AjarnNorth

3 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

That's an excellent point about the pair here in Winter that, as they are pretty much solitary outside of breeding. There are resident populations in some areas of the world that do not migrate, but did not think Thailand was included. Again...there may be some residents escapees that breed here and do not migrate.

The pair is a bit odd. I had them in Surin as winter visitors and here in Bangsaen, Chonburi as winter visitors, but always solo. Interesting in that the place I see them most here in Bangsaen is almost a dead match to the pics. Tending to the coast and always preferring high beach-side condo buildings such as picture here.  

On 12/11/2019 at 10:48 AM, jak2002003 said:

I am in Chiang Mai too.  You will be interested to see the different birds we have up here.

 

Doi Suthep is very close and easy to get to, and has a lot of forest, and it's interesting the different bird species there, particularly at the higher elevations where there are pine forests and evergreen rain forest. 

Been up there many times over the years but never done any serious birding. However, was up early in December and did go up Suthep. Blue-winged Leafbird, one of the darkest Dark-sided Flycatchers i have ever seen, and one of the blue flycatchers that got away from me before a good look. Unfortunately, 4 days later i removed a tick from my stomach (either from Suthep or my hotel) that by the following day was showing a radiating rash that grew with each passing day. Cot to a shot in the ass and 20 days of antibiotics later and it still is present with negative lab results. I know this was just unlucky and have been birding n Thailand for well over 10 years and never had a problem - so not at all Chiang mai specific - but it's a wake up call. Three out of four doctors essentially told me there are no tick-borne pathogens in Thailand. Apparetnly their google is broken and they never read the research out of Mahidol University published in 2008. So yes, looking forward to ticking some new species in and around CM... but offering this story up as a cautionary tale. When you get back from a day out, have a good look at the body. It's likely some kind of rickettsial pathogen, but that it isn't fully gone after so much treatment is getting a bit worrisome. 

Got lucky this Christmas morning. While photoing a "Dusky Warbler" in my yard (not a new yard bird) I suddenly had this Black Baza land just above me and was able to get exactly one photo off before it was gone. #93 for the Bangsaen yard list, pending a recount as I lost a lot of information and notes in a recent computer crash which means I have to use this forum to recount! The Baza and warbler below. 

EDIT: I was dubious on the Dusky ID so posted it on the LBJ Thailand facebook site for input. It was too large by my estimation. Mike Rose helped me out - Thick Billed - which I was very familiar with when i lived in Isaan years ago but had fallen off my radar and i think adds another bird to my yard list!

I have had two additions to my Bangsaen yard list (both by call) which I think brings it to 91 (have to check). Indian Nightjar and Large-tailed Nightjar. Both within a week or so of one another, the large tailed still heard regularly. I haven't seen them yet because they are hard to spot and quiet during the day and only call at night, though I have seen both just a kilometer or so away. Their recent arrival on my soi is due to forested land being razed and cleared for future building, which is the habitat they tend to. Likely my yard list here won't go much higher as it looks as if i will be relocating to Chiang Mai in 2020 and starting a new yard list from scratch. 

Every year I see Paciffic Golden Plovers in my usual patch in Chonburi. As yet, none. This is perplexing. I was lucky yesterday to see an Indian Thick-knee (aka Stone-curlew) which I also see every year in the same area, often with PGPs, and sometimes in a pair which may be breeding in my patch. Not the best photos of I have of the bird, but now I know it's around I will likely get better pics soon. Also included from yesterday a Common Kingfisher (Juv), Painted Stork, and Little Heron. 

On 10/22/2019 at 6:20 PM, Speedo1968 said:

 

Many thanks Skeptic7  for your prompt response.

As I mentioned I am not a bird watcher per se but look at nature in general as well as the weather.

I do not have field glasses so rely on my eyesight and other senses.

I have lived worked in farming in many countries since the 1970’s and am particularly interested in man’s effect on nature.

Here in Thailand for 20 years for the past 4 years I have lived about 50km south of Khon Kaen.     Outside a small market town with fields and ponds around, the area was, at the end of August, very badly flooded.     I walk in a small local keep fit park and across the fields two or three times a day, 4am, again in the afternoon and then in the early evening.

 

The questions I have may seem a bit strange but then I always like to look ‘outside the box’ for an answer.

1)   Do crows always fly east ( towards where the sun will rise ) in the evening and west in the morning ?

I have observed this every day, in the afternoon the birds start heading towards their roost for the night.    They converge around the park then fly further on to their roost.      They come from basically 2 sometimes 3 sides just north and south of east.   Have counted over 100 birds in 15 minutes.   Seen some ‘midair fighting’ ?

When I first came here there were only 2 birds in a large tree in early morning and late afternoon.    Only since this year have I seen so many birds.

 

2)   Is it unusual to see sparrows ( in town think they are hedge sparrows ) with all white feathered heads and necks ?    They, two of them, are part of the same family group.

 

3)   I see some birds flying, about the size of a swift / swallow ? that have iridescent green feathered backs when the sun shines on it.   Any idea what they might be ?

 

4)   Saw a kingfisher for the first time this year sitting on a power / telephone cable.

 

5)   The first year I was here about 6 or 7 hoopoes, the next year none, last year 2 and this year 3 or 4.      Have only seen one since the flooding.   Sorry can’t tell sex of bird.

 

6)   The first year I was here I saw a yellow feather headed / necked myna, the second year two.    The third year two others in different places within 500 metres of the original bird.    This year after the flooding, none.

 

7)   The second year I was here someone night trap netted about 15 birds, 3 beautiful owls ( one very old ), some hoopoes and other young birds.   The trappers took what they wanted and left the others to die.    The owls were already dead, the remaining birds I was unable to save because the net was so fine.   I reported it to the local council who were only able to shrug their shoulders.     The following year someone trap netted again not far away and some birds were left to die.   I pulled down the poles and had to do this a few times before they gave up.    Unfortunately song birds are still being trapped openly using a covered cage with a bird inside as a lure.

1. Not sure, but no I don't think so. Birds of all kinds tend to go where the food is and then roosters will return to their roost. I don't think East or West would factor in that equation.

2. No. Sparrows are common Sounds like you are describing House Sparrows, which are colonial and over the lst few decades have spread east from the borders of Burma and etc. to poulate the whole country. They are still outnumbered by tree spearrows in most populated areas, but they are taking over in some places. Plain-backed aparrows are also fairly common but tend to areas outside of towns.

3. Likely Green Bee-eaters. 

4. There are various kinds of kingfishers here, some are resident and some are winter visitors. I would need to know more about what your looked like to identify it, but the most likely are common kingfisher (very smalll) and white-thrated (much larger). Likely winter visitor in Khon Khaen may be Black-capped.

5. Hoopoes are fairly common residents with - I think - some areas seeing an influx of winter visitors.

6. It depends what you mean by yellow-headed. Common Mynas and White-vented Mynas seem to molt (go bald) in the head and neck sometimes and are not an uncommon site. 

7. Mist netting is common throughout. It's an awful practice and a terrible way to collect "food." I would like to see a photo of the song bird traps and know what kind of birds they are using as "lures."

Asshy Drongo leucogensis. Last year I had a 28 September record which is among the earliest - of not the earliest - that I have heard of by about a week. This year 30 September. 

Jak2002003 - Shrikes do make a bit of a raspy sound, but it sounds to me like you are talking about Asian Koel. You can look up the bird calls and songs on-line to compare. 

Migration season well underway. Many winter visitors already here and more on the way. Good time to be looking around your yard or area. This Asian Brown Shrike from my yard. Common winter visitor. 

On 8/25/2019 at 1:42 AM, vinniekintana said:

Sorry  ...didn't read the whole thread..

Any sightings of Alexandrine parakeets in your part of Thailand?

Spotted a pair recently in Songkhla 

Never seen any parrots in this part of Thailand before.

 

I used to see them pretty regularly here in Bangsaen, Chonburi, right from my yard, up until a few years ago. They liked to eat the star-fruit off of my neighbors' tree. Could be a feral colony. I don't see them regularly anymore - caught? poisoned? - though have had sporadic sightings of them in flight. Red-breasted Parakeet are very common here, but the Alexadrine stand out even in flight by length and call. 

2 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

In the bottom pic there are 2 Mallards (green heads), 2 Rock Pigeons, a Gull in the back and a Mandarin Duck (very colorful & beautiful introduced species in UK & parts of Europe). 

Don't think that's a Gull. Looks like a white Rock Pigeon. 

On 6/8/2019 at 5:19 PM, Skeptic7 said:

This bird appears still a full nestling and not nearly ready to fledge. That bill is funky, but this bird is quite young, with alot of down and pin feathers...so still developing. My gut on this is Black-collared Starling. They are common in BKK and prone to nest predation by Asian Koel. Perhaps it was ejected by it's larger brood parasitic step-sibling?

 

No yellow around the eye is a bit troubling, but again this bird had some growing up to do before fledging. The cream and black coloring and long bill seem about right and the black collar comes later. Some pix of much older juveniles of Black-collared Starling found online. 

 

 

 

I considered it being ousted from a nest by a Koel. I posted the photo on BCST facebook site and ID was - wait for it - Rock Pigeon. Which actually makes sense when you look at the odd bulbous bill. 

18 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Thanks.

 

After viewing photos and videos i reckon it was a 

Green-billed Malkoha with one reservation: Some photos show multiple white areas on the tail but the one i saw only had on the tail tip and at start of the tail. 

Multiple white areas on underside but only tail tip when seen from above or upper side. 

5 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Was at the gym earlier, which is on the 3rd floor at tree top level so good view of the birdlife, next to a khlong with a large banana plantation opposite, in a bangkok residential suburb. Busy 6 lane road about 70 metres away. So quite a busy area.

 

Saw a bird I've never seen before. It made an aggressive appearance flying at and scareing off all the other birds in the tree tops. It was a big bird, crow-like, big beak, black markings around the eye, its body was in two colours, from front of the wings to head it was a lighter colour (grey-brown?) and from wings back and under body a dark colour, a very long thin tail, tail ended with a white tip, and underbody at the start of the tail had a light patch. Had a look online and it could be a Treepie? Thoughts?

Green-billed Malkoha or Rufous-winged treepie. Color of bill? Malkoha has a red spot around the eye but looks black in poor lighting. Neither species is particularly aggressive though.  

Found by a friend of a friend in some reeds near a pool in Bangkok. ID anyone? Fledglings are never easy to ID. Odd bill. 

YB Prinia also sometimes make a "mewing" kind of sound that sounds something like a kitten. You can find examples on xeno-canto and etc. 

Cool. Yes, that bill was bothering me as well for prinia. Thick-billed it is. Those facebook sites are gold for tough IDs.

On 4/9/2019 at 9:15 AM, Skeptic7 said:

This is PURELY for fun. ????

 

Just when we think we've got these little buggers figured out...

 

...Pipit on a wire! 

 

Pretty much a daily occurrence here. They come in and land on the ground and when they depart...up to the wire for a look-see, or visa versa. 

 

 

I said "not often" not "never." Nearly all ground feeders will take to a tree or wire occasionally, especially when encountering the most dangerous species of all, homo sapiens. But the comment was in regards to what you'd ID's as a probably pipit but was one of the _larks, which are often perched on wires. 

40 minutes ago, jack2964 said:

Been awhile since anything out of the ordinary at my yard. This morning I found this foraging on my kafir lime tree and later at the long bean trellis. Looks like a young bird but what is it? Size about 2/3 to 3/4 of the streak eared bulbul. The hint of a mustachial stripe and dark ear coverts have me baffled.

I want to say sub-adult Plain Prinia but the facial markings make that hard There are three or four facebook sited for bird IDs not where you would get your answer in minutes. For this one I old try "LBJ Lovers Thailand."

On 4/8/2019 at 2:56 PM, Skeptic7 said:

ID anyone?

 

 

On 4/8/2019 at 2:56 PM, Skeptic7 said:

ID anyone?

 

 

Large Hawk-Cuckoo is my best here. Tail seems just a bit short, but everything else matches. 

4 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Thx...great snaps, as always. No, not Needletail...tho that would have been nice! Slimmer shape and tail to Palm Swift, only larger w/longer wings...AND obvious split tail. Also no obvious white on underside like Needletails. 

Look to possible Crested Treeswift. Used to get hem in Surin. 

Tonight ends the Great Backyard Bird Count. Total count for my yard from Friday to today was 29 species. Fewer than I was expecting as my full yard count is close to 90 (have to update that list). Nothing unexpected and a lot of the regulars just did not present. Birds I would have expected that did not present include Green Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Coucals, Black-naped Monarch, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Hoopoes, as well as a few others, but they just did not show. But then I was working so was limited to morning and late afternoon observations. Fun anyway. And all were submitted via e-bird which I have just joined and now need to go back for my patches in Surin and my yard here as well as my patches here to log that info. That will all take some time.