Overview
Dates: |
4 - 9 January 2014. |
With John Lobel and Ken Petersen, both of whom had previously visited Thailand. A short, five day, trip concentrating on some key waders and forest species.
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4 Jan. As only a short trip, flew to Bangkok and took a taxi to one of the nearby airport hotels. As usual, the idiotic taxi driver drives 300 metres out of the airport before admitting to not knowing the hotel location and having to ask three times en route. Having checked-in, grabbed another taxi to Bangpoo, which took best part of an hour due to heavy traffic. Once again, despite recent records of interesting gulls in the area, only Brown-headed Gull and about twenty Black-headed Gull seen. Returned to the hotel in time to meet up with John and collect our rental car from the airport. |
5 Jan. A 05:45 departure meant a very short night for Ken, who'd arrived around midnight. After the essential early morning coffee on the way, we headed straight to Pak Thale, arriving just before 08:00. Judging by the difficulty recent visits to the area have experienced in finding Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Asian Dowitcher, we were preparing ourselves for a lot of tedious searching. However, within 30 minutes we'd located at least two Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and although not close enough for any half-decent photos we were delighted to have found this key species so quickly. The usual collection of waders in the area included a few Broad-billed Sandpiper. Next headed up to the Laem Phak Bia saltpans, where most recent Nordmann's Greenshank and Asian Dowitcher sightings had been. A scan from various stops along the road resulted in large numbers of Great Knot and Black-tailed Godwit, but neither of our targets. Taking a side track into the saltpans, we had the good fortune to run into Mr. Daeng, the local boatman, out birding and also looking for dowitchers. After some scanning at ever more distant pans, with his help we found three Asian Dowitcher in addition to Nordmann's Greenshank and Pied Avocet. A really excellent start to the trip having seen the three key waders before lunch.
Due to the heat of the day, we decided to change scenery and try looking for raptors and other open country birds around Nong Pla Lai. Arriving at the usual watchpoint we set up scopes only to find the first half hour quite dead. However, around 14:30 raptors started to drift around, with Greater Spotted Eagle, Western Osprey, Brahminy Kite, Eastern Marsh Harrier and Black-eared Kite in small numbers - certainly smaller numbers than previous years. But the most astonishing sighting was at least four Himalayan Vulture drifting over southward. Thailand seems to have been invaded by this species in the last month with numerous records as far south as Phuket. A further two vultures drifted over half an hour later, but may have been part of the first group. |
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The remainder of the afternoon was spent in a general drive and walk around any interesting fields or scrub, finding Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, Red-throated Pipit, Watercock and Asian Golden Weaver. Overnight near Phetchaburi.
6 Jan. Started at the rubbish dump at Laem Phak Bia from first light. As would be expected, some good activity early in the day, with some of the more interesting species including Indochinese Bush Lark, Racquet-tailed Treepie, Thick-billed Warbler, Indian Nightjar, Bluethroat and Ruddy-breasted Crake. Much time was then spent scanning through the waterbirds near the abandoned building, with a hybrid Milky x Painted Stork of particular note, as well as 20 Painted Stork and at least 22 Red-necked Phalarope. Late morning we tried various local fields, reeds and scrub eventually finding a wet area containing Greater Painted-snipe, Red Avadavat and several Yellow Bittern. As usual the area contained numerous mistnets killing an indiscriminate collection of prinias, weavers, kingfishers and bitterns. Two accessible nets were removed and destroyed. At 13:00 we again met up with Mr. Daeng and took a trip to the sandspit. Having dipped on the last trip, we were successful with White-faced plover; others included Heuglin's Gull, Chinese Egret and Lesser Crested Tern. Late afternoon back at the dump, finally catching up on White-shouldered Starling. |
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7 Jan. Having had two great days around Laem Phak Bia, we headed to Wat Khao Look Chang that, although not as productive as usual, still held Red-breasted Parakeet, Black-headed Woodpecker and Spotted Owlet. |
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Drove to Kaeng Krachan, dropped luggage and into the national park by 11:00. Despite the heat the birding between the stream crossings was very good and over the course of the afternoon we recorded Green-legged Partridge, Orange-breasted Trogon, Tickell's Brown Hornbill, Great Hornbill, at least four Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Large Woodshrike, Swinhoe's Minivet, Sultan Tit, Claudia's Warbler, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Spot-necked Babbler, Hainan Blue Flycatcher and Chinese Blue Flycatcher. On our way out we encountered a very large male Asian Elephant in the road that fortunately didn't take exception to us or the vehicle.
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8 Jan. Back to the park and a, more or less, straight drive to Km 27, stopping for Kalij Pheasant and a Leopard Cat on the road. Our luck continued with Ratchet-tailed Treepie found almost immediately. A few hours were spent in the Km 27-29 area seeing Black-and-buff Woodpecker, Common Green Magpie, Sultan Tit, Great Iora, Orange-headed Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush and Rufous-browed Flycatcher. Some time then spent at the top viewpoint from where we saw Brown-backed Needletail, White-browed Shrike-babbler, Mountain Hawk-Eagle and Great Barbet. However, the constant construction noise from the nearby viewpoint, forced us the abandon the area in search of peace and quiet. |
It would appear the viewpoint is being "improved" with the construction of a viewing platform. Kind of typical of park management - rather than do something useful like construct or maintain trails, do something showy, totally unnecessary and a complete waste of money and park resource. Late afternoon descent, with Chestnut Bunting and Banded Broadbill along the return.
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9 Jan. All morning and half the afternoon at Ban Song Nok hide. The steady flow of species included Green-legged Partridge, Large Scimitar Babbler, Siberian Blue Robin and Kalij Pheasant. Small mammals consisted of Indochinese Ground Squirrel, Grey-bellied Squirrel and Northern Treeshrew. Reluctantly we dragged ourselves away for the near four hour return drive to Bangkok, where overnighted near the airport. 10 Jan. Late morning return to Chiang Mai. |
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Species List
| Bangpoo | Count | Kaeng Krachan | Count | ||
| Chinese Pond Heron | 10 | Bar-backed Partridge | 4 | ||
| Eastern Great Egret | 10 | Green-legged Partridge | 7 | ||
| Little Egret | 20 | Red Junglefowl | 15 | ||
| Little Cormorant | 20 | Kalij Pheasant | 6 | ||
| Western Osprey | 1 | Chinese Pond Heron | 5 | ||
| Brown-headed Gull | 3000 | Oriental Honey Buzzard | 1 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 20 | Mountain Hawk-Eagle | 1 | ||
| Whiskered Tern | 50 | Shikra | 3 | ||
| Black-capped Kingfisher | 2 | Red-wattled Lapwing | 15 | ||
| Spotted Dove | 2 | ||||
| Nong Pla Lai / Phetchaburi fields | Count | Common Emerald Dove | 5 | ||
| Asian Openbill | 200 | Thick-billed Green Pigeon | 1 | ||
| Yellow Bittern | 3 | Vernal Hanging Parrot | 12 | ||
| Black-crowned Night Heron | 4 | Greater Coucal | 2 | ||
| Chinese Pond Heron | 100 | Asian Koel | 2 | ||
| Grey Heron | 2 | Banded Bay Cuckoo | 3 | ||
| Purple Heron | 3 | Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo | 2 | ||
| Eastern Great Egret | 20 | Collared Scops Owl | 1 | ||
| Little Egret | 20 | Large-tailed Nightjar | 4 | ||
| Little Cormorant | 20 | Himalayan Swiftlet | 3 | ||
| Western Osprey | 2 | Germain's Swiftlet | 4 | ||
| Black-winged Kite | 1 | Brown-backed Needletail | 3 | ||
| Himalayan Vulture | 4 | Asian Palm Swift | 12 | ||
| Greater Spotted Eagle | 2 | Orange-breasted Trogon | 2 | ||
| Eastern Marsh Harrier | 3 | Indochinese Roller | 2 | ||
| Black-eared Kite | 6 | Banded Kingfisher | 1 | ||
| Brahminy Kite | 10 | Black-capped Kingfisher | 1 | ||
| White-breasted Waterhen | 4 | Blue-bearded Bee-eater | 1 | ||
| Ruddy-breasted Crake | 1 | Chestnut-headed Bee-eater | 20 | ||
| Watercock | 2 | Tickell's Brown Hornbill | 4 | ||
| Common Moorhen | 4 | Oriental Pied Hornbill | 25 | ||
| Black-winged Stilt | 10 | Great Hornbill | 15 | ||
| Red-wattled Lapwing | 4 | Wreathed Hornbill | 1 | ||
| Greater Painted-snipe | 2 | Great Barbet | 1 | ||
| Bronze-winged Jacana | 4 | Lineated Barbet | 2 | ||
| Common Snipe | 2 | Green-eared Barbet | 3 | ||
| Rock Dove | 10 | Blue-throated Barbet | 10 | ||
| Red Collared Dove | 200 | Blue-eared Barbet | 5 | ||
| Spotted Dove | 30 | Coppersmith Barbet | 6 | ||
| Zebra Dove | 10 | Heart-spotted Woodpecker | 4 | ||
| Greater Coucal | 1 | Streak-breasted Woodpecker | 2 | ||
| Asian Koel | 10 | Common Flameback | 2 | ||
| Plaintive Cuckoo | 2 | Greater Flameback | 8 | ||
| Germain's Swiftlet | 200 | Great Slaty Woodpecker | 3 | ||
| Asian Palm Swift | 30 | Bay Woodpecker | 4 | ||
| Indochinese Roller | 2 | Black-and-buff Woodpecker | 2 | ||
| White-throated Kingfisher | 6 | Banded Broadbill | 3 | ||
| Blue-tailed Bee-eater | 4 | Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike | 5 | ||
| Coppersmith Barbet | 1 | Large Woodshrike | 4 | ||
| Freckle-breasted Woodpecker | 5 | Common Iora | 2 | ||
| Ashy Woodswallow | 2 | Great Iora | 1 | ||
| Brown Shrike | 10 | Black-winged Cuckooshrike | 2 | ||
| Black Drongo | 40 | Swinhoe's Minivet | 3 | ||
| Malaysian Pied Fantail | 10 | Scarlet Minivet | 6 | ||
| Eastern Jungle Crow | 6 | White-bellied Erpornis | 1 | ||
| Streak-eared Bulbul | 4 | White-browed Shrike-babbler | 6 | ||
| Sand Martin | 200 | Black-naped Oriole | 8 | ||
| Barn Swallow | 400 | Black-hooded Oriole | 3 | ||
| Red-rumped Swallow | 10 | Ashy Drongo | 20 | ||
| Dusky Warbler | 4 | Bronzed Drongo | 6 | ||
| Yellow-browed Warbler | 1 | Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo | 2 | ||
| Oriental Reed Warbler | 6 | Hair-crested Drongo | 30 | ||
| Black-browed Reed Warbler | 3 | Black-naped Monarch | 10 | ||
| Zitting Cisticola | 10 | Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher | 2 | ||
| Yellow-bellied Prinia | 6 | Common Green Magpie | 2 | ||
| Plain Prinia | 5 | Grey Treepie | 4 | ||
| Common Tailorbird | 2 | Ratchet-tailed Treepie | 2 | ||
| Great Myna | 200 | Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher | 10 | ||
| Common Myna | 40 | Sultan Tit | 8 | ||
| Siamese Pied Myna | 10 | Black-headed Bulbul | 20 | ||
| Oriental Magpie-Robin | 5 | Black-crested Bulbul | 24 | ||
| Amur Stonechat | 10 | Sooty-headed Bulbul | 4 | ||
| Ornate Sumbird | 1 | Stripe-throated Bulbul | 2 | ||
| Plain-backed Sparrow | 4 | Flavescent Bulbul | 10 | ||
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | 20 | Streak-eared Bulbul | 6 | ||
| Asian Golden Weaver | 10 | Ochraceous Bulbul | 20 | ||
| Streaked Weaver | 20 | Baker's Bulbul | 30 | ||
| Baya Weaver | 200 | Mountain Bulbul | 10 | ||
| Red Avadavat | 20 | Ashy Bulbul | 10 | ||
| Scaly-breasted Munia | 50 | Barn Swallow | 12 | ||
| Chestnut Munia | 10 | Asian House Martin | 10 | ||
| Paddyfield Pipit | 4 | Red-rumped Swallow | 5 | ||
| Red-throated Pipit | 10 | Yellow-bellied Warbler | 4 | ||
| Radde's Warbler | 1 | ||||
| Laem Phak Bia / Phak Thale | Count | Yellow-browed Warbler | 8 | ||
| Lesser Whistling Duck | 250 | Greenish Warbler | 1 | ||
| Eurasian Wigeon | 4 | Two-barred Warbler | 3 | ||
| Northern Shoveler | 2 | Pale-legged Leaf Warbler | 18 | ||
| Little Grebe | 5 | Claudia's Leaf Warbler | 2 | ||
| Painted Stork | 20 | Sulphur-breasted Warbler | 4 | ||
| Asian Openbill | 50 | Martens's Warbler | 2 | ||
| Black-crowned Night Heron | 1 | Alström's Warbler | 1 | ||
| Chinese Pond Heron | 30 | Common Tailorbird | 2 | ||
| Javan Pond Heron | 10 | Dark-necked Tailorbird | 8 | ||
| Eastern Cattle Egret | 10 | Large Scimitar Babbler | 3 | ||
| Grey Heron | 7 | White-browed Scimitar Babbler | 5 | ||
| Eastern Great Egret | 40 | Spot-necked Babbler | 5 | ||
| Medium Egret | 10 | Rufous-fronted Babbler | 12 | ||
| Little Egret | 20 | Pin-striped Tit-Babbler | 30 | ||
| Pacific Reef Heron | 2 | Brown-cheeked Fulvetta | 20 | ||
| Chinese Egret | 1 | Collared Babbler | 5 | ||
| Little Cormorant | 200 | Puff-throated Babbler | 4 | ||
| Indian Cormorant | 5 | White-crested Laughingthrush | 10 | ||
| Western Osprey | 1 | Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush | 10 | ||
| Brahminy Kite | 5 | Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush | 12 | ||
| Ruddy-breasted Crake | 2 | Swinhoe's White-eye | 2 | ||
| Black-winged Stilt | 300 | Asian Fairy-bluebird | 90 | ||
| Pied Avocet | 30 | Velvet-fronted Nuthatch | 1 | ||
| Red-wattled Lapwing | 10 | Common Hill Myna | 4 | ||
| Pacific Golden Plover | 20 | Great Myna | 4 | ||
| Grey Plover | 30 | Common Myna | 2 | ||
| Little Ringed Plover | 2 | Orange-headed Thrush | 1 | ||
| Kentish Plover | 20 | Eyebrowed Thrush | 1 | ||
| White-faced Plover | 1 | Siberian Blue Robin | 4 | ||
| Malaysian Plover | 1 | Oriental Magpie-Robin | 2 | ||
| Tibetan Sand Plover | 500 | White-rumped Shama | 4 | ||
| Greater Sand Plover | 4 | Blue Whistling Thrush | 1 | ||
| Pin-tailed Snipe | 6 | Asian Brown Flycatcher | 6 | ||
| Common Snipe | 1 | Taiga Flycatcher | 20 | ||
| Asian Dowitcher | 3 | Verditer Flycatcher | 10 | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 500 | Hainan Blue Flycatcher | 2 | ||
| Eurasian Whimbrel | 2 | Hill Blue Flycatcher | 4 | ||
| Eurasian Curlew | 600 | Indochinese Blue Flycatcher | 4 | ||
| Spotted Redshank | 300 | Chinese Blue Flycatcher | 1 | ||
| Common Redshank | 1 | Rufous-browed Flycatcher | 3 | ||
| Marsh Sandpiper | 400 | Blue-winged Leafbird | 10 | ||
| Common Greenshank | 30 | Golden-fronted Leafbird | 2 | ||
| Nordmann's Greenshank | 10 | Ruby-cheeked Sunbird | 2 | ||
| Wood Sandpiper | 6 | Black-throated Sunbird | 4 | ||
| Common Sandpiper | 2 | Streaked Spiderhunter | 4 | ||
| Great Knot | 3000 | Chestnut Bunting | 1 | ||
| Sanderling | 1 | ||||
| Red-necked Stint | 500 | Wat Khao Look Chang | Count | ||
| Long-toed Stint | 3 | Red Junglefowl | 2 | ||
| Curlew Sandpiper | 300 | Chinese Pond Heron | 2 | ||
| Spoon-billed Sandpiper | 2 | Red-wattled Lapwing | 4 | ||
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | 60 | Rock Dove | 15 | ||
| Ruff | 2 | Red-breasted Parakeet | 20 | ||
| Red-necked Phalarope | 22 | Asian Koel | 4 | ||
| Brown-headed Gull | 600 | Asian Barred Owlet | 2 | ||
| Heuglin's Gull | 2 | Spotted Owlet | 2 | ||
| Gull-billed Tern | 40 | Germain's Swiftlet | 10 | ||
| Caspian Tern | 20 | Lineated Barbet | 2 | ||
| Greater Crested Tern | 30 | Black-headed Woodpecker | 3 | ||
| Lesser Crested Tern | 4 | Ashy Woodswallow | 2 | ||
| Little Tern | 50 | Brown Shrike | 2 | ||
| Common Tern | 200 | Black-naped Oriole | 4 | ||
| Whiskered Tern | 400 | Hair-crested Drongo | 10 | ||
| White-winged Tern | 2 | Greater Racket-tailed Drongo | 5 | ||
| Rock Dove | 30 | Malaysian Pied Fantail | 5 | ||
| Red Collared Dove | 100 | Black-naped Monarch | 4 | ||
| Spotted Dove | 30 | Rufous Treepie | 6 | ||
| Zebra Dove | 30 | Eastern Jungle Crow | 2 | ||
| Greater Coucal | 2 | Streak-eared Bulbul | 10 | ||
| Asian Koel | 10 | Barn Swallow | 10 | ||
| Plaintive Cuckoo | 2 | Radde's Warbler | 1 | ||
| Indian Nightjar | 1 | Yellow-browed Warbler | 4 | ||
| Germain's Swiftlet | 500 | Two-barred Warbler | 2 | ||
| Asian Palm Swift | 10 | Pale-legged Leaf Warbler | 10 | ||
| White-throated Kingfisher | 4 | Common Tailorbird | 2 | ||
| Black-capped Kingfisher | 4 | Oriental Magpie-Robin | 3 | ||
| Collared Kingfisher | 4 | White-rumped Shama | 2 | ||
| Asian Green Bee-eater | 20 | Asian Brown Flycatcher | 2 | ||
| Blue-tailed Bee-eater | 4 | Taiga Flycatcher | 10 | ||
| Eurasian Hoopoe | 2 | Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker | 2 | ||
| Golden-bellied Gerygone | 20 | Ornate Sumbird | 2 | ||
| Common Iora | 1 | ||||
| Brown Shrike | 6 | ||||
| Black Drongo | 25 | ||||
| Malaysian Pied Fantail | 10 | ||||
| Racket-tailed Treepie | 2 | ||||
| Eastern Jungle Crow | 6 | ||||
| Indochinese Bush Lark | 4 | ||||
| Oriental Skylark | 3 | ||||
| Streak-eared Bulbul | 10 | ||||
| Barn Swallow | 50 | ||||
| Dusky Warbler | 5 | ||||
| Yellow-browed Warbler | 2 | ||||
| Oriental Reed Warbler | 4 | ||||
| Black-browed Reed Warbler | 4 | ||||
| Thick-billed Warbler | 2 | ||||
| Zitting Cisticola | 2 | ||||
| Plain Prinia | 5 | ||||
| Common Tailorbird | 2 | ||||
| Great Myna | 500 | ||||
| Common Myna | 30 | ||||
| Siamese Pied Myna | 20 | ||||
| White-shouldered Starling | 3 | ||||
| Bluethroat | 1 | ||||
| Oriental Magpie-Robin | 3 | ||||
| Plain-backed Sparrow | 20 | ||||
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | 35 | ||||
| Eastern Yellow Wagtail | 2 | ||||
| Paddyfield Pipit | 6 |