Local

The most striking aspect of a brief sortie to the local rice paddy here in Ratchaburi late this afternoon was the huge numbers of Wood Sandpipers. Hundreds of them were taking advantage of the feeding opportunities from the wet rice paddy. They are quite difficult to photograph.  The highlight, however,  was a pair of juvenile Black-shouldered Kites. First time I have been aware of their quite distinct features notably the white fringing on their upper feathers and the streaking on their foreheads. I doubt if mature adults would have allowed me to get so close. The light was just against me as these shots were taken after 1800h. There were four Black-shouldered Kites in total. As you can see they were perched on wires and having a good look around for prey but fortunately didn't seem to bothered by my presence.

Huge numbers of Black-winged Stilts and Cattle Egrets; many of the latter sporting breeding plumes. But no harriers. As always a pleasure to be out in the sun-drenched late afternoon.

Eurasian Coot at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

The highlight of an unexpected trip to Huay Mai Teng Reservoir  this afternoon was 4 Eurasian Coot.  A big tick for the patch.  I followed my instinct today and headed to the southern end of the reservoir. As I drove in there were lots of Green Bee-eaters and Sooty Bulbuls in a feeding frenzy  in fruit trees. Earlier I had checked the northern end of the reservoir for Small Pratincoles but drew a blank I am sorry to say. Lots of barn swallows in the heat of the afternoon but little else.

Yellow Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover, Oriental Pratincole, and Wood Sandpiper were all near the water edge; the water level is decreasing providing rich feeding opportunities for birds. As ever I was in my element enjoying the peaceful atmosphere with a strong setting sun and gentle cooling breeze coming off the reservoir. I was happy to be able to get close to some birds and get a few decent shots.

I decided to scan a small islet about 300 metres away with the scope and picked up one Coot followed by three others. I rather fancy I had a glimpse of a White-browed Crake too but the light was poor so no claims. However I know where I'll be heading next time I come. I was happy with the Coot, a bird I had seen at Bueng Boraphet, where it is usually present during the winter in significant numbers but elsewhere is fairly uncommon in Thailand. Strange really as it is one bird I knew from seeing regularily in suburban London, when I was decidedly a non-birder!

I am concerned however that there was no evidence of Small Pratincoles. As the dark descended Savanna Nightjars made their presence known by their distinctive calls. I decided to head back to the northern side of the reservoir to see if I get a shot of one in the dark by using a flash gun. Plenty of calling but none came in close enough.

What a great afternoon's birding.

Wat Khao Takrhao, Phetchburi Province

I simply had to get out Saturday afternoon so I headed back to Wat Khao Takrhao in Phetchburi with a somewhat forlorn hope of Comb Duck. However as always it was pleasant being out and looking at birds. I made it to the house at the far end of the main pond. The young boatman occupies that house and he and his wife were very welcoming to me today.  Later in the day I met his father. So I think I'll come back to this spot as I think it will be possible to get close to a lot of birds if I can get in early enough and get the hide up.

As before there were a lot of ducks and in addition to the good numbers of Garganey and Northern Pintail there were  lots of Lesser Whistling Duck, who put on a bit of a fly past for me. I also noted a Northern Shoveller pair, drake and female and at least one female  Eurasian Wigeon. There was a large flock of Caspian Terns and Brown-headed Gulls and lots of Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshanks and Black-tailed Godwits. From a digiscoping perspective it was difficult: birds were just too far away. I was able to get good views through the telescope of all ducks but don't really feel any of the shots are sharp enough. I do like the look of the male Garganey with his very prominent white supercilium which extends down to its body.

I rather fancy the duck to the right is a female Northern Shoveller as the bills are quite distinct; the right side bird's bill is very large and although the angle isn't good, it does look like a shoveller type bill. The unmistakable Northern Shoveller drake is below.

I love the legs on these aptly named Stilts

One of these days I will get on top of these birds and get some decent shots. However I enjoyed myself sitting out drenched in late afternoon sun with a cooling breeze keeping it just bearable. I took the few photo opportunities available and must wait for another opportunity for better shots and indeed for Comb Duck.

Local News - Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

เหยี่ยวเพเรกริน

Ratchaburi 23.02.12

I am unable to explain how but I appear to have developed an ability to spot Peregrine Falcon in flight. I can't really describe what it is but I watched this fellow fly past me in the local rice paddy in Ratchaburi and was able to follow it on to its perch high on an electricity pylon. I had no doubt I was watching a Peregrine. Not a very good shot but adequate for the record. In fact when I consider the bird was about 350-400 metres away, it was 18:00h, and I was shooting at ISO 200, it is a small miracle and testimony to Kowa's brilliant optics and old faithful, the Nikon P6000. I was using the 20-60x zoom eyepiece at maximum zoom.  Truly amazing reach. Not much else to report, same really as yesterday but no harriers.

Local News - Cinnamon Bittern

Cinnamon Bittern - juvenile

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

นกยางไฟธรรมดา

Ratchaburi 22.02.12

The local rice paddy in Ratchaburi, a very extensive, flat stretch of land, is now mainly under water as the next stage of the rice growing cycle begins. On arrival after work a male Pied Harrier flew past. I have to say I was very pleased to see him in his splendour. Unfortunately he didn't hang around and pose but I am just glad that I saw him. First male on the patch since before Christmas. Impressive and awe-inspiring as always. I noted 4 Oriental Pratincoles in the air from their distinct call. There were lots of other interesting sounds including at least one Thick-billed Warbler and others which were unfamiliar to my ear: none of these birds revealed themselves however. A couple of Black-shouldered Kites were doing their trademark hovers. I noted singles of the following species: Yellow-bellied Prinia, female Plaintive Cuckoo, Common Kingfisher and a juvenile Cinnamon Bittern; large numbers of Black-winged Stilts, Cattle Egrets, some starting to show their yellow neck breeding plumage, Little Egrets and good numbers of Wood Sandpiper. This blog and the Oriental Bird Club Image Database helped me identify the Cinnamon Bittern. I didn't get it immediately; in fact I had to do a little bit of work to ID this one and I was on the point of posting on Birdforum for help. Initially I thought it was a Yellow Bittern but when I checked it in the field guides and through the OBC Images I realised it wasn't right, bill not long enough and the streaking too pronounced. I pondered whether it was a Chinese Pond Heron for a while but the head is all wrong for this. Then I remembered I had some good shots of a juvenile Cinnamon Bittern from banding at Laem Pak Bia last year so I had a look and open sesame! The bird let me know it was there as it stumbled and the noise of the reeds moving enabled me to make it out. Shame about the reeds but amazing being able to  shoot at 1/5 second .... thanks to the bird keeping very still!

Cinnamon Bittern - juvenile

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

นกยางไฟธรรมดา

Ratchaburi 22.02.12

I do like the rice paddy. It was once more drenched in golden sunshine as daylight faded and because it is flat and open there is always a gentle breeze blowing across it. This makes it very comfortable and relaxing. A very pleasant place to get away from it all!

Frustrations!? Not Really!

Little Cormorant

Khao Yoi, Phetchburi Province

19.02.12

A frustrating sort of day I suppose. The early start did not materialise and so when Tom Backlund called from Wat Khao Tahkrao I was still in bed. He reported two Comb Ducks. Wow! This confirmed my intention to head there in the afternoon. However if a week is a long time in politics then an hour is a long time in birding. No guarantees the birds would still be there in one hour, never mind later in the day.

Osprey

Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province

19.02.12

When I did make it to the site early in the afternoon  I couldn't find the Comb Ducks. I had a good look for them. I am completely sure the birds had gone because later in the afternoon two Eastern Marsh Harriers began buzzing the assembled waterfowl out of their post-prandial slumbers. This went on for about thirty minutes and would have raised the Comb Ducks had they been resting or reclining. They are so big they would really have stood out. Alas no, not today, but a fantastic record for Tom and his mate.

Whiskered Tern

Khao Yoi, Phetchburi Province

19.02.12

I did, however, get an unexpected solitary Nordmann's Greenshank. In it came to the tail of a large group of ducks, distinct yellow legs and a slightly upturned, stout black and yellow bill. What was significant initially was its solitary status in amongst thousands of ducks. I thought Greenshank and then as I looked more closely I realised it was no ordinary Greenshank, or should I say Common Greenshank. I was really rather pleased with this. It would have been nice to have been able to get in a bit closer to this distant bird to get a decent shot. So again a little frustrating.

Purple Heron

Khao Yoi, Phetchburi Province

19.02.12

I fluffed a chance to get some decent shots of an Osprey. Shrubbery got in the way, however, but this only became obvious when I looked at the shots on a computer screen. Unfortunately the shrubs I was using for cover have cast shadow over the images when I thought I had a clean view of the bird. When I put my rig into the open the bird promptly legged it! Earlier on my way to the site via Khao Yoi, I managed to get a Thick-billed Warbler in focus in the LCD and was about to click when it flew off. Sometimes it can be like this!

But notwithstanding the frustrations I saw some good birds effortlessly today and managed a couple of decent shots of more common birds when I stopped off in the Khao Yoi area. A huge Steppe Eagle flew over the Wat Khao Takrhao site and as I drove towards the highway I stopped to watch a Greater Spotted Eagle and a Booted Eagle on Drongo Lane; this is where I first went birding in Thailand a few years ago. I wonder what I would have made of a Greater Spotted Eagle in those early days when I can distinctly recall being unable to separate Little and Cattle Egret! As I drove home I noted two kettles of Black Kites, each numbering about 30, the first quite literally above the Khao Yoi crags and the second a little bit to the north, near the roost site. So not such a bad few hours really!

A Gentle Afternoon at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

Asian Brown Flycatcher

I managed a few hours this afternoon at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi province, but it was very ordinary. I can't report good numbers of Small Pratincoles or quail: I heard one Small and not a suggestion of a quail. The undoubted highlight was a stunning male Pied Harrier quartering the main birding site and almost plucking what I think was a Savanna Nightjar out of the air. This harrier,with its very distinct black and white markings, is one of my favourite birds: it exudes bossiness in the field. I noted just shy of 200 Oriental Pratincoles. And I'd be happy if I've got the ID on the Asian Brown Flycatcher wrong and you tell me it is a Brown-streaked Fly.........but it is surely ABF? Right I am tired. Good to be out birding for the first time since last weekend. The highlight this week was a Common Tailorbird in our front garden and tonight in the same tree two Tree Shrews.

Wat Khao Takhrao

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province

12.02.12

I managed to bag two Thai lifers, Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Shoveller ( thanks to Tom Backlund for pointing out my error!), ⌗311 and ⌗312 respectively , this afternoon, at Wat Khao Takrhao in Phetchburi province. I saw both birds last year on my trip to Japan where they are easy to see. Today, however, it was very satisfying as I managed to pick them out in large flocks of Garganey and Northern Pintail. I've got some shots but they are not very good -  good enough to confirm ID and not much else. I'll look at them again later today to see if I can do anything with them. I am not really sure about their Thai status: I believe they are both uncommon.

I have some misgivings about publishing these shots but here they are simply for the record - quite simply the birds are just too far away. As you can see, however, there were two Wigeon, a drake, to the left and a female.

Eurasian Wigeon

Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province

12.02.12

Northern Pintail & Garganey

Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province

12.02.12

Northern SHoveller

Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province

12.02.12

There were a lot of birds around today. A tantalisingly close Black-headed Ibis which moved off as soon as it sensed my presence; a very confiding female  Pheasant-tailed Jacana ; (shot of the day but no dramatic tail) lots of kettling Black Kites and thousands of ducks, but this time no Lesser-whistling Duck: mainly Garganey and Northern Pintail; there were also large flocks of Brown-headed Gulls , Caspian Tern, Whiskered Tern,and very distant Black-tailed Godwits.

I'll need to go back for more!

Breeding Record!

Indulge me please........our daughter Margaret Jona Charlotte came into this world yesterday morning at 06:54 weighing in at a comfortable 3.400 kg, almost 7½ lbs to you non-metric people. We're thrilled. Luna, my wife, is recovering well. So my sights are firmly focused on a small person this weekend. I'm looking after our 2½ year old son, Benedict, who is adapting remarkably well to the arrival of his sister. Must be a shock to the boy's system as he has had his mother's undivided attention for most of his short life. But he is adapting brilliantly. Maybe tomorrow, Sunday, I'll be able to slope off for a few hours - I'd like to check out the ducks at Wat Khao Takrhao.......

Harriers back!

I am pleased to say that harriers are back in the local rice paddy here in Ratchaburi: tonight I saw a female Pied Harrier and an Eastern Marsh. One of the local farmers told me they would be flooding the paddy next week so that should draw in many more birds. I really want to get a male Pied in my sights and try and get a decent shot of it. Tonight I'll just have to settle on this Plain Prinia.

A Day in Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia

White-faced Plover

I consider myself a very fortunate fellow to be able to jump in my truck and be in Pak Thale, Phetchburi province in a little over an hour. Just after 0700h I was viewing two Black-faced Spoonbills there. I wanted this species for my year list! What incredible birds with their very striking cooking spatula-like bills. Fortunate indeed, to have easy access and by virtue of this, never really feeling under pressure.

Chinese Egret at ISO 800 

I then headed back to Phetchburi at my leisure to pick up Padraig Quinn, a Birdforum contact.  I had  agreed to show him round the area. We had some great birds today and great to go birding with a kindred spirit.

As a novice and having done next to no birding in the British Isles I really don't know what species Padraig would be interested in. So a delight to stop for Greater Coucal, Collared Kingfisher, Asian Openbill and Red-wattled Lapwing. Pak Thale was a bit disappointing: we had a good look but couldn't find Spoonbill Sandpiper. Plenty of Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshanks, Spotted Redshanks, Kentish Plovers, Little Cormorant, a solitary Indian Cormorant, huge numbers of Eurasian Curlews,  few Long-toed Stint, lots of Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, more Broad-billed Sandpiper than I can ever recall seeing, but no Spoon-billed Sandpiper.

We headed south to Laem Pak Bia for lunch and over a well-needed cold drink we decided it would be a good idea to head out to the sandspit. Mr Daeng was booked but he got us an alternative; instead of waiting we had a quick scout around the main Laem Pak Bia site. Padraig added  Green Bee-eater and Great Knot to his list of lifers. Lots of Gull-billed Terns,too. I rather fancy I saw Red Knot but conditions were hazy and the birds were a distance away, so no claims.

Off we then went out to the sandspit in near perfect conditions where the birding was quite fantastic: Greater Crested Tern, Caspian Tern, Brown-headed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern ( I called it a Common, don't know why!) a Sanderling, a fair few Malaysian Plovers, lots of Greater and Lesser Sand-plover, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint. Nice and easy birds and they were putting on great aerial displays every so often. Then our boatman received a text to say Mr Daeng has located two Spoon-billed Sandpipers on the island nearest to land. So we legged it and Padraig located one Spoon-billed Sandpiper and I think we were both mightily relieved,  and grateful to Mr Daeng for letting us know. We only saw one but it showed well.

Next up Mr Daeng put us on a Whited-faced Plover, an exquisite little bird. Then the final coup-de grâce: 2 Chinese Egrets as we headed back in the gloom. I even managed some shots notwithstanding the poor light. What sublime beauty. Mr Daeng told us there had actually been three. Who cares?! One is erfectly adequate!

So a classic Spoon-billed Sandpiper - on the sandspit. A great day and great conversation, or should I say "craic" or perhpas the less affected "crack"!? .

Midweek News

Plain-backed Sparrow

These last two nights I have made brief visits to the local rice paddy in Ratchaburi. It was very quiet on both nights but the farmers are starting to introduce water to the fields so perhaps that will liven things up in the next few weeks. I am happy to say I got a brief view of an Eastern Marsh Harrier flying quite high but at least in the area. This male Plain-backed Sparrow does it for me -  a beautiful small bird and as I have said on a number of occasions it is anything but plain!

There's been a lot happening in the kingdom of birds in The Kingdom of Thailand over last few months. Read all about it on this link to the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand's latest sightings report.

A few years ago I would have considered a long weekend trip from London to Tokyo in order to see a Siberian Crane and Baer's Pochard as the ultimate act of insanity. I am following this actual twitch on Birdforum on this link. The poor guy's flight from Amsterdam to Tokyo has been delayed due to snow. I would be having kittens personally! If my circumstances were a little different I might be tempted myself! Apparently it is possible to get close to both birds as confirmed by some fantastic shots. Now, we have current reports in Thailand of one Baer's Pochard in Chiang Saen in the far north of Thailand, but apparently it is impossible to get anywhere near it. I might be tempted to make a dash for it in March if it is still up there. I really hope the guy scores! Good luck!