Thailand Day 4, 5 February 2013, walk Hua Pong to Kau Ei

Today was a physically very hard walk from the Karen tribe village of Hua Pong to the Akha tribe village of Kau Ei. I don't know how many miles we covered but it felt like 100 and on very steep gradients, in 100 degrees and carry backpacks the opportunities for birding weren't great!
Before leaving Hua Pong in the morning I had a little wander around the immediate vicinity of the village clocking 2 Dark-rumped Swifts, a nice little group of c6 noisy Black-collared Starlings, 2 Japanese White-eye, 3+ Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers, a mixed flock of White-rumped and Scaly-breasted Munias, Common Iora, Taiga Flycatcher and 2 Stripe-throated Bulbuls.

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Stripe-throated Bulbul

 

The hike itself yielded 2 Greater Coucal, several Yellow-browed Warblers, and then in an open area of paddies Pied Stonechat, Siberian Stonechat and Paddyfield Pipit. Best of all though was a soaring Changeable Hawk Eagle which had me checking the field guide carefully!

 

Once in the village of Kau Ei and I'd recovered a little I went on a very short stroll along the track up to the village in the last hour of daylight and found Radde's Warbler, 2 Common Iora, 3+ Common Tailorbirds, more Yellow-browed Warblers and a really nice male Grey-backed Shrike. The story of a large bright yellow and black bird flushed by a vehicle and giving me only a glimpse is best not mentioned, it may well have been a Sultan Tit but I just didn't get enough on it to claim it.    

 

 

Kau Ei village

Hard trekking!