Kaengkrachan National Park and Petchaburi province
3-10th of March 2013.

James Phillips contacted me almost a year in advance of this trip. He wanted to make sure to visit at the optimal time of year and that I was available.

Along with James , a keen and driven birder from England, came his spouse, Jenny and friends Mark and Christine Taylor. Mark and Christine opted for a slower pace during our time together and would take time off for leisure and privacy. As it was, we strived to find as many species as possible without killing ourselves.
Day 1.
A rather late pick up at 9 am at Amaranth Hotel (plush) and off to Muang Boran Fish ponds.
Since the area holds a great number of wetland birds I wasn’t too concerned about our late arrival except for seeing the White-browed Crake. As it turned out we not onl y saw the WBC but also Ruddy-breasted.

The ponds were teeming with wildlife. Not a still moment for a couple of hours. Loads of Pheasant-tailed Jacanas in breeding plumage, with a few Bronze-winged mixed in. Several groups of Cotton Pygmy Geese gave full scope views. The now uncommon Striated Grassbird sang its song loud and clear from tree tops. Asian Golden Weaver in full breeding plumage added color. A lone Long-tailed Shrike was another beauty everyone liked.

After that we visited Bangpoo pier and the many Brown-headed Gulls found there. I always enjoy picking out the few Black-headed Gulls mixed in and this time found a nice bird in full breeding plumage.

Our 1st views of Black-capped and Collared Kingfisher as they fed on crabs and mud skippers was another great sighting.

We also took a little time to visit the bird watching tower in the mangroves and got some nice views of common birds not out feeding at the mud flats.

The drive to Lampakbia followed. Along the way we stopped by some paddies and a large body of water. Here we found a single Black-faced Spoonbill! What a great bird to see!
There were many Garganeys and Pin-tailed Ducks plus a few Northern Shovelers as well and some stunning Milky Storks in their nice pink plumage!

At around 18:00 we decided to give the last light of the day to look for Spoon-billed Sandpipers! And, guess what? We found one! There in the last light of the day we watched this iconic bird as it was settling for the night!

Night was spent at White Beach Resort, clean and spacious rooms with WiFi next to the beach at Chao Sumran. A good choice!

Day 2

After breakfast at 7-11 it was off for some serious Spoonie watching. The weather was very gloom and the mud dikes slippery. Atleast it meant temperatures had dropped to decent levels so we didn’t complain too much. All throughout the morning we kept adding waders to our list though we were unable to find Nordmann’s Greenshanks. This led to much speculation as to their whereabouts.

Out on the sandspit we got all the target birds: Chinese Egret, White-faced Plover, Malaysian Plover and dark phased Pacific Reed Egret. Both Greater and Lesser Crested Terns showed and in general it was very pleasant being out on the spit.

In the evening we waited until the thousands of fruit bats flew out of their roost in the mangroves. While waiting we observed literally thousands of Black Drongos and Little Cormorants coming in to roost.

A couple of large flocks of White-shouldered Starlings and many Blue-tailed Bee-eaters also came in to roost.

On the way out from the mangrove project Indian Nightjars kept us entertained. These birds have such cool sounds, like a bouncing ping pong ball!

Day 3.

Since we had dipped on the Greenshanks another morning was spent in search of them but to no avail. Weird! The list of birds seen kept growing though and everyone was happy.

A drive to Ban Songnok feeding station, near Kaengkrachan national park took part of the afternoon and then a few hours behind the stationary blind. Kalij Pheasant, Rufous-throated Partridges, Red Junglefowl, Lesser and Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes kept us in awe. Many other smaller birds came to bathe and drink water.

The night and the following nights were spent at Banmaka Resort with its lovely and lush grounds.

Day 4-7.

Birded both lower and higher levels of Kaengkrachan National Park. Broadbills start to show well in March and we saw so many Silver-breasted Broadbills. Long-tailed Broadbills already were nest building. A group of Dusky responded to play back and Banded gave good views.

There were so many highlites in the park that I can’t mention them all: Banded Kingfisher, Great Slaty Woodpecker at length, Ferruginous Wood Partridge, Black Eagle, Sultan’s Tit, Scarlet Minivet, Orange-headed Thrush, Orange-breasted Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, White-hooded Babblers, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Rusty-cheeked Hornbills, White-tailed Flycatcher, White form of Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Grey-headed Lapwings and Brown-backed Needletails.

One night was spent camping in hope of owls. For some reason the owls were not showing or calling so we had to settle for Great Eared Nightjar, Porcupine and Masked Palm Civet. It was still a great experience as we got the wake up with the sounds of nature in all its splendor!
Other very good mammals seen include the abundant Dusky Langur, a party of White-headed Gibbons with a female carrying young, Giant Squirrel, Northern Treeshrew, Fae’s Muntjac, Sambar deer, Crab-eating Mongooses, and best of all a herd of Gaur at close range.

Day 8. Off to Khao LookChang for the morning hours. This time it worked very well to see the Black-headed Woodpeckers. The forest by the temple is a remnant of former glory before the lowlands all were turned in to farm lands. Purple Sunbird, Lineated Barbets, Red-breasted Parakeets and Rufous Treepies all were added to the trip list.

Raptor migration had started and we watched many Grey-faced Buzzards and some Japanese Sparrowhawks flying and circling over the forest. Great stuff!

Then back to Lampakbia for one last desperate look for the Greenshanks. This time we had heard that they had started to make use of a pond not visible from the road. After a little walk we got to the pan and sure enough there they were! Relief! Not only the Greenshanks were there but also half a dozen Asian Dowitchers. Amazing! This brought our tally for waders to 40 which is a very high number!

After that what remained was a drive to the airport where James, Geni, Mark and Christine left for Krabi in the South and further adventures!

All in all 300 species were recorded.


Images below from actual trip.

Bar-backed Partridge
Scaly-breasted Partridge
Ferruginous Partridge 1 bird
Red Junglefowl
Kalij Pheasant
Grey Peacock Pheasant Heard
Lesser Whistling-duck
Cotton Pygmy-goose
Northern Shoveler
Gargeny
Northern Pintail
Little Grebe
Painted Stork
Asian Openbill
Black-faced Spoonbill 1 bird
Yellow Bittern
Black Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Striated Heron
Chinese Pond Heron
Javan Pond Heron
Eastern Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Eastern Great Egret
Intermediate Egret x
Little Egret x
Pacific Reef Egret x
Chinese Egret x 2 birds
Little Cormorant
Indian Cormorant
Western Osprey
Black Baza
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Black-winged Kite
Brahminy Kite
Crested Serpent Eagle
Eastern Marsh Harrier
Crested Goshawk
Shikra
Japanese Sparrowhawk
Besra
Grey-faced Buzzard
Black Eagle
Common Kestrel
Slaty-breasted Rail
White-breasted Waterhen
Ruddy-breasted Crake
White-browed Crake
Common Moorhen
Barred Buttonquail
Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet
Grey-headed Lapwing
Red-wattled Lapwing
Pacific Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
White-faced Plover
Malaysian Plover
Lesser Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Bronze-winged Jacana
Pintail Snipe
Common Snipe
Asian Dowitcher 6
Eastern Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Spotted Redshank
Common Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Nordmann's Greenshank 9 at LPB
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Great Knot
Red Knot
Sanderling
Red-necked Stint
Temminck's Stint
Long-toed Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Dunlin
Spoon-billed Sandpiper 3
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Ruff x
Oriental Pratincole
Brown-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Great Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern
Little Tern
Common Tern
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Black Tern
Rock Pigeon
Red Collared Dove
Spotted Dove
Common Emerald Dove
Zebra Dove
Thick-billed Green Pigeon
Yellow-vented Green Pigeon Heard
Mountain Imperial Pigeon
Vernal Hanging Parrot
Red-breasted Parakeet
Greater Coucal
Lesser Coucal Heard
Raffles's Malkoha Heard
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Green-billed Malkoha
Asian Koel
Banded Bay Cuckoo
Plaintive Cuckoo
White-fronted Scops Owl a pair
Collared Scops Owl Heard
Collared Owlet Heard
Asian Barred Owlet
Great Eared Nightjar
Large-tailed Nightjar
Indian Nightjar
Grey-rumped Treeswift
Indo-chinese Swiftlet
Germain's Swiftlet
Brown-backed Needletail
Asian Palm Swift
Pacific Swift
Orange-breasted Trogon
Indian Roller
Oriental Dollarbird
Banded Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher
Rufous-backed Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Blue-bearded Bee-eater
Green Bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Eurasian Hoopoe
Tickell's Brown Hornbill
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Great Hornbill Heard
Wreathed Hornbill Heard
Great Barbet x
Lineated Barbet
Green-eared Barbet
Red-throated Barbet Heard
Blue-throated Barbet
Blue-eared Barbet
Coppersmith Barbet
Speckled Piculet
White-browed Piculet
Greater Yellownape
Streak-breasted Woodpecker
Laced Woodpecker
Black-headed Woodpecker
Common Flameback
Greater Flameback
Bay Woodpecker Heard
Great Slaty Woodpecker
Long-tailed Broadbill
Silver-breasted Broadbill
Banded Broadbill
Black-and-yellow Broadbill Heard
Dusky Broadbill
Blue Pitta Heard
Golden-bellied Gerygone
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
Ashy Woodswallow
Common Iora
Great Iora
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Brown-rumped Minivet
Grey-chinned Minivet
Scarlet Minivet
Brown Shrike
Long-tailed Shrike
White-bellied Erpornis
Blyth's Shrike-babbler
Black-naped Oriole
Black-hooded Oriole
Black Drongo
Ashy Drongo
Bronzed Drongo
Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo
Hair-crested Drongo
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
White-throated Fantail
Pied Fantail
Black-naped Monarch
Asian Paradise-flycatcher
Common Green Magpie
Rufous Treepie
Grey Treepie
Racket-tailed Treepie
Ratchet-tailed Treepie
Eastern Jungle Crow
Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher
Sultan Tit
Indochinese Bushlark
Oriental Skylark
Black-headed Bulbul
Black-crested Bulbul
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Stripe-throated Bulbul
Flavescent Bulbul
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Streak-eared Bulbul
Ochraceous Bulbul
Buff-vented Bulbul
Common Sand Martin
Barn Swallow
Asian House Martin
Red-rumped Swallow
Dusky Warbler
Radde's Warbler
Yellow-browed Leaf Warbler
Claudia's Leaf Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Two-barred Warbler
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
Eastern Crowned Leaf Warbler
Yellow-bellied Warbler
Claudia's Leaf Warbler
Sulphur-breasted Leaf Warbler
Alstrӧm's Warbler
Oriental Reed Warbler
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Thick-billed Warbler
Striated Grassbird
Lanceolated Warbler Heard
Zitting Cisticola
Grey-breasted Prinia
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Plain Prinia
Common Tailorbird
Dark-necked Tailorbird
Large Scimitar Babbler
White-browed Scimitar Babbler
Rufous-fronted Babbler Heard
Golden Babbler Heard
Pin-striped Tit Babbler
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
Collared Babbler
Puff-throated Babbler
White-crested Laughingthrush
Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Oriental White-eye
Everett's White-eye
Asian Fairy-bluebird
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
Common Myna
Common Hill Myna
White-vented Myna
Asian Pied Myna
White-shouldered Starling
Orange-headed Thrush
Oriental Magpie Robin
White-rumped Shama
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Verditer Flycatcher
Hainan Blue Flycatcher
Hill Blue Flycatcher
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
White-tailed Flycatcher
Taiga Flycatcher
Blue Rockthrush
Eastern Stonechat
Blue-winged Leafbird
Golden-fronted Leafbird
Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird
Purple Sunbird
Olive-backed Sunbird
Black-throated Sunbird
Crimson Sunbird
Little Spiderhunter
Streaked Spiderhunter
House Sparrow
Plain-backed Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Asian Golden Weaver
Baya Weaver
Scaly-breasted Munia
Chestnut Munia
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Paddyfield Pipit