Chumphon: Some Waders

Chumphon is not best known for waders but it is by the sea and that sea is the Gulf of Thailand and birders the world over know the Inner Gulf is a major wader hotspot. So we are a couple of hundred kilometres south of the main action areas. I myself did a bit of wading this afternoon at low tide from the bridge that marks the boundary between Ta Yang and Na Tang districts in Chumphon. Barefooted, like the locals! I started out with flip-flops but they became more of a hindrance as I approached sandflats via some mudflats.

It didn't look too promising. There were a few waders, a handful of Whimbrel, some small flocks of Greater Sandplovers, a few Red-necked Stints, some Pacific Golden Plover in breeding plumage, a couple of Little Herons, lots of Little Egrets and then a Grey-tailed Tattler, nope, it's a redshank, can't be a tattler, the bill is wrong. The photo shows it is a Grey-tailed Tattler and it is in breeding plumage too. This is a passage migrant which  I have seen at Pak Thale, Phetchburi, as early as  August on its way south and also in May as it moves north. I don't know anything about its status here in Chumphon.

Next up came a Bar-tailed Godwit. I was surprised this bird let me encroach but as I looked the reason why became obvious. It had a gammy leg. I guess birds really need everything to be in perfect working order. I could see it wasn't finding the search for food so easy, although it was bravely trying. It could fly too. I wonder what chances of survival this fellow has. I moved on quickly as I didn't want it to expend energy needlessly in trying to get away from me.

A very industrious and fast moving wader next caught my attention. Terek Sandpiper, I thought, and I got it in my bins and sure enough the orange legs and slightly up-turned bill confirmed this. This triggered a laugh -  a recent Birdforum poster described Nordmann's Greenshank as a "Terek Sandpiper on steroids"! I've seen this species here before.

Of course in terms of appearance the winner has to be the male Pacific Golden Plover - its breeding plumage is truly sublime. I had to work hard for this shot! Understandably he was rather wary of me and kept on the move, just moving when I had my focus correct. Some of the sandplovers were also sporting breeding plumage too.  

I doubt whether I saw more than 100 different waders in the course of a few hours this afternoon whereas at Pak Thale/Laem Pak Bia the numbers are usually tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands. So I am delighted with a Grey-tailed Tattler, a Terek Sandpiper and a Bar-winged Godwit and I would have been happy if this had been the takings from a visit to Pak Thale/Laem Pak Bia.

Chumphon: Gateway to the South of Thailand

In recent years Chumphon has become well known in the birding world as an important observation point for migrating raptors. As a result of visiting the area during the watch I have to say I really like Chumphon and the surrounding area to the extent that I would say it is probably my favourite place in Thailand. Raptors apart Chumphon is a good birding place, very close to the sea for waders and with plenty of different habitats, there is an excellent variety of birds to be had in the area. Local facilities, in particular the food, are excellent and cheap. For me Chumphon represents the best of Thailand. So here we are again for a few days holiday before the new school year begins.

I haven't been bursting a gut on the birding front: it is very hot and I am feeling a bit tired and sluggish. In and around the seaside there has been an abundance of Pacific Golden Plovers looking quite magnificent in their breeding plumage. On the sea shore I have seen a  few Terek Sandpipers alongside Whimbrels, Pacific Golden, Kentish Plovers, Little Herons and Greater Sand Plovers. I have been birding at Laem Kho Kwang, a promontory on the coast and the most obvious bird there is the absorbing Lineated Barbet which is nesting there. I would say there must be at least 10 different birds.

In the same area I have seen a White-bellied Sea-eagle, Streak-earred bulbul, Indian Roller, Brown Shrike, Green-billed Malkoha, Pacific Reef Egret, (Dark Morph), Vinous-breasted Starling, Common Myna, White-vented Myna, Olive -backed Sunbird, White-rumped Shama, Stripe-throated Bulbul. There have also been many birds heard but not seen. I reckon I might have been able to add a few lifers if I had been able to get up early in the morning!

 I would love to have got a shot of the Shama, it's a really beautiful bird but its star attraction is the range of its various calls. I must investigate recording equipment. This bird is really expert at throwing and changing its call; it can range from melodic tune to harsh clicking. Good to get some of these birds on my year list. More to the point they serve to highlight what might be out there. I managed a poor shot of one unidentified raptor with which I'll need to get some help.

Probably my favourite bird of the trip is the Jungle Myna. I was desperately trying to get a shot of one perched on a water buffalo. In Thai a literal translation of its name นกเอี้ยงควาย, nok iiang kwai, is "Buffalo Myna". Alas not today, a few near misses. That's been a feature of my photography over the last few days: no sooner was I set up and ready to shoot than the bird flew off!

I will have to add shots at a later stage as blogger's photo uploader does not appear to be operational......maybe they are trying to stop me making my readers suffer! Tomorrow I am taking a day trip to Ko Tao in the Gulf so that should be a pleasant family day out and who knows, possibly some pelagic birds. However this is first and foremost a splash in the sea trip so my expectations are low!

Ah I managed to get some photos uploaded but there are more to come!

Chumphon Raptor Watch 23rd October 2010

Oriental Honey Buzzard (EOS Kiss x3)

Khao Dinsor, Chumphon

23.10.10

 We drove south last night after work and made it to Chumphon just after 10 pm following an uneventful five hour drive. I made it out to the swamp behind the sports stadium in Chumphon this morning about 7:00 am and the list would be: white-breasted waterhen, intermediate egret, little egret, purple swamphen, common myna, lesser whistling duck, yellow bittern, chinese pond heron, bronze-winged jacana, purple heron, watercock, barn swallow, ........ and no starlings in the City of Starlings~ Don't worry there are plenty of common and white-vented mynas here just none in the swamp! I love this purple heron who was a considerable distance away from me.

The Raptor Watch is in full swing right now and thousands, well hundreds of thousands of birds have passed through and have been counted thanks to the efforts of Bob de Candido and Chukiat Nualsri and their assistants. A special mention to Pan who I met bird ringing a few months ago and helps correct my bad Thai. He was down here today and doing sterling work calling the species.

The species list for today is mind-blowing: shikra, crested serpent eagle, booted eagle, greater spotted eagle, grey-faced buzzard, oriental-honey buzzard, common buzzard, black kite, pied harrier, Chinese sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk, osprey, black drongo, blue-tailed bee-eater, white-throated needletail and on and on the list goes. The highlight today was the arrival of the first of thousands of black bazas, very striking birds with distinctive black masks and backs. I even managed a picture of an oriental honey buzzard with my EOS Kiss. My ambition is to take a usable picture of a raptor with the digiscope!

I am pleased to say there were lots of enthusiasts out today, birders, photographers and members of the public so Khoa Dinsor was quite busy and as I walked down it was nice to say hello to so many familiar faces. It is great that more people are getting interested and involved.

My buddy Tom called me to say he spotted grey faced buzzards in Laem Pak Bia, Petcthaburi, this afternoon. He says the skies above his veranda at home have had a lot of raptors in them. Tom also told me there were a lot of birders in Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale no doubt hoping to see Spoon-billed sandpiper whose arrival is imminent, possibly overdue. I also heard that there have already been sightings of aquila eagles at Norng Blah Lai, Petchaburi.

It is good to hear that there are more people out and about taking an interest in birds.This is an exciting time in the bird world. I wonder what is the fate of the Spoon-billed sandpiper.

Chumphon Raptor Watch 27th September 2010

Well my second day at the raptor watch was not much better than the first. There really weren't any opportunities to photograph the raptors as they were too high in the sky for my digiscope and there were too few of them as well. I did manage some shots of this very elegant dragonfly and I hope to tell you more about it in the next few weeks. There are an enormous number of these dragonflies around the raptorwatch site together with noisy flocks of blue-tailed bee-eaters and swallows.

However I had a great time talking with Mr Raptor, Bob de Candido. Bob has been involved in this watch since its inception in 2003 and together with Chukiat Nualsri, they have developed the watch into an important international event. Chukiat is Mr Birder in the Chumphon area and it was his curiosity about the large flocks of big birds that could be seen high in the sky for a few months every year that led to Bob first coming to Thailand in 2003. Since that time it has become an annual event.

Apart from the lack of photo opportunities it was a great trip. I suspect I am going to make a couple of southern sorties by train, travelling by sleeper through the night in both directions, to reach some new birding sites.

Chumphon: Raptor Watch

Crested goshawk

I am a little disappointed that I don't have a pile of shots of raptors to post. What pictures I have were taken with my P&S camera not the digiscope rig. For the latter to work with flying birds I now understand that I would need a good group not too far away to aim,  and then focus on one in that group and take the shot. Sadly this did not happen today. So only one picture today! No point posting blurry lumps of indistinguishable birds!

There were decent numbers of Chinese & Japanese sparrow hawks, a few oriental honey buzzards, a black kite, a crested goshawk and a peregrine falcon but the numbers passing through today were very low. I take comfort from not missing any golden opportunities.

But the birds were all distant other than some fast moving sparrow hawks or birds which were high above me.  Mustn't grumble as the crested goshawk and peregrine falcon are lifers.

Fantastic to meet up again with Bob de Candido who has led this raptor watch since 2003. He's been here for almost three weeks now and is set to stay until mid-November. A privilege to be able to benefit from his excellent knowledge at such close quarters.

Tom Backlund and his wife are also here so we went out in Chumphon later in the afternoon and it was good to see a pile of starlings: jungle, common and white-vented mynas, and pied and vinous-breasted starlings. A large number of lesser whistling ducks have taken up residence in the rice paddy near the sports stadium.

Hopefully more tomorrow and a decent picture or two .....maybe!