Birding at Doi Angkhang (12/15)

 As I walked towards my friends, I noticed numerous small birds feeding on the tree.

I caught sight of a whiteeye but haven't had a good look at it yet. They are small but move very quickly from one tree branch to another.

It landed right above me.

By following its movements, I was finally able to capture a better photo of these Indian Whiteeyes.

I caught a glimpse of a Silver-eared Mesia before it disappeared from my view.

There are just too many of them, making it difficult to focus on one and get a clear shot.

I had to concentrate on just one Mrs. Gould's Sunbird at a time and ignore the rest.

This is likely a juvenile Mrs. Gould's Sunbird.

The Black-throated Sunbird with a black throat can be distinguished from the Mrs. Gould's Sunbird. There are no Green Tailed Sunbird here. They are only be found at Doi Inthanon.

I have been observing the Grey Backed Shrike, and this is the first time I've seen a Long-tailed Shrike on this trip.

We spotted a few Black-breasted Thrushes foraging for food near a rubbish dumping area.

As we descended from Doi Angkhang, we spotted a Hill Prinia.

Just before the sun set, we were able to see another standout bird of the day, a Spot-breasted Parrotbill. With so many great sightings, it's time to head to Fang for our overnight accommodation.

Flower Mania at Doi Angkhang (11/14)

 After leaving the hotel, we headed to Doi Angkhang for our next birdwatching destination.

The Lunar New Year is approaching, and the locals have adorned the area with festive decorations.

The village was adorned with numerous red lanterns.

We went to the Royal Project cafe for lunch. We finished our meal quickly and were eager to explore the garden filled with various flowers.

The entire area was covered with Chamomile flowers!

I was amazed by the sea of flowers.

Taking a closer look at the flowers.

Moving from the white and yellow Chamomile flowers field, I strolled to another part of the garden where flowering plants of different colors were planted.

Another area of the garden featured ornamental cabbage.

The Wedge Leaved Primrose also proved to be a great subject for photography.

Foxgloves served as beautiful ornamental plants in the garden, despite being toxic.

Enthralled by the beauty of the flowers, I almost forgot that my main focus was birdwatching.

I suppose I should catch up with my friends. It seems like they have already spotted some interesting birds.

The Elusive Blossom Headed Parakeet (10/14)

We started Day 3 of our trip to Northern Thailand early once again. We chose to go to the base of Doi Inthanon to try to spot the elusive Blossom Headed Parakeet.

We reached a privately owned bird watching tower at the base of Doi Inthanon just in time to witness the sunrise.

We observed several Green peafowl flying down from the hill. Since it was still dark, we couldn't capture a clear photo of them.

Red-whiskered bulbuls were some of the first birds we saw.

Following the Red-whiskered bulbuls were the Sooty-headed bulbuls.

We heard the call of a Lineated Barbet but had difficulty locating it. After some time, we finally managed to spot it hiding behind a tree branch.

As more and more birds joined the flock, we had a variety of options for bird photography. I chose to focus my camera on a Golden Fronted Leafbird.

We were able to see the true color of the Purple sunbird, which usually appears black without direct sunlight.

A frontal view of the Purple sunbird.

Although Purple sunbirds are small, they can be quite aggressive when it comes to food, as we witnessed one chasing away a female Brown-throated sunbird.

A male Brown-throated Sunbird was also spotted feeding on the same tree.

With the sun warming up, we saw an Oriental Honey Buzzard soaring with the thermals.

A Red-billed Blue Magpie was also spotted hunting for food.

We had seen many striped squirrels since our arrival, but due to the low light, we couldn't get a good shot. As the lighting improved, we were able to observe them better. However, I am unsure if they were Western striped squirrels or the closely related Cambodian Striped Squirrel.

I almost forgot to take a photo of an Ashy Drongo, as I was distracted by the many bird activities happening simultaneously.

Finally, our main target appeared, albeit for just a few seconds - the Blossom-headed parakeet. With our target spotted, it was time to return and check out of our hotel.

While traveling, we paused near a blossoming tree and saw some Chestnut-tailed Starling.

We also observed a Black-collared Starling.

Not forgetting the Crested Treeswift that resting on the cable.

After leaving the hotel, we headed to Doi Angkhang for our next birdwatching destination.

Kew Mae Pan View Point (9/14)

 From the Ang Ka Nature Trail, we descend from the summit to the Kew Mae Pan View Point.

Right after we leave the parking lot, we are greeted by the call of the Mountain Bulbul.

It seems like our luck is on our side today, as we were really hoping to spot the Yellow Cheeked Tit, and our wish has been granted. We saw the male bird with its bright yellow color and dark breast.

The female Yellow Cheeked Tit also made an appearance.

While walking along the viewpoint, the Dark-backed Sibia once again posed nicely for my camera.

This seems to be a Blyth's leaf warbler, but I can't be completely sure.

We also spotted another Chestnut-tailed Minla with its adorable look.

One of the things I always do when traveling abroad is to visit a local market. Since the Thai Hmong Community Market is on our way, we decided to stop by and support the local community.

They have both fresh and dried fruits available.

I purchased some dried fruits and a packet of cape gooseberries to snack on along the way.

We checked into the Chom Thong Boutique House for the night, and we are looking forward to another early bird watching session tomorrow morning.