Thaibirds and more

It may not be colorful but it has character and style. Loves to hover in the air before striking a mortal blow to an unexpected pray. Not easily found in Thailand but nevertheless occurs in a wide area in the Central region. This is a breeding pair from the great Chaopraya river in Ayutthaya province. I got these from a blind.

Huay Hong Krai, 20 some kilometers out of Chiang Mai on the way to Chiang Rai is where one needs to go to see Green Peafowl in the wild. Well, some don't think they originate from a wild population but I can testify to the lack of tameness of these birds. They are easily shooed away and outright hard to get a decent shot of. As big as they are they readily take to higher branches when alarmed. I saw a flock of 6 birds that took off from high in the trees and flew across the waters nearby to settle in the forest across. Quite a sight to see these huge birds in flight.

I was in the North for a week with my family doing some very exciting school programs in the hills. More about that later. I managed to sneak up on Doi Inthanon one morning. It is past the breeding season and too early for migrants at this altitude. One of my absolute favorite birds up at the bog (2565m a.s.l) is the tiny Pygmy Wren Babbler. The penetrating call of the bird is easy to identify but to spot the bird in the moss laden montane oak forest is another thing. I was so pleased to get a decent shot of it. Another tiny and incredibly active bird from the bog at the summit: Rufous-winged Fulvetta. They move about in small parties in search for food. Very hard to get a shot of. In Thailand I only know of one 'sure spot' to see the Snowy-browed Flycatcher and that is at the bog of the Summit of Doi Inthanon. The bird is actually seen in many a high mountain in SEA and when I visited Mt. Kinabalu it was one of the most common passerines. Here is a shot of the handsome male. O