Mae Wong National Park

Rufous-throated Partridge

Arborophila longirostris

นกดระทาดงคอสีแสด

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

I took my wife and kids into Mae Wong National Park mid-afternoon, yesterday, Sunday 29th April 2012 and we made it as far as the Krating viewpoint. It was boiling hot but spectaculr views and a breeze which made it comfortable. There were a few birds about too as it was late in the afternoon and I managed to photograph Rufescent Prinia and Flavescent Bulbul (photograhs below) which were fairly abundant and active. Feeding on bananas I managed to see a Streaked Spiderhunter with its long curved bill and heavily streaked breast, lifer #320. Alas it did not hang around for the photograph and possibly it was too far away to shoot. Always nice to add a new bird to the list. 

Rufous-throated Partridge

Arborophila longirostris

นกดระทาดงคอสีแสด

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

On the subject of my list I decided to do a bit of cleaning up. I had a record of Rufescent Prinia on my list from, Khao Yoi, Phetchburi province, from August 2009; I really think that is a dodgy record partly on account of habitat and partly on account of my inexperience; I accept it could be wrong, it could also be correct but I would prefer to have complete confidence in the record. So this Rufescent Prinia is the new record, #118, and there is a photograph below to support the record.

Silver-eared Laughingthrush

Trochalopteron melanostigma

นกกะรางหัวแดง

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

When I drove into Mae Wong National Park very early this morning I was planning on heading to the road head at Chong Yen and finding Rusty-naped Pittas which have been seen recently and photographed as reported by Dave Gandy and others. However it took me until 07จจh to get a permit as the rangers at park  HQ were still asleep. I had to settle for a small flock of four Red-billed Blue Magpies rummaging around the buildings.  I also used some of  the time to stroll along the river bed in pursuit of Crested Kingfisher, but sadly drew a blank, although a Black-capped Kingfisher perched for a while. (I should add however that a Crested Kingfisher was seen here the following day.)

Rufous-browed Flycatcher

Anthipes solitaris

นกจับแมลงคอขาวหน้าแดง

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

Armed with my permit I proceeded to Chong Yen.  A female and then a male and female Kalij Pheasant crossed the road as I drove but didn't linger for photographs. As I neared the Krating viewpoint once more  I saw Rufescent Prinias and lots of Flavescent Bulbuls.

Small Niltava - female

Niltava macgrigoriae

นกนิลตวาเล๊ก

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

So to Chong Yen where I spoke to the rangers and explained I had a hide and wanted to photograph birds. A few minutes later a very helpful ranger took me down the main trail and showed me where to set up; as I was doing this a Red-headed Trogon perched about twenty feet to my right as if to check me out and then flew off. The ranger kindly left me with some meal worms and about five minutes later I had four Rufous-throated Partridges in front of me, about 20 yards away, feasting on the worms oblivious to  my proximity. I have to say it was not "fill your boots" time as the light was challenging; the birds were alternating between the shade of the forest and strong open sunlight; plus they were feeding so moving. However I am more than pleased with the results.A minor detail is this was lifer #331.

Rufous-throated Partridge

Arborophila longirostris

นกดระทาดงคอสีแสด

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

Next I rather fancy a male Large Niltava flew in and perched too near to my hide for digiscoping. It was resplendent in shining electric blue with some light blue on the tail coverts and its wings. Its size appeared larger than a normal flycatcher but it was gone before long. One that got away, sadly. However in came a pair of  Silver-eared Laughingthrush hopping gingerly about, as if sensing something was up. Beauties , as you can see above, and lifer #332.

Small Niltava - female

Niltava macgrigoriae

นกนิลตวาเล๊ก

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

Then it just seemed to happen. In came some Small Niltavas, a male and female, and they played around right under my scope. Once again it was much more difficult than simply pointing and shooting. These guys were grabbing the worms and then perching on a nearby branch, in the shade, then coming back in for more. So I moved the log into the sun, repositioned it laterally so I could see both long sides, then prefocussed on the centre and waited. I learned a lot about photography in a short period of time this morning! The Small Niltavas are quite exquisite and even though the male has the shining blue feathers and looks I rather like the female and her subtle, chalk blue neck band. Looks as though it was added as an afterthought. Lifer #333.

Small Niltava - female

Niltava macgrigoriae

นกนิลตวาเล๊ก

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

Next in came another sublime beauty, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, lifer #334 and finally a pair of  Black-throated Laughingthrush. It was a magnificent two hours.

Small Niltava - male

Niltava macgrigoriae

นกนิลตวาเล๊ก

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

I have to say the rangers at Chong Yen are a birder's dream: they clearly love birds and wild life, they know their stuff, they know what's about and they are very helpful. They provided me with worms to lure in the birds.I must also say how much I enjoyed our two nights in Khlong Lan, the nearest centre to the park It has an excellent restaurant, "The Three Children Family", ( ครัวสามพีน้อง); the fried fish is delicious, as was all the food we ate and it is also really good value; elsewhere there is a decent "chao mun gai" restuarant ( chicken and rice) and the market also sells plenty of cheap eats. We scored with 2 kilos of delicious fresh mangoes for 10 baht. We stayed at the Makbun Resort and paid 500 THB for a small bungalow with air conditioning. It was hot so we really needed the air conditioning. The locals all seemed incredibly friendly and easy going. It's really a great place and you can even get there by direct coach from Bangkok. I will return ...............!

Black-throated Laughingthrush

Dryonastes chinensis

นกกะรางคอดำ

Mae Wong National Park

30.04.12

A sad and troubling post script. The Thai government has recently approved a proposal to build a dam here. I am not going to make any comment beyond this as I do not know any of the facts. But it is troubling and it threatens to fundamentally alter a wildlife area that has been carefully restored by the Department of National Parks. I would welcome more information so if you can point me in the right direction, please do and maybe then I will make a more considered statement.

Flavescent Bulbul

Pycnonotus flavescens

นกปรอดหัวตาขาว

Mae Wong National Park

29.04.12

Rufescent Prinia

Prinia rufescens

นกกระจิบหญัาสีขัางแดง

Mae Wong National Park

29.04.12

Bueng Boraphet:Nature Trail

Purple Swamphen - juvenile

Porphyrio porphyrio

นกอีโก้ง

Bueng Boraphet

29.04.12

A dawn start at Bueng Boraphet held no real surprises. As we are heading north I restricted myself to a brief walk along the nature trail on the south side of the reservoir. The effects of last year's floods are still evident with Mr Panom's premises a fraction of the size they were before. We said hello - I didn't want to go out onto the boat. Along the nature trail all the usual water birds, lots of weavers starting to build nests, lots of Thick-billed Warblers by sound, Oriental Reed-warblers, Plain Prinias, lots of coucals, a Cinnamon Bittern, lots of White-breasted Waterhen, 2 Oriental Darters flew past,many Streak-eared Bulbuls, a few Yellow-vented Bulbuls. The unexpected species were a Forest Wagtail, a passage migrant I wonder, and a Red-whiskered Bulbul; this latter more on account of seeing it in the wild as opposed to a cage as they are incredibly popular with the Thais on account of their sweet singing vocalisation. We are heading for Mae Wong today so must get along!

Sunrise over Bueng Boraphet

29.04.12

Pak Thale & Laem Pak Bia: Breeding Plumages

Red-necked Stint

Calidris ruficollis

นกสติ๊นท์คอแดง

Pak Thale 22.04.12

I am as red as a beetroot from too much sun but it was worth it as I managed to get shots of a lot of common waders in their breeding plumages during a day out in Pak Thale and Laem Pak Bia today. It was hot, very hot. And I learned why White-winged Terns are so called! 

Red-necked Stint

Calidris ruficollis

นกสติ๊นท์คอแดง

Pak Thale 22.04.12

I made it to Pak Thale just before 0800h, with high tide being about 0600h. Apart from the usual mass of Curlews there were no significant flocks of waders to be seen. On the road to the sea and mudflats there were a few Red-necked Stints and Long-toed Stints, resplendent in their breeding plumages. If I am going to be correct the Red-necked Stint is probably in pre-beeding plumage, sort of halfway there. 

Whiskered Tern

Chlidonias hybridus

นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว 

Pak Thale 22.04.12

Not to be outdone the terns also change there plumages at this time of the year. Above a shot of a non-breeding Whiskered Tern; below the shots show non-breeding and breeding together and a separate shot of the breeding, perched on a pole. In view of the paucity of birds at Pak Thale I decided to head south to Laem Pak Bia where I met with a lot more birds.

Whiskered Tern

Chlidonia hybridus

นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว 

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Whiskered Tern

Chlidonia hybridus

นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว 

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

You can see the differences between the two plumages here; in the breeding plumage the bird is a much darker gray and the belly is a very deep grey; also the mask or cap in the breeding plumage is completely black, without the very conspicuous white forehead in the non-breeding bird. It is not immediately obvious from the photgraph but a close look shows the breeding bird's bill and legs are a deep, dark red.

Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

นกกาน้ำปากยาว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

An Indian Cormorant perched with his diagnostic long thin, yellowish bill and bluish eye.

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

นกทะเลขาแดงลายจุด

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

I love this Spotted Redhsank - he looks as if he has been up a few chimneys! I don't know if it is the light but even his legs appear to have darkened. However this redshank will get a lot darker in the next few weeks.

Little Heron

Butorides striata

นกยางเขียว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

This Little Heron didn't seem to mind me being so close. I reckon I was within 20 feet. He was much more focused on finding lunch. The shot below shows the reach I get from digiscoping - the bird is facing in a different direction but otherwise the distance is the same.  The shot below is a handheld shot with the 14-44mm Panasonic lens at 40mm. I was unsuccessfully trying to get a flight shot of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage.The close-up above is about 90% of the original frame. With all digiscoping the problem is getting the bird standing still for long enough to focus and shoot and this is exponentially increased the closer you are to the bird.

If you look closely at the top there are some Pied Avocets in amongst the egrets and stilts - the main record of the day was 20 Pied Avocets.  The shot below is my best effort of a Whiskered Tern in flight with the camera and the 14-45 mm lens; it is heavily cropped but not bad given that I couldn't really see the bird in the viewfinder. Maybe my next purchase will be a lens with a bit more reach for ordinary camera use.

Whiskered Tern

Chlidonia hybridus

นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว 

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareola

นกชายเลนน้ำจืด

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

There were some good birds in the Kings Project at Laem Pak Bia notwithstanding the fact that the main pools are still under reconstruction and therefore don't have any water in them. The Wood Sandpiper is much more distinct in its breeding plumage, its upper side being very speckled. The Lesser Whistling Ducks, below, are the first I can recall  seeing in the Kings Project. They are very common so no surprise whatsover to see them here. They allowed me to get reasonably close too,  standing completely immobile to avoid detection.

Lesser Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna javanica

เป็ดแดง

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

นกทะเลขาแดงลายจุด

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

There were a few Spotted Redshanks in the Kings Project but they really didn't like me trying to take their photographs. But perhaps my favourite bird of the day, the Long-toed Stint in breeding plumage, sublimely beautiful. I wish my pictures could do justice to its primaries. Not an easy bird to photograph as I discovered today. It too was very camera shy!

Long-toed Stint

Caladris subminuta

นกสติ๊นท์นี้วยาว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

นกนางนวลแกลบดำปีกขาว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

I had a look round the Abandoned Building, little there,  and then decided to make a day of it and took a boat out to the sandspit. En route I saw a Common Kingfisher,  the only kingfisher of the day. As we approached the sandspit, the above White-winged Tern really made identification ever so easy. Of course now I understand why it is called "white-winged"!This is one of these birds that I find very difficult to separate from Whiskered Tern in non-breeding plumage. I think it is fair to say I wouldn't have separated it in non-breeding plumage. I saw three White-winged Terns in breeding plumage today including the one below was having a bit of a splash. I love the Greater Crested Tern below - it was like a toddler playing in the waves. ( I know about toddlers and water having my own one!)

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

นกนางนวลแกลบดำปีกขาว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Great Crested Tern

Thalasseus bergii

นกนางนวลแกลบหงอนใหญ่

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Great Egret

Ardea modesta

นกยางโทนใหญ่ 

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Breeding plumage also transforms the egrets and the above Great Egret is another sublimely beautiful bird; note the "rhubarb" stalk legs and the ultramarine area between the base of the bill and the eye.

Whiskered Tern

Chlidonias hybrridus

นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว 

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

There was an enormous amount of tern activity on and around the sandpit today and I tried desperately to get a decent flight shot; they were moving too fast for me to catch in the digiscope. The above non-breeding Whiskered Tern is the best of a bad lot.

Sanderling

Calidris alba

นกคอสั้นตีนไว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Sanderling

Calidris alba

นกคอสั้นตีนไว

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

There are usually a couple of Sanderlings on the sand spit and today I noted three. They are always fairly active. The above photo shows a touch of  breeding plumage.

Malaysian Plover

Charadrius peronii

นกหัวโตมลายู 

Laem Pak Bia 22.04.12

Finally a single Malaysian Plover. My mate Tom pointed out the leg flag indicates it was banded in South West Australia. We are not sure about this, however, as we are not aware this is a migratory species plus we know some of the sand spit plovers have been banded as part of research projects. So we are waiting to hear from the experts.

Another cracking day.

Sunset at the Reservoir

Small Pratincole

Glareola lactea

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi, 21.04.12

I often tell my students that there are three seasons in Thailand and some bright spark usually takes the bate and tells me: "Teacher, cool, hot and rainy. " And I say: "Hot, hotter and hottest". It usually gets a laugh. Well it is the hottest season right now and to be honest I don't much fancy going out birding in temperatures just below 40℃. However I really want to be able to report the arrival of a first River Lapwing at the reservoir in April so that was my hope today. None today, but at the main launch area 8 Small Pratincoles were on the ground and that is the most I have seen this year. I don't recall seeing Small Pratincoles here before although I have seen them at many different locations at the site. Much the same as before: 20 Rain Quail or thereabouts and 3 delightful baby Red-wattled Lapwing and lots of Oriental Pratincole. It was lovely late afternoon as it didn't cloud over and I enjoyed a pleasant sunset.

Nordmann's or Common Greenshank?

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Laem Pak Bia - Abandonned Building, Phetchburi Province

16.04.12

Our journey home went smoothly until we reached the point where the Hua Hin/Cha-am bypass road rejoins the Phetchkasem Highway, (the Phetchkasem proper, Highway 4, goes through Cha-am and Hua Hin, the latter a notorious bottleneck); we hit a wall of traffic extending northwards as far as the eye could see and it wasn't even crawling. We know the roads in this area very well so we were able to divert to north Cha-am and then proceed north along the coastal road which passes through "Thailand Birding Central" - Laem Pak Bia and Pak Thale. As it was on our way we stopped at Bang Kao. A quick scan of the beach showed a Greater Crested Tern; that became the target and as you can see I got a shot of it. Quite an ugly bird really! The shot shows the key diagnostics: yellow bill, dark sides - the Lesser Crested Tern, a rarer bird, is smaller, has an orange bill and is lighter. I can never remember these distinctions in the field!

Greater Crested Tern

Thalasseus bergii

Bang Ban Kao, Phetchburi Province

16.04.12

We proceeded north and decided to head into the Abandonned Building at Laem Pak Bia. There was a huge flock of Black-tailed Godwits, perhaps 1500+. I have never seen so many but big flocks like this are not uncommon here. Then a group of Greenshanks grabbed my attention, ten in total one of which was an on its own own and nearer to me.(see top photo) I thought: "Bingo! These are Nordmann's Greenshanks".  75% of me still thinks this a correct call though the 25% doubt is substantial. The problem is the birds legs are in water and so it is hard to evaluate their actual size as the depth of the water is unknown. Pro Nordmann's: shape, structure: angular,stocky,"ventral", not much of a neck although that could be deceptive, no brown in the scapulars, basal half of bill is greenish. Pro Common: I could hear some calling and Nordmann's are generally silent; then I get them wrong and I just don't have the experience or knowledge to say definitively what it is. But herein is the great joy of birding, the challenge, if you like. What is it? I can't say with certainty and I am happy to acknowledge this. My call is Nordmann's. I've put some feelers out. One has come back 90% sure it is Nordmann's. We shall see. Feel free to comment!

Update 17.04.12 Thanks to Peter Ericsson and Phil Round for putting me right: it is a Common Greenshank. Peter wrote :"Bill is too long and pointed for Nordmann's. Legs are also too long" and from Phil: "Common Greenshank (breeding plumage) due to length of the legs and pointed bill."

Chumphon: Some Waders

Chumphon is not best known for waders but it is by the sea and that sea is the Gulf of Thailand and birders the world over know the Inner Gulf is a major wader hotspot. So we are a couple of hundred kilometres south of the main action areas. I myself did a bit of wading this afternoon at low tide from the bridge that marks the boundary between Ta Yang and Na Tang districts in Chumphon. Barefooted, like the locals! I started out with flip-flops but they became more of a hindrance as I approached sandflats via some mudflats.

It didn't look too promising. There were a few waders, a handful of Whimbrel, some small flocks of Greater Sandplovers, a few Red-necked Stints, some Pacific Golden Plover in breeding plumage, a couple of Little Herons, lots of Little Egrets and then a Grey-tailed Tattler, nope, it's a redshank, can't be a tattler, the bill is wrong. The photo shows it is a Grey-tailed Tattler and it is in breeding plumage too. This is a passage migrant which  I have seen at Pak Thale, Phetchburi, as early as  August on its way south and also in May as it moves north. I don't know anything about its status here in Chumphon.

Next up came a Bar-tailed Godwit. I was surprised this bird let me encroach but as I looked the reason why became obvious. It had a gammy leg. I guess birds really need everything to be in perfect working order. I could see it wasn't finding the search for food so easy, although it was bravely trying. It could fly too. I wonder what chances of survival this fellow has. I moved on quickly as I didn't want it to expend energy needlessly in trying to get away from me.

A very industrious and fast moving wader next caught my attention. Terek Sandpiper, I thought, and I got it in my bins and sure enough the orange legs and slightly up-turned bill confirmed this. This triggered a laugh -  a recent Birdforum poster described Nordmann's Greenshank as a "Terek Sandpiper on steroids"! I've seen this species here before.

Of course in terms of appearance the winner has to be the male Pacific Golden Plover - its breeding plumage is truly sublime. I had to work hard for this shot! Understandably he was rather wary of me and kept on the move, just moving when I had my focus correct. Some of the sandplovers were also sporting breeding plumage too.  

I doubt whether I saw more than 100 different waders in the course of a few hours this afternoon whereas at Pak Thale/Laem Pak Bia the numbers are usually tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands. So I am delighted with a Grey-tailed Tattler, a Terek Sandpiper and a Bar-winged Godwit and I would have been happy if this had been the takings from a visit to Pak Thale/Laem Pak Bia.