Early Start at the Reservoir

Rain Quail

Coturnix coromandelica

นกคุ่มอกดำ

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 22.03.12

I made it to Huay Mai Teng reservoir for a dawn start this morning and I managed to see lots of good birds but none of them came close enough to give me that really outstanding shot. Today's birds were most unco-operative indeed! Rain quail was present but they are incredibly difficult to shoot as they rarely stand up and pose. The above shot really doesn't do the bird's intricate neck markings and colouration any favours.

White-breasted Waterhen

Amaurornis phoenicurus

นกกวัก

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 22.03.12

The White-breasted Waterhen is a much more common bird than the quail but they have a similar propensity for constant movement. I wouldn't have got this close to the water hen or the quail without the hide. Maybe I need to put out some worms to draw them nearer.

Oriental Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

นกอ้าวงั่ว

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 22.03.12

Small Pratincole numbers were very low once more, no more than two in the usual area. However I had a look around and saw a few more flying about near the reservoir edge. I also saw these birds land on a small gravel island in the reservoir and I am wondering if this is where the action is. 

Finally this beautiful Oriental Darter, presumably a juvenile on account of the extensive light markings. It too doesn't like people getting close! There was also an Osprey who got away just in time. Nice few hours in the reservoir this morning.

Pied Avocet at Laem Pak Bia

Pied Avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta

นกปากงอน

Laem Pak Bia

16.01.12

It is Teachers Day today and we got a day off  so I headed to Pak Thale and Laem Pak Bia in the afternoon, against the tide. There were huge numbers of Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits at Pak Thale, in fact there were large number of waders in the pools towards the sea, but I couldn't make out any Spoon-billed Sandpipers or Nordmann's Greenshanks. I made some effort to seek out Spoon-billed Sandpiper in fact but sorry to say I drew a complete blank. Lots of frantically feeding Red-necked Stints which raised hopes but no sign of that famous spoon bill.

Grey Heron

Ardea Cinerea

นกกระสานวล

The King's Project, Laem Pak Bia

16.01.12

In view of recent experiences with gulls I will never treat a flock of gulls again with indifference or disdain. They may well contain treasure!  Try as I did today, and I tried all the way down to Laem Pak Bia, but I couldn't find anything other than Brown-headed Gulls with a few Caspian Terns. I did however find a solitary Pied Avocet having a feed. I  was measuring up the front cover shot when a lorry load of workers followed by a cavalcade of motor cycles approached and I had to move as I was blocking the narrow track. The noise scared the bird away. Such is life. The Thai field guide describes Pied Avocet as " หายาก", "ha yak", meaning "difficult to see". I saw sixteen of them in the air on my previous visit. So always pleasing to see, and in this instance, photograph the rarer species. 

White-breasted Waterhen

Amaurornis phoenicurus

นกกวัก

The King's Project, Laem Pak Bia

16.01.12

I went into the Kings Project looking for photo opportunities. It is strange there at the moment as the main ponds are all empty. They have been drained due to maintenance. There are still plenty of birds but not as many photo opportunities. I managed shots of a Black-capped Kingfisher, a Grey Heron and a White-breasted Waterhen: fairly common species but all definitely camera shy; hard to get close to these birds without scaring them. It's these birds which really cry out for a handheld camera with a decent lens: they are difficult to digiscope simply because they  don't allow much time.

Black-capped Kingfisher

Halcyon pileata

นกกะเด็นหัวดำ

The King's Project, Laem Pak Bia

16.01.12

It simply takes one good bird to make a good day and today Pied Avocet did it for me.