For The Birds !

[plahgat]

Digged out a few old slides from 1989, taken at Tha Sadet Birdsanctuary in Suphanburi province.

Breeding place for 1000s of storks and other waterfowl!

Plahgat

[plahgat]

Another picture of the Racket-tailed Drongo mobbing a Greater Hornbill!

Plahgat

[plahgat]

Suan Rot Fai and the Queen sirikit park, are two parks joined together by the very bridge I mention above. It is very close to the weekend market, just across from Central Lad Prao. You reach it with the subway and a few minutes walk

On weekends it is full of people, but go there on a weekday early morning and you will not be disappointed

Red lotus sea, you should go in December and January when all the red lotus flowers are bloming or what ever they call it. The lake is covered in red lotus flowers. You fly to Udon Thani and then you stay over night and then you leave early morning, about 45 minutes from the city centre

I rented a car and driver for one day and I covered a lot of area

OK, I've been to the new Queen Sirikit Park many times while visiting Suan Chatuchark, but never ventured further into the parks!

Will do that next time!

Thanks for info!

Plahgat

[plahgat]

Back in 1990 I got the opportunity to watch one of the rarest breeding birds in Thailand, there was only 1 pair with two young ones on a sandreef outside the island of Koh Libong, Trang Southern Thailand!

I stayed a few nights with the nationalpark on the island of Libong, and one of the staff took me out with a longtail boat to the sandy reef and dumped me there for a few hours!

There was only a few bushes in the middle for me to hide, so I couldn't get to close to the birds, there was plenty of other waders as well.

I didn't have any good camera equipment, so picture is taken very far away with only a max 200 mm zoom, so the birds are hardly visible on this old slide!

Thought I should show it here anyway, maybe some of you expert ornitologists have better pictures of this rare and beautiful bird?

I don't know about it's status in Thailand nowadays, maybe someone else can comment on that.

So here it is the Crab Plover, Dromas ardeola: https://www.thainationalparks.com/specie/crab-plover

Plahgat

[plahgat]

Little Heron, Butorides striatus

Photo taken in Singapore, but the same species is to be found in Thailand as well.

Edited June 27, 2016 by plahgat

[plahgat]

Hello Samuijimmy

You wont believe the fantastic bird life here smack in the city of Bangkok. You can try any park in Bangkok. Be there at the crack of dawn and take a break mid day and return in the afternoon

Suan Rot Fai is fantastic and I have seen at least 4 different Kingfishers there, among them the very shy Stork billed.

Owlets can be seen in many parks, the pictures with the 3 owlets are from Chaloem Kanchanaphisek Park, where I also spotted all the parakeets.

Another park is the Phutthamonthon Park

Mangrooves are just an hour or 90 minutes away with a taxi

If you come to Bangkok you can do what I use to do, rent a taxi. I pay 2000 to 3000 Baht for a 12 hour day depending on how much driving we are doing and it is very convenient. My driver have one of those big cars so it is very comfortable and we reach Hua Hin or where ever I want to go

The above Hornbill is from Kraeng Krachai, there were both the Great Hornbill and the Oriental Pied Hornbill. And I met a new friend, Mr. Black Bear below. That was a bonus and suddenly it had been worth getting out of bed 5 in the morning. But I was very lucky that he was in a good mood as I was standing only 5 meters from the bear when she/ he walked out from the bushes. Kraeng Krachai have a fantastic bird life but now I know that there are more than birds and it can be dangerous. There have also been Leopards in the area

But where ever you pass a tree with small fruits, try to stick up your head in the tree and you are almost guaranteed to see some interesting bird

332.jpg

333.jpg

334.jpg

335.jpg

336.jpg

337.jpg

338.jpg

I'm almost sure that the bird on your wall is not a White-throated Kingfisher, an Indian Roller?

Edited

I forgot to mention. I was walking around many parks in Bangkok before I got interested in birds. I never saw any bird, not one single bird, except a peacock. But now when I'm looking for them it is amazing the amount of colourfull birds I see

Just saw this other thread about a man who was attacked by a bear in Thailand!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/927849-beware-the-bears-in-ubon-after-man-is-attacked/

So be careful out there in the wilderness!

Plahgat

[Aladdin]

Hello Plahgat

Yes, it can be dangerous with the wild life, especially when walking around looking for birds in the middle of nowhere. I like your picture of the Plover. I was also at a small islets where I went by boat. Just me and a few wadders (not any room for much more as it was high water)

I don't mind watching wadders but I have given up trying to identify them as they look very alike. Like the birds below, exactly the same but different sizes

Some of them are of course easy to identify, not many birds looking like the Black winged stilt

I put this bird down as a Greater Sand Plover out of pure frustration. They all look the same in the bird book, so just to leave the bird behind I put it as a Greater Sand Plover.

Even though I have given up identifying the birds at the sea front I still go there to enjoy watching the birds. And some of the birds down at the sea front are easy to recognize

Where do you live? I will be back home in Bangkok in a few days time and I will try to explore two new birding places before I leave for Australia. Weather depending. Are you in Bangkok and fancy some birding?

Edited June 27, 2016 by Aladdin

[plahgat]

Hello Plahgat

Yes, it can be dangerous with the wild life, especially when walking around looking for birds in the middle of nowhere. I like your picture of the Plover. I was also at a small islets where I went by boat. Just me and a few wadders (not any room for much more as it was high water)

I don't mind watching wadders but I have given up trying to identify them as they look very alike. Like the birds below, exactly the same but different sizes

2.jpg

Some of them are of course easy to identify, not many birds looking like the Black winged stilt

1.jpg

I put this bird down as a Greater Sand Plover out of pure frustration. They all look the same in the bird book, so just to leave the bird behind I put it as a Greater Sand Plover.

4.jpg

Even though I have given up identifying the birds at the sea front I still go there to enjoy watching the birds. And some of the birds down at the sea front are easy to recognize

3.jpg

Where do you live? I will be back home in Bangkok in a few days time and I will try to explore two new birding places before I leave for Australia. Weather depending. Are you in Bangkok and fancy some birding?

Yes waders can be hard to identify!

I'm only an amateur birdwatcher and nature lover, but my guess would be Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper on the two lookalikes in your first picture?

I used to travel around a lot in National Parks in Thailand in the past, but now in my old age I've got stuck in the "swamps" of Pattaya and Bangkok.... chasing a different kind of two-legged animals !

I'm in Sweden now and only come to holiday in Thailand 5 months every year for 29 years now!

Won't be back until next year.

Have a nice day!

Plahgat

[plahgat]

A couple more fuzzy old slides of the Crab Plovers!

Plahgat

[Mousehound]

Hello Plahgat

Yes, it can be dangerous with the wild life, especially when walking around looking for birds in the middle of nowhere. I like your picture of the Plover. I was also at a small islets where I went by boat. Just me and a few wadders (not any room for much more as it was high water)

I don't mind watching wadders but I have given up trying to identify them as they look very alike. Like the birds below, exactly the same but different sizes

2.jpg

Some of them are of course easy to identify, not many birds looking like the Black winged stilt

1.jpg

I put this bird down as a Greater Sand Plover out of pure frustration. They all look the same in the bird book, so just to leave the bird behind I put it as a Greater Sand Plover.

4.jpg

Even though I have given up identifying the birds at the sea front I still go there to enjoy watching the birds. And some of the birds down at the sea front are easy to recognize

3.jpg

Where do you live? I will be back home in Bangkok in a few days time and I will try to explore two new birding places before I leave for Australia. Weather depending. Are you in Bangkok and fancy some birding?

Yes waders can be hard to identify!

I'm only an amateur birdwatcher and nature lover, but my guess would be Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper on the two lookalikes in your first picture?

I used to travel around a lot in National Parks in Thailand in the past, but now in my old age I've got stuck in the "swamps" of Pattaya and Bangkok.... chasing a different kind of two-legged animals !

I'm in Sweden now and only come to holiday in Thailand 5 months every year for 29 years now!

Won't be back until next year.

Have a nice day!

Plahgat

+1

[Aladdin]

Plahgat, so you are in Sweden. I guess you will have a hard time finding any colourful birds then. Just black and brown coloured birds with some white in them. Maybe a red or orange bill. But I heard that you can find the Common Kingfisher

And according to a friend you can find the below Black Napped Oriole in Sweden

Black Napped oriole in Bangkok

[Aladdin]

Double post above so I need to add another picture as I cannot delete the post

Scarlet backed flowerpecker in Bangkok

Edited July 2, 2016 by Ron19

[plahgat]

Plahgat, so you are in Sweden. I guess you will have a hard time finding any colourful birds then. Just black and brown coloured birds with some white in them. Maybe a red or orange bill. But I heard that you can find the Common Kingfisher

And according to a friend you can find the below Black Napped Oriole in Sweden

Black Napped oriole in Bangkok

1.jpg

It's a similar but different species "The Golden Oriole", Oriolus oriolus.

Rare summer visitor to the extreme south of Sweden where it occasionally breeds as well!

Very shy and difficult to see and even more so to photograph, only glimpsed it myself in flight!

The Little Kingfisher is more common.

We have a few rare summer visitors of Bee-Eaters and Hoopoes every year,

in the past Rollers was seen as well, but haven't been sighted in Sweden for many years now!

Plahgat

[Aladdin]

Cheers Plahgat!

OK, I will keep my eyes out!

I'm accidently stuck in Skåne 4 days next week. As I’m accidently stuck in Scotland overnight. So if I manage to dodge the beer drinking tonight and the hangover I will keep an eye out for exotic birds in Skåne during my unplanned Gästgiveri Tour of Skåne

I hope to go birding in Bangkok next weekend so keep your eye out here if I manage to catch something exciting

[samuijimmy]

Bird in the bush... in my garden today, never remember seeing before

...

Better shot when he got out of the bush!

[Aladdin]

Beautiful Samuijimmy

Yellow vented Bulbul?

You seems to live at a nice birding place. When I see your pictures I'm getting eager to get out in the bushes to look for birds

[samuijimmy]

Beautiful Samuijimmy

Yellow vented Bulbul?

You seems to live at a nice birding place. When I see your pictures I'm getting eager to get out in the bushes to look for birds

If it were a flower, I could probably tell you the name, Aladdin!

This certainly is the best area I've lived on Samui, for birds.... it's a constant chatter around here.. It's semi rural, with enough trees to keep them around. Unfortunately some I see, flitter off before I can get a shot...

I meant to upload this one, so here you go... one more!

[Aladdin]

Samuijimmy

Well, you have posted quite a few interesting and beautiful birds. Maybe I should go for a birding tour to Samui

I attach a picture of a Red vented Bulbul (not taken in Thailand) and it is easy to understand where the name come from

From The NEW OXFORD Dictionary: Vent, an opening that allows air, gas, or liquid to pass out of or into a confined space.

[samuijimmy]

I've lived on Samui going on 9 years ... Where I am now seems to be the most interesting spot... (Ban Por)

Best area I have come across for birds is Thali Noi lake in northern Songkhla, January one of the best times for migrating birds by the thousands!

Today, this Drongo I think (?) was quite cooperative...

he's eyeing the red fruit

Yum!

Taken with my 50 -200 mm lens Canon and then cropped...

[Aladdin]

Hello Samuijimmy

Maybe an Asian Koel? Easy to recognise with the red eyes. The female is brown mottled or how they say it in English. I don't know how to add a sound file here so you can listen. But it is a very easy sound to recognise and I can bet that you have heard it, never mind where you are in Thailand

The sound file, but no player

asian_koel.mp3

I will try with a movie from the youtube

[samuijimmy]

Another couple of visitors yesterday, they look a bit like Magpies, but smaller, the tails stick straight up. Nice song too!

I think these are what the Thai use for bird singing competitions?... a life in a cage

As ugly as electric wires are most of the time, these prove quite useful...

[Mousehound]

Another couple of visitors yesterday, they look a bit like Magpies, but smaller, the tails stick straight up. Nice song too!

I think these are what the Thai use for bird singing competitions?... a life in a cage

As ugly as electric wires are most of the time, these prove quite useful...

Oriental Magpie-Robin

[Aladdin]

Sunday afternoon in Bangkok

Original plan was to go 5 o'clock Saturday morning, but I ran in to a hangover, full force 9.8. And as I'm getting old the hangover din't disappear until Sunday afternoon. But there are still some birds to be seen in the afternoons

Bald Common Myna

They have built a concrete bridge straight through Kingfisher land and I guess we have seen our last Kingfishers here. Why not spend the money on cleaning up the park from all the garbage instead?

Scaly-breasted Munia

And the Indian Roller

[Aladdin]

Anyone out there that can help me identify this bird?

And the below, is that a streak eared Bulbul?

[samuijimmy]

Great shots Aladdin ^^^ yet to see a common bald Myna down south here! Reminds me of Vulchers in Florida... (mini version)

We need to try and limit posts to three images, I know it's a pain, but the guys with slower modems are mentioning it takes too long to load!

I had some fairly good luck with my Indian Roller today

!

Not perfect ...

I have not seen the longer beck King fishers for a week or two now.... perhaps these guys decided it was there area for blue coloured birds?

[samuijimmy]

Sure has nice song, tolerable for a while at least! (today)

Oriental Magpie-Robin (Thanks Mousehound... I may learn and remember my birds yet! )

[Aladdin]

Hello Samuijimmy

A soon to be bald Common Myna

A bald myna, I have never seen them before. I checked internet when I was back home. Seems like no one have the answer to why they are getting bold. Some suggestions like moulting, mites, fighting and lack of vitamins in their food

I saw a few of them today in different stages of baldness. And it was obvious that they were going bald (like me) But I have a trick up my sleeve, hair on spray can

[Aladdin]

Samuijimmy

Your Indian roller is beautiful. My favourite bird. The blue wings are fantastic when they are flying.

I didn't see any Kingfishers today, maybe they have moved during the rainy season. I will keep my eyes out tomorrow again

The Indian Roller in Thailand, subspeice Coracias benghalensis is not as beautiful as the Coracias indicus that you see in India If you don't mind I will put a picture here even though I took it in India on my tiger safari

But I think the Coracias caudatus Liliac-breasted roller is the most beautiful roller. But all of the rollers are able to look very sullen

[Aladdin]

And there were only 2 storks to be seen yesterday, otherwise there are plenty of them

[Aladdin]

Another beautiful day in Bangkok. Today I could also hear the Coppersmith Barbet and I saw 3 of them, but they were too far away.

I could hear a few Asian Koels. but I could never see them

A gorgeous Javan pond Heron