Bird watching trip report


Introduction

Kaeng Krachan National Park is still closed due to the Wuhan Virus but they will open on the 1 July 2020. I spent a few days at Baan Maka Nature one week ago. My friend had a day off so we took his car to Kaeng Krachang. I told him that there was a 99% chance to see hornbills and the Blue-winged Pitta.

He told me that he wanted to see the Vernal Hanging-Parrot as well and it is a 99% possibility to see the Vernal Hanging-Parrot and we decided to go have a look at a few eBird hotspots at Kaeng Krachang National Park. The area outside the gates to the park also belong to the National Park. And as they are outside the gate they are still open.

To skip the information and to go straight to the TRIP REPORT click HERE


Guide

This is a day trip only so I will not use any Guide. But I have used Guides that they arranged for me at Baan Maka Nature Lodge and there is many other ways of getting a Guide at Kaeng Krachang.

Guides

Baan Maka Nature Lodge give you a choice of local expert guides.

Piak and Son have been guiding in Kaeng Krachan NP for years and know the place like no-one else. They are passionate and knowledgable about the birds and speak a little English.

Games has been a bird guide around Thailand for many years, knows the park well and speaks good English. She can also take you to other local birding spots like the world famous shorebird site, Laem Pak Bia.

And there is many bird tour companies with guides. Visit Thai National Parks - About the National Parks in Thailand and there is a lot of information about tours.


Land transportation

Birding/ Bird watching at Phetchaburi Rice Fields, Thailand
About 187 km from the Sukhumvit / Asoke intersection in DOWN TOWN Bangkok

To have your own car is a must, or take a taxi, will set you back by 2500 to 3000 Baht (June 2020) Guide and car can be arranged locally. Or if you book the trip with a tour company and they will set you up.

Read more at Thai National Parks - About the National Parks in Thailand

It is not possible to enter the central parts of the park by foot, bicycle or motorbike. For practical reasons, the best way to get to the park is with own car, a guide or other private arrangements.

There are no public transportation options into the central parts of the national park but it is possible to get to nearby Kaeng Krachan Town or to the park headquarters by minivan. The central part of the park is far from the town and the park headquarters.

There are no public transportation services to get into the heart of the park. The main park entrance and the campsites are inside the park, far from Kaeng Krachan Town and the headquarters.

Public transport services
There are no public services into the heart of Kaeng Krachan National Park from Kaeng Krachan Town, Bangkok, Phetchaburi or Hua Hin. The only options are renting a car, pay for a guide or hire a local driver from headquarters outside the park (standard 1200 THB to Ban Krang Campsite). The headquarters is located near Kaeng Krachan Town, minivans operates all the way to the headquarters on request.

From https://www.thainationalparks.com/kaeng-krachan-national-park


Kaeng Krachan National Park - อุทยานแห่งชาติแก่งกระจาน

Or show the driver a map. Click HERE for a map to Dan Khao Sam Yot Checkpoint

Scan for map to Dan Khao Sam Yot Checkpoint


Dan Khao Sam Yot Checkpoint - Kaeng Krachan Protection Unit KBR 2 - About 19 km away from HQ, this checkpoint is the entry point to Ban Krang (15 km) and Phanoen Thung Camps (30 km). Checkpoint is open 5 am and closes at 7 p.m. every day between November and July, no traffic will be allowed in or out on closure times/periods. The park is closed from August until October.

Leaving Bangkok on Rama II (Route #35) and get on Route #4 going south towards Phetchaburi when route #35 reach route #4. Follow route #4 until north of Phetchaburi when you leave the highway exit to the left and got on the bridge crossing the highway towards the right.

There is also a sign saying Kaeng Krachang or Road #3349 when you take off the highway.

Follow route #3349 until you reach road #3510. Road #3510 turns in to road #3432 and goes all the way to the gate.


Accommodation

No need for any accommodation as it is a day trip only. If you are going to stay for a night or more I can really recommend Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge is a small hotel dedicated to making your visit to Kaeng Krachan as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.

They offer comfortable rooms with hot showers & air conditioning. There is a restaurant on-site using home-grown produce. The lodge is situated a few kilometres from Kaeng Krachan NP in five hectares of gardens, forest & farmland.

www.baanmaka.com

Grounds

Baan Maka Nature Lodge have 5 hectares of grounds including gardens, forest, farmland and lakeside.

Baan Maka Nature Lodge have a few bird hides in the grounds at water holes and feeding stations.

There is a 1km forest trial around the edge of the grounds which can be walked during the day to look for birds and at night to look for snakes. We now also have a 500m loop trail around the hill at the back of the lodge allowing great views of the surrounding area and sunsets.

There are three kayaks (2 singles and 1 triple) you are welcome to use to explore our lake which is about 1km long.


Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Entrance to Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Road to Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
My room

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
My room

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Bathroom

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
My balcony

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
The restaurant

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
The restaurant

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
The restaurant

Baan Maka Nature Lodge


Equipment

Canon 5D Mk. III + Canon 5D Mk. IV
Canon EF 28-300/3,5-5,6 L IS USM
Canon EF 70-200/2,8L IS II USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
Canon Speedlite 600EXII-RT flash
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II
Panasonic HC-W585 video camera

Sound recorder
ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder

Binocular
Steiner Skyhawk 8x32 (Since May 2020)


Weather / climate

Weather, I don´t know if Bangkok is the hottest capital in the world. But this is what they say and I have no reason to doubt this information because it is darn hot.

Bangkok, Thailand - Climate & Temperature
Pictures from www.climatemps.com

Bangkok, Thailand - Climate & Temperature - Click picture for full size
Pictures from www.climatemps.com



References/Resources

Thai National Parks - About the National Parks in Thailand A very good web page - Do you know that there are still wild tigers, elephants, leopards, tapirs, gaurs, bears and many monkey species in many tropical rainforests across Thailand? Do you also know that around 10% of all marine species in the world can be found in Thailand? And the fact that Thailand is the best bird-watching destination in mainland Asia?

National parks are protected areas of land because they have unspoilt landscapes and a diverse number of native plants and animals. There are 127 national parks in Thailand, of them 22 marine national parks. These parks offers a diverse range of flora and fauna, home to important population of endangered species.
So now it will be easy to find out if there are any National Park close to you.

Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST) - The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST) is one of the oldest Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST)organisations conserving birds and nature in Thailand and is the country partner of BirdLife International. BCST's role to the local community is to spread awareness about urban birds and reconnect people back to nature.

The Logo
Dated back to 1986 when BCST was then a loosely-formed “Bangkok Birdwatching Club”, the Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), or “Nok Gang Ken Baan” in Thai, has been chosen to represent the organisation.

There are two sites covering Thailand and I have used them many times. These two web pages are actually everything you need for your birding adventures in Thailand. All the information you need about all the birding spots. Click on the map and then select your spot and you will have maps and everything you need to know about the areas. They have put a lot of jobs in to their web pages, North Thailand Birding and thaibirding.com A must to visit before you go bird watching in Thailand.

www.norththailandbirding.com - A one stop only for all your birding in Thailand

thaibirding.com - Nick Upton's one stop only for all your birding in Thailand.

Use both www.thaibirding.com and www.norththailandbirding.com and you have a winner. Some of the maps on www.norththailandbirding.com are way better than Nick Upton´s, while some of Nick's maps are much more detailed. So I have found that if I use both the web pages for information, well, nothing else needed.

PBase/Peter Ericson - Peter Ericson, a guy I thought was from USA because of his family name. I met him at Lat Krabang Paddies in May 2020 and turned out that he was Swedish. Anyway, I have used his excellent page PBase since 2016 as help to ID birds by the help from his beautiful bird pictures.

Here you can also find information about birding tours.

He is also having a Blog - Thaibirds and more with interesting information.

Bangkok City Birding - A lot of interesting birding stories and information on this bird watching blog by David Gandy. Bangkok-based patch-worker in Suan Rot Fai, a large park close to the city's famous weekend market. He have recorded 150 species on his patch since 2008. As one of the only big green spaces in the city, “SRF” acts as a real magnet for migrants during spring and autumn, and holds a healthy selection of "sibes" during the winter months.


The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership - The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership is a network of partners within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.

The Flyway is one of 9 major migratory routes recognised globally. Partners include National Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, International Non-governmental Organisations, and International Private Enterprise, which agree to endorse the text and support the objectives and actions under this Partnership.

Thailand have three Flyway Network Sites - www.eaaflyway.net/thailand to find more information.
Pak Thale – Laem Phak Bia Flyway Site
Khok Kham Flyway Site
Krabi Estuary and Bay

www.tideschart.com GET THE LATEST TIDES IN THAILAND AND AROUND THE WORLD - A must to check out times for HIGH and LOW water when going to look for waders / shorebirds.

ebird - Find birding hotspots with bird checklists from all over the world

Avibase - is an extensive database information system about all birds of the world, containing over 25 million records about 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution information for 12,000 regions, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages


www.oiseaux.net This web page is also excellent for identifying birds. There is information and range maps for many many birds from all over the world. This page is almost guaranteed to give you any answer you have about any bird in the world.

Cloudbirders - Read birding trip reports from all over the world

Fatbirder - Linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see their sister site: WAND


Fatbirder is a fantastic web page with information from, I think every country in the world. My first stop when I plan for my bird watching trips. There is information about locations and guides, well, pretty much everything you need to know. Sometimes this is the only place I need to visit to plan my trip.

BirdingPal - find a birding Guide around the world

BirdingPal


And the web page you cannot live without. I have been around the world looking for birds. I usually have a Guide, but sometimes it is not possible to find a Guide. So, well, I have lost count on how many times I have had help to ID birds at BirdForum. Joining this forum have been very very good for my bird watching experience.

www.birdforum.net

ClimaTemps.com is the place to learn about the worlds climates with more than 4000 locations documented. Each aspect of the climate is represented using colour enhanced tables and professional graphs so that data can easily be compared by switching between locations in different tabs in your browser.

“A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson”


A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson

A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson. New edition updated with 76 species since previous edition “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig” Nick Upton at www.thaibirding.com wrote “This quite excellent book is packed full of quality illustrations and written information on 1251 species recorded in Southeast Asia”

I bought this book for bird watching in Thailand, but it goes for all over SE Asia

I have been very happy with the “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson” But I had a fire in my condo 2019 and I needed to buy a new book. I was looking for the “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson” as I liked the book. But this book is not available anymore so I had to buy the “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand” by Craig Robson.

What a disappointment this was, using the pictures in the book didn't helped to ID any birds.

“Birds of Thailand” by Uthai Treesuconand Wich'yanan Limparungpatthanakij


I met Peter Ericson, a famous bird watcher and he recommended the “Birds of Thailand” by Uthai Treesuconand Wich'yanan Limparungpatthanakij. I bought the book as soon as the book stores opened after the Wuhan virus. And I am very happy with the book and I have managed to ID some birds using the book.

Birds of Thailand by Uthai Treesuconand Wich'yanan Limparungpatthanakij

This new field guide will help you identify all 1049 species to have been recorded in the country to date, including the 20 species endemic or near-endemic to Thailand.

-Taxonomy follows the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World.

-Detailed texts covering status, habitat and behaviour, age, sex and geographical variation, voice, and confusion species.

-Almost 2200 illustrations covering all species and distinctive subspecies, birds in flight, males and females, juveniles and non-breeding plumages, where appropriate.

-QR code for each species, linking to the Internet Bird Collection gallery of photos, videos and sounds.

-More than 1025 full-colour range maps for all species other than vagrants.

-Well-marked subspecies groups receive full accounts, and the distributions of subspecies breeding in the region are clearly mapped.

-Local species name and local conservation status included.


I like the book, but I miss the picture index.


Places to visit

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Kaeng Krachan National Park

Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติแก่งกระจาน, RTGS: Utthayan Haeng Chat Kaeng Krachan, is the largest national park of Thailand. It is on the border with Burma, contiguous with the Tanintharyi Nature Reserve. It is a popular park owing to its proximity to the tourist town of Hua Hin.

History
The park was declared a reserve in 1964 and on 12 June 1981 it became the 28th national park of Thailand. Originally covering an area of 2,478 km2 (1.5 million rai; 240,000 ha), it was enlarged in December 1984 to include the boundary area between Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces, an additional 300,000 rai.

The park has been included in the list of ASEAN Heritage Parks. Since 2011, Thailand has proposed that Unesco designate Kaeng Krachan Natural Park a world heritage site. Myanmar claims that about one-third of the land included in Thailand's claim—almost 1,000 km2—is part of Myanmar's Tanintharyi Region and has opposed Thailand's effort.

The killing of wild elephants is a big problem at the park, with authorities unable to control poachers. Some park officials are allegedly involved in the trade of elephant parts.

Despite national park status, there are private plantations within the confines of Kaeng Krachan National Park. Some of these are surrounded by electric fences which, in June 2013, fatally electrocuted an elephant calf.

In 2018, the park started taking bids on a project to pave 18.5 kilometres of the Bang Krang to Phanoen Thung Road. It is budgeted at 87.62 million baht. The existing one-lane dirt road is "broken beyond repair" according to the park's chief. Environmentalists oppose the project on the grounds that easier accessibility will mean more tourists in the fragile ecosystem.

The park chief says, "...the project does not violate regulations...and [we have] a duty...to proceed with the project." The project was halted, at least temporarily, in early-November 2018 by the National Parks Department to allow opponents to be heard on the issue.

Geography
The park covers parts of the districts Nong Ya Plong, Kaeng Krachan, and Tha Yang of Phetchaburi Province, and of Hua Hin of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. It consists mainly of rain forest on the eastern slope of the Tenasserim Mountain Range. The highest elevation in the park is 1,513 meters, in a "joint area of Thailand and Myanmar".

The second highest mountain peak is Kao Panern Toong with an elevation of 1,207 m. Two main rivers originate within the park area, the Pranburi River and the Phetchaburi River. The Phetchaburi is impounded by the Kaeng Krachan Dam at the eastern border of the park. The dam creates a lake covering an area of 46.5 km2. The dam was built in 1966.

From Wikipedia


Kaeng Krachan National Park is of course the obvious place to visit. But now it is closed during the Wuhan Virus. But there is a lot of bird hides and eBird hotspots outside the gate. And the ground itself around Baan Maka Nature is a heaven for bird watchers. So it is no problem to kill a few days in the area even though the national park is closed.

There are so many eBird hotspots in the Kaeng Krachan so it will take a very long time to cover them all. Today is the plan to visit the below eBird hotspots:

Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Kaeng Krachan NP--Lung Sin's hide   (Time turned quickly and we had to skip this hotspot)

Kaeng Krachan NP--Ban Song Nok

Kaeng Krachan NP--Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard


Baan Maka Nature Lodge

There is a couple of bird hides in the area and a nature trail around the compound. And the owner is updating you with the latest sightings. He had been seeing 200 different birds by the time I was there in June 2020.

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Nature trail at Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Nature trail at Baan Maka Nature Lodge

If you walk in the other direction you will end up at a lake and there is a bridge where you can sit and watch for birds in the reeds. Walking towards the bridge and you might see Hornbills in the trees. Walking towards the entrance to the compound and I could see a couple off Brown Boobooks.

There are water and a forest next to the road and I spotted orioles and pittas in the area.

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Walk path to the lake at Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Walk path to the lake at Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Bridge at Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Bridge at Baan Maka Nature Lodge

Baan Maka Nature Lodge
Bridge at Baan Maka Nature Lodge




eBird hotspot: Kaeng Krachan NP--Lung Sin's hide (restricted access)

There are many bird hides in the area and all the eBird hotspots with (restricted access) means an access fee. Around 200 Baht and that is OK as they are maintaining the bird hides and they cannot work for free.

They called the “care taker” from Baan Maka and when I was in the hide an old Gentleman came to collect the money. So don't be surprised if suddenly someone come to collect money.

There is a walk path from the road and it is easy to walk on the walk path. No UP and DOWN and the path is quite even. A little rocky at the beginning, but no problem to reach the hide.

Lung Sin's Hide
You have a sign on the tree at the side of the road

Lung Sin's Hide
You have a sign on the tree at the side of the road

Lung Sin's Hide
Leave the road and walk along the walk path

e
Lung Sin's Hid
Leave the road and walk along the walk path

Lung Sin's Hide
Walk path to the hide

Lung Sin's Hide
Walk path to the hide

Lung Sin's Hide
View from the hide

You will most likely spot the Mouse Deer coming to the hide. I have never seen this deer before and I really didn't knew what it was. Back at the hotel they told me that it was a Mouse Deer.

There are also many different squirrels, size from very small to almost gigantic size.

Chevrotain

Chevrotains are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only extant members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only from fossils. The extant species are found in forests in South and Southeast Asia, with a single species in the rainforests of Central and West Africa.

They are solitary or live in pairs, and feed almost exclusively on plant material. Chevrotains are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. The Asian species weigh between 0.7 and 8.0 kg, while the African chevrotain is considerably larger at 7–16 kg.

In November 2019, conservation scientists announced that they had photographed silver-backed chevrotains (Tragulus versicolor) in a Vietnamese forest for the first time since the last confirmed sightings in 1990

From Wikipedia

I spotted the Large Scimitar-Babbler and this was the most exciting bird I spotted in the hide. There was another bird I had never seen before so it makes it two birds I have never seen before. Black-napped Monarch otherwise it was the normal bulbuls. The hide is well worth a visit even though it is a little low on light.

I was lucky that I brought my flash and I suggest that you bring your flash, not only for the hide, even for the forest or you will have to use a crazy ISO speed. And if you are here in the rainy season you should bring a rain cover for the camera if you need to leave the hide in the rain.



eBird hotspot: Kaeng Krachan NP--Ban Song Nok

This place is about 5 minutes from the Baan Maka Nature Lodge with car. Hotel reception / office at the parking. They have a monitor with a live transmission from the hide so you can see what birds you have in the hide. The lady working in the office was very friendly and helpful. And you do not have any question when you leave the office.

I paid the 200 Baht and we took the two minutes’ walk to the bird hide.

Baan Song Nok Hide
Monitor at the office

Baan Song Nok Hide
Walking to the hide

Baan Song Nok Hide
Reaching the hide

Baan Song Nok Hide
View from the hide

There are plenty space in the hide and the chairs are OK to sit on. And there is a good view over two water wells where the birds come to drink and bath. It is a place well worth visiting. The otherwise so shy Red Junglefowl is coming up close and you can get great pictures.

The lighting conditions are good if the sky is not overcast.



eBird hotspot:
Kaeng Krachan NP--Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard

This area is just as the name suggest, and orchard with rambutan trees. There is a parking lot in front of a building / shed. There is a walk path on the right side of the building and there are two ponds behind the building.

Orchard

A piece of enclosed land planted with fruit trees.

Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard
Parking lot

Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard
Walking towards the rambutan trees

Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard
Walking towards the rambutan trees

Walk past the ponds and you reach the orchard located on the hill. Walk up the hill while looking for the Vernal Hanging-parrot and this bird is what making this area “famous” for birders.

This is the place where you will see the Vernal Hanging-parrot but you will need to find the trees with ripe rambutan fruit. You will see the bird hanging upside down eating the rambutan.

Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard
It is a dry area

Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard
Looking for birds in the rambutan trees

BUT IT IS NOT EASY TO SEE THE BIRD! A small green bird in green trees, I spotted several but impossible to take pictures in the trees. But I was lucky and I spotted two birds sitting in the sun eating from fruits hanging outside of the tree.

The area is also known for the beautiful Crimson Sunbirds.



Bird checklist

I never use any bird lists, but since I try to make it in to Cloudbirders. A very helpful site when planning your birding trips. But they ask for a bird checklist, and if I use their service, of course I want to contribute as well. My two first bird watching trip reports was rejected by Cloudbirders.

So I started to take ideas from the reports I found on Cloudbirders. So I have started to use bird lists, eBird generate one for me and I can post it on Cloudbirders. I will post my birds on eBird and on my different “BIRDS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED” pages.

Full Thai list updated to the taxonomy, nomenclature and sequence of the IOU/IOC World Bird List. The complete checklist, including Thai names and synonyms, can be downloaded in Excel format - Thailand Bird Checklist. - Version 8.2 (2018) - found at www.norththailandbirding.com

Check lists can come in handy to find out the local name of the bird etc. And Avibase have a list with pictures and sounds, excellent!

So I will post bird checklists here and if my Guides provide me with checklists I will also post them here.

Cloudbirders


Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World

Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex National Park bird checklist from Avibase, click HERE - eBird version 2019 taxonomy

Avibase is providing you with bird checklists from all over the world. And I´m impressed by their web page. Select country and area and you get the bird checklist. Like the PDF files I got from Avibase on the links above. You also get the checklist with pictures and sounds.

The best part is that you get the local names of the birds and the online checklist gives the names in English plus the language you have selected. But it seems like the PDF cannot handle some alphabet.

For example the Japanese language so it is blank in the PDF checklist. But it worked excellent with Swedish. But you get them in the local language on the online version.


Bird list

I only list birds I have got on picture on my list of OBSERVED BIRDS. But since I started using eBird I have changed a bit. I list all the birds on the eBird checklist. See the DAY TO DAY report in the itinerary below.

And you can visit my list of “Birds I have seen in Thailand” ONLY BIRDS I HAVE ON PICTURE.


Trip Report

Tuesday 23rd of June 2020 and we left Bangkok around six thirty in the morning. We were soon on Rama II and we were hauling arse down the highway towards Kaeng Krachang. The plan is to start to look for the parrot and then go to Ban Song Nok before lunch at Baan Maka Nature Log.

And we will visit Lung Sin's hide before going back to Bangkok.

Arriving to Kaeng Krachan NP and we drive past Baan Maka Nature Lodge and we stop at the beginning of the walk path to Lung Hin's hide. We called the number on the sign on the tree. We wanted to contact the guy in charge to tell him that we would use the hide in the afternoon.

No one replied and we continued towards Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard and we skipped the parking at the building and we drove straight to the area with all the Vernal Hanging-Parrots.

We parked the car and we went out to walk around the orchard and it did not take long before we had spotted the parrot and the Crimson Sunbird. There were many Crimson Sunbirds and parrots but I never managed to get any pictures. So I did not have one single picture when we left the eBird hotspot: .

Crimson Sunbird, Aethopyga siparaja, นกกินปลีคอแดง

Well, I had got one picture of a female Crimson Sunbird, not much but better than nothing. But my friend had got to see the Vernal Hanging-Parrot and the beautiful red male Crimson Sunbird.

Birding/ Bird watching at Kaeng Krachan NP--Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Kaeng Krachan NP--Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard

eBird

eBird Report

Kaeng Krachan NP--Huai Mae Priang rambutan orchard, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 23, 2020 09:53 - 10:52
Protocol: Traveling
1.49 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments:
5 species (+1 other taxa)

Asian Koel 1 Heard only
Red-wattled Lapwing 3
white egret sp. 1 Looking like a Little Egret, but a little too far away for a certain ID
Vernal Hanging-Parrot 13
Oriental Magpie-Robin 1
Crimson Sunbird 10

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70727503

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

We had a couple of minutes to the next eBird hotspot: “Kaeng Krachan NP--Ban Song Nok” The plan is to sit in the hide for an hour before going for lunch at Baan Maka. We paid 400 Baht for the hide but we got stuck in the office. The CCTV showed that there were no birds in the bird hide.

But we had a lot of birds outside the office and we were lucky, one Oriental Pied Hornbill came very close. Just a few meters away and my friend was happy to get to see the Hornbill up close, just what he wanted to see.

Oriental Pied Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris, นกแก๊ก, นกแกง

Oriental Pied Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris, นกแก๊ก, นกแกง
Oriental Pied Hornbill / นกแก๊ก, นกแกง

Oriental Pied Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris, นกแก๊ก, นกแกง
Oriental Pied Hornbill / นกแก๊ก, นกแกง

Oriental Pied Hornbill, Anthracoceros albirostris, นกแก๊ก, นกแกง
Oriental Pied Hornbill / นกแก๊ก, นกแกง

Sooty-headed Bulbul, Pycnonotus aurigaster, นกปรอดหัวสีเขม่า
Observe the yellow vent

Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pycnonotus finlaysoni, นกปรอดคอลาย

Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pycnonotus finlaysoni, นกปรอดคอลาย
Stripe-throated Bulbul / นกปรอดคอลาย

Stripe-throated Bulbul, Pycnonotus finlaysoni, นกปรอดคอลาย
Adult Stripe-throated Bulbul feeding young

Streak-eared Bulbul, Pycnonotus blanfordi, นกปรอดสวน

Pied Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Gracupica contra, นกอีแจว, Siamese Pied Myna, Gracupica floweri

Pied Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Gracupica contra, นกอีแจว, Siamese Pied Myna, Gracupica floweri
Pied Myna or Asian Pied Starling / นกอีแจว

Pied Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Gracupica contra, นกอีแจว, Siamese Pied Myna, Gracupica floweri
Pied Myna or Asian Pied Starling / นกอีแจว

Pied Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Gracupica contra, นกอีแจว, Siamese Pied Myna, Gracupica floweri
Pied Myna or Asian Pied Starling / นกอีแจวk

And we got to see a bird I had never seen before, the very beautiful Orange-bellied Flowerpecker. Then we had another super beautiful bird, the Golden-fronted leafbird. I have seen the bird before but I never got any good pictures.

We really enjoyed the birds and time passed very quickly and we were realized that it was too late for any visit to the Lung Sin's bird hide. We don't want to be too late in Bangkok as we want to avoid the traffic jam.

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Dicaeum trigonostigma, นกกาฝากท้องสีส้ม

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Dicaeum trigonostigma, นกกาฝากท้องสีส้ม
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker / นกกาฝากท้องสีส้ม

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Dicaeum trigonostigma, นกกาฝากท้องสีส้ม
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker / นกกาฝากท้องสีส้ม

Golden-fronted leafbird, Chloropsis aurifrons, นกเขียวก้านตองหน้าผากสีทอง

Golden-fronted leafbird, Chloropsis aurifrons, นกเขียวก้านตองหน้าผากสีทอง
Golden-fronted leafbird / นกเขียวก้านตองหน้าผากสีทอง

eBird

eBird Report

Kaeng Krachan NP--Ban Song Nok, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 23, 2020 11:06 - 12:22
Protocol: Stationary
7 species

Oriental Pied-Hornbill 1
Sooty-headed Bulbul 7 Yellow vent
Stripe-throated Bulbul 9
Streak-eared Bulbul 9
Asian Pied Starling 2
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker 1
Golden-fronted Leafbird 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70728492

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

We drove to Baan Maka Nature Lodge to have our lunch and to look for the Blue-winged Pitta. We had a quick lunch, as excellent as when I lived here. We have a Blue Whistling-Thrush keeping us company during the lunch. We see one Blue-winged Pitta walking to the hide but it disappeared when we approached.

We took a seat in the hide and it started to rain after 10 minutes and we decided to go back to Bangkok. Walking back to the restaurant and I see one White-rumped Shama and I get a recording. And the recording was the only thing I could bring back home. Thee very few pictures I could take ended up in the garbage bin.

Listen to the White-rumped Shama

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

It started to rain, we can hear the rain in the recording together with a Plaintive Cuckoo.

As usually the White-rumped Shama was not scared and I could both make a recording from 2 to 3 meter away. The pictures turned out bad as it was dark due to the rain.


www.xeno-canto.org

Birding/ Bird watching at Kaeng Krachan NP--Baan Maka Nature Lodge, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Kaeng Krachan NP--Baan Maka Nature Lodge

eBird

eBird Report

Kaeng Krachan NP--Baan Maka Nature Lodge, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 23, 2020 13:25 - 13:48
Protocol: Traveling
0.28 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: It started to rain after a few minutes and I had to go back home
6 species

Plaintive Cuckoo 1
Blue-winged Pitta 1
Bronzed Drongo 1
Puff-throated Babbler 1
White-rumped Shama 2
Blue Whistling-Thrush 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70729166

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

We left Baan Maka driving back to Bangkok and there was a lot of birds along the way. We made a U-turn because my friend had spotted a “BIG” bird. We drove back and we made yet another U-turn. Driving back again looking for the “BIG” bird.

We never spotted the bird, but I spotted a White-throated Kingfisher next to the road.

Birding/ Bird watching in Phetchaburi, Thailand
White-throated Kingfisher

We discussed our next birding adventure on the way back to Bangkok. My friend will spend his next free day with some family business in Chumphon and I will go with him and I will look for birds while he is busy with his things. I booked a room at Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort & Golf Club and I discovered that it is an eBird hotspot: .

Click HERE to find out if I see any birds in Chumphon


Bird watching trip report



       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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