Thaibirds and more

I took these shots with my Canon 7DMarkii, 100-400 1:4.5-5.6 L IS ii USM and Extender EF 1.4x iii... Shooting waders is always fun. It involves waiting, getting close and preferably catching them in warm morning or evening light. These were taken at Phak Taley where I was hoping to get some shots of Spoon-billed Sandpiper.  Lesser Sand Plover Red-necked Stint Broad-billed Sandpiper Common Redshanks Grey Plover Curlew Sandpiper Red-necked Stint Lesser Sand Plover Red-necked Stint

Headquarter area     Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, Naratiwat, Thailand 23-28th/April 2018. Participants: Peter Ericsson, Paul Farrell, Mark Hogarth and Brian Hewitt Dennis Farrell was also part of the team but spent his time with dragon flies. Background: There has been unrest in the deep South for many years which hits the headlines here in Thailand almost on a daily basis. This has led to a clear apprehension of visiting the otherwise very attractive birding areas right at the Malaysian border. This is my story. About 2 years ago I stopped reading the local paper thus not being bombarded with all the ills of society on a daily basis. I slowly started to realize I was being controlled by fear and not really unbiased news coverage. I did not want to visit the area based only on wanting a long bird list for Thailand knowing I almost invariably had seen the birds elsewhere so I felt it best to let it be. Well, having heard stories from a number of people visiting H

Back in May/June I visited Sweden for a few weeks. It is always nice with a change of scenery, climate and culture. Besides visiting friends and relatives I also did a bit of birding. I got a chance to visit Gotland for the first time and was hosted lovingly by Tord Lantz who is an expert birder and fun loving companion. Here are a few pics from the trip Great Crested Grebe Eurasian Cuckoo Collared Flycatcher White-tailed Eagle Pied Avocet with chicks Grey Partridge Northern Wheatear Common Tern or Fish Tern in Swedish Elk Barred Warbler Icterine Warbler

 As the season progress the waders are assuming more and more color. Here is the lovely Red-necked Stint followed by Curlew Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit and a Red Knot in flight!

I got up too late but still decided to visit Khok Kham as the weather looked gloomy which means any photography would still be ok. I don't like glaring light. Traffic was bad so didnt make it till 9:45. Ouch, the tide was already out and very few birds in the pans. Well, you actually only need one bird at the time and as I sat in my car I spotted a few individuals who for some reason hadn't gone out to the mud flats. Waders undergo an amazing transformation of color to fit them better in their upcoming breeding grounds on the Siberian tundra. Camouflage is the name of the game. The Red-necked Stints were there in various stages of moulting. Lesser Sand Plover is another bird that a bit of color quickly adds to its attraction. Broad-billed, Marsh and Curlew Sandpiper added to the variety.