Midweek Odds and Sods

Siberian stonechat  -  digiscoped

There is more good news on the Spoon-billed Sandpiper front. In addition to three sightings at Pak Thale a further three have been sighted at another location, undisclosed, in the same area and two more have been sighted at Khok Kham. I haven't yet ventured forth in search of the Spooner myself and will probably head down that way early December 2010. I must add I don't have a good track record with the Spooner. I have only seen it once, three birds last November and I am not sure that I would have picked them out had I not been assisted by Phil Round and Mr Dtee, our man in Khok Kham. Mr Dtee appears to have a seventh sense for finding the Spoon-billed Sandpiper.

Openbills

EOS Kiss X3

On the local scene there are pied harriers about the rice paddy. On Wednesday I saw a male and female at a distance and Thursday I saw a female briefly. So I am hopeful of getting some decent shots.As always there is an abundance of openbills, hundreds of them in fact and it is interesting to watch them assemble and disperse as the day draws to a close. strange looking, primordial creatures. Likewise lots of Siberian stonechats, black drongos and plain prinias.

On the technical front I am hopeful of getting my scope repaired. The tripod barrel does not lock properly and this may be an issue in explaining why so many of my digiscoped photographs lack sharpness. I am awaiting to hear if it can be repaired in Thailand or if it needs to go to Japan. I hope it can be fixed here.

White-throated Kingfisher

Canon EOS Kiss X3

Meanwhile I have been using my Canon SLR a little and here is a kingfisher that perched nicely for me last night. I am thinking of purchasing a Tokina 80-400 mm zoom lens to see how I get on. It is cheapish and I think it will suit my style of birding as I like to be on the move.