21/04/2025 07.20 am - Phu Sing - Phu Pha Phuong Forest Park - Amnat Charoen province.

Again hoping for some meaningful raptor migration Barb Paul and I returned to this magnificent cliff overlook which provides a panoramic view over an extensive forested valley below which Paul has never been able to penetrate on foot.
In South America such a site would yield up early morning views of Cotingas and Toucans perched high on bare branches - here alas all falls rather short with distant Dollarbirds perhaps the odd Orioles and assorted Drongos;- nevertheless we live in hope and the view is worth the visit- except today it was quite murky with leaden skies.

A two hour session turned up 27 species, notable amongst which were:-

4 Brown-backed Needletails

2 Black Bazas (distant birds found by Barb, photographed by Paul, missed by me)

6 Dollarbirds

1 Black-naped Oriole

8 Hair-crested Drongos

2 Dark-necked Tailorbirds

3 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

6 Puff-throated Babblers

1 Dark-sided Flycatcher (photo)

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher

1 Blue Rock-Thrush

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker (always a favourite with Barb)

2 Purple Sunbirds (the song always reminds me of that of our Willow Warbler)

Regards,

Mike P.

17/04/2025 - 07.45 am Huai Aeng - Roi Et side.

Still motivated to find passage waders we drove west to the far side of Roi Et province to Huai Aeng where on April 28th last year we had found Isaans first Pectoral Sandpiper.
Our two hour session involved driving carefully across and around the lakeside grassy undulating margins avoiding old exposed tree stumps and newly formed little pools. It was apparent that there had been some recent rain and even with four wheel drive care was needed so we stuck to higher ground where possible as a precaution.

We logged a rather common 36 species most notably:-

150 Lesser Whistling Ducks

2 Plaintive Cuckoos

20 Black-winged Stilts

8 Little Ringed Plovers

2 Kentish Plovers

3 Common Sandpipers

3 Wood Sandpipers

3 Spotted Redshanks

45 Common Greenshanks (a notable count with groups of 25+5+5 with others in a scatter of ones and twos- indicative of some movement through the area).

3 Temmincks Stints

2 Small Pratincoles 

3 Oriental Pratincoles

200 Asian Openbills

3 Little Cormorants

5 species of common heron/egrets

10 Brahminy Kites

4 Oriental Skylarks

200 Barn Swallows

2 Paddyfield Pipits

4 Red-throated Pipits

In summary, - another rather low key day with no surprises - but after all - thats birding most times out there.

Regards,

Mike P.

13/04/2025 - A couple of none birding days which included a funeral yesterday of one of our Australian friends here in Kut Chum. Tomorrow we plan to head off to Amnat Charoen to check on any ongoing wader passage following our nice find here of 30/03/2025.

At this point I digress a little from birding if I may;- there are many good things which are attractive here - namely the quality and low price of food, be it excellent pork and chicken available in the supermarkets here as well as the bonus of home grown fruit and vegetables as well as the rice grown by Paul and Pen for family consumption.

When we have cause to visit Khon Kaen province a stop at a retail bakery in the city for me is a real treat. I refer to HOME PIES! - which you can probably find on the internet. For any Wigan birders coming to Thailand - do try this! I rate this as the best pie shop of my lifetime experience (and believe me Im pretty old!). They do an extensive range of assorted pies and pasties of various sizes with a light pastry and the mince and onion pie which I sampled last week would be my top choice for a final indulgent act if ever I were to end up on death row.

Another regular pleasure after a birding outing is to call in at Amazon - a franchise coffee and confectionery chain where we normally do the log. These are seemingly always to be found with other shops at PTT filling stations across the country.

These can get busy especially during major holidays with many motorists stopping off and queuing resulting. From time to time such is Amazons popularity that unusual clients do turn up so be careful to leave at least one parking space free for the unexpected client (photo).

Regards,

Mike P.

08/04/2025 - Wat Jed Khot Sub Charoentham - Saraburi Province.

For several days we had been aware of a couple of Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoos visiting a water hole in some temple grounds on the south side of Khao Yai Nat.Pk. Photographers with the benefit of a hide had been posting their shots during the first week of April with me drooling over them enviously as this for me is presently my most wanted in Thailand. I heard the species in Chaiyaphum province with Paul Farrell several years ago which served to sharpen my appetite all the more for what would be a world tick;- also I have never ever set eyes on any of the big neotropic or Asian ground-cuckoos.

With Pen urging us to have a go for the bird (she was presently down in Bangkok for a pop concert with a couple of girl friends) we were sorely tempted - but it was already almost 10.am and the drive would take 6 hours. 
Against our resolve not to be tempted out of Isaan we weakened and hit the road at 10.00 am planning an overnight stay to give us several chances to get lucky. We felt confident of success in view of the lack of rain encouraging the birds to continue to visit the waterhole.

During the drive south we noted the huge volume of traffic heading north fleeing Bangkok and the log-jam of vehicles struggling on the infamous incline by the huge cement works known to all motorists on this main north/south artery of the country.

It was with relief that we finally turned east heading for the hills and our destination when suddenly - against all expectation the skies opened with a steady/heavy downpour to dash any hope of success!

At the temple it was still raining and a friendly monk pointed out the track to the hide. We trudged uphill rather glumly to find the resident birder alone by the hide. He advised that in view of the rain there was no chance of the birds visiting and anyway the hide was fully booked for the following day as well. Paul exchanged phone numbers with him for future reference and we logged a few species on the path down to our vehicle but we had little appetite for birding and so drove off determined to salvage something for the evening and for the following day when on the way back north-east we could at least do some birding in the south-western provinces of Isaan (Nakhon Ratchasima and Buri Ram).

Once back over the border in Isaan we booked in at the Rimtarn Hotel where we have stayed before and enjoyed an excellent burger chips and salad at the nearby watering hole.

Cheers,

Mike P.

This post has to commence with one of my periodic apologies for incompetence in somehow duplicating my post of April 1st - perhaps the date was of some significance?

Since then we have experienced a sprinkling of minor adventures and misadventures:-

April 4th saw us early (7.10 am) again on site at the hilltop Buddhist sanctuary in Phu Sa Dok Bua Nat. Pk. hoping for more Needletails and some later mid morning raptor passage, - with mixed fortune we noted 25 species in a session of 2 hours 20 minutes, the more significant species being:-

15 mainly Brown-backed Needletails (but with no satisfactory photo opportunities we were unable to pick out any White-throated or Silverbacked Needletails mainly due to poor visibility in dim and murky conditions).

3 House Swifts

2 Oriental Honey-Buzzards

1 Rufous-winged Buzzard

1 Grey-faced Buzzard

1 Shikra

1 Dollarbird (perched)

1 Taiga Flycatcher

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher

2 Blue Rock-Thrushes

On the following day we made another early start at 6.30 am heading for the huge and impressive temple complex at Pha Nam Yoi Forest Park just over from Yasothon in adjoining Roi Et province. We were fortunate that right on the province boundary Paul (while driving) spied a perched Burmese Shrike on overhead wires- a neat but overdue addition to both our province lists.

Arriving on site we respectfully removed our shoes at the foot of the temple steps before proceeding up about a dozen flights of stairs to the topmost open terrace which commands extensive views over the canopy - surely we should find something really good?

Once up on the terrace I noted that I was walking over tiny gritty hard lumps scattered across the marbled floor - the baked droppings from the annoying numbers of feral pigeons resident on the high structures here, and soon by trying to clean my feet one above the other, all I succeeded in doing was to end up with filthy dark grey feet for my trouble. Barb and Paul fared slightly better as they were both wearing socks.

We logged only 13 species in 2 hours and frankly struggled with poor visibility - best noted were:-

6 House Swifts

5 Brown-backed Needletails (Paul and Barb only)

2 Crested Serpent-Eagles

1 Shikra

2 Blue Rock-Thrushes (always to be seen here)

Earlier in the botanic garden section of the forest we had heard/seen a nice scatter of the regular culprits here with:

1 Two-barred Warbler,

3 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

2 Abbotts Babblers

3 White-rumped Shamas

2 Taiga Flycatchers

Regards,

Mike P.

01/04/2025 -6.30am - Tanon Tee Maimi Shue Khon Kaen Province.

Our previous efforts in Chaiyaphum had lifted both our province lists as hoped:- mine onto 121 and Pauls onto 162.

Our early start on April 1st led us initially through open country with munias and weavers showing well so we halted for 15 minutes to scan through the birds foraging in the rice stubble and grass. This particular area is of world significance in the monitoring of Yellow-breasted Buntings which winter and roost here and soon we were picking them out among the munias and weavers.

6 Asian Golden Weavers

50 Scaly-breasted Munias

1 Chestnut Munia

10 Yellow-breasted Buntings (photos)

By 07.00 am we started our coverage scanning across the dry expanse of Kaeng Lawa where it took a degree of searching to find any pools with muddy margins. We eventually found the pool complex where the previous weeks Asian Dowitcher had been the star attraction, though it was of course long gone. Nevertheless less we logged 38 species in just over an hour and a half, the best being:-

1 Northern Shoveler

8 Eurasian Moorhens

25 Grey-headed Swamphens

14 Black-winged Stilts

10 Pacific Golden Plovers

1 Grey-headed Lapwing

2 Kentish Plovers

4 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

1 Bronze-winged Jacana

4 Pin-tailed/Common Snipe

6 Marsh Sandpipers

4 Wood Sandpipers

10 Spotted Redshanks

20 Oriental Pratincoles

20 Whiskered Terns

6 Little Cormorants

A mix of the common heron/egret species

1 Eastern Marsh Harrier

4 Brahminy Kites

1 Hoopoe

5 White-throated Kingfishers

- Plus the usual mix of common passerines.

By 10.00 am we had moved on to Kaeng Nam Ton specifically looking for the Red-necked Phalaropes found last week by Paul Farrell whose directions we were following.
Our 45 minutes here consisted of driving (using four wheel drive) over hard baked muddy margins around the lake shore scanning then moving further on. The mud had dried out quickly with the surface split into deep segments over a foot deep making walking quite difficult in that a misstep could result in a twisted ankle.

Scoping the shallows Paul found not one but both Phalaropes in loose association, - the species very much appreciated by me as yet another prized wader for my Thai list. We enjoyed the birds for some 15 minutes and Paul obtained photos of the nearer bird.

Other species noted were:-

30 Garganey

6 Little Ringed Plovers

1 Spotted Redshank

4 Temmincks Stints

1 Pied Kingfisher

1 Red-throated Pipit

Plus the usual mix of Openbills and egrets.

We then had the choice of leaving for home or trying for anything on the university campus complex of forest and parkland and without any specific information we decided on an early run eastwards back to Yasothon.

Regards,

Mike P.

30/03/2025 7.15 am - Phu Pha Phuong Forest Pk. - Amnat Charoen Province.

We arrived here on this hilltop site adjacent to an army radar station after the 90 minute drive east hoping to see both needletails and raptors migrating through but were met with cool conditions, light rain, and little happening.

We nevertheless set off northward as there was a sheltered walkway through the trees to the spectacular cliff overlook that we have visited previously. Almost immediately the rain stopped and we noted both Hair-crested and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos moving, then 10/12 Ashy Minivets flitting through some bare treetops. Closer to hand were a pair of Purple Sunbirds, an Ornate Sunbird and Black-crested and Stripe-throated Bulbuls, and a few Pin-striped Tit-Babblers and a singing White-rumped Shama.

Apart from a single Black-naped Monarch we did note two Brown-backed Needletails rocketing by as we decided to move off as not a single raptor had appeared despite the stupendous vista across the forested valley below.

At 10.45 we arrived at Amnat Charoen Irrigation project where one of my province targets proved to be quite common here (Indochinese Bushlarks - photos).

Waders were our main priority here but they appeared to be thin on the ground despite the inviting extensive grassy margins all around the lake shore with just a few token Black-winged Stilts, Little Ringed Plovers and singles of Greenshank and Common Sandpiper. Three Indochinese Rollers brightened up the scene and Barbara found two Bluethroats while checking out the Red-throated and Paddyfield Pipits.

We were ready to head for home when Paul suggested a drive around to the final grassy margins still unchecked and we parked up scanning through the vehicle windows. 
We then won the lottery!
Glassing ahead through the windscreen Paul suggested with some urgency that I get onto a bird dead ahead some 40 metres. I saw a wader standing with its back to us a relatively tall charadrius and said as calmly as I could - Thats going to be an Oriental Plover.

Paul rattled off some record shots through the windscreen- we needed evidence for the first record for eastern Isaan.

That done he eased open the car door and slithered quietly out of the car - getting ever better shots as by now the bird was walking towards us and feeding in a quite relaxed manner. I think that it is likely a second cal.year male (but please correct me if anyone knows differently).

We enjoyed about 20 minutes admiring our bird - a species new to all of us and for me the culmination of 20 years of waiting for one of these.

We left the bird at ease and feeding happily enjoying a nice break en route from Australia to the Mongolian steppe.

Regards,

Mike P.

28/03/2025 - Phu Sa Doi Bua Nat. Pk. - Phu Sung Charoen Tham Buddhist Sanctuary - Yasothon province.

We were in situ on top of this forested hilltop lookout by 7.40 am. Our purpose was to check for any migrating raptors in view of our discovery in Roi Et (the next province west) of a small movement of honey buzzards and the first Grey-faced Buzzards to be proven moving over there.

Immediately we became aware of Needletails zipping around overhead. The commonest of these are Brown-backed and we set about trying to follow them both with bins and in Pauls case through the telephoto lens; soon he was clicking off scores of shots purposefully overexposed to bring out the details against the bright sky, with me helping with directions as the birds rocketed by like fighter jets.

The white horseshoe vents were easy to see but the throats less so. A couple of birds lingered overhead playfully for some 20 seconds with all three of us readily onto them. -Result :- 2 White-throated Needletails - only the second proven for Yasothon and a Thai tick for me. Last year I was standing next to Paul when he photographed the first for the province but I couldnt say for sure then that I was on the same bird!

The needletail show fizzled out by about 08.30 so we hung on for any raptor activity.

To be honest not much happened despite putting in another hour as the temperature steadily increased, though we did have an Oriental Honey-Buzzard, a glimpse of a likely Shikra, but the much appreciate prize was a single raggedy -tailed Grey-faced Buzzard - another Yasothon first.

Photos of all these attached (note please the white supra loral combined with dark throat on the Brown-backed Needletail).

Back at base we only learned of the earthquake on the news. Later our grandson Art in Khon Kaen (3 hours - 200kms. further west said he was in a shopping mall and felt the quake and the mall had to be evacuated as a precaution. 
Regards,

Mike P.

19/03/2025 -07.20 am. Phu Mongkhon - Nong Bua Lam Phu.

We made an early start in the forest spending 3 hours 20 mins. to log 30 species the best being:-

1 Red Junglefowl

3 Oriental Honey-Buzzards (circling a large wooded conical hill on the approach section)

1 Asian Barred Owlet (heard only)

1 Dollarbird (quite early as these normally pass through later. Typically perched high on bare tree tops. Photo).

5 Lineated Barbets (heard only;- very common here).

1 Black-naped Oriole

1 Great Iora

4 Ashy Drongos

4 Hair-crested Drongos

1 Eurasian Jay (white-faced form and a future possible split?).

3 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers

50 Eastern Red-rumped Swallows

4 Sooty-headed Bulbuls

4 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Yellow-browed/Humes Warbler

1 Davisons Leaf Warbler

1 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler

2 Rufous-fronted Babblers

8 Puff-throated Babblers (heard only - seemingly all around us). 

3 Hainan Blue Flycatchers

2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers

3 Large Scimitar-Babblers - (Heard only- so not countable on my list). This was our main target in the forest. Both Paul and I have heard the species previously, however he has actually seen it - I never have; it would be a world lifer for me.
When I log any heard only species in Thailand it is a species I have seen in the country before. If I should ever see a large Scimitar-Babbler in Thailand I shall then be able to retrospectively count it in any provinces where I have previously heard it.

As it was now almost midday and with both our province lists comfortably in excess of 100 we paused for lunch and hatched a plan to cross over into Loei province where I already had 96 species under my belt.

By 12.45 we spent 35 minutes in very pleasant parkland surroundings with a backdrop of spectacular hills mopping up a few easy birds (best of 11 species being a Verditer Flycatcher) to push my province list onto 105 after which we shot back into Nong Bua to renew our efforts there.

At 15.30 we headed through open country to the hill top temple complex at Wat Phra Phutthabat Phu Kao in the Phu Phan Kham Nat.Pk. We noted 20 fairly common species in our last hour of the day the best being an obliging Burmese Shrike (one of our targets here), in addition Paul alone had a putative Rufous Turtle Dove which rocketed off the road ahead of the vehicle into cover.

On the last morning (20/03) after a 07.20 start we spent a profitable 2 hours 20 minutes in the National park logging 32 species;- the best additions being:-

3 Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes,

2 Dark-necked Tailorbirds,

2 Indochinese Blue Flycatchers (photo)

1 Grey Wagtail (patrolling the muddy edges of a forest pool)

We were struggling to find anything approaching a decent reedbed and failed to find any acrocephalus or locustella species, however while we were bemoaning the situation Barb drew our attention to a distant green bird perched high on a bare tree top. Through binoculars it looked good for a likely Lineated Barbet (of which we had heard any number).

Paul took a quick telephoto shot and zoomed up to glee all round - Barb had found not just the first Parakeet species ever recorded for Nong Bua but a male Grey-headed Parakeet - a lifer for all of us! (photo attached).

Things were rather anticlimactic after the big find and after finally adding a vocal Oriental Reed Warbler and for me a Zitting Cisticola we headed off more or less birded out south east on the long drive home.
I had reached 116 and Paul 125 in fourth and third places respectively in the Nong Bua listings;- he had reached the hundred mark in all 20 provinces with me on 100 in 18 provinces, with 99 in Chaiyaphum and a token 4 in Nong Khai- both awaiting future visits?

Best Wishes to all in the GM birding community.

The Passants

15/03/2025 - 07.00 am - Wat Khao Sala - Surin Province.

After an early breakfast we ate up the 40 Kms. and arrived in good time at the sanctuary. We find generally that there is no point commencing forest birding sessions at the crack of dawn as the birds take their time to become active. We also did not expect to add loads of additional species as birding in good forest requires patience and generally birds come at a far slower rate relative to open country birding as many of you know full well.

Two and a half hours produced 26 species the best being:-

6 Red Junglefowl (on the road)

1 Crested Serpent-Eagle (perched)

1 Blue-bearded Bee-eater (almost certainly the same individual as seen yesterday on the same perch).

2 Greater Flamebacks 

3 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos

3 Blyths Paradise Flycatchers (these seemed to be a family party, quite close to hand in the mid canopy, and calling incessantly).

2 Puff-throated Bulbuls

1 Grey-eyed Bulbul (heard only, with its unmistakeable Liverpool accent!)

3 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

3 Puff-throated Babblers

4 Abbotts Babblers

20 White-crested Laughingthrushes (seemingly all around us giving regular glimpses as they crossed the road on foraging outings).

2 Common Hill Mynas

2 White-rumped Shamas

2 Hainan Blue Flycatchers

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Although there were 4/5 common flycatchers which still eluded us here we decided to move off as the dry conditions were the probable reason for their absence and an early start towards home at this stage by a different northerly route would facilitate another new lakeside stop to mop up a few more open country targets.

At 2 pm we arrived at Phon Khrok on the Surin/Roi Et border and a final 15 minute stop added Common Kingfisher and White Wagtail (leucopsis) among nine species noted.

The final outcome was that my Surin list increased from 68 to 124 to reach 5th place and Paul added 7 species to hit top spot in Surin on 179.

Regards,

Mike P.

11/03/2025 - 8.48 am  Khok Sung - Canal - Kut Chum Yasothon.

Barb and I enjoyed a one and a half hour stroll on our old stamping ground by the canal and around the rice fields where I first started listing birds here in 2017.

Everything is presently very dry across the whole region and it struck us that there is a dearth of insects and oddly here we heard not a single Dusky Warbler nor any Raddes. It was nice however to explore anew.

We logged a modest 16 species and were finally pleased to get back to base as by 10.00 the heat was oppressive.

Zebra Doves

3 Asian Koels

1 Plaintive Cuckoo

1 Barred Buttonquail (This was walking away some 30 yards ahead of us on a meandering path through foot high rank grass giving more than adequate views of its rusty orange rear vent before it crept into cover. Once we drew level it flushed as expected, exploding into flight with whirring wing beats. This was bird of the outing for me as I have never before seen the species walking on the ground).

2 Coppersmith Barbets

2 Malaysian Pied Fantails

2 Brown Shrikes

2 Large-billed Crows (Heard only).

1 Common Tailorbird

3 Plain Prinias 

Common Mynas

2 Oriental Magpie Robins

1 Amur Stonechat

2 Pied Bushchats

House Sparrows

1 Plain-backed Sparrow (a stunning male:- this handsome species surely deserves a more fitting name!)

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/03/2025 - 06.48 am - Tanon Tee Maimi Shue - Kalasin Province.

After a very early start Barb, Paul and I arrived on site ahead of schedule logging 29 species in just under the hour.

One aim was for my benefit; - to ease my province list over the 100 from the present 97.

The pick of the birds was as follows :-

40 Black-winged Stilts

10 Little Ringed Plovers

1 Marsh Sandpiper

1 Spotted Redshank

5 Temmincks Stints

50 Openbill Storks

1 Raddes Warbler

8 Streaked Weavers

4 Asian Golden Weavers

3 Plain-backed Sparrows

A bonus along the road appeared in the form of 3 Black Kites (black-eared form) bringing my province list to 104 species.

Ahead of us at this point was (for me) entirely new ground as we crossed into Udon Thani province where every species was of course a new bird with the stiff task in prospect of reaching 100. Paul had visited previously and already started on 63.

Paul had effectively organised a 48 hour round of visiting (mainly wetland) key sites from his research and we set about these enthusiastically from 09.40 onwards so that by the end of day one I had reached 75 species and Paul had reached 94 species. By the end of day two (07/03/2025) I was onto 99 and Paul onto 114.

We finished on the morning of 08/03/25 with me pleased to reach 104 and with Paul onto 117.

The pick of our records was as follows:-

3 Plaintive Cuckoos

1 Grey-headed Lapwing

3 Red-wattled Lapwings

1 Kentish Plover

5 Common Snipe (despite trying, we could not find any Pin-tailed Snipe - we do find that trying to i/d snipe using the eye-stripe (ie black lores from bill to eye) and gauging the thickness of this relative to the thickness of the fore-supercilium is just not reliable, and have proven photographic evidence to support this view).

1 Common Sandpiper

5 Marsh Sandpipers

Wood Sandpipers (many)

5 Spotted Redshanks

Common Greenshanks 

8 Temmincks Stints

2 Long-toed Stints

Oriental Pratincoles (many)

8 Little Cormorants

1 Yellow Bittern

Little Egrets,

Medium Egrets

Chinese Pond-Herons

1 Cattle Egret

Grey Herons 

Purple Herons

(Our efforts to find a roost of Night-Herons proved fruitless, nor did we manage any Striated Herons)

Raptors were a Black-winged Kite, a male Shikra, a female/imm Eastern Marsh Harrier and the usual Brahminy Kites.

We saw both Common and White-throated Kingfishers but Paul saw a perched Black-capped Kingfisher flushed by a Large-billed Crow before Barb and I got onto it.

3 Black-naped Orioles

3 Brown Shrikes

1 Burmese Shrike

Also Grey-breasted, Plain, and Yellow-bellied Prinias.

1 Thick-billed Warbler

2 Oriental Reed Warblers

1 Pallass Grasshopper Warbler

Yellow-browed, Dusky, Raddes, and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers.

1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher (female)

1 Bluethroat

2 Taiga Flycatchers

Ruby-cheeked, Brown-throated, Purple, and Ornate Sunbirds.

Streaked and Asian Golden Weavers

Scaly-breasted and Chestnut Munias

10 Red Avadavats

Eastern Yellow, Amur, and Citrine Wagtails.

Paul also picked out a single Glossy Ibis flushed with a flock of Openbills by a farmer going about his chores; - Barb and I (seated in the vehicle) failed to pivot onto the bird before it was lost to view.

- Some photos to come in due course.

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 9th of March 2025 08:22:13 AM

03/03/2025 - 06.20 am - Chi Long Forest Park - Maha Sarakham.

After an excellent night in a resort hotel where we have stayed in the past, we drove the short distance to this forest site which proved to be a good hotspot when we visited last May.

We found it rather quiet and deduced that we were there rather too early in the day though as we were strolling back to the vehicle with a view to moving on, things suddenly livened up and among 23 species logged a few gems appeared with minivets moving in and across the treetops, with some perching prominently on the uppermost bare branches.

I noted several birds, - a female with lemon yellow underparts and a pinkish breasted male companion - surely Rosy Minivets and I called it as such. Paul had also latched onto these and a bunch of 5/6 Minivets flew across and perched closer enabling Paul to grab an opportunistic photo of a male Ashy Minivet conveniently perched above.

Neither of us had ever recorded any Minivet species before in Maha Sarakham so these were bonus birds indeed with the Rosy Minivet likely a world tick for me despite it wintering broadly across Thailand.

On the drive out Paul saw a disappearing Racket-tailed Treepie which eluded me.

We then headed off for Nong Kra-tae (Ban Don Nong) a dug out artificial water storage pool where a wintering drake Pintail was pleasingly still keeping company with 300 Lesser Whistling Ducks 10 Garganey and a few Cotton Pigmy-Geese while awaiting us.

Whilst exiting Maha Sarakham we logged a sneaky Green-billed Malkoha while a Common Kingfisher dodged me.

We arrived on the Roi Et side of Huai Aeng lakeside grassy expanse at 11.15 am. This has become my favourite wader site in inland Isaan and I had several wader targets for my Roi Et listing effort and so was full of hopeful anticipation.

We noted the regular duck species on the lake itself  but drove slowly along the extensive lake shore and also checked the little muddy depressions on the grassy margins where grazing buffalo were tended be the usual Eastern Cattle Egrets. Waders present were:-

30 Black-winged Stilts

20 Littlle Ringed Plovers

2 Kentish Plovers (photo)

2 Marsh Sandpipers (photo)

4 Spotted Redshanks

6 Greenshanks

6 Temmincks Stints (photos)

20 Oriental Pratincoles

- Also a scatter of the usual common culprits.

The Kentish Plovers, Marsh Sandpipers and Temmincks Stints were my particular targets for this province, though the recent Ruff found recently by Paul here was either gone or in hiding.

Our final call in Roi Et at 13.00 in a simmering 38 degrees was to add another pair of Shoveler to my Roi Et total; - ( how Paul managed to find these was a miracle in itself.)

- And so ended our little blitz, enabling me to add no fewer than 28 species to my Maha Sarakham list to squeeze into 10th spot overall.

Cheers,

Mike P.

28/02/2025 Yasothon - family home in Kut Chum - a lazy day catching up on sleep.

Barb and I landed in Bangkok slightly ahead of schedule at 9 am yesterday, having travelled for a change with Air France (Newcastle/Paris/Bangkok) - cheaper than with Emirates (Newcastle/Dubai/Bangkok), so with better food as well, this may be our permanent first choice in the foreseeable future?

Travelling north for the last leg (600kms. with Paul and Pen in the big SUV), once into Isaan we noticed that the fields were very dry and so made incidental stops at two flooded small fields which had attracted a few birds, the first of these being just for 12 mins. at Pa Lan in Maha Sarakham with 6 species noted:-

18 Black-winged Stllts

1 Little Ringed Plover

20 Spotted Redshanks (a nice addition to my own modest list for this province)

3 Oriental Pratincoles

1 Asian Openbill

1 Chinese Pond-Heron

1 Cisticola sp.

Having moved on some 15 mins. later and having crossed now into Roi Et on the Arun Prasert road, Paul pulled up to check out a soaring raptor on his side. We jumped out and spent a few minutes to readily confirm an Eastern Marsh Harrier which I carried on scrutinising while Paul latched onto a second bird.

Looking behind us, Paul picked up a passing small slim accipiter showing characteristics of Japanese Sparrowhawk (total lack of black in the under primaries, and not a fit for any of the alternatives here - Besra, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Shikra) but with not enough time to get the camera unpacked this bird escaped any greater scrutiny). Both of us have seen the species previously and instantly agreed the i/d though this would be my first in Thailand. The other notable species here was a sizeable (25) overhead group of circling Oriental Pratincoles possibly put up by the passing raptor.

Regards,

Mike P.

23/02/2025 - Huai Aeng - (Maha Sarakham side)

Having earlier visited this westerly province on an errand to collect his telescope, Paul spent a couple of hours at this excellent lake site checking the ducks, waders and egrets, - best of which were:-

500 Lesser Whistling-Ducks

80 Garganey

5 Northern Shovelers (photo)

80 Black-winged Stilts

60 Little Ringed Plovers

20 Kentish Plovers (photos)

5 Common Sandpipers

5 Marsh Sandpipers

11 Wood Sandpipers

6 Spotted Redshanks

3 Common Greenshanks

1 Ruff (photos) - a well earned province tick for Paul as Ruff is quite scarce in eastern Isaan (and would be for me a Thai tick).

9 Temmincks Stints (an impressive count for these)

7 Oriental Pratincoles

21/02/2025 -11.00am Saharuang Sugar Factory Ponds - Mukdahan Province.

This morning saw Paul revisiting this promising site where in two hours he noted 40 species which included a new bird for his Mukdahan list - though Im not certain which one it was - either Green Sandpiper or Citrine Wagtail?

As well as these two other highlights were:-

40 Little Grebes

20 Chinese Pond-Herons

4 Indochinese Bushlarks

8 Amur Stonechats

40 Asian Golden Weavers

15 Red Avadavats

25 Eastern Yellow Wagtails (no races specified; - how I should have loved to pick my way through this lot! With these numbers it often pays to scan carefully for the presence of a Citrine Wagtail - and sure enough Paul found one today).

Cheers,

Mike P.

19/02/2025 - 13.10. Khlong Kiam -west. Yasothon Province.

Responding to a call from Andy Pierce, Paul was fairly promptly on site for a province tick. Andy had found 15 Garganey (only the third province record of the species and a first here for Paul). The birds were among numbers of the very common Lesser Whistling-Ducks (photo attached with at least 11 visible)

More to the point - what was Andy Pierce doing in Yasothon?

Well, it appears that Andy and Paul are in competition to see which of them can manage first to record 100 species in each of Isaans 20 provinces.

Up to last night the scores were:-

Paul 18

Andy 14 (with 1 in the upper 90s)

Paul (Farrell) 16

For the record -

Mike (Passant) 12 (with three more in the upper 90s)

Shaun (Green) 8

The top three have birded in every province, Shaun in 19 of them; he needs to go to Nakhon Ratchasima, and I still need to visit two - Nong Khai and Udon Thani.

Its all good fun and gets us out.

Cheers,

Mike P.

11/02/2025 - 07.30 am - Nam Phong Nat. Pk. Khon Kaen Province.

Paul and Pen made a very early start on a twitch west through Roi Et and Maha Sarakham into Khon Kaen where Andy Pierce yesterday found a challenging Bluetail species (photos attached courtesy of PP).

Sharp eyed Pen generally finds the bird in this situation and true to form she found the Bluetail once Paul had asked her to check everything foraging and making flycatcher-like sallies down onto the ground. At this point they ceased listing any more species they had already noted (18) and spent their time patiently allowing the bird to settle in their presence.

In the U.K. this plumage would automatically be identified as a Red-flanked Bluetail but in Thailand a female/ immature bird such as this could be Himalayan Bluetail (following a split some time ago) and either way is a good record for central Isaan.

A female/imm. Himalayan Bluetail supposedly shows a brighter blue rump and colder brown tones generally than Red flanked (as per fieldguide) though this can be problematic in different photographic and light conditions with the fieldguide illustrations offering no real comfort.

Attached is a decent series of Pauls photos from this morning - so any opinions welcome please.

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/02/2025  - 06.42 am - Nong Bo - Maha Sarakham.

The team met quite early spending just over 2 hours to log 62 species with the main focus on duck species. Noteworthy were:-

75 Lesser Whistling Ducks

50 Cotton Pygmy Geese

100 Garganey

1 Ferruginous Duck (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

30 Eurasian Moorhens

45 Eurasian Coots

56 Grey-headed Swamphens

9 wader species which included a Marsh Sandpiper and 2 Temmincks Stints half a dozen heron/egret species.

A fine spread of passerines included:-

1 Thick-billed Warbler

1 Black-browed Reed Warbler

2 Pallass Grasshopper Warblers

2 Bluethroats

1 Asian Golden Weaver

By 09.02 the team arrived at Ban Nan Dan reservoir where they spent an hour and a half logging 29 species with obvious overlap with the first site; - the best here being :-

2 Tufted Ducks (a good find in Thailand - photo courtesy of Paul P.)

1 Plaintive Cuckoo

50 Little Ringed Plovers2 (a remarkable total)

12 Temmincks Stints (equally impressive total)

Later at 11.51 am they reached Bo Yai for a 30 minute check logging 28 species adding a couple of Greenshanks and a Pied Harrier to the days tally.

Their next stop was a brief call in at Nong Kra-tae (Ban Don Nong) where the stand-out birds were several Northern Pintails  (photo courtesy of Shaun Green) among 400 Lesser Whistling Ducks and just 4 Garganey.

The final stop of just 11 minutes in Maha Sarakham was back at Nong Bua where a conservative estimate was of 1000 Lesser Whistling Ducks 40 Cotton Pygmy Geese and 200 Garganey.

A brief twenty minutes in Nong Thueng in Kalasin at 16.00 came up trumps with the discovery of the elusive Common Pochard (photo courtesy of Shaun Green) - a fitting reward for all.

Cheers,

Mike P.

31/01/2025 - 8.00 am - Tanon Tee Maimi Shue - Mukdahan province.

Paul called in here spending a brief 15 mins. en route north east to Nakhon Phanom logging 12 species, the best of which were two White-browed Crakes (photo of one) though with nothing new for his province list.

He arrived at 8.45. am at Khlong Kam where in 2 hours he logged 45 species, the pick of which being:-

500 Lesser Whistling Ducks

30 Cotton Pygmy Geese

17 Indian spot-billed Ducks

1 Purple Heron

1 Eastern Marsh Harrier

25 Asian Green Bee-eaters

There were only a few common waders and the usual mix of herons/Openbill storks with the best of the usual passerines being an Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Later fifteen minutes spent scanning the Mekong sandbars turned up 8 species including 20 Small Pratincoles 2 Grey Herons and a Black-winged Kite (photo) and as usual hereabouts 5 Wire-tailed Swallows. 
Im not sure which species was a new province tick but one certainly was as he regained the joint lead for Nakhon Phanom with Andy P. as top province listers both now on 151.

Cheers Mike P.

17/01/2025 7.05 am - Loeng Nok Tha airport Yasothon.

With an early start Paul and Shaun were soon on site at this abandoned airport - the best site in the province for Red- throated Pipits which are readily studied from vehicles at close range.

Here they noted 50 individuals now seemingly coming into summer plumage (photos attached courtesy of Shaun Green).

By 07.45 am they arrived at Ban Nom Klao - Boong Khla Community Forest -  Pauls favourite primary forest patch still available in his home province (where we still have unfinished business with a certain Blyths Frogmouth).

A two hour session yielded 23 species- all the regular expected culprits though perhaps with a few province ticks for Shaun?

Regards,

Mike P.

13/01/2025 - 8.30 am - Tham Pha Nam Thip - None Hunting Area - N/E Thai Literary Botanical Garden Roi Et Province.

Paul put in a three hour stint searching for thrushes here (hes quite sure the habitat is conducive to success in view of the extensive leaf litter under the trees and the altitude, though we have never hit a bulls eye when we try here for thrushes, which seems rather odd?)

The best of 18 species noted were:-

8 Hainan Blue Flycatchers (a conservative count - 1 photographed)

2 Siberian Blue Robins (always a star bird. - Like many birders upon seeing one an image comes to mind of ones first ever encounter - in my case 26 years ago strolling uphill in the woods above Singapore with a lifelong pal and being awestruck by a stunning male bird in the leaf litter. Pauls photo of a female/ imm. attached).

2 White-throated Rock-Thrushes (photo of female/imm. attached)

1 Blue Rock-Thrush

2 Crimson Sunbirds

Cheers,

Mike P.

07/01/2025 - 6.15 am Lam Phok - Surin 

Pauls last effort of his visit involved an early start putting in three hours twenty minutes and recording an excellent 65 species, - the best being as detailed below:-

400 Lesser Whistling-Ducks (scanning through these failed to turn up any Garganey)

30 Cotton Pygmy Geese

14 Indian spot-billed Ducks

50 Grey-headed Swamphens

200 Black-winged Stilts

6 Little Ringed Plovers

2 Red-wattled Lapwings

4 Kentish Plovers

4 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

15 Bronze-winged Jacanas

1 Common Snipe

2 Common Sandpipers 

1 Marsh Sandpiper

20 Wood Sandpipers

34 Common Greenshanks

1 Temmincks Stint (In with Long-toed Stints)

4 Long-toed Stints (photo - with Temmincks for company)

1 Oriental Pratincole

63 Glossy Ibis (in same field as reported 2 days earlier)

7 species of sundry herons/egrets

1 Pied Harrier

1 Rufous-winged Buzzard

8 Brahminy Kites

1 Lanceolated Warbler (heard just after sunrise).

200 Barn Swallows 

5 Eastern red-rumped Swallows

15 Eastern Yellow Wagtails (in with the plovers and stints)

In addition - the usual common mix of bee-eaters,rollers, barbets and passerines.

In all Paul added 27 species to his own list for Surin - 12 of which were first records for the province itself.

Regards,

Mike P.

06/01/2025 - 7.00am - Still at the wildlife sanctuary.

Paul parked up and birded each of the dirt tracks off the sealed road where there was no disturbance. These trails go downhill. In a six hour session he logged 39 species (forest birding!) but nevertheless enjoyed a productive session with the best being:-

4 Orange-breasted Trogons (photo)

1 Striated Heron (flushed from a forest pond)

2 Asian Barred Owlets

2 Blue-eared Barbets

2 Greater Flamebacks 

2 Vernal Hanging-Parrots

3 Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes

20 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers (a notable count)

12 Scaly-crowned Babblers (in two groups 4/5 Kms apart- photo)

15 White-crested Laughingthrushes

5 Hainan Blue Flycatchers (photo)

2 Siberian Blue Robins

4 Taiga Flycatchers

3 White-throated Rock-Thrushes

1 Crimson Sunbird

Several of the above were first records for this province and he decided to stay over again for a further blitz on the morrow.

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Monday 13th of January 2025 08:47:52 AM

05/01/2025 -10.30 am - Lam Phok - Surin Province.

Upon arrival here Paul spent an hour checking for waders in the rice fields on the western edge of the lake, 

He noted 34 species of which the pick of the bunch were:-

30 Black-winged Stilts

10 Little Ringed Plovers

4 Kentish Plovers

1 Common Sandpiper

12 Wood Sandpipers 

7 Spotted Redshanks

1 Common Greenshank

25 Asian Openbills

30 Glossy Ibis (These in a flooded ricefield with the stilts and Spotted Redshanks)

The remaining species comprised five egret/ heron species, White- throated Kingfisher and a spread of doves and common passerines.

Moving on by 13.00 he arrived at Huai Thab Than- HuaI Samran Wildlife Sanctuary- Wat Khao Sala (still in Surin) a forest habitat - rather drier than when he last visited. He spent three and a half hours here logging 29 species with some good birds for Surin included:-

1 Grey- headed Woodpecker

2 Greater Yellownapes 

2 Red-breasted Parakeets

1 Red-billed Blue Magpie

40 White-crested Laughingthrushes

3 Abbotts Babblers and a common assortment of 4 Phylloscopus warbler species

2 Siberian Blue Robins

Paul checked into some local accomodation for the night as he had a certain momentum and further unfinished business in Surin.

Cheers,

Mike P.