A Quick Trip to the Reservoir

Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

นกยางเปีย

I was mightily pleased to learn that I wasn't required to attend school after 12 noon today due to an electrical outage. Only one thing to do and one place to go: Huay Mai Teng Reservoir. On arrival there were 4 River Lapwing near the launch area and I have no doubt they wouldn't have been there at this time at weekends. I managed a couple of shots but I then managed to scare them away by trying to get in close. In fact I was furious with myself because the plan was to cash in on the light! 

River Lapwing

Vanellus duvaucelii

นกกระแดหาด

On the subject of disturbance and the like soon after I arrived some council workers arrived to erect warning signage at the entrance to the launch area: "DANGER" signs forbidding children from swimming. I rather fear there has been some sort of tragedy. Elsewhere I noticed a new bright red and white barrier on the road at quite a sharp bend; on the other side of the barrier is a deep drop into a water chute from the reservoir. I rather fear a vehicle went through it, another tragedy. Anyway I was the only source of disturbance to the birds today and in consequence I missed out on a great photo opportunity.

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

นกยอดขัาวหางแพนลาย

I counted two Small Pratincoles at different locations around the site on my short trip. I also managed some shots of these exuberant Zitting Cisticolas and I also managed a few shots of the above Little Egret; in breeding plumage this bird always reminds me of a classic image of Marilyn Monroe, you know the one where she is holding down her little white frock.

All photographs digiscoped and taken at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir 29.06.11

The Last Few Days

Barn Swallow - EOS

Alas wretched work commitments mean birding, photography and blogging have to take a second place! Of course I can still manage some birding but just a little. I'll leave these pics of some common birds that I have seen these last few days. News from the major sites is that a Cinereous Vulture remains in the Wat Norng Blah Lai area though no recent sightings of the Himalyan Griffons. In Kaeng Krachan Spot-winged Starlings have been sighted fairly regularily since Christmas. This represents a new record this far south for Thailand.

Scaly-breasted Munia -EOS (front garden)

Zitting Cisticola - EOS

Lotus flowers - digiscoped

Little Egret - digiscoped

Purple Heron - digiscoped

Pied Kingfisher - digiscoped

There are plenty of good birds locally. Yesterday we saw a fair few black-shouldered kites, a black kite and green-billed Malkoha as we toured around the Huay Mai Teng reservoir and its surrounds. Tonight a quick half-hour at the loca rice paddy produced a female Pied Harrier and a Common Kestrel plus Yellow-Rumped and Plain Prinias and an Oriental Reed Warbler. At the school camp, notiwthstanding the racket created by 200 + kids, an unidentified phylloscopus warbler, possibly an Arctic, and one other, two-barred but thereafter who knows and a very pretty Ashy Drongo. I was very pleased to get the digiscope onto the birds for both of the photographs below; the warblers move at speed and the drongo was equally swift. 

Phylloscopus Warbler - unidentified

Ashy Drongo