In a previous blog, I told you how I had met this super Thai birder called Gum. Last Wednesday, on his day off, Gum organised a birding trip for me along the northern shores of the Gulf of Thailand. He arranged to pick me up at Big C, a local equivalent of Wilkinsons, and then we set off for Samut Sakhon. There are some well documented birdwatching sites along this stretch of coast incluyding Khok Kham. It is a reliable site for small numbers of the endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. However, it was still too early for them to arrive but it was full of waders with loads of Black-tailed Godwits and Sandplover.

The sun beat down with very little cover as I scanned the thousands of waders stretched out in front of me albeit at some distance. A party of Indian ecologists arrived. who were part of a convention touring Thailand looking at conservation projects. They assumed that, since I had a telescope, I was part of the convention and.started talking to me about the success of the mangrove regen.eration project. Their English was very good but despite me explaining that I knew nothing about mangroves, coming as I did from Sheffield where we didn't have much call for mangrove regeneration, they continued to pump me with questions and seemed slightly disappointed when I didn't provide them with enlightenment. Gum and I made a number of excuses and made our way back to the car leaving them scatching their heads. We then went on for lunch in a bamboo hut on the beach.over-looking the sea. 'Aloy' the owner kept saying to me which means delicious and I kept nodding my head as it was truely aloy.  Another great day.