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.

19/04/2024 - 05.20 am. Lam Ta Khong campground - Nakhon Nayok Province. Khao Yai Nat. Pk.

One of the complications (or bonuses) in the park is that it straggles two provinces - the small river near HQ being the border so it is easy to count birds heard/seen on both province lists or also to get them in the wrong province as well!
We were hearing Great-eared Nightjars at both dawn and dusk over our tents and saw several accordingly flying across both provinces for a double whammy - a good start for the day.

At 07.am back in Nakhon Ratchasima (still of course in the park) we set off down the well known trail at Km. 33,

After a frustratingly quiet start, things picked up:-

1 Mountain Imperial Pigeon (photo)

1 Banded Bay Cuckoo (heard only)

1 Blue Pitta (heard initially at 08.20 in response to our playing, thereafter very vocal finally giving a much appreciated glimpse). For me as a Pitta enthusiast among my most wanted species, and previously only ever a heard bird.

1 Asian Fairy Bluebird.
We did return on the following day at 8 am hoping for better views of the Pitta but the morning was ruined by howling gibbons directly overhead so we called it a day.

At 11.00 am we were back at HQ (in Nakhon Nayok) where we put in a summarised listing for the remainder of the day in this province to avoid all the to and froing, additional species being:-

5 Red-wattled Lapwings

1 Asian Openbill

1 Little Cormorant

1 Great Hornbill

1 Wreathed Hornbill

1 Green-eared Barbet (photo)

1 Rufous Woodpecker (photo at dusk in failing light)

4 Paddyfield Pipits

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Tuesday 23rd of April 2024 10:58:52 AM

16/04/2024 - 07.45 am. Dong Hua Kong & Dong Bang Ee Community Forest- Amnat Charoen Province.

Encouraged by our observations high up at the temple complex in Yasothon we made an early start on another hilltop location to see if swifts and raptors were passing here a few miles east in Amnat Charoen. The overlook here is quite wonderful looking down over an expansive forest basin backed by wooded hills and we wondered if birders have ever even set foot down there - Paul knows of no such access. However as is often the case we only logged 16 species in an hour and forty minutes though did manage a few additions to our individual province tallies:-

5 Feral Pigeons 

2 Spotted Doves

1 Greater Coucal

3 Brown-backed Needletails

2 Shikras

4 Dollarbirds (passage migrants. - We felt that this species is passing on a broad front. They are particularly obliging in that they like to perch high up on naked treetops and are easily noted even when over a mile distant).

2 Coppersmith Barbets

3 Lineated Barbets

4 Large-billed Crows

1 Common Tailorbird

3 Black-crested Bulbuls

3 White-rumped Shamas

2 Thick-billed Flowerpeckers (1 photo)

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers

2 Purple Sunbirds

2 Ornate Sunbirds

By 11.00 am with the temperature rising to a searing level we arrived at Huai Pho Royal Irrigation Project where major earthworks to improve water conservation have drastically changed the lake edges into steep sloping banks totally unsuitable for waders. However the ongoing dry season has exposed dry muddy grassland below into which we managed to descend carefully with four wheel drive and were soon rewarded for Pauls skill and resolve with some nice rewards which provided the days highlight with 16 species in a forty minute session before heading off back to our Yasothon base:-

20 Black-winged Stilts

1 Pacific Golden Plover (new for the province - photo)

6 Little-ringed Plovers

2 Greater Painted-Snipes (a pair - new for the province - photos)

2 Common Sandpipers

2 Wood Sandpipers

2 Greenshanks

30 Oriental Pratincoles

12 Asian Openbills

2 Little Egrets

2 Grey Herons

4 Asian Green Bee-eaters

1 Oriental Skylark

1 Bluethroat (photo)

5 Paddyfield Pipits

1 Red-throated Pipit (photo)

Cheers,

Mike P.

12/04/2024 - 09.05 am - Phu Sung Charoen Tham Bhuddist Sanctuary - Yasothon.

This was a speculative visit on Pauls part and a first site visit for me and for Barb. This wooded hilltop sanctuary has an excellent lookout point so we had some expectation and hope of migrants heading north.

We spent an hour and a half logging 19 species but the main focus was on swifts and raptors and succeeded with:-

8 Brown-backed Needletails

6 Pacific Swifts

1 Oriental Honey-Buzzard

15 Black Bazas - (photo)

1 Shikra

3 Chinese Sparrowhawks (for all of us our first in Thailand - photo).

5 Dollarbirds

- A successful visit with the promise of further dividends to come?

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Saturday 13th of April 2024 09:53:26 AM

07/04/2024 - 08.00 am - Phue Hi (lakeside Forest fragment). Yasothon.

With temperatures set to soar into the low 40s and Barb and I still getting used to the heat we explored some of the Yasothon sites basically hoping for passage flycatchers.

At this our first stop the highlight birds were a pair of the delightful diminutive White-browed Piculets which we heard drumming in a thin section of bamboo. These immediately flew in to playback perched within 30 ft. and swayed  and danced to and fro searching for the drumming rival. Accordingly after great views we cut the recording as they were obviously a territorial pair and as well as Pauls first record for this site these were my own first of the species for Yasothon.

These justified our visit as it was otherwise very quiet here with only several Large-billed Crows, 2 Common Tailorbirds and a showy White-rumped Shama for our trouble.

08/04/2024 - 09.20 am - Phu Sa Dok Bua Nat. Pk. Phu Sung Charoen Tham Buddhist Sanctuary - Yasothon.

A leisurely arrival at this forested hilltop site was a first for Barb and me and from the start we started logging species stopping at several good spots as we gained height. The road passed through several very steep sections bounded by huge rocks which evoked memories for me of rock fowl habitat in Cameroon (where 20 years ago I managed another spectacular dip by missing the main target bird).

Here our main target was Mugimaki Flycatcher of which we found two - my first females and a Thai tick, (having only ever having seen before a single male bird in Vietnam). Other birds recorded were:-

1 Red Junglefowl

2 Asian Koels

8 Brown-backed Needletails

2 Oriental Honey-Buzzards

1 Asian Barred Owlet

3 Dollarbird

2 Coppersmith Barbets

1 Lineated Barbet

2 Large-billed Crows

2 Common Tailorbirds

6 Barn Swallows

4 Black-crested Bulbuls

1 Raddes Warbler

2 White-rumpled Shamas

3 Ornate Sunbirds

We do find that these hilltop temple sites are generally good for birds as there are flowering shrubs no habitat destruction (as the surrounding forest is considered part of the sanctuary) and visitors are respectfully quiet.

I particularly enjoyed learning the plumage characters watching the Mugimaki females and noted the white edging to the tertials and inner secondaries specially obvious as the birds take flight. From video and photos this feature seems constant for all plumages and ages and sexes of the species.

By 11.00 am we arrived at Pauls favourite good forest patch in the whole of Yasothon province. Here, although late we added a few more species including a couple more Yasothon ticks for me - Van Hasselts Sunbird and a common species to finally nail - a Stripe-throated Bulbul.

Among 16 species here the best were: -

1 Great Iora (Paul only)

2 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos (heard only)

1 Black-naped Monarch

2 Common Tailorbirds

2 Dark-necked Tailorbirds

6 Puff-throated Bulbuls

2 Indochinese Blue Flycatchers

4 Ornate Sunbirds

2 Crimson Sunbirds.

Regards,

Mike P.

05/04/2024 - 8 am - Nakhon Ratchasima - Animal Nutrition Research and Development Centre.

After a decent breakfast at the Rimtarn Hotel in the busy little town of Pak Chong we drove the short ten minutes into this site which comprises extensive open grasslands with scattered trees and open scrub and started birding immediately in this excellent area where we birded at the end of our last trip in January. In some respects it reminds me of the Veldt of South Africa and we quickly were calling a good mix of species while listening out for the main target - Chinese Francolin which Paul managed to see and photograph well three weeks ago - photos on this thread from March (13th?)

After an hour of hearing at least 6/8 birds calling all around the car we were no nearer managing to catch even a glimpse of a head sticking up out of the foot high grass, and so called it a day. As this species is a world tick for me I couldnt even log it on Ebird as heard otherwise it would be included in my seen totals which I dont allow.

We logged 37 species in total, a few of which I ignored as I was focused solely on the main target. Pick of the bunch were: -

1 Pied Harrier (adult male)

1 Spotted Owlet

6 Red-wattled Lapwings (including one with a chick)

2 White-throated Kingfishers

3 Asian Green Bee-Eaters (common - but surprisingly my first in this province)

4 Indochinese Rollers (perfect habitat for these here)

1 Coppersmith Barbet

2 Lineated Barbets

2 Black-naped Orioles (Paul only)

6 Indochinese Bushlarks

Cheers,

Mike P.

02/04/2024 - 09.20 am - Tham Pha Nam Thip - Roi Et Province.

A leisurely start saw Paul in nearby Roi Et scouting for migrants ahead of our visit. He concentrated on the botanical garden area which has consistently yielded up good species in the past and was pleased to find a male Mugimaki Flycatcher and a rufous morph Himalayan Cuckoo - (both photographed) mirroring his latest finds of these in Yasothon, so it may well be that these and likely other species are moving north on a fairly broad front.

Most of his 90 minutes on site was spent trying to photograph the cuckoo. Other species recorded as follows: -

4 Germains Swiftlets

6 Asian Palm Swifts

1 Asian Barred Owlet

2 Indochinese Rollers

1 Coppersmith Barbet

4 Lineated Barbets

2 Large-billed Crows

2 Black-headed Bulbuls

20 Black-crested Bulbuls

4 Streak-eared Bulbuls

2 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

3 Puff-throated Babblers (heard only).

6 Abbots Babblers (heard only).

8 White-rumped Shamas

2 Taiga Flycatchers.

Cheers,

Mike P.

20/03/2024 Kalasin Province, Isaan, Thailand.

Kalasin is situated in the centre of the Isaan region and although it does have some good habitats it seems to be relatively neglected from a birding standpoint. Its one of those places that birders tend to pass through on the way to somewhere better - either heading east towards the specialities of the Mekong or when heading west to the wetlands of Khon Kaen, or the excitements of real forest birding in Loei or Chaiyaphum.

On 20th Paul arranged to meet up with the Farrell brothers (Paul and Dennis) for a full day blitz mindful of the possibility of rare waders passing through. A superb but short staying Oriental Plover had been seen and photographed just south of Bangkok days earlier by Andy Pierce so the guys were pretty pumped up.

Meeting at Kui at 07.25 they quickly logged an impressive 55 common species but little in terms of waders and moved on to Tambon Chao Tha where they found several freshly ploughed wet paddies ideal for waders, though nothing rare:

20 Black-winged Stilts

5 Little Ringed Plovers

8 Marsh Sandpipers

10 Wood Sandpipers

15 Long-toed Stints

5 Oriental Pratincoles

What they did manage on this outing was to lift the Kalasin province list to 199 species by finding 3 additions and their own leading lists for Kalasin to 146 for PF and to 153 for PP. Their long term goal continues to be to get all 20 Isaan provinces onto 200 species recorded in each.

Barb and I are keen but junior participants in this and we return to Thailand on April 3rd to hopefully also catch up with a few more Thai ticks in the process.

Cheers,

Mike P.

05/03/2024 to 07/03/2024 - Phu Chong Na Yoi Nat.Pk. Ubon Ratchathani.

With Paul Farrell back in Thailand enjoying a birding break from work commitments he arranged to meet up with PP in Ubon for a couple of days. This province is very much off the regular bird tour itineraries and is the preserve of the two Pauls- the only birders by some margin to have each recorded over 200 species in Ubon. This is the area of the Emerald Triangle which gained a degree of noteriety as a smuggling route due to the convergence of the borders of Laos Cambodia and of course Thailand and in which the Thai army is still engaged in ongoing land mine clearance work - this being a legacy from the era of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Presently it is rather early to expect the Bar-bellied Pittas to be calling and the species recorded were very much (as expected) the more common ones but with a few species such as Pied Harrier added to pad out their personal lists.

Perhaps their best find was Laced Woodpecker - a supposed scarcity here but which they found to be quite common ( photos attached).

Cheers,

Mike P.