Birding in Mae Hia Agricultural College, Chiangmai
When: July 2017 Weather: Cool, 23C
Nikon P900
Had a few hours on a Sunday morning and was debating whether to have another go at birding in Doi Suthep along some trails that had been written about by this website http://www.norththailandbirding.com or to try Mae Hia agricultural college. I’d had a pretty dry run up Doi Suthep the last time I went a year ago but thought I’d give it one more try as hill forest sounded more fun than an agricultural college…..how wrong I was!
I managed to hire a taxi for 5hr for 1500 Baht and we set off at 6am for the car park and trails about 1-1.5km above the main temple on Doi Suthep…..the bird song was loud but the birds were very hard to see …all I managed was…
?
and a glimpse of a scarlet minivet? Probably a small minivet..thanks to KC for ID.
Having not seen anything of note, I decided to head over to the Mae Hia Agricultural College down by the Canal Road…the entrance is very near to a coffee shop called Mount Coffee. When you enter, there is a security guard but being in the local taxi, he just waved us in….. Here, the map provided by Nick Upton’s post was most helpful…. http://www.thaibirding.com/locations/north/maehia.htm
map of mae hia agricultural college..also the veterinary school of Chiangmai University
It’s a fair way into the grounds so if you have transport, I’d suggest driving in to the lake marked 4 and walk around the area between 4,5 and 6. So that’s what we did….
almost immediately we saw a striated swallow! A lifer
this is the view around the lake (4)
the waterlilies were in bloom
plain prinia
and then this green bird flew around plucking insects from the air
the gorgeously coloured litte green bee eater
Here with his mate
and then amid a cacophony of screeching noises this bird flew by…
a red wattled lapwing
and then a rather smart ashy wood swallow
scaly breasted munia
scaly breasted munia
and in the distance, a splash of colour
a scarlet backed flower pecker
scarlet backed flower pecker
redhead
female flowerpecker?
white throated KF
and his mate flies by
lovely scenery with Doi Suthep in background
sooty bulbul
last bird of the morning…at first I thought the zitting cisticola..but probably a golden headed cisticola….
Doi Suthep remains disappointing but Mae Hia Agricultural College was a great birding location.
The Natural Traveller 