Petchaburi Province

A short visit to Pak Thale on Saturday produced two Spoon-billed Sandpipers, four Nordmann’s Greenshanks and approx. 800 Great Knot – many getting well into summer plumage.  Other wader goodies included several Long-toed Stints, lots of Red-necked Stints (including a bird flagged black over white, both flags above right knee) a few Broad-billed Sandpipers, both Sandplovers, both Godwits in good numbers, Curlew Sandpiper, Sanderling, Ruff, Marsh Sandpiper, Spotshank, two Dunlin and five Grey-headed Lapwing. We also saw one female Pied Harrier, one Osprey and a couple of Brahminy Kites.

We then headed to Kaeng Krachan National Park where we spent the last few hours of daylight birding along the first 10km of road. Notable species included an imm. Rufous-bellied Eagle on a thermal with three Oriental Honey Buzzards, Crested Serpent Eagle and two Oriental Pied Hornbills. At dusk we saw a Brown Boobok, and heard Large-tailed and Great-eared Nightjars along the road. We stayed overnight at Samarn Bird Camp, where we were informed that the White-fronted Scops Owls have abandoned their well-twitched day roost.

 

Birding on Sunday was dedicated to Kaeng Krachan again,  focused on the area beyond Bang Krang camp site.  Notables included four species of Broadbill (Silver-breasted, Dusky and Banded all by Stream 2, with Long-tailed seen at approx. KM 26), both Orange-breasted and Red-headed Trogans, Hornbills included a pair of Rusty-cheeked seen between streams 1 & 2, with a party of three seen at approx. KM 25, and several Great Hornbills were seen overhead during the morning. Woodpeckers included Lesser Yellownape, Greater Flameback, and a single Grey-faced Woodpecker.

Rusty-cheeked Hornbill

Other notables included Ratchet-tailed Treepie at the usual stakeout, a flock of Ashy Minivets, two Drongo Cuckoos seen and Banded bay Cuckoo heard, Puff-throated Babbler, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, a couple of parties of Lesser-necklaced Laughingthrushes, Crested Jay, Sultan Tit a couple of times, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Vernal Hanging-parrot and various Common Green Magpies. Notable heard-only species included Banded Kingfisher and Grey Peacock-pheasant.

Sultan Tit

Collared Owlet