Gulf of Thailand: Big Birds

Spot-billed Pelican

Pelecanus philippensis

นกกระทุง

I decided I needed a change of scenery today so took a drive down to the Gulf coast and made a first stop at Bang Kaew just to the north of Cha-am in Phetchaburi Province. In some respects I wish I hadn't because there is heavy land-moving machinery on site. They are building a breakwater and doing a little bit of landscaping and river diversion! A few Malaysian plovers were playing around and there were plenty of Little Terns in breeding plumage. There were three Common Redshanks in the "pond", except it doesn't have a lot of water in it right now. I thought they were different from the more common Spotteds and this was confirmed when they took to the air and showed white secondaries.

Common Redshank

Tringa totanus

นกกทะเลขาแดงธรรมดา

I had hopes maybe of a Milky Stork! Two were reported here in early May. No evidence of them today. I headed up to Laem Pak Bia and made a first stop at the Abandoned Building. Nothing here. Some times there are huge flocks of Black-tailed Godwits here but nothing whatsoever today. So I decided to head into the King's Project and had a fantastic couple of hours. The highlight was nine Spot-billed Pelicans caming in for supper. What magnificent birds. They are quite camera shy and so I had to work to get a decent shot and of course the light was past its best and what was left of the sun was well covered by clouds. Two Painted Stork posed a little for me outside the project in adjacent saltpans. 

Painted Stork

Mycteria leucocephala

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Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

นกกานำ้ปากยาว

Little Cormorant

Phalacrocorax niger

นกกานำ้เล็ก

And of course being a simple soul I am happy shooting cormorants and egrets and the Kings Project has no shortage of these species. I am also pleased that I can separate Indian from Little as well. I found myself in the amazing situation of having a bird too close. Hence the "artistic" shot of the Little Egret's head

Painted Stork

Mycteria leucocephala

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Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

นกยางเปีย

So a pleasant and welcome change from Huay Mai Teng Reservoir. Indeed I would like to see some of these big birds at the reserervoir.

Spot-billed Pelican

Pelecanus philippensis

นกกระทุง

I think this gives you a sense of just how big these Pelicans are when you see one close to a little egret.

Spot-billed Pelican

Pelecanus philippensis

นกกระทุง

All the pelican shots were taken after 18:00 so conditions were far from ideal. 

All photographs digiscoped at The Kings Project, Laem Pak Bia, Sunday 26.06.11