Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

Oriental Pratincole

Glareola maldivarum

นกแอ่นทุ่งใหญ่

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 21.03.12

I never tire of Huay Mai Teng Reservoir -  the more I visit it the more I like it. On arrival this afternoon in the heat I was really in two minds about the wisdom of being out birding. I am still shaking off the lurgy and felt quite delicate. However as I drove to the water edge on the south side I picked up some water fowl in the air and they were not a familiar species. The duck situation is pretty simple here: Lesser Whistling Duck and err, more Lesser Whistling Duck. This is something which surprises me. These were not LWD with greyish heads, and a whitish upper trailing edge to the wings. I couldn't figure. I set up the scope and thought probably Cotton Pygmy-goose but they were too far away. So I decided to drive into the south side land area that is progressively growing as the water level drops. No surprises: Yellow Wagtail, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Red-throated Pipit, Paddyfield Pipit, ( x2 possible Richard's but won't claim until I can get a verified photograph), hundreds of Oriental Pratincoles, and equally vast numbers of Open-bills, Little Cormorants and Herons, and good numbers of LWD.

Red-throated Pipit

Anthus cervinus

นกเต้าดินอกแดง

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 21.03.12

I took advantage of the light to take some shots. The Red-throated Pipit is abundant at the moment and gets reasonably close but it is difficult to capture because of incessant movement.

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

นกกระสาแดง

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 21.03.12

The Purple Heron is a testimony to the Panasonic EVF. As I moved around I was able to confirm the water fowl were Cotton Pygmy-goose which I have never seen in the main reservoir in numbers before; usually in small numbers, singles, pairs and threesomes, in smaller pools. A large Osprey was perched on a post.

Rain Quail

Coturnix coromandelica

นกคุ่มอกดำ

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi Province, 21.03.12

I drove to the north side for the last of the light. On arrival I was sad to note one solitary Small Pratincole. However Rain Quail were out in numbers, at least 20, like children in the school playground. They were on a piece of recently burned scrub. It doesn't matter what camera is used when the light is fading rapidly, the birds are 30-40 yards away and they have a vigorous feeding action and lot of motion - it is impossible to get a decent photograph. But I have never seen so many Rain Quail out in the open, playing and having fun.  I was happy to enjoy the show and was well aware that if I tried to close in on them I would scare them away - so I sat and observed. They were joined by a flock of Plain-backed Sparrows and two Indochinese Bushlarks dropped out of the sky to join the fun. I am going to try and got close tomorrow in the morning if I can get up early enough. 

Eurasian Coot at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

The highlight of an unexpected trip to Huay Mai Teng Reservoir  this afternoon was 4 Eurasian Coot.  A big tick for the patch.  I followed my instinct today and headed to the southern end of the reservoir. As I drove in there were lots of Green Bee-eaters and Sooty Bulbuls in a feeding frenzy  in fruit trees. Earlier I had checked the northern end of the reservoir for Small Pratincoles but drew a blank I am sorry to say. Lots of barn swallows in the heat of the afternoon but little else.

Yellow Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover, Oriental Pratincole, and Wood Sandpiper were all near the water edge; the water level is decreasing providing rich feeding opportunities for birds. As ever I was in my element enjoying the peaceful atmosphere with a strong setting sun and gentle cooling breeze coming off the reservoir. I was happy to be able to get close to some birds and get a few decent shots.

I decided to scan a small islet about 300 metres away with the scope and picked up one Coot followed by three others. I rather fancy I had a glimpse of a White-browed Crake too but the light was poor so no claims. However I know where I'll be heading next time I come. I was happy with the Coot, a bird I had seen at Bueng Boraphet, where it is usually present during the winter in significant numbers but elsewhere is fairly uncommon in Thailand. Strange really as it is one bird I knew from seeing regularily in suburban London, when I was decidedly a non-birder!

I am concerned however that there was no evidence of Small Pratincoles. As the dark descended Savanna Nightjars made their presence known by their distinctive calls. I decided to head back to the northern side of the reservoir to see if I get a shot of one in the dark by using a flash gun. Plenty of calling but none came in close enough.

What a great afternoon's birding.

Local News - Cinnamon Bittern

Cinnamon Bittern - juvenile

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

นกยางไฟธรรมดา

Ratchaburi 22.02.12

The local rice paddy in Ratchaburi, a very extensive, flat stretch of land, is now mainly under water as the next stage of the rice growing cycle begins. On arrival after work a male Pied Harrier flew past. I have to say I was very pleased to see him in his splendour. Unfortunately he didn't hang around and pose but I am just glad that I saw him. First male on the patch since before Christmas. Impressive and awe-inspiring as always. I noted 4 Oriental Pratincoles in the air from their distinct call. There were lots of other interesting sounds including at least one Thick-billed Warbler and others which were unfamiliar to my ear: none of these birds revealed themselves however. A couple of Black-shouldered Kites were doing their trademark hovers. I noted singles of the following species: Yellow-bellied Prinia, female Plaintive Cuckoo, Common Kingfisher and a juvenile Cinnamon Bittern; large numbers of Black-winged Stilts, Cattle Egrets, some starting to show their yellow neck breeding plumage, Little Egrets and good numbers of Wood Sandpiper. This blog and the Oriental Bird Club Image Database helped me identify the Cinnamon Bittern. I didn't get it immediately; in fact I had to do a little bit of work to ID this one and I was on the point of posting on Birdforum for help. Initially I thought it was a Yellow Bittern but when I checked it in the field guides and through the OBC Images I realised it wasn't right, bill not long enough and the streaking too pronounced. I pondered whether it was a Chinese Pond Heron for a while but the head is all wrong for this. Then I remembered I had some good shots of a juvenile Cinnamon Bittern from banding at Laem Pak Bia last year so I had a look and open sesame! The bird let me know it was there as it stumbled and the noise of the reeds moving enabled me to make it out. Shame about the reeds but amazing being able to  shoot at 1/5 second .... thanks to the bird keeping very still!

Cinnamon Bittern - juvenile

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

นกยางไฟธรรมดา

Ratchaburi 22.02.12

I do like the rice paddy. It was once more drenched in golden sunshine as daylight faded and because it is flat and open there is always a gentle breeze blowing across it. This makes it very comfortable and relaxing. A very pleasant place to get away from it all!

A Gentle Afternoon at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

Asian Brown Flycatcher

I managed a few hours this afternoon at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir, Ratchaburi province, but it was very ordinary. I can't report good numbers of Small Pratincoles or quail: I heard one Small and not a suggestion of a quail. The undoubted highlight was a stunning male Pied Harrier quartering the main birding site and almost plucking what I think was a Savanna Nightjar out of the air. This harrier,with its very distinct black and white markings, is one of my favourite birds: it exudes bossiness in the field. I noted just shy of 200 Oriental Pratincoles. And I'd be happy if I've got the ID on the Asian Brown Flycatcher wrong and you tell me it is a Brown-streaked Fly.........but it is surely ABF? Right I am tired. Good to be out birding for the first time since last weekend. The highlight this week was a Common Tailorbird in our front garden and tonight in the same tree two Tree Shrews.

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

Oriental Skylark

Oriental skylark - adult

Alauda gulgula

นกจาบฝนเสียงสวรรค์

Huay Mai Teng Reervoir, Ratchaburi

04.04.11

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir never ceases to amaze me. At 15:30h I decided to head out after school to see if I could take advantage of the sunshine to get some decent shots of Rain Quail. No sight or sound of RQ on arrival though I did register a soaring Oriental Honey Buzzard near the reservoir. It was hot and I was just enjoying looking around from inside my car; a little voice inside me was saying to get set up just in case; anther voice was saying not to bother because there probably won't be anything to see today.

And some small birds, which I thought were quail, dropped down very close to my truck. A quick view through the binoculars showed an unexpected sight: a lark/pipit like bird with a very prominent crest. From recent checking of  more common species of larks I knew this could only be one thing: an Oriental Skylark which my Thai field guide describes as พบไม่บ่อย, pob mai boi,  or "not seen often".

I managed to get set up without disturbing the bird and I was able to get a couple of shots of it and the juvenile. In fact they seemed very confiding. Nevertheless it was still difficult to get a decent shot as they were feeding so constantly on the move and lots of head bobbiing. For me this species is a lifer and represents ⌗300 in my Thai list; a nice bird to bring up this milestone.

 Oriental skylark - juvenile

Alauda gulgula

นกจาบฝนเสียงสวรรค์

Huay Mai Teng Reervoir, Ratchaburi

04.04.11

I am very happy with the shot of the juvenile Oriental Skylark, above, probably the best shot of the day. The ID was  made much easier due to its proximity to the adult which, it can be seen, sports a crest. I am not sure it would have registered as an Oriental Skylark had it been a solitary bird, given the absence of the adult's crest. And of course the Small Pratincoles and Oriental Pratincoles had to play second fiddle to these birds today but of course their presence was noted!

Small Pratincole

Glareola lactea

นกแอ่นทุ่เล็ก

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

04.04.11

I was packing up thinking I should head home as a dutiful husband and a good father when my attention was attracted by a raptor in the sky. My immediate reaction was Black Kite but the tail was not right and from what I could see the tail was  banded. Wing tips also slightly upturned. Oriental Honey Buzzard, I thought. Then a few minutes later along came a further two raptors, almost the same, and then two more flew over and then another solitary raptor. I am sure they were all Oriental Honey-Buzzards and that they are migrating north.

I didn't try to set up again but I think I know what I am going to do on Wednesday this week, a public holiday here in Thailand. I was thinking I might head down to Pak Thale or visit Chaloerm Prakhiat Thai National Park. I now think I am going to spend a long day at the reservoir and survey the birds, especially if there are migrating raptors.

Not bad for a couple of hours after work!

Pratincoles

Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

นกอ้วงั่ว

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

14.03.11

I met up with my friend Tom Backlund early this morning and we had a very plesant morning's birding at Huay Mai Teng Reservoir. What a joy for me to be on holiday and to be able to go out birding on a Monday morning.Tom has been reading this blog and the presence of the Burmese shrike and Small Pratincoles was too much for him to resist. I am glad to say we were able to locate the shrike without too much difficulty and the Small Pratincoles obliged too....... and for me there was one lifer and a number of new ticks for the patch.

Black-collared Starling

Sturnus nigricollis

นกกิ้งโกรงคอดำ

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

14.03.11

Our first bird was a Darter, a species I thought I saw here a few weeks ago but didn't feel I could claim as it was literally a flash in the pan. This is a species I have only seen at Bueng Boraphet before. I even managed a shot of it from a distance in the early morning light; this shot also represents a further vote of confidence in my new rig. Tom then called two Black-collared Starlings in nearby trees and these too are a new species for the patch. No sign of Small Pratincoles and also no sign of Saturday afternoon's Bluethroat. Next up came a Red-throated Pipit, a further new species for the patch.

In the absence of Small Pratincoles we moved on in search of the Burmese Shrike which duly obliged at the same location my wife spotted it on Saturday. Phew! Species ⌗468 for Tom's Thai list. I say phew because I don't like to disappoint people and Tom was really after this one. Tom got some nice shots of a Black-shouldered Kite.

Oriental Pratincole

Glareola Maldivarum

นกแอ่นทุ่ใหญ่

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

14.03.11

We moved on to the reservoir proper to a part at which I have spent a fair amount of time and Tom managed to flush some Small Pratincoles there. Phew again! Thai species ⌗469 for Tom! I concentrated on some Oriental Pratincoles which were in range so I managed a few shots of this very attractive bird and then turned my attention to the Small Pratincoles which were very obliging. The shot below is what I was looking for on Saturday! As you can see there is a resemblance between the two species but they are strikingly different in size and colouration.

Small Pratincole

Glareola lactea

นกแอ่นทุ่เล็ก

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

14.03.11

Small Pratincole - flight shot

(© Tom Backlund)

At this point we turned our attention to quail. Tom reckons the habitat is perfect for these species and he called Yellow-legged and Barred Buttonquail in this part of the site. I have also seen Rain Quail here in the not toodistant past. Now after some consideration I am not going to claim either species both of which would have been lifers.  It just doesn't seem right: I saw both species flying off after we flushed them but didn't get the binoculars on either and really couldn't claim to have sighted any distinguishing features for either species. What is important is to know these particular species are in the locale and I will, of course, be back and will endeavour to have a more meaningful contact with them!

Indochinese Bushlark

Mirafra marionae

นกจาบฝนปีกแดง

Huay Mai Teng Reservoir

14.03.11

We drove on to the far side of the reservoir and en route we spotted a Common Kestrel flying off. On the far side we saw some Brown Shrikes, lots of Plain Prinias, a Zitling Cisticola and a Bright-headed Cisticola, my lifer for the day. A little detour in search of another part of the reservoir offered an opportunity to shoot this Indochinese Bushlark.

As always when Tom and I get together I had great day and it really helps to be with such an experienced and knowledgeable birder. Tom's view is this site could yield 100 species in a day due to the diversity of habitats in and around the area.

No River Lapwing Today!

Paddyfield Pip

Circumstances allowed me to make a dash from my morning teaching duties to Huay Mai Teng Reservoir to check on the status of the river lapwings. Not a whisper of one! Now there was a fair amount of human activity in their normal area so this absence does not mean they have moved on. There were a lot of paddyfield pips and other pipits/larks too but I wasn't able to photograph them. In this same area there were at least 30 oriental pratincoles, a yellow wagtail, 2 common sandpiper, 2 plain prinias and a white-throated kingfisher. No pied today.

I then dashed back to Ratchaburi for my afternoon class and at 5:30 pm I headed out  to see if yesterday's river lapwing was still on the premises of what I will call the Rose Garden rice paddy. In very poor light I took these photographs of a white-throated kingfisher and a juvenile little heron, a really beautiful plumed bird. No river lapwing here!

I have my new photographic parts and if these shots are more in focus it is because of the Hoodman. My new tripod head is also making it easier too as the scope/camera is more balanced. The light was poor so I will reserve judgement.  So watch out for some decent bird photographs! 

More Huay Mai Teng

I took my new birding companion Tom and his wife Nid up, to Huay Mai Teng Reservoir this afternoon and the River Lapwing duly obliged, once more seven present. Phew! Not for long as they flew off almost on arrival. A lifer for Tom. I had just got my rig assembled and, you got it, off they went. Plenty of good birds today: an osprey high in the sky being a new bird for this patch, but no surprises as this is where it should be! Plenty of oriental pratincoles and two pairs of pied kingfisher. Tom had the urge for lifers and scoured hard for a small pratincole, but alas no, not today. Some reasonable shots showing progress.

I saw three species of kingfisher today : pied, white-throated, & common. I've got a bad shot of the white-throated for the blooper category. Distance and poor light at the end of the day are my excuses. The common didn't wait for me to get set up but I might go back tomorrow afternoon and try to find it because it is a really beautiful bird. Light was behind the bird.

I am reasonably happy with these pictures of a lesser whistling duck. Taken as the light was going, a good distance away and passable.

There is no doubt in my mind that there continues to be improvement. First of all I am getting more and more to grips with the camera operation. I am getting better and faster at getting the bird into my LCD. I am getting better with focus but by no means perfect. I have a lot to learn about exposure. I have no doubt a cable release and a couple of other gadgets that I am in the process of ordering are going to make a huge difference to the quality of my photographs. But I am really enjoying this new development and I believe some time soon I will produce some really good images.

I can see a time in the near future when I shall buy a portable blind (hide) and sit in it for a few hours. This weekend I spent a couple of hours sitting on a deck chair by the water and I have to say it was just such a perfect, relaxing feeling. Watch this space!