Monday 26th of February 2018 and DARN! I was tired when my alarm went off at 4 o'clock. But as I was excited about going to Doi Inthanon it was easy to get out of bed. Tea and porridge at the desk while looking at the pictures from yesterday.
I was at the hotel entrance just before 5 and we were soon on the way towards Doi Inthanon. We were at the main gate quarter past 6 and it was still dark.
We continued up the mountain and the first stop was at the check point #2 where we stopped and got out of the car. We walked along the road and we spotted many birds but it was not possible to get any pictures. But it was nice to come out and smell the vegetation. I continued up the mountain and my Guide went back to get the car.
We will continue towards the summit to see if we get any luck with the birds.
Arriving to Check point #2
Leaving Check point #2 behind walking up the road to look for birds
Walking along the road looking for birds
Walking along the road looking for birds
We decided to stop at the bathroom where we had seen many birds last time here on Doi Inthanon. They had rebuilt the place behind the bathroom and my chair was gone. But they had built a table with stools and I sat down. Didn't take long before we could spot some birds in the bushes. Of course, it felt like an eternity waiting.
We could hear the Dark-backed Sibia and the beautiful Green-tailed sunbird. We had seen the Silver-eared Laughingthrush last time here but the pictures wasn't very good. We were lucky and the bird came to have a look at us. Sitting in the bushes so it was not all that easy to get photos of the bird.
I was quite happy when we left the bathroom, beautiful birds and I had managed to get some pictures. We left the bathroom and next stop will be on the summit.
We parked the car and we spotted two Silver-eared Laughingthrush eating some berries next to the road. And they didn't seem to be afraid. We walked the same way as last time here, towards the parking and the military base along the fence to the view point and up the stairs to the summit monument, highest point in Thailand.
We didn't see any birds, no birds at all except the Silver-eared Laughingthrush when we got out of the car. Walking up the stairs to the monument and there were a lot of tourists taking pictures. We could see and hear many birds in the forest but they never came close, and I expect it was all the noise and people scaring them.
Silver-eared Laughingthrush - นกกะรางหัวแดง
Silver-eared Laughingthrush - นกกะรางหัวแดง
The forest around the summit
We gave up after a while and we walked towards the visitor center and coffee shop passing the King Inthawichayanon's Stupa. Back at the visitor center/ coffee shop area we went to check out the “bird pool” But it seems like they have repaired the leak. Anyway, they have built new water containers and there was a big group of bird watchers behind the containers and I sneaked up to see what they were watching. A beautiful Blue Whistling Thrush.
The bird took off to a tree, not too far away so I could get some pictures. Not any good pictures and when the bird watchers disappeared I went back to the spot. I whistled at the bird and the bird came at me sitting on a branch just above me.
My Guide came to get me, he had spotted a Grey-sided Thrush in the tree next to the coffee shop. Hiding in the tree and it was next to impossible to get pictures. Me and my guide was looking up the tree and suddenly we had a group of Japanese bird watchers around us. They set up their binoculars and I had to leave as there wasn't much room left.
We left the summit and we stopped at the bathroom on the way down the mountain. No birds behind the bathroom, middle of the day and too hot?
I crossed the road to go check out the parking place. No birds and continuing past the parking and there was a male Grey Bush Chat sitting on top of a bush. And I was soon to discover a female sitting on the wire above the road, not far away from the male so there might be babies coming to Doi Inthanon soon and I might see them next time here.
Well, I told my driver that we can go for lunch and then we make one more stop at Check-point #5 and after that we drive back to Chiang Mai. My Guide just wanted to make one stop on the way to the restaurant. We stopped at a small stream to look for the Plumbeous water Redstart. We spotted the bird but it was a very scared bird. We saw the bird a few times flying up and down the stream.
We continued to the restaurant and we saw the Japanese bird watching group. The restaurant was closed and the Japanese group was looking down the stream. There was a White-capped redstart down at the stream. I don't know what they do here, some small ponds and a, what my Guide call “the hydro” A paddle wheel driven by water from the stream.
White-capped Redstart or White-capped Water Redstart
White-capped Redstart or White-capped Water Redstart
We walked around, following the stream but we didn't spot any more birds. We lost the White-capped Redstart but the bird showed up again and I could get a few pictures, poor quality, but better than nothing.
We decided to bring picnic lunch tomorrow and we would not be dependent of any restaurants. OK, I was kind of happy that the restaurant was closed, looked to be “street food” style and quality, something I can live without. We left the area and we stopped at a MiniMart to buy some bread. We took off towards check-point #5 and we stopped to have a look at some Pied Bush Chat
We see beautiful Minivets, several Brown Shrikes and Pied Bush Chats. The most interesting was another Blue Whistling Thrush, this was another subspecies, almost black with a black bill
We can see that this bird is darker and have a black bill - Different subspecies
Blue Whistling Thrush
We can see that this bird is darker and have a black bill - Different subspecies
Brown shrike - นกอีเสือสีน้ำตาล
Brown shrike - นกอีเสือสีน้ำตาล
Brown shrike - นกอีเสือสีน้ำตาล
We passed the check-point #5 and I had expected us to make a U-turn and go back to the main gate. But we continued and it turned out that this road leads to Chiang Mai as well. We spotted another Brown Shrike sitting on a bush. We stopped and I took a few pictures before we continued. We passed through a small village and my Guide stopped the car. There was a group of Striated Swallows sitting on the wires.
I got out of the car, but the pictures turned out, well, not so good. But good enough for the Striated Swallow to end up on my list over observed birds.
Back in Chiang Mai and I had my dinner and a pedicure before going to bed, the alarm is set to go off at 04:00. We will take off to Doi Chiang Dao and we will leave at 06:00. And tomorrow we will have a picnic styled lunch.
We stopped at Big C to buy food on the way to the hotel. Click HERE to find out if we find any birds at Doi Chiang Dao.
General election in Sweden September 2018. Sweden is already beyond rescue and this is most likely the last free election in Sweden. They are already changing the “Free speech” laws in Sweden. Censorship and it only show how desperate they are to keep the population in the dark, as by now they have (must have) realised how they have destroyed what might have once been the best country in the world.
State media blasting 24/7 on how well Sweden is doing when it is obvious for everyone how health care, education system, police, judicial system and the welfare state have collapsed.
Where it is now allowed to be married to children, rape is a normal thing that the Police don’t even investigate thanks to the world’s first feminist government. What a sad joke this country have turned in to.
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!