Thailand Diary

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

RE: Thailand Diary

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

30/04/2024 - 08.00 am - Nong Sam Muen - Chaiyaphum Province.

Discouraged and tired by the slowness of the previous days long session in the forest we decided upon some open country birding and enjoyed 46 species in an hour and a quarter with many list padding common species but outstanding was Pauls find of a Long-tailed Shrike hawking from a bamboo pole set in a small marsh. This individual was of the handsome resident form longicaudatus which according to Paul Farrell seems to be increasingly scarce, - so photographed accordingly.

We did pretty well with acrocephalus warblers with one each of Oriental Reed, Black-browed Reed and Thick-billed, as well as the usual common waders and egrets. A Yellow- bellied Prinia was particularly showy and got its photo taken free of charge by way of reward.

Thus ended our foray into Chaiyaphum in which I had added 50 species to my province list to end up on a slightly annoying 99 species in total.

We carried on east into Maha Sarakham with a plan to check the Chi Long Forest Park which Paul had birded in the past. This small forest is a haunt of the birding fraternity of the Maha Sarakham University group and is bounded by water on both sides with good cover and plenty of leaf litter providing what would be excellent foraging for winter thrushes. Paul has found Blue-winged Pitta here in the past and in view of the date we were optimistic of our chances with this bird.

We arrived at 4.40 pm spending an exciting 50 minutes logging 15 species and resolved to return again on the following morning. The best of our evening session were:-

1 Asian Barred Owlet - (photo)

1 Paradise Flycatcher sp. ( - found just before dusk and fleeting flight views prevented specific identification).

1 Tiger Shrike (a fine male - photo)

2 Forest Wagtails (photo)

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 2nd of May 2024 02:35:09 PM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 2nd of May 2024 01:44:01 PM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

28/04/2024 - Maha Sarakham and Khon Kaen Povinces.

Still driving west after our big find in Roi Et we logged 30 Glossy Ibis flying over the road in Maha Sarakham and arrived at 5 pm in the deciduous forest grounds of Khon Kaen University. This site has yielded many juicy discoveries in the past due to the good birder coverage here but the feeding station was very quiet apart from a single Dark-sided Flycatcher and we left for our overnight accommodation a little deflated despite the drama of late morning in Roi Et.

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 2nd of May 2024 05:25:30 AM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

25/04/2024 - 09.00 am - Huai Chum Chang, - Kalasin Province.

With only 202 species ever recorded in Kalasin it is one of those provinces where one can generally find a few new species with a little effort. Pauls idea in spending a couple of hours here (as water levels were quite low) checking for waders proved to be sound and among 25 species logged here we chalked up the following wader species:-

10 Little Ringed Plovers

8 Common Sandpipers

3 Spotted Redshanks (2 in summer plumage, 1 transitional - photos).

6 Greenshanks (photo - keeping company with 2 Spotted Redshanks).

Other good counts comprised: -

100 Openbill Storks

12 Grey Herons (we considered that these were resting en route north).

Heading back home to Yasothon while still in Kalasin at roadside stops we added Red-wattled Lapwings, a couple of Brown-throated Sunbirds, and a singing Purple Sunbird.

Cheers,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

21/04/2024. Our final birding in Nakhon Ratchasima comprised a few stops on the road back to Yasothon for specific additions to our respective province lists, the best incidental addition was a Pied Kingfisher which Paul noted hovering over a ditch as he was driving on a busy road. I had added 43 species for my province list with Blue Pitta as the star bird.

We resolved to have a break from birding for a few days but with us resolutions dont last long and by 23rd we were out mid morning by Yasothons Chi river checking to see if Blue-winged Pittas had returned to their breeding territories. We were pleased to be greeted by two calling birds about 1 km. apart, this being the fourth year of Pauls records for them here.

Cheers,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Friday 26th of April 2024 01:16:06 AM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

20/04/2024 - 1.20 pm Pha Kluai Mai (still in Khao Yai Nat.Pk.

An hour spent here in the midday heat (40-42 degrees) but managing to enjoy any available shade added a few more trip species. Among 20 birds logged the best were: -

1 Green-billed Malkoha (a catch up for me)

5 Crested Treeswifts (high flying - Paul only)

1 Collared Owlet (the star bird of the session - these often call during the day and I have heard them in three provinces previously but having seen this for the first time it becomes a welcome addition to my Thai list - also photo attached).

1 White-bellied Erpornis

1 Two-barred Warbler

1 Brown-throated Sunbird

1 Black-throated Sunbird (record photo attached).

Regards,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

19/04/2024 3.00 pm. Pha Kluai Mai (Nakhon Ratchasima side).

An idyllic spot. Here Barb and I enjoyed some relaxation overlooking a pool surrounded by overhanging forest while Paul scouted around the car park edge within a 200 metre circuit though he neither found nor heard anything new.

Immediately in front of me and Barb a female Heart-spotted Woodpecker flew in close landing on a bare tree, remaining for around a minute before heading off on some errand.

Later that night at 8.30 pm back in our tents (in Nakhon Nayok) Paul alerted us to a calling Brown Boobook. I got dressed hastily and joined him to see if we could call it in, and it obligingly appeared in a tree only metres from our tents. In the small hours we got up again and called in a Collared Scops Owl which perched immediately above the tents (photo). All in all a good night.

Cheers,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Tuesday 23rd of April 2024 11:08:56 AM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

18/04/2024 - 6.45 am Bueng Kratón, - Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

With a very early start three of us headed off west bound for three nights camping in Khao Yai Nat. Pk. The object was to boost our province lists in this westernmost of Isaans provinces, with any Thailand ticks as bonuses.

En route we stopped very briefly at this reservoir site somewhat hampered by heavy lorries (carting soil to increase the water storage capacity) but did manage 16 common species with a few easy province ticks for me with both Jacanas and Grey-headed Swamphens.

At just before 10.00 am we arrived at the approach road to the park entrance hoping that the Spot-bellied Eagle-Owls might still be around but as expected all we noted were the usual Red-breasted Parakeets and a Chestnut-headed Bee-eater; - at least we tried.

Once inside having paid the entrance fees (400 baht each plus 30 for the vehicle), at 10.30 we stopped next at the monkey ridden popular viewpoint to start our birding proper again focused primarily on swifts and raptors, logging a sparse 11 species : -

1 Mountain Hawk-Eagle (photos).

7 Black Kites (circling and rising on a thermal)

1 Dollarbird

3 Lineated Barbets

1 Moustached Barbet

3 Ashy Woodswallows

2 Large-billed Crows

1 Dark-necked Tailorbird

10 Red-rumped Swallows

3 Grey-eyed Bulbuls

5 Black-crested Bulbuls

1 Chestnut-tailed Starling (Paul only).

After a roadside lunch we were treated to the odd spectacle of Great Hornbills at the nest with one repeatedly battering and shaking an unfortunate prey item in the shape of an Asian Barred Owlet (by now dead).

Other additional species in a roadside birding session were: -

2 Red Junglefowl

20 Thick-billed Green-Pigeons

1 Oriental Pied Hornbill

2 Blue-bearded Bee-eaters

3 Long-tailed Broadbills

1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

3 Puff-throated Bulbuls

2 Stripe-throated Bulbuls

3 Puff-throated Babblers

1 Abbotts Babbler

12 White-crested Laughingthrushes (in 3 separate groups).

3 White-rumped Shamas.

1 Common Flameback (Paul only)

2 Common Hill Mynas (Paul only).

1 Common Myna.

Cheers,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Wednesday 17th of April 2024 02:19:15 PM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

It occurs to me that I have made no mention until now of the current Songkran festivities here. This is an annual event that I mentioned on this thread some years ago. It is meant to invoke the onset of the short rains and is also linked with the traditional new year.
Many travel from the cities to celebrate with their families with street parties and music and drench each other with water from hose pipes buckets and water pistols. When birding we travel with the windows down listening for birds but when passing through villages during Songkran it is prudent to close the car windows as passing cars and pickup trucks can expect buckets of water from any angle, - even in the hours of darkness.

However back to birding:-

We repeated yesterdays trip up to the sanctuary lookout point arriving a little earlier at 08.40 am and between the three of us logged 19 species in an hour and three quarters, - again mainly focusing on overhead migrant swifts and raptors.

The impressive Brown-backed Needletails were flashing by at high speed and Paul was photographing these in flight where practical and we independently were scanning trying to cover all angles possible. I had to wear sunglasses otherwise my eyes could simply not cope with the glare from the rising sun even at 09.00 am as the temperature here is currently climbing to mid afternoon peaks at around 39/40 degrees. Counts were estimates for the Needletails as the birds might simply have been circling the summit so we logged a very conservative ten for these with six Pacific Swifts and two House Swifts.

While Paul had a look at his shots during a lull he was surprised to find several images showing a strong candidate for White-throated Needletail - a first record for eastern Isaan if acceptable.

Attached are 3 record shots of the White-throated Needletail showing combination of white throat and white loral mark above bill, and 1 shot of Brown-backed Needletail showing white loral mark and all dark throat.

As regards raptors we recorded:-

4 Oriental Honey-Buzzards

18 Black Bazas

1 Shikra

4 Chinese Sparrowhawks (photo of two interacting attached).

Cheers,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Saturday 13th of April 2024 02:11:54 PM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

10/04/2024 - 07.30 am - Tham Pha Nam Thip non hunting area - botanic garden section - Roi Et Province.

The three of us (Barb, Paul and I myself) met up by arrangement with the leading resident birder in Roi Et - Shaun Green. This was a long overdue first meeting which hopefully will lead to ongoing collaboration between Paul and Shaun who had much to discuss together.
With overcast skies and a gentle breeze the birding was rather slow and 23 species were logged the best of which were a flighty Forest Wagtail (which narrowly eluded Barb and me) a calling unseen Crested Serpent-Eagle 3 Black-naped Orioles and both Thick-billed and Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers.

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 11th of April 2024 05:38:52 AM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

06/04/2024 - Phu Mu Forest Park - (Mukdahan side).

A leisurely 9.20 am start saw us looking for migrants at this now celebrated hilltop site. Presently the park staff have closed off the main access road as water tanks are being installed at the summit HQ. From June 1st they plan to start charging for access after having improved the visitor facilities. Thais will be charged 10 bahts for admission foreigners (even resident ones) 100 bahts.

Paul drove around the barrier as he is known to and welcomed by the staff who showed us the montage of some of Pauls best bird photos which he has donated for display in the centre.

The drive up the hill was immediately productive as several cuckoos glided across the road ahead, though seated in the back I missed these. Checking through the summit trees however we noted a rufous morph and several perched grey male Himalayan Cuckoos - our prime targets for the morning under the belt (at last - something new for my Thai list!).

Apart from recording altogether 6 cuckoos (incidentally a record equalling one day count for the species in Thailand) Phu Mu was very quiet with the best of the rest a juv. Black-naped Oriole.

Regards,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

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.

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04/04/2024 - 2.00 pm - Paul and Pen met us on arrival at Bangkok Airport after our flight with Emirates (from Newcastle via Dubai).

We quickly hit the road north on the three hour drive to Nakhon Ratchasima and the nailed on Spot-bellied Eagle Owl at its nest site in the fire station compound just a few hundred metres outside Khao Yai Nat. Pk. arriving there in good time at 4.30 pm. These birds have been well watched by bird tour groups school parties and the fire station personnel and probably Uncle Tom Cobbley and all.

The nest hole was quite high up and the birds pop out towards dusk so we waited with the scope trained on the hole and started noting common species while frequently checking the nest hole for signs of movement. Both Red-breasted Parakeets and Great Mynas flitted around close to the nest hole and I wondered if they mobbed the owls whenever they emerged. It transpired that the owls had been seen just two days earlier outside with a fledged youngster some 60 metres from the hole in tall trees with plenty of leaf cover so we started checking these as well. After two hours it became increasingly obvious that the birds had forsaken the nest hole permanently and were now at large generally outside the immediate area. The upshot was that we were just too late by a couple of days - but at least the birds had successfully bred. - Our trip therefore started with a big dip - not my first nor my last by any means. I was more disappointed for Paul and Pen who had made such a big effort to get this magnificent species for my Thai list and for Barb who has never seen one of these before anywhere.

We retired to our hotel for an early night and to catch up on sleep ahead of our other priority species for Friday morning - Chinese Francolins which Paul had photographed three weeks previously.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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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.

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31/03/2024. 08. 00 am - Phu Mu Forest Park - Yasothon side.

Paul checked out this site ahead of our visit spending 90 minutes and logged 18 species (including photographing several good species as well).

Full list as follows: -

2 Red Junglefowl

1 Greater Coucal

2Asian Koels

1 Himalayan Cuckoo (photographed)

2 Oriental Honey Buzzards (1 photographed)

2 Coppersmith Barbets

1 Lineated Barbet

2 White-browed Piculets (1 photographed)

4 Large-billed Crows

2 Common Tailorbirds

2 Dark-necked Tailorbirds

6 Black-crested Bulbuls

2 Streak-eared Bulbuls

3 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

1 Mugimaki Flycatcher

1 Blue Rock-Thrush

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

4 Ornate Sunbirds

Hopefully we may catch up with one of the Mugimaki Flycatchers as they do seem to be passing through Thailand at present.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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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.

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10/03/2024 - Kham Riang - Maha Sarakham Province.

This morning - a twitch west into Maha Sarakham.
Paul contacted PF over in Khon Kaen and they agreed to meet up on site at 07.30. The target bird - a Eurasian Spoonbill which Paul reckons to be only the sixth for Thailand. PP arrived on site early at 07.00 and already noted a few cars parked up (several having driven up from Bangkok) with 8 observers watching and photographing the target bird which was quite settled at the time. A minibuss arrived and more birders appeared when two of the photographers in the original group set off walking towards the Spoonbill (despite a warning from Paul) and flushed it before the new arrivals had seen it. Needless to say Paul Farrell was less than pleased when he arrived at 07.30. Id like to think that some sanction befell the rogue photographers but apparently according to Paul nothing happened to them.

News then broke of the presence of a Knob-billed Duck several kilometres down the road which PP and several Thai birders went off to see leaving PF waiting and hoping for the return of the Spoonbill.

Whatever happened to fieldcraft and birding ethics?

Cheers,

Mike P.

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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.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 10th of March 2024 10:22:02 AM

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22/02/2024 to 24/02/2024 - various locations in Buri Ram province - (south west sector of the Isaan region).

Buri Ram represented an itch that Paul had to scratch. He stood on 198 on his own list for the province, only 3 behind the top lister here and so a two day blitz was the only answer.

he called in en route at Tambon Non Din Daeng, accessed via a dirt road through forest to a beautiful secluded lake which he considers to have much potential. He spent only 75 minutes here before moving on to better known priority sites though nevertheless recorded 37 species the pick of which were 3 Crested Treeswifts 3 Rufous-winged Buzzards and a Stork-billed Kingfisher.

By 12.10 he had arrived at the grandly named Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary Khao Krapod (Bo Mee Ngam Ranger Station vicinity) where 53 species fell his way in a 2 hour spell the pick of these being: -

4 Rufous-winged Buzzards

1 Shikra

2 Asian-barred Owlets

4 Asian Green and 6 Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters

2 Vernal Hanging Parrots

2 Burmese Shrikes (photo of a first winter attached).

1 Eastern Crowned Warbler.

By 14.15 he had moved on to Laloeng Roi Ru (still in the same sanctuary) where in 3 hours he logged again 53 species obviously with considerable overlap with the first site. The best finds here were: -

4 Thick-billed Green Pigeons

2 Green Imperial Pigeons

2 Banded Bay Cuckoos

3 Asian Woolly-necked Storks (introduced).

2 Large Scimitar-Babblers

With the onset of dusk he exited the refuge and booked in at the same hotel we all stayed in last November. With 5 additions to his own province list he found himself for the first time as leading lister for Buri Ram - at least for the present.

On the following morning he opened his account near the wildlife HQ at 8 am with 30 species in an hour, the most noteworthy being 4 Brown-rumpled Minivets 1 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler and a Thick-billed Flowerpecker.

Arriving at 10.am at Som Poi (a site not known to me) he logged 48 species in a 100 minute session, recording nothing sensational though one or two of these may have been new for him in Buri Ram.

He arrived at his final site (Huai Chorakhe Reservoir Non Hunting Area) at 15.05 spending the final 2 hours of decent light and recorded 66 species including a nice assortment of waders and egrets to pad out the list the best being 25 Glossy Ibis, 3 Black Kites and 12 Eastern Yellow Wagtails to lift his province list to 209 - a gain of 11 overall.
For the present of the 20 provinces which comprise the Isaan region he is leading lister in 10 of these - bearing in mind that the area of Isaan is equal to that of England and Wales combined this results in a situation which surely cannot last for long?

Regards,

Mike P.

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17/02/2024 - Kaeng Kabao - Mukdahan Province.

A 9.00 am start saw Paul doing a morning blitz in Mukdahan with 43 species in 90 minutes at the first of 2 sites with 11 species at this second site by the Mekong river shoreline. This latter however was the more productive in that a pair of Indian Spot-billed Ducks and a Pacific Golden Plover with a lone Kentish Plover pushed the province total finally over 220 with his own list for Mukdahan onto 201.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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13/02/2024 - Khao Yai Nat. Park - Animals.

Everywhere on the approach roads in the vicinity there are warning signs concerning Elephants. Despite having lived in Thailand for eight years Paul saw his first of these in Thailand on this latest trip. I have always been wary when out in the bush when we have noticed fresh dung on the trails especially in my old age when running away is hardly an option for me nowadays.

Other animals noted by Paul Pen and Art were the very confiding deer close to park HQ and something entirely new for them - a couple of porcupines and a Gibbon species hanging from branches just above the Buffy Fish Owl.

If anyone can positively I/d the gibbon and porcupine species here, then please send to me a PM.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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13/02/2024 - Khao Yai Nat. Pk. Campsite by park HQ. Nakhon Ratchasima.

The morning got off to an excellent start with the star bird being a Buffy Fish-Owl, perched on the Nakhon side of the adjacent stream which forms the province boundary with Nakhon Nayok and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat for short).

Significantly the stream is accordingly the western boundary of the Isaan region.

Other birds heard calling here were:-

1 Asian Barred Owlet

2 Collared Owlets

2 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

1 Puff-throated Babbler

3 Abbotts Babblers

An hour later the threesome were birding still close by but on the Nakhon Nayok side recording 20 species the best being:-

2 Siamese Firebacks (males - photographed)

2 Oriental Honey-Buzzards

4 Oriental Pied Hornbills

4 Rosy Minivets

1 Asian Fairy Bluebird

Later close by they enjoyed a photo session with a small party of Long-tailed Broadbills. These are readily seen hereabouts and their gaudy plumages always bring to my mind at least those childrens books for colouring in by numbers.

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 15th of February 2024 01:06:09 PM

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12/02/2024 - A leisurely mid day start saw Paul Pen and Art off out west for an overnight stay camping in Khao Yai Nat.Park. The park is generally very popular with visitors at weekends seeking some relaxation from the pace of things in Bangkok, so Monday was a wise choice in which to visit and enjoy some birding in relative peace.

En route they pulled in and obtained record shots of a Mountain Hawk-Eagle passing overhead by the road.

Once in the park at 13.50 (not the best time of the day) they set off down the KM 33 trail where in 40 mins. they logged 10 species the best of which were one each of Black-winged Cuckoo-Shrike and Sultan Tit 11 White-crested Laughingthrushes and a female Hill Blue Flycatcher (photos attached).

Later when established on the camping ground they logged 16 species which included a Siamese Fireback 2 Oriental Pied Hornbills 2 Moustached Barbets and a Blue Rock-Thrush.

At 19.00 both Asian Barred Owlet and a distant Brown Boobook were calling, with this latter bird responding well to Pauls playback by flying in to give a good view and a photo opportunity.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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09/02/2024 8.30 am - Phu Mu Forest Park, - (Yasothon side).

The main problem of late at this site has been unwitting disturbance by campers (who take advantage of the seemingly endless run of public holidays) and also due to the enhancement work to improve the facilities by the well meaning authorities. They have a display of Pauls photographs for the public to appreciate, but too many visitors rather spoils/limits the birding.

Paul accordingly chose Friday to get on site early and for the first time this calendar year hit a bulls-eye with a site first in the form of a first winter Eyebrowed Thrush, with a support cast of a Blue Rock-Thrush.

He also managed the Eyebrowed for his Mukdahan list (the border here of course runs through the car park).

Needless to say he had the place to himself, - apart from the birds.

The site now has a list including 6 thrush species and is established as one of Isaans premier thrush hotspots.

Finally in one of the little pavilions he photographed a Tokay - one of the more spectacular Gekko species; - this one with rather fancy eyes.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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05/02/2024 - Nakhon Ratchasima Province.

Paul made a leisurely start (mid morning) heading for this westernmost province in Isaan which includes part of Khao Yai Nat. Pk. En route he recorded an overflying Black Kite and better still at Mu Si which he reached at 3 pm - a Grey-faced Buzzard (photographed).

Finally at 4.30 pm he arrived at the stake-out site awaiting the object of his desire, which he soon noticed peering out at him from its tree hole before coming out to perch in full view for four minutes prior to launching off on its hunting rounds - a Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, - (photo attached). By then an admiring crowd of about 15 birders were on the scene enjoying the biggest owl species in SE Asia, - one seemingly blessed with the claws of a grizzly bear.

Other notable species were Bamboo Woodpecker (heard drumming) and about 15 noisy Red-breasted Parakeets had gathered (2 photographed).

The following morning with the big prize now under his belt he enjoyed a good session around the Lam Takhong dam area and the Ta Ngoi farmlands chalking up 55 species including 12 assorted wader species, 5 egret/ heron species, 15 Glossy Ibises, 10 Indochinese Bushlarks, 15 Oriental Skylarks, 5 White-shouldered Starlings, 15 Eastern Yellow Wagtails.

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Wednesday 7th of February 2024 04:49:37 PM

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29/01/2024 - 8.00 am - Khon Kaen University - Romklao Kallapaphruek Park - Khon Kaen.

With an errand to undertake in Khon Kaen Paul once again visited the little screen hide in the university grounds to add a special visitor to his province list - a Slaty-legged Crake visiting the drinking pool which also included a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. (In winter we generally log this latter as Slaty-legged unless sonogram proof indicates otherwise as Sakhalin allegedly winters further south).

An hour and a half at the screen hide yielded 24 species including also the continuing Rufous-tailed Robin. Paul added a handful of province ticks in the area to edge his Khon Kaen list to 201 though still some way adrift of the top list here of 321 by one of the full time resident birders based here.

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 4th of February 2024 08:10:33 AM

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Just for a change, does anyone fancy a go at this quiz bird?

Clue: It is on the British list.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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26/01/2024 - 12 noon Pha Nam Yoi- Roi Et Province.

Paul visited an area of the Pha Nam Yoi temple complex which we had found to be attractive to an assortment of bulbuls and fruit loving species earlier in the month. The attraction was a roadside fruiting tree with a good scatter of fruit on the tarmac as an initial clue. He logged over 30 species mainly of the usual suspects but was rewarded by the first Roi Et record of Vernal Hanging-Parrots of which he reckoned there were at least 5 from the calls though only one visible (record shot attached).

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Monday 29th of January 2024 07:46:51 AM

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23/01/2024 - Pauls focus on Roi Et continued with an hour spent at Huai Aeng - a lake site which straddles the Roi Et/ Yasothon border. An hour yielded a very respectable total on the Roi Et side of 47 species but with nothing unexpected and only five wader species, -a couple of photos attached.

By 12 noon Paul had moved on to Khlong Pla Kuhn (still in Roi Et) where he encountered the largest flock of Pintail he had ever seen, counting a minimum of 250 birds with a few Cotton Pygmy Geese scattered within.

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 28th of January 2024 09:15:05 AM

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22/01/2024 - 7 am Ban Wai Lake - Roi Et Province.

A productive two hour session here yielded up 51 species of which 4 (Pin-tailed Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Pallass Grasshopper Warbler and Siberian Rubythroat) were new province ticks for Paul who for the present at least has become the highest lister in Roi Et.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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20/01/2024 -10 am - Kaeng Song Yai - Amnat Charoen Province.

Paul headed east this morning into Amnat stopping at 5/6 places along the Mekong looking mainly for waders.

Within a total of 37 species over 3 (hot) hours he found only the usual suspects - 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Kentish Plovers, 4 Common Sandpipers and 5 Greenshanks. The best of the rest being two Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters ( photo attached)?

En route home, in Mukdahan he called in at Don Tan Princess Mothers Park where the best of 18 species in 45 minutes was a Great Iora (photographed).

Cheers,

Mike P.

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18/01/2024 - Khon Kaen University- Romklao Kallaphaphruek Park - Khon Kaen.

With business in Khon Kaen Paul called in at the universitys feeding station to see the visiting Rufous-tailed Robin (the same bird as last year- or yet another here as would seem more likely?) and a fine juvenile White-throated Rock-Thrush. Photos of both attached with a Raddes Warbler for good measure.

Meanwhile back in Durham Im off to a shivery start with dips both on the Baikal Teal At Bishop Middleham for my Durham list and Waxwings - missed by a half hour for my Low Barns list.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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14/01/2024 - Phathum Thani Rice Research Centre - Painted Snipe (male) -photo omitted from last post.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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14/01/2024 - Ta Ngoi farmlands 7.00 am - Nakhon Ratchasima.

A rather leisurely start in rather windy conditions with off track driving getting us stuck on the lakeside mudflats for a half hour, - burning up birding time! We fanned out gathering lengths off old bamboo and wood scraps to wedge under the wheels to enable Paul to gain traction and gather the necessary impetus to drive up over a steep scrub and grass incline to regain the track where we logged a few more species not seen here on the previous day:-

2 Malaysian Pied Fantails

1 Brown Shrike

2 Zitting Cisticolas

3 Red-rumpled Swallows

6 Yellow-eyed Babblers (photographed. Seemingly a family party and a pleasing addition to our own lists for this province).

Moving on but still in Nakhon Ratchasima by 10.00 am we had arrived at the Animal Nutrition and Development Research centre exploring the extensive open landscape with largely unfenced fields and scattered trees which reminded us of the African savannah. Here we logged 24 species; the best being:-

1 Black-winged Kite

1 Rufous-winged Buzzard

2 Spotted Owlets (photographed)

5 Indochinese Rollers

1 Common Iora

11 Black Drongos

2 Hair-crested Drongos (these perched side by side appeared to be having an ongoing quarrel with each other-

photographed).

1 Thick-billed Warbler

4 Chestnut-capped Babblers

By 15.00 en route to Bangkok we reached the Wang Chula paddies in the grandly named province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (the main city of the same name used to be the old capital of Thailand).

Fifty minutes here included trying to dodge extensive traffic jams, but we did manage a few common additions to our small lists for this province which of course is well to the south west of the Isaan region.

The best of eleven species were:-

2 Plaintive Cuckoos (we found these increasingly common and already singing the further south we travelled).

2 Siamese Pied Starlings

1 Asian Golden Weaver (This one a male now moulting into summer plumage and so more easily distinguished from the Baya Weavers).

By 16.45 Paul had performed miraculously through the traffic via Google maps to reach the Pathum Thani Rice Reasearch Centre in (believe it or not) Phathum Thani Province which we first visited a year ago. Here we saw:-

200 Black-winged Stilts

4 Greater Painted Snipes (The main object of our visit - one male bird photographed)

1 Spotted Redshank (photographed)

1 Temmincks Stint (photographed)

We sped off into Bangkok for a meal and an overnight stay in a hotel ahead of our 11 hour flight to Amsterdam with a tedious three hour wait there for our flight into Newcastle.
I see that a Baikal Teal has turned up in Durham at Bishop Middleham during our absence (something generally turns up when my back is turned!) though I wont be breaking my neck to see it just yet. I could quite do with a bit of a rest.

Regards,

Mike P.

Best Wishes

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13/01/2024 - Huai Chorakhe Mak Reservoir non-hunting area - Buri Ram Povince.

With our stay in Thailand coming to an end having bade farewell to the family Barb and I with Paul driving called in to bolster up our lists for this province in the south-westernmost area of Isaan far far from Beung Kan up in the north east.

A two hour session with a leisurely 8.30 start gave us 57 species in this rather highly rated hotspot. However this is Thailand and anything can turn up. We bowled up ready to boogie and found an event in full swing!

Would you believe - a Rodeo! - complete with Thai cowboys and US and Canadian flags (and some Union Jacks) with bunting and marquees and tents and of course horses in various states of excitement. (Barbara was really keen to try her hand at riding a bull but Paul and I to our relief managed to dissuade her from such an enterprise).

Needless to say we moved on along the lake shoreline and soon were actually finding some birds.

Our best finds were :-

2 Plaintive Cuckoos

20 Pacific Golden Plovers

2 Red-wattled Lapwings

6 Little Cormorants

Later that afternoon we had moved on to the Lam Takhong Dam in the Ta Ngoi farmlands in a different province - Nakhon Ratchasima where we noted 46 species- the pick here being:-

20 Black-winged Stilts

25 Pacific Golden Plovers

4 Red-wattled Lapwings

15 Little-ringed Plovers

3 Snipe sp.

2 Common Sandpipers

5 Wood Sandpipers

2 Temmincks Stints

50 Little Cormorants

4 Oriental Skylarks

8 Siamese Pied Starlings (formerly Asian Pied Starlings. - We have no records of this species in eastern parts of Isaan where it should be seen as a rarity).

8 Eastern Yellow Wagtails

1 Richards Pipit

8 Paddyfield Pipits

8 Red-throated Pipits.

Regards,

Mike P.

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12/01/2024 - Yasothon Pools site -Yasothon.

After a few days rest from our Bueng Kan adventure three of us paid a short visit to my old stamping ground just outside Yasothon city. In fifty minutes we logged 31 species despite unwelcome attention from yapping dogs. It was depressing to note more mist net poles in situ though none were presently set up with open nets.

Our prime aim was to see if we could detect the presence of any of the rarer warbler species as we have never before tried for these anywhere in Yasothon province. Despite playing calls and songs for Blunt-winged Paddyfield and Manchurian Reed Warblers we heard no response but nevertheless these should surely occur here. Previously in Yasothon we have found both Lanceolated and Pallass Grasshopper Warblers and Thick-billed and Oriental Reed Warblers together with Black-browed Reed Warblers (and one of these latter was the best of a fairly predictable crop on this day).

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Wednesday 17th of January 2024 10:51:59 AM

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07/01/2024 - Bueng Kan Province.

In the northernmost part of Isaan is the long narrow province of Nong Khai stretching east/west along the south side of the Mekong river. However the eastern half has recently been split off into a new province known as Bueng Kan (not yet to be found on the map which I posted months ago) and this was our destination for the next two nights.

Paul and Pen Barb and I left Yasothon early on 07/01 on the 4/5 hour drive north into what was for us virgin territory to rendezvous with Paul Farrell late morning at the Bueng Khlong Long Non-hunting area HQ.

PF has birded here several times previously and started with his province list already on 63. The listers among us were hoping to all rack up over 100 species apiece with PF entertaining realistic thoughts of gaining top spot.

In all we visited and revisited 16 sites in 53 hours which it would be tedious to plough through chronologically so for a change I detail below every species logged by me apart from a few added species seen/ heard by PP and PF who of course know a far wider range of calls than me.

I finished up on 104 species listed taxonomically as follows:-

Lesser Whistling Ducks

Cotton Pygmy-Geese

2 Garganey

Indian Spot-billed Ducks

7 Northern Pintails

2 Tufted Ducks - (A rare winter visitor to Thailand found by PF alone towards the end of a long day of continuous birding when we lesser mortals took a midday break. Fortunately we rejoined him prior to losing the light to scope the birds at long range and to see the confirmation photo).

Little Grebes

Feral Pigeons

Red Collared Doves

Spotted Doves

Zebra Doves

Greater Coucal

Green-billed Malkoha

Asian Koel

Germains Swiftlets

Asian Palm Swifts

Eurasian Coots

Grey-headed Swamphens

Black-winged Stilts

Little Ringed Plovers

4 River Lapwings (again as usual on the Laos river bank).

Grey-headed Lapwings

Kentish Plover

Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

Bronze-winged Jacanas

Common Snipe

Common Sandpiper

Wood Sandpipers1

Spotted Redshanks

Common Greenshanks

2 Temmincks Stints

Small Pratincoles

Asian Openbills

Little Egrets

Chinese Pond-Herons

Eastern Cattle Egrets

Great Egrets

Medium Egrets

Grey Herons

Purple Herons

1 Black-winged Kite

2 Oriental Honey-Buzzards

Eastern Marsh Harriers

2 Shikras (1 was harrying a Honey-Buzzard then joined by another Shikra - both birds circled together before drifting away east).

Asian Barred Owlets (where found these often seem to announce their presence with their trilling hoots at around 5.55 am).

Common Kingfishers (winter visitors and generally consistently found by Pen).

2 White-throated Kingfishers

Asian Green Bee-eaters

2 Indochinese Rollers

Coppersmith Barbets

Lineated Barbets

Ashy Woodswallows

Malaysian Pied-Fantails

Black Drongos (hard to miss and abundant in open country habitats).

Black-naped Monarchs

Brown Shrikes

Large-billed Crows

Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers (generally the commonest forest flycatcher).

Oriental Skylark

Common Tailorbird

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Plain Prinia

Lanceolated Warbler

Barn Swallows

Wire-tailed Swallows

Striated Swallows

Black-headed Bulbuls

Black-crested Bulbuls

Streak-eared Bulbuls

Yellow-vented Bulbuls

Sooty-headed Bulbuls

Yellow-browed Warblers

Raddes Warblers

Dusky Warblers

Two-barred Warblers

Claudias Leaf Warbler

Swinhoes White-eye

2 Chestnut-capped Babblers

Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

Black-collared Starlings

30 Chestnut-tailed Starlings (These got our listing efforts off with a bang. We met up with PF who was already on site watching these up in a high fruiting fig tree. Sometimes rarer starlings are found keeping company in such situations and we invested about 40 minutes straining our necks but with no further reward).

Common Mynas

Great Mynas

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Oriental Magpie-Robin

White-rumped Shama

Hainan Blue Flycatcher

Bluethroat

Taiga Flycatcher

Blue Rock-Thrush

Amur Stonechat

Pied Bushchat

Ornate Sunbird

Crimson Sunbird

Scaly-breasted Munias

House Sparrows

Tree Sparrows

Eastern Yellow Wagtails

1 Citrine Wagtail

White Wagtails (all leucopsis)

3 Richards Pipits

Paddyfield Pipits

Red-throated Pipits

PP ended up on 111 species with PF reaching 136 to become lead jockey in Bueng Kan - all of us accordingly in the top five.

Regards,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

06/01/2024 Loeng Nok Tha - old airport Yasothon.

Three of us went out this morning shopping for plumbing accessories for repairs to a minor leak in the garden irrigation system. En route a minor diversion to this site kick started in a modest way our home province year list.

We spent 40 minutes largely taken up with admiring a scatter (the whole length of the runway) of about 50 Red-throated Pipits some of which Paul photographed using the vehicle as a hide.

Other species present were:-

2 Brahminy Kites ( imm.)

2 Pied Bushchats

1 Indochinese Bushlark (formerly named Rufous-winged Bushlark) - Also photo attached.

2 Paddyfield Pipits

Tomorrow four of us leave early for a maiden trip to Isaans northernmost province (Bueng Kan) for a 3 nighter also meeting up again with the Farrell brothers.

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Saturday 6th of January 2024 10:23:15 AM

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Saturday 6th of January 2024 10:23:55 AM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

01/01/2024 - 10.11 am - Khlong Sam Kha reservoir Amnat Charoen Province.

Three of us made a late morning start heading east on a twitch. The quarry being 4 Pintail (new for this province) photographed overflying this complex of lakes rice paddies and marshes.

We arrived after an hours drive scanning every open stretch of water - but without success. A twenty minute session produced 13 common species before we moved on to nearby Nong Han where we spent ninety minutes and found 24 species - the best of which were:-

2 Black-winged Stilts

4 Oriental Darters

1 Little Cormorant

2 Purple Herons

2 Rufous-winged Buzzards

5 Brahminy Kites

1 White-throated Kingfisher

1 Black-naped Oriole

1 Black-naped Monarch

5 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Raddes Warbler

5 Dusky Warblers

4 Black-collared Starlings

1 Siberian Rubythroat - There were no previous known records in Amnat I suspect because nobody has simply thought to look for them and being in ideal habitat I suggested that we play the call and the song to see if anything popped out. Immediately we had calls in response and song snatches in response to song being played though the bird remained unseen. We noted the spot - a scrubby area flanked by the dirt track with a 30 foot circular pool shaded by bushes and short trees.

1 Brown-throated Sunbird

5 Ornate Sunbirds.

After a few days break we made an early return on 04/01/24 arriving on site for 06.30 am. Despite an addition of 6 species for my Amnat list and 3 more for Paul we felt that we had unfinished business at Nong Han and so came with several target species in mind.

A session of just over 4 hours rewarded us with 47 species - most noteworthy being:-

400 Lesser Whistling Ducks

9 Indian Spot-billed Ducks

10 Cotton Pygmy-Geese

1 Pallass Grasshopper Warbler (this responded well to both calls and playback also giving several sightings. Remarkably this represents a first record for Amnat simply because nobody has thought to seek it out before).

We are entertaining the view that Paddyfield Manchurian and Blunt-winged Warblers would repay time and effort in searching for them in this seemingly suitable habitat - perhaps a project for the future both here and in Yasothon?

1 Siberian Rubythroat - the same bird as recorded in the same location on 01/01. This time the bird flew in several times though offered no photo opportunities.

2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers

1 Brown-throated Sunbird

1 Purple Sunbird

5 Ornate Sunbirds

1 Richards Pipit (photographed)

Cheers,

Mike P.

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

29/12/2023 - Nong Bua - final morning.

A late inclusion from our morning in the above province.

Attached is a nice little series of shots of Pallass Grasshopper Warbler.

Courtesy of Paul Farrell.

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 31st of December 2023 03:19:11 AM

Mike Passant · Status: Offline

29/12/2023 - 07.33 am - Nong Bua Lam Phu Province.

With a long journey facing the Yasothon contingent we resolved to leave for home by 12 noon to get home before dusk. In the meantime we concentrated on list boosting with a good session of open country birding.

The following summary covers 4 similar locations as we skirted various lakeside habitats scanning marshes and rice fields in the hope of finding waders where conditions might be suitable (ie flat and muddy with an inch or so of water) Many of these fields are being prepared for a second crop and are in various different stages so covering ground in the vehicles along a maze of dirt farm tracks is the way to go.

Highlight birds among many common species (which themselves were often new for us in this underwatched area) were:-

2 Grey-headed Lapwings

7 Long-tailed Shrikes (quite outstanding as PF reckons that this is a good indicator species). Record shot attached.

2 Siberian Rubythroats (1 photographed).

2 Black Kites (Black-eared form - 1 photographed). At one stage a flyby individual carrying a fish was pursued by a smaller Brahminy Kite; - needless to say the larger bird retained its prize.

The final prize of the morning came at last - a Wood Sandpiper for PF to cement his place once more as leading lister for this province.

Photos courtesy of Paul Farrell.

Best Wishes to all in 2024

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 31st of December 2023 03:13:06 AM