A good month for the birders....
By John Roberts 7 February 2008 01:08:00
What's happening here?I heard my first night jar calling in the cool, dry morning a couple of weeks ago, forgot to tell you; the egrets have been here for months - have I mentioned them yet?; I saw some Rosy Minivets on the drive, they didn't even get a note in the diary.
My bosses, of course, up in Anantara Towers will happily note that I must be doing some work at last, no time for the finer bird spotting - only wasters and travellers have time to hang out and watch the roses, right, still waiting on last year's bananas per billable hour breakdown and Lynchee's performance goals for this year - no time to be hanging around in bushes.
But the birding is going on, I grabbed five minutes with local birders Mick and Dowroong of the Yonok Wetland Project yesterday, here to pick up some guests and take them out to the birding spots around the Mekong and up to the project itself.
Without my concentrating on it we've managed to keep them fairly busy with the ornthologically minded and some support teaching from our guests, we're seeing more and more spotting scopes and bin's around the hotel just recently - and then (egrets leaving as I write) I note that, of the significant sightings in Thailand for January (as reported by the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand) about 30% for the whole country were from this area and the Yonok discovered sights, many with our guests!
Now that's worth dragging me away from my work to report (honest boss).
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Two Chinese Egrets on the sand spit at Laem Phak Bia on 22 January (RFG, PDR), and an amazing 75 at Krabi on 24 January (DT). There were no further sightings of the Great-billed Heron photographed in Laem Son National Park (Ranong) in the first half of January. One Baer's Pochard along with 29 Ferruginous Pochards on Nong Bong Khai (Chiang Rai) on 23 January (YWP). The Common Shelducks at Ban Pak Thale (Phetchaburi) had risen to four by 31 January (SN). Greylag Goose photographed on Bung Boraphet (Nakhon Sawan ) on 21 January (Chanchai SURNAME?). Comb Duck at Bung Boraphet on 30 January (KE). Masked Finfoot at Chiang Dao Hill Resort (Chiang Mai) on 24 and 25 January (BW) but not seen thereafter. Three different Water Rails at Nong Samrong (Udon Thani) during 7-16 January (P Male Western Marsh Harrier photographed at Nong Lom (Chiang Rai) on 13 January (TS, CW). Shorebirds in the Inner Gulf included 45 Asian Dowitchers on mudflats off the Samut Sakhon Mangrove Research Station on 20 January (SS); 14 different Spoon-billed Sandpipers during early January, the largest single group at Ban Pak Thale (where still six on 31 January; BCST Survey);15 Nordmann's Greenshanks roosting with 1600 Great Knots at Laem Phak Bia on 23 January (RFG, PDR); 450 Red Knots at Samkut Manirat (Samut Sahon) on 17 January (SN, AJP, PDR). First-winter Black-tailed Gull at the Thachin River Mouth (Samut Sakhon) on 22 January (RFG ,PDR). One male "White-faced Plover" present at Laem Phak Bia from 5 to at least 28 January (many observers). Four different Long-billed Plovers at Chiang Saen (Chiang Rai) this January (two seen together on 25 and 29 January; YWP). The long-staying River Tern was also present on 26 January (YWP). A waterbird count at Krabi on 9 January produced a staggering 824 Lesser Crested Terns (DT). Two nests of Grass Owl have been found at Nong Lom: one with two, roughly one-week old, chicks on 13 January (CW, TS, UK) was still intact on 24 January when surveyed by Thai Raptor Group. TRG then found a second nest with four older chicks which was sadly destroyed by fire set by villagers on 26 January. Fourteen different Jerdon's Bushchats at six sites along the river between Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong on 30 January (YWP). Long-tailed Thrush on Doi Lang (Chiang Mai) on 17 January (IW) and male Black-breasted Thrush, Doi Ang Khang on 17 January (BL). Aberrant Bush Warbler (first record for the park)and Rufous-tailed Robin behind the newly constructed toilet black on the summit of Khao Khieo, Khao Yai on 8 and 10 January (NL, RP, DW et al Five Rosy Starlings and two Chestnut-cheeked Starlings at Chumphon on 29 January (CN). Contributors: Philip Bawden (P, Krairat-Eiam-amphai/ Bung Boraphet Wildlife Research Station (KE), Richard Grimmett (RFG), Thai Raptor Group/Dr. Chaiyan Kasorndorkbua (TRG), Dr. Ubonrat Kiewcham (UK), Banard Lau (BL), Nitthaya Lawrence (NL); Somchai Nimnuan (SN), Chukiat Nualsri (CN), Ralph Parks (RP), Andrew Pierce (AJP) Yonok Wetlands Project (Mick Davies and Dowroong Damlamajak (YWP), Philip Round (PDR), Dr. Taweewat Supindham (TS), Smith Sutibut (SS), Donnapat Tamornsuwan (DT), David Walsh (DW), Boontan Wangsithan (BW), Ingo Waschkies (IW) Chaiwat Wongchai (CW) (Compiled by Philip Round on behalf of BCST Records Committee) |
.http://www.bcst.or.th/eng/sighting.htm
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