Chiang Saen Lake

Between the March 3rd and 4th we spent an afternoon and a full day birding around Chiang Saen Lake. As usual most of the ducks on the lake were very distant, frustratingly we were unable to arrange a boat trip, though we did have distant views of 9 Ruddy Shelduck and amongst the many of hundreds of Lesser Whistling Duck and Spot-billed Duck were at least 20 Northern Pintail and 40 Garganey. A few waders were also noted including a 2 Small Pratincole, 4 Oriental Pratincole, Green Sandpiper, three Little Ringed Plover, 6 Spotted Redshank and several Common Snipe. Several hundred Purple Gallinule were present, as was a White-browed Crake and good numbers of Moorhen, Coot and Pheasant-tailed Jacana. We spent one evening at the Wat Bamakno harrier roost where at least 265 birds came into roost, with around 165 of these Pied Harriers and the rest Eastern Marsh Harrier. Several Purple Heron were noted, along with at least 175 Open-billed Stork, several Yellow Bittern and Night Heron. Six Great Cormorants came into roost on the island in the center of the lake and in scrub around the lake none of the numerous Racket-tailed Treepie sat still enough for a good photo.

Additional species noted included a Barred Buttonquail which we nearly ran over, Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, Lesser Coucal, Bluethroat, Black-collared Myna , 230 Chestnut-tailed Starling, Straited Grassbird, Dusky Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and several Citrine Wagtail.