Banding at Laem Pak Bia

Pale-legged Warbler

Phylloscopus tenellipes

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

The real story today is Phil Round who has been banding birds in Thailand and elsewhere in the world for over thirty years and as a result has built up an incomparable knowledge of Thailand's avaifauna. Phil's recently back from a trip to Banglasdesh where he has been assisting a government agency there set up a banding project. Phil's knowledge is mind-boggling and to watch him at work is an experience in itself. So for me to join Phil, James and Tom on Saturday was a great opportunity to "assist" and indeed to learn and take a few photographs. 

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

(thx to Paan for the correction)

Using mist nets we trapped 28 birds of which six were retraps; the highlight of the retraps was a Black-capped Kingfisher, a migratory bird, which has returned this winter. We don't know where it went, possibly China. The highlight of the new birds was the Pale-legged Warbler above and 4 Dusky Warblers; we also banded 3 Long-toed Stints and a juvenile Cinnamon Bittern photographs of which are above and below respectively

 Cinnamon Bittern

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Collared kingfisher

Todiramphus chloris

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

I can't think of a better way to get closer to birds and to learn about their taxonomy and structure. I must say I am lousy at it. I find it impossible to get the birds out of the net and I am not very good at taking them from the bags used to carry them to the processing station. I managed to handle a Barn Swallow and a Scaly-breasted Munia and managed to band and measure them, with some difficulty. I have no doubt I will be better next time. Nevertheless I really enjoyed myself and I took advantage of the opportunity to digiscope a few non-captive birds.

 Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Painted Stork

Mycteria Leucocephala

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Whiskered Tern

Chlidonias Hybridus

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax niger

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Wood sandpiper

Tringa glareola

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

 Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropa

Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia

19.03.11

Late afternoon we had a short stop at Pak Thale and for the record observed 3 Spoon-billed Sandpipers and a number of Dunlin, possibly four; a couple of the males were changing into their breeding plumes which makes identification, in particular separation from the abundant Curlew Sandpaper, very easy. The shot below is very much for the record as the light was against us and the bird was in the shade as daylight faded. In full breeding plumage this fellows belly will be completely black and his upper feathers chestnutty and blackish.

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

Pak Thale

19.03.11