Somewhere West of Samut Songkhram......

Cotton Pygmy-goose

Nettapus coromandelianus

เป็ดคับแค

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

I am not really sure how to describe where I went birding this afternoon but as I have said  many times before, it warrants further investigation. Basically I head to the area west of Samut Songkram and south of the Rama II highway, about 10 kilometres before you reach Wang Manao. My target destination was Klong Khon, to check out the mangrove, but I never made it. But once more I had a great couple of hours' birding.

Cotton Pygmy-goose

Nettapus coromandelianus

เป็ดคับแค

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

I arrived at a large fish pond which had good numbers of Cotton Pygmy-Goose ( 125-150), Lesser Whistling Duck and Little Grebe; there were also a few Common Moorhen. A scan for more waterfowl, more exotic ducks, drew a blank. However Cotton Pygmy to my mind is a splendid bird and it's been a good few months, perhaps even a year, since I last saw one.

Egrets

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

In the adjacent pond, overgrown and grassy, surrounded and almost hidden by shrubbery, there was a veritable cornucopia of jacanas: both Bronze-winged Jacana and Pheasant-tailed JAcana, the latter looking quite ordinary minus its resplendent breeding plumes; there were plenty of juvs. too.  Just too far away to photograph.

Egrets

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

A few kilometres further on I chanced up 12 Grey-headed Lapwing, once more too far away to photograph but lovely to observe as they lounged in the sun. Further on I chanced upon the largest concentration of egrets I have ever seen - a truly impressive sight. I think the safety-in-numbers rule must have applied because only those egrets closest to me moved. There is one solitary Grey Heron in the pack.

Egrets

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

A small kettle of aboout 30 Black Kites hovered above the egrets for a few minutes before proceeding south, presumably to the Khao Yoi roost.  A few of these even came right down and flew between the two columns of egrets.

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

เหยี่ยวดำ

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

The kites offered some photographic opportunities but I am still not happy with the results. These shots are definite improvements. However I think I now know what to do: boost the ISO to 400 or higher  so I can shoot at 1/1000 sec. I am going to try this next time I get the opportunity and the light to shoot birds in the air.

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

เหยี่ยวดำ

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

So I never made it to my intended destination but another fun afternoon. I am happy looking at and photographing birds, the only requirement really being that the birds are wild. I continue to be amazed by the variety of birds within one hour from home and am really glad that I have decided to stay local over these last few days.

Lesser Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna javanica

เป็ดแดง

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11

Let me wish you all a very Happy New Year and express the hope that 2012 is a great birding year for you wherever you may be. Bonne Année! Blianadh Bha Ar! ( blee-an-ah-va- aar - the Scots were always a difficult bunch!) โชกดีปีใหม่นะครับ (chok-dee-bee-mai-na-krup).

Whiskered Tern

Childonias hybridus

นกนางนวลแกลบเกราขาว

Samut Songkhram Province

30.12.11