An Early Start at Pak Thale

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

นกทะเลขาแดงลายจุด

Great Egret

Casmerodius albus

นกยางโทนใหญ่

 Great Egret

Casmerodius albus

นกยางโทนใหญ่

Long-toed Stint

Calidris subminuta

นกสติ๊นท์นิ้วยาว

Grey-tailed Tattlers

Heteroscelus brevipes

นกดีนเหลือง

Great Knot

Calidris tenuirostris

นกน็อทใหญ่

Grey-tailed Tattler

Heteroscelus brevipes

นกดีนเหลือง

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

นกชายเลนปากโค้ง

Brown-headed Gull

Larus brunnicephalus

นกนางนวลธรรมดา

All photographs shot 23.04.11 at Pak Thale, Phetchaburi Province

The highlight of an early start this morning was a small flock of Grey-tailed Tattlers which I was able to photograph. These are refuelling while en route to northern climes. They and most of today's other  waders are sporting breeding plumage or assuming breeding plumage, the Great Egret too with its distinctive "skirt". It was lovely to be out for dawn and watch the flocks of birds moving around in huge, swooping cascades. There was a huge number of Curlews which I wasn't able to photograph but there were hundreds of birds in it. I think the shot of the day is the Short-toed Stint.

I have a dilemma. My birdwatching is taking second place to the photography. I am using the camera as my notebook. I didn't count the Tattlers; in fact I only positively identified the bird when  I got home. All I can say is it was a small to medium flock which is not much use to anybody. On the plus side I have spent a few hours this afternoon with field guides in order to identify the species. I do not have the ability to immediately call all these species: this includes  Tattler, the Knot and the Long-toed Stint. I might well be wrong in some of these IDs! 

I also wonder if the bird above the Greater Sand Plover in the Tattlers shot is a Dunlin - it looks rather short legged and low in the water. Too difficult for me to call!