2 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

would have loved to shave seen those. 

You still have time for the next few weeks...or next winter Dec-Mar. ????

Drifting by, above the garden ... 

 

 

17 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Drifting by, above the garden ... 

Oriental Honey Buzzard I think. Where is "the garden"? 

1 hour ago, Skeptic7 said:

Oriental Honey Buzzard I think. Where is "the garden"? 

Muang, PKK

As I went in a restaurant yesterday I noticed this crow picking up and moving stones and leaves in the big jar. 

 

After eating I came out and the crow was still busy.

 

I crounched down to put my drink and glasses case down so I could video the crow and it came right over to me, hung around me for a minute then moved to the big jar in front of me, picked up a stone and took it back to its favourite jar and went back to sorting its stones.

 

Not very often I see a crow here and I've never seen one so close.

Corvids are really intelligent, curious, playful and possibly even self aware. Most people don't realize this. Here's a snippet from Google. A simple search will reveal so much more.

 

Scientists compare the intelligence of crows to that of a seven-year-old human child. Crows, ravens, and other corvids are the only non-primates that make tools. Crows are capable of abstract reasoning, complex problem-solving, and group decision-making.Jun 22, 2562 BE

"Altruistic’ magpies help each other remove tracking devices, leave scientists stunned

Scientists say they didn’t expect birds to target specific weakness and team up to get rid of device"

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/magpies-birds-tracking-devices-remove-b2021264.html

 

Bird identification, please.

He/she has been visiting for years, but I've never thought to find out his/her breed:

 

It is a heron.   Possibly ‘Chinese Pond Heron’

18 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Bird identification, please.

He/she has been visiting for years, but I've never thought to find out his/her breed:

 

 

Yes, definitely a Chinese Pond Heron.

I get them every year as they migrate from China.

Had one with a dodgy left leg that came three years in a row.

Can anyone ID this beautiful guy, there are a pair of them in my garden.

It's a hoopoe - I get them quite regularly - often in pairs. 

I'll see if I have any photos of them.

 

Ah, yes, a video:

 

2 hours ago, recom273 said:

Can anyone ID this beautiful guy, there are a pair of them in my garden.

Indian Hoopoe.

Sometimes they lie down, spread out and look dead.

They are sun-bathing to get rid of parasites.

I see them a couple of times a year.

25 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

It's a hoopoe - I get them quite regularly - often in pairs. 

I'll see if I have any photos of them.

Yes, they were in a pair - thanks for your ID.

3 hours ago, recom273 said:

Can anyone ID this beautiful guy, there are a pair of them in my garden.

Just for accuracy, it's technically a Eurasian Hoopoe (aka Common Hoopoe). Very cool species. 

14 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Just for accuracy, it's technically a Eurasian Hoopoe (aka Common Hoopoe). Very cool species. 

I LOVE these birds!

We have a pair nesting in a coconut palm just over our back fence.

The same area is frequented by a Golden Oriole as well. Birdie heaven!

On 3/13/2022 at 12:39 PM, Skeptic7 said:

Corvids are really intelligent, curious, playful and possibly even self aware. Most people don't realize this. Here's a snippet from Google. A simple search will reveal so much more.

 

Scientists compare the intelligence of crows to that of a seven-year-old human child. Crows, ravens, and other corvids are the only non-primates that make tools. Crows are capable of abstract reasoning, complex problem-solving, and group decision-making.Jun 22, 2562 BE

 

The following non-primates also make tools-

Tool manufacture and use are virtually non-existent among non-human primates. However, gorillas, common chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, long-tailed macaques and capuchin monkeys are notable exceptions. Some of them use very simple tools to help in acquiring food and water.

There are some good details on National Geographic tv series about chimpanzees using stones to open nuts.

Bottle nosed dolphins in Australia, elephants, sea otters etc. use various tools to catch food or cool them selves.

What about army ants that build bridges from their own bodies to get to where they want to go safely ?

 

I am sure if we think carefully we will have seen various animals / insects use tools of some kind.

 

 

57 minutes ago, G Rex said:

same area is frequented by a Golden Oriole

Birds, bird ID and photography are my passion, so not being pedantic nor derisive, but again rather just for accuracy...there's no Golden Oriole in Thailand.

 

There's a "Silver" and a "Maroon" and even a "Black and Crimson", but no Golden. India has one and Europe has one, but not Thailand. Assuming yours is likely the most widespread yellow oriole here, Black-naped, but depending on your location...there are other similar possibilities. TMI for sure, but there are more than a dozen subspecies of Black-naped, of which 2 occur here in Thailand.

555 Apologies for putting u thru all that! ????

Bird nerd much??? Have owned 4 of these a quarter century, give or take.

 

2 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Bird nerd much??? 3 of these are more than 25 years old. 

 

Which is the best one/your go to? I just have the one at bottom left side.

31 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Which is the best one/your go to? I just have the one at bottom left side.

None are great "field" guides mainly due to size, weight being hardback or just rudimentary, as in the one you mentioned. Out in the field, the Craig Robson is the best...bottom and second from left because it's paperback, as well as being very thorough and only slightly cumbersome. For 25+ years my fave was top and second from left P Round/B Lekagul Birds of Thailand. Recently, the top far right Lynx Birds of Thailand, which just came out in 2018, is now my fave "go to" at home or back at the car or reviewing photos. 

 

Recommending ONLY one...based on size, detail, price and portability, the Craig Robson paperback. The Round/Lekagul has been out of print for years and extremely hard to find. The new Lynx book is superb, but extremely pricey at around B2600 and up. 

3 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

None are great "field" guides mainly due to size, weight being hardback or just rudimentary, as in the one you mentioned. Out in the field, the Craig Robson is the best...bottom and second from left because it's paperback, as well as being very thorough and only slightly cumbersome. For 25+ years my fave was top and second from left P Round/B Lekagul Birds of Thailand. Recently, the top far right Lynx Birds of Thailand, which just came out in 2018, is now my fave "go to" at home or back at the car or reviewing photos. 

 

Recommending ONLY one...based on size, detail, price and portability, the Craig Robson paperback. The Round/Lekagul has been out of print for years and extremely hard to find. The new Lynx book is superb, but extremely pricey at around B2600 and up. 

Thanks, well worth knowing. I have seen them all around over the years except the Keith Taylor one (bottom middle).

For about the past 10 days, I've had a family of 3 pied fantails (one of my favourite birds here) very active on my garden fence about 2m in front of my window/work desk. They spend most the day going back and forth along the fence. There's a juvenile that never stops calling out for food; it's very successful. ????

Lovely entertainment when I'm working.

2 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

 

The following non-primates also make tools-

 

Tool manufacture and use are virtually non-existent among non-human primates. However, gorillas, common chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, long-tailed macaques and capuchin monkeys are notable exceptions. Some of them use very simple tools to help in acquiring food and water.

There are some good details on National Geographic tv series about chimpanzees using stones to open nuts.

Bottle nosed dolphins in Australia, elephants, sea otters etc. use various tools to catch food or cool them selves.

What about army ants that build bridges from their own bodies to get to where they want to go safely ?

 

I am sure if we think carefully we will have seen various animals / insects use tools of some kind.

 

 

 

Yes...my dog is often using the computer and my cat playing the piano.  

22 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Indian Hoopoe.

Sometimes they lie down, spread out and look dead.

They are sun-bathing to get rid of parasites.

I see them a couple of times a year.

Used to see them in Saudi too

45 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

Used to see them in Saudi too

Extremely widespread species.

 

4 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Extremely widespread species.

 

They are even seen in UK sometimes. 

6 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

They are even seen in UK sometimes. 

Only if you can get past all the Twitchers with cameras, that turn out if one is sighted

On 3/28/2022 at 11:58 AM, KarenBravo said:

Yes, definitely a Chinese Pond Heron.

I get them every year as they migrate from China.

Had one with a dodgy left leg that came three years in a row.

Unless having some mating plumage, almost impossible to tell which version of Pond Heron it is, with 3 to choose from locally;  Chinese, Indian & Javan

https://ebird.org/species/chpher1

https://ebird.org/species/inpher1

https://ebird.org/species/japher1

 

I got decent snap of a Chinese PH locally today.  Was next door, but spooked easily.  Finally caught up with it at the local pond.

On 3/28/2022 at 6:48 PM, KarenBravo said:

Indian Hoopoe.

Sometimes they lie down, spread out and look dead.

They are sun-bathing to get rid of parasites.

I see them a couple of times a year.

Already stated, Eurasian hoopoe - Upupa epops, is the only one visiting and hanging out in Thailand.

 

May want to browse ebird or ThaiNatPark site before guessing species of birds.

https://ebird.org/explore

https://www.thainationalparks.com/list-of-birds-of-thailand

 

For those using FB, there is a Thai ID group, part of ThaiNatPark site: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thai.species.id

 

They actually verify sightings, unlike eBird site.  No photo, it never happened, so range mapping is more accurate. ????