Doi Phu Kha National Park covers 1680 square kilometres of forested mountains in Nan province, close to the border with Laos. These limestone mountains reach a height of 1980 metres (6140 feet) above sea level with three types of forest present; dry dipterocarp, mixed deciduous and hill evergreen. The high peaks and ridges continue to reveal new birds in this seldom visited park, which was only designated in June 2000. Doi Phu Kha is a lovely place to rest and explore side trails off of the long road through the park, hopefully resulting in sightings of some exciting species.

The best time to visit for birdwatchers is between November and February when there is little rain and large numbers of migrant birds are present. As one proceeds up the road accessing the park, a fabulous view across mountain ridges reveals itself. Within the park spectacular views remain a feature from a number of points, particularly the viewpoints along the road 5 and 9 km from the headquarters.

Doi Phu Kha has revealed a number of exciting high altitude species that were previously though to only exist in Thailand at a few sites in Chiang Mai province. Crested Finchbill, Red-faced Liocichla, Black-throated Tit and Green Cochoa have all been seen on this mountain. This location is also one of just two places in Thailand that Beautiful Nuthatch has been observed, and although this species has not been reported for a few years, it is believed to be a resident.

The much sought-after Jerdon's Bushchat also occurs here alongside swampy ponds and the majestic Black Eagle can be found quartering the hillsides. In fact, Doi Phu Kha's geographical location, size and the fact that it remains relatively unexplored, mean that there are probably a large number of species to be added to the checklist.

Although Doi Phu Kha is quite isolated and seldom visited by foreign birdwatchers, it is actually a fairly easy place to get to.

Most people will probably be coming from either Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Whichever of these you are coming from, or from any other provincial town, the first step of the journey is to get to Nan. Buses from Mor Chit in Bangkok or the main bus station in Chiang Mai will terminate in Nan. All nearby provincial capitals also have regular bus services here too.

From Nan buses run to the small town of Pua, about 60km north of Nan; this road is well-made and quite fast, meaning that this journey takes only about an hour.

For those using public transport the good news is that songthaews run up the mountain from Pua all the way to park headquarters. For those driving, the turning is in Pua, on the right when coming from Nan: Doi Phu Kha NP is clearly signposted. This road becomes quite steep and narrow with steep drops next to the road at a few points. The road is also quite windy and all of this makes it important to drive carefully. However, a four-wheel drive is not necessary so long as your car is in good condition.

The main birding points are spread out over quite a long distance and although it is possible to get a songthaew or hitch a ride, it would be far preferable to have the benefit of ones own vehicle at Doi Phu Kha.

Pond at HQ Entrance: A small, swampy/reedy drainage pond at the entrance to HQ is worth spending a few moments at. As well as some forest species coming to drink here, on my visit in 2003 I flushed a male Jerdon's Bushchat from the reeds, which then sat on an overhead wire, before returning to the dense undergrowth. I also saw a Striated Heron here (unusually high altitude) and at this height I guess Black-tailed Crake would have to be a possibility. Who knows what else could show up here?

Trail from HQ: This 4 kilometre trail follows a loop starting from the campsite and finishing near the staff accommodation, or the other way around depending on where you begin. The trail is easy to follow and goes through some really nice forest patches as well as areas of secondary growth and clearings. It doesn't go high enough for many of the high altitude specialities, but it does still provide plenty of good birdwatching opportunities. Whiskered Yuhina was particularly numerous near the staff accommodation end on my visit and Chestnut-capped Babbler was present in grassy clearings. Other forest birds here include Crested Goshawk, White-browed Scimitar Babbler, Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Speckled Piculet.

Nuthatch Trail: This trail begins behind a small temple-like structure which is on the left as one heads uphill, opposite the star-gazing point. The trail is very steep for about 1 hour, whereupon a ridge is reached. After walking along the ridge for about 50 metres the trail forks; take the left hand fork which becomes a bit overgrown but after about 100 metres one enters some good forest. In this area beautiful nuthatch has been seen on a number of occasions and has been confirmed to breed. Other excellent species seen up at this altitude are Black-throated Tit, Red-faced Liocichla, Striated Bulbul and Grey-cheeked Warbler which seems to be a regular here.

Ridge Trail: This trail starts at a small car park and heads off to the left along some high ridges. This is the highest point of the road and although I haven't followed this trail the quality of the habitat and altitude should mean that it is worthwhile exploring.