Thailand Bird Trip Notes & Pics Day 11 – Mae Ping National Park to Doi Inthanon National Park

February 27, 2020    Birding in Mae Ping National Park then Traveling to Doi Inthanon National Park

This is a report on Day 11 of a 19-day birding tour of Thailand; it was a private group arranged through Field Guides, adhering to their typical itinerary.  The pictures in this post are just some of the many Thailand pictures I’ve uploaded to GreatBirdPic.com.   Check out the site before you leave: see the Latest Pics uploaded by our members or read the About GPB to find out more about the site.  You are welcome to join if you enjoy bird photography.

Another day, another Thailand National Park.  Here on the eleventh day of our tour we started the morning at Mae Ping National Park.  Even though we saw 38 species in almost four hours the photo opportunities were slim.  During our snack time we were fortunate enough to relax under a tree in which a Black-hooded Oriole was feeding:

In that very same tree was a Sooty-headed Bulbul also feasting on the berries:

It was time to leave Mae Ping behind and move on to our next stop, Doi Inthanon National Park, near Chiang Mai.  We stopped along the way and enjoyed one of Wat’s great road-side lunches.  We had a pork and rice mix covered with a thin crepe.

We gathered back in the vans and drove to Doi Inthanon National Park and went directly to the summit (Ang Ka).

This was my very favorite site of the whole trip.  The summit was capped with a visitors’ center and below the center was a boardwalk through a very dense forested area and for some reason birds gathered here.  Upon first descending to the boardwalk we spied a Green-tailed Sunbird flitting around the vine and tree blossoms:

One of the Target Birds for this area was a Pigmy Cupwing.  Dave (our guide) heard it and everyone wanted to see.  For some reason I didn’t get a chance to see it (I did the next day).

On the other hand, I got to see a couple of birds the others did not.  They trudged up the hill toward the visitor center and I lingered on the boardwalk at the bottom of the stairs.  I was rewarded with a great look at a Snow-browed Flycatcher:

Soon thereafter I spotted a Rufous-throated Partridge (part of the partridge family).  This bird walked beneath the boardwalk so I waited for it to emerge on the other side and watched this beautiful bird come out into the open:

We headed out of Doi Inthanon and checked into our home for the next three nights, the Inthanon Highland Resort.  This beautiful area had a little pond surrounded by our cabins.  We stayed in the one pictured here on the right upper level.  The lower level was a gathering room for the guests.

We ate our dinner from the location where I was taking the above picture – a beautiful setting.  After we completed our Field Checklist Wat came to the table and offered another local delicacy. Can you guess what it was?

If you guessed ant eggs you’d be right!  Having already polished off a bottle of Thai beer I ventured a taste (I was the only one to do so).  Soft and salty with a little soy sauce.  Mmmm.  No, I wouldn’t do it again!

Tomorrow our first full day of birding at Doi Inthanon National Park!  Click HERE Day 12.

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For you overachievers here are the Ebird checklists for that portion of our trip:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S65173947

https://ebird.org/checklist/S65173953

https://ebird.org/checklist/S65175187

https://ebird.org/checklist/S65177127

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Glad you found GreatBirdPics.com.  Check out the site before you leave: see the Latest Pics uploaded by our members or read the About GPB to find out more about the site.  You are welcome to join if you enjoy bird photography.