National Parks in the north of Thailand, trip reports. (1 Viewer)

Nam Tok Mae Surin NP Headquarters area.

Again no charge for entry only paid for the nights camping and car entry, good camping area close to a river and toilets with mains power and lights at night, houses for rent but didn’t ask price.



Male Pied Bushchat

Not a huge area to explore but lots of bird calls on a short loop road that runs past a nursery area and a rough road up to a dam that holds big fish and several people trying to catch them. There is another rough road which starts at the beginning of the dam road and leads up the river to agricultural land.



Fishing in the dam.

Most of the birds seen were around the loop road and up the gully on the far side of the dam. There is a walking track that goes round the dam and tracks up the gully, some pig sign up there and also a pack of dogs.



Male Purple Sunbird.

I had read of a nature trail at Mae Sareng 17km south of the HQ where there were said to be lots of birds, after having to pay 200b to walk the trail I found the bit about plenty of birdlife to be a fiction and a waste of 200b. I did continue to drive up the road that passes that trail but saw very little.



White-breasted Woodpecker.

Friendly staff who gave us far to many vegitables which they grow themselves, mains power with lights on at night and charging points for batteries, there are some dogs but they gave us no trouble. A nice place to stay close to Mae Hong Son for fuel and anything else that’s needed and coupled with the waterfall to the south a great park for birds.



Black-headed Woodpeckers.

Birds

Blue-winged Leafbird
Golden-fronted Leafbird
White-bellied Woodpecker
Black-headed Woodpecker
Asian-barred Owlet
Common Flameback
Hill Myna
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Bronzed Drongo
Spangled Drongo
Collared Falconet
Coppersmith Barbet
Liniated Barbet
Common Kingfisher
Grey-headed Parakeet
Pied Bushchat
Thick-billed Green Pigeon
White-crested laughingthrush
Purple Sunbird
Blue Rock Thrush
Little (striated) heron
Little-green Bee Eater
Spotted Dove

Huai Nam Dang National Park

Once again we stayed at two different campsites so I will do this in two posts to get in more photos.

Headquarters area

300 Baht entry which is a bit steep but we ended up staying 6 nights so not to bad, spacious terraced camp grounds with good toilets but very windy up there at 1700m above sea level, we set up camp in a sort of sheltered place close to toilets and I did the usual wander round to get to know the place getting a few photos. After a windy and cold night, down to 11c with the wind chill making it feel closer to freezing, dressed for the cold I went round the camp grounds getting some good photos.



Dark-backed Sibia

Once Ying had got out of her warm bed we went for a drive up the road that heads to into the interior of the park and to villages and a watershed conservation area, this is another Royal project things we see everywhere we go and in the most remote places. There are houses for rent there that must be booked in advance and a camp ground which at close to 2000m above sea level must qualify for one of the highest camp ground in the country, the place looks really good and we decided to head up there to camp for 2 or 3 nights.



Spectacled Barwing

Many good birds around the HQ camp and toilets and a sala across the other side of the road from our tent, birds would come in the morning to feed on the insects attracted to the lights at night and still there in the morning.



Long-tailed Minivet

There are dogs a cat and buffalo wandering around at night so once again food security is important. We were told that the late King donated a pair of buffalo to the park about 40 years ago and they have now bred up to a herd of around 30 which has turned semi nocturnal and sometimes wanders into the camp area at night making a pest of themselves, at least one has a bell attached probably one of the original pair. Doubt they were from wild stock but it is possible as there would have been wild herds in several places back then.



Male Grey Bushchat

Headquarters and visitor center are just down from the camp ground, this is where nice looking rent houses are, there is also a firebreak road in the left about a KM up the road which we drove along for about a KM, all these places are worth a look for birds.



Walked down the road one evening, Yellow-throated Martin

General

This park with the 2 camp grounds with good accommodation at both should be a must on any birding itinerary to the north for there are many species that are easy to observe. The corn stubble up high is ideal habitat for wintering Buntings and others and I saw 3 species, Mrs Humes Pheasent is present, I had a female fly past my head and disappear into the scrub but no photos. The road to Doi Sam Muan continues on round the back of Chiang Dao with birding all the way. We will return.

Birds HQ area.

Grey Bushchat
Hoopoe
Spectacled Bar-wing
Red-eared bulbul
Flavescent Bulbul
White Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Large-billed Crow
Sotty-headed Bulbul
Grey-backed Shrike
Scarlet Minivet
Long-tailed minivet
Blue Rock Thrush
Oriental White Eye
Asian-brown Flycatcher
Grey-backed Shrike
Magpie Robin
Dark-backed Sibia
Common Rosefinch

Huai Nam Dang National Park, Doi Sam Muan.

After 3 nights at the HQ we packed up camp and went 18km up a not to bad road to Doi Sam Muan camp ground, second gear most of the way with first needed in places, 4WD would be required in the wet but not when we went. Set up camp just before a mob of kids from the school down the road turned up to play football, seems we were on their football ground.



Eastern Stonechat.

The camp Ground is sheltered from the wind and below are 3 rent houses which must be booked in advance, there is also a meeting room and small museum which unfortunately has not been well maintained.
The project was set up by the late King 40 years ago as part of an iniciative to get the farmers off growing poppies which were at the time the main crop in the area.



Oriental White-Eye

A bird survey was done there 18-19 years ago and a list of 128 species recorded is posted in the meuseum along with some photos.



Grey-headed Woodpecker.

There was a flock of small birds roosting in the trees by the camp ground the only one I managed to get a photo of was a Great Tit, there is another large tree with some bare branches that I saw several species stopping at in the morning and a gully down the road at a small shop that sells food and snacks that holds small birds in the evening.



Oriental Turtle Dove

Up the road from the camp site the road branches at what was once a check point with the road to the right going to fields of corn stubble and coffee bushes. This is the area where I saw buntings, woodpecker and other small birds.



Chestnut Bunting

Birds Doi Sam Muan.

Mountain Bulbul
Flavescent Bulbul
Red-eared Bulbul
Verditer Flycatcher
Great Tit
Silver-eared Mesia
Maroon Oriole
Ashy Wood Swallow
Ashy Drongo
Blue-bearded Bee Eater
Blue Rock Thrush
Burmese Shrike
Chestnut Bunting
Eastern Stonechat
Eyebrowed Thrush
Grey-backed Shrike
Grey Bushchat
Grey-headed Woodpecker
Long-tailed Minivet
Long-tailed Shrike
Magpie Robin
Olive-backed Pipit
Oriental-turtle Dove
Pied Bushchat
Red Jungle Fowl
Short-billed Minivet
Siberian-blue Robin
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Oriental White Eye
Yellow-breasted Bunting
Grey-eyed Bulbul
Common Rosefinch

Chaing Dao Wildlife Sanctuary



We Continued up the road from Doi Sam Muan which led round the back of Chaing Dao and arrived at the headquarters to be told there was no camp ground there but we could camp at a grassy place outside the Temple and use the temple toilets, I wanted to get the use of power to charge my lap top battery so we decided to bunk up at one of the many places with rooms for rent, first we tried Malee’s which is mentioned on several web sites but she wanted 800B for a room for the night which is somewhat out of our budget range so we looked around and ended up in a basic room with outside toilet and the luxuary of a hot water shower at another place for 250B.



Taica Flycatcher

In what was left of the afternoon I went up to the temple and walked, climbed, up the 500 plus steps to the monks quarters but failed to see any of the birds that I had read were there. Next morning I drove up to what is called the check point trail which leads up a stream, not a great deal of birdlife about but did get a photo of a White-crowned Forktail which made the walk worthwhile.



Large Cockooshrike.

On getting back to where we stayed I decided to pack up what little we had unloaded and head up to Den Ya Kat camp ground which is a high level ranger station. A permit is needed for this trip which is 18KM over a quite rough road, we got there without having to use 4WD but in the wet it would probably be impassable.



Large-hawk Cuckoo.

Set up camp in a good size camp ground with just adequate Thai style toilets and had a wander up a new firebreak past a small lake seeing a few birds but not getting many photos. Next morning I went a fair way up what is called the sumit trail seeing more people than birds for it is a track that, as the name suggests, leads to the summit with camps in between and is popular with those wanting to climb a mountain.



Mountain Imperial Pigeon.

Next day it was up the firebreaks again up as far as they had been cut getting photos of a male Mrs Humes Phesant which is one of the iconic birds of the area, unfortunately missed a photo of the female which I saw at the same time it saw me.

I headed down just as the clearing gang arrived and hung around the small lake or large pond where the newly cut firebreak starts, there are two more smaller ponds up a gully above the lake this is where the water supply comes from and I went up there several time and got photos of different birds every time. There are also water tanks at the bottom corner of the lake one of which is overflowing and this is where some birds were going to bathe.

General

Power is by solar aray with lights in the toilets and staff are friendly so should be no problem to get batteries charged. Anyone wishing to go up there should note that it will be closed at the end of March to open again in November this is because of the fire risk and then the wet season. There were gangs there cutting and clearing the firebreaks in preparation for the fire season

Birds Temple and check point trail

White crowned forktail
Grey Wagtail
White-rumped Sharma
Black-crested Bulbul
Taica Flycatcher
Sooty-headed Bulbul

Birds Den Ya Kat

Large Hawk Cuckoo
Mountain Imperial Pigeon
Ashy Drongo
Bronzed Drongo
Burmese Shrike
Great Tit
Greater Flameback
Greater Yellownape
Grey-headed Parotbill
Hoopoe
Large Cuckooshrike
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
Long-tailed Broadbill
Orange-bellied Leafbird
Maroon Oriole
Mrs Humes Pheasent
Oriental Turtle Dove
Streaked Spiderhunter
Stripe-breasted Woodpecker
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Verditer Flycatcher
Yellow-breasted Bunting

Doi Ang Khang

This is not a national park but none the less is a known bird spot and well worth a visit.

After stocking up at Chaing Dao and missing out Pha Deang NP because there was a large group of school kids filling up the camp ground we arrived fairly late and had a look at the camping grounds and the army camp then had a feed at one of the restaurants at the King Project where there were Striated Swallows roosting in a building across the road from the King Project gate. We then put up the tent at the camp ground with the intention of moving in the morning for the toilets had no running water and no power.



Striated Swallows

In the morning we packed up early and set up our tent and camp at the army camp where camping is free, they have good toilets which unfortunately are also lacking running water, there is power for charging batteries at the coffee and drinks shop.

I then went for a walk down what is called the ridge trail which starts 300m beyond the 21KM mark up the road from the army camp seeing some good birds and getting good photos of 2 new species.



Burmese Shrike

Next morning we had planned to go up to a lookout point then walk up a trail along a high ridge, this proved to be a bit of a waste of time as there were very few birds to be seen and even less that I could get a photo of.
We then went for a drive up the road to the Burma border and to several villages where the main crop is strawberrys with flowers and vegetables grown as well. Back to camp for lunch then I had a look at what is called the Mae Phur Valley Trail which follows a stream down to where a wide firebreak has been cut up a ridge I climbed a little way up this firebreak and saw more birds than I had seen walking down the trail.



Rufous-backed Sibia

On the morning before we left I went back to the 21km trail and walked down a branch that goes to the right, it goes through thick forest then sidles round a steep face. There is also a branch to the right off this track which probably leads to a ridge and high point but as we had to pack up and leave I did not attempt it.



Brown-breasted Bulbul

On the way back the sun was behind me so gave a better look at things, in a small gap in the forest I saw several small birds and a small flock of laughingthrush but the only birds that would stay still long enough for photos were Grey-cheeked Fulvetta and a Spectacaled Barwing.



Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Farther back on the main trail there is a small patch of grass and birds were all around so I didn’t know which way to look but I was fortunate to get some photos of Silver-eared Mesia, and Scarlet-faced Liocichla a bird I had hoped to see but up this time had missed out on, but for some strange reason all the photos I took that morning are not on the camera card, a big disappointment.

General

There are several resorts in the area as well as some houses to rent, mains power everywhere and shops and resteraunts although the prices are high compared to in town. A travelling shop goes round every day stopping at the army base it has frest meat, fish and vegies so no need to take much food if you are doing your own cooking. The 21.3 Km trail was by far the best place I went.

Birds

Striated Swallow
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Mrs Goulds Sunbird
Brown Shrike
Brown-breasted bulbul
Red-eared Bulbul
Ashy Drongo
Asian-brown Flycatcher
Blyth’s Shrike Babbler
Bronzed Drongo
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
Chestnut Bunting
Dark-backed Sibia
Flavescent Bulbul

Great stuff Robby, would love to get back out to Thailand one day, some amazing birding to be had.

Have another look at your Nam Tok White's Thrush by the way, looks like a Rock Thrush of some sort, do you get White-throated round there?

keep the reports coming,

cheers

James

JWN Andrewes said:

Great stuff Robby, would love to get back out to Thailand one day, some amazing birding to be had.

Have another look at your Nam Tok White's Thrush by the way, looks like a Rock Thrush of some sort, do you get White-throated round there?

keep the reports coming,

cheers

James

Click to expand...

It is indeed a female White-throated Rock Thrush.

Grahame

Thank you for that correction kind sirs.

On to the next and last birding stop of this trip.

Doi Pha Hom Pok national park.

I will divide this one up into 3 posts as we camped in 3 separate places.

After refeuling and stocking up at Fang we set up camp at Fang Hot Springs where there are 4 spacious camp grounds with good toilets but only cold water showers, we set up camp in camp ground D beside a small lake and I went for a short explore up the water supply pipeline.



Next morning we drove up what is the west side road to the Burma border stopping at several place where we saw birds, being a Sunday there were a lot of people about mainly looking for birds, not a lot of photos that day but learnt a bit about the place, knowledge that was put to good use the next 2 days when I went up again.



Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler

It takes about an hour to drive up as far as you are allowed to go from either Fang township or the hot springs. The first part of the road goes through villages and fields of onions and garlick then through orange orchards then once past national park sign steeply up ito the forest till a ridge top is reached where theforest changes to pines and roadside scrub. This is where the majority of the birding is done particularly in the area around this sign.



There are several places where someone has been ignoring the sign and feeding birds, each place seems to have a specialty group of birds and I spent most of my time at 3 of those places where I got most of my photos.



Chestnut-capped Babbler

General

There are hot pools where you can go to bathe both outside and private in small huts, several good looking houses for rent with air con and a place popular with locals and kids where they can play in the water of a stream. In the hot spring area there is a guyser that spouts about every half hour and a pool where it is possible to boil eggs, little ratten bskets are sold in local shops to put the eggs in. Restaurant and shop on site as well as an informative visitor center, all signs are in Thai and good English.



Little Pied Flycatcher

Entry fee is 300 B but this covers the whole park which includes the next 2 places where we intend to camp, a worthwhile place to visit from a bird point of view or just to wander around a well kept park.

Birds from the hot springs camp ground and west side road.

Silver-eared Laughingthrush
White-browed Laughingthrush
Black-crested Bulbul
Chestnut-capped Babbler
Dark-backed Sibia
Flavescent Bulbul
Gient Nuthatch
Great Tit
Greater Cowcal
Grey Bushchat
Hill Prinia
Hill-blue Flycatcher
Little Cuckoo Dove
Little Pied Flycatcher
Long-tailed Shrike
Oriental White-eye
Raddes Warbler
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler
Siberian Ruby-throat
Slaty-blue Flycatcher
Spot-breasted Parrotbill
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon
White-bellied Redstart
White-gorgeted Flycatcher
Yellow-browed Warbler

Keiw Lom,
said to be the highest camp ground in the country but I now know that Doi Sam Muan is a little higher.



Fueled and stocked up again in Fang before heading up to this high level camp ground where we set up the tent in one of the 3 large camp grounds, lots of birds around the camp ground including a Nuthatch bouncing around on the pine trees, this turned out to be a Chestnut-vented Nuthatch a bird I haven’t seen before, after getting some photos I headed up to explore towards the sumit of what is the second highest mountain in Thailand which I intended to climb next day.



Chestnut-vented Nuthatch

It was calm when we set up camp but not long after dark the wind started and continued all night the next day and the next.



Mountain Bulbul

Headed up the hill as planned but saw very little bird life, much more around the camp. When I got back down we went for a drive back down the road to a junction that was signposted to lead to what is called the A frames camp ground, this proved to be a good concrete road, a better alternative than the rough road we went up. The A frames camp is apparently closed but a farther 6KM down the road there are 2 other camp grounds one which is very nicely kept at the Royal residence which is also Ranger station No 4.



Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, female

Ying liked the look of the place and we decided to move there the next day, 4am next morning it started to rain and with the wind driving it horizontally into the camp everything outside the tent got nicely wet. Fortunately it stopped around 9am and we packed up a slightly damp camp and headed down.



Radde's Warbler


Birds

Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush
Chestnut-headed Bee Eater
Flavesvent Bulbul
Golden-throared Barbet
Great Tit
Grey Wagtail
Hill Prinia
Little-pied Flycatcher
Mountain Bulbul
Olive-backed Pipit
Rufous Treepie
Scarlet Minivet
Silver-eared Laughingthrush
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Radde's Warbler

Royal Residence Camp ground



This is 12KM down the road from the junction and has good toilets and a 3 bedroom house with all mad cons, TV, hot water and air con for rent at 2000b per night this must be booked in advance and VIP’s get priority, food can even be cooked for you if you wish. After setting up camp I drove up and down the road a bit to explore and saw a pair of Mountain Bamboo Partridge on the side of the road then farther down feeding on a red flame tree Red-billed Simiatar Babbler, Rufous Treepie and a Maroon Oriole.



Red-billed Scimitar Babbler.

Next morning after a slightly windy night we drove back to the flame tree but very little activity this morning. Farther up the road at what is called the Royal Pavilion there were other flame trees and the one of these was very popular with the birds including something I didn’t recognize but after going through the book I identified it as a Spot-winged Grosbeak, there were quite a number of these, mostly female but I did see one male.



Golden-throated Barbet.

Evening it was back to the other flame tree between the 16 and 17km markers and several other species including Great barbet, Golden-throated Barbet, Orange-bellied Leafbird and Little Cuckoo-dove put in an appearance.



Rufous Treepie.

General

This place would make a great base for anyone wanting to visit the mountain and the east side road, mains power with plenty of battery charging and lights at night. The flame trees and opportunities along the road give a great range of species without having to climb a hill or even leave the vehicle. The road is concrete most of the way except for a couple of KM at the bottom which is in the process of being concreted and although up and down and round about is easy access for even a small car while the other road needs high clearance and in places 4WD.



Little Cuckoo Dove.

From the junction up to Kiew Lom is also quite easy car access with concrete on the steep bits. If you go there take a tow rope, strop or chain for it is quite possible there may be fallen trees across the road, we encountered 2 which we had to hitch on to and tow out of the way, a machete is also a useful thing to carry.


Birds

Spot-winged Grosbeak
Slender-billed Oriole
Mountain Bamboo Partridge
Ashy Drongo
Ashy Wood Swallow
Roufous Treepie
Maroon Oriole
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Flavescent Bulbul
Great Barbet
Orange-bellied Leafbird
Golden-throated Barbet
Spangled Drongo
Grey Wagtail
Little Cuckoo-Dove
Streaked Spiderhunter
Long-tailed Shrike
Common Rosefinch
Red-headed Bunting
Slaty-backed Forktail
Mrs Goulds Sunbird

Doi Lang

This is the East side of the same road and access is up road 1314 to a check point where ID is required to continue up the hill. We did a day trip up this road from the Royal Residence camp ground to have a look before comiting ourselves to a move to the camp ground. Again very windy at the camp ground and farther up what is quite a rough road. At the top check point we were told we could continue to a lookout point but to go no farther, there is an army camp farther up where we were told visitors are not welcome and that if anyone arrives there the person at the check point will be in trouble and the road is likely to be closed at the check point. Very little bird activity probably because of the wind so we decided not to camp there and stayed at the Royal Residence.