Tuesday 27 th
of February 2018
and my alarm went off at 4 o'clock. Tea and breakfast at the desk while checking the pictures from yesterday. I was in the reception at 6 o'clock and we were soon on the way towards Doi Chiang Dao.
Light morning traffic and we were soon on the highway, well, I don't know if I want to call it a highway. Anyway, it is road #107 and it was a big road and we were hauling arse and we turned of road #107 and turned on in road #3024. It was about 7 o'clock and we were stopping after 100 meter or so to look at a bird of prey sitting in a tree.
Leaving Chiang Mai early morning
On our way
On our way
Passing a check point
A misty morning
Rufus-winged Buzzard?????
Click HERE
to view the map in a full window
At first we thought it was a Rufus-winged Buzzard, but when I see the picture (Poor quality as the bird is far away) I'm doubtful about the identity of the bird. We were soon on our way towards the Wat Tham Pha Plong. We drove by the Chiang Dao Cave and a road work forced us to do a DE TOUR. So we passed a pasture and there were several crows and I was just discovering a “strange” crow. It was a Greater Coucal
A very scared bird and I have only managed to get a very few pictures and all of them in India. I have seen many of them here in Thailand, but as mentioned, they are very scared. And the bird was 3 meters from me, but as I turned around to grab my camera the Greater Coucal took off.
I swung open the car door and I was out of the car in 0,1 chasing after the Greater Coucal. My Guide was shocked and I reallyhope there was no one seeing me. A cubic ton of bird watcher running down the dust road chasing the Greater Coucal
- COME HERE!!!! YOU LITTLE.... I WILL....
We were soon on our way again and I was very disappointed. I really would love to have a nice picture of the Greater Coucal. I had seen several Red-whiskered Bulbuls in the tree so I hope I will be able to get some pictures of this very beautiful bird. Only seen in once in Thailand, in my neighbour's tree in Bangkok, no good pictures. And one time in India, no picture.
A gorgeous morning
Imagine this place WITHOUT all the garbage laying around!
We can see the mountain
In the park below the Wat Tham Pha Plong
In the park below the Wat Tham Pha Plong
We parked the car at the park below the Wat Tham Pha Plong and we walk around looking for birds. We come to a tree with small orange coloured fruits. Fantastic, nothing less than fantastic. The best birding spot so far in Thailand, well, behind the bathroom in Doi Inthanon National Park is not bad.
The tree was like a huge airport, birds came in and birds took off all the time. Flying in, taking a few fruits and then off again. Of course, it was very hard to get pictures as the birds were behind leafs and twigs all the time.
We spotted:
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Puff-throated Bulbul
Black-crested Bulbul
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Blue Rock Thrush
Spiderhunters
Black-hooded Oriole
Common Tailor bird
Pin-tailed Green Pigeon
Drongo
Blue- bearded Barbet
Coppersmith Barbet
Wagtail
We saw a huge bird looking like a Hornbill
But I managed to get a few pictures and the Puff-throated Bulbul was the first time for me. We spent a few hours under the tree and I enjoyed every minute.
Puff-throated Bulbul - นกปรอดโอ่งเมืองเหนือ
Blue Rock Thrush - นกกระเบื้องผา
Blue Rock Thrush - นกกระเบื้องผา
Black-crested Bulbul / นกปรอดเหลืองหัวจุก
We decide to go up to the Wat Tham Pha Plong on the mountain, 500 ++ steps. At the bottom of the stairs there is a tree that was full of Yellow-vented Warblers. Walking up the stairs and we didn't see any birds, but we could hear that the forest was full of Blue-bearded Barbets
We saw a couple of Hill Blue Flycatchers, but the bird seems to like to sit in the shadows. So no pictures of the Hill Blue Flycatchers. It was a nice walk through the forest, but it was a waste of time regarding the birds, pretty much nothing.
Entrance to the Wat Tham Pha Plong
Stairs to the Wat Tham Pha Plong
Stairs to the Wat Tham Pha Plong
Stairs to the Wat Tham Pha Plong
Stairs to the Wat Tham Pha Plong
Wat Tham Pha Plong
Stairs to the Wat Tham Pha Plong
Picnic lunch
White-rumped Shaman
Walking back down to the park and we spotted two very big birds in the top of a tree. But it was too far away for any identification, otherwise no birds. Back in the park we had our picnic lunch in the car. Better than any restaurant, eating and drinking Pepsi MAX while listening to the Black-hooded Oriole. We had a White-rumped Shaman jumping around outside the car.
We spotted a tree and someone had put up two Papaya fruits in the tree and there were Bulbuls eating the fruit. We stopped for a few pictures before we left the Wat Tham Pha Plong.
Black-crested Bulbul / นกปรอดเหลืองหัวจุก
Sooty-headed Bulbul / นกปรอดหัวสีเขม่า
Sooty-headed Bulbul / นกปรอดหัวสีเขม่า
Sooty-headed Bulbul / นกปรอดหัวสีเขม่า
Sooty-headed Bulbul / นกปรอดหัวสีเขม่า
Puff-throated Bulbul - นกปรอดโอ่งเมืองเหนือ
Puff-throated Bulbul - นกปรอดโอ่งเมืองเหนือ
Red-whiskered Bulbul - นกปรอดหัวโขน
Red-whiskered Bulbul - นกปรอดหัวโขน
Red-whiskered Bulbul - นกปรอดหัวโขน
We left the park and my Guide stopped to buy a drink, he got a tip about the garbage dump. We drove there but we only spotted a crow. We went to see if we could see the Greater Cuocal again, but no luck. We drove out on the country side and we ended up at a stream. Not many birds, but at the height of the day it is too hot for the birds. So we decided to go back to Chiang Mai.
We decided to stop at the Lanna Rama 9 Park before going to the hotel. I really wanted to try to get some more pictures of the Olive-backed Sunbird and the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Pied Bush Chat in the field
Beautiful scenery
Beautiful scenery
Beautiful scenery
Beautiful scenery
Well, it was very hot in the Lanna Rama 9 Park and we didn't see any birds. I was going to use my phone to play the bird song. I was putting my phone in a tree and I discovered that what I though was a branch or a rope was a snake. Needless to say, I never put my phone in the tree even though the snake disappeared.
Totaly unexpected, to finish the bird watching with a near death experience. Back at the hotel and I had tea and picnic styled dinner in my room before going to bed. Alarm is set to go off at 04:00.
Back at the hotel
Mövenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai, well, last time I was living here I gave them 5 stars. This time it was another price, high season? Or maybe because the redecoration was completed.
I don't know, but it was a beautiful hotel and the room was very good. But I would only give them 1 star this time and I will change my review.
Mövenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai
Well, for this price I have no other option than to give it 5 stars. 40 US Dollars per night is a bargain. I don't now, maybe a LOW SEASON price. But for 40 US it is a 5 star. For 80 US Dollars + I would have given it a weak 3 stars
Nice room, good internet and a good location. Super friendly and helpful staff at the hotel.
The water in the shower wasn't as hot as I would have wished for. Maybe it was me, but the AC was either too cold or not cooling at all.
The restaurant, maybe the best Khao Soi I have ever had even though it was pricey. 7 Dollar for a fried rice!!
Breakfast, 7 US Dollar so what can you expect. For the price it was a very good breakfast. I will stay here next time in Chiang Mai
Mövenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai
Checking-in and they give me an upgrade. They changed from room 411 to 401. Later on in my room I discover a letter “Dear Mr. Aladdin” so this room was for me all the time.
I never accept any upgrades because I have had so many bad experiences with the “upgrades” But I have stayed here before and room 401 was a gorgeous room. But in the evening, I was in bed and the music started. My alarm is set to go off at 4 o'clock so I can go bird watching.
I call the reception
- There is some terrible music
- I don't understand
- There is some terrible music
- Do they play music in the next door room?
- No it is from a bar
- Who is playing music?
- I don't know, from one of you bars
- Not from the room?
- No
- Do you hear music from the outside? Very strange!
She was really playing surprised and she didn't knew anything.
- Do you mean that I'm the first one complaining?
- Hmmmmmm, errrrrr
- How many guest have complained before?
- Hmmmmmm, errrrrr Many!
So they treat their guests like idiots and I will not come back.
Anyway, my flight back home to Bangkok is tomorrow afternoon and I will do a morning bird watching tour to Huai Tueng Thao. So click HERE
to find out if I find any birds.
General election in Sweden September 2018. Sweden is already beyond rescue and this is most likely the last free election in Sweden. They are already changing the “Free speech” laws in Sweden. Censorship and it only show how desperate they are to keep the population in the dark, as by now they have (must have) realised how they have destroyed what might have once been the best country in the world.
State media blasting 24/7 on how well Sweden is doing when it is obvious for everyone how health care, education system, police, judicial system and the welfare state have collapsed.
Where it is now allowed to be married to children, rape is a normal thing that the Police don’t even investigate thanks to the world’s first feminist government. What a sad joke this country have turned in to.
Everyday life in Sweden HD
Meanwhile, the old Swedish people in the elderly care starve to death
What a shame!
Well, and everything he says is true
Sweden is already beyond rescue