Three weeks now

A week ago I was. walking round. King Rama IX P.ark. It was early morning and the joggers and cyclists crowded the paths. Oriental music strained out of tiny PA systems as groups of Thai Che. enthusiasts elegently moved on bended knees. It was already hot and humid despite it being before 7. o'clock. The sound of sunbirds and babblers added to the exotic feel contrasting with the plastic swans that appear on so many ormanmental lakes in the far east, bobbing. languidly on the still water of the lake. These can be rented out for 40 baht at weekends. A canary like Common Iora clambered in the trees next to me seeping like a long-tailed tit and an Indian Roller swooped down taking an insect before swoopuing back up onto the telephone wires. Much of the park is carefully controlled by an army of attendents who are constantly snipping and chopping but there is a small over grown lake surrounded by tall trees and exotic ferns.  The sweet call of Magpie Robins can be heard everywhere and Pied Fantails run about on the ground in front of me living up to their name.  The Park has a number of gardens from around the world, one from China, one from Spain and an English garden although there is not much recognisable. A family of long-tailed shrikes have taken up residence here and huge monitor lizards move stealthily through the water. It was at this point that I met a wonderful local birder called Gum.  He was busy trying to photograph a stork-billed kingfisher although it remained steadfastly elusive all day.  We had a brief view of this huge bird shoot across the back of the pond, its irredesent blue wings and huge orange bill flashing through the reeds but sadly it passed all too quickly. Gum spent the day showing me what the park could offer including some excellent views of Little Minivet which looks like a long tailed redstart.  We shared water and a common interest and although communication was not easy, for long periods of time it didn't matter.  Gum is an artist and emailed me some of his wonderful bird pictures.  He paints these for his own pleasure. He has a gallery and sells his work all over the world.  His style is modern and abstract but he told me that painting is his job, birding is his passion.