Monday February 27
Yeah !! Man U beat Southampton 3-2 in yesterday’s Cup Final.
Pam and I decided not to go on this morning’s final birding up the same track as yesterday. We have a long van journey later this morning and I’m already travel worn. Still no real step to help get into the van, just a small half breeze block. It kills me. I’m positive that Pam makes decisions that she thinks are right for me, she needs help too..
We still set the alarm for 5.30 but didn’t go for breakfast until 8.00, where Pen joined us and was her usual helpful self. We eschewed Thai green curry and made do with DIY toast and marmalade.
The rest of the time until 10.15 was occupied with packing and birding from the shelter of our porch. The usual suspects. Common and White-vented Myna, Tree Sparrows Red-collared Doves, Ashy Tree Swallow and about 40 Asian Openbill Storks circling lazily over the resort.
We see these lovely flowering shrubs everywhere.
The gang returned soon after 10.00 having seen some nice birds. Damn it. So frustrating that I can’t do the walking. Even if I do, we get left behind and miss birds being named. At least I'm not holding anyone up nor depriving others of birds.
Away by !0.45, we stopped for a welcome lunch in a roadside shop/restaurant. The displays of bowls, covered and open, decorated with cockerels were very tempting. We bought one each for muesli.
Lunch was omelettes for us, I’m tired of rice. We also shared Pen’s pork scratchings which were light and fatless.
The loos were marked by the appropriate cartoon-type statuettes.
Pen stopped at a roadside mango stall. Great that it's the mango season. There are dozens of stalls along a small section of road, all selling stacks of yellow mangoes.
Our new resort is delightfully set in hillside gardens - with a stream below our semi-detached room. The Bees are in the other half. We share an open sitting area with table and benches overlooking the river below, surrounded by trees, orchids and flowering shrubs.
Delightful.
The plan is that we go out to eat to-night but, will eat here to-morrow night.
Yeah !! Man U beat Southampton 3-2 in yesterday’s Cup Final.
Pam and I decided not to go on this morning’s final birding up the same track as yesterday. We have a long van journey later this morning and I’m already travel worn. Still no real step to help get into the van, just a small half breeze block. It kills me. I’m positive that Pam makes decisions that she thinks are right for me, she needs help too..
We still set the alarm for 5.30 but didn’t go for breakfast until 8.00, where Pen joined us and was her usual helpful self. We eschewed Thai green curry and made do with DIY toast and marmalade.
The rest of the time until 10.15 was occupied with packing and birding from the shelter of our porch. The usual suspects. Common and White-vented Myna, Tree Sparrows Red-collared Doves, Ashy Tree Swallow and about 40 Asian Openbill Storks circling lazily over the resort.
We see these lovely flowering shrubs everywhere.
The gang returned soon after 10.00 having seen some nice birds. Damn it. So frustrating that I can’t do the walking. Even if I do, we get left behind and miss birds being named. At least I'm not holding anyone up nor depriving others of birds.
Away by !0.45, we stopped for a welcome lunch in a roadside shop/restaurant. The displays of bowls, covered and open, decorated with cockerels were very tempting. We bought one each for muesli.
Lunch was omelettes for us, I’m tired of rice. We also shared Pen’s pork scratchings which were light and fatless.
The loos were marked by the appropriate cartoon-type statuettes.
 |
| The Ladies |
Our new resort is delightfully set in hillside gardens - with a stream below our semi-detached room. The Bees are in the other half. We share an open sitting area with table and benches overlooking the river below, surrounded by trees, orchids and flowering shrubs.
 |
| View down towards the entrance |
 |
| Our bungalow is behind the main house, on the right. |
Delightful.
The plan is that we go out to eat to-night but, will eat here to-morrow night.
Tuesday February 28
Breakfast at 5.30 is a bit of a shock to the system, rising at 4.45 after four hours sleep even more so. I was glad to get up, our room Tokay Gekko - they can grow to 18’’ long and have a fat body - was shouting all night. He starts by tuning up like bagpipes do, before repeating f.... you five times before he runs out of air. We think he lives under the aircon.
Apparently he eats the little house gekkos.
We all ate our fried egg sandwich in a daze before setting off for Mae Wong National Park. A horrified Choom could not avoid a kamikaze cat which head butted his beloved front bumper /skirt, making a hole in it and the van body underneath. A screwdriver was produced and the skirt ditched across a bin.
After paying the entry fee, we drove 38 kilometres uphill through forest on a good road thickly lined with dead brown leaves.They make a tremendous rustle. We saw 5 Khalij Pheasants, split from Silver-eared, roadside before reaching the top camping site. This is an appalling photo, taken in poor light through the tinted front screen - from the back seat.
The site is on a slope, with the ranger’s hut at the top, with a very basic old rentable camping hut beside it.
One man had pitched his tent on the concrete base beside the urinals ?!!
We were greeted by a noisy, and very active and exuberant group of White-collared Thrushes
making their way along the edge of the site to a dish of food laid out for them. Ten minutes later, they’d disappeared, we never saw them again.
We all set off to walk down the road. I only lasted 40 minutes due to the steepness of the incline, my knees can’t take it. The penance of climbing into the van does not ease......Choom then drove us, stopping and starting, behind Neil and the Bees who were birding, Neil occasionally returning to tell us if there was something good.
Towards mid morning, Choom drove us to where there was a track down to a tree nursery, the designated coffee stop. A nearby tap had leaked water across the road, which had duly attracted one of the most beautiful butterflies I’ve ever see. No photos of mine do it justice.
Iridescent green body, orange marks on the edge of the underwing, large luminous blue patches at the rear of the underwing - only viewable in flight. I tried a flight shot, what an optimist. The gang arrived to marvel at its beauty, Neil identifying it as a Paris Peacock.
Other varieties did not stop for photos at all.
We all returned to the campsite where the others went off down a track. Pam and I stayed on site, seeing very little, both before and after lunch. Pretty tedious really. So much sound and no-one to identify the birds for us. Oh for fit legs.
Mid afternoon, Neil returned to take us down a pretty dire track into a small dark clearing where he’d placed some food. Thoughtfully, he’d carried stools for us to sit and wait for two delightful little
Buff-fronted Babblers which proceeded to pop, shuffle, flick and jump like demented frogs, coming too close for my camera. This was repeated three times before we left. I never did get more than a record photo.
Two Junglefowl roadside, the fore-runners of farmyard chickens, with very long, skinny legs, on our late way home, was a bonus,. As was the very secretive and elusive Chestnut-capped Flycatcher. We stood silently in a small roadside space in the forest, gullies all around, whilst Neil tape lured. All had flying views, I don’t think anyone had it perched. Little B - but a good bird to list.
We didn’t get in until 5.35, leaving us 40 minutes to shower before supper. The room was like a sauna and the shower, cold. Aircon had been turned off at the mains - Dave helped with that.
Out for supper of chicken and cashews, stir fried veg and skinny chips for Pam and I. A very tired group retired to bed before a similar start to-morrow. This place doesn’t have WiFi, I’ll copy and paste to-morrow - or the day after.
Apparently he eats the little house gekkos.
We all ate our fried egg sandwich in a daze before setting off for Mae Wong National Park. A horrified Choom could not avoid a kamikaze cat which head butted his beloved front bumper /skirt, making a hole in it and the van body underneath. A screwdriver was produced and the skirt ditched across a bin.
After paying the entry fee, we drove 38 kilometres uphill through forest on a good road thickly lined with dead brown leaves.They make a tremendous rustle. We saw 5 Khalij Pheasants, split from Silver-eared, roadside before reaching the top camping site. This is an appalling photo, taken in poor light through the tinted front screen - from the back seat.
The site is on a slope, with the ranger’s hut at the top, with a very basic old rentable camping hut beside it.
One man had pitched his tent on the concrete base beside the urinals ?!!
We were greeted by a noisy, and very active and exuberant group of White-collared Thrushes
making their way along the edge of the site to a dish of food laid out for them. Ten minutes later, they’d disappeared, we never saw them again.
We all set off to walk down the road. I only lasted 40 minutes due to the steepness of the incline, my knees can’t take it. The penance of climbing into the van does not ease......Choom then drove us, stopping and starting, behind Neil and the Bees who were birding, Neil occasionally returning to tell us if there was something good.
Towards mid morning, Choom drove us to where there was a track down to a tree nursery, the designated coffee stop. A nearby tap had leaked water across the road, which had duly attracted one of the most beautiful butterflies I’ve ever see. No photos of mine do it justice.
 |
| Paris Peacock |
 |
| Spotted Chocolate Soldier |
We all returned to the campsite where the others went off down a track. Pam and I stayed on site, seeing very little, both before and after lunch. Pretty tedious really. So much sound and no-one to identify the birds for us. Oh for fit legs.
Mid afternoon, Neil returned to take us down a pretty dire track into a small dark clearing where he’d placed some food. Thoughtfully, he’d carried stools for us to sit and wait for two delightful little
Buff-fronted Babblers which proceeded to pop, shuffle, flick and jump like demented frogs, coming too close for my camera. This was repeated three times before we left. I never did get more than a record photo.
Two Junglefowl roadside, the fore-runners of farmyard chickens, with very long, skinny legs, on our late way home, was a bonus,. As was the very secretive and elusive Chestnut-capped Flycatcher. We stood silently in a small roadside space in the forest, gullies all around, whilst Neil tape lured. All had flying views, I don’t think anyone had it perched. Little B - but a good bird to list.
We didn’t get in until 5.35, leaving us 40 minutes to shower before supper. The room was like a sauna and the shower, cold. Aircon had been turned off at the mains - Dave helped with that.
Out for supper of chicken and cashews, stir fried veg and skinny chips for Pam and I. A very tired group retired to bed before a similar start to-morrow. This place doesn’t have WiFi, I’ll copy and paste to-morrow - or the day after.
Wednesday March 1
I wasn’t looking forward to another day like yesterday. It ended being the best day of the trip so far. After another 5.30 egg and toast breakfast, the drive up to Mae Wong NP camping site was punctuated by birding stops for the Bees to catch up with missed birds. J had missed Chestnut Bunting but got it to-day. Four Khalij Pheasants en route .
Reaching the campsite, Pam and I took up post at the same table as yesterday, me perched on a big log support, the most comfortable height option.
The threesome went off down a rough and narrow track, Pam and I wandered up the hill towards the loos and some warming sun. There's a lovely view from there.
I wasn’t looking forward to another day like yesterday. It ended being the best day of the trip so far. After another 5.30 egg and toast breakfast, the drive up to Mae Wong NP camping site was punctuated by birding stops for the Bees to catch up with missed birds. J had missed Chestnut Bunting but got it to-day. Four Khalij Pheasants en route .
Reaching the campsite, Pam and I took up post at the same table as yesterday, me perched on a big log support, the most comfortable height option.
The threesome went off down a rough and narrow track, Pam and I wandered up the hill towards the loos and some warming sun. There's a lovely view from there.
Startled at our approach, Blue Laughing Thrushes dashed into the forest behind the Ranger’s home ,
a Striated Spiderhunter fed on a newly open banana flower.
The ubiquitous Flavescent Bulbuls, usually in pairs, a constant presence. Choom stuck a banana in a stump....
Mountain Bulbuls passed through as we viewed the valleys, forests and hills below.
At the gang’s approach, we returned to ‘our’ table for a welcome coffee and ‘cake’. The latter are biggish swiss roll type sweet stuff in orange, coffee, lime and vanilla flavour in air tight, blown up packets. Very acceptable, I wouldn't dream of eating one at home.
Neil handed the Bees a packet of seed, told them where to spread it and sent them off down the track behind the loos to wait for Grey Peacock Pheasant to turn up. He, Pam and I then birded the campsite from the table. It was brilliant to have the birds of mystery identified for us. A passage of raptors included: Crested Goshawk, Black Eagle, Crested Serpent-eagle and Shikra. Diminutive Striped Yuhina led me a dance,
flitting in the tree above, as did Plain Flowerpecker, and the delightful, menage a trois, Yellow-cheeked Tit.
A Blue Rockthrush appeared near the van and then, gave photographic opportunities by hunting the gully and grass, relatively near.
So many birds around to-day compared with yesterday.
Neil suddenly noticed a movement on the fencing towards the top of the hill. It was a small/medium sized lizard. It ran towards us, along the top rail, in its wide bodied waddling, paddling-legs style, before halting for a while, basilisk eyes scanning the area, before continuing.
At this point the Bees came into sight, returning from their vigil, having seen the target as they were leaving. Also frustrated by not being able to identify other bird noises themselves. They were able to see the lizard before joining us for lunch of cheese and crisp sandwiches, yoghgurt, more cake, and water. Very welcome.
The unnamed lizard (the promised reptile book never appeared and I can't find it online) came as far as the bare - apart from epiphytes - tree before climbing said tree, ending up on a branch spur, its orange striped head and one knee showing. Lovely beast.
A large, aptly named, Birdswing sp, black and yellow butterfly,did look like a bird as it flew high above the trees, occasionally passing us at a lower level, never stopping.
Neil and the Bees went off down the Bulbul track for a short time before returning for an earlier return to the resort. Chestnut-capped Bee-eaters showed well on a roadside tree. I must learn the Thai for stop so that Choom doesn’t suddenly take off.......
Time for a leisurely shower to wash off the layers of sun block and Deet before leaving for supper in town. I smother myself in Deet but still manage to get bitten. Small black insects leave a half a centimetre wide and deep red blister, mostly hands and fingers. Where the deet gets rubbed off I suppose. Anthisan is running low - the bites are so itchy.
a Striated Spiderhunter fed on a newly open banana flower.
The ubiquitous Flavescent Bulbuls, usually in pairs, a constant presence. Choom stuck a banana in a stump....
Mountain Bulbuls passed through as we viewed the valleys, forests and hills below.
At the gang’s approach, we returned to ‘our’ table for a welcome coffee and ‘cake’. The latter are biggish swiss roll type sweet stuff in orange, coffee, lime and vanilla flavour in air tight, blown up packets. Very acceptable, I wouldn't dream of eating one at home.
Neil handed the Bees a packet of seed, told them where to spread it and sent them off down the track behind the loos to wait for Grey Peacock Pheasant to turn up. He, Pam and I then birded the campsite from the table. It was brilliant to have the birds of mystery identified for us. A passage of raptors included: Crested Goshawk, Black Eagle, Crested Serpent-eagle and Shikra. Diminutive Striped Yuhina led me a dance,
flitting in the tree above, as did Plain Flowerpecker, and the delightful, menage a trois, Yellow-cheeked Tit.
A Blue Rockthrush appeared near the van and then, gave photographic opportunities by hunting the gully and grass, relatively near.
So many birds around to-day compared with yesterday.
Neil suddenly noticed a movement on the fencing towards the top of the hill. It was a small/medium sized lizard. It ran towards us, along the top rail, in its wide bodied waddling, paddling-legs style, before halting for a while, basilisk eyes scanning the area, before continuing.
At this point the Bees came into sight, returning from their vigil, having seen the target as they were leaving. Also frustrated by not being able to identify other bird noises themselves. They were able to see the lizard before joining us for lunch of cheese and crisp sandwiches, yoghgurt, more cake, and water. Very welcome.
The unnamed lizard (the promised reptile book never appeared and I can't find it online) came as far as the bare - apart from epiphytes - tree before climbing said tree, ending up on a branch spur, its orange striped head and one knee showing. Lovely beast.
A large, aptly named, Birdswing sp, black and yellow butterfly,did look like a bird as it flew high above the trees, occasionally passing us at a lower level, never stopping.
Neil and the Bees went off down the Bulbul track for a short time before returning for an earlier return to the resort. Chestnut-capped Bee-eaters showed well on a roadside tree. I must learn the Thai for stop so that Choom doesn’t suddenly take off.......
Time for a leisurely shower to wash off the layers of sun block and Deet before leaving for supper in town. I smother myself in Deet but still manage to get bitten. Small black insects leave a half a centimetre wide and deep red blister, mostly hands and fingers. Where the deet gets rubbed off I suppose. Anthisan is running low - the bites are so itchy.
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