Chinese Sparrowhawk

Far less on the move at Chiang Dao this morning, with 13 Chinese Sparrowhawk, 11 Grey-faced Buzzard, 3 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 2 Black Baza, male Pied Harrier, 11 Ashy Minivet, 5 Spangled Drongo and 4 Chestnut-headed Bee-eater south 0730-1300hrs.

Others species recorded included 2 Oriental Pied Hornbill, 2 Blue-bearded Beeater, 2 Violet Cuckoo and 30 Brown-backed Needletail.

Buzzards and Bazas

The two main species of raptors on the move this morning over Chiang Dao were Grey-faced Buuzard and Black Baza, with totals of 14 and 19 south between 0830 and 1300hrs. Also heading south were three Oriental Honey Buzzard, Peregrine, 9 Accipter sp, 11 Ashy Minivet, 9 Chestnut-headed Bee-eatear, 11 Spangled Drongo and 33 Chestnut-tailed Starling in three groups. Heading in the opposite direction 7 Amur Falcon headed north, with resident raptors including a Kestrel, Oriental Hobby and at least 7 Crested Goshawk, which included at least five displaying males.

Other species noted around the garden at the temple included, two Violet Cuckoo, 5 Drongo Cuckoo, 2 Northern White-crowned Forktail, Orange-breasted Trogon, Purple-naped Sunbird and 2 Crimson Sunbird.

Raptors

Arrived at Chiang Dao yesterday afternoon, after a short walk to the nearby temple this morning much of the rest of the day was spent looking out for raptors on the move. A total of 73 birds, of at least 10 species were noted, between 0830 and 1300hrs, those heading south included:

17 Oriental Honey Buzzard
9 Grey-faced Buzzard
6 Black Baza
4 Eastern Marsh Harrier
3 Eurasian Hobby
9 Accipter sp

In addition 19 Amur Falcon headed north and resident raptors included at least 5 Crested Goshawk and an Oriental Hobby.

Bronzed Drongo

There seemed to be a fair number of migrants and winter visitors around this morning, which included a Yellow-rumped Flycatcher,4 Olive-backed Pipit, 12 Two-barred Warbler, 20 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Claudia's Leaf Warbler, 6 Taiga Flycatcher, 3 Brown Shrike, 7 White Wagtail, 4 Grey Wagtail, 4 Chestnut-tailed Starling, Blue Rock Thrush, 50 Asian House Martin and 11 Fork-tailed Swift.

Brown Shrike

Other species also noted included 2 Green-legged Partridge, Purple-naped Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Drongo Cuckoo, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Great Barbet, Orange-breasted Trogon, Yellow-vented and Thick-billed Flowerpecker and Green Magpie.

Lampang

We have had quite a bit of family stuff to catch up with over the last couple of days and the next few, despite this I have managed to snatch a few hours out birding.This afternoon I visited Hang Chat Arboretum at Lampang in Northern Thailand, despite some nice habitat the only birds of note were two Rufous-winged Buzzard, 3 Asian Brown Flycatcher and 3 Taiga Flycatcher.

Later I  managed to bribe the grandson into showing me some tracks into some decent forest, scrub and around several lakes behind the market at Tung Kwian just north of Lampang, which I had picked out from google earth. Despite it being the afternoon a decent selection of species were seen including Barred Buttonquail, Black-eared Kite, 2 Bhraminy Kite, Black Baza, Burmese Shrike, 3 Brown Shrike, Rufous Treepie, 6 Indochinese Bushlark, 2 Richard's Pipit and 3 Eastern Stonechat.

I was surprised to see around 30 swiftlets low over Lampang city center, which looked like Pale-rumped/Germain's Swiftlet, these had no doubt been introduced as part of a nest farming operation.

During the six hour drive to Lampang yesterday, at least 10 Black-eared Kite were noted presumably all in the process of heading south, along with at 16 Painted Stork near Kampeang Phet.  

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

In heavy rain I failed to get out this morning, but in drier conditions this afternoon I headed out to try and get some half decent photos of breeding plumage Pheasant-tailed Jacana. Despite seeing around 70 all were a bit distant and the rubbish photo below was the best I could do.

Other noteworthy birds included, a Glossy Ibis, two Garganey with a large flock of Lesser Whistling Duck, 2 Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, 3 Wood Sandpiper, 12 Oriental Pratincole and 2 Red Avadavat. A flock of around 150 House Sparrows was a good count locally, this species seems to becoming increasingly widespread around Suphanburi over the past few years.

As is often the case one of the closest birds to the car, was a Pond Heron.

4th and 7th October 2015

Arrived back in Thailand on the 4th, some of the first birds seen were three Spot-billed Pelican on pools along the perimeter fence Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok.

Got out on to the local patch at Suphanburi for the first time this morning (7th Oct), the patch is still there, though there has been some further development in places since leaving.

Migrants/winter visitors included:
Black-capped Kingfisher 3, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo 2, Pintail Snipe 3, Greenshank 2, Wood Sandpiper 25, Grey-headed Lapwing 13, Oriental Pratincole 55, Whiskered Tern 60, Black Bittern 2, Brown Shrike 6, Taiga Flycatcher 2, Dusky Warbler 2 and Arctic Warbler 1.

Noteworthy records/counts among the resident species included:
35 Pheasant-tailed Jacana (many still in breeding plumage), a Long-tailed Shrike (rapidly declining in Thailand), 300 Black-winged Stilt, 10 Yellow Bittern and a Cinnamon Bittern.

Chinese Egret and Bhraminy Starling

Have just returned from a couple of days birding with friends on the coast at Laem Pak Bia/Pak Thale, as always loads of good birds to see. The first afternoon we took a boat trip out onto the sand spit with Khun Deang, all the usual species present. including an obliging Chinese Egret.

Chinese Egret

Both male and female White-faced Plover showed well, along with half a dozen Malaysian Plover. Other waders present included Kentish and Lesser Sandplover, several Sanderling and good numbers of Broad-billed Sandpiper.

White-faced Plover
by Fred Rowe

Despite some disturbance by anglers there was a decent gull/tern roost, which included 4 Pallas's Gull, 5 Lesser Crested, 70 Great Crested and 40 Caspian Tern, along with good numbers of Brown-headed Gull, Common and Little Tern.

Caspian and Greater Crested Terms, Pallas's and Brwon-headed Gulls

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the research project where, several Ruddy-breasted Crake and a Slaty-breasted Crake. Also present was a Ruff, several very close Night Heron and a pair of Racket-tailed Treepie.

Ruddy-breasted Crake
by Fred Rowe

Night Heron

The next day we started birding at Pak Thale, working our way south back towards Leam Pak Bia, huge numbers of waders and terns in the area, with good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Red-necked and Long-toed Stint, Curlew and Broad-billed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Lesser Sandplover,  Kentish Plover and smaller numbers of Temminck's Stint, Spotted and Common Redshank and Common Greenshank.

Temminck's Stint

Red-necked Stint, Curlew and Broad-billed Sandpiper

Great Knot

Scarcer waders included a Spoon-billed Sandpiper, 15 Red-necked Phalarope, 1200 Great Knot, 5 Red Knot, 24 Nordmann's Greenshank and 3 Terek Sandpiper. 

We finished the mornings birding at the rubbish tip, near the abandoned building, but were  disappointed to find that virtually all the scrub and trees in the area have been cleared and the land put up for sale. There were however a few birds still in the area, the best a Bhraminy Starling, a Thai rarity, the only other birds of note were a pair of Indochinese Bushlark.

Streaked Weaver
by Fred Rowe

We spent the afternoon birding fields and scrub around a pond inland from Pak Thale, despite the heat plenty of birds around, including several hundred weavers, which included very good numbers of Streaked and Golden. Among the weavers at least 10 Chestnut Munia were present and half a dozen Red Avadavat, some of which showed well. 

Red Avadavat
by Michael Rooney

A male and female Pied Harrier were present in the area, and on the small pool Ruddy-breasted Crake, Bronze-winged Jacana, Yellow Bittern were all present. In nearby fields there were several Purple Heorn,  along with small numbers of Red-throated Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Eastern Stonechat, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Wood Sandpiper and two Pintail Snipe. 

Bronze-winged Jacana