Chiang Saen Lake (Nong Han)

Northern Thailand’s key waterfowl site, Chiang Saen Lake draws thousands of wintering ducks and impressive raptor roosts from November to February. Scan from levees and towers at dawn and dusk for Baikal Teal (occasional), Ferruginous Duck, Common Pochard, and mixed gaggle flocks. Harriers, including Pied and Eastern Marsh, quarter the reedbeds, and large roosts of swallows and mynas build in the evenings. A scope is essential for picking distant rafts, and a local guide can steer you to quiet vantage points away from disturbance. Mornings can be misty and cool, so bring layers and allow time to work the lake margins and nearby ponds for bitterns and crakes.