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.

02/01/2025 - 9.30 am - Friendship Bridge, Tambon Bang Sai Yai - Mukdahan Province.

Paul made a very brief stop here to check on this breeding site for House Swifts. The bridge here is a major crossing point for traffic heading over the Mekong river into Lao. He noted with satisfaction birds returning every few minutes to their nests suspended under the bridge.
 The day before he had again checked Phu Mu for any sign of thrushes but drew a blank again.

On 03/01 Paul was again in Mukdahan at Don Tan - Princess Mothers Park spending 15 minutes scouring likely spots for thrushes but with no prizes forthcoming.

Later in the day at 11 am he arrived at Kaeng Chang Mob in Ubon Ratchathani province where he spent 90 minutes logging 34 species in windy conditions by the Mekong river. Despite a pretty good list there was nothing out of the ordinary - just the usual culprits including the star speciality here a Mekong Wagtail (still a potential new bird for several of Thailands top listers who have never got round to making the pilgrimage here for this near endemic range restricted wagtail).

Regards,

Mike P.

25/12/2024 - Christmas morning saw Paul searching for thrushes up at Phu Mu Forest Park (Mukdahan side) again in a fruitless search for thrushes. One thrush sp. flew across the road 100 metres before the pay booth at the entrance but despite a two hour wait it didnt reappear. I have to admire his patience! At least the staff admit him free of charge - perhaps in view of his contribution in building up the site list with his records and of course the display of his photos in the reception area.
Of 22 regular species recorded the only surprise was his first record of a Black Drongo for the site.

Regards,

Mike P.

22/12/2024 - 6.30 am Still Phu Luang Wildlife area Loei Province.

The team made an early start on this their last morning in Loei with a lengthy 4 hour stint ahead of the long drive home to Yasothon later. The pick of 29 species were:-

1 Striated Heron

1 Red-headed Trogon

1 Common Kingfisher

1 Great Barbet

1 Bronzed Drongo

8 Sulphur-breasted Warbler

1 Yellow-bellied Warbler

4 Indian White-eyes

3 Rufous-fronted Babblers

4 Blue Whistling Thrushes

2 White-crowned Forktails

1 Large Woodshrike (seen by Shaun only)

Talking briefly to Paul later on his drive home he reported a successful trip with 15 additions to his Loei list and rather more for Shaun with both adding a few Thailand ticks as well.

This will be a likely final report for 2024 so we wish for all in the Manchester birding community a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Birdy 2025.

Best Wishes from Mike P and family.

21/12/2024 - 6.30 am - still at Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary - Loei Province.

Birding the general area for 5 hours Paul and Shaun logged 29 species (excluding the sizeable mix of phylloscopus warblers seen already); - 

1 Asian Emerald Dove

1 Himalayan Swiftlet 

1 Great Barbet

1 Lineated Barbet

1 Blue-throated Barbet (photo courtesy of Shaun)

1 Speckled Piculet

2 White-throated Fantails

2 Ashy Drongos

15 Hair-crested Drongos

1 Black-naped Monarch

2 Grey-backed Shrikes

4 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers

4 Yellow-cheeked Tits

6 Asian House Martins

10 Nepal House Martins

15 Eastern Red-rumped Swallows

20 Mountain Bulbuls

6 Flavescent Bulbuls

6 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

2 Golden Babblers

7 Yunnan Fulvettas

7 Blue-winged Minlas

1 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

3 Large Niltavas (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

3 Taiga Flycatchers 

1 Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

1 Black-throated Sunbird (a male)

1 Mrs. Goulds Sunbird (male - always a stunner and one I still need for Thailand)

2 Leafbird sp.

5 Olive-backed Pipits

3 Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrikes (seen by Shaun alone)

Cheers,

Mike P

14/12/2024 - 6.10 am - Bueng Lahan Non hunting area - Chaiyaphum Province.

News broke late on 13th of a Black-faced Spoonbill in this westernmost province of Isaan which immediately put Paul into twitching mode. He headed off west arranged some convenient village accommodation and was on site early only to initially find nothing around though a trickle of birders started to arrive (15 no less- a big turnout in Thailand!).

It was pointed out that there was a nearby egret roost and sure enough birds started to glide into the site - to everyones relief the Black-faced Spoonbill was with them. This smaller congener of our more familiar Eurasian Spoonbill is a rare winter visitor to Thailand and sits high on my own wanted list. 
Pauls early start paid off as the bird didnt stick around for long so he spent the rest of the morning boosting his own province list with a mooch round the general area where another few hours yielded 52 species - the pick of the bunch being:-

1 Lesser Coucal

150 Black-winged Stilts

2 Red-wattled Lapwings

30 Bronze-winged Jacanas

1 Marsh Sandpiper

1 Wood Sandpiper

3 Spotted Redshanks

1 Greenshank

400 Asian Openbills

400 Glossy Ibises (an amazing number - photo)

5 Purple Herons

2 Black Kites (these seem to be rather more numerous generally this year).

1 Freckle-breasted Woodpecker

7 Long-tailed Shrikes (a good count of this spectacular and variable species these of the handsome black- hooded

longicaudatus form - photos)

8 Sand Martins

1 White-shouldered Starling (photo)

At 11.17 am a twenty minute stop at Ta Dam Lake produced 17 species including 2 Ashy Minivets, 2 Racket-tailed Treepies and a Thick-billed Warbler to round off his Chaiyaphum outing adding a nice 23 species to his province list.

En route driving back home a Black Kite was a fortuitous chance addition to his list for Roi Et.

Cheers,

Mike P.

14/12/2024 - All about Thrushes.

Today I want to backtrack to that magic week (the first week of January 2023) - almost two years ago when prolonged north easterly winds brought some notable thrush species to Phu Mu Forest Park on the Yasothon/ Mukdahan boundary.

The four of us - Pen and Paul Barb and I were seeing if anything had arrived at this hilltop location on these winds when Pen noted an Orange-headed Thrush which turned out to be of the form maculata - later confirmed as a new sub species for Thailand no less.
As we were watching this thrush Pen was trying to draw our attention to another bird rather closer to hand and largely obscured in the grass. When we eventually looked at her bird it became the main focus of our attention - another new species for the province which we tentatively identified as a female/immature Black-breasted thrush.

Barb then pointed out a Whites Thrush foraging further away in the leaf litter and much closer to hand we noted a confiding male White-throated Rock Thrush. After enjoying the spectacle for an hour or so we headed off and after informing Paul Farrell that evening we all joined up for a return visit on 10/01 2023 when the attached photos by both PF and PP were taken.

Later in the year Paul was asked by Phillip Round if we had eliminated the possibility of our Black-breasted Thrush being a female Grey-backed Thrush - a potential new species for Thailand! 
Of course we had not; Grey-backed Thrush wasnt even on our radar and is not even shown in the latest Thai fieldguide. My only experience of the species is of a single male in China 2002 which was in loose association foraging with a Whites Thrush which appeared to dwarf it.

Last week Thailands first Grey-backed Thrush (a female) was found in Nakhon Ratchasima at a restricted site and has been well photographed so far by a handful of observers fortunate enough to see it. Accordingly I have been scrutinising all of these photos and comparing these with those of our 2023 bird.

Paul has been requested by Phillip Round to forward as many photos as possible of our female Black-breasted Thrush for critical assessment by leading authorities to eliminate it as far as possible from being the first record of Grey-backed Thrush.
Although the similarity between females of these two species is striking I am hoping that our original identification might stand based on what appear as consistent differences in mantle tones and bill colour; - however because of our inexperience and not having any clear idea of the variation parameters within each species as regards ageing sexing or moult strategy for us it remains a case of wait and see. We hope for the finders of last weeks definate Grey-backed Thrush that their bird will stand as the first record.

Regards,

Mike P

06/12/2024 - A late morning call from Andy Pierce saw Paul headed south on a twitch into Si Sa Ket; - Andy had found two Grey-headed Lapwings, - a new species for the province.

Paul arrived on site at Klong Siao Horshoe Bends - a location which rings no bells with me (but which sounds like a riverine area of perhaps oxbow lakes?).

A ninety minute session yielded 38 species including the target birds- best of which were:-

2 Grey-headed Lapwings (record photo)

4 Asian Openbills

1 Yellow Bittern

3 Purple Herons

1 Black-winged Kite (photo)

2 Racket-tailed Treepies (photo of one)

1 Oriental Reed Warbler

3 Dusky Warblers

1 Two-barred Warbler

1 Yellow-browed Warbler

1 Brown Shrike

Later en route home (still in Si Sa Ket) a half hour stop at Tanon Tee Maimi Shue produced 11 species including a vocal but unseen Lanceolated Warbler and four Hoopoes - one of which flaunted itself for a decent photo opportunity.

Cheers,

Mike P.

27/11/2024 -7.27 am - Phu Si Than ranger station 9 - Mukdahan Province.

Paul met up with Paul Farrell and Shaun Green on site up in the north of Mukdahan where the two Pauls have previously done pretty well (with woodpeckers especially).This was a first visit for Shaun who was accordingly looking forward to the trip. However to the surprise of all they were denied access by the rangers in spite of Paul Farrells fluency in Thai explaining that they had visited previously without any problems at all. Perhaps there was some project underway and in place a temporary bar on entry for safety reasons - who know?

I hope the situation here is only temporary as Barb and I have yet to visit this site which among other attractions holds Great Slaty Woodpecker - a species I still need for Thailand.

However the team managed to salvage some birding in a three hour session which yielded 32 species - generally the usual predictable mix with the only woodpecker being a single Common Flameback with 2 raptors - an Oriental Honey Buzzard (photos) and a Crested Serpent Eagle.

Cheers,

Mike P.

14/11/2024 - 17.00 pm - Phue Hi Yasothon.

Paul drove the few kilometres to check the local harrier roost site where the ideal viewing spot was again blocked by the tethered buffalo which impeded us when we last visited. He logged 26 species in a 20 minute session the most noteworthy being:-

50 Lesser Whistling Ducks

1 Plaintive Cuckoo

5 Little Egrets

10 Chinese Pond-Herons

20 Eastern Cattle Egrets

5 Grey Herons

3 Purple Herons

3 Eastern Marsh Harriers

4 Pied Harriers

6 Harrier sp.

2 Brahminy Kites

25 Asian Green Bee-eaters

Plus a support cast of common passerines.

Photos attached: - record shot of a male Pied Harrier and of the Brahminy Kites - taken against the sun - thanks to the buffalo!

Regards,

Mike P.

13/11/2024 -11.30 am. Tham Pha Nam Thip non hunting area n/e Thai Literary Botanical Gardens -Roi Et Province.

4 hours spent trudging through leaf litter seeking winter thrushes here produced 29 species but only a single thrush sp. flushed for Pauls efforts. As some consolation he did enjoy some Olive-backed Pipits - best were:-

1 Shikra

2 White-bellied Erpornis

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher

6 Taiga Flycatchers

3 Hainan Blue Flycatchers 

4 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Raddes Warbler

8 Olive-backed Pipits

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/11/2024 8.45 am A return visit to the same site as yesterday yielded no raptors - just 12 common species among which-

8 Asian Green Bee-eaters

4 Little Grebes on adjacent lake (photo)

Regards,

Mike P.

02/11/2024 6.15 am - Dong Hua Kong & Dong Bang Ee Community Forest  - Phu Sing Amnat Charoen Province.

This early morning start saw Paul scanning over the forest canopy from the cliff tops. We have visited this spectacular overlook before and Paul has never found any access from the cliff top to the extensive forest below so we always can imagine that exciting discoveries here await us - if only

A three hour session yielded up 29 species; best being:-

2 Red Junglefowl (here certainly wild birds)

2 Green-billed Malkohas 

1 White- nest Swiftlet 

4 House Swifts

1 Jerdons Baza (record shot. Another good record and obviously end of October/early November seems to be a good time this year at least for migrants of this scarce raptor).

1 Blue-winged Pitta (calling from the forest below the cliffs - begging the question is this a late migrant here or possibly even a wintering bird ?).

8 Ashy Minivets (All heading south - one photo)

Cheers,

Mike P.

25/10/2024 - 11.58 am. Arun Prasert road Tambon Pa Lan - Maha Sarakham Province.

While driving east with Pen within a couple of hours of home Paul noted a passerine harrying a buzzard sized raptor but with his birding brain starting to kick in he was already slowing down to stop as it dawned that the passerine was a big one - a Large-billed Crow and that the buzzard was an eagle species.

He quickly rattled off shots to confirm his identification - a Greater Spotted Eagle and a new addition to the province list; - photos below.

In later contact with the raptor watchers down in Chumphon it transpired that after their departure Common Buzzard Short-toed Eagles and Booted Eagles had been recorded so a repeat visit next year may well be set for a week later in the calendar?

Paul and Pen had chalked up 2000 kms on this latest outing - Thailand has good roads but is not a small country.

Regards,

Mike P.

24/10/2024 - Pak Thale nature reserve - Phetchaburi Province.

Its difficult to pass north through this province without calling in to this location for the almost overwhelming winter waderfest to be enjoyed so Shaun and Paul succumbed to temptation with a four hour session here which yielded up 55 species - highlights being:-

1 Slaty-breasted Rail

100 Black-winged Stilts

15 Black-bellied Plovers

1 Pacific Golden Plover

8 Little Ringed Plovers

200 Tibetan Sand-Plovers (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

20 Greater Sand-Plovers

2000 Bar-tailed Godwits

35 Black-tailed Godwits

100 Marsh Sandpipers (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

15 Common Redshanks

1 Nordmanns/Common Greenshank

6 Great Knots (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

20 Red Knots

2 Ruffs

12 Broad-billed Sandpipers

5 Curlew Sandpipers

200 Red-necked Stints

3 Sanderlings

15 Brown-headed Gulls

30 Little Terns

10 Gull-billed Terns (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

1 Caspian Tern

1 Whiskered Tern

2 Black-naped Terns

40 Painted Storks

50 Little Cormorants

2 Pacific Reef Herons

5 other common heron/ egret sp.

50 Spot-billed Pelicans

Cheers,

Mike P.

22/10/2024 16.50 - Saphli Chumphon Province.

Later on the same afternoon Paul and Pen met up with friends Shaun Green and his wife enjoying a short session to round off their day and perhaps boost their province listing a little :-

1 Tibetan Sand-Plover

1 Common Sandpiper

50 Little Egrets (these comprised small parties all heading south some 50 metres out over the bay)

6 Purple Herons

2 Asian Barred Owlets

3 Indochinese Rollers

1 Lineated Barbet

5 Barn Swallows

1 Streak-eared Bulbul

5 Common Mynas

3 Vinous-breasted Mynas (photo)

3 Great Mynas

2 Ornate Sunbirds

Regards,

Mike P.