A Busy Saturday: At the Reservoir PART 1

Oriental Skylark

Alauda galgula

นกจาบฝนเสียงสรรรค์

I made it bright and early to Huay Mai Teng Reservoir on Saturday morning. I was hoping for Savanna Nightjars but alas no. Nevertheless there was lots of activity. I rather fancy there were some Richard's Pipits in the scrub but I didn't get enough of a look at them or a shot to say with any certainty. There were definitely Paddyfield Pipit, Oriental Skylark, Indochinese Bushlark, Small and Oriental Pratincoles and all the usual suspects. Lots of photo opportunities especially a couple of courting Oriental Skylarks who obliged for the camera.

Indochinese Bushlark

Mirafra marionae

นกจาบฝนปีกแดง

 Oriental Pratincole

Glareola maldivarum

นกแอ่นทุ่งใหญ่

Small Pratincole

Glareola lactea

นกแอ่นทุ่งเล็ก

 Bright-capped Cisticola

Cisticola exilis

นกยอดข้าวหางแพนห้วแดง

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus goiavier

นกปรอดหน้านวล

There were fleeting shots of a few birds including Yellow-vented Bulbul and Bright-capped Cisticola. An aerial Painted Snipe was just too quick and there was an unidentified little brown job which would have been a new species.....and I hope to get it next time! Add in many Plain Prinias.......a great morning.

A Dragonfly

All photographs taken Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi, Thailand 30.04.11

Easter Sunday at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

Bright-capped Cisticola

Cisticola exilis

นกยอดข้าวหางแพนหัวแดง

Yellow-eyed Babbler

 Chrysomma sinense

นกกินแมลงตาเหลือง

 Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

นกเด้าลมเหลือง

Small Pratincole

Glareola lactea

นกอ่นทุ่งเล็ก

Lesser Whistling-duck

Dendrocygna javanica

เป็ดแดง

All photographs shot in the Huay Mai Teng Reservoir area, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand

Another dawn start today at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir but fortunately only a short 25 minute drive from home to meet my friend Tom Backlund . On arrival Tom was purring because he had seen and heard  Savanna Nightjar and had heard Rain Quail.

We spent the morning driving around various sites in the area which comprises a variety of habitats. The highlights : Small Pratincoles are breeding here as Tom saw and photographed some chicks; a lot of Yellow-eyed Babblers; lots of good birds including Oriental Skylark, Indochinese Bushlark, Painted Snipe, Grey-breasted Prinia, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Brown Shrike, Green Bee-eater, Bright-capped Cisticola, Zittling Cisticola, Lesser-whistling Duck, Bronze-winged Jacana, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Yellow Wagtail, Asian Koel……

The downside is the rapid changes occurring to habitats. Roads are being bull-dozed to service aquaculture developments, trees planted and scrub and wood cleared.