Knob-billed Duck and Glossy Ibis

We spent the 18th and 19th November birding at Beung Bhoraphet Lake near Nakhon Sawan, we took two three hour boat trips out onto the lake  on the 18th, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, with our final morning birding around the Waterbird Park. As usual many thousands of Lesser Whistling Duck were present, along with at least 3500 Garganey and smaller numbers of Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Cotton Pygmy Geese and two possibly five Knob-billed Duck, with two seen in the morning and three over just before dusk in the evening.

Cotton Pygmy Goose

In the evening we spent some time around a small island towards the northern shore of the lake, watching birds come into roost. The star birds here were Glossy Ibis, the first few birds came into roost at around 5pm, followed by a succession of groups till dusk, with the biggest of around 450 and an  impressive total of 1160 by the time we left. The numbers and range of Glossy Ibis has increased significantly in Thailand in recent years and our roost count may have been a new national record count. Others birds entering the roost included around 85 Oriental Darter, good numbers of Indian and Little Cormorant, large numbers of Egrets especially Intermediate Egret with at least 250 noted, smaller numbers of Purple and Grey Heron, with many Black-crowned Night Heron leaving their daytime roost from the island.   

Yellow Bittern

Raptors noted over and around the lake ,including several Eastern Marsh Harrier, a Black-eared Kite and two very photogenic Western Osprey. Two Brown-headed Gulls were noted in the evening, along with around 20 Wiskered Tern and surprisingly 5 Caspian Tern which must be a fairly scarce inland bird in Thailand. Other birds seen from the boat included, 4 Pied Kingfisher, numerous Yellow Bittern, 5 White-browed Crake, many Purple Gallinule, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacana, 50 Eurasian Coot, Straited Grassbird, 5 Asian Golden Weaver and 200 other weavers probably Baya.

Purple Gallinule

Birds around the waterbird park included  a Wryneck, 2 Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Cinnamon Bittern, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Lesser Coucal, Blue-tailed and Green Bee-eater, 2 Ashy Minivet, Black-naped Oriole, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Oriental and Black-browed Reed Warbler, 50 White-shouldered and 25 Chestnut-tailed Starling, 2 Red Avadavat and a Forest Wagtail.  

Ruddy-breasted Crake

25 Oriental Partincole were noted feeding over fields along the road to the waterbird park and a Burmese Shrike was on roadside wires. 

Burmese Shrike

All photos by Fred Rowe