Andaman adventures, 14-18th April

Took my niece away for her 18th birthday present – a 4-day liveaboard diving trip, taking in the very best dive sites in Thailand (and allegedly some of the best in the world). Our boat, the MV Andaman, run by the excellent Seadragon Dive Center (who taught me to dive in 2002) went to the little-dived Koh Surin, the world famous whale shark hangout Richelieu Rock, the stunning Koh Ta Chai, the uninhabited Koh Bon, and the more popular but beautiful Koh Similan. These groups of islands are, in my opinion, the most beautiful part of Thailand, both above and below the water.

I’ve been to these island groups several times before, but have always managed to dip Nicobar Pigeon, Whale Shark (though I have snorkeled with them in the Philippines) and Manta Ray…so there were some special targets to hope for.

Between dives I tried to spend as much time as possible birding, either from the boat or on land when we had the chance to explore the islands, and on the dives I crossed my fingers and kept looking into the blue for something very big to appear.

Beautiful Koh Surin - rainforest right down to the beach *sign*

White-bellied Sea-Eagles are common and conspicuous around these islands - I saw one take and bird (Emerald Dove?) in mid-air on out first morning, but this was the best photo I got (bit disappointing really).

Long-tailed boats shuttled us to the islands from our dive boat

The MV Andaman, our home for four days

Seabirds were in typically short supply (on my previous trips I've struggled to see much). This was the only Lesser Frigatebird seen in 4 days.

Small numbers of bridled terns were seen, often resting on drift wood (or drift polystyrene, as in the case of the 2 cy bird above)

Occasional Crested Terns were also seen at sea.

Other things seen whilst sea watching included plenty of flying fish

The recession isn't biting everyone, this huge, beautiful yacht shadowed us on our way from the Surins, down to the Similans, and back towards the mainland.

Wildlife seen on the islands included noisy roosts of Flying Foxes.

"Super-tramps" on these islands include Pied Imperial Pigeons (easy and numerous) and Nicobar Pigeon (seemingly rather difficult, but I finally saw one on Similan island no. 4, although it was too quick for the camera)

Sunset on Koh Similan

Best bird of the trip was not seen by me at all - after our last dive, at lunchtime on Koh Similan, I went for a shower and was busy cleaning up my dive gear. Once I had finished I went up stairs to the sun deck and found my niece who asked me if I'd seen "the bird" - she showed me the picture above, which she took with her point and shoot - a migrant female Grey Nightjar, which was trying to land on the boat (thanks to Phil Round for confirming the ID).



We were joined by a school of spinner dolphins on the way home, a perfect end to a perfect trip.

11th April 2009

Arctic Warbler

0600-0800 hrs at Suan Rot Fai, after a night of extremely violent thunderstorms, and in the hope of picking up some migrants.

The main evidence of migration was a flock of 30+ Black-naped Orioles, including a number of singing males.

This oriole was busy hassling an Asian Koel.

I heard what sounded like a phyllosc, but never got onto it - call sounded like a yellow-browed, but richer and less harsh in quality (?). Wintering spp still present included 3 Asian Brown Flycatchers (no Taiga Fly), one Black-capped Kingfisher and a Brown Shrike (confusus) seen battering a large cicada into the afterlife.

Brown Shrike (post-cicada meal)

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Chinese Pond Heron, breeding plumage - lots of these seen today, plus one Javan.

This Indian Roller was rather upset because its barely-flying fledgeing had left the nest and was tumbling around in the trees along one of the waterways.

Friday 13th March

Adult Asian Brown Flycatcher

Suan Rot Fai after work, but not much of any note - four ABFs, two Taigas and little else.

White-rumped Charmer

Suan Rot Fai from 0630-0830, good numbers of BLACK-NAPED ORIOLES (15+), plus some winterers hanging on - BROWN SHRIKE (2), ASIAN BROWN FLY (2), TAIGA FLY (3), BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER (1), COMMON KINGFISHER (1). Yellow-browed Warblers seem to have left, or at least shut up, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters absent. Best bits of the morning - my first full breeding plumaged Pond Heron (Chinese) of the year, running into some Thai birders (sporting astronomical telescopes) who showed me an Olive-backed Sunbird nest, and the surprise of coming across a fine male WHITE-RUMPED SHARMA, presumably escaped from nearby Chatuchak Market (or to put it another way: "as likely to be wild as a Siberian Thrush in Norfolk in March") .

When I got home I received an SMS from Charles Davies, who spent the morning watching a showy Rusty-naped Pitta on top of Doi Inthanon...gripped!

Chinese Pond Heron in breeding plumage

24th February - Doi Inthanon

Whilst in Chiang Mai last week I managed to cut myself loose for a day on Doi Inthanon - Thailand's highest mountain, though this is something of a sad reflection on Thailand's topography, as the "Mountain" is more of a foothill really, at less that 2,600 m.a.s.l....and you can DRIVE to the top of it!

Actually this makes it great for birding as it is super-easy to be on the peak for dawn, which is exactly where I was, shivering...I kind of forgot that this was 1000 km north of, and 2.5km higher than sweaty Bangkok. The birding was great however, with a pair of DARK-SIDED THRUSHES seen in the dawn gloom, and SNOWY-BROWED FLYCATCHER and YELLOW-BELLIED FANTAIL seen on my first circuit of the Peak Bog (a curious sphagnum bog surrounded by epiphyte laden trees that look like they should be harbouring a Hobbit). My second and third circuits of the bog produced some rather slow, but rewarding birding, with excellent views of two separate EYE-BROWED THRUSHES, a small party of GREY-SIDED THRUSHES, and a RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL.

Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Peak Bog, DI

Checks of the trails at KM 37.5 and 34 were rather disappointing (Green Cochoa had been reported from the latter on the 20-22nd but all I managed was WHITE-GORGETED FLYCATCHER on the former, and SILVER-EARED MESIA on the latter), however ample reward was found at Mr Daeng's Cafe where I enjoyed lunch and a Coke whilst watching another DARK-SIDED THRUSH, female RUFOUS-BELLIED NILTAVA, LESSER SHORTWING and HILL BLUE FLYCATCHER.

Mr Daeng's Dark-sided Thrush - a classic Zoothera, secretive and skulking... which is why I took this photo from Mr Daeng's cafe whilst eating my lunch and talking loudly on the phone to my office!

Female Rufous-bellied Niltava - I wasn't familiar with this plumage, and didn't have a fieldguide with me...what to do? I was able to check the ID by isung my iPhone to go on-line and look at photos on Oriental Bird Images!

Another Thick-bill...

Early morning in Suan Rot Fai produced a few photo ops and a Thick-billed Warbler (too quick for the camera)...

White-throated Kingfisher

Pond Heron spp...I suppose I'll have to start identifying these to species as they begin to attain summer plumage shortly...yawn!

Very nice Taiga Fly with red throat

Terribly exciting upper tail covts

ABF

Rather smart Brown Shrike