Dates:
Weather:
Locality:

17-18 January 2012.
Sunny and warm, cloudless sky and cool overnight.
Chiang Saen.

Burmese Shrike

Asian Green Bee-eater

Red Avadavat

The viewing situation constantly changes at Chiang Saen. More agriculture, more fences, changed access and areas now overgrown with Mimosoa are a constant headache to birding this area. We started with a scan from pineapple fields in the eastern corner of the lake, but other than distant ducks found little, so moved along the southern side a little to try from from an area now home to a young rubber plantation nursery. An initial scan found a small number of Indian Spot-billed Duck plus distant Eurasian Coot and very distant Tufted Duck. After 20 minutes or so of scanning we were surprised to see a male Red-crested Pochard suddenly appear with some spotbills a couple of hundred metres from the shore. On walking down to the shore from our viewpoint it promptly disappeared, never to reappear again during a 45 minute wait.

Following this success we drove to the northern edge and scanned for diving ducks from the temple and adjacent hilltop and in an hour found Mallard, a single Eurasian Teal, about 20 Ferruginous Duck and the Red-crested Pochard put in another appearance. On leaving a single Barred Buttonquail was flushed. Around 16:30 we arrived at the harrier roost. Good numbers of both Pied Harrier and Eastern Marsh Harrier coming in from around 17:30 and by the end had around 150 birds circling at once. Impressive. Collared Scops Owl and Asian Barred Owlet calling from the temple complex after dark.

18 Jan. A non too early start as fog along the river and rather cool temperatures limit birding early morning along the Mekong. Headed east down river and from 09:00 - 11:00 worked a couple of scrub edges up to 20 kilometres from Chiang Saen town. Birds of note included Black-faced Bunting, Red Avadavat, Baya Weaver, Mallard and Ruddy Shelduck. Following a simple lunch at a local kiosk,, headed back to Chiang Saen to check the river west of town. Very disappointing. The extensive, ongoing construction works, dredging, sand extraction and general building mayhem along here is really taking it's toll on the birding. A four hour drive back to Chiang Mai.