Northern Thailand March 2021, part 1

 

North of Thailand 3-13^th of March, 2021

 

3^rd Drive to Klong Lan

4^th Mae Wong

5^th Klong Lan

6^th Mae Ping

7^th Doi Inthanon

8^th Doi Suthep

9^th Doi Chiang Dao

10^th Doi Angkhang

11^th Doi Lang, Doi Chiang Dao

12^th Doi Suthep

13^th Drive home

 

In March I normally conduct tours for visiting birders but , alas, not this year! We all know why.

This time I set out on a trip on my own with a slightly different agenda.

I wanted to connect with birds not seen in Central Thailand and I wanted to find butterflies to add to my collection of pictures. Finding new bird species is next to impossible at this stage but the butterflies is a new field that provides a lot of excitement.

 

Day 1. 

 

I left late morning and did a couple of stops along the way checking out the field birds. A strait drive to Klong Lan takes  5 hour.

There is only 1 really good restaurant in the small town but it is really nice with generous portions at fair prices so that is where I parked myself for a couple of hours. ‘Sampeenong’ is the name of the place and is situated at the corner of the intersection where one turns towards Mae Wong National Park. The resort is across the street and is called Baan Nai Suan.

Day 2. Mae Wong

Strong overcast and hazy weather didn’t look too promising as I started my way up towards Chong Yen. It actually takes a long time to get up there. A straight drive from town takes an hour and with the normal stops along the way it is easy to miss the early morning at Chong Yen where the best birding is.

Quite early on in the drive a Golden Jackal appeared on the road. My first encounter with this animal at Mae Wong. The canine kept running ahead, stopping and glaring at me. But then a couple of SUVs overtook me and as they passed the jackal left the scene.

 

Golden Jackal

 

I enjoy driving with the windows down listening to the birds. A good way of picking upbirds for the daylist. I did not pursue or have many opportunities for bird photography but thatwasn’t really my aim anyway as I actually have pictures of almost all the birds in the park.

The ‘best’ bird for me was a pair of White-throated Bulbuls calling each other. I recorded them as well. These are birds with a very limited distribution range in Western Thailand.

https://www.xeno-canto.org/631037

Many other regular birds were about: Silver-eared Mesias, White-necked Laughingthrushes, Blyth’s Shrike Babbler, Golden-throated and Great Barbet, Bay Woodpecker etc etc.

Lists of the birds encountered on higher levels

https://ebird.org/checklist/S82784830

https://ebird.org/checklist/S82784788

At the campsite there is a trail of about 5-600 steps up a steep hill. I have been told it is very good for butterflies so I waited for some sunlight and then made my way up. This time I did not see many but I did get a good one that was very obliging and attractive. Four-bar Swordtail from the Papilionoidae family. 

 

Four-bar Swordtail

 

As the bird activity dies down the butterflies become active providing there is enough sunlight.

I couldn’t find any puddling ones and only a few sporadic flyers until I drove down to much lower levels and looked at the stream beds. Here I came across many and spend a good amount of time with them.

 

 Common Mime Swallowtail

Spot Swordtail

Thinking of what to do the day following I decided to visit Klong Lan National Park only 5 minutes from town. A park I had never visited. So, another day at the same resort and another dinner at the ‘Sampeenong’ restaurant.

Day 3. Klong Lan

I got to the park too early for them to let me in by car. They open at 8 am. Ha ha ha….crazy really but I suppose their aim is for the general public and not the avid nature lover.

I resolutely parked outside and started walking in. It was pleasant way of greeting the morning with a walk and listening to the birds along the way. A stream flows near the road with lots of tempting rocks. I took my time, it is 1 kilometer to the waterfall which is really what the park is all about. A huge sign greeted me with instruction of the ‘new normal’. The facilities were very impressive. Good buildings, good road, nice toilets etc. I wondered why and so spoke with some rangers. They explained that the park had received money from the province itself to make it modern and convenient for visitors. There were several campers along the stream and the waterfall had waters (they don’t always do) falling at a good height.

Bird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S82831843

There were quite a few butterflies along the stream.

A Blue Nawab, was a new one. Very striking!

A White-banded Palmfly, was probably the ‘best’ one as it was a new locality record of this hard to find butterfly. I also enjoyed Grey Count, Powdered Baron, and Common Archduke amongst many other.

 

Common Rose

Lurcher

Chestnut-banded Angle

Blue Nawab

Common Archduke

                                                                

Grey Count

 

Stream Glory

I enjoyed the place though not a prime birding site. It was fun to visit a new place and the streambeds offered enough to satisfy my curiosity.

I had lunch in town and drove to Mae Ping National Park near Li district in Lumphun province about 4 hours drive further North. I checked in to  Baan Pailyn Resort which is modern, clean, spacious and not far from dining. 

Day 4. Mae Ping

Mae Ping National Park has very friendly staff and it is worth a little chat with them to keep it such. Ha!

The main area is a couple of kilometers from the checkpoint where you pay the park fee.

At the entry point by a sign named Thung Gik you start driving through dry dipterocarp forest which is good for medium sized birds with a preference for more open forest. The road is a bit narrow but paved with pull offs along the way.

The first birds to greet you is normally Black-headed Woodpeckers and so was the case this time as well. The other birds you want to make sure to get on to is Grey-headed Parakeets that are vocal and not hard to spot as they like to fly around.

There are many woodpecker species in here but sometimes it can be a bit hard going.

I saw some things, listened for more and ended up with this: https://ebird.org/checklist/S82915449

After the birds started to die down a bit I went to a dry stream bed where there were butterflies puddling. Unfortunately also bees which cut my efforts a bit short. 

I did get on to some good butterflies with Adamson’s Rose, Intermediate Maplet and Jewelled Grass-Blue leading the way.

There were zero other visitors in the park. The huge open campground was unproductive and smoke filled. The burnings in the North and surrounding countries has made the air very bad.

I then went back to the visitor center where caretakers had watered the lawns and some more butterflies were about. White Dragontail showed briefly and a surprising Karen Silverline was a big bonus.

After lunch I drove to Doi Inthanon 2 hours away. I checked in to Rajapreuk Hotel and had a less ambitious late afternoon. 

 

Intermediate Maplet

Adamson's Rose

Long-banded Silverline

Karen's Silverline

Jeweled Grass-Blue

Leopard Lacewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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