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.

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.

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

Clue: It is on the British list.

Cheers,

Mike P.

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.

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.

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

Cheers,

Mike P.

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.

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.

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.

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.

24/12/2023 - Various sites again in Amnat Charoen.

Paul Barb and I again went across into Amnat but this time with an earlier start and still with a few specific targets in mind. To summarise here (as I am typing this on Christmas Day) I added six more species to hit 100 for Amnat and Paul another two to boost his list to 163. (He leads the rankings for Amnat already by a big margin).

Star birds were a Siberian Blue Robin, 4 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos a Verditer Flycatcher 4 Brown-throated Sunbirds Oriental Skylarks and a catch-up bogey bird for Paul - a Swinhoes White-Eye.

All of us here wish Ian and all our friends in the Manchester Birding Community a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Mike, Barb, Paul, Pen and Art

22/12/2023 - Tambon Phu Ngoen - Roi Et Province.

Today started off as a rest day with a plan to go over into Roi Et to buy some new shorts. I really wasnt bothered until Paul mentioned that we could take in some open country birds en route via a site not previously visited so I suddenly became more amenable.

As it transpired despite the ongoing strong winds we logged 33 fairly common species in an hour and a quarter which included 6 more easy province additions for me:- 

7 Indian Spot-billed Ducks

1 Grey Heron

4 Indochinese Bushlarks

20 Red-rumped Swallows

2 White Wagtails (leucopsis)

2 Paddyfield Pipits

In addition we logged the first Red-throated Pipits of our current visit and several Eastern Yellow Wagtails including a rather fine example of the Green-headed form (taivana).

We never made it to the shops.

Regards

Mike P.

18/12/2023 06.25 am. Phu Pha Wua Forest Pk. (Tat Soong Waterfall) -  Kalasin.

This province is sufficiently within reach to visit that an early morning start gives ample opportunity for a good mornings birding hopefully with some list boosting and be back home by mid afternoon. 
I have mentioned many times that our birding efforts centre largely on the 20 provinces of the Isaan region but just to bring some idea of scale to our activities - Isaan is the size of England and Wales combined.
Paul of course had far fewer target species here than me (I am only on 75 species here to his 143) and Barb being the sanest one of us keeps no lists whatsoever - she just loves finding and enjoying birds and scenery.

At this forest park in eastern Kalasin (a new site of course for me) a half hour turned up 15 species the best of which were:-

1 Lineated Barbet

1 Green-eared Barbet

1 Shikra (Paul only)

2 Ashy Minivets

Bulbuls: Black-crested Streak-eared and Stripe-throated.

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher

2 Taiga Flycatchers

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

1 Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

3 Ornate Sunbirds.

We found it windy and very dry with no water flowing at the falls so quickly drove on to a different section along a rough and bumpy uphill dirt road into dry dipterocarp habitat. Here we had more luck with 9 species yielding up three good target species for Paul with a rather ragged Osprey a fine Burmese Shrike (thanks to Barb) and a Purple Sunbird. Two Black-collared Starlings were an added boost as well for me. 
The downhill return drive was akin to being in a tumble drier and had Barb and me hanging onto the hand grips (Paul at least having the steering wheel). However - without four-wheel drive many such sites are impossible to contemplate any birding at all.

Back on normal roads en route to our next site (reached by 10.am) we logged a Jay (White-faced form) which flew across the road. Tambon Nong Hang was our final stop where in an hour we chalked up 17 species, the better ones being:-

1 Rufus-winged Buzzard

1 Black-winged Kite

1 Indochinese Roller

1 (another) Burmese Shrike

7 Red-rumped Swallows

1 Two-barred Warbler

2 Hainan Blue Flycatchers

 we had found the conditions here rather trying due to the winds and a scan over one of the local large lakes had only a couple of Grey Herons on show- scant reward indeed so we broke off for coffees and headed afterwards for home.

Paul had reinforced his position as top lister for the present with 3 more species to reach 146 (with 150 now as a realistic target) and I had gained 15 to reach 89 so we had done quite well in trying conditions.

As a bonus once driving along back in Yasothon we had a flyby Pied Harrier as a temporary companion which gave Paul a nice record shot opportunity.

Cheers,

Mike P.

14/12/2023 - 6.20 am - Phu Langka Nat. Pk. - HQ vicinity - Nakhon Phanom.

With a full days birding in prospect we arrived early ahead of the official opening time of 08.30 (= absurd from a birders perspective). One of the problems in popular national parks in Thailand is that from early morning dozens of volunteer/park staff are busy sweeping leaves as a tidy-up for visitors, whereas we prefer to see a good covering of leaves in which robins and thrushes might forage. 
We hastened off along one of the narrow tarmac trails through really attractive rock and forest scenery slowly gaining in height while checking the nearby stream for one of our targets - Grey Wagtail.
In total we spent 4 hours in the park logging 26 species in typically slow though productive forest birding. As the morning wore on we began to meet with increasing numbers of ordinary visitors, some in large groups. These mainly visit to view the series of waterfalls though presently being the dry season there is no water to speak of. These people are invariably very friendly and greeted us cheerfully but the constant loud hellos hardly conducive to good birding, so we slowly headed back.

2 Red Junglefowl

2 Spotted Doves

1 Green-billed Malkoha

5 Oriental Honey-Buzzards (seen from various clearings soaring over the forest and a target species for all of us in Nakhon Phanom).

5 Coppersmith Barbets

3 Lineated Barbets

1 Black-naped Monarch

1 Blyths Paradise-Flycatcher. (Photographed and a nice record and easily Barbs bird of the day).

8 Large-billed Crows

8 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers

1 Common Tailorbird

5 Dusky Crag-Martins (These soaring around the high sandstone cliffs above us).

2 Puff-throated Bulbuls

7 Black-crested Bulbuls

3 Stripe-throated Bulbuls

5 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Pale-legged Leaf Warbler

15 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers (these were abundant in presumed family groups of 4/5 birds and often the first to come in response to our speaker playing Little Spiderhunter).

1 Puff-throated Babbler

1 Taiga Flycatcher

2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers

3 Ruby-cheeked Sunbirds

1 Brown-throated Sunbird

6 Ornate Sunbirds

3 Crimson Sunbirds (photographed and quite common here).

1 Grey Wagtail.

In addition Paul saw 2 Ashy Drongos a Yellow-vented Flowerpecker a Swinhoes White-eye and 2 Indochinese Blue Flycatchers which Barb and I missed.

After an extended break for lunch and siestas at 15.45 we headed out for some open country birding which included some extensive marshy lakes picking up a few common targets such as Moorhen (5) and 3 Grey-breasted Prinias among 26 species in a 40 minute session.

We then headed off back to check out the Mekong sandbars again still hoping for the Tibetan Sandplover.

In our final half hour we noted 50 Small Pratincoles in loose company with what we had come to call the usual waders but with the pleasing addition of a scatter of 35 Spotted Redshanks along the river shoreline. A useful day had given me a further 17 species and Paul a further 11 to regain his top ranking for the province.

Regards,

Mike P.

-A couple of shots from the harrier roost the other night; - a close approach by a female Pied Harrier and then the same bird eying up a trio of Grey-headed Swamphens which probably may have been too much of a mouthful before bedtime?

Cheers,

Mike P.

Not sure what has happened quite to split off under a separate heading day three of our Sakon Nakhon outing, but doubtless due to some incompetence on my part.

However back at base after a break from birding we arrived at 16.20 last night (Dec 9th) at our local harrier roost at Phue Hi to see how things were after no visits since late last January. The site consists of a huge mat of floating vegetation about a 1000 metres in length surrounded by clear water forming a nice margin of safety for birds roosting upon it.

We noted a couple of flyover Brahminy Kites and numerous groups of distant sundry white egrets off to a roost somewhere else and a dozen or so harriers split evenly between Eastern Marsh Harriers and Pied Harriers, all of the  Marsh Harriers being female/juveniles with 1 adult male. The Pieds included at least 2 spanking males a juvenile and a couple of what looked like female adults. 
Photo opportunities were largely curtailed as our usual viewpoint was not available. Paul drove down the usual narrow cart track fringed by branches protruding from both sides for some 250 metres only for our route to be blocked by 3 buffaloes- a youngster with mother and a large male with an impressive span of wicked looking horns. We crept forward and all 3 beasts tried to exit to the right out of our way but the big male was tethered by a rope from the down slope by the lake and could barely get out of our way even if it tried. Our problem was that had we persisted and driven over the tether we could have easily become tangled up with a large panicking animal.

We suggested to Barb that she should sneak out and undo the rope while Paul drove on slowly and I kept watch but to our surprise she flatly refused to do this. Paul patiently reversed all the way back to our less advantageous second choice viewpoint and so salvaged the situation.

All in a days fun - after all this is birding.

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/12/2023 - Wednesday 06.15 - Phu Phan Nat Pk. Huai KHi Hin reservoir vicinity - Sakon Nakhon Province.

A 4 am start from Kutchum saw us on site recording an initial 26 common species to kick off our listing efforts in what of course for Barb and me was totally new territory. These included a White-collared Kingfisher which proved to be the only one of our trip.
We then moved on to the park headquarters vicinity by 08.15 am logging 16 species (with some overlap with our first stop). The best bird here was a Rufous-winged Buzzard which pleased Paul particularly as it was one of his personal targets for the province. Also good sightings were of Ashy Minivet two Hair-crested Drongos two Jays of the white-faced form and an Asian Brown Flycatcher (which oddly proved to be our only record of the trip). We seemed to be recording numbers of Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers and Yellow-browed Warblers at every stop and with hindsight by ignoring phylloscopus species probably overlooked Two-barred Greenish Warblers as a result. It also transpired that our only sunbirds of the trip were Ornate Sunbirds despite scanning endlessly for something better.

By 11 am still in the Nat. Park we had reached the Huai Wiang Phrai reservoir area. The trail here was through fairly open (dry dipterocarp) Forest much favoured by our prime target here the handsome Black-headed Woodpecker which we have all seen well previously in identical habitat at Sab Sadao. On this occasion although a party of birds responded to playback they failed to show themselves.

A single Red Junglefowl 4 Lineated Barbets a party of Pin-striped Tit-Babblers and 3 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers were the pick of the 13 species found here.

With the midday heat now oppressive we adjourned to arrange two nights accommodation in town and had some lunch.

At 4 pm we arrived at Nong Han Lake- Don Langka birding until dusk and really padding out our listing with common water/wetland species:-

100 Lesser-Whistling Ducks

4 Indian Spot-billed Ducks

5 Little Grebes

Feral Pigeons-Spotted Doves-Zebra Doves-Red Turtle Doves

1 Greater Coucal

15 Coots

14 Grey-headed Swamphens

17 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

38 Asian Openbills

10 Little Cormorants

1 Purple Heron

2 Grey Heron 

1 Great White Egret

2 Little Egrets

2 Cattle Egrets

4 Chinese Pond-Herons

3 Eastern Marsh Harriers (one photo attached)

3 Common Kingfishers (common winter visitors here).

6 Asian Green Bee-eaters

1 Coppersmith Barbet

1 Pied Fantail

19 Black Drongos

2 Brown Shrikes

3 Large-billed Crows

1 Black-browed Reed Warbler

1 Oriental Reed Warbler (an older split from Great Reed Warbler).

10 Barn Swallows

2 Yellow-vented Bulbuls

1 Raddes Warbler

2 Black-collared Starlings

5 Common Mynas

20 Great Mynas

4 Amur Stonechats

2 Pied Bushchats

7 House Sparrows 

5 Tree Sparrows

5 Eastern Yellow Wagtails. - (We found very good numbers of these on the following day which included a good mix of 3 forms including the first for us at least of sub sp. taivana - so called Green-headed Wagtail sporting obviously yellow supercilia supposedly a diagnostic character for taivana).

3 Amur Wagtails

3 Paddyfield Pipits.

We logged some 71 species on our first day in which the initial forest sections had involved the usual slow slog with the playing of the alarm calls of Little Spiderhunter being effective in mainly bringing out largely the same culprits.

Cheers,

Mike P.

02/12/2023 - 05.40 am. Huai Sala wildlife sanctuary, Si Sa Ket.

We made an early start from our lodgings noting that there had been heavy overnight rain and after driving through the approach roads fringed by the sterile extensive plantations of Kasava and rubber trees finally entered decent forest where we again heard a Collared Owlet. Birding was very slow even after the dawn, with the only new species being a fine male Red Junglefowl panicking and scurrying ahead on our approach. A catch-up species for me were two White-bellied Erpornis which together with a Green-billed Malkoha which we had glimpsed earlier further boosted my province list.

Our normal morning routine is to ensure we have sufficient water for the day and to obtain hard boiled eggs (which make an adequate mid morning breakfast on the hoof) and a coffee each as soon as practicable. All these are readily purchased from a Seven/Eleven store, generally found in every little town and open at all hours.

We drove through the forest stopping periodically to play Spiderhunter but with no additional species coming in, it was becoming apparent that we might leave earlier than planned for some open country birds en route home.

At one of our stops a wardens vehicle passed us so we lost our chance of being first up and along the trail, diminishing our chances of finding a Ground Cuckoo.

Finally at the summit we met up with the kindly couple manning the watch post and donated a pack of hard boiled eggs and shared coffees and some of their freshly netted small fishes from the little stream.

Overall the morning had fallen a little flat and we had set off for home heading back north noting a Black-winged Kite and for my benefit a short ten minute stop added no. 68 - a Pied Fantail to my Si Sa Ket list to reach 118 with Paul on 150 to top (for the present at least) the province listings.

Regards,

Mike P.

01/12/2023 - Nong Si reservoir Si Sa Ket.

A 06.30 start saw us here for a half hour adding to our previous afternoon tally a White-throated Kingfisher a Black- collared Starling and a Paddyfield Pipit but also a superb Eastern Yellow Wagtail (macronyx sub sp.) which flew off before it could be photographed.

We then headed off towards the Huai Sala wildlife sanctuary by way of a small reservoir noting 31 species the main attractions here being:-

2 Racket-tailed Treepies

3 Indochinese Bushlarks

1 Thick-billed Warbler

1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher

2 Taiga Flycatchers

1 Blue-Rockthrush

4 Blue-winged Leafbirds ( photographed)

5 Plain-backed Sparrows. (This attractive species is not at all well named in our view - see photo of a male bird).

At 10.30 we arranged entry to the Huai Sala wildlife sanctuary proper at the Mangja entry point and were escorted in (as is the norm here) but pleasingly and unusually were left to our own devices at the centre and so drove on into the border area where we spent the next six hours birding. More detail to follow later.

Cheers,

Mike P.

30/11/2023 - 06.30 am - Khao Phra Wihan Nat Pk. Si Sa Ket.

Back in birding mode three of us (Mike Barb Paul) set off early from Kutchum for the three hour drive to the border areas with Cambodia for a three day blitz in this area. With only minimal experience here in Si Sa Ket and with just 50 species under my belt (as compared with Pauls 120) we were hoping for some good finds.

At the park entrance despite Pauls residency status he had to pay the same fee as Barb and me (200 bahts each and 30 for the vehicle) - still cheap though for what lay ahead.

Our 3 hour session yielded up 41 species, including many additions to our respective province lists. The pick of these being:-

1 Crested Serpent-Eagle

Barbets - 3 Coppersmiths 3 Lineated and 1 Blue-eared.

1 Black-naped Oriole

2 Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes

8 Dusky Crag-Martins -(these were my own highlight birds and my first in Thailand). We were standing on the spectacular cliff top overlook where in April Paul and Pen were being bombed by terrestrial Peregrines. The extensive forest canopy immediately below us is all in Cambodia and should I ever start a list for there (unlikely) these could be my first entries. Other birds noted here were Striated Swallows an Ashy Drongo and Paul noted another Crested Serpent-Eagle.

5 Assorted common bulbul species

4 Phylloscopus species (Paul logged a putative Claudias Leaf-Warbler which continually was spreading its tail feathers- a feature which I need to research further as I have no experience of this behaviour).

6 White-crested Laughingthrushes - always great to see these spectacular extroverts.

1 Plain Flowerpecker

2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers

1 Van Hasselts Sunbird (male).

We exited the park to explore some dry country further west arriving at 11.30 and logged 32 species in 70 minutes.

Pick of the bunch here were 2 high flyover Crested Treeswifts seen only by Paul and four Rufous-winged Buzzards several kilometres apart. These we find as common raptors further north and are supposedly scarcer here but in our experience we have found them readily here as well - perhaps a change in status is underway?

 With our tickets still valid we re entered the park at 14.00 and added Blue Rock-Thrush at the cliff overlook and a very vocal Green-eared Barbet but of the Dusky Crag-Martins there was no sign. We relaxed with coffees at the cafe nearby whilst keeping a wary eye on the unwelcome monkeys emboldened here by idiot tourists who feed them.

We left the park heading for the Nong Si reservoir for some list padding water birds arriving at 16.10. We found the water levels too high for much in the way of waders nevertheless we logged an overall total of 17 species in a 45 minute session - the notable records from our point of view being:-

300 Lesser Whistling Ducks

15 Black-winged Stilts

 4 Common Sandpipers

10 Small Pratincoles

5 Common egret/heron species- but no Purple Heron (our main target).

We left to seek out lodgings for the night (nice clean accommodation for 50 bahts /£11 per room) and mulled over our lists over beer and our meals with plans formulated for an early start to a full day in the morning.

-Some photos to follow later.

Regards,

Mike P.

27/11/2023 - 07.00 am - Phu Pha Thoep Nat. Pk. (headquarters vicinity) Mukdahan Province.

Up and out by 05.40 am for the one and a half hour drive north-east facing the dawn sky - what better way to start a day?

Our aim was to see the Indian Thick-Knees and Red-wattled Lapwings discovered by Paul last month. However upon arrival the site (a high rocky tableland with scattered tussock grass) was found to be much drier than three weeks ago and despite 90 minutes searching there was no sign of either species which may well have moved on. Undaunted we enjoyed the spectacular sandstone architecture with huge boulders perched mushroom style upon dangerously slender rock pedestals.

Of just 9 common species recorded the pick was a Blue Rock-Thrush and a province tick for Barb and me in the shape of a Lineated Barbet.

By 09.00 we had arrived at Huai Sing in the same Nat. Park where the pick of 10 common species was a Yellow-vented Flowerpecker which was especially pleasing for Paul as a province tick. 
By 12.30 we had arrived in Dong Bang-i Forest Park and despite the oppressive heat logged a final 12 species before calling it a day. Pick of these were:-

8 Asian Green Bee-eaters

3 Ashy Drongos

5 White-faced Jays

3 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Two-barred Warbler

1 Asian Brown Flycatcher (juv. - photographed)

3 Taiga Flycatchers

4 Ornate Sunbirds (formerly called Olive-backed Sunbird - though still appear no more ornate than previously).

Regards,

Mike P.

21/11/2023 - Barb and I were met at around 11.40 am at Bangkok airport by Paul and Pen after the long tedious ( almost 11 hours) flight out from Amsterdam (via KLM for a change - next time we shall revert back to Emirates).

We shot off via 2 new provinces (Prachin Buri and Sa Kaeo) to log a few roadside province ticks en route to our prebooked lodgings in Buri Ram province with a day and a half good birding in prospect.

With a leisurely start at 7.30 am on our first full day Nov.22nd (marking for me exactly 29 years of retirement from work) we entered the Dong Yai Wildlife sanctuary at Laloeng Roi Ru- 62 species in the morning session with a good selection of quality species to boost our respective lists for Buri Ram.

Highlight species being:-

1 Green Imperial Pigeon. (photographed) This being a prime site for this species in Thailand- an earlier start would certainly have yielded good numbers. The other major species here is Ashy-headed Green Pigeon which Paul has photographed before - though a no show this time.

1 Racket-tailed Treepie.

4 Asian Woolly-necked Storks - here reintroduced and though nice to see at large, not seriously tickable.

2 Striated Herons

2 Oriental Pied Hornbills (not seen by me as I was seated on the wrong side of the vehicle).

25 Red-breasted Parakeets

Included also were a host of common flycatchers and an Arctic Warbler and a Ruby-cheeked Sunbird were first records for the park.

We returned to our lodgings for a midday break only for Pen to receive tragic news which cast a long shadow over the rest of the day. Australian Dave, one of Pauls ex pat pals, and our host at the last Christmas Day party here, an experienced biker and a justice of the peace living also in Kut Chum had just been killed in a crash only minutes ago while out with his small group of biker friends.

Our afternoon session was a more sober one accordingly with another good count which included a Crested Goshawk and a major world tick for me in the shape of a Yellow-eyed Babbler (at last!!)

Photos to be included in due course.

Regards,

Mike P.

08/11/2023 - Various sites in Surin Province.

With a 6.30 am start and a full day Paul undertook a solo blitz around four sites in this smallish province which lies due south of Yasothon managing to boost his Surin list by 37 species. The best addition being a Rufous Treepie - a species which I have yet to catch up with in Thailand.

- A few photos attached from his outing : White-crested Laughingthrush, Lineated Barbet, and Chestnut-headed Bee-eater.

Cheers,

Mike P.

23/10/2023 - 11.30 am Phu Pha Thoep Nat. Pk. Mukdahan Province.

A solo outing for some general birding here was curtailed somewhat when Paul walked into two Thick-knees, accidentally flushing them from just 5 metres ahead. He then spent almost 2 hours slowly searching and stalking them until at last he obtained a few flight shots which confirmed for him a new species for his Thai list. - Indian Thick-knee, a scarce winter visitor mainly to central Thailand well to the west of here.

The species was traditionally regarded as a form of Stone Curlew (sub sp. indicus) but on Ebird is now recognised as Indian Thick-knee).

Photos below.

Cheers,

Mike P.