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.

17/10/2023 - Kalasin Province - various sites.

The two Pauls again teamed up over recent days for a comprehensive blitz on a mix of sites in this underwatched province. The best find was that of a vocalising Sakhalin Leaf Warbler identified in the field by spectrogram readings showing frequency under 5 KHz. - Apparently Pale-legged Leaf Warbler readings show the frequency greater than 6KHz. 
Their recording efforts have pushed the province list now to 196 with PP the lead jockey on 143 a recent increase from 129, and PF up from 110 to 128.

Cheers,

Mike P.

02/10/2023 - 21.15 Pauls garden, - Kutchum, Yasothon Province.

A nice addition for Pauls local patch list - a pair of calling Collared Scops Owls emanating from the canal area - heard for some 15 minutes but didnt respond to playback.

Cheers,

Mike P.

25/09/2023 - 8.00 am  Nong Kwang Salt Pans - Sakon Nakhon Province.

Paul met up here with Paul Farrell to check out wader passage. He states in the introductory comments that the site is unique in Thailand as an area of inland salt pans where from October through to April salt water is drawn from artesian wells and left to dry out. In the wet/ hot season the area is left to nature.

The guys spent five hours here recording just 36 species with not much diversity but feel that it has good future potential.

Among the usual commoner species they logged 9 wader species as follows: -

40 Black-winged Stilts

40 Little Ringed Plovers

20 Temmincks Stints

1 Long-toed Stint

2 Common Sandpipers

8 Greenshanks

3 Marsh Sandpipers

50 Wood Sandpipers

300 Oriental Pratincoles

Attached are single shots of Temmincks and Long-toed Stints.

Mike P.

18/09/2023 - I noticed this morning that Pauls personal list for Yasothon and Mukdahan provinces had both increased by one although he hasnt been out birding today.

In discussion later on family matters, in passing he mentioned that Ayuwat Jearwatanakanok (one of Thailands acknowledged taxonomic gurus) had mailed him pointing out that one of Pauls photos from April taken in Phu Mu Forest park depicted a Dark- sided Flycatcher (aka Siberian Flycatcher) and not a form of Asian Brown as captioned.

I immediately recalled this bird as being a point of discussion between three of us (Paul Passant Paul Farrell and myself) at the time. My immediate impression was that the bird was Dark-sided but PF had pointed out to PP that it showed clear untipped undertail coverts- a feature for Asian Brown Flycatcher, so it was logged as the Brown-streaked variant of the latter species and I accepted that as a lesson learned.

Ayuwat has pointed out however that the definitive feature that makes it Dark-sided is the tiny bill which imparts the impression of cuteness to the face. This is born out by Pauls photos attached.
This is posted here as an interesting point worth noting for Dark-sided Flycatcher remains a potential vagrant to the Western Palearctic.

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

16/09/2023 - 8 am. Pha Nam Yoi Forest park, - Roi Et Province.

Paul headed west on a relatively short trip into Roi Et hoping for any passage migrants.

He recorded just 18 species in an hour but found among these three new species for his own province list to take it to 180 (only 7 behind the lead jockey - a birder who actually lives here in Roi Et).

Full list as follows (which encompasses nothing unusual) but the two warblers and the flycatcher were actually nice catch ups for Paul in Roi Et: -

2 Green-billed Malkohas

14 Asian Palm Swifts

2 Shikras (an adult photographed and a juv.)

10 Asian Green Bee-eaters

2 Lineated Barbets

2 Eurasian Jays

4 Large-billed Crows

8 Black-crested Bulbuls

2 Stripe-throated Bulbuls

1 Eastern Crowned Warbler

1 Arctic Warbler

4 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

2 Black-collared Starlings

4 Common Mynas

8 Great Mynas

2 White-rumped Shamas

1 Indochinese Blue Flycatcher

4 Olive-backed Sunbirds.

Cheers,

Mike P.

11/09/2023 - various stops along the Mekong shores, - Mukdahan Province.

With Pen needing to take the car over into Ubon Ratchathani for its service Paul opted instead for a morning birding along selected lengths of the Mekong riverside habitats.

He found a lingering Blue-winged Pitta still present at one of the regular breeding sites among the usual crop of expected species but was pleased to add a province tick in the shape of an Osprey flying down river.

A brief speculative ten minute stop at a bridge rewarded him with a Striated Heron - not just a province tick but the first record for Mukdahan Province itself - taking that list to 210 species of which Paul now stands on 183.

Somehow I dont see myself ever catching him?

Regards,

Mike P.

05/09/2023 - 8.45 am - Phu Mu Forest Park - Yasothon.

This morning Paul spent an hour and a half here on the lookout for signs of migration through this site which has thoroughly redeemed itself over the last year as a source of avian surprises.

He was rewarded with a rare province tick (no. 223)- the white faced form of Eurasian Jay of which he had three and spent most of the time here trying for a decent photo.

Also noteworthy passing through were four of the hulking Brown-backed Needletails - surely the Tyson Furies of all swifts?

Regards,

Mike P.

31/08/2023 -10.30 am Khueang Kam - Nong Hoi paddies Yasothon.

A 10.30 start saw Paul scanning for migrants at this regular wader site not far from home and in 2 hours and a half he clocked up 41 species the more interesting of which were: - 

2 White- breasted Waterhen (adult with chick).

30 Black-winged Stilts

1 Grey-headed Lapwing

5 Little Ringed Plovers

1 Long-toed Stint

1 Common/Pin-tailed Snipe

2 Common Sandpipers

15 Wood Sandpipers

40 Asian Openbill

14 Asian Green Bee-eaters (a notable count for these here).

In addition the usual spread of egrets and herons and a host of the usual passerines.

Cheers,

Mike P.

1 Eastern Yellow Wagtail (this being a site first record) 

21/08/2023 8.30 am Huai Khee Lek - Mukdahan province.

Paul made the short trip into Mukdahan for an hour and a half session looking for any early autumn migrants. Among the 37 common species he recorded he found the joint first autumn record of the year for Thailand - a Brown Shrike though no waders at all around the lake margins.

Of the 207 species recorded for this province Pauls list stands on 181 so he seldom adds to this apart from odd specific twitches from time to time. The fact that I stand in fifth place on 88 attests to the fact that Mukdahan (in the far east) is largely off the beaten track for the countrys big listers.

Cheers,

Mike P.

13/08/2023 Roi Et and Kalasin provinces.

Paul embarked on a couple of twitches over the last few days : - one into Roi Et province on 11th to dip on a short staying Lesser Adjutant and then more successfully on 12th north west into Kalasin to gain a province tick in the shape of a Streaked Weaver.

Revisiting our thrush fest of January this year (my post on/around 12/01/2023 refers) an interesting discussion has been ongoing over recent months. This has centred upon our Black-breasted Thrush found in company with the maculata buff throated form of Orange-headed Thrush, this latter being the first of this sub species to be identified in Thailand.

In conversation with Paul,  Phillip Round posed an interesting question as to whether we had considered the possibility that our female Black-breasted Thrush could have been a female Grey-backed Thrush?

Of course we had not! - Simply because Grey-backed Thrush is not depicted in either the old or in the new Thai fieldguide, 

The winds during the whole of the previous week blowing consistently from the north east had undoubtedly brought the maculata Orange-headed Thrush which shares its summer range in north east China with Grey-backed Thrush, and a perusal of the literature (including my China fieldguide) confirms this but also states the difficulty involved in identifying females of this species pair in the field.

Positive identification therefore (even with quite good photographs) is not possible without biometrics and a bird in the hand. Preferably therefore looking to the future we need a similar spell of weather this coming winter and a male bird to appear!

Cheers,

Mike P.

15/06/2023 10.30 am - Phu Phan Nat. Pk. Tor Khet (protection unit 6) Kalasin Province.

Paul met up with Dennis and Paul Farrell (the latter back in Thailand after several months away working) on this site located roughly half way between their respective home bases in Khon Kaen and Yasothon.

Here an hour and a half of relaxed birding produced 14 common species including a Crested Serpent Eagle, singles of both Green-eared and Lineated Barbets, a White-bellied Erpornis, 4 Bulbul species, Puff-throated and Pin-striped Tit-Babblers, a White-crested Laughingthrush, a White-rumped Shama, a couple of Ruby-cheeked Sunbirds, and 3 Common Taylorbirds.

Early afternoon (still in Kalasin) they moved on to explore Tambon Nong Hang where four wheel drive was necessary to negotiate the rocky steep trail.

The time of day and hot dry conditions were hardly ideal for birding and their half dozen species comprised:-

2 Rufous-winged Buzzards

1 Shikra

1 Indochinese Roller

1 Lineated Barbet

4 Large-billed Crows

1 Olive-backed Sunbird.

This modest haul across the two sites did in fact yield a few province ticks for them personally and meeting up at least provided the opportunity to formulate plans for the following week in Loei Province with the prospect of more challenging and exciting birding in the north-easter extremity of the Isaan region.
Cheers,

Mike P.

19/06/2023 - 16.30 Phu Hin Rong Kla Nat. Pk. - Phitsanulok side (general vicinity).

The national park and approach road straggles the boundary between the provinces of Loei and Phitsanulok and so on certain stretches when roadside birding and recording one has to be careful as to noting exact locations.

A 45 minute session here yielded 8 species as follows:-

2 Spotted Doves

6 Grey-chinned Minivets

4 Yellow- cheeked Tits

1 Mountain Tailorbird

6 Indian White-eyes

1 White-browed Scimitar-Babbler (heard)

4 Blue-winged Minlas

2 Green Cochoas (heard and recorded- a different pair from the birds heard and seen earlier in Loei. June does seem to be the time here to have a good chance of meeting with this gem of a species).

1 White-browed Forktail.

On 20/06 an hour long midday session, (this time in the headquarters vicinity) still on the Phitsanolok side produced a mix of 13 common species.
In the evening at 11 pm Dennis and Paul Farrell heard and photographed a Brown Wood Owl. PP had taken to his bed so missed the chance to enjoy the owl - a decision which he rather rued later. Dennis may well have been out and had his moth trap going as by the end of their trip he had logged over 80 moth lifers though felt that the expedition had been perhaps a week too early for the dragonflies (these being his prime passion).

Attached below photos of Brown Wood Owl.

Regards,

Mike P.

19/06/2023 - Phu Hin Rong Kla Nat.Pk. Man Daeng sub-station -Loei Province.

A 10.30 arrival here for Paul and the Farrell brothers (Paul and Dennis) meant that a five hour birding stint through the midday heat demanded a certain resolve bearing in mind that in Thailand they are now in the wet season. 
Their species list of 24 contained more than a few juicey rewards:-

1 Red-headed Trogon

1 Golden-throated Barbet

3 Bay Woodpeckers

5 Grey-chinned Minivets

1 Bronzed Drongo

1 Common Green-Magpie

2 Large-billed Crows

2 Yellow-cheeked Tits

2 Common Tailorbirds

1 Hill Prinia

9 Flavescent Bulbuls

1 Grey-eyed Bulbul

2 Mountain Tailorbirds

1 Golden Babbler

3 Streaked Wren-Babblers

2 Yunnan Fulvettas

5 Black-backed Sibias

4 Blue-winged Minlas

1 Silver-eared Mesia

2 White-necked Laughingthrushes

2 Green Cochoas 

20 Large Niltavas (a notable high count!)

1 Black-throated Sunbird

2 Streaked Spiderhunters 

Green Cochoas were lifers for the guys (as they would be for me) and are among the true gems of south east Asia along with the rarer Purple Cochoa. I also have yet to set eyes upon White-necked Laughingthrush with which we were teased here last year by a calling party in thick forest which stubbornly refused to show themselves;- all part of the ups and downs which keep us addicted!
Attached is Paul Farrells photo of a Blue-winged Minla.

Regards,

Mike P.