The group at the summit in Kaeng Krachan National Park, photo by Jay
What a day! Dawn until dusk birding in the dry evergreen forest of Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand.
Day 4 had so much to live up to following the first three amazing days of the Birdwatching Trips ‘A Spoon-full of Thailand’ tour. There was a lot of expectation by the team, putting our ace guide Jay under pressure. But if anyone can do it, Jay can!
After an enjoyable breakfast we left our digs to arrive in the park soon after 7am. While swapping from our minibuses to our four wheel drive transport for the day, the first top bird fell. A stunning Sultan Tit!
We endured a long and bumpy ride up the dirt tracks getting higher and higher. Jay had warned us we would be driving past wildlife and it was frustrating at times, having to plough onwards past resting Crested Eagles, Monkeys and photo opportunities. However, the team motto ‘In Jay we trust’ was adhered to and we arrived at the top of 2500 foot Panoen Thung in good time.
Grey-sided and Eye-browed Thrushes, Vernal Hanging Parrots, Verditer Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Eagle and various Babblers entertained and kept the team busy.
A scrumptious picnic lunch with an amazing view was interrupted only for new birds such as Grey-rumped Tree-swift.
After lunch we struck gold during a slow amble down a section of the mountain. After a quiet and energy sapping hour of difficult jungle birding, three Ratchet-tailed Treepie with their amazing tails were located. These should have been the stars of the show, but what happened next exceeded all expectations. A Silver Oriole, one of only 300 left in the world started calling and flew in. A stunning male too! Alan doesn’t often get world life ticks these days, but this was one!
Great Hornbill, photo by Debbie
We continued down the road by jeeps, and a sudden shout had us watching three amazing Great Hornbills at close range. As we watched it became apparent there were more feeding on the opposite side of the valley. The next hour was sensational as we watched 24 Great Hornbill, 2 Wreathed Hornbills, 7 Tickell’s Brown Hornbills and 2 Pied Hornbills feeding in the same tree! Not only that but they shared the fruiting fig tree feast with a group of Dusky Langurs and Stump-tailed Macaques. What a way to end the day!
Another look at Great Hornbill, photo by Debbie
Or so we thought! On our way back the team were treated to a roosting White-faced Scops Owl, a real Kaeng Krachan speciality!
The day finished with the tour on a total of 256 species of bird and 13 species of mammal, with many lifers involved, even for the most hardened of birders. Tomorrow we return to the National Park, this time to explore the lower elevation. There are sure to be some more highlights.