Dancing with an angel

The latter half of January and the start of Feb has seen me very busy with other things, so opportunities for birding have been zero. Mid January did however see me and visiting family visit Koh Lanta for a few days diving, with trips to Koh Haa  and Hin Daeng/Muang.  These stunning dive sites produced a fantastic array of sea life including BANDED SEA KRATE and BLACK-TIPPED REEF SHARK, withe last dive on the last day bringing us a wonderful 15 minute encounter with a 4 meter wide MANTA RAY - the first I've seen after 200 dives in tropical Asia, and well worth the wait.  I did see some birds from the dive boat, but they paled into insignificance after dancing with this oceanic angel!  

7th January

 Rong Jai Marsh, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park

I visited the west side of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park today, exploring the area marked as Rong Jai on Nick Upton's map.  This area is very impressive, with a vast wetland located below towering limestone karst mountains, and a well established and maintained boardwalk and shelters that stretch out across the wetland affording nice views of PURPLE SWAMPHEN, both species of JACANA and various Herons and Egrets.

Purple Heron

 Lesser Whistling Ducks

Little Bee-eater

En route to this area I stopped a few times, picking up a GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE, OSPREY and several flocks of WHITE-SHOULDERED STARLINGS.

The hunt for Manchurian Reed Warbler continued, but drew a blank, with only Black-browed Reed and Oriental Reed Warblers seen.

Khao Sam Roi Yot again

Another morning at Khao Sam Roi Yot drew a blank on Manchurian RW due to strong wind keeping passerines down.

Highlights of the morning included two flocks of WHITE-SHOULDERED STARLINGS (both holding circa 15 birds), a flock of 70+ BAYA WEAVERS, nice views of a GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE, plus a male EASTERN MARSH HARRIER.

 White-shouldered Starling

Khao Sam Roi Yot

First morning of birding 2011 today, with an early morning trip to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. I was looking for Manchurian Reed Warbler but only managed ORIENTAL and BLACK-BROWED Reed Warbs, as well as a few Think-bills. The trip got year listing underway (my very modest 2010 total was 445 across Asia, the UK, and USA). Highlights this morning included EASTERN MARSH HARRIER, PIED KINGFISHER, LONG-TOED and TEMMINCK'S STINTS, PURPLE HERON, YELLOW BITTERN and INDOCHINESE BUSHLARK.

A big bird to end the year

I took a young Australian birder out for the day yesterday (30th).  As it was his first day birding in SE Asia he managed to get more than 60 ticks!  The quality was pretty high, ending the day with a vagrant CINEREOUS VULTURE at the raptor watchpoint to the west of Petchaburi.  This excellent area also produced GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE, OSPREY, at least ten BLACK KITES, BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE, BRAHMINY KITE and  two EASTERN MARSH HARRIERS.  Other birders have also seen Steppe and Imperial Eagles in this area in recent days.  I have marked the location of the viewing area on this GoogleMap.

 Cinereous Vulture dwarfing a lineatus Black Kite

Earlier in the day we visited Pak Thale, which gave us an excellent selection of waders including 1-2 SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPERS, 15 NORDMANN'S GREENSHANK, and perhaps a thousand GREAT KNOT.  We also picked up a rather smart adult winter PALLAS'S GULL.

Pallas's & Brown-headed Gulls

Long-toed Stint

 Pacific Goldie

Broad-bill

Stiltastic

Knot a lot!

Pak Thale/Lae Pak Bia area again today - very productive with one SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER, a flock of 45 NORDMANN'S GREENSHANK, and two Thailand ticks for me in the form of three RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and five PIED AVOCET (both quite rare in Thailand).

Also the largest number of GREAT KNOT I have ever seen, with a single flock estimated at 600-800 birds.

A large flock of waders, predominantly Great Knot, 

but with Nordmann's taking the front row.

 

BirdLife International estimates the population of adult Nordmann's 

at 500-1,000 - so a flock of 45 birds is rather significant!

Sunrise Spooner

Black-faced Spoonbill'd Sandpipers

Just back from a long, tiring but rewarding day at Pak Thale, which produced a BLACK-FACED SPOONBILL (a rare straggler here) 3 SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPERS, as well as 5 NORDMANN'S GREENSHANKS.  I also got an uninspiring tick in the form of at least three HEUGLIN'S GULLS.

The only thing better than a Spoon-billed Sandpiper is...

 ...two Spoon-billed Sandpipers

 That's a lot of Marsh Sandpipers

 Brahminy Kite

Open-billed Storks

Male and female Malaysian Plovers, Laem Pak Bia

a nice comparison between Malaysian and Kentish Plovers