Black-breasted Thrush, photo by Phil Woollen
Today marked another full travel day on our Birdwatching Trips ‘Spoonful of Thailand’ tour, but it was far from wasted. Despite several hours in the minibus, we made the most of fruitful birding stops that delivered some exceptional highlights and pushed our trip list well beyond the 400-species milestone.
Our first stop was the expansive Mae Taeng Irrigation Project, where a large flowing river creates sandy and shingle scrapes, complemented by well-maintained gardens along the channels.
A key target here was the rare Long-billed Plover, a chunky, Killdeer-like bird with a distinctive long bill and single fine breast band. We initially spotted what looked like a distant individual, but closer scrutiny revealed five Little Ringed Plovers instead. Undeterred, we kept searching and soon added Black-collared Starling, a flock of Temminck’s Stints, several Green Sandpipers, and a large group of House Swifts. We started thinking we had made a mistake, then, as if by magic, the Long-billed Plover appeared right in front of us, where had it been hiding? We enjoyed excellent scope views and perfect side-by-side comparisons with the nearby Little Ringed Plovers.
Jay spotted a flock of high-flying House Martins overhead. While Asian House Martin is the default in this region, Eastern House Martin (now often considered a separate species as Siberian House-Martin) is a rare possibility this far south. Distant photos confirmed the key features, and we eventually tallied over 10 birds a fantastic addition! A flock of 18 Temminck’s Stints flew through. In our heads we’d calculated that this was our 400th of the trip. Time for a celebratory coffee and a mango cream biscuit!
Keen photographers!
However while sipping our refreshments the excitement continued, a Collared Falconet, a stunning, shrike-like mini-falcon (which we’d seen over 10 of the previous day, perched atop a nearby tree. What we hadn’t realised was that this was the first record of the species at this well-watched site, making it a real contender for the day’s highlight.
Chuffed with these successes, we continued our journey, smugly aware that we had broken the magic 400-species barrier.
We made a brief stop at a district civic office so our guide Jay and organiser Jab could vote. It was inspiring to see so many young people participating with genuine pride in shaping Thailand’s future and protecting its democracy. While waiting, Chestnut-tailed Starlings fed in nearby fruiting trees, providing a pleasant distraction.
Next came a hair-raising yet spectacular drive along winding mountain roads close to the Myanmar border en route to Doi Ang Khang. The road felt like something out of the Tour de France — or even a “world’s scariest roads” TV show, with sheer drops, hairpin bends and breathtaking views.
Mrs Gould’s Sunbird, photo by Phil Woollen
We reached the top with a huge sense of relief and spent a few hours exploring the stunning Royal Project agricultural area in Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park. A pre-lunch walk delivered gaudy Mrs. Gould’s Sunbirds, a cryptic Chinese Leaf Warbler, creeping Chestnut-sided Nuthatches, and two vocal Stripe-breasted Woodpeckers. A female Rufous-breasted Niltava, Indian White-eye, Chestnut White-eye, Red-whiskered Bulbuls, and a stunning Hill Blue Flycatcher rounded out the list — though a brief, tantalising Scaly Thrush darting through cultivated flowers almost stole the show.
View of the colourful King’s Project
We then moved a few kilometres to a hillside monastery where Buddhist monks daily feed birds with rice and maintain a water supply. It was initially quiet, and we spent a good 15 minutes grilling a partially obscured Black-breasted Thrush in the treetops.
Suddenly, birds exploded into view — it was like a fall on an East Coast headland! Thrushes were everywhere: double figures of Black-breasted Thrushes, several Eyebrowed Thrushes, a Grey-sided Thrush, and the holy grail — two Grey-winged Blackbirds, a real rarity in Thailand.
Colour and beauty everywhere you look in the King’s Project
The supporting cast was equally impressive: brightly coloured Silver-eared Mesias, Blue-winged Minlas, a female Large Niltava with sapphire-blue collar patches, and a dark-billed Whistling Thrush. Amid the chaos, few noticed the Olive-backed Pipits creeping at the base of the trees.
This high-octane, adrenaline-fueled half-hour left some of the group needing a moment to reflect. What better place than beneath the serene golden Buddha, smiling down on our joy and excitement.
Marc saying thank you for all the bird sightings!
Finally, we descended the mountain to our superb new resort on the Maekok River in the far north. With amazing views and great food, it’s the perfect base for tomorrow’s pre-dawn start as we head into the mountains in search of a very special pheasant.
Day Totals
- 107 species seen — impressive given five hours in the minibus!
- Trip total now stands at 410 species — well beyond our ambitious 400 target set at the start.