We (Jan and Tu) went birding with our three friends at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Chaiyaphum Province , northeast of Thailand . Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary has abundant plant communities , which can be divided into five types: Hill Evergreen Forest , Semi-Evergreen Forest , Pine or Coniferous Evergreen Forest , Mixed Deciduous Forest and Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest . There are 414 birds and 110 mammals found here.

Unfortunately that week's birding was not that good because it rained almost all day everyday. The silver lining was that we could do birding and animal watching around where we stayed. Moreover many wild orchids were in bloom and there were hundreds of butterflies.

On this trip we found more than 70 species of birds such as Oriental Scops-Owl , Blue Magpie , Eurasian Jay , Oriental Darter , Black Bulbul , Ashy Bulbul , Grey-eyed Bulbul , Puff-throated Bulbul , Black-crested Bulbul , Banded Bay Cuckoo , Crested Treeswift, Greater and Lesser Yellownape, Greater and Common Flameback, Rufous Woodpecker , Hill Myna , Slender-billed Oriole , Black-throated and White-crested Laughingthrush etc.

Animals : Hog Deers, Variable Squirrels, Sunda Pangolin , Small Asian Mongoose , Samba Deers, Red Muntjac , Golden Jackal , Dhole and Water Monitor.