Thaibirds and more

This is the first photograph of an Indian Thick-knee from Bangkok on eBird. I stumbled across it this morning on a site in Nong Chok district of Bangkok. A big surprise that brought about a grin on my face! Like a ray of light it gave me joy!

The tree cutters arrived at the house to clear the tree that fell in the storm yesterday and to cut another one in half. We don’t want another tree fall on the property. Once they were done, and they did a good job, it was lunch time and I thought….hmm ‘where should I go’? Ha! Well, the sun was out, the tide was high and I knew Spoonie had arrived. Got my stuff together and did the drive ( less then an hour midday). I arrived at the Bird Center at Khok Kham just before 2 pm and it was hot! There were many pans filled with waders…..which one to start with? Well, I have been there so many times that by now I sort of ‘feel’ where my little friend like to settle. I scanned a little here and there. So nice to see the waders again and in such big numbers. They are all in winter plumage, all grey but all in different shapes, size and bill. I went to a place with a tiny shelter from the scorching sun and set up my scope. I scanned the pond in front of me. Not a lot. To the right there

I didn’t go out this morning as I had some things to take care of at home. Checking eBird I noticed someone had 2 Red-necked Stints at Latkrabang. Since I haven’t seen them this year in Bangkok I thought I’d give it a go. Got there at 14:30 and the muddy field was full of little peeps. Loads of Little Ringed-Plovers, Long-toed Stints and Temminck’s Stint but no Red-necked. The field was very large so I thought I’d walk on a narrow bund for a bit. Scanning with my KOWA TSN 88 Prominar I suddenly saw something that caught my attention. I had seen several Oriental Pratincoles in my search for the stint but these two birds had slightly pinkish chests and strong eye ring. Could it really be what I started to think? Yes, Small Pratincoles on the mud resting in the scorching sun! Not only a first for my Bangkok list but a first for Bangkok period! My friend Sam Hambly also arrived in time to approach the birds a bit closer and he was as happy as I was and said 'a lot better then

It took me 32 years of looking at birds to find a Green Sandpiper in Bangkok! My first one for Central Thailand for that matter. Seen them regularly in the North. This charmer has find a small and quiet wetlands in the SouthWestern parts of Bangkok. It has been reported for a couple of weeks but driving through the city is never much fun so I waited till today, Sunday. Got there and noone else about except for a jogger or two. I worked the area but no sign of the bird. So I stopped in a suitable area and contemplated what to do when it suddenly flew in seemingly out of nowhere!

The last year I have paid more attention to butterflies and odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). Taking pictures of these insects is not as easy as I had imagined. It is very satisfying when some pictures turn out well. Here I am showcasing a few male individuals. Not all have common names. Some are extremely rare and endemic to Thailand while others are common and widespread. Asian Blood Tail Ceriagrion praetermissum Common Parasol Forest Chaser Grenadier Lyriothemis pallidistigm Scarlet Basker Scarlet Dropwing Scarlet Skimmer Sultan Sympetrum thailandensis

  Years ago when I first started birding there was a known Woolly-necked Stork at Kaengkrachan National Park. I never made it there before it was too late.   Then there were reports from Khao Soi Dao in the SouthEast. I also did not make it there.    My first sighting was while on an excursion with my kids to a breeding station in Bangpra, Chonburi. We were watching a Wooly-necked Stork in a cage when a sudden storm hit. It rained very hard, thunder and lightning struck. Suddenly the bird just tipped over and died in front of our eyes! How unbecoming! A few years ago a program to reintroduce the birds started up and eventually 14 birds were released at Dong Yai in a protected forest reserve. I didn't visit until this week as I wasn't sure if would be worth it in terms of natural experience or not. The place is 4-5 hours drive from my home in the province of Buriram. But after a morning at Pang Sida National Park looking for butterflies I decided that now would be a good time. 

  I have been fortunate enough to spend time on my own with Spoon-billed Sandpiper this season. I have seen this bird over 100 times but feel like I never have enough.  These pictures are from Khok Kham, Samut Sakorn about 1 hour from Bangkok.