Chiang Dao National Park

After a couple of days in the city we were ready to hit the countryside again so took the cheap local bus a couple of hours north to Chiang Dao. The accommodation we found was quite pricy but set in a beautiful garden on the edge of the National Park here. Another place that suited us very well and after moving to a more affordable in the same resort we stayed for 4 days. The local restaurants were excellent and good value and there's even a little bar.

Mountain Hawk-eagle Nisaetus nipalensis

Birding from the garden was excellent. At least 2 different Mountain Hawk-eagles overhead along with Cook's Swifts, Blue-winged and Golden-fronted Leafbirds, Purple and Olive-backed Sunbirds, Chestnut-tailed Starling and a confusing array of White-eye species (probably mostly Swinhoe's White-eye but also maybe Indian). Radde's Warbler and Grey-breasted Prinia displaced from nearby grassy area being cleared and a corking male Siberian Blue Robin.

A Northern Treeshrew was good to see here as well.

Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis

Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons

Northern Treeshrew Tupaia belangeri

The main attraction here is the monastery nestled into the mountain at the end of long, set of c.500 steps lined with quotes from the Buddha. The birding here was utterly superb. The area at the start of the steps was very good for Green Pigeons with both Pin-tailed and Thick-billed Pigeon here and several species of Bulbul frequented the trees here. The entrance building itself had a Tokay Gecko resident on the high ceiling. White-throated Fantail, Siberian Blue Robin, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Buff-breasted Babbler and a pair of wild Red Junglefowl were along the first flight of steps and a Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo showed here once.

Pin-tailed Green-pigeon Treron apicauda

Hill Blue Flycatcher Cyornis banyumas

Closer to the temple Hill Blue Flycatcher and Black-throated Sunbird were good but the best birding was along the damp gully leading up from the bridge just below the temple. I walked this as many times as I could and turned up an Asian Stubtail, frustratingly brief views of a Rusty-naped Pitta, Scaly-breasted Partridges, Grey-crowned Warbler, Grey-throated Babbler,  Puff-throated Babbler, Streaked Wren-babbler and a little further up, where more water started to appear in the gully, a pair of very vocal White-crowned Fantails.

Puff-throated Babbler Pellorneum ruficeps

We also walked the so-called nature trail that crosses the gully just before the lower entrance to the steps and heads across the high ground to emerge, via a very steep slope, behind the caves. Great Iora and Yellow-bellied Warbler were lifers along here plus saw Streaked Wren-babbler, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Purple-naped Spiderhunter and other common species. White-headed Jays were confusing at first and were rather shy giving poor views but interesting how different they looked from western subspecies.

Grey-backed Shrike Lanius tephronotus

We also walked away from the national park and towards the nearby golden pagoda where more typical open countryside birds like Green and Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters were among the common birds seen. The cave complex held fewer birds of interest but did get very close views of a large Tokay Gecko. Walking up the road towards the first checkpoint was also productive with Greater Yellownape and Grey-backed Shrike among others. The area clearly has a great deal more to offer and it would have been good to have found time and money to go up to the higher areas to find different species. I have no doubt that you'd still be finding new birds after a month here.

Tokay Gecko Gekko gecko

Vagrant Vagrans egista

Common Map Cyrestis thyodamas

Common Cruiser Vindula erota

Common Commander Moduza procris

81 species of bird recorded with 19 lifers:

Scaly-breasted Partridge

Red Junglefowl

Spotted Dove

Zebra Dove

Thick-billed Green-Pigeon

Pin-tailed Green-Pigeon

Greater Coucal

Green-billed Malkoha

Himalayan Swiftlet

Cook's Swift

Asian Palm-Swift

Mountain Hawk-Eagle

Shikra

Green Bee-eater

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Coppersmith Barbet

Greater Yellownape

Rusty-naped Pitta

Scarlet Minivet

Black-hooded Oriole

Ashy Woodswallow

Common Iora

Great Iora

White-throated Fantail

Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo

Hair-crested Drongo

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Black-naped Monarch

Brown Shrike

Grey-backed Shrike

Eurasian Jay

Large-billed Crow

Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher

Common Tailorbird

Grey-breasted Prinia

Barn Swallow

Striated Swallow

Black-crested Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Sooty-headed Bulbul

Stripe-throated Bulbul

Streak-eared Bulbul

Puff-throated Bulbul

Grey-eyed Bulbul

Yellow-browed Warbler

Hume's Warbler

Radde's Warbler

Grey-crowned Warbler

Asian Stubtail

Yellow-bellied Warbler

Indian White-eye

Swinhoe's White-eye

Pin-striped Tit-Babbler

Rufous-fronted Babbler

Grey-throated Babbler

Puff-throated Babbler

Buff-breasted Babbler

Streaked Wren-Babbler

Chestnut-tailed Starling

Common Myna

Great Myna

Oriental Magpie-Robin

White-rumped Shama

Hill Blue Flycatcher

Siberian Blue Robin

White-crowned Forktail

Taiga Flycatcher

Blue Rock Thrush

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Purple Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird

Black-throated Sunbird

Purple-naped Spiderhunter

Blue-winged Leafbird

Golden-fronted Leafbird

White-rumped Munia

Scaly-breasted Munia

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail

Olive-backed Pipit