Thaibirds and more

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.

White-rumped Munia Plain Prinia House Sparrow (indicus)  It is always fun to bird in a new place. This place is only a few hundred meters from a very busy road but it is run by the state and thus protected from all kinds of disruptions. Also the farming is done organically which allows for insect and birds to co-exist.  Open area birding can be a lot of fun as birds are always around, not hiding in the trees! This is the race of House Sparrow found in Thailand, indicus, somethings called Indian House Sparrow. Paddyfield Pipit Stejnegeri's Stonechat  Paddyfield Pipit is a resident very common bird in paddies. Isolated it can be hard to ID from Richard's but call and size do differ a lot. Sorting races out can be tricky with taxonomy often changing. Our Eastern Stonechat i.e. is held up to species level: Stejnegeri's Stonechat. Yellow Wagtail has more races then one can even dream of. This one, myornyx...

There are so so many things that have to come together for certain images to happen as is the case of this set of pix.  !. The miracle of having access to a small population of wintering Spoon-billed Sandpiper in relative closeness to Bangkok. 2. Finding the birds in the midst of thousands of other shorebirds. 3. Having the time and money to get to the place. 4. Being aware of the tidal schedule. 5. Decent if not good weather. 6. Having the camera gear to take the picture. 7. Knowing how to operate your camera. 8. Having good relations with the workers of the salt pans so as to not wear out your welcome. 9. Preferably no other people around in order to best approach the birds. 10. The blessing of God probably should be on top of the list though!  So, on our way back towards Bangkok we wanted to stop by Paktaley for another try at the Spoonies having seen them a day earlier. Weather was not the best with drizzling rain being a constant. About 5 ...

 It finally happened! 10 days of birding on West Papua with a team of 5 Norwegians, 1 Swiss and one Indian. It truly was a milestone of a birding endeavor and something I will never forget. The main focus was on Birds of Paradise and we saw several. This one, Wilson's BOP, an endemic from the island of Waigeo performed wonderfully!  It was so interesting to see how hard the male worked to attract a female. He would clean up his mating area making sure it was suitable for a lady. He would dance around his pole. He let out the loudest of calls. And when the female showed up he eventually got 'down on his knees' in admiration of her presence while 'begging' for her approval!  

Time for some fun LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs).. Dusky Warbler ...Phylloscopus fuscatus Radd'es Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi During mid winter these birds inhabit different habit zones. During migration they may overlap. Dusky has a strong preference to mangroves, scrub near water causes. It has a soft but sharp tick call that is easy to ID. The bill is smaller and the bird is slightly smaller then Radde's as well. Radde's has more color to it, looks chunkier and with a stronger bill. The supercilium is stronger and slightly bordered darker above. The call is a chuck with more strength then Dusky but not as intense. Most often found in forested areas near to forest breaks. Dusky Warbler Radde's Warbler