Birdwatching In Isan

[Langsuan Man]

Or order from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Birds-Thailand-Boonsong-Lekagul/dp/9748567362

[Mousehound]

f. Flycatcher - Little Pied for me. If you contact Greenleaf at Khao Yai, Khun Nine had some copies of lekagul & Round. he did a great drawing of a Hornbill in mine and the crew signed it on each of my last two visits.

[jack2964]

Once again need help with this one. Taken from Doi Lang in January, elev approx 1900meters.

About the size of a typical bulbul. It seemed to favour dropping to the ground and in this pic it was on quite a steep embankment.

Appears to me like some kind of female Niltava or maybe a juvenile judging from its gape. There is a tiny hint of blue on the extreme RHS of its throat.

Thanks.

[isanbirder]

The white on the throat suggests Fujian/Rufous-bellied Niltava, presumably a first-winter bird. (These two used to be reckoned conspecific).

[jack2964]

Thanks IB I think I'll give myself a tick.

[jack2964]

From Phu Khieo, Chaiyaphum.

Both pics same bird.

Help me please with this warbler. If I need to guess I'd say Radde's.

Thanks.

[isanbirder]

I would say Dusky.... but I'm not very good on these!

[jack2964]

Good stuff I haven't ticked Dusky. Thanks IB.

[jack2964]

Unknown cuckoo taken from Chulaborn Dam in Petchabun...quite a good spot for birds.

Thought it was Large Hawk Cuckoo initially but on closer scrutiny I think I am wrong.

Taken 25th Mar. 2016.

Rather large bird possibly larger than an Indian Roller.

What could it be? Thanks.

[jack2964]

This is more likely Large Hawk Cuckoo?

Taken from Nam Nao NP. 25 Mar 2016.

[isanbirder]

All the Hawk-Cuckoos have conspicuous tail-bands, and do not have grey on the upper breast. That leaves you with Indian, Common (least likely), and Himalayan.

Nice pics, though!

Edited April 12, 2016 by isanbirder

[jack2964]

Well I stuffed up again. So none of these 2 sets is Large Hawk Cuckoo.

Should have known better LHCs have distinct tail bands.

Thanks IB.

[Mousehound]

Why not Oriental C.?

[jack2964]

Had a look over at OBC and the 1st set of 6 seem to match but 2nd set of 4 doesn't seem so. Do you think both sets are Oriental? Thanks.

[isanbirder]

Oriental and Himalayan are the same species, Cuculus saturatus.

[jack2964]

Could my 2nd set of 4 pics be Indian C?

Bears resemblance to this : http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=49&Bird_ID=446&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1&Location=

[isanbirder]

I would say the first lot are Himalayan/Oriental, and the second lot Indian. Two ticks!

[jack2964]

Just what I want. Thanks yes 2 ticks!

[jack2964]

First sighting for me of White-winged tern at my local reservoir this morning.

Flock size about 20+ birds all in breeding plumage. I thought initially they were Whiskered terns until I got closer and noticed the

very contrasting black body and head against white tail and rump.

I guess these are passage migrants heading back north to wherever they came from.

Other than this notable sighting nothing else stood out.

The usual Open-billed storks, Little Cormorants and Black-winged stilts are around and 2 Darters were seen too.

Oddly no Whistling ducks at all.

[sharecropper]

A great Thai Visa thread this - I spent ages going through it today - thanks for the comments and the excellent photos.

I often go into the National parks, and although I'm no birdwatcher, I recognised many species I've seen from this thread.

[Briggsy]

Not quite Isaan, but at my [current] favourite spot in Chonburi province, the dark-sided flycatchers are passing through from where to where, I am not sure and the blue-winged pittas have arrived to breed.

[AjarnNorth]

Not quite Isaan, but at my [current] favourite spot in Chonburi province, the dark-sided flycatchers are passing through from where to where, I am not sure and the blue-winged pittas have arrived to breed.

I used to live and bird in Isaan (Surin) and now also live in Chonburi (Bangsaen area). I had a Dark-sided a few days ago in my yard, only my second. First was in Surin. Where are you seeing Blue-winged Pitta. I've only seen one, Khao Khieo.

[Briggsy]

In the small patch of forest at Khao Mai Kaeo.

[jack2964]

After a prolonged scarcity of birds a pleasant surprise for me this afternoon.

Not a rarity but nonetheless a first for my backyard. I thought it to be an escapee till I spotted a pair; unless both escaped or released.

Seemed to me they were feeding on young leaf shoots.

Vernal Hanging Parrot:

[isanbirder]

Did you see the red markings, Jack? They don't show up on the pics (except the red bill on the second). Nice birds though.

[jack2964]

Pretty sure the rump is red on both birds. These 2 pics are of the same bird. I am quite sure I caught a glimpse of blue in the tail of the 2nd bird.

Alas it was too fast for me to capture an image.

[isanbirder]

I thought it was worth reviving this old thread, as some people seem to have enjoyed browsing through it.

 

AND I had an extraordinary sighting today!

 

I turned a corner, and came in sight of a large area of paddy and, only fifty yards or less from me, a large raptor hunting low over the rice.  It was very large, dark brown primaries, paler inner wing, with a longish tail, apparently square-ended, but it was in constant movement, and I couldn't be sure of the exact shape.  At this point it went behind a bush (don't they all?), and even a sprint to the next clear viewing point did not enable me to see it again.

 

At this time of year, I see Brahminys almost daily (two pairs breed in the area), and this was larger, darker than any Brahminy I've seen, and with a longer tail.  It wasn't a harrier or any of the eagles.  That leaves, and I'm positive about this, not just by elimination, Black or Black-eared Kite.  I see these regularly from October to March, and last winter was a particularly good winter for them.  But on August 21?  This is very weird!

[Speedo1968]

I live on the outskirts of Ban Phai 45 km south of Khon Kaen.

I am not a bird watcher as such but do watch nature, because I have been in farming since 1960, most of it in other countries and, what the birds and bees etc do is a good indication of the weather now and to follow.    I take a keen interest in animal behaviour, and how some species behave differently in different parts of a country depending on their environment.

 

Some months ago people at night netted birds ( high net in front of a group of trees firework let off and birds caught in net ).

When I found the net in the morning whatever they were trying to catch ( song birds maybe ? ) had been removed, left behind were two beautiful silvery gray owls, one looked to be ancient the other younger, 5 hoopoe, various other small birds, total of about 30 left in net.   I manged to release only one as the net was so fine and twisted in their feathers.   Took pictures to local govt department, nodding heads ..

 

Locally I have seen a yellow headed myna, a yellow headed / full neck myna - both in excellent condition, maybe same family ? same place, same time of year ( I don't know why this should be - perhaps someone could tell me why they are there only at a certain time of the year ??? ).

 

I have a budgerigar ( mainly yellow ) that comes in to my front garden / car port  to eat rice and water I put out , no idea if it is domestic and let out daily or free.   It mixes with myna's and sparrows and other birds, luckily no pigeons locally.

 

 

[evadgib]

Can anyone please identify a brace of birds I saw in flight recently from this description?

 

- European Jay-like in size,  sillouette and flight pattern.

- Colour not sure but I suspect dark blue.

- Both had 2x very long hairless tail quills with a coin-sized ring at the end.

- As far as I could tell they were a pair rather than one chasing the other.

 

Unfortunately I only had a short glimpse despite being in dense Jungle as a bloke on a coconut-laden motorbike appeared from nowhere & they were gone.

 

Any pointers appreciated

 

 

[isanbirder]

1 hour ago, evadgib said:

Can anyone please identify a brace of birds I saw in flight recently from this description?

 

- European Jay-like in size,  sillouette and flight pattern.

- Colour not sure but I suspect dark blue.

- Both had 2x very long hairless tail quills with a coin-sized ring at the end.

- As far as I could tell they were a pair rather than one chasing the other.

 

Unfortunately I only had a short glimpse despite being in dense Jungle as a bloke on a coconut-laden motorbike appeared from nowhere & they were gone.

 

Any pointers appreciated

 

 

 

The hairless tail quills with a blob on the end indicate a Racket-tailed Drongo.  There are two species of these, the common one being the Greater (Lesser is up the mountains).  They are both entirely black.