Day 1: The trip begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency near Bangkok’s international airport.

Day 2: We’ll start birding at temples on the northwest side of Bangkok; at one we have consistently found Red-breasted Parakeet and usually Spotted Owlet and at another, Alexandrine Parakeet, a scarce and local species. Not far away at yet another temple there are hundreds of Lyle’s Flying Foxes (fruit bats). Overall, we could see a fine variety of shorebirds, Asian Golden and Oriental Baya Weavers, and Asian Openbills, which should be numerous throughout the morning. After lunch we’ll be steadily driving towards Buri Ram Province not far from the Cambodian border. We hope to arrive before dusk at the Huai Chorakhe Mak reservoir and see Sarus Cranes. Recently we found several calling Savanna Nightjars and saw them well, a notable sighting here. Our lodging for the next two nights will be at the new and beautiful Pream & Chan Resort located close by. 

Day 3: We’ll spend much of the day scouring Huai Chorakhe Mak Reservoir with our chief target being Sarus Crane, re-established here from wild populations as close as 30 miles away in nearby Cambodia. Water birds should be numerous and could include Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Garganey, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Grey-headed Swamphen, Yellow Bitterns, shorebirds, several species of crake, Eastern Red-rumped Swallows and Sand Martins (Bank Swallow), Oriental Reed and Black-browed Reed-warblers, and Chestnut Munias. After lunch back at our resort, we’ll head south to Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary, a little over an hour away. Here they are re-establishing Asian Wollyneck. We’ll also drive into the sanctuary, where we should see a variety of forest and open country birds. Night at Pream & Chan Resort. 

Day 4: We’ll check the south side of Huai Chorakhe Mak reservoir for other waterbirds and passerines, possibly including Eastern Yellow Wagtail and Red-throated Pipits, and various raptors like Brahminy and Black Kites, and maybe Rufous-winged Buzzard or another species.  Later in the morning, we’ll head west. After lunch we’ll stop at the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, where in recent years we’ve seen the striking Siamese Fireback, the national bird of Thailand, before continuing to Khao Phaeng Ma Non-hunting Area, the best place to see Gaur, the world’s largest native bovine with black coloration and white stocking feet. Near dusk, we’ll continue to our comfortable resort, not too far from Khao Yai’s northern gate. Night at Lilawalai Resort.

Days 5-7: We’ll have three days to explore the densely forested hills, clear rivers, and waterfalls of Khao Yai National Park, one of the best-preserved tracts of tropical evergreen forest in all of Indochina. Khao Yai is noted particularly for larger forest birds, among which are four species of hornbill, including the magnificent Great, as well as Orange-breasted and Red-headed Trogons, Banded Kingfisher, Vernal Hanging-parrot, Banded and Long-tailed Broadbills, and Sultan Tit. We can also expect a fine collection of raptors, pigeons, barbets, woodpeckers, minivets, leafbirds, bulbuls, laughingthrushes, babblers, warblers, sunbirds, and flowerpeckers. Red Junglefowl haunts the undergrowth, and we can hope for scarce ground birds such as the elegant Silver Pheasant. If the bamboo is flowering, we have at least a chance of finding the rare, beautiful and enigmatic Pin-tailed Parrotfinch.  

Khao Yai is also rich in mammals, including Pig-tailed Macaque, gloriously vocal gibbons (both White-handed and Pileated are present, the only location where the two species occur together), Black Giant Squirrel, civets, Sambar, and Barking Deer (Red Muntiac), East Asian (Malaysian) Porcupine, and Asian Elephant. If we haven't seen it already, there will also be a chance for Gaur. Nights near Khao Yai National Park. 

Day 8: Leaving Khao Yai, we’ll first visit Wat Phra Phutthabat Noi, a temple built among steep limestone karst formations. Our main objective is Rufous Limestone-babbler (Turdinus calcicola), a recent split from its two sister species and now a vulnerable Thai endemic with a very limited distribution. We could also see Eurasian Hoopoe and Linneated Barbet as well as Long-tailed Macaque. Later we’ll either head for the coastal town of Laem Phak Bia, or, if a Spoon-billed Sandpiper or two is present, Khok Kham. In late afternoon, we’ll reach the lovely beachfront Fisherman’s Resort near Laem Phak Bia, our home for the next three nights. Night at Fisherman’s Resort. 

Day 9: We’ll spend most of the day birding the brackish and saltwater mudflats, sandflats, mangroves, and salt pans of Phetchaburi Province on the northwestern shore of the Gulf of Thailand. We’ll search for 40 or more shorebird species, including Red-necked, Long-toed, and Temminck’s Stints, Great Knot, Broad-billed and Marsh Sandpipers, Common and Spotted Redshanks, Pied Avocet, and Greater and Tiebetan Sandplovers. Our three main targets are the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper (one to three have wintered here in recent winters), the endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank, and with persistence, hopefully the Near Threatened Asian Dowitcher. Recently, Lesser Sand-Plover has been split into two species, Tibetan Sand-Plover (Anarhynchus atrifrons) and Siberian Sand-Plover (A. mongolus). Wintering birds from coastal Southeast Asia are Tibetan Sand-Plover, while the Siberian winters from the Philippines and central Indonesia, east. We’ll take a boat to a spit of land extending into the Gulf of Thailand, where for at least a decade, one or two White-faced Plovers (Charadrius dealbatus) have wintered. The species was first collected in 1861 by Swinhoe, who described it as a new species in 1870, after which it was forgotten for well over a century! Most taxonomists now regard this as a separate species while some still treat it as a subspecies of Kentish Plover. We’re also likely to see Pacific Reef Egret, Malaysian Plover (nests here), Greater Crested, and possible Lesser Crested Terns. Brown-headed Gull should be numerous and there is a chance for a rarer gull such as a Pallas’s, Black-tailed, Slender-billed, or Heuglin’s. As we pass through the mangroves we’ll watch for Striated Heron, Collared and Black-capped Kingfishers, and look overhead for Brahminy Kites. Here, or elsewhere nearby, the globally threatened Chinese Egret is a possibility. Late in the day, if there’s time, we’ll visit the nearby Royal Project, where we might see Javan Pond Heron, Slaty-breasted Rail, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Common, Pin-tailed Snipe, and Greater Painted-Snipe. At dusk large numbers of Indian Cormorants will be passing overhead. In recent years, Oriental Darters have been on the increase. Night at Fisherman’s Resort. 

Day 10: We’ll visit (or return to) the Royal Project early, searching for additional marsh birds such as Yellow Bittern, Bronze-winged Jacana, and a variety of warblers including Oriental and Black-browed Reed. Later we’ll travel an hour or so to open country that is particularly good for raptors. Among the many wintering Black Kites, we’ll look for eagles; Greater Spotted is the most likely, but we have at least a chance for Booted, Eastern Imperial, and Steppe. The numbers present are highly dependent on the timing of local rice field burning, and if raptor number are low, we’ll explore a nearby wetland which hosts Painted Stork and Black-headed Ibis and Pink-backed Pelican might be present. In some years we have had our best luck finding Asian Dowitcher amongst the Black-tailed Godwits, although in 2023-2026 we found them at Phak Thale. At some point, we may visit nearby Bang Khun Sai with its “swift apartments,” multi-story concrete structures built by Chinese investors to house wild Germain’s Swiftlets. Thousands of pairs nest in the most favored apartments, each with its own set of (human) managers and a speaker system that broadcasts swift calls at high volume in hopes of attracting additional recruits. The nests reportedly sell for upward of $2,500 per pound in Chinese markets! Night at Fisherman’s Resort. 

Day 11: We’ll drive towards Kaeng Krachan National Park, stopping along the way at Kaeng Krachan Country Club or at Thalaong where we might see roosting Indian Thick-knees, Rufous Treepie, and Indochinese Bushlark. Before we reach the park we’ll likely visit one of several blinds established near the park entrance. These are excellent for secretive species that are difficult to see in the field, including Green-legged and possibly Bar-backed and Ferruginous Partridges, Kalij Pheasant, Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes, Siberian Blue Robin, and Indochinese Blue-flycatcher. From time to time even the secretive forest Slaty-legged Crake visits along with Gray Peacock-Pheasant, and even Blue and Eared Pittas, although we would be very lucky to see them. Night at a lodge near the park entrance. Night at Samarn Bird Camp. 

Days 12-14: We’ll spend three days and a final morning exploring Kaeng Krachan.  It’s a wonderful place to watch birds with a wide range of habitats from drier deciduous woodlands to huge expanses of evergreen forest. At middle elevations, we’ll search for Black-thighed Falconet, Tickell’s Brown Hornbil,l and five species of broadbills, including Black-and-yellow, Black-and-red, Banded, Dusky, and Silver-breasted. Wintering Palearctic species should be numerous and might include some more southerly winterers like Chinese Blue-Flycatcher.  

If the road is open to its highest point, we’ll search for Ratchet-tailed Treepie at its only location in Thailand, along with its frequent traveling companion, the striking Collared (White-hooded) Babbler. Black-throated Laughingthrush also occurs here, along with Grey-rumped Treeswift, Long-tailed Broadbill, Greater Green Leafbird, and Dark-sided Flycatcher (most, or all, from the darker Himalayan cacabata group and possibly a separate species from subspecies sibirica), a winter visitor from the north, and we have at least a chance of seeing Spot-necked Babbler, Yellow-vented Pigeon, and Red Bearded Bee-eater. Various owls are found in the park and might include White-fronted Scops-Owl and Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, both species if seen, are usually at a roost, Asian Barred and Collared Owlets, and Southern (Brown) Boobok. Oriental Bay-Owl, with its haunting call, is sometimes heard. At this season, Oriental Honey-Buzzards should be moving north, and other raptors might include Black Eagle, Rufous-bellied Eagle, and Mountain Hawk-Eagle. 

During the summer monsoon season, washouts of the road going to higher elevations can occur. A major washout in 2018 led to a closure for three years but it was open 2023-2026. If it is closed, we’ll spend more time in the blinds where the list of uncommon to rare species we might encounter is very long, and every year is different. In 2020, it included a King Cobra! In drier deciduous forest, woodpeckers are particularly numerous, and with very good luck could see more than ten species, including Buff-rumped, Heart-spotted, Black-and-buff, Black-naped (a split from Grey-headed), Common and Greater Flamebacks, Greater Yellownape, and possibly Streak-breasted, Great Slaty, and White-browed and Speckled Piculets. 

The park also harbors many mammals, and we might encounter Asian Elephant, Golden Jackal, Fea’s Muntjac, Crab-eating Mongoose, Dusky and Banded Langurs, Stump-tailed Macaque, White-handed Gibbon, and with very good luck Dhole or even Gaur or a Sun Bear. Several cats also occur; Leopard is the most frequently seen, but also Tiger, although we would be exceptionally lucky to see one. Dusky Langur, along with a few Banded Langur, are present as well. Nights at a lodge near the park entrance. 

Day 15: This morning is flexible, and we’ll again visit the blinds looking for things we may have missed or make another trip inside the park. On our way back to Bangkok, we may check again for raptors, and if something notable has turned up in one of the Bangkok parks – in the last two years it’s been roosting Collared Scops-Owl – we’ll try for it. Night at the Hyatt Regency near Bangkok’s international airport. 

Day 16: The tour concludes this morning in Bangkok.

2026 Narrative

Our tour started with an evening meeting and dinner at the Hyatt Regency Airport Hotel. Pipith, our organizer and escort, had arrived and joined us for dinner. The next morning, we departed early and headed west to the north side of Bangkok, where we visited several temples and added our first of many species. These included Pink-necked Green-pigeon, Asian Openbills, Eurasian Hoopoe, Alexandrine and Red-breasted Parakeets, Spotted Owlet, Eurasian Hoopoe, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Yellow-vented Bulbul, and Black-naped Orioles. At one temple, we studied several hundred Lyle’s Flying Foxes on a roost. Heading farther north, we stopped and at one rest stop noted nesting Asian Golden Weavers and a singing Plaintive Cuckoo. Much of the day was a driving day, and we arrived late at Huai Chorakhe Mak Reservoir in Buri Ram province. Near dusk we did see 31 Sarus Cranes, a species that has been successfully re-established here. A Shikra and two Rufous-winged Buzards were also seen, and in the isolated reed clumps along the shore of the lake we noted a half dozen Oriental Reed-warblers. As the skies darkened, Savannah Nightjars started calling, and we had good views of several birds, a notable sighting for this region in Thailand. We continued on to the lovely new Pream & Chan resort for dinner and lodging.

The next morning, after breakfast, we checked the reservoir again. Some of the group saw a Freckle-breasted Woodpecker on the grounds of the Pream & Chan Resort. At the reservoir, we started first around some marshy ponds where we saw two White-browed Crakes along with several Black-browed Reed-warblers, a female Brown-throated Sunbird, a well-seen Dusky Warbler, Chestnut Munias, and numerous Yellow Bitterns, tallying ten bitterns for the morning. On the wires and overhead were a number of Eastern Red-rumped Swallows, a rather recent split from the Eurasian and African (south of the Sahara) subspecies which are each treated as separate species. The Striated Swallow (Cecropis daurica striolata), which we did not see, has been lumped as a distinct subspecies with Eastern Red-rumped. Other birds around the reservoir included some 250 Lesser Whistling-Ducks, 85 Cotton Pygmy-geese, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Garganey, Grey-headed Swamphens and Common Moorhens, Glossy Ibis, Little Ringed Plover, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacanas. Spotted Redshank, Wood and Common Sandpipers, Long-toed and Temminck’s Stints, Common Snipe, Whiskered Terns, Oriental Darter, Brahminy Kites, Plain-backed Sparrows and a Pied Bushchat. After lunch back at the Pream & Chan Resort we headed south for the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary where they are re-establishing the Asian Woolyneck. After stopping at the headquarters, we headed down to where an Asian Woollyneck had a nest. We could not see the stork incubating eggs in the nest, but fortunately, one was at a pond very close by. A park officer joined us as we headed into the sanctuary and we added a variety of different species. These included our first Red Junglefowl, Oriental Pied Hornbills, Green-billed Malkoha, Red-breasted Parakeets, Scarlet Minivets, Racquet-tailed Treepie, a small group of Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikes, Common Hill Myna, Blue Rock-thrush, Verditer Flycatcher, Pied Bushchat, and Thick-billed Flowerpecker. Particularly notable was a Burmese Shrike and a pair of Ashy-headed Green-pigeons. This is the first time we have recorded these two species on this tour. The pigeon was formerly known as Pompadour Green-pigeon (Treron pompadora), a polytypic species with 10 subspecies. Subspecies phayeri from the foothills of eastern Himalaya and through continental Southeast Asia is now regarded as a separate and monotypic species. 

The following morning, we birded the south side of the lake and counted 21 Sarus Cranes, along with some 2000 Lesser Whistling-ducks, 100 Garganey, 40 Little Grebes, 4 Oriental Pratincoles,   and 60 Glossy Ibis. Other species noted included Black Kite (5), Oriental Skylark, Red-throated Pipit, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and Brown-throated Sunbird. Not far from the lake, we spotted two Black-winged Kites. From Buri Ram province, we continued on to Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, where we tallied 13 Siamese Firebacks, Thailand’s national bird. Four Pig-tailed Macaques were also present. From Sakaerat, we headed south to Khao Phaeng Ma Non Hunting Area, a reserve with a large number of Gaur, the world’s largest cow. We counted 45. Birds were going to roost, and these included Red-breasted Parakeets (100) and Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters (75). Jason picked out a Blue-throated Bee-eater perched with one of the flocks of Chestnut-headed. This species is more numerous and widespread in Thailand in the wet season. It is the first time we’ve seen one on a Thailand tour. On the way out, the first van flushed up several Large-tailed nightjars. From the Gaur reserve, we headed to Lilawalai Resort not far from the north gate of Khao Yai National Park and our home for the next four nights. 

This morning we started at the Viewpoint and just a short distance beyond there alongside the road, then went to the Km 33 trail, the headquarters area, the Haew Narok waterfall trail, the pond at the old TAT headquarters and Nong Phak Chee. It was an excellent day with lots of highlights. These included Mountain Imperial-pigeon, Great-eared Nightjar, Brown-backed Needletails (subspecies indicus with the white supra loral spot), Violet Cuckoo (immature male), Jerdon’s Baza (two!), Rufous-bellied Eagle (brief pass of an adult!), Red-headed Trogon (excellent prolonged views of a male), Eared Pitta (excellent views of a pair), Great Hornbill (including at a nest), Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Greater and a scarcer Common Flameback, Vernal Hanging-parrot, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Sultan Tit, White-browed Scimitar-babbler, Black-throated Laughingthrush, Golden-fronted and Blue-winged Leafbirds, Little Spiderhunter, and Maroon-bellied (Van Hasselt’s) and Crimson Sunbirds. 

The following day, we returned to the park and birded the high ridge at Khao Khieo. Later in the afternoon, after birding around the park headquarters, we headed out of the park and to a location where there was a Spot-bellied Eagle-owl roosting. We had good views of that regal bird along with many noisy Red-breasted Parakeets, and then went east to a bat cave where various raptors and some 35 Chestnut-flanked White-eyes, along with our second Burmese Shrike, were seen. Later, some one million Wrinkle-tipped Free-tailed Bats exited the cave entrance above us. Within the park, highlights included good views of two Mountain Imperial-pigeons, a female Red-headed Trogon, a Banded Kingfisher pair, Laced Woodpecker, White-bellied Erpornis, and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker. A very large Reticulated Python (identification as Burmese Python was later corrected) was found by a pond near the edge of a large clearing. It looked badly scarred and not very alert. We found it dead in the pond the next day. Perhaps it had engaged earlier in a mortal struggle with a prey item that proved fatal for both the predator and the prey. 

On our final day in Khao Yai National Park, we mainly rechecked birding spots we had previously visited. Highlights included two Wreathed Hornbills, good views of a female Thick-billed Green-pigeon, ten Long-tailed Broadbills and a nest, a Banded Broadbill, Rufescent Prinia, Golden-headed Cisticola, a Blue Whistling-thrush (from the yellow-billed subspecies group), two male Blue Rock-thrushes, one all-blue one of the pandoo subspecies, and one more eastern phlippensis with a reddish-chestnut belly, Cambodian (Buff-bellied) and Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers, and Olive-backed Pipits. A juvenile Mountain Hawk-eagle was seen briefly as it flew rapidly over the lunch area. Also, two striking Large Indian Civets were seen by one of the vans as the civets ran down the road, first one and then the other. 

The following morning was mainly a travel day, one delayed by some two hours on the west side of Bangkok. The upper story of the expressway had collapsed about a month earlier, which funneled traffic down to one lane. We started at the Wat Phra Phutthabat Noi temple, where, with a bit of searching, we found the Rufous Limestone-babbler, a Thai endemic with a very limited range. It is considered “vulnerable” by the IUCN with an estimated population of 2500-6000 birds. Three Black-headed Bulbuls were also seen. Our next birding was the boat trip out to the end of the spit at Laem Phak Bia. We were on two separate boats, one piloted by Mr. Daeng, the other by his son. On the way out we noted several Collared and one Black-capped Kingfisher along with a very cooperative adult Peregrine Falcon. It was quite pale overall, suggesting the northern Eurasian calidus subspecies the equivalent of northern breeding tundrius in North America. Particularly notable was a single Chinese Egret, considered vulnerable by IUCN, with a total population of 2600-6000 individuals. They breed well to the north, mainly in northeastern coastal China, North Korea, and the Russian Far East. On the small islands, there were numerous terns, and these included a single Greater Crested Tern. Several Pacific Reef-egrets were present along with numerous Sanderlings. We paid particular attention to plovers and noted Kentish along with Greater and Tibetan Sandplovers. We found several resident Malaysian plovers and eventually Mr. Daeng located a single female White-faced Plover. This species is a rather recent split (recognized by many authorities) from Kentish Plover. It was found and described by Swinhoe over a century and a half ago, then forgotten, then “re-discovered” some 130 years later. It breeds in small numbers only in coastal eastern China and winters in very small numbers in scattered locations in coastal Southeast Asia. Its conservation is termed “Data Deficient,” or under-studied. Mr. Daeng has a special knack for finding this species and has been leading groups to this location for two and a half decades. Most birders who have seen this species have seen it with Mr Daeng. Late in the day, we checked into Fisherman’s Resort at Laem Phak Bia, our home for the next three nights. 

The next day we studied shorebirds at Laem Phak Bia and particularly Phak Thale. Jason found our first Spoon-billed Sandpiper at Phak Thale, the critically endangered species which breeds in the coastal Russian Far East and winters sparingly in coastal Southeast Asia, in Thailand to eastern Bangladesh. Only several hundred remain. We later saw another Spoon-billed, and while both were somewhat distant, we got very good scope views. In sum, we saw 30 species of shorebirds. These included Ruffs, Long-toed Stint, Marsh Sandpipers (100), Great Knot (2500), Broad-billed Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Nordmann’s Greenshank (3), and a Little Stint. The Nordmann’s Greenshank is considered endangered by IUCN, with a total population as low as perhaps only 1500 to 2000 birds. Other species noted included Indian and Little Cormorants, and numerous Painted Storks and Great Egrets; a few of the latter were coming into alternate condition with solid black bills unlike New World birds. Later, after lunch, we headed north, stopping at Bang Tabin, where he recorded Black-headed Ibis and two Spot-billed Pelicans. A single Temminck’s Stint was also well seen. Waterfowl were numerous and included hundreds of Lesser Whistling-Ducks and over a hundred Garganey. A distant Osprey was also seen, our only one of the tour. Continuing north, we checked the various areas, including flooded rice fields. In particular, we checked a small weedy/brushy spot where we recorded some 20 Yellow-breasted Buntings. IUCN now treats this species as critically endangered, the main threat being mist net trapping for food while in migration in China and on the winter grounds in Southeast Asia. Their propensity to congregate in large flocks makes them particularly vulnerable at roost sites. Other species of note included Eastern Marsh and Pied Harrier, Oriental Reed-warblers, Red-throated Pipits, Eastern Yellow Wagtail (both macronyx and tschutschensis subspecies), and a single Bluethroat, a female. 

On our last day on the coast, we spent the morning searching for Asian Dowitchers. We eventually found them, tallying about 30 birds. Our count of 400 Terek Sandpipers was certainly significant. Our counts of Whimbrel (450) and Bar-tailed Godwit (800) were also notable as were the flocks of sandplovers, Greater and Tibetan. We located the flock of Pied Avocets (55). Other species noted included Golden-bellied Gerygone, Zitting Cisticola, a single Spot-billed Pelican, five Pacific Reef-egrets, a female Eurasian Kestrel, and ten distant Greater Crested Terns (perched on pilings).  During a lunch break we checked a coastal wetland south of Fisherman’s Resort where there were many waterbirds. We counted fifty Garganey, over 300 hundred Pacific Golden-Plovers, five Oriental Pratincoles, and 26 White-winged Terns. Late in the day, we visited the Royal Project near Fisherman’s Resort. We found a variety of interesting birds here which included Ruddy-breasted Crake, Yellow Bittern, 25 Oriental Darters, Yellow-bellied Prinias, and 30 Chestnut Munias. We also flushed a single Indian Nightjar. 

We left early the next morning for Kaeng Krachan. Our first stop was a site where we located three roosting Indian Thick-knees. Here we also saw two Black Bazas along with a female Asian Emerald Cuckoo. A possible Large Hawk-cuckoo flew by, but the views were just too brief to be certain. We continued on to Samarn Bird Camp where we dropped our gear and headed to Bird Blind at the edge of the national park. We spent the late morning and the entire afternoon there. A boxed lunch and drinks were delivered to the blind. Many birds came in to the water traps and food enticements, and were all seen well. These included Bar-backed and Green-legged Partridges, Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, Gray Peacock-pheasant (male and femal), Emerald Dove, Common Flameback, Greater Yellownape, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Racquet-tailed Treepie, Black-naped Monarch, White-browed and Large Scimitar-babblers, Puff-throated Babbler, Oriental Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, and Lesser Necklaced, Greater-Necklaced and White-crested Laughingthrushes. Early on we heard a Collared Scops-owl just outside of the blind and Pipith was able to find it. Although mostly hidden eventually all were able to see. Flycatchers also visited the blind, particularly as dusk approached when some eight Indochinese Flycatchers appeared. Hainan Blue-flycatcher was also seen along with several other unidentified female Cyanoris flycatchers. I sent my images to Philip Round, one of the top authorities on Thai birds. He confirmed these as Chinese Blue-flycatchers. I found from my photos that I had also photographed a male Chinese Blue that must have appeared just briefly. Barrett Pierce sent me a photo of a female Cyornis, and I wondered if it was a female Chinese. I think it was the bird that appeared when I was out looking at the Collared Scops-owl. I sent the image to Phil Round for his opinion, but he was unsure and felt it was best unidentified. In addition to all of the above birds, we heard a Ferruginous Partridge give one series of calls (song?), but it did not come into the blind. Mammals included an abundance of Burmese Striped-squirrels and Gray-bellied Squirrels, along with a half dozen Northern Treeshrews and two Lesser Chevrotains (also known as Lesser Mouse Deer). Early in the evenin,g we had nice views of Large-tailed Nightjars at Samarn Bird Camp. 

We started the next morning, not far into the park, and then worked past the headquarters at km 15 and past the 3rd stream crossing. Species noted included Thick-billed and Wedge-tailed Green-pigeons, Black Baza, Cook’s Swift (30), Crested Goshawk, Asian Barred-owlet, Orange-breasted Trogon, Great and Tickell’s (Southern Brown) Hornbills, Streak-breasted and Black-naped (formerly treated as a subspecies of Grey-headed Woodpecker), Large Woodshrike, Sultan Tit, Ochraceous Bulbul, Rufous-fronted Babbler, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, White-rumped Munia, and Pin-tailed Parrotfinch. The last species occurs only sporadically, as we have seen it on only several previous tours. They seem to be strongly confined to ephemeral patches of flowering bamboo. Dusky Langurs were also seen. After lunch, most of the group went up to the ridge at about 3000.’ Our most notable sighting here was a Sun Bear from the road. This is the first one we’ve ever had on a Thai tour. It had been appearing regularly here over the winter, particularly at the drain below the snack shop, where Barrett saw it the next day. We also had a small group of Banded Langurs. Other species noted included Mountain Imperial-pigeon, Blue-throated Barbet, Great Hornbill, Speckled Piculet (pair), Lesser Raquet-tailed Drongo, Pale Blue and Dark-sided (from the darker Himalaya cacabata group, likely subspecies Rothschildi) Flycatchers, Greater Green Leafbird (male), and Streaked and Gray-breasted Spiderhunters. We also got to see a roosting Grey Nightjar that others had found earlier. On the way back down the ridge, we came across a female Blue Pitta near the side of road. It stayed around for at least ten minutes so everyone in both pick-up trucks had good views. 

The next day, we returned to km 30 (eventually reached km 35) and the ridge and spent the entire day working higher elevations. Highlights included close Mountain Imperial-pigeons, a perched male Grey-rumped Treeswift, Crested Serpent-eagle (3), Collared Owlet (finally located a calling bird), Great Hornbill, a pair of Red-bearded Bee-eaters, two cooperative Banded Kingfishers at a nest, Long-tailed Broadbill (7), Grey-chinned Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, White-throated Fantail, Bronzed Drongo, Lesser Raquet-tailed Drongo, Baker’s, Mountain, Ashy, Flavescent and Black-headed Bulbuls, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Striated Yuhina, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Hume’s White-eye, Dark-sided Flycatcher (4, all from the cacabata group), Greater Green Leafbird (female) and Black-throated Sunbird. At about km 35 there was a nesting Rufous-bellied Eagle, but the incubating bird was hidden. Eventually, a calling adult appeared behind us, and although views were backlit, they were adequate. One of the highlights was a pair of secretive Spot-necked Babblers.  Eventually they came up to be seen by all. It’s only the second time we have recorded this species. A Great Barbet was heard and a Red-throated Barbet was heard at close range. Barrett might have photographed a female Red-throated but a computer hack led to the loss of many photos. He might have retrieved the photo of Red-throated, but only half the image is there! He’s working on it. The species is presently down only as heard, but the status might change. We also saw White-handed Gibbons and six Pallas’s Squirrels and as noted Barrett saw the Sun Bear. Two snakes were seen, an Oriental Whipsnake, which slowly and tentatively moved through the branches, and a beautiful, bright green Tenasserim Pit Viper with a red horizontal streak under its eye, curled up in the crotch of a tree just out front of the snack shop. The reddish-brown “vine” covering up its face turned out to be its tail! 

The next morning we started at lower elevations again within the park. Early on, we found two Black-thighed Falconets. They were distant but with scopes the views were decent. Other new birds included Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo, Silver-breasted Broadbills (seven recorded but they were strangely elusive), Great Iora, and Buff-rumped Woodpecker. Other species noted included Black Baza, Orange-breasted Trogon, Sultan Tit, Large Woodshrike, and Sulphur-breasted Warblers. Two Blue Pittas were heard, one close, but they stayed out of sight. After lunch, we spent some time in the Pa Joy blind. The only new bird was Abbott’s Babbler but Kalij Pheasants did pay a visit. 

We returned on our last morning to the park and birded the stream crossings. We added no new birds, but did see the Thick-billed Green-pigeons (10), Tickell’s Hornbills, Blue-bearded Bee-eaters, a half dozen Banded Broadbills, a Black-naped Woodpecker, and Sultan Tits, along with Dusky Langurs. Back at Samarn Bird Camp, we had good views of Sooty-headed Bulbul of the subspecies thais with yellow undertail coverts. After lunch, we stopped in the rice country, which we had visited earlier, with stops at Ban Lot and Nong Plai Lai. We finally found Javan Pond-herons in alternate plumage, thus they could be identified with confidence. Regarding the Chinese Pond-heron in alternate plumage tucked back in the shadows up in a tree, I sent Barb’s photo to Philip Round, and he felt it was likely an abnormally plumaged Javan. So, Chinese was identified on range in Buri Ram Province, and within Khao Yai and Kaeng Krachan National Parks. We also saw both Asian Golden and our first Streaked Weavers, along with Oriental Pratincoles and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters. It was the raptors that were particularly notable. Amongst the numerous Black Kites we also saw a Black-winged Kite, two juvenile Steppe Eagles, and two Greater Spotted Eagles. And, a small green parrotlet came in and actually landed on a few of us. When I got home, I researched what species it might have been, and I believe it was a Green-rumped Parrotlet Forpes passerinus, which is found in northern South America in the Guianas, west to Colombia, and south to the Amazon basin, Brazil. It is also found on Trinidad, Tobago, and Curacao, and has been introduced to Jamaica and Barbados. My colleague, Kimball Garrett, agreed and said it is the most numerous parrotlet species in the cage bird trade, which apparently extends on occasion to Southeast Asia! We hope it found a home. From Nong Plai Lai we headed back to Bangkok and the Hyatt Regency Hotel adjacent to the airport. We were again delayed at the road collapse west of Bangkok but the delay wasn’t as bad as a week earlier when we were heading west. At dinner, the group learned of the airport closures in the Persian Gulf due to international events. We hope all got home in a timely and safe manner. 

With the addition of the Chinese Blue-flycatcher, our trip list totaled 334 species, the largest trip list we have had recorded. Some of the highlights include a record 41 species of shorebirds, including the three key species, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann’s Greenshank, and Asian Dowitcher, plus White-faced Plover. Other highlights include three species of partridge, Grey Peacock-pheasant, Chinese Egret, Spot-bellied Eagle-owl, a wide variety of raptors, well-seen Blue and Eared Pittas, and five species of nightjars, all seen. Notable mammals included 45 Gaur, two Large Indian Civets, and our first-ever Sun Bear.   

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