This is what I call forest birding.

Early morning is the best time for any forest birding excursion. As we made our way at first light into Kaeng Krachan National Park (KKCNP) for the first time, we were greeted by an array of calls and that is always a good sign.

When we approached the mid-way point, heavy wing beats echoed along the forest canopy followed by persistent yelping. It could only mean one species – hornbills. Since the vocalization was foreign to me, another lifer was making its way into my global life list and it turned out to be a flock of Rusty-cheeked Hornbills. I had to crank my neck to admire the unusual colouration of this species and the photographs obtained were good enough to me given the shooting conditions of the encounter.

One has to rely heavily on calls when it comes to birding in the forest and I tried to my best not to let familiar call distract me from building up my checklist for the day. Unless the call belonged to a pair of Banded Kingfishers. This is one species I will stop for no matter how far I am away from home. It appeared that Lady Luck has not abandoned us yet and the handsome male revealed his vivid plumage along the middle storey of the forest.

His mate took a longer time before we could lay eyes on her sultry beauty. The Banded Kingfisher is one of the few birds that despite of sexual dimorphism, the sexes are equally attractive. And she even outperformed her mate on this sunny morning.

The rather distinct territorial call of the Asian Barred Owlet was heard in the vicinity for a prolonged period of time. Eventually, it was spotted by our guide vocalizing for the topmost part of the forest and the outcome of the encounter left much to be yearned for.

Arjin has been exceptional throughout the trip. Not only for providing the targets and lifers but for all the other arrangements that made our birding adventure in central Thailand so enjoyable.

If you come across a congregation of birders anywhere in the park, you should join them because there must be something noteworthy present. Our guide practices this strategy and we were rewarded with a pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eaters.

The pair was perched quite high up with the sun behind them as they hunted and courted oblivious to the crowd below. I am grateful for the good and prolonged views. I just wish I could say the same about the photographic opportunities.

While observing the Blue-bearded Bee-eater, a silhouette of what appeared to a Myna alighted on branch below the lovebirds. Earlier on, I casually asked our guide what are my chances of a Golden-crested Myna in KKCNP. It all depends on luck was all he had to say. Then this must be my lucky day. It was a brief encounter – much to my dismay. Because it is one of the birds I really hoped to see during this trip.

I am not sure if anyone else managed to see the Myna. I did shout out the identification when I was certain I was not hallucinating. It was another hot day after all. Anyway, shortly after my lifer flew away, someone spotted a male Orange-breasted Trogon and to my surprise he was resting quite confidingly just above eye level.

When the words Barred Asian Owlet echoed across the vicinity, it caused those present to rush over to the direction of the latest attraction. Normally, you do not get second chances in forest birding. But then again, there is hardly anything normal about this incredible birding location so far.

When the dust settled, we broke off from the congregation and continued to explore the park on our own. Our second Orange-breasted Trogon of the day was a female and she outperformed the earlier male significantly.

I cannot recall any of the Orange-breasted Trogons back home ever being so obliging and we showered her with the love and affection she deserves. That’s a good girl...

Females led the way from then and next in line was a Silver-breasted Broadbill but she was just a little too far to evoke the same level of emotions.

The same goes to this female Asian Emerald Cuckoo foraging along the canopy level.

I have always been a birder who photographs rather than vice versa. And when Arjin found a pair of White-fronted Scops-Owls roosting partially hidden among the thickets, I was still overwhelmed. It did not matter that the photo was awful. What did matter was it was not overlooked and this species is finally a full tick in my life list. The closest I have ever been to this beautiful and scarce night bird was the trees they were vocalizing in during night excursions. And a daytime sighting like this, almost had me in tears.

We explored the upper reaches of the park on our second visit. The dawn chorus was amazing as excepted. In terms of birding, I was not disappointed as I managed to obtain additional lifers like the Black-throated Laughingthrush, Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler and Blue-throated Barbet. However, good photographic opportunities were sorely absent. Long-tailed Broadbills appear to be thriving in this location and I managed to obtain some record shots of this stunning bird.

Flowering bamboo can sometimes attract the nomadic Pin-tailed Parrotfinches as these striking birds have a taste for the flowers. On this occasion, it was difficult just to observe the birds through my bins, let alone photograph. And with no possibilities of improvement shots, we carried on our exploration of this birding haven.

We came across an exceptionally tame Black Giant Squirrel by Malaysian standards during our time here and it also appeared to be feeding in a clump of bamboo. This might explain its bold behaviour but unfortunately, the dense vegetation prevented any better shots to be obtained.

I could not help but to notice signboards erected on certain stretches of the access road cautioning driving visitors to be mindful of butterflies. And based on the big number of butterflies along the sides of the road, it is a just action taken by the park authorities. Non-birding visitors are certainly drawn to these congregations of colours and grace. I guess the butterflies are very much one of the main attractions of KKCNP.

A flock of Scarlet Minivets flitting about the forest canopy is a sight to behold especially the striking males. I briefly followed the movements of one such flock and was rewarded when one of males wandered lower down allowing me to obtain some decent shots of his vibrant plumage.

Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoos often show confiding behaviour and this individual was no exception. Perched on an open branch along the forest edge, it helped contributed to the overall success of our excursions here.

Ashy Woodswallows are usually present near the entrance of the park perched on the overhead electric cables. The lighting at the time of this encounter was quite favourable and the images of these graceful aerial hunters turned out better than I expected.

Behavioural shots are often what bird photographers aim for. However, I am usually happy if I happened to get a sharp shot of a bird doing nothing. When the opportunity does present itself, the sense of achievement can be ecstatic like this food-in-mouth shot.

Below the hunting Woodswallows, another species was also busy foraging. Unlike the former, the Grey-breasted Prinias rarely stay put and the strains of grass of their undergrowth home further hindered my photographic efforts. But they showed enough character to win me over in the end and wrap things up for this post.

Checklist of birds recorded at Kaeng Krachan National Park:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307861287

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307862775

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307867792

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307868679 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307869350 

The hotter, the better...

 

During our journey to Kaeng Krachang National Park (KKCNP), we stopped by what appeared to be a boutique café just off the main road. Arjin proceeded to lead us to the back of the establishment and entered what must be the fanciest hide I have ever seen.

It came complete with electrical sockets and even Wi-Fi. It appears the owner has found another means to support his business and I think having a permanent hide in this bird-rich area is a splendid idea.

There was a watering hole in front of the hide and almost immediately, we got acquainted with one of its regular patrons – the striking Black-crested Bulbul. The lighting was challenging and the pockets of sunlight compounded the situation. But there was no denying the beauty of this relatively common species.

The bulbuls came to drink and even bathe at the watering hole. In my earlier post, I mentioned that heat will be in our favour during our tour and now, I understood why. All the hides near the KKCNP function the in same manner with water as the enticement. And when the weather is hot like this, you got it made.

The next species to appear was a Malaysian Pied-Fantail. My attention towards this all-too-familiar species did not take long to be distracted. I did not travel more than one thousand kilometers to photograph a bird I can regularly see in my own neighbourhood and that is the bitter truth.

The common Abbott’s Babbler would also have to do something extraordinary to take up more space than this in my post.

Announcing their arrival with harsh and loud notes were the Streak-eared Bulbuls. They are probably the commonest bulbul species here in central Thailand and we recorded them quite frequently throughout the tour.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the Streak-eared Bulbul is restricted to the northern end and I have my fair share of encounters. Regardless, it was nice to observe this plain-looking species up close and personal. There is always beauty in simplicity.

A lifer is a lifer even if it lacks aesthetic appeal. That is so true in the case of the Brown-cheeked Fulvetta. Being a typical babbler, I do not think that it will be easy obtain a shot like this without the aid of a hide and a watering hole. As I was busy documenting this new bird, something else arrived and immediately captured my undivided attention.

I have seen images of Racket-tailed Treepies taken from a hide like this on social media and they looked amazing. And now, here I am experiencing it for myself and I was definitely not disappointed. From the time the first bird popped into view, my finger hardly lifted from the shutter button. For years, I have tried in vain to capture the Racket-tailed Treepie back home in Malaysia. The pale blue eyes, unique tail and greenish-sheened plumage held me in a trance and I was lost in the moment. The treepies were truly captivating despite their common status here. People say the grass is always greener on the other side. Well, if that green is in the form of a bird that is one of my targets of the trip, then that saying is so very true.

Being cooped up in a hide like this, the heat would have been unbearable if not for the electrical fans available. I did mention that it was a fancy hide, right? The watering hole must be a true relief for the birds here. And the Racket-tailed Treepies certainly indulged themselves with this manmade blessing.

Another thing that I adore about these birds is their behaviour. They seemed to have a rascality side to their character that would occasionally reveal itself.

A stunning male Black-naped Monarch also made an appearance. I seldom have opportunities like these to capture this forest denizen. And this particular vine overhanging the watering hole has complimented quite a number of images captured during our time in this hide. His vivid colouration added splendour to the gloomy surroundings of the forest.

Not every species that visited the hide was obliging. This male Indochinese Blue Flycatcher came for a quick dip and disappeared back into his lush domain.

And this sceptical Greater Racket-tailed Drongo was adamant that all this was too good to be true and kept its distance.

Once available light started to fade, we concluded our visit to the hide at Cafe De Camp and made our way to our accommodations for the next few days – the renowned Samarn Bird Camp.

The main building was fully booked by big group of European birders (Thailand is truly a hotspot for visiting birders) and we had to settle for the adjacent chalets which are commendable as well. And I rather enjoyed the seclusion because we were the only guests here.

In case you are wondering, this is what we rolled in throughout our Thai adventure. It was certainly a practical mode of transport especially on some of rugged terrains of this country.

There are a lot of ways one can celebrate after successful birding excursions. Since I am a reformed smoker, a victory cigar is out of the question. But in this sweltering weather, a local beer will do just fine.

As our group waited for dinner time, I decided to explore the vicinity to kill time. The first bird to greet me was an Ashy Woodswallow on the hunt from the overhead electrical cables. Judging from its success rate, I would say it is enjoying the good life here.

A Streak-eared Bulbul feeding on striking orange fruits of a roadside tree immediately caught my eye. The vibrant surroundings contrasting with the dull colours of the bird was added value to the photograph obtained.

Hornbills, even the small ones, are loud and obtrusive. And an Oriental Pied Hornbill moving about the edge of the forest was impossible to go unnoticed. Obtaining unobstructed images was another matter unfortunately.

On the other end of the audio spectrum, my ears picked out the beautiful repertoire of musical notes belonging to the White-rumped Shama. And soon, my eyes caught sight of the alluring songster as well.

Dusk soon crept in and a pair of Red Junglefowls retreated back into the forest to roost. As I prepared myself for dinner, anticipation of what is to come tomorrow in KKCNP naturally filled my thoughts. You can find out the outcome of our visit to one of the best birding locations in the region in my next post.

The checklist of birds recorded at the Cafe  De Camp hide: https://ebird.org/checklist/S307845177