Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Phrachan National Park

It's only on checking my blog archive that I realise I haven't been to Chaloem Phrakiat Thai Phrachan National Park since May last year. Then the reservoir was virtually empty and I was troubled by this. I am glad to say it was looking much healthier today though by no means bursting. On the basis of today I can promise you I'll be back much sooner next time.

The Park is about an hour's drive from home heading south for a little and then west towards the Myanmar border. It runs parallel to Kaeng Krachan though is to the north. From what I can gather from the Department of National Park's website the park was once an enclave of communist insurgents and has only been a designated and protected National Park since about 2003. Here is the good bit:  it gets very few visitors.

Of course the mandatory stupidity: I forgot to bring a card for my camera so no pictures! This is particularly galling as a Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelana),  walked out in front of me  and showed  briefly but long enough to have allowed a couple of decent shots. In fact it was so quiet in the bamboo forest that I picked up the pheasant's rustle in the undergrowth before he appeared,  grey blue, a red "comb" and a silvery grey train. This bird's unexpected presence will ensure my return.

Lots of noise and lots of unidentifieds. Two eagles, possibly Greater Spotted, but too high to identify and a lighter coloured smaller raptor. A small, fast, black and dark blue bird simply refused to let me get it in the bins and I reckon I saw this species three or four times in the course of my visit. Definites included a Red-throated Flycatcher, a female, Black-crested Bulbul, Green-billed Malkoha, Greater-Necklaced Laughingthrush, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Common Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and the more common species.

Now there was one good thing about leaving my SD cards at home. It meant I had to write  field descriptions. Now I reckon I wouldn't have got a correct ID on the Red-thoated Flycatcher had I not done this. My notes read:"Like ABF ( Asian Brown Flycatcher) but white tail edges, black tail". That clinched the ID when I got home and looked at the field guides. I believe it is a lifer too along with the Grey Wagtail and the pheasant. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to ID the wagtail either without a field description. I think I need to remember to do this all of the time!

There is one bird that I really wished I had the scope for. It must remain an unidentified but I think it was a woodpecker. Too far away for the binoculars, a small bird with a black mask and at least three white lines on its wing.

Without a doubt this was my most productive visit to this park and as I said above I will head back some time soon. As well as the birds I enjoyed the little bit of a hike I had in the jungle today.

A Couple of Days Off!

Rufous-winged Buzzard

Mae Wong Area

29.12.10

As I was travelling with my wife and son I thought I had better cater to their needs as non-birders and so we headed from Nakhon Sawan in the direction of Mae Wong National Park to the north. The objectives being beautiful scenery and a rest. We bade fond farewells to Brian and set off. I have to say notwithstanding signage I found it difficult to locate the park. En route we saw a Crested Serpent-Eagle plus an unidentified raptor ; big, very white underneath........ possibly a juvenile of same species.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Mae Wong Area

29.12.10

We finally found the park and drove in and actually took a leisurely drive to the road end at Chong Len. I was generally impresed by the wuality of the road and facilities in the park. A Grey Wagtail and some warblers, probably To-barred but they were moving fast and I was having a day off!

We found a nice resort close to the hotel and settled in for a restful night. In the morning we just sat around and I got drawntot the birds in the trees. First up I noticed a couple of Asian Brown Flycatchers, and in the trees there were warblers and bulbuls, notably Black-headed. A Chestnut-headed Bee-eater posed high up for me. 

 In the afternoon we headed to the local village for some lunch and supplies and we spotted this Rufous-winged Buzzard in the trees. For once I had no bins or camera in the car so had a look and headed for lunch. An hour later on our return it was still there so I legged it back and got my kit and managed these shots. In the absence of internet access let me thank Tom Backlund for assistance with the ID; Tom suggested Rufous-winged Buzzard and I would agree with this on the basis of the photos I looked at subsequently on the Oriental Bird Club Database.

I then sat out in the grounds for a few hours and as day drew to a close I was disturbed by the loud screech of some birds and had a look at a nearby statue and there on it the offering table was a red-billed Blue Magpie and a Green-billed Malkoha. I didn't get the Magpie immediately and I didn't manage a photograph but it returned about 30 minutes after initial sighting and gave me a little display which enable me to ID it. What a beautiful bird with its long tail and beautiful colours. The malkoha hung around in the upper story of the trees and gave me a few decent shots.

Finally I snapped this little fellow thinking it was an Olive-backed Sunbird. In any event I was happy to get the scope on it. When I reviewed the photograph  I was distracted by what appears to be a supercilium. So this got me checking the literature and from this it is quite clearly a Purple Sunbird, a female to be precise. The key diagnostic and distinguishing feature is the small amount of white on the tail whereas the Olive-backed has lots. So three lifers on my days off .......the Buzzard, the Magpie and the Sunbird!

I am already excited about the prospect of returning to do some serious birding here. I really like the feel of this place! It is a known site for the Rufous-necked Hornbill and the Crested Kingfisher and a lot of other cracking birds too.