Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary: 6-7 October 2011


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Overview

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6-7 October 2011.
Warm to hot, sunny with scattered cloud, dry.
Chiang Dao, Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary

6 Oct. With Steve Tibbett. Left Chiang Mai and and just over an hour later arrived in Chiang Dao. First stop to Malee's Bungalows to secure a room. This morning had a distinct feeling of being the first day of the dry season, with the initial mist burning off leaving a cloudless sky and a rapidly rising temperature.

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta

robber fly
robber fly

Common Clipper
Common Clipper

First walk was into the temple grounds. On starting up the steps a couple of mutts took exception to us, with one turning decidedly nasty, which received a prompt kick in the teeth. The monk smiled and said that dog always disliked foreigners - but when we left it was also giving a couple of Thais a hard time! Time spent in the temple grounds proved to be almost totally birdless, so after an hour we tried the nature trail - only to find the wet season growth made the going too difficult without a machete. Abandoning the trails idea we spent the rest of the day on the back road behind Malee's, driving as far as the high point 10 km after the checkpoint.

The pond at the checkpoint attracted a tasty collection of butterflies - many of which were photographed. The cooler weather at higher altitude produced a few migrants such as Two-barred Warbler, Grey-crowned Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher, and Taiga Flycatcher. An Orange-breasted Trogon was heard about half way up but could not be lured into view. The open pine-oak at the top held Japanese Tit and Grey Treepie. Retuned to Malee's for an 18:00 dinner, after which straight out again, walking to the temple grounds to listen and search for night birds. Mountain Scops Owl were vocal in the forest to the left of the road, as well as Asian Barred Owlet, Collared Scops Owl and Collared Owlet. Whilst hanging around the temple gate, strange bird calls were heard from both side of the road, which were probably Blyth's Frogmouth.

07 Oct. First off, back into the temple grounds again. Bird activity was in complete contrast to yesterday and in a couple of hours we had racked-up Orange-breasted Trogon, Streaked Wren-Babbler, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Great Iora, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta and a host of other commoner species. A nice start to the day. The rest of the day was spent slowly working up, and down, the back road as yesterday. Again birds were much more prevalent than yesterday, with a couple of Oriental Hobby perched-out on dead snags toward the top. During the day species of note included Greater Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Sultan Tit and White-headed Bulbul.

Species List

  Common Name Count
  Green-legged Partridge 2
  Red Junglefowl 1
  Crested Goshawk 1
  Spotted Dove 4
  Mountain Imperial Pigeon 10
  Green-billed Malkoha 2
  Banded Bay Cuckoo 2
  Large Hawk-Cuckoo 2
  Mountain Scops Owl 3
  Collared Scops Owl 2
  Collared Owlet 5
  Asian Barred Owlet 5
  Crested Treeswift 3
  Himalayan Swiftlet 1
  Cook's Swift 1
  House Swift 6
  Orange-breasted Trogon 3
  Great Barbet 10
  Lineated Barbet 2
  Blue-throated Barbet 10
  Blue-eared Barbet 1
  Speckled Piculet 2
  Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker 4
  Laced Woodpecker 1
  Greater Flameback 3
  Bay Woodpecker 10
  Ashy Woodswallow 2
  Common Iora 4
  Great Iora 1
  Large Cuckooshrike 10
  Black-winged Cuckooshrike 5
  Grey-chinned Minivet 2
  Scarlet Minivet 10
  White-bellied Erpornis 2
  Black-naped Oriole 4
  Ashy Drongo 50
  Bronzed Drongo 5
  Greater Racket-tailed Drongo 4
  White-throated Fantail 3
  Black-naped Monarch 10
  Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher 5
  Eurasian Jay 3
  Grey Treepie 3
  Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher 12
  Japanese Tit 2
  Sultan Tit 1
  Black-headed Bulbul 2
  Black-crested Bulbul 20
  Red-whiskered Bulbul 2
  Sooty-headed Bulbul 20
  Puff-throated Bulbul 10
  Grey-eyed Bulbul 20
  White-headed Bulbul 5
  Black Bulbul 1
  Yellow-bellied Warbler 40
  Yellow-browed Warbler 2
  Two-barred Warbler 10
  Eastern Crowned Warbler 1
  Grey-crowned Warbler 2
  Rufescent Prinia 20
  Common Tailorbird 10
  Dark-necked Tailorbird 2
  Grey-throated Babbler 4
  Pin-striped Tit-Babbler 40
  Brown-cheeked Fulvetta 15
  Streaked Wren-Babbler 2
  Buff-breasted Babbler 8
  Velvet-fronted Nuthatch 10
  Oriental Magpie-Robin 2
  White-rumped Shama 10
  Black-backed Forktail 1
  Blue Rock Thrush 1
  Asian Brown Flycatcher 3
  Taiga Flycatcher 3
  Hill Blue Flycatcher 20
  Blue-winged Leafbird 5
  Golden-fronted Leafbird 10
  Plain Flowerpecker 10
  Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker 2
  Black-throated Sunbird 1
  Little Spiderhunter 2
  Streaked Spiderhunter 4
  White-rumped Munia 1