Day 1. After picking up Tim from his hotel, we headed
straight down to Kaeng Krachan. Arriving at around 7am, we were first greeted
with both Greater and Common Flameback woodpeckers, Oriental Pied Hornbills and
Black Thighed Falconets. As a friend once told me, “If the day begins with a
woodpecker, it will surely be a good day”. I was surely hoping this would be
the case… After we had got some nice views of the woodpeckers and other birds,
we headed a little further along the road adding Grey-rumped Treeswifts and an
obliging juvenile Shikra.
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| Shikra (Juv) |
We met up with Ali from
The Joys of Birding at Km 14, where
a pair of Black and Red Broadbills were nesting. I set up a hide for Tim, where
he got some great views of this gorgeous bird. A pair of Collared Falconets
also obliged for some nice views whilst they perched and dismembered an unfortunate
butterfly.
Up to Ban Krang and a Black and Yellow Broadbill put in a
nice appearance. After a brew of coffee and a few bickies, we notched a few
more ticks, including Grey Eyed and Streak Eared Bulbuls, Asian Fairy Bluebird
and Green Eared Barbet.
Along the road between the streams, a Banded Kingfisher was
calling and soon seen for a few shots. An Orange Breasted Trogan was also seen
and added to the growing list.
Blue Pittas were heard along the road, but were un-obliging to
put in a show. With the weather stating to close in, we grabbed a light lunch at
Km 18 before heading up to Panoung Thung. After a brief walk around Km27, we
added a female Red-Headed Trogan to the list. Not quite as colourful as the
male but nonetheless a cracking bird to see… A Ratchet Tailed Treepie and a
Rusty-Naped Pitta were clearly heard, but unseen as the heavens began to open.
We headed quickly back to the truck and headed up to the HQ for a coffee and a
bit of shelter. Plenty of birds were showing in a fruiting tree at the HQ including
Blue-Winged Leafbirds and Blue-Eared and Blue-Throated Barbets. The rain was
falling heavily now so birding became pretty much impossible. We headed back
down to Ban Krang where the rain had stopped and was becoming a pleasant evening.
On the drive out of the park a Crested Serpent Eagle was perched nicely for
some great views before it took flight. A good sized herd of 7 or 8 Guar were
spotted at a water hole on the way out, but were spooked and bolted quickly
back into the jungle before we could get any shots off. Back at the resort we
finished the day off with some great food and a few deserved cold beers….
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| Red-Headed Trogon |
Day 2. The next morning we headed first to Luung Sin’s where
a Blue-Winged Pitta was feeding chicks. When we arrived both parent birds were
continually calling with beaks laden with worms, but not actually feeding the
young. I guessed they were encouraging the fledglings out. One by one all four
chicks warily left the nest to be fed on the ground just out of sight. Talk about
good timing and good luck!!! If we had
arrived 30 minutes later we would have found ourselves staring at an empty nest
instead of witnessing this miracle of nature…
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| Blue-Winged Pitta |
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| Blue-Winged Pitta |
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| Blue-Winged Pitta |
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| And then they were gone......... |
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| Blue-Winged Pitta |
With the birds gone, we headed to another water hole and
settled in hope of a Kalij Pheasant. Scaly-Breasted Partridges, Red Jungle
Fowl, Pied Fantails, Streak-Eared Bulbuls, Puff-Throated Babblers,
Lesser-Necklaced Laughingthrushes and an Emerald Dove all appeared before
finally three Kalij Pheasants appeared, an adult pair with a young male in tow…
Very nice!!
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| Emerald Dove |
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| Emerald Dove |
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| Lesser-Necklaced Laughingthrush |
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| Puff-Throated Babbler |
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| Scaly Breasted Partridge |
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| Kalij Pheasant |
It was time to leave, but we made one more stop at Baan Song
Nok for a coffee and some great shots of Stripe-Throated Bulbuls and
Orange-Bellied Flowerpeckers.
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| Stripe-Throated Bulbul |
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| Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker |
We made the drive back around the Phetchaburi rice fields.
One field alone produced Chinese and Javan Pond Herons, a Purple Swamphen,
Watercock, Purple Heron and a White-Fronted Waterhen! All three Weavers were
ticked, Baya, Streaked and Golden along with 4 Spot-Billed Pelicans passing
overhead. We headed back into Phetchaburi town where the two great days birding
finished. It had been another couple of great days with over 70 different
species sighted and many others heard. We said our goodbyes and headed back for
our respective beers…
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| Tim and his slow friend.. |
It was truly great to meet up with Tim and a privilege to
bird with him. Hope we meet up again someday in the future.
