05/11/2024 9 am - Phon Ngam & Dong Por Community Forests - Phu Mak Prik Temple - Yasothon Province.

With the focus still very much on raptor watching Paul spent 90 minutes here logging just 14 species and largely ignoring forest birds. A few raptors were noted and photographed:-

6 Oriental Honey Buzzards (one in primary moult)

1 Black Kite (seems to be white-eared form - any Yasothon records of these are notable).

Regards,

Mike P.

01/11/2024 9.50 am Kutchum garden -Yasothon.

November got off to a cracking start this morning when sharp eyed Pen drew Pauls attention to a raptor soaring ever higher over the garden. Paul scrambled for the camera in the car and shot off some photos of a first for Yasothon - unmistakably a Jerdons Baza. At the Chumphon raptor watchpoint down south last week Paul saw but one of these so this is an excellent find by Pen on their home patch

Photos attached:-

Cheers,

Mike P.

25/10/2024 - 6.00 am - Animal Nutrition Research and Development Centre - Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

This is always a good site for birding comprising arable fields and grasslands hedgerows and a scatter of large trees relatively undisturbed due in part to the R&D factor. We normally drive straight in at the checkpoint gates looking authoritative and official and have never been challenged as we behave respectfully and with smiles if we encounter anyone on site (which is almost never).

Shaun Paul and the girls spent an hour and three quarters here on the homeward leg of their travels, recording 42 species - best of which were:-

13 Chinese Francolins (a prime site - though mainly heard rather than seen)

2 Greater Coucals

1 Lesser Coucal (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

15 Red-wattled Lapwings

1 Spotted Owlet ( - very site faithful here and seen on just about every visit)

1 White-throated Kingfisher

1 Black-naped Oriole

45 Ashy Woodswallows ( - common enough but this is a large number)

3 Brown Shrikes

7 Indochinese Bushlarks

1 Lanceolated Warbler

200 Barn Swallows

4 Chestnut-capped Babblers

1 Siberian Rubythroat

1 Taiga Flycatcher

5 Amur Stonechats

60 Baya Weavers

16 Red Avadavats

Cheers,

Mike P.

23/10/2024 - 13.40 - Thong Chai Mangroves - Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.

With the Greens and Passants heading back north the opportunity was taken to call in again at this special site for the main attraction - Pale-capped Pigeons where a 20 minute stop rewarded with two of the species seen in flight between the mangroves amid 13 commoner species the best of which being:-

1 Striated Heron

5 Blue-tailed Bee-eaters

1 White-throated Kingfisher

1 Indochinese Roller

6 Golden-bellied Gerygones (aka Flyeaters)

Cheers,

Mike P.

22/10/2024 - 9.00 am - Kromluang Chumphon Wildlife Sanctuary. HQ vicinity - Chumphon Province.

Paul and Pens first visit here since August of 2022 - arriving rather late so they moved on to the main watchpoint after 25 mins and with only 7 species logged: -

3 Spotted Doves

1 Oriental Honey Buzzard

1 Crested Goshawk (photo)

1 Grey-faced Buzzard (photo)

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

1 Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

2 Ornate Sunbirds

Later at 11.50 Paul and Pen arrived at Khao Dinso raptor centre where they spent 90 mins enjoying a somewhat bewildering first experience (Pauls own words) of raptor migration logging 14 species:-

1 House Swift

1 Jerdons Baza

800 Black Bazas (photos)

15 Oriental Honey Buzzards

4 Crested Serpent Eagles

2 Besras (photos)

20 Japanese Sparrowhawks

4 Shikras

3 Chinese Sparrowhawks

100 accipiter sp.

1 Black Kite

1 Eurasian Kestrel

120 Blue-tailed Bee-eaters

15 Ashy Minivets

12 Barn Swallows

Cheers,

Mike P. 

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 27th of October 2024 01:24:30 PM

Going back a day to 18/10/2024 Paul drove into Roi Et to take son Art to the airport for the latters flight to Bangkok and took the opportunity for some birding at the Pha Nam Yoi Forest Park which straggles the border with Yasothon where a two hour session yielded 28 of the regular expected species but noteworthy among 3 Hainan Blue Flycatchers he noted one male sporting a pale orange throat - his first record of the sub species klossi - photo attached.

Cheers,

Mike P.

Kutchum - Yasothon province - 16/10/2024.

Paul has announced the availability of a new website which he has recently built - songnok.org which is about when and where to find the most new birds for birders in Thailand.
The system complements and expands upon data from submissions to eBird to identify and track target species for Country Region and Province for both individuals and teams.

The system is free to use with no login required and has no advertisements. The current release is best viewed from a device with a large display. Though it does work on a mobile phone it provides a better user experience on a tablet laptop or PC.

If you are a birder in (or visiting) Thailand or an existing eBird user take a look at songnok.org.

(Incidentally in Thai Songnok means looking for birds - hence the choice of name).

Regards,

Paul Passant, Mike Passant

10/10/2024 - 8.00 am - Phu Pha Thoep Nat. Pk. Mukdahan- HQ vicinity.

Up to date on farm chores, Paul enjoyed an excursion into Mukdahan province spending a leisurely 3 hours strolling around this distinctive site with its sandstone pinnacles and odd formations of big scattered boulders interspersed with dry scrub and rank grass.
The highlight birds among 33 species were again Indian Thick-knees (4) putting in a repeat showing in the same location and showing the same consistency as regards timing; - last years birds were here on 23/10/23 and on 03/11/23. Barb and I arrived in Thailand last time and missed a potential Thailand tick by a matter of days; - we suspect that they just pass through here rather than winter here.

The best of the other species were:-

1 Oriental Honey-Buzzard

2 Crested Serpent-Eagles

2 Red-wattled Lapwings

1 Rufous-winged Buzzard

8 Asian Green Bee-eaters

1 Indochinese Roller

2 Lineated Barbets

1Wire-tailed Swallow

2 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher

1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher

1 Indochinese Blue Flycatcher

3 Taiga Flycatchers

1 Blue Rock-Thrush

Cheers,

Mike P.

22/08/2024 - 6 am - Nong Hoi Paddies, Yasothon.

This morning saw an early dawn start on site by Paul hoping for a further breakthrough in his quest to further boost the province wader list. 
Frustratingly on the previous day here he had obtained a poor view of a distant stint with black legs - (indicative of either Red-necked or possibly even a Little Stint) - whichever would constitute a new province species. A long distance record shot from the car window (attached) was insufficient as the field (albeit in prime condition for waders) was several fields distant from the road and any approach on foot would likely flush the target birds.

This repeat visit this morning yielded no reward other than the usual culprits:-

30 Lesser Whistling Ducks

8 Indian Spot-billed Ducks (these flew off as he approached on foot)

30 Black-winged Stilts

3 Little Ringed Plovers

2 Pin-tailed Snipe

3 Common Sandpipers

12 Wood Sandpipers

3 Long-toed Stints

25 Oriental Pratincoles

The previous day had included a Pacific Golden Plover and a Grey-headed Lapwing.

Regards,

Mike P.

10/08/2024 - 07.55 am Huai Aeng - Roi Et side.

Paul and Shaun continued their wader monitoring of this promising site recording a total of 32 species in a 75 minute session.

Best of the waders were 5 River Lapwings and 9 Wood Sandpipers. Of the passerines by far the best find was an obliging Burmese Shrike.

Regards,

Mike P.

02/08/2024 - 7.40 am - Huai Aeng (Roi Et side) Roi Et Province.

With the seasonal lull in birding activity potentially coming to an end, Paul arranged to meet up again with Shaun Green to check out the current wader situation on this good site which straddles the border with Maha Sarakham on its western side.
Readers will recall that in April with water levels much reduced we had been able to drive right out onto the exposed firm grassy lake margins where we were fortunate in finding the first ever vagrant Pectoral Sandpiper for the whole of the Isaan region. Despite promptly putting out the news this one day well photographed bird was seen by only four people.

A session of 2 hours 35 minutes produced 36 species - most notably the following: -

50 Lesser Whistling Ducks

5 Little Grebes

45 Red Collared Doves (a rather notably high count?)

6 Black-winged Stilts

4 Little Ringed Plovers

19 River Lapwings (13 together in an unplanted farm field with a scatter of 6 along the shorelines)

2 Red-wattled Lapwings (these with the main group of the previous species).

2 Bronze-winged Jacanas

1 Common Sandpiper

11 Wood Sandpipers (always a good indicator species and worth checking for rarer company).

1 Greenshank

60 Oriental Pratincoles

18 Asian Openbills.

In addition the predictable support cast of egrets and assorted commoner passerines, with Shaun alone noting 3 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos.

The Red-wattled Lapwings to my surprise were a province tick for Paul to bring him level with Shaun as joint top Roi Et listers - both now on 199.

Regards,

Mike P.

30/05/2024 - 8.00 am Huai Aeng - (Roi Et side).

Paul met up by arrangement with Shaun Green to check for any late passage migrants on the site which yielded up the Pectoral Sandpiper for us on 28/04. A two hour session provided 34 species, most notable being:-

300 Lesser Whistling ducks (with at least the same numbers on the Maha Sarakham side of the complex).

13 Black-winged Stilts

6 Little Ringed Plovers

7 River Lapwings (a good count for central Isaan. Unfortunately these flew off before any photos could be taken)

5 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

1 Common Greenshank (A week or so earlier Paul had received news that a radio tagged Nordmans Greenshank had been traced to Roi Et province and despite Paul Farrell and Shaun Green joining him in a search for the bird they had no luck - accordingly any Greenshank found of late is being closely scrutinised).

40 Small Pratincoles

50 Oriental Pratincoles (These birds and probably Small Pratincoles have young on the site and opportunistic Brahminy Kites are patrolling with eyes for easy prey - attached is a photo of an Oriental Pratincole bombing such an interloper).

45 Asian Openbills

Also recorded was the usual mix of common egrets and open country passerines.

Cheers,

Mike P.

14/05/2024 - 3 pm Lam Sai Marshlands - Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.

En route to a family reunion dinner with Pen and Art in Bangkok we stopped for some last gasp list padding in this small province which we normally transit without stopping. Ayutthaya City is incidentally the ancient capital of Thailand and in future we ought to stop off to see some of the architecture here.

Scanning over this riverside scrubby habitat we noticed a couple of pond Herons foraging on the margins one of which was obviously a pale headed bird with a chestnut lower breast and belly - a summer plumaged Javan Pond-Heron.

The other bird had a similar pale head but also uniformly pale breast and belly. I suggested that Paul might get some shots as it seemed a good candidate for Indian Pond-Heron. - Indeed it was - another new species for our Thai lists and a nice way to end our six weeks of quite intense birding.

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

12/05/2024 - 8.45 am - Rice research centre - Surin province.

With our time in Thailand coming to an end we planned our journey heading south-west towards Bangkok taking in some birding en route through this rather neglected province on a list padding endeavour. In 25 minutes we noted 30 common species many of which were new for us in Surin. We moved on arriving next at the Huai Saneng reservoir where in 90 minutes we logged 44 species, - the pick of the bunch being 50 Oriental Pratincoles with young and pleasingly 6 White-winged Terns.

The best however was yet to come at Huai Sawai in Buri Ram (the next province west) which we reached by 13.30 pm spending two and a half hours there watching and photographing a good selection of waders among 27 species in all.

500 Lesser Whistling Ducks

2 Indian Spot-billed Ducks

25 Black-winged Stilts

89 Pacific Golden Plovers (a remarkable count - our best ever).

20 Little Ringed Plovers

6 Red-wattled Lapwings

2 Tibetan Sand-Plovers (photos)

2 Greater Sand-Plovers (photos)

8 Greenshanks

7 Spotted Redshanks

2 Curlew Sandpipers (photo)

15 Red-necked Stints (photo)

20 Small Pratincoles

100 Oriental Pratincoles

5 Whiskered Terns

400 Openbill Storks

56 Painted Storks

In addition an assortment of the usual egrets and sundry passerines.

Cheers,

Mike P.

07/05/2024 - Bueng Doan Lake area - Roi Et.

This morning three of us met up with Shaun Green for a round of this and other Roí Et lakes hoping to find the first passage White-winged Terns. Shaun has regularly recorded them in Roi Et on/around this date but we found no sign of any just yet. 
Nevertheless in general birding terms in 45 minutes we had a good session logging 34 species the best of which were:  

11 Knob-billed Ducks (quite a good find - these passage birds were among several hundred Lesser Whistling Ducks with a scatter of Cotton Pygmy Geese, and more than made up for not finding any White-winged Terns).

1 Black-winged Kite

1 Freckle-breasted Woodpecker

4 Streaked Weavers (photo)

35 Asian Golden Weavers

7 Chestnut Munias

Next at 10.00 we made a short stop in a strip of riverine forest bordering the Chi river to check on one of Pauls sites for Blue-winged Pitta. An obliging bird called in response to our recording and briefly perched up high giving Shaun and me our first sightings of this superb species in Roi Et. A Rufous-winged Buzzard drifted over as a bonus here.

Moving on to our final stop - 20 minutes at Khlong Pla Khun (another extensive wetland area) we found another trio of Knob-billed Ducks among 14 species - the best of the rest being: -

6 Indian Spot-billed Ducks

2 Cinnamon Bitterns

1 Yellow Bittern

2 Purple Herons

7 Baya Weavers

Cheers,

Mike P.

05/05/2024 - 2.00 pm Kutchum Village - Yasothon.

Having eaten and showered after our birding morning we drove down and parked in the village to watch the celebration of the Ban Fai festival. This involves competing dance groups from local villages with drummers traditional  music and floats hauled along the main thoroughfare.
It is all to induce the short rains to commence - currently of great importance to the farmers in view of the drought conditions and temperatures which even the locals are finding uncomfortable.

I took some video and still shots, and at one point glanced round to ensure that I was not blocking anyones view only to see an elephant standing behind me barely eight feet away. The keeper seemed to be selling food to people who then fed his animal.

After some fifty minutes we headed for home observing en route the elephant down a quiet side street enjoying eating someones garden hedge.

Recap - Our open country day in Chaiyaphum on 28/04/2024.

- A better portrait shot of the Long-tailed Shrike.

This is not of course the form which we twitched in the Outer Hebrides but the resident form over much of Thailand - always a stunning beast!

Cheers,

Mike P.

Breakfast time here back home at base in Kut Chum.

A bit of humble pie on this mornings menu - our Long-toed Stint is generally considered to be a Red-necked Stint which would be only the third or fourth for Maha Sarakham. Our photo of this is attached to the last post.

With the blazing overhead sun here, discerning leg colour is not that easy. Any views from Manchester wader enthusiasts are welcome as always please.

Regards,

Mike P.

01/05/2024 07.00 am - Chi Long Forest Park - Maha Sarakham Province.

Our return visit got off to a good start here. Even as we were parking the car Paul noticed Forest Wagtails foraging in the leaf litter ahead - there were four birds together, quite a sight for what I have always considered a fairly solitary species.

We took a left turn and walked for almost a half hour along one of the main trails with very little reward and no sign of Blue-winged Pitta (despite playing a few calls) and so decided to turn back to explore the previous evenings hotspot at the start of the other trail.

We did hear the call of Asian Barred Owlet close to where we saw the bird of the previous evening and by 08.00 am it became apparent that things were livening up with many common species calling. Scanning and hoping for the Tiger Shrike again Paul suddenly found himself a Blue-winged Pitta perched on a convenient horizontal branch staring back at him some 30 metres away; - this we observed for some minutes - photos attached. 

With his radar eyes in top form Paul latched onto the previous nights sneaky Paradise Flycatcher flitting through the foliage above and we finally obtained perched views and photos which showed whitish undertail coverts and a sharp demarcation between the black of the head and grey of the neck and upper breast fading to whitish below - a female Amur Paradise-Flycatcher and a new species for all of us.

We then enjoyed close views of an Arctic Warbler foraging rather clumsily and both Asian Brown and Dark-sided Flycatchers performed nearby. The Pitta remained in the area and seemed quite at ease with our presence.

The show was not quite over as Barbara drew our attention to a showy flycatcher sporting a yellow rump which we were able to watch perching on low waterside shrubs and making short sallies to the ground - a female Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (which had briefly set my pulse racing with thoughts of Green-backed Flycatcher).

And so our two sessions here ended in this remarkable small area of this forest which we named as Magic Corner.

Regards,

Mike P.

29/04/2024 - 08.45am - roadside stop Chaiyaphum Province.

Soon after we had checked out of our lodgings we made a first roadside stop for ten minutes in Chaiyaphum noting a dozen common species to kickstart our listing, the best being a couple each of Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers and Brown-throated Sunbirds.

At 09.27 am we made a 20 minute stop at the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary (Pang Muang gate vicinity) enjoying an impressive view over an extensive wooded valley. 7 common species noted here included a Crested Serpent-Eagle and a Pin-striped Tit-Babbler which gave a good photo opportunity.

Pressing on, at 10.30 am we arrived at the Chulabhorn Dam area where we found conditions to be very dry and hot with little reward for a tough 5 hour session which yielded a sparse 27 species, amongst which were: -

2 Siamese Firebacks

5 Red Junglefowl

8 Germains swiftlets

7 Cooks Swifts

6 Red-wattled Lapwings

2 Crested Serpent-Eagles (photos)

4 Oriental Pied Hornbills

4 Dollarbirds

2 Blue-eared Barbets

2 Green-eared Barbets

3 Lineated Barbets

1 Common Flameback

1 White-bellied Erpornis

2 Common Hill Mynas (photos)

We heard no sign of Blue Pitta where we heard it two years ago but did hear the haunting calls of my own main target the Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo which failed to appear despite our patrols up and down the roads as dusk approached.

A final consolation was that at 7.45 pm we enjoyed the calls of Great-eared Nightjars in the dam area after which we hastened away to minimise the risk of another elephant encounter in the dark.

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 2nd of May 2024 06:12:12 AM

28/04/2024 - Huai Aeng -  Roi Et Province side.

With Pen having to stay with her mum three of us set out west for three nights away intent on birding the lush forest habitats of Chaiyaphum Province in westernmost Isaan where our existing lists were modest to say the least.
En route we had to cross Roi Et, Maha Sarakham, and Khon Kaen Provinces and so we called in at our planned first stop Huai Aeng. 
With water levels so low this lake area had dried out to the extent that we were able to drive out onto what had become a firm grassland with grazing buffalo and cattle. Pauls plan had been to scan the remaining pool edges for any passage waders and by 11.45 we were avidly checking out everything.

A one hour session turned up 14 species but came to an abrupt end:-

6 Little Ringed Plovers

8 Spotted Redshanks

10 Greenshanks

20 Oriental Pratincoles

15 Asian Openbills

1 Little Egret

4 Chinese Pond-Herons

4 Eastern Cattle Egrets

5 Grey Herons

2 Asian Green Bee-eaters

2 Oriental Skylarks

2 Great Mynas

6 Paddyfield Pipits

All this time we were scanning from the vehicle as the outside temperature was over 40 degrees. Barb suddenly spotted a smaller wader over 100 metres away between two Greenshanks and two Spotted Redshanks - a possible Wood Sandpiper?

We quickly began assessing this bird, - from what we could see on rear end views it was too fat and dumpy for Wood Sand and lacked a clear cut supercilium, Long-toed Stint was quickly eliminated as this bird was too big. Paul began taking photos and our birded finally turned around showing a solid infilled breast pattern.

That looks like a Pec Sand I exclaimed. We checked the mantle and scapulars to make sure we werent making a silly mistake. Glimpses of leg colour (made difficult by the sun being directly overhead) showed the typical mustard tone. It was indeed a Pectoral Sandpiper!

We pulled out the fieldguide. Pec. Sand is depicted but marked as a Vagrant, - one record in 2009 at Pak Thale!

We put out the news and Andy Pierce quickly responded with a Whow! Im on my way!.

We stayed put hoping that our bird would do the same, - though it and its companions flew 100 metres onto a small islet where the Pec. Sand enjoyed some shade sheltering under the bellies of the two Greenshanks, and sometimes cooling thigh deep in the water. It was disturbed several times by an aggressive Black-winged Stilt which thankfully cleared off after a couple of tense minutes.

A grateful Andrew Pierce eventually found us and took his own photos from inside his vehicle. 
Since the fieldguide was published there have been a further 5/6 records of Pectoral Sandpier generally seen by only the finders so this is a true rarity for Thailand and of course the first to be found in the Isaan region.

Photos attached.

Regards,

Mike P.

24/04/2024 6.25 pm Phu Sa Dok Bua Nat.Pk.

Buoyed by our success with owls in Khao Yai, Paul and I decided upon an owling session on the edge of this national park close to where three provinces (Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, and Yasothon) all meet. 
Earlier Andrew Pierce had mentioned to Paul that when camping here he had been hearing owls through the night.

We arrived by this lakeside trail at around 6.30 pm and after noting 3 Black-winged Stilts soon had both Asian Barred Owlet and a Brown Boobook calling, though no response from Collared Scops Owl as it was most likely too early.

At 7.40 we drove a short distance into Amnat Charoen and immediately were hearing two Collared Scops Owls, an Asian Barred Owlet and two Brown Boobooks, one of which flew in and briefly perched in full view.

We drove a short distance of a few hundred yards into Yasothons best remaining forest patch where Paul discovered the Fujian Niltava a few years ago. Here we heard the common Asian Barred Owlet and 2 more Brown Boobooks, one of these flew in again but didnt offer a good photo opportunity.

The big surprise however was the sudden maniacal laughter of a Blyths Frogmouth! This is hundreds of kilometres north of its known range and again is an example of the hidden riches to be found lurking in Eastern Isaan.

We need to research things thoroughly but initial findings suggest that the call we heard is that of a territorial female - so we may well have this species breeding here.

Regards,

Mike P.

21/04/2024 - 08. 15 am. - Animal Nutrition Research and Development Centre - Nakhon Ratchasima.

Having made the decision to exit the Nat. Pk. the night previously (enough of camping!) we booked into our regular hotel, (the Rimtarn in Pak Chong) and enjoyed pizzas and a few beers, and made plans for a reasonably early start trying again for the francolin. 
This paid off big time, thanks to Barbs keen spotting. We were hearing fewer calls but fortuitously parked right next to a pair shuffling in long grass barely twenty feet from Barbs window. She saw both birds and Paul and I saw the female well just before they crept into cover before flushing as Paul exited the vehicle to herd them our way.
For me a catch up world lifer no less. Other species noted were the usual pair of cute Spotted Owlets in their preferred tree where we had them in January, and a soft province tick for me- an Oriental Magpie Robin.

By 9.15 en route east we arrived at the Lam Takhong dam on the Ta Ngoi farmlands (still in Nakhon Ratchasima)

which provided some good wader additions to my province list:-
20 Black-winged Stilts

2 Pacific Golden Plovers

4 Little Ringed Plovers

1 Common Sandpipers

8 Long-toed Stints

6 Small Pratincoles

40 Oriental Pratincoles

28 Glossy Ibis

8 Easter Yellow Wagtails (all macronix)

1 Citrine Wagtail (female).

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 25th of April 2024 12:23:58 PM

20/04/2024 - 05.45 am - Khao Khieo Rd. (Khao Yai Nat. Pk.) Nakhon Nayok side.

- Our final entry for Nakhon Nayok as we changed plans deciding not to stay a 3rd night camping as only one possible owl remained unseen (Mountain Scops Owl).

Birding the road early was our long shot strategy for a possible sighting of Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo which from time to time does get seen crossing the road just after dawn, predictably however we turned up only the regular species, best of which were two Mountain Imperial Pigeons, a female Red-headed Trogon (photo), several more Great Hornbills, and a male Heart-spotted Woodpecker (photo).

The previous evening after a short pre-dusk session when we photographed the Rufous Woodpecker, our route back to camp was delayed by a large lone elephant walking towards us on the road.
We steadily backed up as the elephant looked stressed trying to head off road directly into the forest on either side but without success. It was now pitch black and we should by now have been back in camp safely behind the locked entrance gate.

We reversed past a side track and fortunately the elephant headed off down there just as the first of about 8 night safari trucks with campers aboard turned up; - little wonder the elephants get stressed and must hate and fear encounters/interactions on the roads.

Cheers,

Mike P.