The Bird ID Company

15th-20th March 2024 – Estonia

Posted on April 1, 2024 | Leave a comment

An International Tour organised in conjunction with our friends at Oriole Birding. A short trip, looking for woodpeckers and owls, and timed to catch the wintering Steller’s Eiders before they head off north. We will be looking to run this tour again, so if you like what you read, please get in touch.

FRIDAY 15TH MARCH

Mainly a travel day today. It was an early start, meeting at the Wizz Air counter at Luton Airport at 4am for our 6.10am flight to Tallinn. The plane took off on time and only took a couple of hours, so we arrived half an hour ahead of schedule. Our bags were already waiting for us on the carousel when we got through immigration and we met Tarvo, our local guide, in the Arrivals hall. There was light drizzle outside as we loaded up the minibus and on the short drive over to the café where we were going to have lunch, Tarvo rang ahead to say we would be early. There were a few Scandinavian Herring Gulls and Hooded Crows around the buildings on the way. After a short break for lunch, we were on our way again and soon we were out of Tallinn and into the countryside. We added a few more common birds on the way, a few Magpies and one or two Ravens, and a small wood by the road held several Grey Herons as we passed.

We turned off the main road at Padise and we could see lots of swans in the fields even before we pulled over at the start of a track where we could stop and get out. Three White-fronted Geese flew over calling. It was rather misty, but getting the scopes out we could see that the fields were full of geese, as well as about 400 Whooper Swans. The geese were mainly Tundra Bean Geese, an impressive flock, Tarvo estimated around 1,200, with perhaps a hundred or so White-fronted Geese mixed in. We scanned through the geese to see if we could find anything different in with them, finding one or two Pink-footed Geese although they were hard to see in the mist and they kept disappearing into furrows in the field.

**Tundra Bean Geese & Whooper Swans** – our first big flock

When all the geese flushed, we looked over to see a young White-tailed Eagle flying over the trees behind. The geese landed again, a little closer, so we could get a better look at the White-fronted Geese in particular. A Sparrowhawk shot past too, low over the field in front of us. The wet grassy field the other side of the road was full of Lapwings and several Skylarks were fluttering up singing or chasing round low over the ground. We heard a Golden Plover call overhead but couldn’t see it in the low cloud. A flock of thirteen Woodpigeons flew up and circled round before dropping down again – a summer visitor here, they are only just starting to return and this was the largest group Tarvo had seen yet this spring.

Moving on, we pulled up again on the side of the road when one of the group spotted three Common Cranes in a field. They have returned early this year and, unusually for here, these were two adults with a still attendant juvenile – the juveniles do not normally return with the adults in the early spring. When the female and juvenile took off, another pair of Cranes appeared in the sky too as they flew across the road. A little further on, when a few small birds came up out of a stubble field we stopped for a closer look and a huge flock of at least 500 Skylarks came up off the ground. Impressive numbers, and a reminder of how few we see in farmland in the UK these days. We were a little early still, so we drove on past the turning to our accommodation, to have a quick look at some nearby meadows. There was another pair of Cranes here and we stopped to watch them, as they started to bugle and then even a little bit of dancing. We found our first pair of Greylag Geese too. Then we looped round and back to Roosta and checked into our accommodation for the night.

After a short break to get settled in, we met again at the minibus. As we drove through the forest, the drizzle at least seemed to be stopping, even if it was still rather misty in the trees. A Moose, or more properly an Elk this side of the Atlantic, appeared out of the trees and ran out across the road in front of us, followed by a second, impressively big even though they were two youngsters, and they disappeared quickly into the trees the other side despite their large size. We stopped by a small clearing and got out. We were hoping to find Ural Owl here, but we were perhaps a bit early still, as it was still quite light. A Common Buzzard flew across as we got out of the minibus, a Common Crane came high overhead and a Crested Tit called from the pines behind us but remained well hidden – we just had a couple of glimpses of a bird flying through the tops. We decided to drive on and come back a little later.

There had been a Hawk Owl not far away up to about a week ago and although it hadn’t been seen since, we decided to have a quick look. It was not really the weather for it, grey, misty and damp with a fresh wind and scanning the trees we couldn’t see any sign of it. We did start to find small groups of Roe Deer out in the fields now (Lynx food!). There were more Greylag Geese and another flock of several hundred Tundra Bean Geese flew up and circled round before whiffling back down. Another Common Buzzard was perched in a tree and another Sparrowhawk flew across. Away from the more open fields, we saw three male Yellowhammers perched on the telegraph wires by the track in quick succession. We went back to have another try for the Ural Owl but even though it was starting to get slightly darker, the wind seemed to have picked up further and it was still damp and cool – not great weather for owls. We could hear a Mistle Thrush singing now and two flew over, a Blackbird called from the bushes, and we could hear more Cranes bugling in the distance, but beyond that there was little activity here. It was almost time for dinner so we decided to head back to warm up.

SATURDAY 16TH MARCH

We set off at 7am for a quick look at a nearby site for Pygmy Owl, about ten minutes’ drive away. It was dry this morning, but still very grey and cold with the rather blustery wind from last night still blowing over the forest. As we got out of the minibus, some Siskins were calling in the trees and a Linnet flew over. We walked up the road listening for any owls but it was rather quiet in the forest. We did find a pair of Crested Tits, which came into the trees by the road and one dropped down where we could get a closer look. There were a few geese flying over further up and we could hear White-fronted Geese and Tundra Bean Geese calling. Some small groups of Skylark and Lapwing came over the forest and over the road too. We continued on a little further but there were no owls calling so Tarvo went back for the minibus. While we waited, we heard a mixed tit flock close to the road, including Great Tit and Marsh Tit, but they remained too deep in the spruces to see.

As we came back out into a clearing, a Great Grey Shrike was perched on the wires. We stopped to look at it and it dropped down, chasing after something and landing in a low fir tree close to the road. A flock of 20 Common Cranes flew over the trees behind. We still had time for another stop before breakfast, so we drove round to another clearing. It was a bit more sheltered from the wind here and immediately there was more activity. As we pulled up, a Woodlark flew up from the ground, across the road in front of us and off over the trees beyond. As we got out, a small group of Blackbirds came out of the bushes, presumably early migrants which had dropped in here overnight, and a couple of small flocks of Chaffinches flew over the trees behind.

A Nutcracker called not too far away and quickly flew in and perched on the top of a nearby spruce. It was chased off its perch by a second Nutcracker, but they just dropped into some nearby deciduous trees where we could still see one preening before it flew up into the top of another spruce. We had a great look at it in the scopes now.

While we were watching it, we heard a Willow Tit calling nearby and it flew in to some small trees in the clearing closer to us where it started singing. The Willow Tits here are of the northern race, borealis, which is noticeably paler than the British race. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed on a bare dead pine where we watched it feeding on the old cones. The Nutcracker was still in the top of the spruce, so we turned our attention back to that until it finally flew off, and then it was time to head back for a well-earned breakfast.

**Willow Tit** – of the northern race *borealis*

After breakfast, we packed up our bags and as we were loading up the minibus, three Common Crossbills flew over calling. We would be driving over to Virtsu to catch the ferry today and crossing over to the island of Saaremaa later, but we had several birding stops planned on the way. Driving through the fields we found more flocks of Lapwings with several Starlings feeding in with one of the largest ones and we flushed another Great Grey Shrike up from the verge. As we got down to the coast, we could see the bays were mostly still frozen. A White-tailed Eagle was perched on a rock down by the ice and in one area of open water we could see lots of ducks, mainly Goldeneye and Goosander, with several Grey Herons and Great White Egrets along the shore.

We were heading for Haapsalu first, and as we got closer and into the town we started to find more Rooks and Jackdaws which looked to be of the eastern race soemmerringii, with a distinctive pale collar. We parked by the promenade around the bay, which had a large area of open water now, and set up the scopes. We were quickly on to several Smew, including some smart drakes, not far offshore and further out we could see more, probably at least 60 in total. There were lots of Goosander, including a group of three in a hole in the ice close in, Goldeneye, and some large rafts of distant Tufted Duck. A pair of Gadwall were asleep on the ice out in the middle and several Wigeon were flying round and landing with the Mallard very distantly over on the far side.

There were lots of swans too, good numbers of Mute Swans closer in and mainly Whooper Swans further out but also about 130 Bewick’s Swans only recently returned, stopping off on their way back to Russia and as we were watching another group of 33 flew in across the bay.

**Bewick’s Swan** – stopping off on the way back east

Closer to the town, there was a large raft of Coot and a big gathering of Cormorants, and there were a few gulls flying round, Black-headed, Common, Great Black-backed and Scandinavian Herring Gulls. All the latter we could see were of the localised race omissus which is distinct in having yellow legs. A Reed Bunting was calling from a small area of reeds in the ice and four more flew over, and we could hear a Greenfinch wheezing from the houses behind us and then looked over to see two males drop down onto the grass fighting. Then a couple of White-tailed Eagles appeared over the far side of the bay, an adult and a juvenile and we watched them catch what was possibly the same large fish several times, before the adult eventually took it to the ice to eat. The juvenile waited patiently nearby while one of the local Hooded Crows tried to steal bits from between the eagle’s legs.

**Scandinavian Herring Gull** – of the yellow-legged *omissus* race

When we could eventually tear ourselves away, we climbed back in the minibus and on our way over to Haeska where we would be having lunch, we stopped again to try for woodpeckers. A mixed tit flock appeared first, and as well as the Great Tits and Blue Tits there were a couple of Marsh Tits and a pair of white-headed Northern Long-tailed Tits (of the distinctive subspecies caudatus) – very smart birds and sometimes hard to catch up with here, we had some great views of them as they dropped down into some low alder scrub by the road.

**Northern Long-tailed Tit** – of the white-headed race *caudatus*

There were a couple of Nuthatches too, again of a different race here, europaea, which are much whiter below than the ones we see normally back in the UK, and they flew in and started calling in the trees above us. We were then distracted when a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew in too. It was joined by a second and at first we thought they might be a pair, but then we realised both were males with red crowns as they attacked each other, spiralling round and dropping down towards the ground, before they eventually broke off and flew back up into the trees.

**Lesser Spotted Woodpecker** – one of two males

We stopped for lunch at a farm in the middle of nowhere. As we pulled in, a White-tailed Eagle flew off over the fields. The owner came out to meet us and led us to a beautifully converted barn where we were served a wonderful stew of beef and pork with roasted vegetables and wild mushroom salad, accompanied by a selection of homemade mustards of different flavours, followed by a delicious cheesecake made with spruce tips and dried cornflower petals.

After lunch, we stopped for ten minutes to try for White-backed Woodpecker in another small wood by the road but it was all quiet apart from a Great Grey Shrike which flew off ahead of us when we got out and walked along the back edge, so we drove on towards Virtsu. A Rough-legged Buzzard on a fence post by the road prompted another, unscheduled stop. We had to turn round and were just watching it from the minibus when it flew across a field and landed in a small tree a bit further back, so we could get out and have a proper look at it in the scopes.

Closer to the ferry, we turned off the road again onto another track and stopped again a bit further down next to a block of trees. It was not long this time before we heard Grey-headed Woodpecker calling and shortly after one flew in and landed in a tree right above the road, where it was joined by a second. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was also calling and drumming nearby. We carried on round through the fields, noting a couple of Yellowhammers and a Reed Bunting which flew off ahead of us, but there was no sign of any Black Grouse this afternoon.

**Grey-headed Woodpecker** – one of a pair here

Then we were back out onto the main road from where it was just a short drive on to the ferry terminal. There were a few Goldeneye and Goosander in the harbour but it quickly got very grey and gloomy now and then started to rain. We were quickly on board the ferry and almost before we could get up from the car deck we were underway on the short journey across to Muhu. It was very misty and hard to see much but we did pick up a few distant Long-tailed Ducks on the crossing.

We had a long drive over to the island of Saaremaa and our base for the night across the far side, so it was less of a problem that it was raining steadily now, although we did see one or two things on the way – notably an adult White-tailed Eagle on the ice as we crossed the causeway from Muhu. Once we got past the main town of Kuressaare, the rain stopped but it was still very misty and as we approached our destination we started to find more geese in the fields again, mainly White-fronted Geese and Greylags. We arrived at Loona Manor, our base for the next couple of nights, just before 6.30pm and after checking in and a break to settle in, we met again for another delicious local dinner.

SUNDAY 17TH MARCH

A short trip out before breakfast to try for Pygmy Owl, it was still dark when we met outside at 6am. It was dry and still, even if a bit misty again, much better weather for owling. It only took about ten minutes to drive in to Viidumäe NP, and as we pulled up in a clearing in the forest and got out, a Pygmy Owl was already calling nearby. It kept to the dark edge of a mixed block of pines at the far edge of the clearing at first, where we couldn’t see it in the half-light with conventional optics, but after a while it flew in past us and into the trees behind, then up into a lone tree in the clearing where we could finally get eyes on it. Through the scope, we could see it calling. It flew back to the further block of trees again and disappeared back into the gloom.

We stood and listened to it for a while and some distant Cranes started bugling too. The light started to improve a little and the Pygmy Owl flew back over and into the trees behind us again – it was hard to appreciate just how small it was perched in the scope, but as it flew past us we got a better sense, not bigger than a Starling. It flew back across the track and into a bare tree in the clearing where it perched calling for a while, then flew back to its favoured perch. A good start to the day, it was time for us to head back.

After breakfast and a short break, we set off again at 7.40am. A pair of Cranes were in the field by the access road, close to the hotel. It was only about half an hour’s drive from here over to Saaremaa harbour, but as we got closer to the coast we drove into more misty low cloud and it started to rain lightly. As we pulled into the harbour, we were (pleasantly) surprised to see a large raft of Steller’s Eider very close to the parking area, in the shelter of the harbour wall. We had to be careful not to disturb them, or any of the other ducks with them which might spook more easily, so we got out very quietly at the back of the car park, leaving the doors open so as not to make any loud noises. Thankfully they just swam a short distance further out as we enjoyed great views.

We counted 66 Steller’s Eiders today, including 36 adult drakes and 3 first winter males, many more than we were expecting as there had been only a maximum of 4 seen here so far this winter, so we were very lucky. Mostly they were just synchronised sleeping, which is what they do when they are close in here, but occasionally one would wake up or small groups would run into each other and peck and squabble briefly before going back to sleep. One it was clear they were settled, we walked down closer to the edge, and got them in the scopes using the cover of a picnic table, so we could really appreciate the finer details of their smart plumage.

**Steller’s Eider** – some of the raft of 66

There were a few other ducks in the raft with the Steller’s Eiders, several Long-tailed Ducks, including some smart drakes, and a few Greater Scaup and Tufted Duck. Scattered around the harbour there were more Long-tailed Ducks, several Goosander and Goldeneye, a few Coot and Cormorants. Scanning with the scopes we found three or four Red-breasted Merganser further out and a single immature drake Common Scoter beyond the far wall of the harbour. A small flock of Goldcrest moved through the juniper trees on the edge of the parking area, presumably migrants stopping off on their way back north, and a line of about twenty Bewick’s Swans flew over.

**Long-tailed Duck** – in the harbour too

The Steller’s Eiders seemed perfectly settled, until they were spooked by a Grey Heron flying past and took off. They flew off behind the harbour wall but came straight back round and landed again just a little further out from where they had been. They seemed to be settled once more but after just a few minutes, unprompted they then flew again and we watched them heading more strongly out to sea.

**Steller’s Eider** – eventually flew out to sea

We moved on and drove round towards Undva to see if we could find any more Steller’s Eider – there are usually larger numbers off here, but the views are typically much more distant – and any other ducks offshore. A couple of Jays flew across the road on the way and just as we got there it started to snow now, although light at first. We took a track down to the edge of the bay and a couple of Cranes flew up off the shore ahead of us as we arrived and two Skylarks fluttered up singing as we got out. We scanned the sea but there was no sign of the Steller’s Eiders here.

There was a good selection of other wildfowl though, several Shelduck, more dabbling ducks closer inshore including small group of Teal, a single Wigeon and three Gadwall and a couple of Pintail flew past. Further out on the water, we found small rafts of Scaup and Common Scoter, and larger numbers of Long-tailed Ducks mostly across the far side of the bay. A couple of Oystercatchers were standing on the shore, piping occasionally.

It was not forecast to snow here this morning but it was starting to fall more heavily now, so we got back in the minibus and drove a little further up the shore of the bay to try from there. The leaders bravely got out to scan while the rest of the group sensibly stayed in the warm, but the visibility had deteriorated now in the snow and we couldn’t see far offshore. We had enjoyed such fantastic views of the Steller’s Eiders this morning in the harbour, so thankfully it was not essential that we find them here, so we decided to move on and try somewhere else. A small group of Ringed Plover were out on the beach and flew up as we got back in the bus.

As we drove back inland, the snow started to ease off again, but the wind was beginning to pick up now. We noticed a flock of thrushes in a field, so we pulled up to look and found a mixed group of at least 30 Fieldfare and 6 Redwings (the first record of Redwings for Estonia this spring and about 10 days earlier than the average first arrival date), along with two Mistle Thrushes and a couple of Blackbirds. Further on, a small flock of finches flew up from a grassy area by the road as we passed, so we turned around to check them out. They were mainly Goldfinches but there was at least one pale-looking Redpoll in with them. Unfortunately they wouldn’t settle in the wind and kept flying further back, and even though we tried to follow them down a track they disappeared out of view.

Next we pulled up to look at some geese in a field by the road, which were mainly Greylags but in with them were four Barnacle Geese and a couple of Tundra Bean Geese too. As we were passing yet another pair of Cranes in a small bog, we noticed that one was colour ringed so we stopped to try to read the rings. Unhelpfully, first the birds walked behind some low bushes where we couldn’t see their legs, then another car came up behind us and we had to move off the road, at which point the Cranes took off. We thought we had only managed to see the colour combination on one leg, white-yellow-white indicating it had been ringed in Estonia but checking photos we had captured the other leg too – it had been ringed in June 2015 not far away, and a month ago was last seen in Spain!

We made our way down to the main town on the island, Kuressaare, where we first stopped at a petrol station to refuel and to use the facilities. Then we drove into town and over to the restaurant for lunch. After a cold morning, the delicious Norwegian fish soup was very welcome, followed by coffee and a large slab of cake. The snow was still light when we came back out but unfortunately it quickly deteriorated again and it was now getting much windier too.

We drove up to the old harbour first, where we could see a distant White-tailed Eagle perched on a large block of ice on the shore and a couple of more distant Smew out on the sea, but no sign of any closer ones in the harbour channel. Then we turned onto a rough road and followed it round the coast. When the snow eased off we were able to get out and scan, so we stopped where we had a clear view of the sea. There were lots of wildfowl along the shore, notably more Pintail, Wigeon and Teal, with more Goosander, Goldeneye and a few Smew out on the water beyond, and there were Lapwings and a small group of Ringed Plover on the mud. Despite the inclement weather, it was amazing to watch migration in progress, birds arriving off the Baltic Sea – a couple of small groups of Cranes came in off the sea, along with a few White-fronted Geese, small parties and a larger flock of Skylarks, and a single Snow Bunting flew over our heads calling. Two Stock Doves came over too, the first we had seen, together with a single Feral Pigeon.

We carried on along the coast, but there were fewer ducks in the next couple of bays. When a large flock of birds flew across the road in front of us, we realised they were all Great Tits. We could see more in the trees, moving through quickly, obviously recently arrived over the sea. A line of a dozen or more Grey Herons along the shore looked like they were also likely fresh in too. There was nowhere convenient to view the coast further along, so we looped back and pulled off by a small picnic area. A couple of White-tailed Eagles were perched on distant rocks. There were still a few ducks here, three Red-breasted Merganser and some Smew including three which flew in and landed a bit closer. More Great Tits moved in through the bushes past us and a trickle of Skylarks continued overhead, a Robin was skulking in bushes, probably all migrants moving. A Northern Bullfinch flew over calling, sounding a bit like a toy trumpet.

There was no sign of any significant let up in the weather, so we started to make our way slowly back. We stopped to look at a flock of about 110 Jackdaws which were feeding in a field by the road – there was quite a bit of variation, some showing significantly more of a white collar than others, possibly indicative of intergradation between Nordic monedula and more eastern soemmerringii here. We pulled up again to photograph another pair of Cranes very close to the road before continuing on a short distance past Loona and on to Kihelkonna, where we thought we might have a quick look for Hawfinch around the village. We parked and got out, but it was cold and windy, still with light snow falling, and late in the afternoon too it was perhaps no surprise that it was all very quiet in the trees.

One of the group realised he had lost his hat and gloves, and thought they might have fallen out when he opened the door to take photographs of the Cranes earlier, so we drove back and found them lying in the middle of the road – rather damp roadkill now! Then we headed back to Loona for a hot cup of tea, a slightly early finish but it would give us time to pack up – we were moving on again tomorrow, back to the mainland and would have a long day ahead

MONDAY 18TH MARCH

For those who wanted, we met for an early walk around the hotel grounds for about 15 minutes before breakfast. It was crisp and cold and rather quiet at first. A male Northern Bullfinch flew in trumpeting and perched in the top of a tree above where the minibus was parked. There were lots of noisy Greylags gathering in the fields next door, and Cranes calling in the distance. As we walked round, several Blackbirds flew up out of the trees – possibly migrants stopping off here overnight, a pair of Marsh Tits and several Great Tits appeared and two Siskins flew over calling. As we walked back up towards the hotel, another group of four Bullfinches flew in and landed in the top of the trees and over breakfast, we watched at least seven of them dropping down to feed on the frozen ground in the frosty leaves.

**White-fronted Geese** – another big flock

It was a driving day today and we would be leaving Saaremaa island and heading back to the mainland. We set off straight after breakfast and hadn’t gone far when we came across a large flock of geese in a field by the road. We pulled up for a quick look through – there were at least 1,000 White-fronted Geese, 50 Tundra Bean Geese and 30 Barnacle Geese in the one group, an impressive gathering but we couldn’t find anything different in with them. It had been dry first thing and there was even a brief sunny spell as we drove across the island but it quickly clouded over again and as we got towards coast, we started to get a few snow flurries once more. The sea off the causeway to Muhu was still mostly frozen and over the far side, we spotted two White-tailed Eagles on the ice with a fish, attended by a circle of hungry-looking Hooded Crows. As we pulled up, the adult flew off leaving the juvenile behind to finish off the fish.

**White-tailed Eagle** – with attendant Hooded Crows

The ferry was on time and departed with typical Estonian efficiency. Another White-tailed Eagle was out on the ice as we pulled out from the Muhu side of the channel and a drake Smew flew over. As we sailed out into the open water, several groups of Long-tailed Ducks took off from the sea right in front of us, and we could see more huge flocks, clouds flying low over the water to the right and left. An amazing sight – at least 2,500-3,000 Long-tailed Ducks in total. As we got to Virtsu the other side, a Grey Seal was in the water ahead of us briefly.

**Long-tailed Ducks** – some of the several thousands

We were heading south-east to Pärnu this morning, which would be our base for our last two nights, but with birding stops on the way. Not far, we turned off to look for Black Grouse again, where we had tried a couple of days ago but this time in the morning. A pair of Cranes were standing out in the frozen bog, as we passed – nice to see them in typical breeding habitat – and in the fields the other side, we quickly found four male Black Grouse, hunkered down in the grass with light snow still falling.

Back to the main road, we hadn’t gone far when we found more Black Grouse in another field, this time another four males and a single female, a Greyhen. A large flock of about 150 Skylarks flew up too and the fields here held several more pairs of Cranes too.

We stopped next at a regular site for White-backed Woodpecker, where Tarvo had seen them just a few days ago. It had stopped snowing but it was cold with a bit of bite to the breeze now. A pair of europaea Nuthatches appeared first, the white-bellied male feeding on the trunks next to the road, then a ubiquitous Great Spotted Woodpecker, followed by a smart pair of Grey-headed Woodpeckers, but there was no sign of their White-backed cousins this morning. The weather was not ideal for looking for woodpeckers.

**Nuthatch** – of the northern race *europaea*

Closer to Pärnu, we could see a large flock of swans in a field so we turned off onto a convenient track which took us much closer, where we could get out and get them in the scopes. Among the 369 Bewick’s Swans we found two with satellite tracking collars (we noted down the codes – still awaiting details at the time of writing), and a smaller number of Whooper Swans too. There were at least 900 White-fronted Geese, with a smaller number of Tundra Bean Geese, 20 Barnacle Geese and 6 Canada Geese and looking through carefully, we found a single Pink-footed Goose in with them. There were eighteen Cranes feeding in with all the wildfowl too. Very impressive to see such large numbers of migrants here, stopping off to feed before continuing their journeys north. Several Yellowhammers and a few Reed Buntings came up out of the stubble in front of us, along with a small flock of Linnets.

We had our last quick stop to try for Middle Spotted Woodpecker in a park in the middle of a small village, but although we found at least four Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the trees there was no sign of any other woodpeckers today. Lots of birds were coming down to some feeders on the edge of the wood – Blue and Great Tits, Nuthatches, several Greenfinches. A small flock of House Sparrows was feeding on the ground below, with several Tree Sparrows in with them. Just outside the village, we passed another large flock of geese, mainly White-fronted Geese and lots of Barnacles, but we had no time to stop to check through them now, as we had a reservation in town for lunch.

As we were driving into Pärnu, we were just thinking that the park in the centre looked good for woodpeckers when Tarvo spotted two Middle Spotted Woodpeckers on a tree trunk right by the road. Thankfully we could stop quickly, we piled out of the minibus and watched them feeding low down on the trees, walkaway views. After our unscheduled stop, we were late getting to our hotel and went straight in to the restaurant for lunch. Afterwards, we then had more time to check in and then an opportunity to settle in.

**Middle Spotted Woodpecker** – fantastic views

Later in the afternoon, we headed out again and into the forest. We were mainly trying for owls, with another chance for woodpeckers but it was not an ideal time of day for the latter now. At least it was still and had stopped snowing but it was rather cold, with a light dusting of fresh snow. We were hoping for more views of Pygmy Owl in better light, but there was no sound of any calling from the trees, just a pair of Willow Tits and a Great Spotted Woodpecker at the first spot we tried. Driving further in along the snow-covered tracks a couple of Common Buzzards flew across ahead of us, and in the next clearing we stopped to try again. A pair of Crested Tits were calling high in the trees here, another couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers appeared and a young White-tailed Eagle drifted over. Further on, a couple of flocks of Chaffinches flew over and another clearing produced just another Great Spotted Woodpecker.

It was time to start looking for Ural Owl, so we drove back round to where we had stopped first and we were just listening for owls when Tarvo heard the ‘kik’ call of a White-backed Woodpecker. We couldn’t see it at first, but then it flew out of the trees and over our heads. Frustratingly it kept landing just out of view, or where it was hard to see, but eventually came out onto a tree in the open and started drumming. Great views now, finally. A Black Woodpecker flew over the track further down too and across behind the trees the other side, we could hear Grey-headed Woodpecker calling and several Great Spotted Woodpeckers as well, a surprising amount of woodpecker activity here for this late in the day. Two more White-tailed Eagles flew over.

**White-backed Woodpecker** – showed well eventually

There was still no sound of any Ural Owls though. We tried the two other clearings but they were quiet too, so we drove over to another site about 20 mins away. There was deeper snow on the tracks and no owls calling here either. It was getting dark now – maybe with the snow today and the drop in temperature the owls had switched back to winter mode. It was time to head back. On the way, a Brown Hare ran down the road ahead of us in the headlights, executed an impressive jump across the ditch, and then out across the field the other side, and a little further on, a Red Fox disappeared into the trees on the verge. We got back to our hotel in Pärnu in time for a late dinner tonight.

TUESDAY 19TH MARCH

After breakfast, we headed back into the forest where we had been last night looking for owls, this time trying to find woodpeckers and particularly Three-toed Woodpecker. We stopped at a crossroads in the tracks and walked deeper in. There were some canine tracks in the fresh snow from yesterday but there were fresh vehicle tracks too, so we presumed it must have been a dog at first. At the next crosstracks, we found the truck and caravan which had made the vehicle tracks, but the canine tracks continued straight on past, probably before the vehicle had arrived, and down the smaller track through the trees which we now took. The very purposeful and direct nature of the prints now suggested they were more likely made by a Wolf. We found some fresh deer tracks too, and those of a Raccoon Dog which crossed a ditch on a fallen log and came across the track.

We stopped halfway down and listened. It was fairly quiet at first – all we could hear were Great Spotted Woodpeckers and we managed to see one or two of them in the trees too. It was much milder than yesterday and still and slowly activity started to pick up a bit more. A few tits began to appear, Coal Tits high in the pines, a nice lower pair of Crested Tits which finally gave us better views, and we heard Long-tailed Tits, and a Treecreeper appeared climbing up the trunks. We could hear the deep whooping calls of Stock Doves too and found one or two perched distantly in some large deciduous trees further back, along with a Woodpigeon.

Then we heard the distant drumming of a White-backed Woodpecker, too far away to locate, and when some slower drumming started up a bit closer shortly after we thought it was something different. It sounded more like a Three-toed Woodpecker, but we eventually managed to locate it in the deciduous trees and it was the White-backed Woodpecker again, a female. It flew closer in and over our heads, then came back out and perched in the trees closer to the track. We had a great view in the scopes now, drumming on a dead branch, we could see its ladder back with a solid white patch in the centre.

We walked back up to the minibus and decided to try another spot. We had seen some nice old spruce trees by the main track last night, with some freshly stripped bark on the dead trunks, which looked good for Three-toed Woodpecker, so we drove the short distance further up to check them out. There were at least four Great Spotted Woodpeckers in the trees here when we arrived and for a minute or two it looked like that was all there was but then a Three-toed Woodpecker appeared. It flew in and fed on the trunk of a spindly dead spruce at first, where it was harder to see in all the branches. Thankfully it stayed long enough for us to get it in the scope so everyone could see it, a female with a dark crown. Then it flew across into a large bare deciduous tree right by the track and dropped down onto a thick tall stump where it started to drum. It kept shuffling down to drum on a resonate section of trunk which had split down from the top and then shuffling back up to look around. Fantastic views through the scopes now, so good that we could even count its three toes! When it finally flew further back, we decided to move on.

**Three-toed Woodpecker** – showed very well

We drove over to the other site we had visited yesterday evening now, to see if we could find any Hazel Grouse. The first place we tried was rather quiet, although we did find the fresh tracks of a young brown bear in the snow here, probably made not long after we had left last night! We moved on a short distance to another block of trees and we were just listening for the grouse when a Pygmy Owl started calling. It was distant, a bit further in, so we got back in the minibus and reversed back to the previous junction, before walking down the track to the edge of the spruce trees. The Pygmy Owl had gone quiet, but we heard Black Woodpecker calling nearby now. We turned our attention to that and it flew straight in and over our heads, followed by a second Black Woodpecker, presumably a pair. A young White-tailed Eagle flew over too.

**Pygmy Owl** – calling in the daytime today

Then the Pygmy Owl started up again, much closer, before flying up into the top of a spruce tree right next to the track. Great views now, and in much better light than the one we had seen the other morning. Lots of small birds started to mob it from the nearby trees, several tits at first, but they were then joined by a small group of Common Crossbills which perched in the treetops above us too. It was amazing just how much difference a few degrees rise in temperature made, the amount of woodpecker and owl activity here today, compared to yesterday.

**Common Crossbill** – came in to mob the Pygmy Owl

It had been a wonderful morning but it was now time for lunch, so we headed back to Pärnu and over to a different café today for a bowl of hot soup to warm us up. This particular establishment also does very good cake and everyone chose a slice of something from the excellent selection on display by the till to have with coffee afterwards – too much choice and all too tempting! Then we walked the short distance back to the hotel while Tarvo came round with the minibus. We had some time to rest now before we would head out again this afternoon, but for anyone who couldn’t sit still there was also the option to explore the town.

There were some Common (Mealy) Redpolls feeding under some alder trees with a couple of Siskins in a small park nearby, so when we met again we all walked over for a look. A Treecreeper was climbing up the trunk of a tree, of the northern race familiaris here, paler than the ones back in the UK. The Redpolls and Siskins were feeding up in the alder trees now, so we stopped to watch them, including a couple of very smart pink-breasted males.

**Northern Treecreeper** – of the race *familiaris*

As we drove away from town, we noticed six Cranes in a field by the road so pulled up briefly to check if any were ringed. Two more Cranes flew over towards them and a lone Bewick’s Swan headed the other way, followed by another four. We could see the swans were dropping down beyond a nearby windfarm, and geese were too, so we drove round to see if we could see them. Round the other side we found an old maize field chock full of swans and geese. There were at least 620 Bewick’s Swans here, an impressive number itself, but along with the ones we had seen yesterday it was amazing to think we had probably seen 5% of the western European wintering population in those two groups in two days!

**Tundra Bean Geese** – another huge mixed flock

There were a few Whooper Swans too and an amazing number of geese, the majority of them Tundra Bean Geese. With many of them feeding heads down in the tall maize stubble it was hard to say how many there were but Tarvo estimated at least 4,000, with about 500 White-fronted Geese and a few Canada and Barnacle Geese too. An amazing sight, all stopping off to feed here on their way north and east for the breeding season. Several Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings flew up from the stubble close in front of us.

We had seen several empty White Stork nests as we drove round the countryside over the last couple of days and Tarvo had seen reports that the first birds were just starting to return but we were not expecting to see any at this early stage of the spring. As we drove on now past the rubbish tip, we found three White Storks in the field opposite so we pulled up to look.

**White Storks** – some of the first to return this spring

Our main target this evening was to try again for Ural Owl and with the warmer temperature and still conditions we thought we might be in with a better chance, so we headed over into a different area of forest now. We still hadn’t seen Hazel Grouse too, so we tried again for those first in a regular spot but there was no sound of them once more. We drove on along the track and we were just pulling in to park opposite a clearing where we would try for the owl when a Hazel Grouse flew across the road in front of us. It disappeared into the trees the other side and we got out quickly and quietly, but despite our best efforts we couldn’t find it again. We could hear it calling, but it refused to come out, so we eventually had to admit defeat and turned our attention back to owls.

We walked down to the edge of the clearing and most of us were looking out across the open space when one of the group asked what was the large grey bird which had just flown across the track between the trees behind us. We turned and a Ural Owl started calling! It remained stubbornly hidden from view for the rest of us for some time, calling occasionally – it was possibly still a bit too light for it to show itself properly. We backed off and stood further down the track and waited patiently. It took a bit of time, but thankfully while there was still very good light the Ural Owl finally flew through the trees, out from the denser spruces where it was hiding and landed in the bare deciduous trees closer to the track. Now we had an excellent look at it through the scopes – we stood and watched it for some time, as it started to get dark, before eventually we had to tear ourselves away. Driveaway views!

The first Tengmalm’s Owls are just starting to return to their territories, so we had a speculative try for one a short drive back along the track on our way back. Unsurprisingly, there was no response but we did hear another Pygmy Owl in the distance and then a second started up behind us and flew in to where we could just see it in the last of the evening’s light. One or two roding Woodcock flew over the trees calling. As we drove back to Pärnu, another Red Fox ran across the track in front of us and then it started to spit with drizzle, perfect timing. What a great last day it had been.

WEDNESDAY 20TH MARCH

After breakfast, we packed up the minibus and set off on the long drive back to Tallinn. There had been a light dusting of fresh snow overnight, it was colder again today and we drove through several more flurries. There were the usual birds in the fields on the way, Lapwings and Skylarks, a couple of Yellowhammers on the wires, Hooded Crows and Ravens, Common Buzzards perched in the trees and several Eurasian Jays flying across the road. On our way in through the suburbs of Tallinn, a Red Squirrel ran along a wire over the road. It took a little under two hours to get to the airport, where we bade farewell and thanks to Tarvo.

**Hooded Crow** – one of the commonest birds in Estonia

Passage through the airport was fairly seamless, our Wizz Air flight took off on time and we were ten minutes early arriving into Luton. We had to wait for a bus to take us to the terminal and it was a bit of a shock to find it sunny and warm, a balmy 13C, outside. Our bags were waiting for us on the carousel and we said our goodbyes before setting off on our respective journeys home.

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Posted in International

Tagged Bewick's Swan, Common Crane, Crested Tit, Estonia, Great Grey Shrike, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Herring Gull omissus, Long-tailed Duck, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Northern Long-tailed Tit, Northern Treecreeper, Nutcracker, Nuthatch europaea, Pygmy Owl, Rough-legged Buzzard, Russian Jackdaw, Steller's Eider, Three-toed Woodpecker, Ural Owl, White-backed Woodpecker, White-tailed Eagle

16th Jan-3rd Feb 2024 – Thailand

Posted on March 13, 2024 | 2 comments

An International Tour organised in conjunction with our friends at Oriole Birding. We saw a total of 428 bird species, plus another 8 heard only, including some of the rarest waders in the world, as well as exciting mammals like black Leopard and Asian Elephant in two and a half weeks just in north & central Thailand. If you like what you read, we already have dates for next year – 3rd-21st February 2025 – you would be very welcome to join us!

Tuesday 16^th January

A very cold clear and frosty morning in the UK was to be very different from what we would experience over the next couple of weeks. We met at the Thai Airways counter in Heathrow Terminal 2 at 8.50am. Our flight to Bangkok was due to leave at 11.50 and departed on time. With a +7 hour time difference and a scheduled 11 hour flight time, we settled in for the rest of the day.

Wednesday 17^th January

We arrived in Bangkok Airport at 5.10am, over an hour earlier than scheduled. We were heading straight on to Chiang Mai this morning and our bags were booked through, so we just had to walk over to the domestic transfers area and pass through customs. Our onward flight to Chiang Mai wasn’t scheduled until 10.15am, so we had a longer than anticipated wait at the gate. Always better to be early rather than late! Fortunately, as the sun rose over the runway, there were some birds around the terminal to get our trip list started, with several Common and a pair of Great Mynas, and Red Collared Doves around the buildings, lots of Asian Red-rumped and a couple of Barn Swallows swooping around the roofs and Germain’s Swiftlets and one or two House Swifts hawking overhead. The Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows had actually found a way inside the terminal! As it started to warm up, several Painted Storks began to circle up beyond the airport.

Unfortunately our onward connection was late – we were meant to board at 9.45am but our plane only just taxied up to the terminal as we were meant to get on, so it was over half an hour before we finally departed. We landed at Chiang Mai just after 12pm, where thankfully our bags were already waiting at the international arrivals carousel and we met Nick Upton, our local guide for the first half of the trip, outside. After a quick change of money, we had a short drove to our hotel for the night, where we checked in and had some time to get organised. For those who didn’t take the opportunity to catch up on some sleep, there was some birding to be had around the hotel, with Spotted Doves, Red-whiskered and Streak-eared Bulbuls, Ornate and Purple Sunbirds and Ashy Drongo in the trees behind, and Ashy Woodswallows and Wire-tailed Swallows hawking around the buildings. A Yellow-browed Warbler called several times.

We met Nick again at 3.40pm. As we waited outside, we added Black-collared Starling on the wires with the Mynas and a small group of Black-eared Kites which circled over. Mae Hia Agricultural College was only a few hundred metres away, but a little further by bus as we had to negotiate the dual carriageway, but it was not long before we were stopped and disembarked overlooking the fields. There were birds everywhere – a large flock of Scaly-breasted and White-rumped Munias was feeding in the rice crop with lots of Baya Weavers in the hedge nearby. A Rufous-winged Buzzard flew through causing chaos and stopped on a nearby telegraph pole to devour what it had caught, allowing us some great scope views.

There were Asian Green Bee-eaters zipping in and out from the low wall in front of us and around the radio masts, Hoopoe feeding on the grass beside with a couple of Oriental Magpie Robins, Spotted and Zebra Doves, Brown Shrike and Long-tailed Shrike perched up, several Amur Stonechats, Asian Pied Starlings, and two White-throated Kingfishers around the fields beyond. Three Black-headed Bulbuls perched up in the top of a dead tree behind us. A couple of Alexandrine Parakeets shot past, a rare bird here, then thankfully the same or some more flew back past for those who missed them the first time.

We walked on to a small pool a little further up the road, where a few swallows and swiftlets were coming down to drink. The swiftlets are a difficult group to separate, but they appeared to be mostly Himalayan Swiftlet, with a smaller number of Germain’s. Several Striated Swallows had been hawking over the fields but now landed on the radio mast where we could see the heavy streaking on their underparts in the scopes, and one or two Wire-tailed Swallows were hawking over the pool. A Coppersmith Barbet was perched in the top of a tree the other side of the road, a Shikra flashed through and a couple of Chinese Pond Herons flew up, flashing their white wings.

Back in the minibus, we drove on a short distance to an area with more trees. A couple of Red-wattled Lapwings were in the field next to where we pulled up and one showed nicely as we got out. Walking further along the road slowly we added Lineated Barbet and a couple of Black-naped Monarchs in the trees. An Asian Barred Owlet called close to the road and we had nice views of it up in the branches in the scopes. A couple of Green-billed Malkohas flew across the road and landed briefly the other side and a noisy flock of White-crested Laughingthrushes came through the trees. A pair of Racket-tailed Treepies and a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo put in a brief appearance too.

On our way back to the road, we cut in along a track which skirted some more pools, but unfortunately all the grass around the surrounding banks had recently been mown and there were fewer birds here. As we pulled up, several Plain Prinias flicked in and out of a pile of branches nearby and a succession of Black Drongos flew over, presumably heading off to roost. It had been a nice few hours to start our birding here, but the sun was setting now and it was time to head back. Everyone was tired after the long journey, so after a short break to freshen up, we headed out to a local restaurant for a delicious dinner, then back to the hotel for an early night.

Thursday 18^th January

The original plan was to head straight up into the hills on the border to the north today, but after recent fighting between the Thai army and Burmese drug smugglers, one of the sites we had intended to visit, Doi Lang East, had apparently been closed. So instead, we were going to make our way south to Mae Ping nature reserve for the first couple of days, which with its dry dipterocarp forest would be a different habitat with some different and more localised species. It is important to make the most of the cooler mornings and evenings, so it was an early start for the 45 minute drive down to our first stop at Doi Lo. As the sun rose on the way, a few flocks of Eastern Cattle Egrets and our first Asian Openbill storks flew over the road.

We pulled off the road onto a track along the edge of the river just above the dam. There were lots of Barn Swallows feeding low out over the water and we had added a Greater Coucal in the bushes and Pied Bushchat in front of the minibus as we pulled up. A couple of Dusky Warblers and a Thick-billed Warbler were calling in the bushes by the track and we could hear several Pallas’s Grasshopper Warblers in the floating vegetation along the edges of the river – the latter proved typically skulking and very hard to see, with mostly flight views obtained. An Oriental Reed Warbler flew across and a Black-browed Reed Warbler started calling on the bank below us.

There were more birds down along the edge of the river – a couple of White-throated Kingfishers, a Brown Shrike, a Pheasant-tailed Jacana which flew over and dropped down on far side out of view and a male Plaintive Cuckoo which landed in the damp vegetation on our side of the river where we could get it in the scopes. Turning to check around the margins of the irrigation pool behind us, we found two White-breasted Waterhens on the track, along with a couple more Greater Coucals and a Paddyfield Pipit and a large roost of Grey Herons in a tree further down. The bushes on the corner where we had parked produced Purple and Ornate Sunbirds and the Thick-billed Warbler eventually gave itself up here. Several Black-eared Kites, an Eastern Marsh Harrier and a succession of Asian Openbills flew over.

A couple of Little Grebes surfaced out on the water and scanning the far bank of the pool, we located a large roost of Black-winged Stilts together with a few Little Ringed Plovers. We walked a short way up the track. A Common Iora flew out of a tree ahead of us and landed in some bare branches in the distance, perched up in the sunshine where we could get it in the scopes. A Wryneck was sunning itself too, a bit nearer. A pair of Coppersmith Barbets appeared in the tree and we all managed to get eyes on a Dusky Warbler up in the branches above us. A pair of Plain-backed Sparrows flew in and landed in the top of some bushes back behind us.

Several Small Pratincoles were hawking now low over the water and watching them it became clear that there were lots of them on the bank back in the far corner, over by the river. We were looking into the sun from here, so we walked back to the corner and on past the café and round to the other side for a better look. We had lovely views of them from here, sunning themselves on the bare earth and not particularly concerned by our presence. Several Intermediate Egrets flew over.

Back to the minibus, we turned along the track we had walked down earlier and continued on further. Lots of Zebra Doves flew up off the bank ahead of us and when Nick heard Chestnut-capped Babblers calling, we stopped and got out to check them out. Unfortunately, they proved strangely elusive, and the most we had were some brief flight views with them mostly remaining hidden in the vegetation, where we could still here them calling. While we were looking for them, we did flush a Pintail Snipe and a couple of Common Snipe out of a wet grassy field. A Long-tailed Shrike was perched in the taller vegetation behind and a Zitting Cisticola came up out of the wet ditch along one side.

An Indochinese Bushlark started singing from the ricefields beyond the ditch. As we scanned across, we noticed a couple of Wrynecks in a bare tree and while we were looking at them, the Bushlark flew up and landed too. There seemed to be lots of birds in the ricefields so we walked round for a closer look. Several more Pintail Snipe flew up from the grass, giving us some brief nice flight views where we could see the lack of a clean white trailing edge to the wing as they landed quickly again.

We found lots of Little Egrets in the flooded paddies, along with Greenshank and Long-toed Stint and several Eastern Yellow Wagtails and White Wagtails of the leucopsis subspecies. A Richards Pipit landed on a narrow bund between the paddies. Back to the minibus, we drove on round and out of the ricefields. As we got back to the tarmac, we had a quick stop to look at a Booted Eagle circling over the fields beyond, as several Wood Sandpipers flew up calling. A Brown Shrike was perched on the wires.

We called in briefly next at a nearby site to see if we could find Savanna Nightjar. They normally roost in a gully in some overgrown farmland, but despite searching all around we couldn’t find any sign of them today. It was hot now, and it was good for butterflies but there were not many other birds here, so we decided to move on. Our first Oriental Honey Buzzard flew over as we walked back to the minibus.

There had been some Spot-winged Starlings feeding in some flowering trees on the edge of a nearby town in recent days, so we called in to see if we could find them now. An Eastern Buzzard circled up as we parked and got out. There was no sign of any starlings in the first flowering tree we came to but walking on down the road, we found a much larger one and this tree was full of Chestnut-tailed Starlings. Looking through them carefully, sure enough we found several Spot-winged Starlings in with them and had some nice views of them in the scopes, a scarce winter visitor here in variable numbers, there have been a few about in recent days. On the way back to the minibus, a couple of Asian Palm Swifts scythed through the trees.

It was a longer drive now down to the village of Li, where we would spend the night. It was time for lunch when we arrived there so we stopped first on the main street at a restaurant for lunch – freshly cooked rice or noodles with chicken or prawns and vegetables. After lunch, as we checked into our motel nearby, there were lots of Chestnut-tailed Starlings and mynas in a fruiting tree by the entrance but nothing rarer with them this time. After a short break to get settled in, it was already time to head out again for our first visit to Mae Ping National Park.

As we got to the National Park gate and Nick got out to get permits, a flock of Crested Treeswifts flew high over the trees and as we drove on deeper into the forest, a Greater Flameback flew up from the side of the road. We pulled up in a small parking area just beyond and walked slowly up the tarmac. It was mid-afternoon and quiet in the trees at first – a Large Cuckooshrike flew in and landed in the trees behind us, and we heard several Grey-headed Parakeets but they were always just too deep in the forest to be able to see them.

We were looking for woodpeckers and after nothing at first, frustratingly three flew over above the trees in quick succession without stopping. Then Nick heard Black-headed Woodpeckers and eventually a noisy group flew in and landed in tree by the road, one of the species we were hoping to find here. A couple of Rufous Treepies appeared briefly in the trees too. As we walked on, a colourful Variable Squirrel clambered through the branches, a couple of Black-hooded Orioles fluted and we heard a White-bellied Woodpecker calling ahead of us but it had gone quiet by the time we got up there. As we walked back to the minibus, a brief Common Hill Myna landed in the trees.

We drove on to the campsite and as we pulled in we could see lots of Red-wattled Lapwings out on the grass, and a couple of Chinese Pond Herons which looked slightly out of place with no ponds in sight. Our main targets here were Burmese Shrike and Collared Falconet – we quickly located a Burmese Shrike, and despite its best efforts at trying to hide in one of the trees in the campsite, we eventually found an angle from where we could see it and all had good views. There were a few Ashy and Black Drongos in tree tops beyond, and then a Collared Falconet appeared further back. Only brief views, but at least everyone got to see it before it flew.

We walked over to the far side of the grass but there was no further sign of it – just a group of Sooty-headed Bulbuls moving through the trees, and a couple of Eld’s Deer, a doe and fawn, which walked off into the undergrowth. Working our way round the back edge of the campsite, someone called over to Nick to point out another Collared Falconet which now flew in and landed much closer, much better views as it stayed put and surveyed the ground below from its high perch. The light starting was starting to fade as we walked back round to where we had parked, and a couple of Taiga Flycatchers were now calling in the trees beyond.

We drove back slowly through the park. A male Red Junglefowl appeared briefly on the side of the road, but disappeared in before we pulled up, and what was most likely a Large-tailed Nightjar was glimpsed above the trees ahead. Back at the hotel, we had a break to freshen up, and then walked back out to the road and the short distance along to the street restaurant where we had been for lunch earlier. Nick ordered a selection of local dishes for us all to try and got the owner to switch the music from the western songs she had put on for us to some Thai pop music instead, much to the amusement of the staff. After dinner, we went through the day’s bird list at the restaurant quickly, before heading back to the hotel. It had been a long and exciting first day, and everyone was ready for an early night.

Friday 19^th January

Another early start, we met again at 6.20am, although it took a while for Nick to find someone to check us all out in the neighbouring Viennoiserie (a rather incongruous business to find here!) and collect the croissants they had prepared for us. We were heading back in to Mae Ping, and on our way a Black-winged Kite was hunting over one of the fields beside the road. Into the park, we took the same turn towards the campsite but this time drove beyond where we had walked yesterday and stopped where the sun was already catching the tops of the trees.

There were more birds than yesterday, with a mixed flock high in the trees above the parking area, including a couple of Black-naped Monarchs and a Burmese Nuthatch, which gave brief views before the flock moved deeper in. We heard a White-bellied Woodpecker calling now, and after slowly coming closer it flew across the road just behind us. It was a nice flight view catching the sunshine, but it carried on deeper in and now we could hear it calling again further back than it had been. It would continue to taunt us on and off!

We walked up the road a short distance – there were lots of Black-hooded Orioles in the trees, and we had some lovely views in sunshine, along with a couple of Velvet-fronted Nuthatches. Then it was back to the minibus for breakfast – along with the croissants, Nick had picked up rice crackers and a selection of fruit from the 7-11 for us. There were Yellow-footed Pigeons calling deep in the trees now, but they were frustratingly just too far in to see, and we could hear Grey-headed Parakeets calling from further up the road too, so we walked over to try to see them.

At first we just found lots of Lineated Barbets, then we got the scopes on a couple of Grey-headed Parakeets and had nice views of them distantly in the trees. Further up, it seemed to be a bit quieter, although there were several Rufescent Prinias in the undergrowth and a Wild Boar ran across the road behind us, so we turned back to the minibus. A juvenile Ultramarine Flycatcher was calling in the trees now, and we could just see it flicking around in the canopy. Like buses, there were Grey-headed Parakeets everywhere now, perched up in the sun by the minibus, and flying round calling. A pair of Greater Yellownapes flew in. They were hard to see at first, and very mobile through the trees, before eventually one landed in view and we got it in the scope, and now it seemed like it was nailed to the branch, not moving at all.

The White-bellied Woodpecker was calling again, further down the road now, so we walked a short way to see if we could locate it. We found a pair of Greater Flamebacks in the trees, but again they were very mobile, and the White-bellied Woodpecker had gone quiet. We found the mixed flock we had seen when we first arrived again – the Monarchs were flitting around low in the trees, and better views of the pair of Burmese Nuthatches now, plus Grey-capped Woodpecker and a Yellow-browed Warbler. We followed the flock back to the minibus, where we found a Verditer Flycatcher.

We drove on to the campsite now. A Taiga Flycatcher was calling again by the parking area, and we found it perched low in the undergrowth beneath the trees where we could see its blacker uppertail coverts. As we walked round the edge of the forest towards the access road, it was rather quiet apart from a couple more Taiga Flycatchers calling, until we got to the entrance road and found a couple of Red-billed Blue Magpies hopping around on the ground behind one of the buildings and a Great Cuckooshrike in the trees. We decided to move on and after a quick stop to use the facilities in the campsite, we drove down to Li for an early lunch. We were a bit too early, and they had to open the restaurant up for us!

We were heading back to Chiang Mai this evening, but on our way we stopped off to explore some ricefields this afternoon. In one of the paddies by the road we could see a large flock of waders and as we pulled up we confirmed they were Grey-headed Lapwings, about 45-50 of them. We managed to pull off onto the verge and they initially seemed settled as we got out, but then they spooked and flew up, dropping down behind some bushes into the field beyond. There were a few still left, so we got those in the scopes and there were lots of Wood Sandpipers still in the young rice too. A shrill call alerted us to a Citrine Wagtail which landed in the rice, a female, grey with a yellow face, and we had good views of several White Wagtails as well.

There were a couple of routes into the ricefields, but the track which Google maps decided to take us down turned out to be very rough – at one point, a couple of us had to walk ahead and remove branches and lumps of rock so the minibus didn’t get stuck! Some of the wet fields here were being worked, turned over with small tractors, and bangers were being let off to scare off the vast flocks of thousands of Feral Pigeons which kept descending. There were high mist nets erected along the edge of one recently sown paddy too.

When we got out onto one of the bigger (and better!) tracks, we noticed a large flock of Pacific Golden Plovers out in the rice, so we parked in the shade of some trees and got out to scan. There were lots of egrets in the next field back, mainly Intermediate, with a couple of Great White and a few Cattle Egrets too. Looking over at the field being worked back beyond the junction it was full of mainly Cattle Egrets walking in the mud behind the cultivators, as well as a large flock of farmyard ducks and a single ‘Chinese Goose’. Lots of Asian Openbills were flying over and circling in front of the hills beyond, along with clouds of Feral Pigeons.

We worked our way through the waders – as well as the Pacific Golden Plovers, there were lots of Wood Sandpipers and Common Snipe. One or two Temminck’s Stints flew up and circled round, but disappeared when they landed, and later a flock of at least a dozen came up from out of view in the rice. A single Common Sandpiper appeared on one of the bunds.

A smart Long-tailed Shrike perched up in the sun at the back of the nearest paddy and there were lots of Amur Stonechats perched on various bushes. Starlings and Mynas flew back and forth, including a large flock of Chestnut-tailed Starlings which landed in a nearby tree, an Indochinese Roller flew over too and a couple of White-breasted Waterhens walked across the track back by the minibus. There was an amazing amount of life here in what is an actively farmed landscape, very different from the barren fields back home.

We were hoping for raptors here and slowly they started to appear now. A distant Booted Eagle, a Shikra, a Kestrel on some wires. An eagle drifted in high overhead before dropping quickly down into the paddies behind the trees, causing some discussion as to its size and identity, particularly as there had been a Steppe Eagle in the area – looking more closely at the photos later confirmed our initial suspicions that it was a subadult Greater Spotted Eagle. There were harriers too, first a female Eastern Marsh Harrier, then our first Pied Harrier, distant and a juvenile (we were hoping for a male!), followed by two more Eastern Marsh Harriers, a young male and then adult male, very different from the Western Marsh Harrier we get at home. The Pied Harrier reappeared over the rice field further back in front of us, but flew up and over the trees at the back and disappeared.

It was time to head back to Chiang Mai, where we stayed in the same hotel as we had on our first night and went out to dinner at the same restaurant. One of the group had tried the speciality northern Thai pork belly curry (Gaeng Hung Lay) on the first night, and after his glowing review several of us took the opportunity this time. Highly recommended!

Saturday 20^th January

Another early start, we checked out and left Chiang Mai at 6am as we were heading north today. It was on the way, so we stopped first at the Mae Taeng Irrigation Project – there had been three Long-billed Plovers here recently and it can be a good place for other birds too. We parked and walked over to the dam, from where we could scan the open gravelly areas below. A Green Sandpiper circled round calling, and several Common Sandpipers and Common Snipe were around the pool just below the dam. A Common Kingfisher flew off upriver as we arrived, and a small flock of Small Pratincoles whirled round and landed on the muddy bank above the dam.

A Thai photographer was lurking on the bottom of the bank the other side of the gravel and we could only find a few Little Ringed Plovers there at first but we didn’t have to wait too long before the three Long-billed Plovers flew in. They landed on the gravel over on our side of the channel, but we were looking into the sun from here. We managed to get them in the scopes, and everyone at least had a look, before they flew again and disappeared off downstream. We figured we could have another look later, to see if we could find them again.

Now we drove round to a small agricultural area on the other side of the project, on the edge of the river. There were some nice overgrown patches of bamboo beside where we parked, and we could hear Chestnut-capped Babblers calling. As we set off down along the track through the bamboo, they came out and showed very well ahead of us. Further on, there were a few people working in the small fields, with some nice aubergines growing next to the path. A couple of Asian Pied Starlings, a White-breasted Waterhen, several White Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper were feeding in the far corner of one field which was being irrigated and where a small pool had formed. A Paddyfield Pipit dropped in. There were Amur Stonechats and Baya Weavers in the vegetation and a couple of Asian Palm Swifts overhead too.

We climbed up onto the bank to scan across the river and a Siberian Rubythroat started calling from a patch of overgrown tangle next to us. As we scanned, we found a nice Wryneck perched in the sun preening at first instead. When the Rubythroat eventually appeared, it was a female – a nice start but much duller than a male, without the red throat. Several Dusky Warblers were calling too, and one eventually showed nicely in some thinner bamboo on the riverbank. A Yellow-bellied Prinia then appeared in the vegetation behind us.

We walked on a little further along the track through the fields and up onto the bank again. Here we found a couple of Yellow-vented Bulbuls flitting around and one perched in the sun on a small post. A female Asian Koel was perched in the trees on the other side of the river – we would hear them constantly but see far fewer. We realised there were some small seedlings planted in the grass on the bank, so we picked our way back and onto the track again.

As we started to walk back, there was a burst of song from a male Siberian Rubythroat from the back edge of the bamboo clumps. We stood and waited and eventually had some good views of its striking ruby-red throat. A couple of Baikal Bush Warblers were calling too, but they were typically skulking and we couldn’t see them. Back at the minibus, several Asian Red-rumped Swallows and House Swifts were hawking overhead now.

We drove round to the other side of the river to see if we could find the Long-billed Plovers again and get a better view with the sun behind us. An Indochinese Roller was perched on the wires over one of the canals as we passed. We parked on the side of the road and walked down to check the area below the dam first. Several Thai photographers were now camped out in two hides set up in the middle of the gravel, and perhaps unsurprisingly there was no sign of the plovers, so we walked on down the road to check the river lower down, in the direction the birds had flown earlier. The area between the road and the river had been cleared, but the steep riverbank beyond was still mostly thickly vegetated, so we had to find a gap from where we could see down to the riverbed. Several Paddyfield Pipits and Red-wattled Lapwings flew up from the bare ground ahead of us.

When we found a point from where we could view, we scanned the area of stones and gravel patches in the river, but at first all we could find was just a couple of Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers again. As we tried to find an angle to scan further up- and downstream, a Long-billed Plover flew in and landed on the stones below us. We had a much better view now through the scopes than we did earlier, with the sun behind us. It quickly became apparent that the reason the plover had flown back into view was because the Thai photographer we had seen first thing was now walking up the riverbed. He was speaking on a radio and appeared to be attempting to flush the plovers back upstream towards the hides on the gravel by the dam. Nick called down and he stopped and waited for us to finish looking.

Back in the minibus, it was a long drive up to Fang on a rather winding road. Thankfully, because it was Saturday there were not many lorries, and we could sit back and enjoy the views of the surrounding hills. We made it in good time and arrived at the Tangerine Ville hotel, where we would be staying for next four nights, just before 12pm. We were too early to get into our rooms, so we went into the restaurant for a break for lunch first. Afterwards, we had some time to check in and drop off our bags before we met again downstairs.

We made our first visit up to Doi Lang West this afternoon. After a steep drive up to the top of the ridge, we parked at the top in a shadier area of forest and got out to walk along the road. There were lots of birds to see – a pair of Golden-throated Barbets were lurking in a nearby clump of bamboo, a Slaty-backed Flycatcher appeared above our heads, a Puff-throated Babbler was feeding on the ground on the bank above the road, a pair of Blyth’s Shrike-Babblers were in the trees and a Bronzed Drongo was hawking over the road. There were lots of leaf warblers high in the canopy too, but they are hard to ID from below and not calling, so we would have to wait for better views.

As we started to walk down along the road, another car pulled up and three more birders got out. One was having trouble with his camera and they asked if we had a small screwdriver to fix it, so one of the group walked back to the minibus with them to get something out. On the way, they spotted a Eurasian (White-faced) Jay in the trees above the road, so most of the group walked back to see it. Already split as a separate species by some authorities, it looks very different from our Eurasian Jays back home. A few of the group had stayed put further up the road and were rewarded with a brief male Rufous-bellied Niltava but it dropped down the slope before everyone else could get back to them. Thankfully we would see it regularly. A Pale Blue Flycatcher and a young male Sapphire Flycatcher were now flitting around in the trees above us.

We continued on along the road. A couple of Scarlet Minivets appeared in the trees along with Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Grey-capped Woodpecker. Nick could hear Himalayan Cutias calling up in the canopy behind us but we couldn’t see them before they went quiet. We turned our attention to a Stripe-breasted Woodpecker which had now appeared on a dead branch in front, and then the Cutias called again and had crossed to the same side of the road. We could see them now, a little further up, in the top of a tree, climbing up a branch. Unfortunately they quickly disappeared into the leaves and then flew deeper in.

They can be a hard bird to connect with and not everyone in the group had seen them, so Nick led us quickly in on a small path through the trees and up to an open area on the top of the ridge, where we had a good view looking down into some of the large trees below. A Giant Nuthatch flew in, climbed up to the top of one of the trees and perched in the open calling. Then the Cutias appeared too, and we had nice views of them as they climbed round the trunks and along the branches.

We had better views of some of the leaf warblers here, looking down on where it was more open, with a brief Pallas’s Warbler, Hume’s Warbler and nice views of Claudia’s Leaf Warbler all in a small tree in the sunshine below us. A Blue-winged Minla joined them briefly too and then a pair of Grey-chinned Minivets flew in and started flycatching above our heads.

Back out onto the road, we walked further down. A Grey Wagtail perched in a bush looked rather out of place. An increasing number of Cook’s Swifts were hawking over the trees above us but they were hard to focus on as they shot over the gap in the canopy. Nick whistled the call of Collared Owlet and several Gould’s Sunbirds appeared in the bushes nearby, mostly immature males but two smart males and one female, and more Hume’s Warblers flew in to the trees above. The Hume’s Warblers here are a distinctive subspecies, mandellii, with a very different call to the nominate form we get occasionally in the UK.

The hillside beyond was more open and we could hear birds calling in the bracken but they were hard to see. Another Golden-throated Barbet was feeding on the berries in a bush, and our first Flavescent Bulbul was down below the trees beyond. There were Hill Prinias calling too but they remained stubbornly out of view. Walking back along the road and into the shade of the trees again, a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher was showing very well in the vegetation next to the road now and a Chinese Leaf Warbler appeared in the trees beyond.

It was time to start heading back down, so we returned to the minibus. There is an open area on the side of the road where seed is put out by photographers for Mrs Hume’s Pheasant but they are predominantly seen early in the morning here. As we approached, a flock of at least 15 Oriental Turtle Doves flew up and landed in the trees behind so we pulled forward slowly and could see one still on the verge through the windscreen, with a second which flew down to join it. When they flew up, we edged forward again and had better views of several perched in the trees.

Pressing on, we stopped again further down on a steep slope through the pines. Hundreds of Cook’s Swifts were now gathering above, and we had good views of their narrow white rump patches as they twisted and turned, at times quite low over our heads. Nick whistled Collared Owlet again, and a young male Ultramarine Flycatcher appeared in the tree in front of us, joined by several Hume’s Warblers. An Olive-backed Pipit flew over calling.

As we continued down, we made one last stop on a bridge over a small river. We could see a Striated Heron and a Little Egret feeding downstream and more Grey Wagtails and several White Wagtails. A brief White-rumped Munia appeared in a clump of bamboo by the road. Then it was time to head back to the hotel. It had been another busy day but we had some time to get settled in now before we met again for dinner. There was a large party of Thais in the restaurant this evening, singing and dancing, so we ate in a private room next door. After dinner, we walked back into the hotel and quickly went through the extensive day’s list in the seating area in reception where it was a bit quieter, before we turned in for the night.

Sunday 21^st January

After another early breakfast, we set off up to Doi Ang Khang. At the top of the twisty road, we stopped first at the checkpoint, where the sun was just catching the tops of trees. Several Long-tailed and Short-billed Minivets appeared, along with a pair of Chestnut-vented Nuthatches and a couple of Japanese Tits. The sun was on the garden below the checkpoint too, so we walked a short distance down the road – all we could find were a few Sooty-headed and Flavescent Bulbuls, not much else.

We started to walk further up the road instead and a Davison’s Leaf Warbler began singing nearby. We found two or three in the bushes here – also known as White-tailed Leaf Warbler, we could see the distinctive white undertails. Further up along the road it seemed very quiet, just a few bulbuls including a Black-crested Bulbul, but very skulking. We decided to try elsewhere.

Back in the minibus, we dropped down along the low road and stopped again. There were more bulbuls in the bushes here and as we walked back along the road to where the sunshine was falling, we found several Black-backed Sibias too. The cherry trees are in full bloom now and there were lots of birds feeding in the blossom mainly Gould’s Sunbirds and one or two Black-throated Sunbirds too, and an Indian (formerly Oriental) White-eye briefly.

A small track off the road led down to where people had been dumping rubbish. There were more bulbuls, including a couple of Brown-chested Bulbuls which perched up nicely in the sun, and two Hill Prinias which we could now see down in the bushes beyond. A Grey Treepie was calling in the distance and eventually flew past. A Daurian Redstart flew out but disappeared into the thick bamboo behind us and unfortunately wouldn’t show itself again, and a Streaked Spiderhunter flew past. We could now hear a genuine Collared Owlet (not Nick!) calling from deep in the trees across the road behind us.

As walked back along the road, we had better views of the Black-crested Bulbuls now. The area where we had parked the minibus was in the sunshine now, so we walked in to a small clearing opposite where there seemed to be a lot more activity now, with several Black-backed Sibias and bulbuls in the trees above. A Bianchi’s Warbler was flitting around in the undergrowth and called as it flew across at one point. When a second similar warbler appeared nearby, it gave a different call, a Martens’s Warbler. Several species are almost identical and can only really by separated by call, having formerly all been lumped together as ‘Golden-spectacled Warbler’.

Moving on, we continued round along the low road, through the Chinese village where a big wedding celebration was underway. Beyond, Nick could hear Silver-eared Mesias calling through the open window so we stopped and got out and found a large flock in the trees above the road. There were a couple of Mountain Bulbuls with them and a brief Orange-bellied Leafbird.

Further on, we stopped again where there were more birds in the pines. A male Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush eventually showed well in the scopes in the trees opposite. Overhead, a mixed flock included another pair of Chestnut-vented Nuthatches, Blyth’s Shrike-Babblers, several Hume’s Warblers and a small group of Blue-tailed Minlas.

On to the King’s Project, it was very busy today – lots of Thai people were coming up to enjoy the sight of all the cherry trees in full flower and take selfies, including the party from the hotel last night. We found somewhere quieter to park, out of the way behind some buildings. There was tall bamboo growing behind the parking area, where several Common Rosefinches were perched, including some nice pinky-red males.

Along a short path from the back corner of the car park, there was a feeding area cleared on the ground on the edge of a thicker stand of bamboo. A very tame White-rumped Shama was hanging around looking for food and a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher was flitting around above. As we stood and waited, more birds appeared – a male Hill Blue Flycatcher came in, followed by a female Rufus-bellied Niltava, a Siberian Blue Robin was hopping around deeper in the leaves under the bamboo, shivering its tail – although unfortunately not an adult male, and a pair of Yellow-bellied Warblers appeared up in the bamboo.

Our main target here was White-tailed Robin and we didn’t have to wait too long before the male appeared behind the feeding area. It wouldn’t come out into the open though, and we didn’t have any mealworms, but we did have good views as it flicked between the stems low down, and worked its way up the hillside through the trees the other side. As we turned to go, a couple of Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes appeared in the more open bamboo on the way back to the car park.

We walked back out onto the main road and down past the ornamental gardens, where lots of the locals were having their photos taken. The back of the café, with the rubbish dump behind, was rather less attractive and consequently it was quieter here, and we found at least six Black-breasted Thrushes feeding around the rubbish.

Back up to the minibus, we still had a little time before lunch so we drove back out of the King’s Project and back along the low road, stopping again close to where we saw the Mesias earlier. In the flowering cherry trees on the verge, there were more sunbirds and a Chestnut-flanked White-eye appeared above us. Lots of Yunnan Fulvettas were hiding in the thicker vegetation on the steep bank below the road but eventually gave good views, as did a couple of Golden Babblers, a female Little Pied Flycatcher flicked around and after a bit of effort we all got on to a Speckled Piculet in the trees below us. A Black-throated Sunbird was feeding in the cherry trees.

We stopped for lunch now in the village outside the King’s Project, where most of us opted to try the wild boar red curry, a speciality of the Yunnanese café where we ate. Afterwards, we had time for a bit of shopping, with several of the group particularly enjoying the dried strawberries in the dried fruits emporium next door, and having looked round the market stalls we tried some local fresh ginger and honey tea.

The Thai army camp on the Myanmar border close to here is a bit of a local tourist attraction, and it was slightly incongruous as we drove in with stalls selling local goods lined up past the entrance and lots of cars parked in the car park beyond. Walking down through the camp, a Burmese Shrike was perched in the shade in the trees above an area of lawn, occasionally dropping down to the ground, unconcerned by all the people passing by. There is a viewpoint here looking out over into Myanmar, the razor wire of the border fence right in front. Several Cook’s Swifts were hawking low back and forth, another Burmese Shrike was (appropriately!) in the bushes beyond the fence, along with a couple of Ashy Drongos. We managed to add a few species here to our Myanmar bird lists!

We still hadn’t come across a Crested Finchbill, so we drove on now to another site to see if we could find one. We walked in along a track between some houses, with another Hill Prinia and a Northern Treeshrew in the undergrowth, and out into the open farming area beyond, where there were lots of flowering cherry trees, with lots of Red-whiskered and Sooty-headed Bulbuls and small flocks of Common Rosefinches feeding in the blossom. A Common Tiger butterfly was nectaring on the flowers right in front of us. Nick heard Crested Finchbills calling, and scanning round we found them on some distant bare trees right on the top of the hill. Through the scopes we could see their crests, and distinctive short pale bills. A Maroon Oriole was calling but refused to show itself.

It was time for a change of scene, so back down to Fang, we dropped off those who preferred a couple of hours to rest and relax at the hotel, and then continued on to some nearby ricefields. We could hear Oriental Skylark singing as we walked down to the edge and picked up a couple flying round over the middle of the dry paddies off to one side. There were several Amur Stonechats too, plus a Long-tailed Shrike, a Wryneck perched on a bund, and a Dusky Warbler tsking by a ditch. We could see lots of Black-winged Stilts in the wet ricefields beyond.

As we walked out along a bund, one or two Little Ringed Plovers, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Snipe flew up ahead of us, along with a couple of Paddyfield Pipits. Several Striated Swallows were hawking back and forth low over the fields. We got closer views of the Oriental Skylarks now as several flew round in front of us or fluttered up singing. Several Scaly-breasted Munias were perched in a small area of taller reeds in the middle of the dry fields, and then a female or immature male Black-headed Bunting appeared in the same clump looking rather plain and washed out. Further on, we flushed another small bird from the ground which flew off ahead of us and looked longish tailed as it dropped back in. When it flew up again we could confirm it was a Chestnut-eared Bunting, and unusually it landed in full view further back (they normally tend to drop into cover) and we could all see it in the scopes.

A male Pied Harrier flew in now, quartering over the further wet paddies but working its way gradually in towards us. When it got to the back of drier fields where we were standing it suddenly dropped down and came up again with a Ricefield Rat in its talons. It landed again to feed, so we started to walk a little closer, trying to get in position for when it came up again. We were distracted by more Chestnut-eared Buntings though, getting more good views now in the scope, and several closer Oriental Skylarks. When we looked up, the Pied Harrier was already flying, and we watched as it flew round over the dry fields before it flew up and over a building behind. Stunning bird! A Common Kestrel flew in and landed on the roof.

We scanned the wet paddies beyond now. As we as the huge group of Stilts, now mostly busy bathing, we found a White-throated Kingfisher and a Brown Shrike on different posts, and a couple of Wood Sandpipers flew round calling. There is a pool behind a high bank over in the corner, so we cut back across the dry fields to look at that. We had glimpsed a Bluethroat here earlier, before we got distracted by the Chestnut-eared Buntings and Pied Harrier, so we walked back round to where it had seemed to land. We flushed a couple more Chestnut-eared Buntings first, then the Bluethroat, a female. As we walked up onto the top of the bank now, a small flock of Lesser Whistling Ducks flew up and landed again further back. There were quite a few Eurasian Teal and Garganey around the edges of the pool, plus several Moorhens and a single Coot, and a couple of Little Grebes.

It was time to head back. As we walked back across the ricefields, we flushed a Pintail Snipe this time. An Asian Koel was calling in the bushes back over by the minibus, which we got in the scope, the first male we had actually had a good look at. After a quick stop at a filling station on the way to refuel, and for one of the group to stock up on Pepsi, it was back to the hotel.

Monday 22^nd January

We were heading up to Doi Lang West again this morning to try to see Mrs Hume’s Pheasant, which required an even earlier start than normal. Coffee was served in the restaurant at the hotel from 5.30am, and we picked up a packed breakfast to take with us, as well as our packed lunch. When we got to the top, we found there were already four Thai photographers’ hides set up in a semicircle close in around the area where the Mrs Hume’s Pheasants normally come out to feed and three cars parked ahead of us, potentially limiting our view somewhat. We had to park behind them, but we got into position and waited.

There were a few other birds dropping down in front of the hides – starting with a couple of Grey Bushchats, followed by at least nine Olive-backed Pipits and a pair of Japanese Tits. Four Oriental Turtle Doves flew down and landed at the far end of the grass but seemed to be reluctant to come in closer to where the seed was strewn. A very smart male Ultramarine Flycatcher and a Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher were flitting around in the trees above the road and a pair of Giant Nuthatches even thought about coming down too before changing their minds. A Yellow-streaked Warbler appeared briefly in the bushes in the gully by the road.

Several other cars had pulled up behind us now too, but the prime time for the pheasants came and went and there was still no sign. We heard Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babblers approaching, and they came right past us through the bushes and along to where the hides were set up, but unusually they didn’t come out onto the grass at first. They continued further on and went quiet for some time before eventually working up the courage to come in briefly. Gradually it became clear that the pheasants were not coming today, and the photographers came out of their hides. We walked down, and the male Ultramarine Flycatcher was still perched on a stick right in front of the hides, at least it was not affected by their presence. They did seem to be placed very close to the area where the pheasants feed – it didn’t seem like the photographers had actually brought the wide angle lenses they would have needed! Mrs Hume’s Pheasant is not as easy to see anywhere else in the world as here, so it was one we really wanted to see – we would have to have another go. We ate our packed breakfasts, then decided to move on.

Two Yellow-throated Martens ran out into the road in front of us briefly before we stopped again further along in a slightly more open area. We were later getting here than we had hoped and it was already starting to warm up. There were several Gould’s Sunbirds and a Hume’s Warbler in the bushes by the road, and a brief Siberian Rubythroat. We stopped to scan the trees beyond, but they were mostly quiet, just a distant oriole calling.

We were hoping to find Spot-breasted Parrotbill here, and Nick heard one calling now which gradually started to work its way towards us. It was keeping tucked down in the undergrowth out of sight though and we had only managed a couple of quick glimpses before a motorbike went past and it disappeared back in. We managed to follow it and could still hear it calling, getting brief views of it in a low tree before it dropped back over the ridge behind. Thankfully, when we got to the edge and looked over, we found it perched in a small dead tree just beyond and finally everyone could get a good look.

Back out on the road, a Crested Goshawk circled over the clearing, its white undertail coverts spread out, then started to give a series of bursts of quivering wingbeat display. Walking back to the minibus a Crested Serpent Eagle circled over calling, then started displaying too. It was a good morning for raptors.

Continuing on to the end of the road, we could hear Striated Bulbuls calling from further down the slope but couldn’t see them at first through the trees. A Grey-backed Shrike was perched in a tree just inside the edge of the military camp, and lots of Flavescent Bulbuls and a male Slaty-blue Flycatcher were waiting to be fed at a feeding station under the bamboo nearby. We heard Crested Finchbills calling now and found several feeding on a fruiting bush down below the road, and lots of butterflies and Gould’s Sunbirds were feeding around a flowering cherry tree by the gate. Walking down the road a short way, we found two Dark-backed Sibias feeding on another berry bush on the verge, then as we came back, a Striated Bulbul finally perched up a couple of times in the trees.

Back to the shady area where we had spent some time on our first afternoon here, we walked up and down along the road and a succession of different birds appeared. When we stopped to look at a pair of Grey-chinned Minivets, we found a mixed flock in the trees – lots of Claudia’s Leaf Warblers and Pallas’s Warbers, a pair of Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers, a couple of Hume’s Treecreepers. There were a couple of Cuckooshrikes too – the first Indochinese, then a Black-winged Cuckooshrike.

Two Black-throated Bushtits were feeding on catkins right in the top of one of the tallest trees, but eventually dropped down a little so we could get a slightly better view. We found a female Slaty-backed Flycatcher too, the Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher we had seen a couple of days ago again, and a Golden Babbler calling.

Back at the minibus, we were eating our packed lunches when a Silver-eared Laughingthrush appeared right next to the road. It was obviously coming in to a feeding station set up by the local photographers to look for food, so we put some out and two came back in.

When they had gone, the male Rufous-bellied Niltava reappeared, staying long enough for everyone a chance to get some great views of it this time.

Some Dutch birders mentioned that they had seen White-browed Laughingthrush at another feeding station further up, so after we had finished our fried rice we walked along the road to look – there was no sign of it now, just a female Hill Blue Flycatcher. As we walked back, we could hear Cutias calling again in the trees and found a couple of Long-tailed Minivets. Back beyond the minibus, a Martens’s Warbler was feeding in the bushes by the road.

Although we were still finding some new birds here, it felt like we needed a change of scene, so we headed back down to Fang and took the road north towards Thaton. As we turned into an area of ricefields, we looked down to see a Citrine Wagtail in one of the first wet paddies by the track but it flew as we tried to pull up.

Carrying on, there were lots of Long-tailed and a few Brown Shrikes in the bushes and lots of Cattle and Intermediate Egrets in the wet fields. We stopped by an area of reeds to look for Yellow-breasted Bunting but it looked quiet at first, in the heat of the afternoon. We found some shade and scanned back and forth and after a while a single male flew up briefly but dropped back in, then two flew out but disappeared off, too brief to get everyone onto them, all very frustrating!

Scanning the ricefields the other side, there were lots of Wood Sandpipers and one or two Common Snipe, several Great White Egrets, a couple of Grey Herons and a single Purple Heron. There were lots of wagtails – plenty of White, at least nine Citrine and one or two Eastern Yellow Wagtails – and a female Bluethroat feeding on a bund. An Eastern Marsh Harrier was hunting over the fields further back.

Back in the minibus, we drove a short distance further down the track. There were lots of Baya Weavers in the reeds here, dropping down to feed in the maize crop in front and we started to pick up more Yellow-breasted Buntings further back now – a small flock dropped in, and from time to time one would perch up in view. They were mostly females/immatures and a bit distant but we had OK views in the scopes now and for a species listed as ‘Endangered’ we were just pleased to be able to see some. A further scan of the rice paddies here revealed two Rosy Pipits feeding on a muddy bund out in the middle, along with several Paddyfield Pipits, and a Common Sandpiper.

It was time to head back to the hotel now. As we drove back out along the track, we stopped briefly to look at a Black-crowned Night Heron in a tree. A flock of pipits in a drier field by the river channel turned out to be Olive-backed Pipits when we pulled up to check, and there were lots of Greater Coucals out now that the temperature was dropping and the light was starting to fade.

Tuesday 23^rd January

It was another early start, meeting down in the restaurant for coffee again at 5.30am, before we headed back up to Doi Lang West to have another go for Mrs Hume’s Pheasant. When we got to the top, we were very relieved to see there was no one else there this morning, so we were able to get ourselves into a good position, further back than the hides had been yesterday. As it started to get light, the same birds appeared, and came down to feed – several Grey Bushchats, ten Olive-backed Pipits, a pair of Japanese Tits. The Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher flitted around in the trees again and the male Ultramarine Flycatcher appeared briefly, but without any mealworms it didn’t linger.

Two Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babblers flew straight in and landed on the grass today, but four Oriental Turtle Doves flew in to the trees before dropping down to feed on the road further down. A Yellow-streaked Warbler and a Chinese Leaf Warbler flitted around in the gully on the other side of the road. Just at the time the pheasants have been appearing before yesterday, a couple more cars arrived. There was still no sign of the pheasants though – had they been disturbed just as they were planning to come out?

We had said we would only give it until 8am, but Nick spoke to a photographer he knew who was also there now, and he was told that although on most days they come out early, on one day recently the pheasants had not appeared until 8.30am. We waited another 15 minutes and it really felt like we were going to be out of luck again. We were just about to pack up when a female Mrs Hume’s Pheasant appeared out of the undergrowth and walked out onto the verge. Just in time! It was followed by several more females/immatures, five in total, and then finally the male crept out last, nervously. Stunning! We watched them out in the open, in much better light now, as they fed on the verge. After about half an hour, a motorbike came the other way down the road and the pheasants disappeared back in.

We drove a short way down the hill and stopped where the sun was on the trees. There were lots of birds flitting around above where we parked, lots of leaf warblers including several Pallas’s Warblers, a Little Pied Flycatcher calling, a couple of Blue-winged Minlas, and a Giant Nuthatch calling on a bare pine trunk. A little further down the road we found a pair of Black-backed Sibias in the bushes and watched a Chestnut-vented Nuthatch at its nest hole, trying to reduce the size of the entrance by plastering it with mud. An oriole was calling across the other side, but it was too deep in to see, and then a flock of Long-tailed Broadbills started calling, so we turned to finding them. Eventually they came into the trees nearer the road. A large flock of Chestnut-flanked White-eyes landed in the treetops further along.

After about 10am, it seemed to go quiet here, so we drove back up to the regular shady spot. The flock of Yunnan Fulvettas had a Grey-throated Babbler with them now. The wintering White-spectacled Warbler had been seen again yesterday and apparently it often follows the fulvettas too, so we kept checking through the flock and before long it appeared right beside the road. A Martens’s Warbler was with it initially, just to cause confusion as they are rather similar, but eventually everyone got on the right bird, the White-spectacled Warbler sporting a much wider pale eye-ring which is noticeably broken at the top.

Walking back past the minibus, we found another large mixed flock in the trees – lots of minivets including Grey-chinned, Scarlet and Long-tailed Minivets, a pair of Grey-headed Flycatchers, a couple of Hume’s Treecreepers and lots of leaf warblers, mainly Claudia’s, Hume’s and Pallas’s, with a Davison’s Leaf Warbler singing right next to the road.

A male Hill Blue Flycatcher dropped down to feed on the tarmac, the male Rufous-bellied Niltava and the Indochinese Cuckooshrike appeared again, and the Sapphire Flycatcher flitted around over the road. When a White-throated Fantail started singing, we looked up to see it above our heads with its tail fanned. A Stripe-breasted Woodpecker appeared in the top of a tree above the road and a Yellow-browed Warbler called nearby.

A Maroon Oriole called initially from further in, but gradually started to make its way closer to the road, and now we could see the pair, the male singing and displaying to female.

We walked back to the minibus for an early packed lunch, and as we had been on our feet most of the morning a chance to so sit down. As we finished our fried rice, the flock of Fulvettas came back through – the White-spectacled Warbler was still with them and a Golden Babbler as well this time, and as we followed them along the road, we had brief views of a White-browed Scimitar-babbler in the undergrowth too.

We had spent quite a bit of time here, so we decided we needed a change of scene, and drove a little further on before we stopped in another different shady area of trees, towards the bottom of quite a steep hill. We walked up a short way and could hear birds alarm calling in the trees. Scanning above our heads, we found a Crimson-breasted Woodpecker up in the branches, now treated as a separate species, Necklaced Woodpecker, by some authorities, rare here and confined to the extreme NW of Thailand so a good bird to see.

As we walked back down past minibus, we could hear more woodpeckers calling and found a pair of Stripe-breasted in one bare tree, then a Grey-capped in another close by.

A group of Large Woodshrikes appeared, along with a couple of Crested Finchbills, and we could hear a Grey Treepie calling.

We returned to the spot where we had seen the Spot-breasted Parrotbill next. It was early afternoon now, so not an ideal time, but we scanned the tops of the trees and picked up a Banded Bay Cuckoo which flew in and landed high up, behind a tangle of branches. It flew again, and came much closer, landing right above the road briefly where it was much easier to get on. A Crested Serpent Eagle circled up again overhead before drifting out of view, and when a raptor appeared again in the same place it turned out to be a Mountain Hawk Eagle, before it disappeared behind the trees on the top of the hill.

We were heading back to the ricefields this afternoon, so it was time to drive down now. On our way, we stopped briefly at the hotel in Fang to drop off those who preferred a couple of hours to rest and relax, then carried on north towards Thaton again. We drove in along a different track and parked, getting out to scan the wet paddies on one side – we quickly located a female Citrine Wagtail, and a Green Sandpiper flew up calling. The other side of the track, by the river, a Richard’s Pipit was running around in a nearby field which was being irrigated, along with a Little Ringed Plover. We picked up a distant male Pied Harrier quartering the back of the ricefields before it dropped down out of view.

Walking down along the track, a pair of Zebra Doves flew up ahead of us, a flock of Chestnut-tailed Starlings was in some nearby trees and the prize for the most bizarre sighting went to a white Cockatiel which flew in and landed above the track. Very strange to see out here, but as an escapee, it doesn’t count! Two female Long-tailed Minivets flew over too, a large flock of Red Collared Doves was feeding in the grass nearby and a pair of Plain Prinias flitted around in the vegetation in the ditch below the track. Scanning the vegetation along the side of the river, we found a single rather distant Yellow-breasted Bunting in some low mimosa trees.

We carried on a bit further, until we could see over to the reeds where we had looked from the other side of the river yesterday and where we had seen the Yellow-breasted Buntings distantly. It was better light from here, we were a bit closer too and we could see several perched up now. We were just scanning across, trying to count them, when we picked up a bushchat in the reeds. We had discussed yesterday that this looked like ideal habitat for Jerdon’s Bushchat and now we were indeed looking at one, a female. This is a very scarce and localised species in Thailand, so a great find here.

When it dropped down out of view, we walked on and turned onto a track down through the fields to get closer to the edge of the river. Unfortunately, we had gone too far on now to see the reeds where the bushchat had been, but we were closer to the Yellow-breasted Buntings and had great views of them through the scopes in the scrubby bushes on the opposite bank, admiring the variety of different plumages, including one or two smarter winter males. We could see twenty in view together at one point, but then they started to fly out in groups and we counted at least fifty, and there were still several perched in the bushes. Given that they are classified as ‘Endangered’, it was really great to see good numbers here.

There was a Long-tailed Shrike in the reeds opposite too, and four Common Snipe bathing on a mudbank down in the river along with a Common Sandpiper. Several swallows were flying round over the fields – including Barn, Asian Red-rumped and Striated – and a few Germain’s Swiftlets flew overhead. Two Black-crowned Night Herons flew past over the fields the other side.

As we walked back towards the minibus, a Racket-tailed Treepie was in the trees by the track now, where the starling flock was still feeding. An Oriental Reed Warbler appeared briefly in the reeds in the ditch, along with a Taiga Flycatcher. We walked past the bus and up onto the riverbank behind, past a small herd of cows which were just being gathered and tethered for the night. As we got up onto the bank, a Striated Grassbird flew back away over the river and landed out of view in some reeds the other side. It then flew again but disappeared down along the river, before flying back, giving us all some nice flight views now, but dropping down behind a strip of maize on the far bank out of view. We stopped and scanned but it didn’t come out again. A constant stream of egrets was flying past now, heading in to roost, landing in a large copse of trees beyond. Back at the minibus again, a Coppersmith Barbet was calling, and we looked over to see it perched in the top of some bamboo. Back to the hotel, we had time for a short break before dinner.

Wednesday 24^th January

It was going to be mainly a travel day today, so we packed up and met for breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel at 6am. We had some time for birding this morning before we moved on, so we drove the short distance over to Fang Hot Springs. There were several Coppersmith Barbets and a single Lineated Barbet in the trees above the car park when we arrived, along with an Ashy Drongo. A Greater Racket-tailed Drongo was calling, and as we walked out across the grass opposite we found two perched in the treetops there. An Asian Barred Owlet was calling too, and we located it up in a nearby tree.

One of the group had wandered down to the nearby pool and saw a Great Barbet flying across in the distance beyond, so when it flew again and landed in the top of a tree, we got it in the scopes, where it was joined by several more Lineated Barbets. A few Thick-billed Pigeons and Hair-crested Drongos were even more distantly in the trees behind. Then we found more Thick-billed Pigeons in a fruiting tree a bit closer, along with a selection of more barbets which included a Blue-throated Barbet, and lots of Black-crested Bulbuls. A White-breasted Waterhen walked up the far bank of the pool.

Back to the road, we walked down through the avenue of trees, finding a flock of Long-tailed Minivets, and with them several Rosy Minivets and a single Brown-rumped Minivet too. A couple of Eurasian (or White-faced) Jays flew off ahead of us and a Pallas’s Squirrel was feeding on a pine cone up in the branches. Down to the springs themselves, we had been hoping to find the regular flock of Spot-winged Grosbeaks in the trees here but there was no sign of them.

We waited to see if they might come in and scanned the trees hillside above to see if they had gathered there. There were lots of Barn Swallows hawking over the grass and a small flock of Himalayan Swiftlets came in overhead. A female Shikra landed in a tree beyond, followed by a Black-naped Oriole. A couple of Grey Wagtails were feeding around the small pools. There was no sign of the grosbeaks though – perhaps, given the unseasonably warm weather this year, they had dispersed already. We took the path across through the middle of the springs and looking back, Nick picked up a flock of about twenty finches very high over the hillside now. We hoped for a second that they might be the grosbeaks coming in, but when they landed in the trees we could see they were actually Common Rosefinches. A distant Black-hooded Oriole appeared too.

A Blue Whistling Thrush had been whistling all the time we had been here but we hadn’t been able to see it until now, when came it flew into the trees right in front of us, and gave good views. An Olive-backed Pipit flew up into the trees too, along with a singing Oriental Magpie Robin. Back out onto the road, as we walked back up towards the parking area there were lots of bulbuls in the trees, along with a couple of Taiga Flycatchers and a Common Tailorbird, and a White-rumped Shama was on some rocks nearby. Back at the minibus, a Blue-eared Barbet appeared in the trees beyond.

We set off now on the long journey to our next stop at Doi Inthanon, but before we got out of Fang we had a quick stop to look round one of the local temples, Wat Si Mongkol. We admired the painted and gilded buildings and what is claimed to be the oldest teak buddha in Thailand. A couple of the group tried the fortune sticks in the temple – worryingly we had very mixed fortunes predicted! We stopped again for lunch at a roadside restaurant near Chiang Mai, where most of us tried a delicious local noodle dish – so much better than roadside food back home. It was then mid-afternoon when we finally arrived at our hotel just outside Doi Inthanon National Park.

After a short break to get settled in, we got back in the minibus for a very short drive to a nearby site to look for Blossom-headed Parakeets. We parked on the edge of a track, where the flowering tree above had several Purple Sunbirds coming and going, and as we walked down, we heard Blossom-headed Parakeet call and looked up to see one shoot past over the treetops.

There was a viewing tower in front of the house at the end of the track and the owner came out with his young daughter and led us up to top. We had an excellent view over the surrounding trees from here and it was not long before the Blossom-headed Parakeets started to come in – first a grey-headed female, then a pink-headed male landed closer briefly, then several perched up further back and stayed long enough for us to get them in the scopes. Several more parakeets zipped through without stopping.

There was an Asian Brown Flycatcher flitting around in the branches nearby too, and Green-billed Malkoha and Asian Koel in the trees behind us. A couple of the group had a glimpse of a male Green Peafowl through the trees walking down through the thick undergrowth on the slope, but it disappeared behind some bamboo. We climbed down from the tower and walked further down, but there was no further sign of it and it seemed like it had probably gone back up the slope.

Back to our hotel, we walked into the grounds of the former resort opposite as dusk was just starting to descend. We were looking for Spotted Owlet and heard one call a couple of times, but it was still too light at first. An Indochinese Roller was perched on the wires briefly, a Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher was in the trees and a flock of White-crested Laughingthrushes flew across the road. As it was starting to get dark, the Spotted Owlet finally emerged from under the roof of an abandoned house. It flew straight back into the trees at first, but then thankfully reappeared above the road where we had good views of it in the scopes. A Brown Boobook had been calling deeper in the trees and now it flew out and landed nearby where we could get it in the scopes too. We could see its tail and head dipping as it called, it was obviously needing lots of effort. We walked quickly back across the road to our hotel now, and there was only time for a short break before we met for dinner.

Thursday 25^th January

We met for breakfast at 6am again and then drove the short distance up into the National Park. After getting our tickets at the entrance, we stopped again a bit further on at the junction with a small side road. There was a bridge over the river here where we were hoping to find Black-backed Forktail, so we walked over very quietly to scan up- and downstream but there was no sign of them, perhaps because there was a constant stream of vehicles passing over the bridge this morning. We did find a Black-capped Kingfisher perched further up, and a couple of Grey Wagtails, and as we walked back to the minibus a couple of Brown-rumped Minivets and a Rosy Minivet were in the trees on the other side of the road.

We drove on higher and stopped again at the start of a small track. A Mountain Tailorbird was flitting around in the bushes next to where we parked and although we could head Spectacled Barwing we couldn’t see it. There were lots of birds in the trees higher up, a mixed flock including our first Rufous-backed Sibias, White-bellied Epornis, Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail and Yellow-cheeked Tits, plus Black-throated Sunbird, Grey-chinned Minivet, Speckled Piculet, Silver-eared Mesias and Blue-winged Minlas. We could hear Clicking Shrike-Babbler calling now and as it moved through the trees and back further down the track we tried to follow it. The Spectacled Barwings were easy to see in the bushes by the track now, and we had nice views of them moving through the low vegetation, and the Clicking Shrike-Babbler eventually showed itself in the tops of the trees opposite.

As the flock moved deeper in, we walked on further up the track. It was much quieter along here now – the birds are often all or nothing here – until we found a mixed flock of bulbuls in the trees, including several Ashy Bulbuls. We turned onto a narrow side path, which dropped down a steep slope into a damp gully. We could hear Slaty-bellied Tesias calling, but they were hard to see in the dark undergrowth at first before they eventually showed well, hopping up and down on the vertical stems of the plants on the forest floor opposite. A White-gorgeted Flycatcher was flicking round low in the bushes below us and two Himalayan Shortwings appeared on the ground nearby, first a female and then a young male with a small white brow.

A male Large Niltava called several times from higher up the valley behind and eventually dropped down into trees right above us. Back on the main track, we carried on further. A Crested Goshawk flew low through the tops of the trees displaying, its white undertail coverts flagged. When we got to a barrier and couldn’t go further, we turned to head back, getting better views of a pair of Yellow-cheeked Tits on the way.

We drove on higher and stopped again. As we walked down the road, we could hear Grey-headed Parrotbills calling and they flew across ahead of us, landing in the top of a tree the other side where we could just see them in leaves. Unfortunately they flew again before they showed themselves properly and disappeared off downhill. There were lots more birds in the trees here now, lots of Claudia’s Leaf Warblers, a White-throated Fantail, Gould’s Sunbirds and a single Fire-breasted Flowerpecker above our heads.

Then further along, as Nick whistled Collared Owlet, one responded from somewhere in the trees above the road. It flew in closer and we could see a big group of birds mobbing it, but the owl had landed in the thickest leaves it could find, out of view. Then it flew again, across the road and continued much further down the slope where we had no chance of seeing it. It appeared our opportunity had gone, but then it seemed to move back up towards the road again. We found a gap in the trees where we could see further down but all we found was an Asian Emerald Cuckoo and two Black-winged Cuckooshrikes. When the Collared Owlet flew again, this time it landed close to the road, and finally we found a place from where we could see it perched calling. Eventually it flew and disappeared again and a Streaked Spiderhunter, which had been mobbing it, flew out past us.

We moved on to a café where we would be having lunch now, situated by a small stream. There were several cars already in the small parking area directly in front, so we had to park higher up and walk down, which turned out to be a good thing. As we got out, we noticed lots of bulbuls feeding in some fruiting trees on the hillside a little further up and two Black Bulbuls in the top of a dead tree nearby. We figured we would come back and have a longer explore here afterwards.

We had a look at the stream behind the café first, where we found a very obliging White-capped Redstart perched on the rocks, and a female Plumbeous Redstart which was a bit more nervous, only flying out onto the rocks briefly and flashing its white tail, before darting back in. There was no sign of the Slaty-backed Forktail we were hoping to find here though – there had been a few other people looking up and down the stream too when we arrived, and it had probably been disturbed.

Once the other people had left, and while the group ordered lunch, the Slaty-backed Forktail reappeared back along the stream. It was still very nervous though and before everyone could gather, it flew off again. We had some more brief views before lunch, but it would fly off as soon as it saw people and not all the group had seen it before the food arrived. After lunch, it was much quieter, and we managed to track it down to a shady part of the stream where we could view from a distance without disturbing it. We all had some nice views of it here now.

As we walked back up towards where we had parked, there were lots of Common Rosefinches in the flowering trees now, including some smart rosy-pink males, and a Blue-bearded Bee-eater was perched in the top of a bare tree beyond the minibus, with a Blue-throated Barbet too. There were still lots of bulbuls in the fruiting trees beyond, so we walked on up for closer look. While we were scanning, we got a brief glimpse of a male Spot-winged Grosbeak in the top of a leafy tree just behind, and then we managed to get the scope on a female nearby. Suddenly they flew up and we could see there was actually a flock of at least ten Spot-winged Grosbeaks here. They flew across to the top of a nearby fruiting tree, where we watched them feeding – great to find some here, after missing them at their regular spot yesterday. We had nice views of an Orange-bellied Leafbird in the fruit trees here too.

We drove on up to the summit now. It had looked to have been cloudy over the top all day, but when we got up there the cloud was not thick and the visibility was fine. As we got out of the minibus, a mixed flock of Chestnut-tailed Minlas and Rufous-winged Fulvettas was in the trees right in front of where we had parked, along with an Ashy-throated Warbler. Walking up to the buildings, there were several Grey-sided Thrushes in the fruiting tree in front, but they moved higher up through the branches just as we arrived and then disappeared off through the trees.

There were several sunbirds in the small trees nearby, so we turned our attention to those, with several Gould’s Sunbirds at first and then a nice male Green-tailed Sunbird of the race angkanensis, also known as Doi Inthanon Sunbird and only found here, so the one we were hoping to see. There were a couple of Ashy-throated and Buff-barred Warblers in the same trees too, along with three tame Black-backed Sibias. Then the Grey-sided Thrushes reappeared and we had nice views of them feeding on the berries – one bit off more than it could chew, and kept trying to swallow a berry that was just a bit too big for it, before it eventually had to spit it out.

There were few birds along the boardwalk from here up to the summit, but when we got out into the car park beyond there was a little bit of sunshine breaking through and a very tame Doi Inthanon Sunbird in the bushes now looked particularly stunning.

We walked down the road a short way and down the steps to the summit marsh boardwalk. A Yellow-bellied Fairy-fantail was flycatching from the bushes which were full of Minlas and Fulvettas, with a Silver-eared Laughingthrush on the ground almost under the boardwalk below us. Round from the platform overlooking the marsh, there were several warblers flicking around in the undergrowth, including our first Blyth’s Leaf Warblers.

Nick could hear a White-crowned Forktail calling further on now, so we walked round very slowly and quietly until we found it under the bushes – it was hard to pick up but we could see it feeding in puddle in leaf litter. A Blue Whistling Thrush in damp shady area too. There were not many people on the boardwalk now, so as we walked on quietly we could hear scratching in the undergrowth. We crouched down low and looked up underneath the bushes to find three Rufous-throated Partridges on the ground below. We watched them feeding in the leaf litter, kicking up leaves.

It was time to head back down. We normally look for Speckled Woodpigeon in the early morning, in their favoured tree by the road, but Nick looked up now as we approached and could see some perched there. We stopped and got the scope on them, at least sixteen, very smart birds and neatly patterned, very attractive for a woodpigeon! A couple of Striated Bulbuls were perched on a bare branch way up on the slope beyond. It was already getting dark by the time we got back to the hotel, in time for a quick freshen up before dinner. Again, Nick had ordered a selection of food for us to try and we enjoyed a delicious variety of spring rolls, red curry and fried tilapia. The Yum dipping sauce for the latter is normally served on the fish but was provided separately for us – very tasty but a bit too spicy for many of the group!

Friday 26^th January

Having seen the Woodpigeons yesterday, we didn’t need to have an extra early start this morning. After breakfast at 6.15am (a lie in!), we drove back up into the National Park and had the chance for another quick stop to try to see the Black-backed Forktail. We walked down quietly to the bridge from the parking area again and scanned the rocks, and this time we found them further upstream. They were not close, but we all got good views in the scopes before they worked their way over the rocks, round the next bend in the river and out of view.

We carried on straight up to the summit now, into the cloud. We could hear Pygmy Cupwing singing form the parking area so we went straight down to the summit boardwalk to see if we could find it, but it was another large birding group playing a recording! We walked on past where they were standing and further round onto the boardwalk but it was cooler here in the trees with the low cloud today, and fewer birds. Round the far side, where it was wetter, we found a couple of male Himalayan Shortwings below the boardwalk, but a flock of birds high in the trees moved quickly out towards the road, so we went back up the steps and out into the open to see if we could find them.

We only had to walk a short way down the road before we located the flock again on the edge of the trees, lots of Chestnut-tailed Minlas and Rufous-winged Fulvettas, great views of a pair of Yellow-cheeked Tits feeding on the lower branches, Ashy-throated Warblers, Gould’s Sunbirds and several Swinhoe’s White-eyes. A Yellow-browed Tit flitted through too quickly at first, but then we picked it up again in the top of a tree further along where it sat still for a few seconds so we could all get on it. As the flock passed through a fruiting tree by the road, we could see several Grey-sided Thrushes feeding in the branches and a single Eye-browed Thrush was with them. Three Ashy Woodpigeons flew over.

Up at the buildings, the coffee shop was open so we stopped for a hot drink – the hot chocolate and delicious almond brownies were particularly recommended – while Nick kept checking the spot for Ashy Woodpigeon in the trees nearby. Another Thai birder came up and told us that one had just flown in, and now we found it perched on a branch. The cloud was swirling through the trees up here, so it was a bit dark and misty, but thankfully it was fairly close so not bad views.

After our coffee break, we went back down to the summit marsh to try again for Pygmy Cupwing. A Slaty-bellied Tesia was calling in the undergrowth at the bottom of the steps right next to the path, and we enjoyed very close views of it when it came out onto the edge. The other group had moved on and a very tame Blue Whistling Thrush was waiting where they had been earlier. We scanned under the trees around the edge of the water, finding a pair of Himalayan Shortwings, the male showing particularly well now, and a pair of Silver-eared Laughingthrushes. After a patient wait, the Pygmy Cupwing finally appeared too and we had very good views of it now climbing around the branches.

Back up to the minibus, we drove back down from the summit, taking a side turning and stopping again in front of some buildings which were surrounded by flowering cherry trees. Only a few of the group had seen the Asian Emerald Cuckoo yesterday, so it was our main target here. As we walked in under the trees, Nick whistled Collared Owlet again and birds started to appear. First the usual Gould’s Sunbirds and Japanese Tits, a pair of Oriental White-eyes, and a couple of Scarlet Minivets. An Asian Emerald Cuckoo called and a female flew up into the trees above us. Then a Maroon Oriole flew in and perched on the top of some nearby pines.

We were booked into a hide this afternoon and wanted to get there in good time, so we drove further down now to Mr Daeng’s for an early lunch. While our food was prepared, we admired the Spiny Orbweaver spiders on their webs along the boardwalk to the toilet block and a couple of Pallas’s Squirrels feeding in the banana trees just outside. The cloud had been hanging low all day and now it started to rain, though thankfully it was only light.

After lunch, we drove over to the hide and walked in through the trees, followed by the owner who came in singing and whistling to the birds and put out fruit, water and mealworms. Instantly, there were birds everywhere, coming in and out to feed – Grey-throated and Buff-breasted Babblers around his feet as he was putting out the food, several Brown-cheeked Fulvettas, a pair of White-tailed Robins with the female even coming into the hide behind us, a female Hill Blue Flycatcher, White-rumped Shama, Puff-throated and Grey-eyed Bulbuls.

A young male Siberian Blue Robin and a brief Lesser Shortwing put in appearances on the ground in front of us.

We had only had brief flight views of Streaked Spiderhunter flashing past before, but now we enjoyed great views of both Streaked and Lesser Spiderhunter coming in to feed.

Three Asian Emerald Doves flew in but mostly stayed further back under the trees beyond. A male Snowy-browed Flycatcher came in a couple of times too, as did a Rufous-bellied Niltava, and pair of Yellow-bellied Warblers were in the trees above.

As it was damp outside, and there were so many things to see, we stayed in the hide for a while. The rain sounded worse than it was on the fabric roof, and when we went out, it seemed to have pretty much stopped. As we walked back down to the minibus, a Common Green Magpie was in the trees but flew off before we could all see it and despite trying a short way along the track we couldn’t find it again. A pair of Greater Racket-tailed Drongos were mimicking its call instead, and a Streaked Spiderhunter and a Blue-throated Barbet were perched in the top of the trees.

On our way back down through the park, we had a quick stop to look at the Wachirathan waterfall. There was an impressive volume of water coming over the falls, despite it being the dry season – we wondered what it would be like in the wet season! We were flying south tomorrow, so we got back to the hotel earlier this afternoon to have more time to pack up. There were a few bulbuls in the trees by reception, along with Yellow-browed Warbler and an Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Saturday 27^th January

It was a travelling day today, so we met for breakfast at 6am with all our bags packed, which meant we had time for a couple of hours in the National Park again before we had to head for the airport. When we got to the first Park gate, the guard asked his superior, and Nick was told he needed to buy new tickets, despite explaining that the ones we had bought on our first morning were valid for five days. The guards were insistent though and were making all the vehicles turn round and go back to the visitor centre. So we had to comply too and it was not a great surprise when Nick showed the staff at the Centre our tickets and they confirmed we didn’t actually need to buy new ones, they were still valid. Back out onto the road, we drove on quickly through the first gate now so the guards didn’t have a chance to check again!

We were planning to head higher up the main road to a spot to try for Small Niltava but it was still very cloudy and we drove into thick fog now. Change of plan, we turned off and went back to where we had stopped the other day, and on our way we drove up out of the cloud and there was even some sun trying to break through when we parked and got out. We could hear a mixed flock coming through the trees, and looked up into the pines to see several Yellow-cheeked Tits and Gould’s Sunbirds, and a Fire-breasted Flowerpecker. We were about to set off along the road when Nick thought he heard a Small Niltava singing, so we walked into the trees on a narrow path in front of where we were parked and there it was, singing in the branches ahead of us.

Back out onto the road, a Collared Owlet started calling – we could see lots of birds mobbing it high in the pines deeper in, but the Owlet itself was out of view. A Bay Woodpecker started calling in the trees too, but we couldn’t see it either. It gradually worked its way closer, before flying out over the road, landing in the pines too far in to see again, then shortly after it flew out again and back across the road – we had some nice flight views, but again it disappeared in too far through the trees. It would continue to taunt us, as we could still hear it calling. A succession of Cook’s Swifts were flying uphill over the trees and Nick caught sight of a Pacific Swift in with them, with its larger white rump, but it was too brief for everyone to see as it flew across over a gap in the trees. The Collared Owlet flew in to some deciduous trees closer to the road now, where we could see it perched in the leaves, and several White-browed Scimitar-Babblers were calling from the undergrowth below, but although we could see movement, they never came out into view.

We walked down the road a short distance, to where the sun was catching the trees. A Spectacled Barwing was in the tangled vegetation below before it disappeared off downhill, an Ashy Bulbul landed in the sunshine in the tops, and lots of leaf warblers were flitting around high in the trees above the road, along with a Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantail. A Clicking Shrike-Babbler was singing, and we had nice views of it even if it kept high up in the trees again and several Silver-eared Mesias flew across the road in front of us. There was an open farmed area beyond, so we turned round and continued on back past the minibus this time.

A couple of Asian Emerald Doves were feeding in the undergrowth on the bank above and flew up noisily as we walked past and a group of Dark-backed Sibias and Blue-winged Minlas were feeding in the trees. As we got to the edge of another open farmed area a small group of Flavescent Bulbuls were feeding on the tarmac ahead, two Green Pigeons flew over and a Grey-backed Shrike and singing Oriental Magpie Robin were perched on the wires above the verge. We walked out into the clear and scanned the trees looking for the pigeons. Nick had a brief glimpse of two Wedge-tailed Pigeons as they flew deeper in, but we couldn’t refind them.

Unfortunately our time at Doi Inthanon was at an end now and we had to start heading back to Chiang Mai. It took an hour and three quarters to get to the airport, and we arrived in what we thought was already very good time for our 14.05 flight. We said our goodbyes to Nick outside but unfortunately, when we went to check in, we discovered first that our plane had been rescheduled for 15.05 and second that we had only been given a 15kg baggage allowance rather than the 20kg for all our other flights. The excess baggage charge was typically excessive, but at the request of the check-in agent we tried to pile all the group’s bags onto the scales to weigh them together. Needless to say, they wouldn’t all fit and some were resting on the edges. The agent seemed to rapidly lose interest at the prospect of having to weigh all the bags separately and add them up, so he very kindly said he wouldn’t charge us this time and the rest of the check-in process was pretty seamless.

We had plenty of time to kill now, so we found some seats where we could make camp and some people wandered off to check out the shops and buy souvenirs to take home. Then we went up to the restaurant on the departures floor above for lunch. There was just time for some more quick shopping before we had to be at the gate. The plane was then late boarding, but thankfully we were only twenty minutes behind schedule by the time it pushed back off the stand and after an hour we landed back in Bangkok. Our bags were out promptly and we met our bus and driver outside the terminal as arranged for the long drive down to our hotel for the next couple of nights in Petchaburi. The traffic wasn’t as bad as it could have been but with all the delays we still didn’t get there until 7.30pm and Games who would be guiding us for the next part of the trip was waiting for us outside. After dropping our bags in our rooms, we headed straight over to the neighbouring small hotel for dinner.

Sunday 28^th January

After an early breakfast at 5.30am, we headed over to Pak Thale, arriving as it was just starting to get light. We started to see our first waders in the gloom, several Black-winged Stilts, a Common Greenshank, a couple of Grey Plovers. It quickly got light enough to see more and we found lots of Tibetan (Lesser) Sandplovers, some nice close Broad-billed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints, one or two Curlew Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper.

A big flock of larger waders was off to one side, and as we turned the scopes on it we could see a very large number of Asian Dowitchers mixed with Black-tailed Godwits. Given that Asian Dowitcher is listed as ‘Near Threatened’, it was particularly nice to see so many here. We picked out a single Bar-tailed Godwit with them, a couple of Marsh Sandpipers and a few Common Redshanks, and a flock of Red Knot dropped in. A couple of Gull-billed Terns landed on the back of the same pool and some distant Blue-tailed Bee-eaters were flying around the trees beyond.

We were joined by local guide Mr Daeng, who was going to help us by trying to find a Spoon-billed Sandpiper, our most wanted target here, allowing us to spend more time looking through the other species. The sun was coming up now over the saltpans as we walked down towards the main track which heads out through the middle of the complex. There were waders everywhere. The next compartment down held lots of Tibetan Sandplovers and Greater Sandplovers in with them, nice to see the two species side by side, along with a few Kentish Plovers.

There were good numbers of Great Knot too, together with a few more Red Knot, another good comparison.

As we got to the main track, we had great views of some Red-necked Stints on another pool, very close, but unfortunately there was no sign of a Spoon-billed Sandpiper with them.

The huge flocks on the compartments further out got up and whirled round as a Brahminy Kite drifted over, impressive numbers of Great Knot in particular, another species in danger and now listed as ‘Endangered’, but still possible to see large flocks here, for now at least. A few Germain’s Swiftlets flew low overhead and a couple of Pacific Swallows were hawking around the buildings, lines of Indian Cormorants were flying out from roost, overhead towards the coast, with a few Little Cormorants and Painted Storks too.

Turning up the main track, a Sanderling was on a small pool in front of us with another group of Tibetan Sandplovers. There were lots of terns on the banks now – Eastern Common Terns of the subspecies longipennis and Little Terns, some flying round, with one or two Whiskered Terns patrolling up and down the channels. We counted at least 65 Nordmann’s Greenshanks in a single flock on one compartment now, another ‘Endangered’ species – amazing to see all these different threatened waders in one place and in such impressive numbers. Then we found more Nordmann’s Greenshanks on another pool further on where scanning through we found a Red-necked Phalarope too. There had apparently been one in with the Asian Dowitchers earlier, but now we all got onto a single Ruff, another addition to the ever expanding wader species list, albeit one we can also see in Europe now. Several Whimbrel were on the next pool over too, as we got out further towards the sea.

We turned left now, and Mr Daeng headed off the other way to check the pools further over. It was warming up but thankfully there was a nice fresh breeze in off the Gulf of Thailand, so even though it was the middle of the morning already, it was not too hot and the heat haze was not building up. We found several large roosts of Terek Sandpipers on the banks here, with their yellow-orange legs and upturned bills, and a couple of Spotted Redshanks flew up calling. A single Long-toed Stint was feeding along the muddy edge of one of the banks, along with a couple of Dunlin (one of the scarcer waders here today, unlike at home!) and there were a few Pacific Golden Plovers too. We cut back across on the bunds towards where we had parked – more great views of the different waders but despite checking everywhere this morning, we had not found any sign of a Spoon-billed Sandpiper. A tschutsensis Eastern Yellow Wagtail dropped in behind us on the bund as we got back to the birdwatching shelter for a drink and a banana.

Just when we had started to think we might have to come back and try again, and before we had even finished our drinks, Mr Daeng rang Games to say he had found a Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Drinks and bananas abandoned, we had a quick walk back out to where it was roosting on a stony spit. It was hard to see at first among the larger Sandplovers, Sanderlings and Turnstones, but then it stood up preening, and everyone could see its distinctive bill. We spent some time watching it – it went to sleep behind a stone for a bit, then woke up and walked down to the water, then back up onto the spit and back to sleep. ‘Critically Endangered’ and possibly close to extinction, the total global population of Spoon-billed Sandpiper was estimated at only around 490 mature individuals by Birdlife in 2014-19, with ongoing population declines. Only a very small number of individuals winter in Thailand, perhaps the easiest place in the world to find one, so it is a real privilege to see.

Walking a bit further up, there were a few Caspian Terns in with a larger roost of Brown-headed Gulls, with several more Nordmann’s Greenshanks roosting closer here and in perfect light and lots of egrets in the deeper pools beyond. A close Marsh Sandpiper was strutting up and down behind us. The Spoon-billed Sandpiper was still asleep and had positioned itself behind a small rock now so we couldn’t even see its bill! It was time to walk back, but everyone was happy with our success.

We drove back to the hotel for lunch and than had a couple of hours through the heat of the early afternoon before we had to go out again, so some downtime. A walk round the neighbouring shrimp ponds for those who weren’t resting produced more waders – several Long-toed Stints and a single Temminck’s Stint, a few Little Ringed Plovers, as well as Javan Pond Herons and some Asian Green Bee-eaters.

We met again at 2.15pm, and drove over to Mr Daeng’s for our boat trip out to Laem Pak Bia sand spit. We climbed aboard two boats, the first piloted by Mr Daeng, and motored out through the mangroves. Mr Daeng’s boat kept stopping for birds, Collared and Black-capped Kingfishers in the trees, Little Cormorants on the boardwalk posts, but we got the distinct impression the second boatman didn’t quite know what he was doing.

Then out at the sand spit, the second boatman managed to get stuck on an underwater sandbar, while Mr Daeng knew where the deeper channel was and sailed straight past and up to the sandspit. Thankfully, the boatman managed to get his boat off and this time followed the path Mr Daeng had taken in, and we all got out onto the sandpit without having to get our feet wet.

There were no birds on the beach at first, but there were a few people fishing off the rocks at the end, so we walked on round and further down the beach the other side. First we found several Kentish Plovers on the sand, then a pair of Malaysian Plovers and a single White-faced (Swinhoe’s) Plover, which were the main things we wanted to see here. We had good views of them all through the scopes.

Several Whiskered Terns patrolled up and down the beach, and a White-winged Black Tern flew past further offshore. Two Western Reef Herons flew in and landed with a couple of Great White Egrets on the rocky reefs just offshore, but apparently there have been no Chinese Egrets here this year, another target species which we normally see here. We walked a little further down the beach, from where we were not looking into the sun as much and had better light on the plovers now. The male Malaysian Plover ran past in front of us and sheltered behind a plastic bottle – they get everywhere! The tide was coming in, so we turned to walk back.

Back on the end of the spit, we stopped to see if we could find a Golden-bellied Gerygone in the mangroves. We could hear one singing, but it was hard to see in the dense vegetation before we eventually picked up one moving through the tops. An Oriental Magpie Robin and a Collared Kingfisher were perched in a dead tree on the edge of the mangroves, and Games noticed a Freckle-breasted Woodpecker very low down on one of trunks – you had to be in just the right place to see it, but we got it in the scope. A couple of Malaysian Pied Fantails were flicking around underneath and a Striated Heron was stalking through the edge of mangroves too.

It was time to head back. On the way, Mr Daeng pulled in under the mangroves which were full of Lyle’s Flying Foxes, while the second boat carried on past. Two Water Monitors were swimming across the channel just beyond and the second boatman ploughed straight over one – he seemed to be in a hurry to get home! Back on dry land, we stopped for several of the group to buy their souvenir Spoon-billed Sandpiper t-shirts, then said goodbye and our thanks to Mr Daeng and his family, before heading back to the hotel.

It was still light when we arrived, so we had a quick walk round the shrimp pools beside the hotel. There were several Blue-tailed and Asian Green Bee-eaters on the wires and Streak-eared Bulbuls in the bushes. A Yellow Bittern was mostly hidden in a channel, but further along another flew out and perched up in the reeds, then a third came out of the back of a bush right in front of us. Several Black-browed Reed Warblers and Oriental Reed Warblers flicked around in the reeds too. We had nice views of several Pond Herons, apparently all Javan here on the coast but mostly impossible to identify in non-breeding plumage at this time of year, and a Purple Heron and a Night Heron flew over. A Common Kingfisher flew in and landed at the back of one of the pools.

There were not so many waders on the pool further back now, where they had been earlier, so we cut in through the gate at the back of the hotel, with time still for a welcome shower before dinner. We walked over to the neighbouring resort for dinner and while we were eating a Barn Owl called several times behind us. What a great day!

Monday 29^th January

Over breakfast Games had heard an Indian Nightjar in the field opposite reception, but by the time we had finished eating there was no sign of it now. We were heading inland later today, but we would spend the first part of the morning back down towards the coast. We had a quick stop on the road overlooking some pools, which were mostly dry but can be a good area for pratincoles. There were lots of egrets commuting out of their roost, along with Painted Storks, a Night Heron and two distant Oriental Darters which all flew over. A Dusky Warbler was calling from the ditch in front.

Further on, we pulled off the road onto a track through an area of saltpans and drove out towards an abandoned building in the middle. There were some large flocks of Red-necked Stints on the mud, but they kept flying round and wouldn’t settle long enough to see clearly whether there might be anything more interesting with them. Lots of Indian and Little Cormorants flew back and forth over the track, and more were feeding actively in the deeper pools, along with several Painted Storks. A distant line of Lesser Whistling Ducks was standing on a tall bank. At least a dozen Spotted Redshanks were feeding on one of the nearer pools, and an Eastern Yellow Wagtail flew overhead calling buzzily before landing on the track.

We tried another site, where there were more waders out on the saltpans but they were mostly very distant. A couple of Terek Sandpipers were a little closer, a Thick-billed Warbler was calling from the scrub by the track, and then a Golden-bellied Gerygone started singing in a thin line of mangroves, although it was still surprisingly hard to see. We flushed two Ruddy-breasted Crakes while we were looking, but they disappeared straight into thick cover. A Chestnut Munia perched up briefly in the distance and a couple of Eastern Marsh Harriers flew over the back of the saltpans. Driving towards Pak Thale, we stopped to scan some large flocks of waders on the saltpans just before the village – lots of Red-necked Stints, Lesser Sandplovers, flocks of knot whirling round further over and a long line of posts over on the edge of the sea beyond mostly had a Whimbrel on top of each one but surprisingly no curlews. Another 400 or so Lesser Whistling Ducks were on a bank across the middle of the saltpans on the other side of the road.

We had a quick stop at the 7-11 in the village for supplies, then headed back out to Pak Thale saltpans. There had been a Chinese Egret here yesterday, found by Mr Daeng after we had left, so we wanted to make a quick visit to see if we could catch up with that. Games phoned Mr Daeng now and he had just found a Spoon-billed Sandpiper again, not far out along the main track, so as we drove out onto the saltpans we were dropped off and walked straight out. Unfortunately it had just been flushed by an over-excited photographer before we got there – so we gave thanks that we had seen the one yesterday and continued on out towards the beach to look for the egret. It was cloudier today and with a stronger onshore breeze, and there were noticeably fewer waders than there had been yesterday, particularly on the pools further out. Thankfully Games quickly picked up the Chinese Egret further over, and even though it disappeared behind a bank before everyone could see it at first, when we walked over we found lots of Great White and Little Egrets feeding feverishly along the edges of a narrower channel, and the Chinese Egret was with them. We had nice views now, noting its yellow bill, pale greenish legs and shaggy crest. As it moved further away with the throng of egrets, we walked back on the bund through the middle.

Now we drove inland, to our next stop at Baan Maka resort, just outside Kaeng Krachan National Park. It was almost lunch time when we arrived, so we sat down in the restaurant for a cold drink. The resident tame Blue Whistling Thrush and several Grey-bellied Squirrels were hanging around for scraps. After lunch, we checked in and had some time for a rest or to walk round the extensive grounds. A Black-thighed Falconet was hunting down by the lake and caught a small bird which it carried up into the top of a nearby dead tree to pluck, so as the rest of the group assembled to head out for the afternoon, we walked over to see it.

Then we piled into the back of two 4x4s for the journey out to a nearby hide on the edge of the National Park. Several Indochinese Rollers and Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters were perched on the wires by the road and lots of Cattle Egrets were following a tractor which was ploughing in a field. We stopped to look at an Oriental Honey Buzzard which circled over and a group of about a dozen Oriental Pied Hornbills which flew across the track, with one perching up nicely in a dead tree the other side.

On to the hide and we settled in, while Mr Bird put out water and food. At first, it was mainly squirrels which came in – as well as more Grey-bellied and lots of Burmese Striped Squirrels, at least one Indochinese Squirrel appeared, followed by a couple of Northern Treeshrews and then one or two Lesser Mouse Deer. A mixed flock of Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes dropped in quickly too, and would be present pretty much constantly, good to see alongside each other for comparison, and a small noisy group of White-crested Laughingthrushes paid a couple of visits too. A pair of White-rumped Shama lingered in front of the hide along with at least four Asian Emerald Doves, and other birds came and went all the time.

Several Red Junglefowl appeared at the back, the females venturing out first, the male hanging around behind in the trees until it eventually gained the courage too, so by the end we had seen at least four males and seven females. A pair of Scaly-breasted Partridges and later a pair of Bar-backed Partridges came in to feed too.

The woodpeckers came in for the mealworms pushed into a couple of the treetrunks, first a pair of Common Flamebacks allowed great close views, followed by a Greater Yellownape a bit further back. There were Puff-throated Babblers, a brief Large Scimitar-Babbler and later on several Pin-striped Tit-Babblers and two Abbott’s Babblers.

Several Black-naped Monarchs flitted in and out regularly, along with both Indochinese and Chinese Blue Flycatchers giving us a good chance to see the differences between them, and a single Hainan Blue Flycatcher. There was a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and a flock of Brown-cheeked Fulvettas too.

We were planning to leave about 5.30pm, but suddenly the activity level picked up noticeably. A Racket-tailed Treepie dropped in and the numbers of flycatchers and babblers increased, all coming in to bathe before going to roost. Several Siberian Blue Robins appeared, including a very smart adult male and two others which looked like an adult female and a 1^st winter male. A Malaysian Pied Fantail appeared just as the light was fading.

We eventually managed to tear ourselves away and boarded the trucks for the journey back, but we stopped again to look at a small ploughed field where we eventually counted a total of five Indian Thick-knees and thirteen Red-wattled Lapwings.

We pulled in again at the bar on the edge of the Baan Maka kitchen garden for a cold beer and to watch the last of the sunset behind the hills. A couple of Large-tailed Nightjars started calling, and we managed to see one flying round in the torchlight, landing at one point but a bit distant so we could just make out its eye glowing, before we headed back for dinner.

Tuesday 30^th January

After breakfast, we headed straight up into Kaeng Krachan National Park this morning and after Games got our tickets at the gate, we stopped again at km 9. There were several Black-naped Orioles, Ashy Drongos of one of the white-cheeked Chinese subspecies, an Asian Brown Flycatcher flycatching, and two Thick-billed Pigeons perched in the trees, the first of several. There were Black-crested Bulbuls, Stripe-throated Bulbuls and Olive Bulbuls feeding in the fruiting trees, along with several Blue-winged Leafbirds, Ornate Sunbirds and a Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker. A Green-eared Barbet started calling which we got in the scopes, with Blue-eared Barbet and Coppersmith Barbet here too, and a Black-winged Cuckooshrike. Several small Vernal Hanging Parrots flew over calling.

A succession of Oriental Pied Hornbills flew over the road and Games heard a Great Hornbill calling, which she found perched in a very distant tree on the top of a far off hill, we could see its massive bill through the scopes. A couple of Sultan Tits, the largest tit in the world, were rather distant too at first, but gradually worked their way closer until they landed in the tree right above our heads, where a pair of Common Hill Mynas were going in and out of a hole with nest material. Several Germain’s Swiftlets and Asian Red-rumped Swallows were hawking overhead.

We walked along the road down to the bridge, listening for broadbills but we couldn’t hear any this morning. A pair of Black-naped Woodpeckers were chasing each other through the trees behind the pool, where several Black-naped Orioles were perched in the sunshine along with a pair of Golden-crested Mynas. A White-throated Kingfisher was motionless on a branch just behind the pool and a Red-wattled Lapwing was down on the mud.

The minibus drove down and picked us up and we continued on to the campsite. A Common Tailorbird was climbing around in the tangled vines in the garden in front of where we parked, and there were a few Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes and Large Woodshrikes in the trees in the car park, along with a couple of Brown-rumped Minivets and a selection of butterflies which we admired while we stopped to use the facilities. A tall fruiting tree was attracting a variety of leafbirds, including a brief Golden-fronted Leafbird, along with a smart male Crimson Sunbird and a rather plainer Thick-billed Flowerpecker. It was warming up now and looking at the hillside beyond we found first a Crested Goshawk and then an Oriental Honey Buzzard circling up.

People were apparently watching a Banded Kingfisher in the trees at the back of the campsite, so we hurried over now and were treated to some great fill-the-scope views of a male of what has to be one of the smartest kingfishers around.

Nearby a pair of Orange-breasted Trogons were in the trees too, the male perched at eye-level right in front of us.

A Green-eared Barbet was busy excavating a nest hole in a tree and a male Asian Fairy-Bluebird swooped around above our heads, but a Paradise-Flycatcher calling beyond the stream remained stubbornly out of view.

There were mammals in the campsite too, several Dusky Langur monkeys loafing in the trees and a couple of appropriately named Black Giant Squirrels chasing round a tree trunk too. Back out onto the road, while we were waiting for the minibus to come round we found a Crested Goshawk perched nearby and three Crested Serpent Eagles circling high above the hills.

We drove the short distance down to the first stream crossing, where there were lots of butterflies swarming round, settling on the damp ground, a variety of different species. We crossed the stream on some stepping stones and walked a short distance further along the track the other side to where a White-fronted Scops Owl was roosting in the trees. Normally a hard species to catch up with here, this individual has apparently mostly been roosting in the same spot for the last few weeks. It was time to head back to Baan Maka for lunch now, although we had a brief impromptu stop when a troop of Stump-tailed Macaques crossed the road in front of us. We got out and watched the feeding in the trees.

Over lunch, a succession of bulbuls came in to feed on a hand of ripe bananas which had been put out nearby, mainly Streak-eared and Stripe-throated, and a pair of Golden-fronted Leafbirds paid a brief visit too. A Puff-throated Babbler was rustling through the dry leaves on the ground nearby and the resident Blue Whistling Thrush was hanging around by the tables again, eyeing up the spilt rice. After lunch, we had a short break again through the hottest part of the day, a chance to relax or have a short walk round the resort grounds.

It was back into the 4x4s for the drive out to Dab Toon’s hide in the afternoon. Again, a big mixed group of Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes were quickly in, along with the Grey-bellied Squirrels and a Northern Treeshrew which were attracted by the jackfruit and bananas.

A pair of Red Junglefowl were hanging around in the trees at the back and then a pair of Kalij Pheasant appeared. They were a bit nervous at first, but eventually came out into the open to feed, the male again waiting for the female to check the coast was clear first!

There was a good selection of partridges here again, with three Bar-backed Partridges and three Scaly-breasted Partridges all coming in to feed, but the highlight was the Ferruginous Partridge. It seemed to come out nervously at the back at first, and fed behind a rock for a time when we could only see its head when it lifted it, but then it walked down in front of the hide and proceeded to feed right in front of us, stunning views!

A Greater Racket-tailed Drongo had taken up territory on the branches over the pond and unfortunately insisted on chasing away most of the smaller birds this afternoon.

The highlight of those that did brave it were two Large Scimitar-Babblers which came in to the pool, better views than yesterday’s brief encounter, and a female Oriental Paradise Flycatcher. There were also a couple of White-rumped Shama and Indochinese Flycatcher lingering, Puff-thoated Babbler, Brown-winged Fulvettas and a few Asian Emerald Doves again.

We didn’t stay at the hide until dusk tonight, but headed back to Baan Maka for an earlier dinner. Once it got properly dark, we headed out for a night walk with Games and her nephew. In the torchlight, we found a White-spotted Slug Snake in the undergrowth, a Long-tailed Giant Rat in the bushes, and lots of spiders in the leaves. We could hear an Oriental Bay Owl calling, but it was distant and up the slope through the trees, and by the time we followed the path round it had gone quiet. A roosting Ashy Drongo was on a branch over the path and we disturbed a Dark-necked Tailorbird when we tried to look at a Field Frog. We saw a couple of moths, a bat which flew past surprisingly low through the trees and a Siamese Leaf-toed Gecko. A pair of Slow Loris high in the trees were picked up when their eyes caught the light, and we watched them walking down slowly through the branches.

It was just starting to spit with rain and we could hear a Collared Scops Owl calling now back by the restaurant, so we cut back through. The Scops Owl had gone quiet by the time we got there, but an Asian Barred Owlet was calling now and a bright green White-lipped Pit Viper was trying to hide in a potted plant by the driveway.

We walked back through to the kitchen garden, where the Scops Owl was now calling much further back in the trees. Having just had distant views in the torchlight yesterday, it was nice to find a Large-tailed Nightjar now perched on the corner of the vine trellis, and it didn’t seem to mind all the attention as we gathered round for a closer look. Then as it was starting to rain a little heavier, we decided to call it a night.

Wednesday 31^st January

After breakfast, we drove up into Kaeng Krachan National Park again first thing this morning, in the 4x4s this time. We were heading towards the summit and there are time slots for traffic on the track up and down, so we had to get up before 9am before the traffic started coming down. A pair of Oriental Dollarbirds were perched in a tree overhead, so we pulled up underneath briefly, and a small flock of Thick-billed Pigeons close to the road where we saw them yesterday.

Games heard Lar Gibbons calling as we neared the campsite so we diverted in for a look and found a family in the trees at the back, swinging through the branches, hanging on by one arm eating fruit, great to watch. We would hear their haunting calls on and off all day but these were the only ones we saw. Walking back to the trucks, Games heard a Black-and-yellow Broadbill calling and as we looked up a pair flew in and landed in a large tree in the middle of the campsite, where we eventually had nice views in the tops. A Great Iora appeared briefly behind.

We set off on up the track, and although we were in more of a hurry now, given the traffic restrictions, we managed a couple of brief stops. Two hornbills flew over and landed briefly where the second truck could get onto them, Tickell’s Brown Hornbills. Unfortunately they flew again almost immediately and we heard them disappearing off up the valley. Further up there were various birds in the road, a Grey Wagtail, a Kalij Pheasant, a Red Junglefowl and then a White-throated Rock Thrush flew up from the verge. We stopped and it dropped down again to feed on the road ahead of us, a rare bird here in the National Park.

We pressed on, but we were running out of time and still had several km to go to get to the summit, the road starting to get rougher too, the tarmac washed away and steep in places. When Games heard a Grey Peacock Pheasant calling right beside the road we had to stop – we stood for a while and listened and eventually it walked quickly across the road below us. It was after 9am, so we had to stop driving up and explore on foot now. Two Dark-sided Flycatchers were flitting out from the bare trees above the track a little further up, a Collared Babbler in the bushes kept to the tangles at first but eventually gave better views and a White-browed Piculet appeared in some tall bamboo above us.

A Rusty-naped Pitta started calling, but from a very dark and dense gully up a steep slope where it was impossible to see and a little further up, we could hear a Red-bearded Bee-eater calling in the trees but couldn’t see that either. Games heard Spot-bellied Eagle Owl here too, and we were just looking for the bee-eater when we heard a whoosh of wings and saw something very large drop through the branches mobbed by two drongos, but unfortunately it disappeared deeper into the trees and out of view! A Collared Owlet was calling now, a flock of Ochraceous Bulbuls moved through deep in the trees, and we managed to see a male Asian Fairy Bluebird which was perched up in the branches singing. A large troop of Grey Langurs crashed around in the branches high up.

A few vehicles had come down the track past us, but there wasn’t a lot of traffic so the 4x4s had managed to catch up with us and now folding chairs were unloaded from the back and we stopped for a snack break on the verge. Walking on a bit further afterwards, a Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo was calling and then Games heard an Orange-breasted Trogon. We stopped and listened quietly, there was a flash of red, and a pair of Red-headed Trogons appeared instead, perching nicely over the road where we could get them in the scopes.

We were able to carry on driving up to the summit now. We parked at the top before the gate and took a short walk down along the road to the visitor centre, to use the facilities. A Taiga Flycatcher was flicking around in the trees, a male with a ghost of its red throat now, there were lots of butterflies landing on the tarmac and Games found a moth and a Katydid leaf bug in the bushes. From the small viewpoint behind the centre, we scanned the valley beyond and found three Great Hornbills perched in the distance, which then flew in past us and back beneath us, and a Crested Serpent Eagle circled up.

Games picked up flask of hot water for tea and coffee from the shop and we walked back up to where we had parked for lunch. The folding chairs were set up on the grass in the shade, looking out from the top, a beautiful view and a lovely place to sit and eat. After lunch, we had a chance to rest, and a couple of the group dozed off on the grass. There were lots of bulbuls in the bushes in front of us, Black-crested, Olive and Flavescent Bulbuls, and an Ochraceous Bulbul flew in and landed just below us. A nearby flowering tree attracted several Hume’s White-eyes briefly, and although most flew off, one was left behind and we watched it in the flowers. There was a female Black-headed Sunbird in the trees too, Yellow-browed Warblers and at least one Two-barred Warbler, a small group of Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes and a Black-winged Cuckooshrike.

We watched a Blue-eared Barbet hacking at a dead branch and a Blue-throated Barbet calling behind, a Vernal Hanging Parrot flew in and landed in the bamboo close to us but out of view, and several Asian Palm Swifts zoomed back and forth. Down at the toilets, a Radde’s Warbler was calling from the bushes behind the Gents, but it had gone quiet when the others who were awake got down there.

We went for a walk after lunch. A mixed flock of small birds was feeding in the trees just beyond the visitor centre, including a bright yellow Sulphur-breasted Warbler and more Yellow-browed Warblers, a couple of Yellow-bellied Warblers, a Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers and a Dark-necked Tailorbird. Several Mountain Bulbuls were in the trees as we climbed the steps up to the viewpoint, where we were treated to another great view looking over the hills towards Myanmar. A small group of Grey-rumped Treeswifts was flying round over the trees, we could hear Wreathed Hornbills calling below us in the trees and then had a brief view of three flying as they crossed through an opening, and a Mountain Imperial Pigeon was calling too but remained out of view. There were more Blue-eared and Blue-throated Barbets in the dead trees and we watched pair of Blyth’s Shrike-Babblers nest building.

Games had got permission from the ranger on the gate to allow us to descend a short way along the track earlier than normal, so we drove down a couple of kilometres and got out again for a walk. It was quiet still, the mid-afternoon lull, but we did find several more Collared Babblers, a Martens’s Warbler which was helpfully calling above the track, and we heard a flock of Long-tailed Broadbills a couple of times although they remained out of view. There were Tickell’s Brown Hornbills calling too and we found one perched in the trees above the track briefly. We were hoping for Ratchet-tailed Treepie here but there was no sign today, although a couple of Hair-crested Drongos swooping through trees got us looking until we got a good view of them.

Continuing down in the 4x4s, we saw a group of Great Hornbills fly in to the trees further down so we approached slowly and at least a dozen flew out ahead of us. They landed in the trees again so we stopped and had great views of them now. A Dark-sided Flycatcher was flycatching from the dead branches above our heads.

Further down still, Games heard Blue Pitta calling but by the time we had stopped and got out, it had gone quiet. If we hadn’t stopped though we wouldn’t have noticed the pair of Moustached Barbets excavating in a dead tree nearby. A pair of Kalij Pheasants was feeding on the edge of the road nearby and a troop of Pig-tailed Macaques came through the trees. We were in a hurry again now, as we had to get down to the campsite by 6pm, and as we came round a corner of the track, a black Leopard was standing in the middle of the road. It turned to look at us, then ran off a few metres before dropping down the steep slope below the track, but unfortunately the second vehicle had lagged behind, hard to keep together when trying to hurry down a bumpy track, and we couldn’t find any sign of it in the trees now. Pressing on, we flushed a large flock of Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters going to roost in some trees by an open area, and we got down to the campsite just in time. After a quick loo stop, we drove back along the road to Baan Maka in the last of the light.

Thursday 1^st February

After breakfast, we headed up into Kaeng Krachan National Park again, back in the minibus this time. We passed a female Red Junglefowl and a couple of Emerald Doves on the verge and then stopped at km 9 again. There were more cars here today and at first the same birds as two days ago – the pair of Common Hill Mynas, the Asian Brown Flycatcher, the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, drongos and Indochinese Roller all in same flowering trees. The pair of Dollarbirds flew over and the pair of Golden-crested Mynas landed in the top of a nearby tree. Then five large birds appeared over the low ridge ahead of us and when we looked we could see they were Great Slaty Woodpeckers, the largest living woodpecker in the world. One flew low past us, while the other four turned back.

We thought that was a good view, but Games could still hear them calling so we walked on a little further and found the other four Great Slaty Woodpeckers now perched in a dead tree. Possibly a family party, we watched them flicking their wings and climbing up and down the bare branches, great birds indeed. A Black-thighed Falconet appeared in the top of a distant tree too.

Further along the road, a Two-barred Warbler was calling and we watched it flicking around in the top of a tangle of vines, a Greater Flameback flew through the trees and landed briefly and a pair of Great Ioras picked around in the bushes. Games heard a Banded Broadbill now which flew across and landed out of view, so we scanned the trees as we walked slowly along the road until we found an angle where we could see it perched, great views through the scopes.

Down to the pond, there were two Red-wattled Lapwings on the mud behind today, the White-throated Kingfisher was in its usual place and a White-breasted Waterhen walked along the back edge. When a small flock of green pigeons flew through the tree tops we thought they would be the usual Thick-billeds, but when they landed further up we could see they were actually Wedge-tailed Pigeons, and we got them in the scopes.

We walked on a little further, finding lots of Oriental Pied Hornbills including a large group of about 15-20 which flew low over the road, Black-headed Bulbuls and a Dark-necked Tailorbird in the bushes, and nice views of a Crested Goshawk perched in a tree looking back at us from further down the road. The minibus picked us up and we drove on, pausing to look at a troop of Stump-tailed Macaques by another small pool, before continuing on to the campsite where we all transferred into one of the 4x4s, which took us over the first two stream crossings, before we got out to walk.

We hadn’t gone far when a larger dark bird flew up from the stream bed and into the trees beyond – it looked a bit like a Night Heron, but despite scanning the trees carefully, frustratingly we couldn’t find it again. We stopped to look at a Rufous-fronted Babbler in the bushes, and an Ochraceous Bulbul above our heads too, then we heard Tickell’s Brown Hornbills calling and when two flew across the road above us, we found them perched in the trees further up the slope beyond briefly. A Heart-spotted Woodpecker called and we found it climbing up a dead tree, but it flew before everyone could get onto it. There was a fresh hole on the trunk so we thought it might be excavating, but despite waiting for a couple of minutes it didn’t come back in.

There was a Clouded Monitor lizard head poking out of a hole in a tree nearby and several interesting bugs on logs, and as we walked on along the track, Games kept checking the cut ends of the bamboo until she found three tiny Hardwick’s Woolly Bats roosting in one. A Dusky Broadbill started calling but out of view, and again by walking along slowly and scanning carefully we managed to locate one in a tree on the slope above. While we were watching it through the scopes, a second Dusky Broadbill flew in and we watched them mating. Down to the next stream, and Orange-breasted Trogon was calling in the bamboo right next to the road and a Crested Goshawk circled over.

It was late morning now and as it had started to get hot the birds had started to go quiet. We were picked up by the 4×4 and transported back across the streams to the campground, and while we stopped to use the rest rooms, there were lots of Flat-tailed House Geckos in the roof of an open building nearby but despite hearing a Tokay Gecko we couldn’t find it. We transferred back to the minibus and drove back down to Baan Maka. When we got there it was time for lunch and afterwards there was the chance for a bit of a break again. There were more birds coming to the bananas and water by the restaurant – lots of bulbuls and squirrels, a Malaysian Pied Fantail, a pair of Abbott’s Babblers and two Pin-striped Tit-Babblers. Two Black-naped Orioles looked like they might come down but then moved on through. Two Dark-necked Tailorbirds lurked in a low bush nearby.

We had various options for the rest of the afternoon. We hadn’t been to Mr Nui’s hide yet, which is normally good for Blue Pitta but it has only been showing very occasionally so far this year. We decided to give it a go anyway and drove over there in the minibus. Scanning the large flooded quarry opposite as we got out, we could see two Little Cormorants, several Red-wattled Lapwings and a Little Egret on the far shore.

Up to the hide, there was already lots of food put out. A group of at least five Racket-tailed Treepies came in and out, as did two Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes, Streak-eared, Stripe-throated and Black-crested Bulbuls, Puff-throated Babbler, Indochinese Flycatcher and couple of White-rumped Shamas. The highlight though was a Common Green Magpie, which is not especially common and often hard to see despite being bright green! It appeared at the back and stayed mostly hidden in the bushes behind at first, then found a big caterpillar and disappeared off with it, but a minute or so later it came in again, landed on a liana in front of the hide, then dropped down to the pool to bathe. A stunning bird, and worth coming out just for that.

Everything alarm-called and scattered – we couldn’t see why, but possibly a raptor around – and then it went a bit quiet. A group of Brown-cheeked Fulvettas, a Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Malaysian Pied Fantail and a pair of Black-naped Monarchs came in. Games heard Blue Pitta call but apparently it was very distant and unfortunately it didn’t come any closer so we decided to call it a day. One of the group who had gone back out to the minibus had seen a fishing Osprey over the lake but it had moved on, and now we found a Little Grebe on the water and an Oriental Honey Buzzard circling up behind. A large flock of Red-rumped Swallows was dipping down to drink.

On our way back to Baan Maka, we stopped to check out a nearby lake for Bronze-winged Jacanas and quickly found two or three on the floating vegetation on the edge of reeds, along with a couple of Chinese Pond Herons and an Intermediate Egret. Scanning the hills behind, we picked up a large raptor miles off in the distance, short-tailed and with it wings held in distinctive v-shape. As it circled, we could see it was very white below too, so we got it in the scope and could see it was a White-bellied Sea-Eagle very unusual inland here, mainly a coastal species and a nice bonus.

A Common Hill Myna flew in and landed on the wires right above our heads and started singing. Further back, we could see a Coppersmith Barbet on top of a bare tree out in the fields singing and several starlings lower down. They were Chestnut-tailed Starlings but with very rich rufous underparts, very different from the typical ones we had already seen, a different subspecies, malabarica, which is apparently only an occasional visitor here.

Back to Baan Maka, we called in at the kitchen garden bar again for a beer and watched the sun setting over hills. A red-throated Taiga Flycatcher was on the wires behind, along with a Chestnut-headed Bee-eater briefly and an Ashy Woodswallow, and a flock of Scaly-breasted Munias dropped in among the vegetable beds. Then as the light faded we walked back through the trees to the restaurant for dinner.

Friday 2^nd February

Our last full day already unfortunately, but after breakfast we had a chance for some birding time before we had to start making our way back towards Bangkok. We thought about having a morning at leisure just to explore the resort but there were still a few birds to look for in the National Park so we decided to head back there just for a couple of hours before it got hot, then come back with time to pack. We were very pleased we did!

We drove up in the minibus, passing a couple of Emerald Doves on the verge again, then as we approached km 9 our driver stopped sharply and pointed as an enormous Asian Elephant disappeared into the bushes. Most of the group missed it and our driver was very nervous about driving up to where it had gone in – understandably it turned out, as shortly after it walked back out onto the road again. We all watched it from the safety of the minibus as it walked slowly down the road ahead of us and we followed at a discrete distance. Amazing! We had seen plenty of signs of elephants in our stay here but they are largely crepuscular or nocturnal and rarely actually seen, so we were extremely lucky. We lost sight of it round a bend and when we got to the other side it had presumably walked off into the forest, very close to where we had parked the last few days.

We drove on to the bridge, where it was safer to get out. There were the usual Thick-billed Pigeons, Black-naped Woodpeckers and lots of Black-naped Orioles in the trees around the pool again, two Red-wattled Lapwings in their usual place on the mud, and a Black-crowned Night Heron in the trees behind the shadier pool the other side of the road now. Two Asian Barred Owlets were in a tree right above the tarmac, and we watched as one swooped down and caught a cicada off the trunk before eating it grasped in its talons. Further on, a Crested Serpent Eagle was perched in a tree by the road.

Continuing on to the campsite, a Crested Goshawk was circling over the hillside as we got out. We were going to walk straight up the road, but one of the group spotted a Blue-bearded Bee-eater in a nearby tree which flew to the campsite. We walked to the edge and located it again in the trees, along with another Thick-billed Pigeon and a male Asian Fairy Bluebird. Games heard Silver-breasted Broadbill calling, so we walked down across the grass to the stream beyond and found two in the trees, great views. A mixed flock moved through – Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers, White-bellied Epornis, Pin-striped Tit-Babblers, a couple of Large Woodshrikes, Brown-rumped Minivet. We found the male Banded Kingfisher again, and watched as it caught and ate a large moth.

Back up to the road, a Lantern Bug (Pyrops candelaria) was on the trunk of a tree by the steps.

We walked along the track and found another flock, including an Oriental Paradise Flycatcher briefly and a pair of Great Ioras. An Eastern Crowned Warbler and an Arctic Warbler were feeding in the creepers around the trunk of a tree and a pair of Ochraceous Bulbuls appeared overhead briefly. There were lots of butterflies and bugs along here again, including a Forest Spotted Skink in the leaf litter. It was starting to get hot already, but Games heard a Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo call and when it flew across the road, we found it with a caterpillar in the trees high above our heads.

We were picked up by one of the 4x4s now and taken back to the campsite, then piled into the minibus for the drive back to Baan Maka. We had to pack up and check out now, then had time to relax before lunch, walk round the grounds or sit in the shade, and the same afterwards. There were lots of birds coming to the bananas put out by the restaurant and the nearby small pool – lots of bulbuls, a mixed flock of Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughhingthrushes, brief Black-naped and Black-hooded Orioles though both too nervous to stay long, Puff-throated Babbler again in the leaves, an Indochinese Blue Flycatcher and the resident Blue Whistling Thrush. A Little Spiderhunter came down to drink.

At 2pm we set off to make our way slowly back towards Bangkok, but we still had time for a few birding stops on the way. We drove into the ricefields and stopped first to see if we could find any more weavers. As we walked along a track by a drainage ditch, we scanned the fields the other side and found lots of Asian Openbills and a flock of 23 Grey-headed Lapwings, our first Amur Stonechats for a few days, and a Plaintive Cuckoo briefly.

Eventually we found some weavers in the reeds in the ditch, mainly Baya Weaver again at first but then a bit further on we found several Asian Golden Weavers too, though all in non-breeding plumage at this time of year. There were several Brahminy Kites and Eastern Marsh Harriers over the ricefields on the other side of the road where they were harvesting the rice, and a Black-winged Kite flew in and landed on the top of a tree. A huge flock of Feral Pigeons and several Cattle Egrets flew up occasionally ahead of the combine harvester. A Bronze-winged Jacana and a Yellow Bittern flushed from the ditch ahead of us but a skulking bush warbler in the wet grass in the bottom simply wouldn’t give itself up.

It was time to move on, so we drove the short distance round to Bang Tabun Ok. On the way, as we drove over a bridge over a muddy creek, we spotted a Ruddy-breasted Crake on the mud below from the minibus so we pulled up and watched it as it walked slowly into the vegetation on the bank. A little further, we stopped again by some large ponds and got out. The first birds we saw here were several Black-headed Ibises in with lots of herons and egrets on some of the islands and then we picked up two Spot-billed Pelicans swimming very distantly at the back, with another one or two asleep in with a group of Painted Storks on another island.

There was a nice selection of ducks, large flocks of Pintail, a few Wigeon and Garganey with them, and groups of Lesser Whistling Ducks flying round calling. Several Indian Cormorants were in with the Littles, and a couple of Oriental Darters flew over at the back. Whiskered, Caspian and Little Terns were flying round along with a few Brown-headed Gulls and we could see a few waders too, Black-winged Stilts, a couple of Common Greenshanks, several Wood Sandpipers, a flock of Black-tailed Godwits and a Spotted Redshank which flew over calling.

It was time to head to the airport, so we said our goodbyes and thanks now to Games and her nephew, while our driver would take us on to Bangkok. It took a couple of hours to get to the airport hotel where we were booked in for the night, or so we thought. After we were dropped off outside, we went up to check-in and handed over our booking confirmation and passports to be told that our booking had been cancelled! Nick hastily managed to book us into another hotel and we got the minibus to come back to transfer us over. This hotel was brand new and very comfortable, but it was getting late and there didn’t seem to be many restaurants nearby. The choice appeared to be either KFC or pizza, or a Thai street restaurant on the corner. There were several locals eating at the latter, always a good sign, and everyone voted for that – we had gone properly native now!

Saturday 3^rd February

We were booked onto the 10am airport shuttle bus from the hotel this morning, so we had time for a leisurely breakfast and an opportunity to repack properly beforehand. From the restaurant on the 6^th floor of the hotel we could see Germain’s Swiftlets and Asian Red-rumped Swallows hawking around the building, and a few Asian Openbills, egrets and cormorants flying past. We got to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in good time and checked in for our 1.20pm Thai Air flight back to Heathrow. We were a few minutes late taking off and there were some strong headwinds on the journey but we still touched down at 8pm, only 25 minutes later than scheduled. Our bags were out quite quickly and we said our goodbyes at the carousel, before heading off into the decidedly chilly London night, quite a shock after the warmth of Thailand. It had been a great trip – we are looking forward to going back in 2025 already.

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Posted in International

Tagged Asian Dowitcher, Asian Elephant, Banded Kingfisher, black Leopard, Chestnut-eared Bunting, Chinese Egret, Doi Ang Khang, Doi Inthanon, Doi Inthanon Sunbird, Doi Lang, Ferruginous Partridge, Giant Nuthatch, Great Knot, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Green Peafowl, Grey-headed Parakeet, Himalayan Cutia, Jerdon's Bushchat, Kaeng Krachan, Long-billed Plover, Mrs Hume's Pheasant, Nordmann's Greenshank, Pak Thale, Pied Harrier, Siberian Blue Robin, Siberian Rubythroat, Small Pratincole, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Spot-winged Starling, Sultan Tit, Thailand, Tickell's Brown Hornbill, White-spectacled Warbler, Yellow-breasted Bunting

10th March 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 3

Posted on March 12, 2024 | Leave a comment

Day 3 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour today. After two days of nice weather, it was perhaps no surprise that today was different – grey, damp and rather breezy. Thankfully, the rain was only light, spitting with drizzle on and off and only up until 11am this morning after which it stopped, and the wind was nowhere near as bad as forecast. And we had a very successful day, despite the weather, to wrap up our tour.

With the forecast of rain, we headed over to Titchwell this morning, where we would at least have the benefit of the hides if we needed shelter. We cut across inland and as we dropped back down towards the coast, lots of birds flew up from a wild bird seed crop behind and landed in the hedge beside the road. We pulled up and could see they were mainly Brambling, including several smart, black-headed males, with smaller numbers of Linnet and Goldfinch too.

When we arrived at Titchwell, the car park was unusually quiet – probably something to do with the weather today! A succession of Mediterranean Gulls flew over calling as we got out of the minibus and a Song Thrush flew up from the middle of the car park and perched obligingly on a branch on the edge. As we walked up towards the Visitor Centre, we scanned for Woodcock under the trees but it was all rather along wet here today and we then had to pick our way round the flooded path to get past the Welcome Hub.

There weren’t many birds on the feeders today, so we carried on round onto Fen Trail. More scanning this side finally produced a single Woodcock hiding under the sallows. It froze, watching us, relying on its camouflage, while we got it in the scope. It was a fill-the-frame view! Obligingly it waited just long enough for everyone to get a look at it through the scope before it finally decided it had had enough and scuttled off further in.

Further on along Fen Trail, the Tawny Owl was in its usual tree again but today we could at least see more of it. From the first place we set up the scope, we could just see its breast and belly feather, marked with dark streaks. We adjusted position and after a couple of attempts found somewhere we could see a half its face and a dark eye staring back at us from between the ivy leaves.

We continued on round to Patsy’s Reedbed. A couple of Common Pochard were diving over towards the far corner, a couple of Tufted Duck were out in front and a Little Grebe was lurking in the reeds at back. There was a pair of Gadwall too – we got the drake in the scope to admire its intricately patterned plumage. A single Common Snipe was hiding in the cut reeds, before it flew off. There was not much activity out over the reedbed, not a surprise given it was still spitting lightly with rain, although a lone male Marsh Harrier did come up briefly at one point but quickly dropped back in

We walked back round and out via Meadow Trail to the main path. It was windy out when we got out of the bushes and the rain seemed to be getting heavier again. We made our way quickly on to Island Hide. There were not many birds on the Freshmarsh again today. A few Avocets were trying to feed up to their bellies in the deep water. A small group of Black-tailed Godwits was feeding further back, and at one point three flew in and landed closer in front of the hide. Three Dunlin were picking round the muddy edge of the nearest island.

There are not many ducks left on the Freshmarsh either. We did find a pair of Pintail upending over towards the back, along with a few Teal and Shoveler. Gull numbers are down too, at least on the islands closest to the hides, with just a few Black-headed Gulls on the nearest compartment, although a pair of them were displaying.

We braved the weather and walked quickly round to Parrinder Hide. A Scandinavian Rock Pipit was bathing by the bricks as we walked into the hide, then flew up on top briefly before flying off. Then another dropped in right in front of the hide and, after hiding behind a small alexanders plant growing out of the mud, worked up the courage to walk down to the water’s edge to bathe. Nice to see it up close, the Scandinavian Rock Pipits are starting to get pink on the throat and breast, more like a spring Water Pipit and a pitfall for the unwary.

**Scandinavian Rock Pipit** – starting to turn pink

There were a few more gulls on the islands over on the back compartment, including several smart adult summer Mediterranean Gulls with the Black-headed Gulls. We got them in the scopes, admiring the more extensive jet black hoods and thicker white eye-liner on the Mediterranean Gulls, along with their heavier red bills and white wing-tips. There were a couple of Dunlin on the mud in front of the hide and two Knot dropped in to bathe in front of Avocet Island.

It had stopped raining again, so we headed out to brave the path on to the beach. A large flock of Brent Geese was feeding out on the saltmarsh and several Redshanks, Curlews and a couple of Grey Plover were on the muddy channel on Volunteer Marsh.

The tide was out so there were no waders on the Tidal Pools, but we did stop to admire several close Pintail, which even started to display at one point. There was a pair of Red-breasted Merganser here too, the male preening on a tiny island before going to sleep and the redhead female diving along the far edge.

Out at the beach, we got ourselves into the shelter of the dunes. There were a few waders down on the shore – several Bar-tailed Godwits, Sanderling and Turnstones. A small raft of Common Scoter were just offshore, but kept disappearing in the waves. One of the volunteers was seawatching and got a message on his radio to say that there was a Spoonbill on Thornham saltmarsh. We couldn’t see it from here but as we made our way back, we kept scanning and picked it up when we got to the Freshmarsh, feeding in one of the saltmarsh pools. It was hard to see, feeding most of the time with its head down, but we got it in the scope, and it lifted its head from time to time so we could see its bill.

Further back, we stopped to look for some Pink-footed Geese which had been reported on Thornham grazing marsh, and quickly found three of them in the grass. We could compare them with some Greylag Geese in the same field too. We turned the scope on a Chinese Water Deer out on the saltmarsh as well.

We were just saying that it was not a good day to look for Bearded Tits, it was too windy, when we heard them calling and turned to see four climbing up the reeds just behind us. They were moving quickly along the back edge of the borrow pits, but we had great views of them out in the open, particularly when one of the males stopped to climb up a reed stem and perched in full view for a few seconds, giving us a good chance to admire its black moustache.

Back at the Visitor Centre, we were planning to have an early lunch on the picnic tables, but we found that the picnic tables by the Centre were standing in water and the picnic area was flooded too. We decided to head back east and find somewhere else. We had a quick stop at Brancaster Staithe first, adding Ringed Plover to the list, and getting closer views of Bar-tailed Godwits. We watched the Oystercatchers picking through the discarded mussels, and Turnstones running around the car park too. A 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was standing on the mud with three Herring Gulls.

Continuing on, there was no sign of any Cattle Egrets in the fields at Burnham Norton, but a quick look from the layby at Burnham Overy Staithe revealed several closer Pink-footed Geese in with the Greylags by the road. We had a much closer view now and could see their pink legs! Further on, seven White-fronted Geese were in the field by the road at Holkham today, so we stopped and got out. Again, it was a much closer view compared to yesterday. Three Barnacle Geese flew in again too.

**White-fronted Goose** – much closer today

We stopped at Lady Anne’s Drive and walked up to The Lookout for a later than planned lunch. At least we could get out of the chilly wind, even if it wasn’t raining any more. Afterwards we drove round to Wells beach car park. We thought it might be very windy out on the edge of the harbour today, looking out to the east, but it was actually not as bad as expected. There were a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, a Grey Plover and a Curlew on the near edge of the channel and lots of Oystercatchers on the sand beyond.

Two male Red-breasted Mergansers came swimming quickly up the channel, one chasing after the other. The chasee swam on, and then started displaying to itself, while the chaser eventually turned back and joined up with two females which had appeared behind.

**Red-breasted Merganser** – a drake displaying

Round at the old lifeboat station, there were more waders on the mussel beds and mud opposite – a distant flock of Knot and Dunlin was feeding at the top of the beach, along with Ringed Plovers and Grey Plovers, and a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits whirled round the other side of the channel and landed again, but we couldn’t find any Greenshank today.

Back to the minibus, and we still had time for one last stop this afternoon. The Glossy Ibis had been seen on the flood east of Stiffkey village for the last couple of days, so we decided to have a look for it. We parked in the layby and crossed the road onto the permissive path the other side of the hedge. We were just walking down the path and turned round to answer a question from one of the group when we noticed a large bird of prey flying over the trees behind us. It looked big for a Buzzard and then we realised – it was a juvenile White-tailed Eagle!

**White-tailed Eagle** – the Dutch-ringed juvenile

We watched it fly across the road and out over the field the other side, stopping to do a quick circle, before it then continued on inland. Over the wood beyond, it flushed all the corvids and a Common Buzzard came up too for a nice size comparison. The White-tailed Eagle really was huge!

This bird is a Dutch-ringed juvenile White-tailed Eagle which was born in 2023, and then taken into care following a collision with a wind turbine and ringed, before being released. At some point it crossed over to the UK and spent most of the winter in Suffolk, before setting off north a couple of weeks ago. It has since been wandering the North Norfolk coast, though often disappearing inland. We had hoped to see it this weekend, but there had only been a couple of brief sightings of it flying over different places on the last couple of days so we were very lucky to catch up with it here now.

We continued on down to the corner of the footpath to view the flooded grazing marshes. As we came out of the trees, we realised the Glossy Ibis was very close, feeding in the pool right by the path. We edged out slowly, being careful not to spook it or all the other birds feeding on the pool and then we were able to watch it feeding in the shallow water. It caught a stickleback, washed it and then swallowed it. Then it flew slightly further back.

The flood waters have started to recede a little now, and there were lots of waders here enjoying the fresh mud. Lots of Black-tailed Godwits included some smart rusty ones getting into breeding plumage already. There were groups of Ruff too, one striking bird with a buff head was probably a white-headed bird which had somehow stained its feathers. There were lots of ducks as well, Wigeon and Teal, and a couple of Pintail asleep further back.

With everyone heading off this evening and with long drives ahead, it was time to head back now. It had been a great way to wrap up, with a White-tailed Eagle and the Glossy Ibis, and it had been a very enjoyable three days with lots of good birds.

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Posted in Winter Tour

Tagged Bearded Tit, Glossy Ibis, Holkham, Mediterranean Gull, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Red-breasted Merganser, Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Stiffkey, Tawny Owl, Titchwell, Wells, White-fronted Goose, White-tailed Eagle, Woodcock

9th March 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 2

Posted on March 12, 2024 | 1 comment

Day 2 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour today. It was a lovely, bright and dry day with plenty of sunshine. The forecast cold E wind didn’t really pick up until later in the morning and even then was nowhere near as blustery as predicted. We spent the day along the North Norfolk coast.

With the wind lighter than forecast, we decided to head first down to the cliffs at Weybourne. As we walked along the clifftop path, several Skylarks fluttered up singing from the grass and one landed on the top of a small clump of bright green alexanders. There were a few gulls out on the sea – a Great Black-backed Gull, a few Herring Gulls and a young Common Gull – and a winter adult Common Gull flew past close in below the cliffs.

Walking up to the edge of the cultivated field next along, we suddenly realised there were several Snow Buntings hunkered down right in front of us, just a few metres in from the edge of the grass. They started feeding, picking around on the bare ground, great views. Then a Meadow Pipit flew over and they took off, whirling round before landing further back.

We continued to scan to see if we could find the Lapland Buntings which have been here for the last few weeks. We could see more birds further over, including more Skylarks, but we were looking into the sun from here, so we decided to walk on up the path. One of the locals who had walked on ahead of us waved us over now. He had found a couple of the Lapland Buntings but they were right over the far side of the field and tricky to see, disappearing in and out of the shallow furrows, so we got our scopes on the right area and concentrated on getting everyone onto them.

There were several Rooks and Carrion Crows along the back edge of the field too, which at times provided useful markers for the buntings! A few Curlew were feeding in the back of the block of fresh green barley nearby and a pair of Grey Partridge were feeding in front of the bank over the far side, very well camouflaged in with the clods of grey clay earth. We couldn’t find the large flock of Linnets here today, but there were still some little groups of them feeding in the field and we managed to locate a very distant Twite briefly too at one point. There were more Skylarks and Snow Buntings feeding here as well, which made it even harder to pick out the Lapland Buntings. A couple of adult Gannets flew east low over the sea behind us.

It was nice here in the sunshine this morning, but it took some time for everyone to get views of the Lapland Buntings that they were happy with. Many of the birds were now starting to work their way closer across the field so we stayed and continued to scan, eventually locating a Lapland Bunting a bit closer. Unfortunately it flew up with a couple of Skylarks before everyone could get a look at it and landed over a ridge in the middle of the field.

We decided to start walking back along the path, in the direction it had flown. As we got over the ridge, the local we had spoken to earlier now waved us over again, as he had located another Lapland Bunting out in the field. This one was quite a bit closer and easier to see and now, finally, everybody got a good look at it, before it flew again and disappeared.

We walked back along the clifftop. The flock of Curlews flew over and seemed to be heading out to sea, before turning back overhead and dropping back down into the fields. Scanning the sea, we picked up a small flock of Brent Geese flying east close in over the water, presumably starting off on their long journey back to Siberia for the breeding season. They were joined briefly by a drake Common Scoter, which quickly changed its mind and peeled away, flying back west.

Back at the minibus, we drove back west to Cley. We stopped at the Visitor Centre to use the facilities and had a quick scan from the terrace. There were lots of Avocets out on Pat’s Pool, along with Black-tailed Godwits, a flock of Dunlin and a couple of Ruff. Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in with the Black-headed Gulls. A Marsh Harrier swept in and out low over the reeds, landing a couple of times but mostly out of view. We could see some Brent Geese distantly out on North Scrape, but couldn’t see anything in with them. Some more Brents flew in from the direction of Blakeney and dropped down with them, but there was nothing different with them either.

The young Red-breasted Goose which has spent the winter ranging widely along the coast had reappeared at Cley a few days ago and then spent a couple of days feeding with the Brent Geese on Blakeney Freshes. It hadn’t been seen yesterday, but we wondered whether anyone had ventured out to look in the blustery wind, so we decided to try our luck there. As we drove down along Back Lane, a Brimstone butterfly flew over the road in the sunshine, our first of the year. Down by the quay, a male Marsh Harrier flew round out over the grass right next to where we had parked, having a tussle at one point with a Kestrel which had been hovering nearby. Lots of Wigeon were feeding out on grass, whistling.

We saw a small flock of Brent Geese flying over and they dropped down with a larger feeding flock out in the middle of the Freshes. We decided to have a quick look from the top of Friary Hills, just in case the Red-breasted Goose might be in with them. A Greenfinch was wheezing away in the hedge and a Common Buzzard drifted over the trees. Up at the top, there is a great view out across the grazing marshes to Blakeney Point beyond. We could see the flock of Brent Geese clearly now and there was nothing with them. We could also see more Brents over towards the bank by the harbour, and although most of the flock were hidden behind some reeds, a Pale-bellied Brent stood out even at that distance amongst the regular Dark-bellied Brents we could see.

Our initial plan was to walk out on the harbour wall so we walked back down and past the duck pond, which is largely empty now after an outbreak of bird fly last year. Out on the bank, the wind had picked up noticeably now and it was decidedly chilly here. We walked out until we could see the Brent Geese here, but again nothing was with them either. There were a few Redshanks and Curlew in the muddy creeks and a Great White Egret flew over, dropping down out of view on the saltmarsh. It was very busy here now, too many people, everyone seemed to be out walking their dogs today! It meant as well as being cold it was very disturbed, which meant it was rather quiet for birds. We decided to try our luck elsewhere.

We drove on west and had just pulled up to scan the floods east of Stiffkey when we got a message to say that the Red-breasted Goose was back at Cley with the Brent Geese there (which would be why we couldn’t find it at Blakeney!). We did a quick u-turn and headed back. As we got to Beach Road and got out, all the Brent Geese flew up but thankfully landed again just one field back. We could just see the Red-breasted Goose from the side of the road but from up on the to of the West Bank we had good views of it feeding with the Brents. A very smart goose! A scarce visitor here, which should be wintering in Romania, and one of the highlights of the last few months here.

**Red-breasted Goose** – taken previously at Cley

When all the geese flew up, one of the group who was looking the other way asked what was the large bird flying over. We turned round and looked up to see a Common Crane in the sky! It flew straight through without stopping and continued off east, later being tracked all the way along the coast as far as Trimingham at least. A great bonus and a proper wild bird here, the Cranes which spend the winter in The Broads often start to wander further afield on sunny days in early spring.

We drove round to the Visitor Centre for lunch. It was a bit breezy in the picnic area, particularly as all the bushes which give it some shelter have been cut right back down, but thankfully it was not too bad in the sunshine. Afterwards, we headed back west along the coast to Holkham. As we got out of the minibus on Lady Anne’s Drive, there were lots of Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler on the grazing marshes in front, along with a couple of scaly-backed Ruff.

The Shorelarks had been feeding west of the Gap this morning but on our way out through the pines we met someone coming back who told us they were not there now. So we decided to try down in the cordon instead, along the path to the east. There were several Meadow Pipits feeding on the saltmarsh as we walked past and we were almost there when we met someone else walking the other way who told us they had just seen four Shorelarks back in the cordon. Good news!

As we arrived at the fence, we saw a Shorelark scurrying towards the deeper vegetation out in the middle, so we turned towards the dunes and scanned from the fence there, but couldn’t see it now. Then we realised there were five more Shorelarks further over, closer to main path. After a quick look from here through the scopes, just in case they flew, we walked round to the other side where they were feeding. We stopped and got the scope on four of them, then noticed another Shorelark was right in front of us, just a few metres away. We had great views now, their yellow faces glowing in the low sunshine. Then the rest of the Shorelarks flew out from the thicker vegetation in the middle of the cordon and joined the five, and now we watched all thirteen feeding together.

We walked on to the dunes now and had a quick look at the sea. The Common Scoter flocks were very distant in the mist – we could see long lines of black dots bobbing on the water, too far out to make out anything else in with them today. A Great Crested Grebe in breeding plumage was on the water much closer in and when three ducks flew past, we could see they were a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers followed by a female Pintail.

After walking back to the minibus, we drove round to check the grazing marshes the other side. In one of the grassy fields by the road, we could see several Barnacle Geese in with the Greylags but no White-fronted Geese here now, but at our next stop, we did manage to find some White-fronted Geese, feeding on the grass in the distance over in front of the remains of Joe Jordan hide. We could see the white surround to their bills and their black belly bars. Most of the Pink-footed Geese which spent the winter here have departed Norfolk already and headed north, but we did manage to find three very distant Pinkfeet now, over on Burnham Overy Grazing Marshes.

A distant white spot in the trees was a Spoonbill, doing what Spoonbills like to do best and sleeping – we could see its bushy nuchal crest but not its bill. Several more were even better hidden in the sallows but after a while one or two flew round and eventually one perched awake in the open so we could see its spoon.

There were several black-hooded Mediterranean Gulls on the large pool along with a small group of feeding Pintail. A couple of distant Great White Egrets were out on the smaller pools on the grazing marsh, one with a Grey Heron alongside for size comparison. Several Common Buzzards drifted overhead from the trees behind and two Red Kites circled over. Then it was time to head back for tea and cake again, but we still had one more day to look forward to tomorrow.

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Posted in Winter Tour

Tagged Cley, Common Crane, Crane, Holkham, Lapland Bunting, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Red-breasted Goose, Shorelark, Snow Bunting, Spoonbill, Twite, Weybourne

8th March 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 1

Posted on March 12, 2024 | 1 comment

Day 1 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour today. After a grey start, it brightened up nicely by mid-morning and we had some good sunny spells before it clouded over again later in the afternoon. It was cold in the nagging E wind, but warmer in the sunshine when you go out of it. We spent most of the day down in the Brecks.

There had been a Rustic Bunting found yesterday at Helhoughton and with early news that it was still there this morning, and with it being almost on our way down to the Brecks, we decided to call in there first. There were quite a few cars parked along the verge already by the time we arrived but we found somewhere to pull off the road not far from the crowd. As we got out, we could see they were all watching something so we hurried down. The Rustic Bunting was perched in the top of the hedge along one side of the field so we got the scope on it quickly. Most of the group got a look at it through the scope before all the birds too off and the Rustic Bunting was lost in the flock as some flew off across the road and others dropped down out of view into the tall vegetation in the wild bird seed mix strip where the birds were all feeding.

We waited a while to see if it might come back up again. There had been a nice mixed flock of Redpoll here too yesterday, and having heard one flying over when we got out of the minibus, we hoped there might still be some around today. There are lots of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings feeding in the field here and from time to time one or two would perch on one of the hedges so we could get a good look at them in the scopes. There were a few Chaffinches and Goldfinches too, but it gradually became clear that the Redpolls were not around. There was no further sign of the Rustic Bunting, but it did disappear at times for several hours yesterday. A Kestrel was hovering further back and a few Common Buzzards and a Red Kite appeared over the trees beyond. With the sun looking like it might be starting to break through, we decided to move on.

We drove on down into Thetford Forest and over over to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the trees to scan for Goshawks. We were here a bit earlier than we would normally, but we had an idea it might get busy today and with some sunshine for the first time in a couple of days we thought we might get lucky with some early activity. There were several Common Buzzards up when we arrived, including a strikingly pale one, and a Red Kite low above the trees.

We didn’t have to wait too long before we picked up a distant Goshawk circling. We got it in the scope and as it turned and caught the sun, we could see its very pale underparts and silvery grey upperparts. A good start. Not long after, another Goshawk came up out of the trees much closer to us but it was flying with the wind and, hugging the tops, it was carried quickly west. Down in the corner, it paused to chase in and out of the trees flushing all the Woodpigeons, before continuing on and out of view.

A couple of Lapwings were displaying over the field behind us and a Mistle Thrush perched in the very top of a spruce in the sunshine. Several Skylarks were singing and one fluttered up into the sky in front of us. We heard a Woodlark call too and turned to see it hanging in the air behind us before it was carried by the wind quickly away. After a while, the Goshawk we had seen earlier, chasing pigeons, flew back in. It cut the corner, across the edge of the field, and flying into the wind now it was making much slower progress which made it easier to get on. We had a good view now as it flew across over the trees in front of us, before dropping back in.

We waited a little longer and another hawk flew up out of the trees. It was clearly darker and came up with a couple of bursts of rapid flapping before it started to circle, a female Sparrowhawk and nice to contrast it with the Goshawks we had just been watching. Even better, it stooped at a nearby Common Buzzard a couple of times so we could see just how much smaller it was – otherwise it is very hard to judge the size properly of a lone object in an empty sky.

More cars had arrived and it was getting busy here now. The raptors seemed to go a little quiet too – the Common Buzzards mostly dropped back into the trees. Even though it was sunny, there was a distinct chill to the easterly wind and the air wasn’t really warming up. We had already enjoyed good views of the Goshawks so we decided to move on and go for a walk elsewhere, so we could warm up a little!

We drove deeper into the Forest. Several cars were parked at the head of a ride, and we found somewhere to pull off the road too. As we walked in, the sun was out and it was sheltered in the trees, but as we got out into the clearing and turned into the wind it felt very cold. Scanning the trees, there was no immediate sign of the Great Grey Shrike we had come hoping to see. We walked down a little further, where someone was standing on the track with a scope, and he told us that apparently it had been here about ten minutes ago, so we figured it had to still be here somewhere.

We continued to scan and it wasn’t long before one of the group spotted the Great Grey Shrike fly up into one of the trees. We had nice views through the scopes now, closer than it had been on our previous visits. Several times we watched it drop down and come back up with beetles which it quickly devoured.

We had heard a brief snatch of quiet song from a Woodlark when we arrived, but they were fairly quiet in the cold today. Now a pair of Woodlarks flew up and across in front of the Shrike, before dropping down on the path ahead of us. We watched them feeding on the edges of the track and walking across from side to side.

A pair of Stonechats perched up on some tall dead mullein stems in front of us too. When the shrike flew off further back, we were just packing up to leave when we noticed a Goshawk circling up in the distance. It was then joined by a second Goshawk, the male and female circling together. They kept low, repeatedly disappearing behind the tops of the trees, but they were mostly in view on and off for about fifteen minutes before we eventually lost sight of them. It was definitely time to head off and get some lunch now.

We drove over to Lynford and made good use of the picnic tables in the sunshine, sheltered from the wind by the surrounding trees. After lunch, we walked across the road to the Arboretum and down to the gate. There were lots of birds feeding down on the ground, some very smart Yellowhammers and lots of Chaffinches, with Nuthatch, Coal Tit and Marsh Tit all darted in and out. A Jay dropped down and started gulping down peanuts.

A few Siskins came down to drink in the small pond. A Great Spotted Woodpecker appeared on a tree trunk at the back and we had nice views of a Stock Dove with a Woodpigeon just behind the pond. There were no Bramblings at first, but after a while they started to drop down. Several duller females at first, then a few males with their brighter orange shoulders. One or two of the males are sporting very black heads now.

It was a bit of a wait today but eventually a Hawfinch appeared at the back, a female, which we got in the scope. It didn’t stay long though, and flew back up into the trees and disappeared. We waited, but there didn’t seem to be too much Hawfinch activity now- it was early afternoon, and we started to wonder whether they might have gone off already to gather pre-roost, although it was still a bit early even for them. Finally a male Hawfinch appeared at the back, and even though it too spooked and flew back up this time it quickly came down again, and was then joined by a slightly closer female. They stayed a bit longer now, allowing us better prolonged views.

When the Hawfinches flew up again, we moved on and walked down to the bridge. There were a few tits coming and going form the feeders, and we had nice close views of a Marsh Tit. There were more Siskins feeding in the alders overhead. Scanning the tops of the poplars, we found two Common Crossbills in the branches, a smart red male and a greener female, and we had a good view of their distinctive crossed bills in the scope before they dropped down through the branches to drink.

We had already enjoyed good views of Hawfinches up at the gate, so we were not particularly concerned when a quick scan of the trees in the paddocks from the corner appeared fairly quiet, so we decided not to walk on round. Two of the group did walk along a bit further, so as we were planning to walk back now, we went up to collect them. We had heard Fieldfares calling as we arrived at the bridge, and when we looked back at the tops of the poplars, two were perched now in up in the trees.

The sun had gone in by the time we walked back up, and there was a distinct chill still to the easterly wind. We cut in through the Arboretum, thinking it might be sheltered, but it was cold in the trees now and very quiet. We admired the selection of fir trees as we walked round and back at the car park, there was a bit more activity. A few Coal Tits and Blue Tits were chasing round through the trees in the picnic area and two Goldcrests were feeding in the top of one of the pines.

There was time for one last stop on our way back, so we drove over to an area of farmland with a small field planted with a wild bird seed mix. It was cold and grey now and there was no sign of any Tree Sparrows at first. We scanned their favourite bushes but they were particularly exposed to the wind, and we wondered whether some might be hiding deep in the brambles and blackthorn. There were birds flying in and out of the crop, and a few perched in the trees at the back, mainly Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, which were joined by a small flock of Linnets. We were about to leave when several Tree Sparrows appeared in the bushes, though through the scope we could still just see them tucked in tight at first. After a minute or so they flew out, five of them, across the field, but then turned and landed on top of the hedge now. After a good look through the scope, they disappeared back in.

We were getting cold now, so it was time to head back for tea and cake. We had another day to look forward to and more excitement tomorrow.

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Posted in Brecks, Winter Tour

Tagged Brambling, Brecks, Common Crossbill, Crossbill, Goshawk, Great Grey Shrike, Hawfinch, Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk, Rustic Bunting, The Brecks, Thetford Forest, Tree Sparrow, Woodlark, Yellowhammer

23rd Feb 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 3

Posted on February 25, 2024 | Leave a comment

Day 3 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour in Norfolk. With better weather forecast, we were heading down to the Brecks today and it was even better than expected, with some nice sunny (sun!) spells, even if there was a bit more of a chill today when out in the fresh breeze at times.

It was a slow drive down this morning and we were later than expected arriving at Lynford Arboretum. There had been some Hawfinches around first thing, so we went straight over to see if we could find them. We were disappointed to discover first that there was no food out from the gate, at least on the ‘public’ side of the green plastic sheet which is still hung across the tree tunnel. There were very few birds dropping down our side, just a single Yellowhammer, and a brief Brambling which didn’t even descend from the trees.

We decided to try down at the paddocks, so walked down to the bridge. The feeders looked empty here too and although someone had just sprinkled some food on the pillars there were just a few Blue Tits and Great Tits coming in so far. Continuing on, we scanned from the track along the side of the paddocks and couldn’t see anything in the hornbeams. Someone else there told us that there had still been five Hawfinches an hour earlier, but they had flown off towards the Arboretum.

It seemed like the best idea would be to head elsewhere and try again here later, so we walked back up towards the car park. We were not back to the gate when we looked up to see two Common Cranes circling low over our heads and we watched them as they drifted slowly away east. A real surprise to see them here and a very nice bonus. Presumably they had circled up in response to the sunshine, and with a couple of Common Buzzards up now too, we decided to head straight off and see if the Goshawks were coming up already too.

We drove over to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the forest and when we arrived and got out there were lots of Common Buzzards circling up already. We counted at least twelve in the air at the same time at one point. There was a good breeze blowing, which usually stimulates raptor activity and a couple of Red Kites were chasing each other round in circles further back too.

We didn’t have to wait very long before a Goshawk appeared. It was rather distant, but it circled up and started to display, slow flapping with exaggerated deep wingbeats. We got it in the scope before it slowly drifted back over the trees and was lost to view. Then an adult male Goshawk appeared much closer, circling up quickly before starting to display too. After a bout of slow flapping it broke into full on rollercoaster display, descending in a series of dramatic swoops and climbs before folding its wings and plummeting back into the trees.

There were one or two more browner juvenile Goshawks which then appeared further back, and started to display too, slow flapping again. We managed to get those in the scope too. Then it seemed to go quiet for a bit, and even the Common Buzzards appeared mostly to disappear back into the trees too. With several more things to try to do today, we decided to move on.

Acting on a tip-off, we headed off deeper into the forest, parking at the head of a ride and walking in through the pines. As the trees started to thin out, we could hear a Woodlark singing ahead and as we came out into a large clearing we could hear a Stonechat singing too. Scanning the standing trees which had been left in the clearing, we quickly found what we had come here to look for, a Great Grey Shrike was perched half way up in the branches. We got it in the scope and watched it as it swooped out a couple of times after prey, then it flew out and we lost sight of it.

We were planning to walk on along the track through the clearing to see if we could locate the Woodlark, which had now stopped singing, but before we could one flew in and landed on the edge of the track not far in front of us. We got it in the scope, but it kept disappearing into the taller grass, before emerging again in a different place. Eventually we had some very good views.

We found the Stonechats out in the clearing now, a pair of them which showed typically well, perching up on the tufts of vegetation. A bright male Yellowhammer flew up and landed in one of the trees, before dropping down into the grass again. A Common Buzzard was in one of the trees too. The Great Grey Shrike then reappeared, closer to us now, perching on some old tree stumps a little closer to us.

**Great Grey Shrike** – perching on the stumps

The Woodlark started singing again, and we looked across to see it perched half way up one of the trees. It was much easier to see now and everyone had a chance to get a really good look at it in the scope. A pair of Lesser Redpoll dropped down into the vegetation in front of us too, before flying up and one of them landing on a branch over the track.

It was time for lunch, so we walked back along the track to the minibus and drove back to Lynford Arboretum. The sun was out and it was nice to be able to eat outside today, making use of the the picnic tables in the car park, very different from the last couple of days.

After lunch, we walked back over to the Arboretum. The Hawfinches had apparently been seen from the gate again, but as we walked up, the person standing there had not seen them. We could hear Hawfinches calling now, from somewhere in the trees above us. We walked up towards the orchard gate, to see if we could look back and find them, but before we got there three Hawfinches flew out of the trees and we watched them disappearing off towards the paddocks. There was just a Goldcrest left feeding in the blackthorn blossom now. We headed down to see if we could find them there.

There was more food in some of the feeders now and more birds coming in and out, so while we went to scan the paddocks from the start of the lakeside path, the rest of the group stopped to watch the feeders. It didn’t take long though to find the Hawfinches feeding on the ground below the first hornbeam, along with a small flock of Chaffinches and a couple of Bramblings, so we called everyone over to see them in the scope. The Highland Cattle have not been grazing in the paddocks this winter so the grass is longer than usual and the birds are harder to see as a result. Before everyone could see the Hawfinches, all the birds spooked and flew up.

We couldn’t see the Hawfinches in the hornbeam above now and looking further down the paddocks we realised they had flown on down to the ash trees and were perched more distantly in the tops. Everyone had a quick look through the scope, but we were looking into the sun from here, so we walked back to the track which runs along the side of the paddocks and down to see if we could get a better look.

When we arrived at the gap in the hedge opposite the ash trees, there was no sign of the Hawfinches but scanning the branches we found a female Common Crossbill picking at the end of one of the twigs instead. Through the scope we could see its distinctive crossed mandibles, before it dropped down out of view. A nice bonus, as they have been more elusive here in recent weeks.

The Hawfinches were back feeding down under the first hornbeam, so we got the scope on them again. We could see a huge head and bill come up out of the grass from time to time. We were hoping to get them perched in the trees, and we didn’t have to wait too long before all the finches spooked again and a female Hawfinch flew across and landed in the middle hornbeam straight in front of us. We had a much better view now as it clambered around in the branches higher up and then dropped down to the bushes lower down and perched facing us in the sunshine.

When the Hawfinches dropped down into the grass again, we walked back to the bridge. Two Nuthatches were coming in and out, grabbing a nut from the feeders and taking it back up into the trees beyond. After a while, the Marsh Tit reappeared too and we finally had good views of it as it came in a couple of times and landed on the ground below the feeders where some food had been spread.

We were planning to walk down round the lake to see if we could find the Siskins, but several flew in and landed in the alders above the bridge now. We had some nice looks at them, before they moved off through the trees on the edge of the water. A Little Grebe laughed at us from somewhere deep in the reeds.

We had one last stop planned for this afternoon, so we made our way back to the minibus and drove over to an area of farmland with a small field planted with wild bird seed mix. As we got out of the bus, we could see large numbers of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings flying in and out of the crop, perching in the tops of the trees along one side.

Scanning up along the hedge the other side, we could see the birds we were hoping to see here, a small group of Tree Sparrows. They were coming and going from the crop and disappearing into the thick brambles and blackthorn, but we counted a minimum of 11 in view together at one point. This is a species which has declined dramatically in southern Britain in recent years, and there are very few places you can see them here now, so it is always to catch up with them, and particularly to see a reasonable number rather than just ones or twos.

It was time to head back for tea and cake. It had been a great day down in the Brecks and although the weather had been challenging at times the previous two days, everyone had enjoyed a very good time in Norfolk and we had managed to see some good birds.

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Posted in Brecks, Winter Tour

Tagged Brambling, Common Crane, Crossbill, Goshawk, Great Grey Shrike, Hawfinch, Lynford Arboretum, Norfolk, Thetford Forest, Tree Sparrow, Woodlark

22nd Feb 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 2

Posted on February 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

Day 2 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour in Norfolk. It was another rather wet and windy day, particularly in the afternoon – we managed to dodge the showers in the morning, although there was no escaping the rain later and thankfully the worst of the wind missed us. As usual, we made the best of it.

Having had untickable views of the Tawny Owl at Titchwell yesterday, and with several of the group keen to see one, we headed down first thing this morning to see if we could see our regular one while the weather was OK. A couple of Greenfinches were chattering in the hedge as we got out of the minibus, but otherwise it was quiet and rather breezy as we walked out along the footpath.

Thankfully, we came round the corner and the Tawny Owl was perched at the entrance to its usual hole again, despite the weather. We got the scope on it and had some great views – it was awake and looking at us at first, had a doze for a while, then woke up again when a Grey Squirrel and a couple of Jackdaws landed close to its hole. Once again, it was totally unfazed by our presence on the footpath, a discrete distance away. A great way to start the day.

On our way west along the coast road, we had a scan of the grazing marshes at Stiffkey. The Glossy Ibis which has spent most of the winter here had not been seen this week – after the recent rain, many of the wet grassy areas where it had been feeding have been flooded again and it tends to be easier to locate when the water levels are falling – but we thought we should have a quick look as we were passing. There were lots of Wigeon and Teal on the floods. It has sometimes been feeding with a flock of Curlew, but we could only find one today, and a single Oystercatcher too.

We called in at the pools east of Wells next. We had a quick look through all the Teal and the Wigeon and there were only a couple of lone Brent Geese. Several small skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew inland over Wells and a small ‘v’ came in and flew over our heads. A lot of the Pink-footed Geese have departed north already, so it is always nice to see and hear them still now.

The raptors were enjoying a bright spell now and the freshening breeze. A Red Kite and a Marsh Harrier were up over the pig fields and a Common Buzzard was perched on the hedge. Another couple of Marsh Harriers were hanging in the air over towards Wells. A male came in over the stubble field beyond with exaggerated wingbeats and looked like it might start displaying. Sure enough, it gained height, turned, and started to drop sharply, ending with a couple of dramatic swoops before a female appeared below. Smart.

We could see dark clouds approaching from the south, so we waited until they were almost upon us. There were a couple of Skylarks singing and a few Meadow Pipits up and down out of the grass. Just as the rain arrived, we climbed in the minibus and drove through it to Wells beach car park.

By the time we had a short break to use the facilities, the rain had stopped but we checking the rainfall radar we could see a big weather front approaching. It looked like we might have 45 minutes before it made it to us, so we walked up to the harbour. Three Red-breasted Mergansers flew off from the shallows beyond the sandbar as we got up past the Coastwatch hut and disappeared off inland.

A Bar-tailed Godwit was very close, just on the near edge of the harbour channel, so we got it in the scope. It found a particularly large worm and while it was wrestling with it, a Black-headed Gull flew in to try to steal it. The Bar-tailed Godwit flew and the gull chased after it for a while before giving up. Once the Bar-tailed Godwit had finished the worm, it flew in and landed again where it had been before so those who hadn’t seen it earlier could now get a close view of the distinctive patterning on its back.

**Bar-tailed Godwit** – on the edge of the channel

We could see a few Turnstones and a Grey Plover further out along the channel, but there were more waders further in, so we walked round to the site of the old lifeboat station. There was en excavator on a barge working in the channel, so more disturbance than usual today, but there were still lots of waders on the sand and mussel beds beyond. We got the scope on a mixed flock of Knot and Dunlin feeding further back, and several Ringed Plovers. There were lots of Oystercatchers and more godwits, but no sign of any other waders today. A Peregrine appeared briefly out over East Hills before dropping back away over the trees.

We could see the weather front approaching as we walked round the harbour, a very dark and threatening band of cloud. It was getting close now, so we walked back over to the minibus. As we drove back along the beach road, the heavens opened with heavy sleet. We had planned to spend the morning here and go to Holkham for lunch, but we figured we might be able to get out beyond the front by driving further west. We drove round via Burnham Norton and scanned the grazing marshes there from the minibus, but couldn’t find the Cattle Egrets today, just more Pink-footed Geese.

By the time we got to Brancaster Staithe, the rain had stopped so we got out. There was nothing here we hadn’t seen before but it is a lovely spot and it was nice to be able to stand and watch the birds without getting wet. There were more Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Grey Plover, several of them bathing in the shallows after getting wet in the downpour. A couple of Turnstones were almost feeding under the minibus at one point and more were picking around the piles of discarded mussels with more Oystercatchers. Several Brent Geese dropped down in the channel to bathe and we could see more groups feeding out on the saltmarsh beyond.

We had planned to go back to Titchwell for an early lunch, but checking the rainfall radar again, we could see that the dry weather might be short lived so we decided to carry on birding until the rain arrived. We drove round via Thornham village and quickly found the Cattle Egrets in their usual grassy field near The Lifeboat, five of them. Round at the harbour, we got out to scan. Unfortunately the Greenshank flew back up the channel and disappeared just as we got out, but there were more Redshanks, Grey Plover and Curlew here. A couple of Rock Pipits flew round calling.

Now it started to rain, so we drove round to Titchwell for a welcome hot drink at the cafe and a break for lunch. After lunch, it was drizzling steadily. We had thought we might go round to Snettisham to look for the Snow Buntings there, but they range over a large area so it might not be very pleasant today. A report had just come out of three Snow Buntings on the beach at Hunstanton, so we thought we might be able to find those without having to walk as far. We managed to find somewhere to park not too far away from the jetski ramp and walked over to the promenade. A couple of Fulmars flew past as we got out over the ridge.

There was no sign of the Snow Buntings where they had apparently been by the first set of steps, but there were a few dog walkers on the beach despite the rain so we figured they may have moved further down. There were a few waders on the shore, Oystercatchers, Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers. We set off to walk down to the corner, and the rain picked up a little. When we got to where we could see further down the coast, there were more dogs out on the beach there, and no sign of any Snow Buntings, just a few Turnstones on the seawall.

It looked like we were going to be out of luck, so with everyone getting wet and the conditions rather miserable, we turned to head back. About half way, we stopped to look at a couple of Ringed Plovers out on the beach. A male was displaying, bowing down to a female with its tail spread. When they walked further up the beach, there were the Snow Buntings hiding among the rocks. They were hard to see at first, but we got the scope on them and could see them sheltering from the weather. We walked back along the beach: they allowed us to approach quite close and only ran a short distance when a dog walker with dog off the lead came past very close to them, then flew a few metres and landed on the groyne.

**Snow Bunting** – sheltering on the beach

The rain wasn’t hard but was persistent and penetrating, so we were rather wet by the time we got back to the minibus. There was no sign of it stopping. The White-tailed Eagle had been reported from Holkham earlier this afternoon, so we figured we could go back to look for that without having to go far from the minibus. We stopped on Lady Anne’s Drive and scanned the trees, but we couldn’t see it – just a single Common Buzzard on a bush west of the north end of the Drive now. A Great White Egret was on one of the pools and there were lots of ducks, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler, on the grazing marshes, but again we couldn’t see anything different – good weather for ducks!

We drove back out and round to the layby on the A149. We could see a few Spoonbills again out on the grazing marshes from here and lots of Cormorants in the trees, but no sign of anything larger. Checking the forecast, the rain was set in for the evening now. Visibility was poor too and the light was starting to go, so we decided to call it a day and head back for tea and cake in the warm.

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Posted in Winter Tour

Tagged Cattle Egret, Hunstanton, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Snow Bunting, Spoonbill, Tawny Owl

21st Feb 2024 – Winter & Brecks, Day 1

Posted on February 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

Day 1 of a 3-day Winter & Brecks tour in Norfolk. It was a rather wet and increasingly windy day, but as usual nowhere near as bad as the apocalyptic forecast from the Met Office and BBC Weather, and we made the most of the opportunities to get out, particularly when the rain stopped in the afternoon.

Given the forecast, we headed for Titchwell this morning where we could get out of the weather in the hides if need be. We cut across inland on our way there, and stopped to look at a flock of finches whirling round over a field corner sown with a bird seen mix. They were all Bramblings, maybe a hundred or so of them – we could see the white up their backs and the brighter orange shoulders of the males as they twisted and turned in flight. Then they dropped into the crop and disappeared. A couple of Stock Doves were on the verge nearby.

It was drizzling when we got to the car park at Titchwell, so we donned our waterproofs. A quick look in the trees on one side produced a brief Woodcock, which unfortunately disappeared in before we could get a proper view and another was lurking very deep in the sallows on the way to the Welcome Hub, too tricky to get an angle on it, so we decided to try our luck along Fen Trail.

The feeders behind the Visitor Centre were quiet, so we carried on round towards Fen Hide. There was no sign of any more Woodcock along here at the moment and the Tawny Owl was hiding in its usual ivy-covered tree but had secreted itself completely today, probably trying to get out of the rain, so the best we could see was half a wing!

The path to Patsy’s has had some new gravel put down so we were able to get round there despite the rain. There were a couple of Common Snipe in the cut reeds in front of the screen, which we got in the scope, and a selection of Gadwall, Mallard, Coot and Mute Swans out on the water, but the Marsh Harriers were keeping down today and there was no activity over the reedbed.

As we made our way back round on Meadow Trail, we found another Woodcock hiding under the sallows. Again, it was not easy to see but we managed to find a spot where we could get the scope on it. Most of the group managed a look before it disappeared deeper in. The Woodcock were still very active this morning, so we figured we might stand a better chance of getting one more static later in the morning.

There was no sign of the Water Rail in the ditch by the main path – there was even more water in there this morning, with all the rain, which probably didn’t help. A couple of Cetti’s Warblers shouted at us from the reedbed and a quick scan of the reedbed pool produced a few Common Pochard, Tufted Duck and a couple of Little Grebes.

It was still drizzling steadily though, so we pressed on to Island Hide. There was a digger working out on the main bund today, and the increasing wind didn’t help, so there had been a bit of a clearout on the Freshmarsh. A large group of Avocets were on the island nearest the hide and flew round before landing again. There were a few Black-headed Gulls too and a single adult Mediterranean Gull with a nearly complete black hood dropped in for a quick bathe before flying off inland. A lone Lapwing was on the bund nearest the main path.

There was still no sign of the heavy rain which was forecast, so we decided to press on and see if we could get out to the beach. There were a few ducks, Teal and Shoveler, in the NW corner of the Freshmarsh, as well as a small flock of Dunlin feeding busily in the shallow water. A single Common Snipe was on the bund by the Dunlin and another five flew up from one of the weedy clumps on the island.

There were a few waders out in the channel on the Volunteer Marsh, so we stopped for a quick scan – Redshank, Curlew and a Grey Plover which we got in the scope. There were fewer birds than usual on the Tidal Pools too – a couple of Black-tailed Godwits in a small pool towards the back, more Wigeon on the islands but only a single drake Pintail in with the Shoveler. Turning round, we realised the rest of the Pintail had decamped to the saltmarsh and were feeding on the grass today, presumably to get out of the wind.

The dunes provided us with a little bit of shelter to scan the beach and sea. There were several Bar-tailed Godwits along the shoreline and Turnstones and Oystercatchers on the mussel beds. Three Sanderling flew past. Looking out to sea, there were a few Common Scoter close in and a Great Crested Grebe just off the beach in front of us. A couple of pairs of Red-breasted Merganser more distantly off towards Brancaster were harder to see as they kept diving and the scope was constantly getting wet from the drizzle.

On the way back, we were walking into the wind and the drizzle had a sting to it, so it was a case of heads down and make a beeline for the shelter of the trees. Back at the Visitor Centre, there were now lots of birds on the feeders, so we made use of the shelter (which was no being used) to watch the comings and goings. There were several Bramblings on the ground here now, including two or three brighter orange males and a couple of greyer females. A Greenfinch dropped down onto the feeders but the Redpoll we could hear calling in the trees didn’t come in.

**Brambling** – a male under the feeders

It was time for lunch and it was still drizzling, and we were very kindly allowed to eat our packed lunches inside the cafe at the Visitor Centre. As we walked back to the minibus to collect our lunches, we spotted a Woodcock lurking under the trees close to the path. They can be surprisingly hard to see, as they are so well camouflaged, but we had fill the frame views in the scope now. It was asleep at first, but then woke up and looked at us, assuming it was well protected and we probably couldn’t see it. We could see droplets of water on its back and after a while it shook itself down and walked further in behind some branches.

**Woodcock** – on the way to the car park

There had been no sign of the heavy rain which was forecast all morning and we slightly worried it might just be late arriving, but after lunch we went back outside and it had stopped. On the way back to the minibus, the Woodcock was back where it had been before. As we drove east along the coast to Holkham, there were more raptors out now – a male Marsh Harrier quartered a field next to the road, a few Red Kites hung in the air, and several Kestrels were perched on the wires.

As we neared the Park, we looked out towards the pines and could see a flock of white birds flying up out of the trees in the middle and gliding round over the grazing marshes. We parked in a layby and got out and confirmed our suspicion they were Spoonbills. They landed on the grass and we got them in the scope, twenty-two of them. There were four different Great White Egrets on the small pools on the marshes too.

Further off towards Burnham Overy, we could see a larger group of up to a hundred Russian White-fronted Geese loafing in a grassy field with some Pink-footed Geese and through the scope we could see their pink bills with the white surround around the base.

**Russian White-fronted Geese** – out on the grazing marshes

There is a lot of water on the grazing marshes by Lady Anne’s Drive now, and still good numbers of Wigeon and Teal enjoying it, but we couldn’t see anything else in with them. We walked through the pines and out onto the saltmarsh and turned east. The Shorelarks had mostly been on the beach to the west in recent weeks, but had been reported back in the cordon this morning, so we thought we should try there first and hope for the best.

There were lots of Brent Geese out on the saltmarsh, mostly the regular Siberian Dark-bellied Brents but looking through we found a single Pale-bellied Brent with them. A small group of Rock Pipits flew round calling and landed briefly and a few Skylarks were feeding out on the saltmarsh too. It was still rather grey, and it started to drizzle again now but thankfully it was just a shower and quickly stopped again.

**Dark-bellied Brent Geese** – on the saltmarsh

As we got out to the cordon, a couple who had walked out ahead of us waved us over. There were nine Shorelarks down at the far end and we got them in the scope, getting a good look at their yellow faces and black bandit masks. They were quite mobile and flew up and round several times, landing back each time in a different place. Fortunately we had chosen the right direction to walk!

Having enjoyed the Shorelarks, we decided to have a quick look out to sea. There has been a nice mixed flock of scoter off Holkham this winter, although numbers dropped sharply when most of them moved back west towards the Wash two weeks ago. The Black Scoter continues to be reported though, and had been a couple of hours earlier, although all we have been able to locate here since the number of Scoter plummeted have been a couple of lookalike Common Scoter with more yellow than usual on their bills. Still, we hoped we might at least find one or two Velvet Scoter in the flock, but when we got out to the beach and into the lee of the dunes we found the Scoter were very distant and visibility was very poor. There was no chance of picking out a Velvet, let alone a Black! We did have nice views of a couple of female Common Scoter which were very close in and there were several Red-breasted Merganser and a couple of Great Crested Grebes not too far out in the bay too. A few Sanderling were running up and down on the shore.

Looking back at the cordon, the Shorelarks had disappeared now, so we walked back around the far end and over to the lee of the pines and walked back. When we got back to Lady Anne’s Drive, it was still not raining but we were still rather damp from earlier. It was very cloudy and grey though and the light was starting to go. Everyone quite liked the idea of heading back for tea and cake so we decided to call it a day and head for home. We had done remarkably well, given the weather.

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Posted in Winter Tour

Tagged Brambling, Holkham, Norfolk, North Norfolk, Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Shorelark, Spoonbill, Tawny Owl, Titchwell, White-fronted Goose, Woodcock

18th Feb 2024 – Brecks Tour

Posted on February 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

A single-day Tour down in the Brecks and Thetford Forest today. The weather forecasters couldn’t decide in the last few days whether the overnight rain would linger. Unfortunately it did! Thankfully we could keep track of its progress on rainfall radar and could see that it should clear through by around 12pm, which it also did on cue. It brightened up in the afternoon and we made the most of the dry weather, seeing all the birds we had hoped to see and more.

We met in the car park at Lynford Arboretum. Given the rain, we figured we would concentrate on the birds here first this morning, which we could probably still see more easily in the rain, and concentrate on some of the other species which required better weather in the afternoon.

We walked into the Arboretum and down to the gate. All the birds had been spooked from the ground when we arrived, so we stopped to wait for them to come back down. We hadn’t been there more than a minute when a Hawfinch flew in and landed high in the trees above our heads. We looked up and could see that it was a female, but we were looking straight into the rain. It was chased by a Chaffinch, and both flew out towards the orchard, so we walked up to see if we could find them in the trees there. The birds normally like to perch here in the early morning sunshine but it was not the weather for them today!

We looked up to see a flock of birds flying in, more Hawfinches, around fifteen of them! They started to land in the top of one of the trees, but flew out again and disappeared off into the arboretum. We walked across to the folly and scanned the tops of trees there but there was no sign of them, so we figured they had gone on down to the paddocks. As we walked down the main path a couple of Song Thrushes were singing, one perched right up against the sky in the trees by the path.

Down at the bridge, there were lots of tits coming in to the feeders including a Marsh Tit which darted in to the bushes briefly. We could see Hawfinches in the first hornbeam in the paddocks beyond, so we walked on along the path to the gate and got the scope on them. Three were perched right in the top but flew across to the trees further along before we all got a look at them. Thankfully, there were still several lower down, so we turned the scope onto them. Despite the rain, we had a really good look at them now.

When those Hawfinches dropped down through the branches, we walked on to the next gap in the hedge to see if there were any perched up in the other trees. We couldn’t see any from here but there were several Redwings in the top of the ashes now. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed on the dead trunk at the top of one of the trees.

Looking back to the first hornbeam, we could see the Hawfinches feeding on the ground below the tree now. The highland cattle have not been grazing in the paddocks this winter so the grass is a little longer, but still we had a good look at them on the ground. When they flew back up into the tree above, we counted at least seven perched in the branches. We could see their distinctive vertical perching stance, all head and massive bill and short tail.

We continued on along to the far corner of the paddock, flushing lots of tits which were feeding down in the short grass by the path at the end. A Treecreeper flew across over our heads and landed low in a nearby tree, where we watched it climbing up the trunk. We decided to walk back round the far side to have a look at the lake. There were still several Redwings in the trees in the paddocks and others flying across and up into the fir trees along the west side.

There were three or four Siskins in the alders as we started to walk round the lake, with one coming down onto the ground just ahead of us to feed. The resident pair of Canada Geese swam over to see if we had any food for them and a couple of Gadwall were out on the water with the Mallard. Further along, we turned the scope on the ground under the first hornbeam again where we could see the Hawfinches were still feeding along with several Chaffinches. We were a bit closer from here and it was a good view of them alongside their much smaller cousins.

The Little Grebes were laughing at us from the reeds behind – we were just about the only people mad enough to be out this morning! We hadn’t seen any sign of the large flock of Siskins as we walked round the lake but a succession small groups flew in now and landed in the alders the other side of the lake. We could hear them chattering away. Another Great Spotted Woodpecker flew up from the feeders into the trees behind as we got back to the bridge. We could hear a Nuthatch piping but it didn’t come in.

We walked back up to the gate, and there were lots of birds feeding on the ground now so we stopped to watch. Several Yellowhammers dropped down, including a particularly bright yellow-headed male, and a selection of Bramblings. A Nuthatch dropped down onto the ground too, and a couple of Coal Tits. There was no sign of any Hawfinches coming down to feed here today, though we could not tell whether they might have been hidden behind the green plastic sheet which has been strung across between the gate and the hide. They seem to have been coming down less often since the sheet has been put up, so hopefully it is not putting them off coming in to feed here now.

It was still raining and we had all got quite damp on our walk round. Two of the group, who didn’t have waterproofs, decided they would call it a day and the rest of us decamped to the Shepherd’s Baa for a hot drink under the shelter. We checked the rainfall radar again and it still looked as though the rain was on track to clear through by midday. It was already mid morning, so we thought we would head round to Santon Downham next and then be ready to go looking for Goshawks once the weather improved.

We stopped on the way to look for Woodlarks. The most we were hoping for at this stage was to find some feeding on the ground and the first place we tried was very wet and birdless. As we walked into the next clearing, two Woodlarks flew up from the grass ahead of us but disappeared off over the trees. We thought we might have to settle for that, but then a third Woodlark fluttered up and started singing. We watched it circling round over the clearing, rounded wings and short tail a bit like a butterfly. Either one of the first two or perhaps even a fourth individual appeared over the clearing further down and started singing too. It was great to just stand and listen to them – although sounding slightly melancholy, the song of Woodlarks over the forest clearings early in the year is a wonderful sound and a real herald that spring is on its way.

The closer Woodlark dropped down onto the ground. We scanned the grass and had just found it in a small dip when it flew up again. The rain was just starting to ease and there was even a hint of the sun behind the clouds as it towered up high over our heads. We had a look further down the path, but there was no sign of the other Woodlarks on the ground here, so we decided to move on.

We parked in the Forestry Commission car park at Santon Downham and as we got out of the minibus, a Sparrowhawk flew over – a good sign that the weather was improving. As we walked back down to the bridge, there weren’t so many birds in the gardens now and most of the Siskins were up in the tops of the trees. Someone was just filling up the feeders down by the river. There had been some Crossbills down along the river bank in recent days, although only the first section of the path is passable at the moment and the river has flooded over the bank further down, and two other birders we passed also told us they had seen some redpolls along here so we thought it was a good place to try.

It was rather damp down by the river, both underfoot and with the water still dripping off the trees. Three Mute Swans were enjoying all the water and a pair of Egyptian Geese flew past over the other side of the river, calling noisily. There were a few Siskins in the sallows but no sign of any crossbills or redpolls now. A Marsh Tit showed nicely in the branches over the path ahead of us. When we got to the end of the raised section of the path, we turned to come back. A lone drake Mandarin zipped past us through the trees.

Back towards the bridge, three Lesser Redpolls dropped in to a small willow on the other bank, including a smart red-breasted male. Another dropped down onto the feeder briefly, but had gone by the time we got the scope on it and had to make do with a very smart green and gold male Siskin instead. As we walked back over the bridge, several birds were perched in the trees above the gardens now. We got the scope on three Redpolls and noticed that one which was back on to us, preening, had a distinctive dark-streaked pale rump – a Mealy Redpoll! It dropped down towards the garden but there was no sign of it on the feeders when we walked up and just a succession of more Lesser Redpolls dropped in. As we walked on back to the car park, a Goldcrest was singing and flitting around in a fir tree next to the road.

The forecast was still suggesting the sun might break through around 2pm, so although it was still rather grey now, we decided to head off to try our luck with Goshawks while we ate lunch. As we drove past, several flocks of Fieldfares came up out of the fields. When we got to the usual spot on the high ground looking over the forest the wind had picked up a bit and there were some patches of bright sky, which looked more promising. Several Common Buzzards were already up above the trees along with a single Red Kite, and we hadn’t been scanning more than a couple of minutes before we picked up a very distant Goshawk displaying away to the NW.

We barely had a chance to enjoy our sandwiches today, as it was all action from now on. A big adult female Goshawk flew low along the front edge of the trees in front of us before circling up and starting to display, flying back the other way with very deep, exaggerated wingbeats. Silvery grey above and white below, at times when it stopped to circle we had some good views through the scope.

Then a browner juvenile Goshawk with orange-tinged streaked underparts appeared from the right and started displaying too. As it flew in towards where the adult female was still displaying, she headed straight towards it and the juvenile appeared to back off, moving back off to the right while the female then turned back to left and resumed what she had been doing. The juvenile hadn’t learnt its lesson though and after a minute or so flew back in towards the adult. This time the female set off in pursuit, chasing off after the juvenile and pursuing it off away over the trees.

Having seen off the juvenile, the adult female Goshawk flew back in low and dropped down into the trees. We could still see the juvenile displaying in the distance away to the NE and now it brought up another adult from the next territory over, which started displaying too. At least four different Goshawks up and displaying in the space of 45 minutes while we were trying to eat our lunch! A Woodlark flew over singing too and a pair of Stonechats were on the fence by the road next to where we were parked.

**Stonechat** – next to the parking area

Once we had finished eating, we decided to move on. We stopped again by a small field planted with a wild bird seed mix and as we pulled up we could see lots of Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings in the bushes across the road. From the edge of the field, we looked up along the hedge and quickly found one or two Tree Sparrows in the brambles which we got in the scope. A couple more appeared briefly on the bushes further up, but they were mostly keeping to the vegetation today.

We would normally head back to Lynford around the time, to be sure of catching the Hawfinches, but after having seen them this morning, albeit in the rain, we decided to try something else. We headed back to the area we had seen the Common Crossbill perched last week and this time walked in along a different ride, straight along the line of firs where we thought it had probably been. We hadn’t gone very far in when we heard Crossbills calling and looked up to see a small flock fly out of the tops of the firs and across the ride above us. They disappeared over the pines the other side but thankfully flew back over and landed in the tops of the firs.

**Crossbills** – landed in the top of the firs

We got the scope on the Crossbills now, perched very obligingly in the top of a tree. There were several bright red males higher up and a few greener females lower down, and through the scope we could see their distinctive crossed mandible tips which they use for prying open fir cones. They weren’t feeding now though, or certainly the ones perched in the top were not. We couldn’t see all the flock though, and when they eventually took off again we counted thirteen in the group. They disappeared back into the block of firs from where they had first come and we could see them perched in the top of one tree further in briefly before they dropped down out of view.

Now we did make our way back to Lynford. Not surprisingly, there were a lot more cars in the car park than there had been this morning, now that the weather had improved. We walked in to the Arboretum and down to the gate. It was nicer standing here now that it was not raining and we spent a bit more time admiring the Bramblings, noting the variation in the males, some with much blacker heads already than others.

There were even more Yellowhammers coming down now, with at least ten on the ground together at one point. A Treecreeper appeared in one the dead trees very close to where we were standing.

**Treecreeper** – in the tree next to the gate

There was still no sign of any Hawfinches up at the gate, so we walked back down to the paddocks to see if they were there. They had apparently been in the hornbeams still earlier in the afternoon, but we were probably just too late and there was no sign of them when we arrived. They do have a habit of going off to roost early, so we were not entirely surprised. We checked the tops of the fir trees at the back, but there was no sign of them there either. There were a few Chaffinches and a couple of Bramblings in the hornbeams, and a couple of Mistle Thrushes flew in and landed in the top of one of the trees, a nice last addition to the day’s list.

Then it was time to call it a day and head back to the car park. It may have been a very wet start today, but despite that we had enjoyed a very successful day down in the Brecks and seen all the birds we had set out to find and more.

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Posted in Brecks

Tagged Brambling, Common Crossbill, Crossbill, Goshawk, Hawfinch, Lynford Arboretum, Mealy Redpoll, Norfolk, Santon Downham, The Brecks, Thetford Forest, Tree Sparrow, Woodlark

17th Feb 2024 – Owl Tour

Posted on February 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

A single-day Owl Tour in North Norfolk today. After some sunny spells early on, it was a rather grey and cloudy day but very mild. There were a couple of thankfully very brief spells of light drizzle, which were not in the forecast, but we largely managed to dodge them.

There was no sign of any Barn Owls still out hunting on our way down to the meeting point this morning, which was not an auspicious start. Having picked everyone up, we drove back round all the usual fields where we might expect to find them hunting before they head in to roost, but all was quiet. After a couple of very mild and dry nights, the Barn Owls had presumably been catching enough food in the hours of darkness and were not hungry enough to be out in the daylight now.

We stopped again where we had seen one going off to roost last week, just in case it might do a repeat fly past. A Song Thrush was singing from the trees as we got out of the minibus and a flock of Curlews was feeding out in the wet grass. A couple of Marsh Harriers circled up out over the marshes and a male perched on a post where we could get it in the scope. Two Great White Egrets flew across in the distance followed by an untidy looking flock of Brent Geese. As we looked inland, we picked up a small flock of Pink-footed Geese in a more ordered skein heading off to find a suitable feed to feed in. A lone Greylag circled low over us honking.

We decided to cut our losses and head on to try for Tawny Owl instead. As we walked up the footpath, the sun was shining over the trees and we could make out the Tawny Owl at the entrance to its usual hole, but we were looking into the light from here. It looked settled today though, so we continued straight up to the corner where we had a great view now, looking straight at it with the sun behind us. The Tawny Owl was mostly dozing, with its eyes half closed and it seemed to completely ignore us where we were on the path. When several Jackdaws appeared in the tree and seemed to be checking out the hole, the Tawny Owl opened its eyes at one point but it didn’t seem overly concerned and after a while the Jackdaws flew off.

It gradually clouded over and then after a while started to spit very lightly with rain, which was not in the forecast, so we walked back down the footpath to minibus. From where we were parked, we could see some distant Brent Geese out on the saltmarsh and one of the group spotted a juvenile Peregrine standing in the middle of a stubble field, where we got it in the scope for a closer look. A Chaffinch was singing from the branches of a bush above the minibus, another bird getting ready for spring.

We headed inland next, checking a succession of barns on the way to see if we could find any Little Owls. The drizzle had eased but it was still rather grey and not ideal weather for owls to be perched out – they normally like a bit of morning sun. We were almost not going to stop as we passed one regular set of barns, but we slowed down and looked across to see a Little Owl right on the top of the roof of one of them. We pulled up in a nearby layby and got out, so we could get it in the scope. After a while, it dropped down behind the gable it had been perched on, but we could still just see it looking round from behind. Two male Pheasants were fighting in the field beyond, one white one which had presumably been released by the local shoot, and a Skylark was singing over the stubble field in front.

**Little Owl** – perched on the barn roof

After watching the Little Owl for a while, we carried on our journey west. We checked out some more barns on the way and found no more owls, but we did pass a couple of Red Kites perched in the trees. Eventually, we dropped back down to the coast and drove on to Titchwell. We still had time for a look around Fen Trail and Patsy’s before lunch and as we walked in from the car park, we scanned the wet ground under the sallows and found a Woodcock lurking. Despite being very close to the path it was very well camouflaged and surprisingly hard to see, so we got it in the scope.

After traversing the Welcome Hub, we had a quick look at the feeders the other side of the Visitor Centre and found two female Bramblings with the Chaffinches on the ground underneath. A very tame Muntjac stared at us as we passed, before walking slowly into the undergrowth. Out on Fen Trail, a birder coming back said there was no obvious sign of the Tawny Owl where it usually has been, but we eventually managed to find it, albeit very well hidden today. We could just see its eyes from one angle, a complete contrast with the the views of the Tawny Owl we had seen earlier and the reason why it is normally so hard to find them at roost – they are very good at concealing themselves!

On to Patsy’s, and there were lots of Gadwall and Coot out on the water. Several Common Snipe were fairly obvious dozing in the cut reeds or feeding on the edge of the water, but another snipe of some description was very tightly tucked in so that we could only see a few feathers. We tried various angles from the viewing screen to get a better look, but eventually had to admit defeat. A couple of Marsh Harriers circled low over the reeds beyond, and when we heard one calling we looked up to see it displaying high over the reedbed. Spring is definitely coming! Three Mediterranean Gulls flew past calling and a Stonechat appeared briefly in the reeds.

We walked back round to the picnic area for lunch and afterwards headed out onto the reserve again. A Chiffchaff was flitting around in the sallows by the path from the car park, but there was no sign of any Water Rails in the ditches today and a lot of water after all the recent rain. A couple of Little Grebes were out on the reedbed pool.

Out on the Freshmarsh, the Avocet numbers are continuing to creep back up after the winter, several feeding up to their bellies in the deep water. There were lots of gulls on the newly reprofiled islands too, with some of the Black-headed Gulls displaying, and several Mediterranean Gulls loafing, including one already sporting its jet black summer hood. Two pairs of Pintail were upending out on the water, the drakes showing off their pin tails, along with lots of Teal and a couple of Gadwall, a flock of Brent Geese and a few Canada Geese further back. A small flock of Dunlin flew in and whirled round over the Freshmarsh.

We had a bit of time, so we continued on out past Volunteer Marsh. The tide was out, and a close Redshank was on the channel next to the path, with more Redshank and Curlew in the wider part of the channel beyond, along with a couple of Grey Plover. At the Tidal Pool, there were several Black-tailed Godwits feeding, a couple of Wigeon and more Shoveler. A nice pair of Pintail were feeding quite close to the path, so we got the scope on the male when it stopped swimming and stayed still with its head raised. Looking back towards the Freshmarsh, a large flock of Golden Plover circled round now but then turned and headed back off inland.

A flock of Linnets and a few Reed Buntings were feeding on the short grass in the edge of the dunes. Out on the beach, we got the scope on some Bar-tailed Godwits which were down on the shoreline. A small group of Turnstones were on the sand too, and a busy flock of Sanderling further up towards Thornham Point. We could see a few Common Scoter fairly close in on the sea, and more much more distantly beyond. Looking behind us, we could see the sky had turned dark and rather threatening inland, so we decided to head back in case it started to rain. A group of Ruff were out on the Freshmarsh now, as we passed.

Back to the minibus and we drove back east. We checked some sites for Barn Owls on the way, but despite being around the time when they will sometimes come out again to feed, all was quiet. We drove back round the fields where we had looked earlier this morning, and all was quiet there too, as it was when we stopped and scanned the grazing marshes. We figured our best chance for a Barn Owl was to head inland to the box where we had seen one last week – we had checked again yesterday and it had still been there. When we arrived, there was no sign of it on the outside of the box so we waited to see when it emerged.

A Grey Heron flew up from the pools as we walked up, there were several Brown Hares in the field beyond and a couple of Muntjac at the back of the water meadows. As dusk descended, a lone Cattle Egret flew north, followed by a Little Egret, both heading up towards the coast to roost. The Tawny Owls started hooting in the woods beyond, an evocative backdrop to finish the day, but there was no sign of the Barn Owl tonight. It was not entirely clear whether it might just come out later or it was roosting elsewhere today, but as it was starting to get dark we eventually had to give up. A shame about the lack of Barn Owls today, normally the easiest to find of our commoner owls, but we had enjoyed a very good day out otherwise today, with lots of birds and a few of the harder to find owls!

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Posted in Owl Tour

Tagged Brambling, Cattle Egret, Little Owl, Norfolk, Owl Tour, Owls, Peregrine, Tawny Owl, Woodcock

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