Photo Feast

Friday February 17

Up at 5.00 a.m. for a 6.00 departure - packed bags outside by 5.50. Neil and Choom (driver) are very good about carrying and packing luggage. We've enjoyed being here at the Malee Nature Lovers Bungalows, a spacious suite of rooms, comfy beds and good food. Pam will not miss the very loud frog  all night chorus outside her bedroom

First stop was opposite the Chinese Cemetery to see a Brown-breasted Bulbul. Despite Choom's wandering in front of us - on his phone as usual - frightening off the birds, a pair returned. 

Doi Khang Resort is set in a deep, cup - shaped valley. We needed our fleeces. Negotiating a flight of steep steps up to the restaurant, took me ages. For such short-legged people they have very steep steps. 

Next three photos taken by Pam.

A welcome cup of coffee saw us sitting at a table on the restaurant balcony, overlooking a feeding area which Neil sprinkled with mealworms. 

There was already corn, rice and banana strewn around. The feeding station was below the dining area, a small stream between us and the open grassy area on which two logs had been placed, a wall of ferns at the back. 

Breakfast of fried eggs, sausage and soggy toast became cold as we were all too busy looking at, and photographing, the great birds which appeared.

Black-breasted Thrush male

Female Chestnut-bellied Rockthrush

Oriental Magpie-robin

Grey-sided Thrush

Sooty-headed Bulbul

A Northern Treeshrew spent a little time foraging at the back. 

A photographer annoyed us all. He set up his enormous lens and camera beside us on the balcony, decided that he couldn't see well enough and moved on to the outside, fully exposed to the birds. He then asked Neil if he could set up a hide below us and in the viewing area! Final ignominy was asking the names of the birds - he wasn't wearing any bins either.
When we'd had our fill of the thrushes (never really), we moved about 50 yards to where the stream entered the site via a small rocky waterfall. Within a few mnutes of a local putting down some mealworms, a male White-capped Redstart appeared, fed briefly and departed, never to re-appear. I managed 2 photos, 1 only nearly OK.

Royal Project, the next stop, is a very large celebration of all things agriculture. Set up by the last King's wife to show the people of the area that it was possible to make more money from growing vegetables rather than opium poppies.
An interesting experience... so many guards and security people around as a visit from a member of the royal family was impending. Pen was fed some disinformation. It was the new king's latest woman coming shortly. We drove to the top of the park  where Choom was allowed to drop us off and then park way back. We were also given permission to walk to what looked like a building site, cross a couple of narrow trenches, negotiate a narrow path and then, a short slope, before planting our stools viewing another feeding station. In the middle of nowhere ! Just about enough space for our four lime green stools. The area was dark, surrounded by trees, bamboo and shrubs, with a few logs and stones onto which mealworms and scatter food was placed by Neil. We didn't have to wait long before the first birds appeared.

Female Large Niltava

Male Rufous-bellied Niltava

Male White-tailed Robin

White-rumped Shama

Silver-eared Mesia

 At lunchtime, we re-traced our footsteps, Neil phoned Pen and Choom and we met them in the car parking drop-off area before hastily leaving. Everywhere would be shut when the VIP arrived. 
Eating a very nice meal of Cow Pat in a roadside restaurant, we saw the VIP cars pass. Later, on the evening news, we heard that it was the last King's middle daughter who was visting, the offspring that the public would have liked as their next queen. She is tireless in her support of charity  and in her interest in the state of the people. The son named as King is a womaniser, he has 4 wives already.
The Bees and Neil then did the K21 trail whilst Pam and I sat in the bus, before we were  returned to the hotel . They went on to Fang rice paddies. We are missing so many birds due to our lack of mobility. No quarter given.
We thoroughly enjoyed our photography morning when we saw some good birds.