Around 2008, Khao Dinsor in Chumphon province was discovered to be a fantastic site to observe the autumn raptor migration. Khao Dinsor sits only a few kilometres from the coast, and from a north-facing platform at a slight elevation, thousands of raptors – along with other migrants and resident species – can be seen making their way south on their annual migration. Khao Dinsor itself is located about 20 kilometres north of Chumphon’s provincial capital, close to the popular tourist area, Thung Wua Laen Beach as well as Chumphon Airport. Along with raptor watching at Khao Dinsor, there is a bay south of Thung Wua Laen Beach called Phanang Tak Bay where small numbers of waders can also be found at the right time of year.
Khao Dinsor – eBird Hotspot
The site at Khao Dinsor itself consists of a small visitors centre and a single trail that leads up the mountain to several viewing platforms. The visitors centre has information boards about birds, especially raptors, that can be seen at Khao Dinsoir, as well as other fauna. The hill itself is forested, but is fragmented from any substantial tracts of forest which lie much further to the west, on the other side of the Asian Highway. Given this, the resident birds here are what one might expect from such a fragmented forest site. However, as mentioned above, Khao Dinsor’s main attraction is as a site to watching raptor’s migrating south, with the best time of year being from late September to early November. On my only visit (so far) in October 2019, I saw 36 species, of which 17 were raptors, including large flocks of Chinese and Japanese Sparrowhawks, Black Bazas, Oriental Honey-buzzards, smaller numbers of Grey-faced Buzzards and Shikra, as well as some more uncommon migrants such as Booted Eagle, and a single Eurasian Sparrowhawk.
October 2019 Checklists: Oct 21st — Oct 22nd — Oct 23rd
Ao Phanang Tak – eBird Hotspot
About 10km south of Thung Wua Laen Beach – a quiet beach area near Khao Dinsor – is a long, secluded bay where wintering waders have been observed, and makes for a nice change in pace from sitting in the hot sun on the viewing platforms at Khao Dinsor. The site itself seems have only really been explored in the last 5 or so years, and in that time some good birds have shown up, including Little Stint, Brown-headed Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Terek Sandpiper, and even Pale-capped Pigeon.
On my one visit to the site in October 2019, I came across several of these species, including Terek Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, and Sanderling, along with other waders such as Malaysian and Kentish Plovers and Whimbrel, and non-waders such as Vinous-breasted Starling, Black-capped Kingfisher and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo.
October 2019 Checklist: Oct 22nd
BIRD LIST – Khao Dinsor (36 species identified)
- Germain’s Swiftlet
- Pacific Swift
- House Swift
- Asian Palm-swift
- Asian Openbill
- Oriental Darter
- Osprey
- Black-winged Kite
- Oriental Honey-buzzard
- Black Baza
- Crested Serpent-eagle
- Booted Eagle
- Grey-faced Buzzard
- Eastern Marsh Harrier
- Pied Harrier
- Crested Goshawk
- Shikra
- Chinese Sparrowhawk
- Japanese Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Black Kite
- Brahminy Kite
- Blue-tailed Bee-eater
- Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
- Dollarbird
- Peregrine Falcon
- Ashy Minivet
- Black-naped Oriole
- Barn Swallow
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Asian House-Martin
- Black-headed Bulbul
- Stripe-throated Bulbul
- Sakhlin Leaf Warbler
- Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
- Olive-backed Sunbird
BIRD LIST – Phanang Tak Bay (29 species identified)
- Red Collared-Dove
- Spotted Dove
- White-breasted Waterhen
- Lesser Sand-plover
- Greater Sand-plover
- Malaysian Plover
- Kentish Plover
- Whimbrel
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Red-necked Stint
- Sanderling
- Terek Sandpiper
- Common Sandpiper
- Yellow Bittern
- Great Egret
- Little Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Black-capped Kingfisher
- Blue-tailed Bee-eater
- Indochinese Roller
- Lineated Barbet
- Common Flameback
- Black Drongo
- Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
- Large-billed Crow
- Common Myna
- Vinous-breasted Starling
- Great Myna
- Taiga Flycatcher
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