Exhausting and Productive

Tuesday March 7

The hardest day yet.
Breakfast of egg and toast at 5.30, away at 6.00 in a four wheel drive, Toyota twin cab pick-up. I sat in the front, Pam behind me and the trio were in the open, seated rear. Buffeted, but with an excellent view.
It was over an hour’s drive to the main park before the first stop. The first part of the road was notable for the number of Long-tailed Nightjars on the road, one posing on a post. I’d just said, ‘‘Do you think there’ll be nightjars on the road ,‘’ when the first appeared.
The driver / specialist guide for the day, was a little Thai man, Petac. who turned out to be 72 years old ! No-one seems to have white hair, or else they’re kept indoors after reaching 60. The one exception was a stick thin 90 year old woman, who found us fascinating, at the cafe down the road.
The road became even rougher, steeper and jolting. The driver does this most days in the high season, he is  THE bird guide.
Oh oh, we have a Tokay lizard here too, he’s just told me where to go.
At the first birding stop, I saw a nest high up, with something moving in it.  It was a Mountain Hawk-eagle’s well grown young, busily feeding. Little chance of an adult coming in so soon after delivering breakfast. The guide knew about the nest .........

A cross-shaped spider Pam noticed, builds a cross shaped web.

The Grey-cheeked Buzzard flying through was new for us.
Asian Pied Hornbill, Red-bearded Bee-eater, (Pam and I had it in our bins as it departed),
Spangled Drongo and a handsome male Jungle Fowl. The latter looked, in size,  like a cross between a bantam and a farmyard cockerel, leaning towards the first.
My day for noticing perched raptors. This Crested Serpent-eagle, taken through the front windscreen,  was one.

 

The next stop was a stake-out. A biggish roadside clearing already held six photographers, huge lenses trained on a pendulous nest over a stream. Not birders........obvious by their total lack of concern for the etiquette concerning other birders and , for the welfare of the birds. Our guide found the wanted, and very beautiful, Long-tailed Broadbill, in an opening a few yards down the hill. We were busy admiring it, quietly, when the group arrived, alerted by their spotter/ driver, one of them standing nearly under the bird. It flew away !

I have one truly appalling photograph.

Our lot then walked up the road, already a distance away when we noticed, too far away to speak. Neil motioned to ask if we were joining them.

We stayed, can't keep up with the pace set, especially after the necessary catch-up. That was at 8.40. They returned an hour and a half later. Meanwhile, there was little activity where we were left, in a deep forest area. We did enjoy the singing  Gibbons. Lovely.

During the next drive, 8, what the guide described as 'big ones' hornbills flew high across the road. I assumed that he meant Great Hornbills but Neil either didn't see the same ones, or the driver was wrong. ( They were Tickells Brown Hornbil) Blue-eared Barbet was found in Neil's scope, Brown Fulvettas flew across in front of us as did 2 Bar-backed Partridges.

We lunched on CowPat, at the only eating place near the end of the driveable track, having inspected a fruiting tree further on. An hour's stop on comfy plastic chairs, overlooking ridge after ridge of virgin forest. The hoped for raptors were restricted to Oriental Honey Buzzard.

A brown and white butterfly was never still. My camera performed better than I thought .

Jay sp.

The afternoon is a blur of stopping, walking, seeing the odd bird and another hour and a half roadside for Pam and I. We'd walked for a while, before seeing a very steep and rutted downhill in front of us. My knees can't manage that. We were both weary of standing, taking turns on the stool, little to get the circulation going.

Back to a fruiting tree, via the loo for Pam, where Neil got a new bird whilst waiting for Hornbills to arrive. A Yellow-vented Green Pigeon. There were also Thick-billed Green Pigeons. I eventually managed to see both in the scope and two of the Yellow-vented, side by side in the open. 

Some time, we also saw a Black and Buff Woodpecker female, its head stuck out of the nesting hole, and a Silver-breasted BroadbilI,  shall have to consult my list.
 J noticed a small slow worm/ legless skink type lizard on the road. We thought it was dead - until Neil moved it into safety with a stick. It was very active !

 

We were not back at the resort until 7.10, after what seemed like a very long drive. Straight to supper unwashed and unchanged. Pen wouldn't allow Neil to sit beside her. 

Pam only wanted an omelette and, as all dishes are shared, that's what I had too. It was running in oil, I ate half. Pam had to make a hasty departure for our rooms .........

So tired to-night.