You just can not please everybody. Some say too much and others say not enough birds. Well this email is mostly about birds so you can choose whether you want to read it or not! I have included a few snaps taken with my out of date equipment. No particular order but hopefully of interest.
I have not worked hard at pushing up my Thailand List but it has now crept up to 133. Every morning we are woken up by Magpie Robin singing outside our window and I almost tread on Zebra Doves, Common Mynas and Pied Fantail as I walk to school. Often an Indian Roller is sitting on top of the goal posts and four Black-naped Orioles flew out of a tree in KS one playground last week.
The big numbers of autumn waders have long since passed through and each time I make my way down to Bang Po, which is the nearest piece of sea to home (about 15kms), the cast of players changes.
Last time there were hundreds of Brown-headed Gulls with two Slender-Billed Gulls and Three Black-tailed Gulls hiding amongst them. The time before, the sky was filled with hundreds of Whiskered Terns and a single Gull-Billed Tern. Four species of Kingfisher are regular and, last time, a flock of Ashy Minivets flew through. Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Little Heron, Egrets and Pond Heron abound. Just up the road is a place known as Old Siam.
It a collection of reconstructed half sized models of key Thai historical buildings. Beside it are the Muang Boran fishing ponds Which teem with birds. Drongos, Bee-eaters, Shrikes and Flycatchers are common. as well as Swallows and Asian Swift.
Visit to Khao Yai our NNR during half term was one of mixed fortunes. Whilst making our way through the rain forest, the trees were full of bird call and song. But seeing them was another matter altogether. It was highly frustrating that after being lathered in sweat and covered in leeches, I had seen decent views of hardly a single bird for over three hours of walking.
It had its compensations. We wandered into a troop of Gibbons which surrounded us with their howling mournful cries and swung from tree to tree. I had good views of a male and female Red-headed Trogon and Blue-winged Pitta heard calling from the forest floor.
Once out of the forest the birding hotted up with magnificent Great-eared Nightjars wheeling around our heads at dusk and Black-capped Kingfisher on the river.
Birds of prey included Black Kite, Shikra, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Oriental Honey Buzzard and Changeable Hawk. Yellow. -browed, Two Barred Greenish and Arctic Warbler were common as was Asian Brown Flycatcher and Ashy Drongo.
Only another 810 or so to go
Apologies to none birders.
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Enjoy
