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2) The substations area - I make no apologies for giving very precise directions and providing a detailed map below, as I found very little good access information for the substation, either on the Internet or in the bird logbook at Malee’s.

From the cave road/main road junction in central Chiang Dao, drive back towards Chiang Mai for 5km. Look out for a green bus shelter on the left, standing in the corner of a field by the road. Opposite this is a concrete road with a sign in Thai. Proceed through the village along this paved road. The road then crosses a stream and continues through rice paddies. 3km from the main road junction, the paved road ends. Bear left on the unmade track as it starts ascending the mountain. This track is rough in places although there are a few concreted sections. It continues through forest and then passes two small villages.

3) Other information

Accommodation - I stayed at Malee’s Bungalows, 1.5km beyond Chiang Dao cave, for 250 baht per night for a simple room with shared bathroom. Unfortunately, 100 baht dormitory accommodation is no longer available. Excellent food is served communally in the evenings so it’s ideal if you’re on your own. The logbook provided plenty of information about bird sightings but had not been updated since March. There was also some good information in the log about Doi Angkhang for birders proceeding to that area after Doi Chiang Dao. Malee’s is within easy walking distance of the Temple and its birds.

Permits - These are available from the forestry headquarters a short distance along the road from Malee’s to the Temple. A permit is needed to access the substations beyond the checkpoint, and also to proceed along the road beyond Malee’s, but is not required to visit the trails around the Temple. The cost is 200 baht for foreigners, but it is valid for as many days as you want (mention at the office that you want to go to the substation and specify how many days you would like). Despite dutifully buying my permit it was never checked, but if the guards decide to do so at the substations checkpoint it’s a long way to come back and get one!

Mrs Hume’s Pheasant – male showed superbly in the open forest between the hairpin bends, near the DYK substation.
Speckled Piculet – 1, 50m before substations checkpoint.
Stripe-breasted Woodpecker – common beyond substation 2.
Greater Yellownape – 2 on North Trail.
Bay Woodpecker – 2 along track before substation 2.
Hoopoe – 3 along DYK ridge.
Blue-bearded Bee-eater – several near the small villages along access road to substations, also 1 on North Trail.
Himalayan Swiftlet – flock over road behind Malee’s, beyond checkpoint.
Crested Treeswift – 3 around temple on two dates.
Brown-backed Needletail – 5+ over DYK ridge.
Mountain Imperial Pigeon – 1 on North Trail, 1 along substations access road, many others heard.
Oriental Turtle Dove – 3 singles along track beyond substation 2.
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon – 3+ in fruiting tree along Gully Trail.
Pin-tailed Green Pigeon – 1 with above birds.
Emerald Dove – common along access road to substations in the early morning, also seen along Gully Trail.
Black Baza – 2+ along North Trail.
Silver-breasted Broadbill – 1 along track before substation 2.
Orange-bellied Leafbird – 2, DYK ridge.
Grey Treepie – seen in several places along the tracks to DYK and substation 2.
Slender-billed Oriole – 2, DYK ridge.
Maroon Oriole – 1 along track before substation 2, 2 along DYK ridge.
Black-headed Oriole – pair frequently seen at the start of the track to the park headquarters.
Black-winged Cuckooshrike – 2 singles along DYK ridge.
Grey-chinned Minivet – 2 pairs, DYK ridge.
Asian Paradise-flycatcher – fairly common.
Large Woodshrike – several flocks along DYK ridge.
Dark-sided Flycatcher – 1, just before DYK substation.
Little Pied Flycatcher – 2 along DYK ridge but it was very common in the pine forest beyond substation 2.
Pale Blue Flycatcher – 1 pair DYK ridge and 1 pair beyond substation 2.

Hill Blue Flycatcher – common.
White-crowned Forktail – pair and 1+ juveniles in Temple Gully, 1 near small villages along track to the substations.
Giant Nuthatch – pair with juvenile along DYK ridge and 1 further single bird near the hairpins, also 1 in mature pines just before the substations checkpoint.
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch – almost all sightings were beyond substation 2 where it was very common.
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch – common.
Striated Bulbul – 2 beyond substation 2.
Crested Finchbill – 1 in scrub along track close to substation 2, a species rarely recorded along the DYK track.
Greater necklaced Laughingthrush – flock of 6+ including juveniles on North Trail.
Buff-breasted Babbler – common along Gully and North Trails + nest found.
Spot-throated Babbler – 1 beyond substation 2 just beyond first track junction.
Rufous-fronted Babbler – common, North Trail.
Grey-throated Babbler – temple steps.
Puff-throated Babbler – temple steps and along road outside Malee’s.
Striped Tit-babbler – fairly common.
Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-babbler – 4 in scrub close to substation 2.
White-browed Scimitar-babbler – fairly common beyond substation 2.
White-browed Shrike-babbler – common.
Chestnut-fronted Shrike-babbler – 1, DYK ridge.
Blue-winged Minla – several along DYK ridge and also beyond substation 2.
Silver-eared Mesia – 3 beyond substation 2.
Striated Yuhina – common.
Grey-headed Parrotbill – 4, DYK ridge.
Black-throated Parrotbill – 2 in bird-wave beyond substation 2, a species not previously mentioned in the log book at Malee’s.
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker – several beyond substation 2.
Thick-billed Flowerpecker – 1, North Trail.
Purple Sunbird – 1 at end of Malee’s drive.
Black-throated Sunbird – several beyond substation 2.
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird – seen several times in temple area.
Streaked Spiderhunter – several.
Little Spiderhunter – regularly seen near temple.