Bird of the Day

Black-capped kingfisher

Halcyon pileata

นกกะเด็นหัวดำ

Ratchaburi, 17.11.10

The local rice paddy gave me this perched black-capped kingfisher. It is not the clearest picture on account of distance and light and the pose does little to show this bird's best features. If you look closely you will see he has a field crab in his bill, a bit of supper! Having captured this crab the kingfisher flew off to the trees  to fully enjoy his prey. This species is in the area but it is the first time I have seen one in the middle of the rice paddy. It's not uncommon at this time of the year. Not much else to report, her ladyship, the pied harrier, was briefly in the distance, a black-shouldered kite was perched on a tree, both well out of range; the usual large numbers of openbills, chinese pond herons and drongos with a good few white-throated kingfishers, plain prinias and siberian stonechats.

Further afield I have read reports of 2 Ruddy Shelduck being sighted to the south of Laem Pak Bia, towards Cha-am,  and one Spooner, an Asian Dowitcher and a number of Nordmann's Greenshanks being sighted in the usual places in the Pak Thale area of Laem Pak Bia.