Monday, 13 February 2012

Wat Khao Takhrao

Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province
12.02.12

I managed to bag two Thai lifers, Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Shoveller ( thanks to Tom Backlund for pointing out my error!), ⌗311 and ⌗312 respectively , this afternoon, at Wat Khao Takrhao in Phetchburi province. I saw both birds last year on my trip to Japan where they are easy to see. Today, however, it was very satisfying as I managed to pick them out in large flocks of Garganey and Northern Pintail. I've got some shots but they are not very good -  good enough to confirm ID and not much else. I'll look at them again later today to see if I can do anything with them. I am not really sure about their Thai status: I believe they are both uncommon.

I have some misgivings about publishing these shots but here they are simply for the record - quite simply the birds are just too far away. As you can see, however, there were two Wigeon, a drake, to the left and a female.

Eurasian Wigeon
Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province
12.02.12



Northern Pintail & Garganey
Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province
12.02.12

Northern SHoveller
Wat Khao Takhrao, Phetchburi Province
12.02.12


There were a lot of birds around today. A tantalisingly close Black-headed Ibis which moved off as soon as it sensed my presence; a very confiding female  Pheasant-tailed Jacana ; (shot of the day but no dramatic tail) lots of kettling Black Kites and thousands of ducks, but this time no Lesser-whistling Duck: mainly Garganey and Northern Pintail; there were also large flocks of Brown-headed Gulls , Caspian Tern, Whiskered Tern,and very distant Black-tailed Godwits.

I'll need to go back for more!

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your 2 lifers! Watching ducks in Thailand can be difficult, but isn't that exciting?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Gerry

    Lucky man. We have very few ducks (apart fromt the bredfor eating variety) around Hanoi, where I live. I am writing this because in a few weeks I will be coming to Bangkok for a conference, and bringing my 2 1/2 year old son (I currently live in Hanoi). I can arrive 4 days early, and would love to get out birding, particularly to forested areas / National Parks.

    Can you suggest any good areas within a couple (or 3-4 hours) from Bangkok, which both have some good birding, and somewhere reasonable to stay. I would happily stay in a 5 buck a night dungeon, but with my son, a swimming pool nicer surounds are probably necessary. I can be contacted via whodgkinson@unishanoi.org

    Thanks in advance!

    Wayne Hodgkinson

    AKA Kiwiguy (on Birdforum)

    ReplyDelete