard, Shikra and Oriental Honey-Buzzard. Another short stop at the Mae Taeng irrigation project. Several Small Pratincoles, Citrine Wagtails and best of all: 2 Long-billed Plovers, a species I had previously only seen at the Maekong River at the Golden Triangle.
We drove on to Fang where we stayed at the Phumanee Home Hotel. The place is characterized by its connection to Lahu culture. A restaurant is available with good food. The Lahu people grow tea and tea leaves are widely used in cooking. There are also tastings and tea sales for those who wish.

Day 11.

Doi Angkhang all day. The road up the mountain is very steep but in good condition. Doi Angkhang has a lovely mix of scenery. Several different ethnic groups have small villages sandwiched between the mountain peaks. Flowers and fruit are grown in abundance and free-ranging mules are often encountered. There is no accommodation left at Doi Angkhang except for a tent site. Authorities have put a stop to construction of commercial entities.

Inside the Royal Project, local produce is displayed in abundance. At Nor Lae, a border station with Myanmar, you can look into Myanmar and work on your species list for Myanmar. Lunch inside the village with fresh vegetables, mushrooms and local spices. We had Giant Nuthatch, White-tailed Robin, Mrs Gould's Sunbird, Brown-breasted Bulbuls, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Black-breasted Thrushes, Japanese Tit and much more. A short stop at some fields before we ended up at the Garden Resort, Tha Ton.

Day 12.

The crowning glory! Doi Lang – San Ju. Up here, along a ridge there are only a few soldiers and a few bird watchers present. Undisturbed, you can have a rich viewing experience like no other. Cutia, Scarlet-faced Liochicla, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Spectacled Barwing, Crested Finchbill, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler and Golden-throated Barbets to name a few.

Day 13.

1.5 hour drive to arrive at Nong Bong Kai Lake in Chiang Rai where we met the first light of the day. Again the spotting scopes came of good use. Lots of Coot, Little Grebe, Lesser Whistling Tree Ducks, a few Spot-billed Ducks and 6 Ferruginous Ducks. Lots of Purple Swamphen, Jacanas and our first White-browed Crake. At the Golden Triangle we had lunch (the owner was so happy to see us again) with a variety of dishes.

A genuine attempt to reach the river gave us Gray-throated Martins, a species associated with waterways in the North.

Day 14.

Then it was time to go to Chiang Mai and fly to Bangkok. But first a few hours at Doi Chiang Dao temple. This temple is located in huge rock massif with trees and shrubbery. In the morning it is teeming with birds so it is important to be there on time. Pin-tailed Pigeons and Streaked Wren Babbler were the highlights but much else was also seen. Itinerary and lists of what we saw can be seen here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/200156