Birdwatching In Isan

[isanbirder]

Tough luck, but that monster was a nice compensation.

[isanbirder]

Raptor migration seems to be well under way.

A few days ago I had a Black Baza.

.

Two days ago, a party of Japanese Sparrowhawks (three or five..... I think there were five, but I was so concentrated on getting details of one that I'm not too sure).

Today, a Black-eared Kite (a late one here, but this may have been a bird which has been here for two or three months). Just as I was nearing home, a Crested Goshawk emerged from some trees, and started soaring. While it was still in sight, another raptor appeared, noticeably bigger, with long, thin wings, a small, but protruding head, and medium size tail. The only markings I could see were white patches on the underwings, roughly at the base of the primaries. My first thought was Osprey, and it did have the 'bend' at the carpal joint, but I could not see the characteristic head-on bow shape. Now I've seen plenty of Ospreys in my lifetime, and this certainly wasn't an adult..... and frankly, it just didn't feel like an Osprey.... but what else with those long thin wings?

For those of you who bird mainly in forested areas, I see almost all my birds on (or over) the open paddy.... so quite often they may be at some distance.

[hanno]

Yes, still sounds like Osprey to me, too.

[Mousehound]

Reminds me of my old maths teacher!

Missed the Pelican but still had a great day out:

[hanno]

With me it was my Physics teacher, Mr. Quigley,

[isanbirder]

Yes, still sounds like Osprey to me, too.

After looking through hundreds of photos (I hadn't done this when I posted this morning), I'm convinced. A bird I had hoped for on my patch, but hardly dared to expect!

I seem to be on a roll at the moment. Four new species in my area in the past fortnight.... and that's quite something after 7 years. Great-eared Nightjar, Striated Swallow, Japanese Sparrowhawk, and now Osprey.

Now I've always dreamed of seeing an Adjutant here......

[hanno]

Good luck with Adjutant!!!! Here, they are still pretty common but I believe in Thailand they have become very rare.

[AjarnNorth]

I see them in Chonburi - Bang Phra Non-hunting area - but all likely escapes/feral from Khao Khieo Open Zoo and Bird breeding area at Bang Phra. The one pictured here was ringed so most certainly an escape.

And had Osprey pretty regularly in winter at Surin / Huai Saneng, but also including one midsummer record in June!

Edited March 18, 2015 by AjarnNorth

[isanbirder]

Yes, Ospreys are not rare, but it helps if you have some water for them to fish in. The best I can offer them is an irrigation canal.... and in fact the bird must have spent the night near that.

[hanno]

I believe both Adjutants are only rare vagrants to Thailand these days. Still plenty in Cambodia but if the habitat construction continues like it does now, it will soon be game over for them.

[jack2964]

I am seeing quite a number of raptors in flight but my ID skills fail me. I know many are sparrow hawks but this morning I saw one that looks like Black Kite but it had much darker plumage than the more brown of a Black Kite.

These rather unusual sightings of raptors seem to indicate they are departing?

A more positive sighting this morning was of an Asian Paradise FC not the usual short-tailed ones for this one sported a very long tail and was seen briefly flying from one tree to another by the lake side. I almost mistook it for a greater coucal which are very common here till I noted how much smaller this bird was and when it alighted it sounded its harsh alarm call which I am familiar with. Happy with this one. I only get the short-tailed ones around here.

[isanbirder]

Jack. if your dark raptor had a forked tail, it has to be black or black-eared kite.

This should be the main raptor migration period, in large numbers if you're in the right place. I once had about 20 Honey Buzzards flying south over here in October, but usually only see singles.... and small parties of Black Bazas.

Colour of the Asian Paradise? I once saw the white version in Hong Kong, difficult to believe it is the same bird.

[jack2964]

It was the normal black headed and brown winged bird.

As for the raptors, I doubt I am near their migratory flight path but just thought I'd mention I am seeing a great deal more of them in flight.

[Robby nz]

Did another trip to Phu Toei NP with 2 nights camped in the east and another 2 at the HQ.

In spite of the place being on fire still managed photos of 3 new birds for me.

Green-eared Barbet

Yellow-bellied Warbler

Ruby cheeked Sunbird.

Another good one is a Female Grey-headed Woodpecker which I have seen before but managed to get a good shot of this time.

And of course one of these pesky raptors, at great distance as usual, The fussyness is the vegetation I was shooting through, there was also a very smoky atmosphere which didn't help.

It was a big bird and the yellow gape would indicate one of Eagles and the stripe over the eye possibly Greater Spotted.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Robby nz

[isanbirder]

Several large raptors have dark morphs. I would suggest a Changeable Hawk-eagle.

[AjarnNorth]

I am fairly certain - stress on "fairly" - that Robby's Raptor above is a Crested Serpent-Eagle. The prominent yellow cere seems too prominent to me to suggest Changeable Hawk-Eagle. But the white bar across the tail, I think, rules out Greater Spotted (and again the yellow cere and facial skin seem just too prominent). Note that the the outer edges of the wing tips are white as is the very bottom edge of tail feathers, as they are in CSE. But really it's the prominent cere and "black tail with broad white central band" that nail it as a CSE, I think. That no crest is visible doesn't mean much as a quick look through OBC images of CSE will show.

[AjarnNorth]

Just did a little more reading and looking at images. Compare this CSE from OBC images with your top pic, Robby. Hard to get a closer match than that. I think you can safely log this one as CSE.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=107&Bird_ID=838&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

[Robby nz]

Just did a little more reading and looking at images. Compare this CSE from OBC images with your top pic, Robby. Hard to get a closer match than that. I think you can safely log this one as CSE.

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?p=107&Bird_ID=838&Bird_Family_ID=&pagesize=1

Many thanks.

[Goshawk]

^ i've just seen this id query for the 1st time, & for what it's worth (and if anyone cares) . . . i can immediately 100% confirm that your raptor is a CSE Rob, they're a pretty regular sight around CM & the northern mountains . . . seen plenty of em over the past 11yrs. I've got some photo's somewhere . . . i'll dig em out & stick em on the tog forum.

[Goshawk]

^ thnx Mousey . . . i'll just continue to stick to the photo thread re: birding in Thailand then

[jack2964]

A pleasant surprise this morning by the lake side again. Had my first sighting of a single Oriental Pied Hornbill in flight.

Been here about 3 years and never expected to see any hornbills given the habitat is mostly scrawny secondary growth.

Hopefully just not a wandering stray, would be great if it entices more of its mates over.

[AjarnNorth]

^ i've just seen this id query for the 1st time, & for what it's worth (and if anyone cares) . . . i can immediately 100% confirm that your raptor is a CSE Rob, they're a pretty regular sight around CM & the northern mountains . . . seen plenty of em over the past 11yrs. I've got some photo's somewhere . . . i'll dig em out & stick em on the tog forum.

What is "the tog forum"? Always looking for more places to compare notes and learn. If someone could point me there it would be appreciated. Below is a photo of the one and only CSE that I have seen at rest (I had one other in flight). Both were here in Bangsaen and right from my yard. The one pictured sat for some time and I got about 20 or so shots off before it flew off.

[jack2964]

It is here AN.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/610576-for-the-birds/

[AjarnNorth]

Just for fun, fellow birders, what do you see here? Taken this evening at 6:45 PM from my yard in Bangsaen, Chonburi.

[jack2964]

Great shot! The mynah is trying to evict the owl?

[jack2964]

Is that a collared scops?

[AjarnNorth]

Is that a collared scops?

Yes, Jack. That's what I have it as ... or them, I should say, as there are two. Almost five years ago, Isan Birder was staying with my wife and I when we lived in Surin and after a day of birding it was him who heard the diagnostic call and explained to me how to recognize it. Once you know the call, it's easy but I had never seen one so never knew it by call until IB pointed it out to me. I heard it there regularly thereafter until I left but all attempts to see one, much less photo one, were unsuccessful. Since I moved back to Chonburi three years ago I have heard it often right next to my house, but again in three years was unable to spot one until today. So having two - which I assume to be a breeding pair - right next to my house and observable from my yard was a nice way to end the day today. This has been an interesting tree to watch over the last three years. It seems to have been host to breeding Common Mynas, White-vented Mynas and Indian Rollers As well as parasitic Koel) , but it's commonly raided my monitors (or the same monitor) and so I have no documentation of any successful breeding in the tree. Below are three pics of a monitor raiding the same tree in 2013 (coincidentally also on 3 April). And since then I have twice seen monitors, perhaps the same individual, raiding he same tree. So we will have to see how this pair of owl fare.

Edited April 3, 2015 by AjarnNorth

[jack2964]

I used to have a Collared Scops around until about 3 or 4 months back. Since then it hasn't been heard anymore and I fear for its well-being. My neighbours tell me they don't like owls as they are a bad omen and to have an owl perch in one's yard and calling demands immediate action-usually taken down or driven away with sling-shots.

That one that hung around here didn't sport ear tufts like yours. I find it quite amazing this same bird can look so different physically. OBC has many images and with as many 'variations' in plumage.

Perhaps fitting a cone shaped funnel or net around this coconut trunk will stop further raiding by the water monitors.

[isanbirder]

Or a monkey-baffle like they use on the TV aerials in Lopburi. This is just an inverted cone of metal which the monkeys (allegedly) can't climb over.

[happynthailand]

Ok

these guy's was in the rice paddy down the road, anybody know what kind of bird's or seen them before