Laem Pak Bia - 17th May

On my way back from Cha-am I visited Laem Pak Bia, focusing my time on the Royal Project.

On my way into the project I came across a showy group of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, and soon afterwards I located a full breeding plumaged Indian Pond Heron which was flushed by a motorbike before I could get any photos of it.

Blue-tailed Beer-eater

I spent a long time looking through the herons trying to relocated the IPH, but actually ended up finding a second IPH (in less pristine breeding plumage), after photographing a few Javan Pond Herons.

Javan Pond Heron

Javan Pond Heron

Indian Pond Heron (bird number 2)

The ponds in the Royal Project were also very productive for terns, with 20 or so Caspian Terns feeding and 40-50 Whiskered Terns, plus a lone White-winged Black Tern.

Whiskered Tern

Caspian Tern

Passerine interest came in the form of an "Arctic-type" Warbler, which given the late date could well have been an Kamchatka Leaf Warbler, but remained stubbornly silent. I also found a late Oriental Reed Warbler.

Arctic Warbler (probably Kamchatka?)

On the way home I checked the area where I had seen the Australian-flagged Curlew Sandpiper and indeed it was still present in the company of more than 100 Red-necked Stints and a group of at least 200 Painted Storks.