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.

29/05/2023 - Phu Chong Na Yoi Nat.Pk. - general area, Ubon Ratchathani.

Paul picked up Philip Round at Ubon Ratchathani airport for a birding jaunt together in this same excellent national park where twelve months ago I enjoyed a couple of days with Paul and the Farrell brothers.

Their listing spanned three days (involving one full day and two mornings), - the list for this site amounted to 47 species as follows: -

1 Siamese Fireback

2 Scaly-breasted Partridges (heard both days)

2 Spotted Doves

5 Asian Emerald Doves

1 Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo

2 Banded Bay Cuckoos

2 Plaintive Cuckoos

1 Malayan Night-Heron (flushed off the trail)

1 Black Baza

1 Crested Serpent-Eagle

1 Shikra

2 Asian Barred Owlets

1 Oriental Pied Hornbill

1 Blue-bearded Bee-eater

2 Blue-eared Barbets

4 Green-eared Barbets

4 Lineated Barbets

4 Greater Flamebacks 

1 Rufous Woodpecker

2 Black and Buff Woodpeckers (photo attached below).

2 Laced Woodpeckers

2 Greater Yellownapes

6 Banded Broadbills (Heard).

3 Great Ioras

1 Bronzed Drongo

Greater Racket-tailed Drongos (quite a few).

2 Black-naped Monarchs

2 Blyths Paradise-Flycatchers

1 Common Green Magpie (Heard).

4 Large-billed Crows

1 Stripe-throated Bulbul

2 Large Scimitar-Babblers (new for Paul)

4 Scaly-crowned Babblers

4 White-crested Laughingthrushes

1 Yellow-vented Flowerpecker

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

1 Little Spiderhunter

2 Asian Fairy-Bluebird (more heard).

In addition there were numbers of more common species:- both Common and Dark-necked Tailorbirds, Black-crested Puff-throated and Grey-eyed Bulbuls, Puff-throated and Abbots Babblers and a fair few White-rumped Shamas.

Cheers,

Mike P.

17/05/2023 - (continued) Later the same day Paul and Dave started (at 15.30) a two hour session at a new site - 

Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary - Laloeng Roi Ru (also still in Buri Ram Province). Here they chalked up 35 species (and one other taxa deemed not tickable due to reintroduction status).

Notable species here were:-

6 Ashy-headed Green-Pigeons

40 Thick-billed Green-Pigeons

8 Green Imperial Pigeons

3 Crested Treeswifts

2 Asian Woolly-necked Storks (released birds)

2 Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters

3 Dollarbirds 

14 Red-breasted Parakeets

2 Blossom-headed Parakeets (seen by Dave only).

Cheers,

Mike P.

15/05/2023 - 13.00 Huai Saneng Reservoir Surin Province.

Paul enjoyed a two hour twenty minute listing bash at this site en route for several days birding in Buri Ram (the south westernmost province in Isaan). He logged 53 species at this site and while nothing outstanding was noted the sheer spread of species added 7 new species for his own list for this province.

By 15.15 he commenced birding at Huai Sawai in Buri Ram logging 35 species in a 50 minute session; - best being: -

250 Oriental Pratincoles

10 Small Pratincoles

50 Asian Openbills 

7 Painted Storks

The following morning Paul met up at 11.00 am with Australian birder Dave Pennock at Huai Cherokhe Reservoir non-hunting area logging 43 species in a two hour spell, notably: -

400 Asian Openbills

6 Sarus Cranes ( re-introduced)

15 Painted Storks

1 Oriental Darter

20 Little Cormorants

1 Glossy Ibis

20 Asian Green Bee-eaters

Also of course many of the usual common species padding out the list with a good number new for Dave (who only commenced recording on Ebird recently in March).

At 15.10 they arrived at Chang Wat Buri Ram where in a final 50 minutes they recorded 11 species which included 5 Little Grebes and 4 Blue-winged Pittas (this latter boosting Pauls personal province records for this species of which he is so fond).

Cheers,

Mike P.

10/05/2023 -Huai Chum Chang, _ Kalasin Province.

Midday saw Paul out to the NW from home engaged in a bit of list boosting up here where he logged 18 species in an hour and also spent time enjoying a passage of 40 Whiskered Terns.
Earlier he had travelled west into Roi Et where on 08/05/23 Shaun Green (the most active birder in that province) had watched 4 White-winged Terns at Laem Phayom. Last year at the same site (a day earlier on 07/05/22) Shaun had recorded 21 birds in 2 groups.
I am pretty sure that Paul has never seen White-winged Tern in Roi Et hence the reason for his visit and though he logged 16 Whiskered Terns at Laem Phayom not a single White-winged remained, so he moved on NW into Kalasin.

Just as Paul was about to leave for home he writes that 20 White-winged Terns flew in from the south so he was rewarded after all for his efforts - albeit in a different province to the one intended! 
A brief stop back at Laem Phayom en route home yielded 15 Whiskered Terns but still no more White-winged Terns for his Roi Et list. 
Cheers,

Mike P.

18/04/2023 Phu Chong Na Yoi Nat. Pk. Ubon Ratchathani.

A belated photo from Paul and Pens camping trip down into Phu Chong Na Yoi, depicting a rather fine shot of the quite common Green-eared Barbet, which we hear very often in well forested areas (as the voice travels across hundreds of metres) though we seldom get photo opportunities or clear views as good as this.

Cheers,

Mike P.

30/04/2023 - Phu Mu Forest Pk. - campsite area - Yasothon/Mukdahan province border.

A 07.30 start saw Paul here again hoping for passage migrants. 
In his first session he logged 23 species, highlights being:-

1Chinese Sparrowhawk

1 Blue-winged Pitta

5 Black-naped Orioles

8 Hair-crested Drongos

3 Greater-racket-tailed Drongos

4 Asian Brown Flycatchers (including one of the sub-species williamsoni (photographed) showing heavy diffuse flank streaking but clean unmarked undertail coverts which separate it from Dark-sided Flycatcher).

1 Forest Wagtail

2 Olive-backed Pipits

Regards,

Mike P.

26/04/2023 Phu Chong Na Yoi Nat.Pk. Ubon Ratchathani Province.

Paul and Pen arrived here mid afternoon for an overnight stay intent on exploring the general area on 27th (Thursday). As you do, they unwound from the drive from Yasothon with a shortish walk and were rewarded by finding and seeing briefly two birds approximately a kilometre apart - two Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoos (no less!) which both walked off the trail ahead of them. This species is high on the wish list of many birders (including me; - it is up there with Blue Pitta as one of my two most wanted species in Thailand - both world lifers which I have heard but never yet managed to see).

Other species seen were one each of Asian Koel, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Dollarbird, and the first Blue-winged Pitta of the year.

Later last evening at about 19.00 they were entertained by a calling Large-tailed Nightjar close to their campsite.

Cheers, Mike P.

12/04/2023 - Tham Pha Nam Thip - None Hunting area Roi Et Province.

Paul made a foray into Roi Et Province hoping for more cuckoo records recording 21 species in a 3 hour session but with no cuckoos involved. He did however strike lucky with another male Mugimaki Flycatcher and also managed a new species for the province list in the shape of a Forest Wagtail which he also photographed.
Those of you who know the species will recall the oddly eccentric way this bird moves around on the forest floor or forages among the leaf litter, swaying its tail rather stiffly from side to side as it proceeds.

Other notable birds were 2 Taiga Flycatchers (one sporting its red throat now) a Siberian Blue Robin and a fine adult White-throated Rock-Thrush.

Cheers,

Mike P.

April 9th and 10th - Boong Khla Community Forest, Yasothon Province.

With migration underway Paul has been lured back into this superb forest patch which has yielded up a number of Yellow-rumped Flycatchers of late and among 47 species there on 9th were a Dollarbird, and on wires in the adjacent village 12 Barn Swallows and 20 Red-rumped Swallows,  2 more Yellow-rumped Flycatchers, a single Taiga Flycatcher and 5 Siberian Blue Robins. However, best of all as a find was a vocalising Common (ie Eurasian) Cuckoo. No other visually similar palearctic cuckoo species calls as does our familiar bird. Paul failed to actually see the culprit so recorded it on the Ebird system as cuckoo sp to prevent it distorting his Thai life list;- therefore sadly it remains as a near miss.

He returned this morning hoping to catch sight of it but it either remained silent or has already moved on. He was however rewarded with a fine male Narcissus Flycatcher sporting its blazing yellow supercilium:- a bird new for him and which I have never seen anywhere myself. As the early evening light was inadequate he was unable to manage any photos.

Cheers,

Mike P.

With migration now underway through Yasothon Pauls focus has been on Boong Khla Community Forest over the last few days.

On April 1st he recorded a new species for Yasothon - a stunning male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and on a repeat visit this morning he found four more - three males and a female. Other species photographed were a female Blyths Paradise Flycatcher and an Abbotts Babbler, this latter with a possibly deformed upper mandible. 
Cheers,

Mike P.

21/03/2023 - 15- 15 - Na Weng, Ubon Ratchathani.

Paul and Pen enjoyed a couple of days in the east close to the Mekong river and also exploring a couple of forest sites with a close encounter with a new species not just for themselves but also what appears to be a first record for the eastern part of Isaan - a tentative presumed Himalayan Cuckoo. Im pretty sure that I have never seen this species anywhere myself though I am aware that four or five similar cuckoo species present identification challenges especially when silent. A photo is attached.
An hour here produced 17 species as follows:-

2 Greater Coucals

1 Asian Koel

1 Himalayan Cuckoo

1 Kentish Plover

1 Little Ringed Plover

8 Small Pratincoles

1 Grey Heron

1 Little Egret

3 Asian Green Bee-Eaters

1 Coppersmith Barbet

1 Black-winged Cuckooshrike

3 Large-billed Crows

6 Wire-tailed Swallows

2 Common Mynas

5 Great Mynas

1 Amur Stonechat

3 Pied Bushchats

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/03/2023 - Huai Chorakhe Mak reservoir none hunting area, - Buri Ram Province.

After several weeks of birding the immediately adjacent provinces of Yasothon Paul yielded to the temptation of a twitch into Buri Ram, the south westernmost province of Isaan where our winter trip in December had turned up a Dunlin and a White Wagtail of the ocularis form (only treated as a sub species, but entirely new for all four of us at that time).

He arrived on site at 10.30 am and was delighted to find the two Red-necked Phalaropes still present and obtained photos as well. -Always a delight to see these delicate waders and all the more so for Paul as they were new for his Thai and possibly world lists. In two and a half hours he logged 62 species here - highlights being 60 Oriental Pratincoles, 30 Painted Storks, 14 Indochinese Rollers, and most impressively 60 Glossy Ibises.

At 14.00 he spent an hour at Sanam Bin none hunting reserve searching in vain for a reported Curlew Sandpiper but did log in passing 19 species here which included an impressive 55 Painted Storks.

Prior to heading back to home he returned to the Phalarope site and while failing to find a reported Common Shelduck  he did find a couple of Wigeon now on site - the first province records since 1988.

08/02/2023 to 10/02 2023 Sakhon Nakhon Province trip.
PP and PF teamed up again for a three day blitz on this seldom visited province in NE Isaan.
Incidentally I forgot earlier to highlight Khon Kaen province on the map as I said, so apologies for that. Khon Kaen is 3 provinces directly west from Yasothon on the map under the initial A of Isaan as written.

The guys had many of the regular species on their trip as stocking fillers and boosted their personal lists to 150 for PF and 141 for PP to top the table for this province with a few new records for the province itself. Notable species were a Rufous Woodpecker which had been an entirely new species for me in January and a Cinereous Tit (both photographed  and shown below courtesy of PP and PF).

Two former sub-species of Great Tit are currently recognised on the Ebird system in Thailand as Japanese Tit (Parus minor) and Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus). Japanese Tit found only in the NW is simply a washed out form of Great Tit with hints of yellow only about the breast and yellow/green about the nape and upper mantle. Cinereous Tit seems even more washed out with the grey mantle/nape seemingly eliminating any yellow or green tones in this area of plumage.  To my eye both forms seem to show a thicker expanse of black about the throat and centre breast. The vocalisations are surely different otherwise these seem desperately weak splits from Great Tit and are likely still treated as sub-species by some taxonomic authorities.

Regards,

Mike P

02/02/2023 - Chulalongkorn University (general area) Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok).

From time to time normally furtive crake species can show a surprising and endearing innocence. Examples are the famous Sunderland Baillons Crake watched by observers at point blank range (which I didnt see) and the Kent Little Crake of March 1985 which foraged in a ditch and quite unconcerned regularly trotted over our feet.

Such a bird (in this case a first winter Slaty-legged Crake) turned up in the above University grounds at a small shrine near the veterinary facility, so mid afternoon saw Paul enjoying what for him was likely a new world species and which he describes as remarkably approachable. Photos attached: -

Cheers,

Mike P.

 Samut Sakhon -31/01/2023.

Paul has sent a few photographs of some of the 59 species we logged. One affords a comparative study of two Whiskered Terns keeping company with a Gull-billed Tern and a Brown-headed Gull which to my eye at least simply dwarfs the Whiskered Terns.

Other pics show Golden-bellied Gerygone (aka Flyeater), Mangrove Whistler, and Collared Kingfisher.

Cheers, Mike P.

30/01/2023 - Journey south to Bangkok (7.00 am start from Kut Chum).

After several refreshment stops en route prior to a longer lunch break, with Art and Paul sharing the driving, we finally by mid afternoon reached our main birding destination for the day - the Pathum Thani Rice Research Centre.

In yet another new province for all of us we logged 44 species (main details to follow).The site is quite extensive with a mix of newly planted rice paddies, other fields seemingly left fallow - some quite dry with others quite overgrown and marshy - in other words - a good mix.
Well into our birding we noticed in the distance some Thai birders/photographers erecting small hides in the corner of what turned out to be a very dry field with either long grass or what looked like tall uncut rice about six feet high. We drove over and not only were warmly welcomed but provided with a hide for two which Paul and Pen occupied while Barb Art and I chose to view the proceedings from the car.

Apparently one of the locals (possibly the owner of this particular field) has provided a metal drinking bowl sunk slightly into the earth and baits the small area with fish bait type worms. Once everyone was settled the first birds soon arrived - an Amur Stonechat, a couple of Plain Prinias, a Black Drongo, a Brown Shrike, and a nuisance in the form of a Chinese Pond Heron, which proceeded to hoover up as many worms as possible at each visit before exiting stage left like a pantomime villain into the very tall dense cover. The Drongo too was becoming rather a nuisance for the same reason. Things then picked up a little with a female Bluethroat making repeat visits then a class act in the shape of a Slaty-breasted Rail which gave Paul some good photo opportunities.

Two main targets however failed to appear - Eastern Water Rail (aka Brown-cheeked Rail) and Painted Snipe which still eludes me in Thailand. The rail is a split from our familiar bird and looks very close in plumage terms though its call is quite different.

Other notable species among the usual common herons, egrets, munias and sparrows were: - 

400 Black-winged Stilts

15 Red-wattled Lapwings

30 Spotted Redshanks

40 Wood Sandpipers

12 Marsh Sandpipers

5 Greenshanks

5 Whiskered Terns

80 Asian Openbills

1 Black-headed Ibis

1 Black-winged Kite

1 White-throated Kingfisher

2 Blue-tailed Bee-eater

6 Indochinese Rollers

1 Black-naped Oriole

18 Eastern Yellow Wagtails (a good count and all in the same field - mainly macronyx sub sp.)

 This has been an excellent site which certainly warrants a future stop and one could spend a good day here during the migration period. Photos attached.

Cheers,

Mike P.

29/01/2023 - 14.50 - Pha Nam Yoi Forest Park - Roi Et Province.

In spite of the persisting strong winds we finally decided to get out birding for a spell. This time Paul fancied this hilltop site with its huge temple complex up in the hills of nearby Roi Et Province which we have rather neglected of late. Our success with the thrushes on the Mukdahan/Yasothon border gave us hope for at least the possibility of a similar situation in a near identical hill forest here on the Roi Et/Mukdahan border. 
We stopped of initially on the Roi Et side and readily saw an overhead House Swift then found an Asian Brown Flycatcher, a Taiga Flycatcher and both Olive-backed and a Crimson Sunbird but a Siberian Blue Robin heard down a side trail, refused to show.
We drove further, crossed soon into Mukdahan down a wide dirt road and birding from the car started seeing birds foraging both on the road and in the roadside leaf litter, White-rumped Shamas and no less than 4 different Siberian Robins of both sexes. Other birds here were a showy and confiding Hainan Blue Flycatcher, both Asian Brown and Taiga Flycatchers, 4 White-rumped Shamas, 3 female/imm. White-throated Rock-Thrushes, an Asian Emerald Dove (which I missed) and an Asian Barred Owlet which crossed the road and kindly landed on a branch nicely in my line of sight.

Back into Roi Et at the rather overgrown Botanical Garden area we found an Ashy Drongo, another 2 Hainan Blue Flycatchers, a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers, with a support cast of the vocal and very common Black-crested Bulbuls and an overflying Large-billed Crow.

On our way down we pulled off road to check out a quiet dirt road with lots of leaf litter. - nothing doing, so we walked on forty yards to look around a bend whereupon we saw another straight section of some 80 yards with a Whites Thrush (no less) foraging in the leaf litter! It also saw us almost immediately and took flight and away.
It was high fives and Pauls exploratory hunch had again paid off with a first ever record for Roi Et Province to round off an afternoon which had well exceeded expectations.

Hopefully later- some record shot/s at least of Siberian Blue Robin.

Cheers,

Mike P.

26/01/2023 -Kutchum - Yasothon Province.

Back at base Paul and I made an early start turning over the compost bins and watering then working in and layering in 14 sacks of cow muck to fire things up. Two days later as I write this the temperature in the row of compost bins has reached over 60 degrees.

Its too windy at present to be birding seriously so a break is almost welcome and also its Arts 28th birthday- he now has his own binoculars so will he start birding seriously? - His choice whatever.

In the afternoon, despite the winds Paul had a ride over to Phu Mu to check out the thrushes. He once again noted a Whites/Scaly Thrush on the approach road and found the regular Whites Thrush and the Orange-headed Thrush in the usual spot by the top car park but no sign of the Black-breasted Thrush. 
In total he logged 19 species in an hour and forty minutes including an Ashy Drongo and a Hair-crested Drongo (photos attached).

Cheers,

Mike P.

24/01/2023 - 15.30 Kaeng Lawa (general area) Khon Kaen Province.

We arrived in good time and stayed until 17.50 and while focused mainly on particular target species still recorded 27 species in all knowing that we still had as much as we needed of the following day available should we need it.

We hit lucky with acceptable views of the drake Falcated Teal which was a catch up species for PP Barb and me and of which Paul obtained some record shots. As the afternoon sun swung slowly and increasingly against us we searched continually for the Baikal Teal among an obviously diminished gathering of ducks - overwhelmingly composed of Garganey. Where were the previous weeks Common Teal and Pintail and was our main quarry away with them somewhere else? A Ruddy-breasted Crake some 200 metres away kept teasing me offering binocular views but whenever PP gave me the scope it once again vanished into cover as I was focussing up.

A flock of Garganey zoomed in and landed (though they all appeared to be Garganey we kept on optimistically scanning anew in turn). I had noticed a lump close to the grassy shore which didnt move and was possibly an inanimate object, so I ignored it without further ado or mention. Nearby Garganey continued swimming and dabbling but the lump remained a lump - if it was indeed a duck it had not moved one iota in half an hour.

Paul Farrell had moved some 50 metres away scoping from a different angle and mentioned that the lump was indeed a duck and seemed to be the right size. With the rest of us now assessing the lump in turn it briefly lifted its head before apparently going back to sleep but it had shown very dull green on the crown and nape and yellowon the face and was there also a hint of plumes over its flanks. The rear end looked good as well -White rear vent and black undertail coverts but the light was getting worse by the minute. Just to torture us further it briefly lifted its head every few minutes enabling the two Pauls to catch a glimpse of its vertical black tear drop which to my old eye was right on the edge of that place between sight and imagination. It had to be our bird. Paul Farrell who had first found this bird on 16th was happy with the I/d as was PP. For me the overall evidence was convincing but it was not by any means an exhilarating experience. Still we knew the bird was still present and the following day held much promise.

The full afternoons list was therefore:-

1 Baikal Teal (drake)

20 Garganey

1 Falcated Duck (drake - record shot attached)

20 Common Teal

1 Asian Koel (heard)

4 Moorhens

1 Coot

2 Ruddy-breasted Crakes

40 Black-winged Stilts

1 Grey-headed Lapwing

7 Little Ringed Plovers

4 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

1 Common Snipe

10 Wood Sandpipers

7 Painted Storks

3 Grey Herons

1 Purple Heron

4 Great Egrets 

1 Intermediate Egret

8 Little Egrets

9 Cattle Egrets

1 Common Kingfisher

1 White-throated Kingfisher

1 Coppersmith Barbet  (heard).

2 Pallass Grasshopper Warblers

1 Oriental Magpie-Robin

5 Bluethroats

- In all a great days birding but hopes were high for the next day as well.

Cheers,

Mike P.

24/01/2023 - 11.55 am. Khon Kaen University - Romklao Kallapaphruek Park - Khon Kaen City.

Having met up with PF, he led us down to the viewing blind some 150 metres down the forest track where we settled down with me seated (surprisingly comfortably) on a breeze block balanced on a log. A mid day stakeout was far from ideal so I was mindful that we might have to wait several hours for the main target species - a Rufous-tailed Robin - to show, so patience was needed. On the other hand it was both hot and dry so birds nevertheless may drop in to take a drink regardless of the time?

After 25 minutes the first species put in an appearance -a Taiga Flycatcher on a thin horizontal branch and a Common Tailorbird by the small circular concrete pool. As if birds were feeling more confident suddenly there were two Raddes Warblers showing well on the ground just in front of us then at about 12.30 PF seated next to me spotted the Robin which had materialised on a low horizontal just above the water. It then alighted onto the ground and paced around for a good minute before vanishing to be replaced by a Streak-eared Bulbul. This had been only my second ever meeting with this species and of course never seen so well as this.
Other birds (heard only) were Coppersmith Barbet, Greater Coucal and the ubiquitous Yellow-browed Warblers, while PP also logged a Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher. 

It was a case of relief all round and we had been very fortunate that we had managed an unlikely mid day sighting with the main attraction seen sufficiently early for us to move on to Kaeng Lawa where as I have said previously we still had unfinished business.

Photos (courtesy of Paul Farrell) of Rufous-tailed Robin attached.

Regards,

Mike P.