Start: GPS N 18, 31.560, E 98, 29.959
End: GPS N 18, 32.612, E 98, 31.521
Doi Inthanon National Park is about 500 square kilometers in size and boasts Thailand's highest mountain at an elevation of 8415 feet (2565 meters). It is located just an hour or so from the southern city limits of Chiang Mai and has a paved road that will take you to the summit with a minimum of curves. The area around the peak is often misty and usually quite cool. Visitors can order coffee or hot chocolate from the shop next to the main parking area at the top of the mountain to ward off the chill. Across from the summit restrooms and gift shop is a bog area with a nice wooden walkway that is definitely worth a visit for birders and non-birders alike. Doi Inthanon is also one of the few places in Thailand where freezing temperatures can be found on some winter mornings.
Our second stop was at the summit. We spent a short time around the coffee shop watching three species of birds that are regular visitors because the shop puts out fruit to attract them, then headed across the street to the sphagnum bog and walked the wooden pathways over marshy ground and through a forest draped with moss and fungi. On our way back down the hill, we stopped at a wide spot in the road with a number of tall trees for a closer look at some bulbuls, then onward to Park Headquarters and the associated campground and lodging area. Our last stop was the Wachiratan Waterfall.
1. Yunnan Fulvetta: We saw five of these near a pair of picnic tables next to the checkpoint. Our guide said that some birders leave food on the tables hoping to attract and photograph Niltavas.
2. Mountain Bulbul: We saw two of these.
3. Spangled (Hair Crested) Drongo: This drongo can be distinguished from other species by its upcurved tail.
4. Small Niltava: See photo above. A gorgous blue bird with darker black markings. Photo is from the web.
5. Black Throated Sunbird: Another really beautiful bird. I did not get a long look at this one, so am hoping to see it again sometime.
7. Rufous Bellied Niltava: Saw a female first, and later a male.
8. Wedge Tailed Green Pigeon: Saw at least nine of these. Quite colorful compared to the lowland pigeons here in Thailand.
9. Large Billed Crow: I'm a little surprised at how relatively uncommon crows are here in Thailand compared to the States, but you do see them occasionally.
10. Yellow Bellied Fairy Fantail: A pretty little yellow and black bird.
11. Gray Throated Babbler: A fast-moving little bird.
13. Dark Backed Sibia: We saw four of these.
14. Black Crested Bulbul: Easy to identify by the bright yellow color and black crest.
15. Japanese White Eye: Saw four of these.
16. Chestnut Vented Nuthatch: I rarely see woodpeckers on birding outings here in Thailand. These little tree climbers are the next best thing.
17. Gray Chinned Minivet: A lighter head and grayish chin relative to the Scarlet Minivet. We saw both a male and a female.
18. Spectacled Bar Wing: We saw two of these.
19. Flavescent Bulbul: Four of these in total.
20. Mountain Imperial Pigeon: I saw this bird for the first time earlier this year in Malaysia. I didn't know it could be found so far north.
21. Verditer Flycatcher: A lovely shade of blue. We saw two of these.
23. Chestnut Flanked White Eye: A new bird for my lifelist.
24. Mrs. Gould's Sunbird: We first saw a juvenile male without the full colors, then later saw an adult. See photo at left (from the web).
25. Little Pied Flycatcher: As the name suggests, a little black and white flycatcher.
26. White Throated Fantail: Just saw one of these.
27. Rufous Winged Fulvetta: Interesting color difference between the sexes.
28. Chestnut Crowned Warbler: This one prefers elevations of 1500 meters or higher, so has a limited distribution in Thailand.
29. Gray Headed Canary Flycatcher: This one stands out with its bright body and squarish crest.
30. White Headed Bulbul: We saw 11 of these. Very different look for a Bulbul.
31. Black Bulbul: The fifth Bulbul species seen at this one spot on the mountain!
32. Streaked Spiderhunter: I kept missing this one the first couple of hours of the trip. The secret is to check out the purple banana flower buds where they like to land.
New Birds Sighted at the Summit Area: 33. Silver Eared Laughingthrush: A regular visitor to the space beside the coffee shop at the summit.
34. Chestnut Tailed Minla: Another regular at the coffee shop.
35. Blue Whistling Thrush: Lovely blue bird with bright yellow bill.
36. Dark Sided Thrush: GPS N 18, 35.361, E 98, 29.127. This one was elusive. We had to watch for about 10 minutes to finally get a clear view of it down at the small stream.
37. Rufous Throated Partridge: GPS N 18, 35.355, E 98, 29.127. Another lucky find down in the bog area.
38. Green Tailed Sunbird: GPS N 18, 35.321, E 98, 29.092. Doi Inthanon is apparently home to a unique race of this bird.
39. Ashy Throated Warbler: We saw several warblers on the day that we couldn't identify because they did not come low enough for us to see their markings. We got lucky with this one. Apparently, the only place you can see it in Thailand is Doi Inthanon, because it likes elevations of 2000 meters and above.
40. Ashy Drongo: GPS N 18, 23.312, E 98, 28.944. We actually saw this one on the way down from the summit to the camping area. It was the lighter colored version.
41. Oriental Magpie Robin: GPS N 18, 32.612, E 98, 31.521. Female.
42. Gray Wagtail: Only saw one.
43. Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo: This drongo prefers higher elevations than the similar Greater Racket Tailed Drongo.
44. Green Billed Malkoha: Only got a brief glimpse.
45. Velvet Fronted Nuthatch: Another good substitute when no woodpeckers are about.
New Birds Sighted at Wachiratan Falls:
46. Plumbeous Redstart: We saw two out on the rocks along the stream near the base of the falls.
47. Taiga Flycatcher: Perched on a branch near the falls.
It is amazing how many more species I saw on this trip than on two previous ones to the mountain. Part of it is having a guide who knows where to go, but in this case, a lot of it has to do with Uthai's amazing ear for bird calls, and his great vision. I highly recommend having him show you around one or more birding locales if you have some time in northern Thailand and do not know the local birds well. Forty Seven (47) species in one visit. Thirty of them were new ones for my lifelist!
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