28/03/2025 - Phu Sa Doi Bua Nat. Pk. - Phu Sung Charoen Tham Buddhist Sanctuary - Yasothon province.

We were in situ on top of this forested hilltop lookout by 7.40 am. Our purpose was to check for any migrating raptors in view of our discovery in Roi Et (the next province west) of a small movement of honey buzzards and the first Grey-faced Buzzards to be proven moving over there.

Immediately we became aware of Needletails zipping around overhead. The commonest of these are Brown-backed and we set about trying to follow them both with bins and in Pauls case through the telephoto lens; soon he was clicking off scores of shots purposefully overexposed to bring out the details against the bright sky, with me helping with directions as the birds rocketed by like fighter jets.

The white horseshoe vents were easy to see but the throats less so. A couple of birds lingered overhead playfully for some 20 seconds with all three of us readily onto them. -Result :- 2 White-throated Needletails - only the second proven for Yasothon and a Thai tick for me. Last year I was standing next to Paul when he photographed the first for the province but I couldnt say for sure then that I was on the same bird!

The needletail show fizzled out by about 08.30 so we hung on for any raptor activity.

To be honest not much happened despite putting in another hour as the temperature steadily increased, though we did have an Oriental Honey-Buzzard, a glimpse of a likely Shikra, but the much appreciate prize was a single raggedy -tailed Grey-faced Buzzard - another Yasothon first.

Photos of all these attached (note please the white supra loral combined with dark throat on the Brown-backed Needletail).

Back at base we only learned of the earthquake on the news. Later our grandson Art in Khon Kaen (3 hours - 200kms. further west said he was in a shopping mall and felt the quake and the mall had to be evacuated as a precaution. 
Regards,

Mike P.

19/03/2025 -07.20 am. Phu Mongkhon - Nong Bua Lam Phu.

We made an early start in the forest spending 3 hours 20 mins. to log 30 species the best being:-

1 Red Junglefowl

3 Oriental Honey-Buzzards (circling a large wooded conical hill on the approach section)

1 Asian Barred Owlet (heard only)

1 Dollarbird (quite early as these normally pass through later. Typically perched high on bare tree tops. Photo).

5 Lineated Barbets (heard only;- very common here).

1 Black-naped Oriole

1 Great Iora

4 Ashy Drongos

4 Hair-crested Drongos

1 Eurasian Jay (white-faced form and a future possible split?).

3 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers

50 Eastern Red-rumped Swallows

4 Sooty-headed Bulbuls

4 Yellow-browed Warblers

1 Yellow-browed/Humes Warbler

1 Davisons Leaf Warbler

1 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler

2 Rufous-fronted Babblers

8 Puff-throated Babblers (heard only - seemingly all around us). 

3 Hainan Blue Flycatchers

2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers

3 Large Scimitar-Babblers - (Heard only- so not countable on my list). This was our main target in the forest. Both Paul and I have heard the species previously, however he has actually seen it - I never have; it would be a world lifer for me.
When I log any heard only species in Thailand it is a species I have seen in the country before. If I should ever see a large Scimitar-Babbler in Thailand I shall then be able to retrospectively count it in any provinces where I have previously heard it.

As it was now almost midday and with both our province lists comfortably in excess of 100 we paused for lunch and hatched a plan to cross over into Loei province where I already had 96 species under my belt.

By 12.45 we spent 35 minutes in very pleasant parkland surroundings with a backdrop of spectacular hills mopping up a few easy birds (best of 11 species being a Verditer Flycatcher) to push my province list onto 105 after which we shot back into Nong Bua to renew our efforts there.

At 15.30 we headed through open country to the hill top temple complex at Wat Phra Phutthabat Phu Kao in the Phu Phan Kham Nat.Pk. We noted 20 fairly common species in our last hour of the day the best being an obliging Burmese Shrike (one of our targets here), in addition Paul alone had a putative Rufous Turtle Dove which rocketed off the road ahead of the vehicle into cover.

On the last morning (20/03) after a 07.20 start we spent a profitable 2 hours 20 minutes in the National park logging 32 species;- the best additions being:-

3 Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes,

2 Dark-necked Tailorbirds,

2 Indochinese Blue Flycatchers (photo)

1 Grey Wagtail (patrolling the muddy edges of a forest pool)

We were struggling to find anything approaching a decent reedbed and failed to find any acrocephalus or locustella species, however while we were bemoaning the situation Barb drew our attention to a distant green bird perched high on a bare tree top. Through binoculars it looked good for a likely Lineated Barbet (of which we had heard any number).

Paul took a quick telephoto shot and zoomed up to glee all round - Barb had found not just the first Parakeet species ever recorded for Nong Bua but a male Grey-headed Parakeet - a lifer for all of us! (photo attached).

Things were rather anticlimactic after the big find and after finally adding a vocal Oriental Reed Warbler and for me a Zitting Cisticola we headed off more or less birded out south east on the long drive home.
I had reached 116 and Paul 125 in fourth and third places respectively in the Nong Bua listings;- he had reached the hundred mark in all 20 provinces with me on 100 in 18 provinces, with 99 in Chaiyaphum and a token 4 in Nong Khai- both awaiting future visits?

Best Wishes to all in the GM birding community.

The Passants

15/03/2025 - 07.00 am - Wat Khao Sala - Surin Province.

After an early breakfast we ate up the 40 Kms. and arrived in good time at the sanctuary. We find generally that there is no point commencing forest birding sessions at the crack of dawn as the birds take their time to become active. We also did not expect to add loads of additional species as birding in good forest requires patience and generally birds come at a far slower rate relative to open country birding as many of you know full well.

Two and a half hours produced 26 species the best being:-

6 Red Junglefowl (on the road)

1 Crested Serpent-Eagle (perched)

1 Blue-bearded Bee-eater (almost certainly the same individual as seen yesterday on the same perch).

2 Greater Flamebacks 

3 Greater Racket-tailed Drongos

3 Blyths Paradise Flycatchers (these seemed to be a family party, quite close to hand in the mid canopy, and calling incessantly).

2 Puff-throated Bulbuls

1 Grey-eyed Bulbul (heard only, with its unmistakeable Liverpool accent!)

3 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

3 Puff-throated Babblers

4 Abbotts Babblers

20 White-crested Laughingthrushes (seemingly all around us giving regular glimpses as they crossed the road on foraging outings).

2 Common Hill Mynas

2 White-rumped Shamas

2 Hainan Blue Flycatchers

1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Although there were 4/5 common flycatchers which still eluded us here we decided to move off as the dry conditions were the probable reason for their absence and an early start towards home at this stage by a different northerly route would facilitate another new lakeside stop to mop up a few more open country targets.

At 2 pm we arrived at Phon Khrok on the Surin/Roi Et border and a final 15 minute stop added Common Kingfisher and White Wagtail (leucopsis) among nine species noted.

The final outcome was that my Surin list increased from 68 to 124 to reach 5th place and Paul added 7 species to hit top spot in Surin on 179.

Regards,

Mike P.

11/03/2025 - 8.48 am  Khok Sung - Canal - Kut Chum Yasothon.

Barb and I enjoyed a one and a half hour stroll on our old stamping ground by the canal and around the rice fields where I first started listing birds here in 2017.

Everything is presently very dry across the whole region and it struck us that there is a dearth of insects and oddly here we heard not a single Dusky Warbler nor any Raddes. It was nice however to explore anew.

We logged a modest 16 species and were finally pleased to get back to base as by 10.00 the heat was oppressive.

Zebra Doves

3 Asian Koels

1 Plaintive Cuckoo

1 Barred Buttonquail (This was walking away some 30 yards ahead of us on a meandering path through foot high rank grass giving more than adequate views of its rusty orange rear vent before it crept into cover. Once we drew level it flushed as expected, exploding into flight with whirring wing beats. This was bird of the outing for me as I have never before seen the species walking on the ground).

2 Coppersmith Barbets

2 Malaysian Pied Fantails

2 Brown Shrikes

2 Large-billed Crows (Heard only).

1 Common Tailorbird

3 Plain Prinias 

Common Mynas

2 Oriental Magpie Robins

1 Amur Stonechat

2 Pied Bushchats

House Sparrows

1 Plain-backed Sparrow (a stunning male:- this handsome species surely deserves a more fitting name!)

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/03/2025 - 06.48 am - Tanon Tee Maimi Shue - Kalasin Province.

After a very early start Barb, Paul and I arrived on site ahead of schedule logging 29 species in just under the hour.

One aim was for my benefit; - to ease my province list over the 100 from the present 97.

The pick of the birds was as follows :-

40 Black-winged Stilts

10 Little Ringed Plovers

1 Marsh Sandpiper

1 Spotted Redshank

5 Temmincks Stints

50 Openbill Storks

1 Raddes Warbler

8 Streaked Weavers

4 Asian Golden Weavers

3 Plain-backed Sparrows

A bonus along the road appeared in the form of 3 Black Kites (black-eared form) bringing my province list to 104 species.

Ahead of us at this point was (for me) entirely new ground as we crossed into Udon Thani province where every species was of course a new bird with the stiff task in prospect of reaching 100. Paul had visited previously and already started on 63.

Paul had effectively organised a 48 hour round of visiting (mainly wetland) key sites from his research and we set about these enthusiastically from 09.40 onwards so that by the end of day one I had reached 75 species and Paul had reached 94 species. By the end of day two (07/03/2025) I was onto 99 and Paul onto 114.

We finished on the morning of 08/03/25 with me pleased to reach 104 and with Paul onto 117.

The pick of our records was as follows:-

3 Plaintive Cuckoos

1 Grey-headed Lapwing

3 Red-wattled Lapwings

1 Kentish Plover

5 Common Snipe (despite trying, we could not find any Pin-tailed Snipe - we do find that trying to i/d snipe using the eye-stripe (ie black lores from bill to eye) and gauging the thickness of this relative to the thickness of the fore-supercilium is just not reliable, and have proven photographic evidence to support this view).

1 Common Sandpiper

5 Marsh Sandpipers

Wood Sandpipers (many)

5 Spotted Redshanks

Common Greenshanks 

8 Temmincks Stints

2 Long-toed Stints

Oriental Pratincoles (many)

8 Little Cormorants

1 Yellow Bittern

Little Egrets,

Medium Egrets

Chinese Pond-Herons

1 Cattle Egret

Grey Herons 

Purple Herons

(Our efforts to find a roost of Night-Herons proved fruitless, nor did we manage any Striated Herons)

Raptors were a Black-winged Kite, a male Shikra, a female/imm Eastern Marsh Harrier and the usual Brahminy Kites.

We saw both Common and White-throated Kingfishers but Paul saw a perched Black-capped Kingfisher flushed by a Large-billed Crow before Barb and I got onto it.

3 Black-naped Orioles

3 Brown Shrikes

1 Burmese Shrike

Also Grey-breasted, Plain, and Yellow-bellied Prinias.

1 Thick-billed Warbler

2 Oriental Reed Warblers

1 Pallass Grasshopper Warbler

Yellow-browed, Dusky, Raddes, and Pale-legged Leaf Warblers.

1 Hainan Blue Flycatcher (female)

1 Bluethroat

2 Taiga Flycatchers

Ruby-cheeked, Brown-throated, Purple, and Ornate Sunbirds.

Streaked and Asian Golden Weavers

Scaly-breasted and Chestnut Munias

10 Red Avadavats

Eastern Yellow, Amur, and Citrine Wagtails.

Paul also picked out a single Glossy Ibis flushed with a flock of Openbills by a farmer going about his chores; - Barb and I (seated in the vehicle) failed to pivot onto the bird before it was lost to view.

- Some photos to come in due course.

Regards,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Sunday 9th of March 2025 08:22:13 AM

03/03/2025 - 06.20 am - Chi Long Forest Park - Maha Sarakham.

After an excellent night in a resort hotel where we have stayed in the past, we drove the short distance to this forest site which proved to be a good hotspot when we visited last May.

We found it rather quiet and deduced that we were there rather too early in the day though as we were strolling back to the vehicle with a view to moving on, things suddenly livened up and among 23 species logged a few gems appeared with minivets moving in and across the treetops, with some perching prominently on the uppermost bare branches.

I noted several birds, - a female with lemon yellow underparts and a pinkish breasted male companion - surely Rosy Minivets and I called it as such. Paul had also latched onto these and a bunch of 5/6 Minivets flew across and perched closer enabling Paul to grab an opportunistic photo of a male Ashy Minivet conveniently perched above.

Neither of us had ever recorded any Minivet species before in Maha Sarakham so these were bonus birds indeed with the Rosy Minivet likely a world tick for me despite it wintering broadly across Thailand.

On the drive out Paul saw a disappearing Racket-tailed Treepie which eluded me.

We then headed off for Nong Kra-tae (Ban Don Nong) a dug out artificial water storage pool where a wintering drake Pintail was pleasingly still keeping company with 300 Lesser Whistling Ducks 10 Garganey and a few Cotton Pigmy-Geese while awaiting us.

Whilst exiting Maha Sarakham we logged a sneaky Green-billed Malkoha while a Common Kingfisher dodged me.

We arrived on the Roi Et side of Huai Aeng lakeside grassy expanse at 11.15 am. This has become my favourite wader site in inland Isaan and I had several wader targets for my Roi Et listing effort and so was full of hopeful anticipation.

We noted the regular duck species on the lake itself  but drove slowly along the extensive lake shore and also checked the little muddy depressions on the grassy margins where grazing buffalo were tended be the usual Eastern Cattle Egrets. Waders present were:-

30 Black-winged Stilts

20 Littlle Ringed Plovers

2 Kentish Plovers (photo)

2 Marsh Sandpipers (photo)

4 Spotted Redshanks

6 Greenshanks

6 Temmincks Stints (photos)

20 Oriental Pratincoles

- Also a scatter of the usual common culprits.

The Kentish Plovers, Marsh Sandpipers and Temmincks Stints were my particular targets for this province, though the recent Ruff found recently by Paul here was either gone or in hiding.

Our final call in Roi Et at 13.00 in a simmering 38 degrees was to add another pair of Shoveler to my Roi Et total; - ( how Paul managed to find these was a miracle in itself.)

- And so ended our little blitz, enabling me to add no fewer than 28 species to my Maha Sarakham list to squeeze into 10th spot overall.

Cheers,

Mike P.

28/02/2025 Yasothon - family home in Kut Chum - a lazy day catching up on sleep.

Barb and I landed in Bangkok slightly ahead of schedule at 9 am yesterday, having travelled for a change with Air France (Newcastle/Paris/Bangkok) - cheaper than with Emirates (Newcastle/Dubai/Bangkok), so with better food as well, this may be our permanent first choice in the foreseeable future?

Travelling north for the last leg (600kms. with Paul and Pen in the big SUV), once into Isaan we noticed that the fields were very dry and so made incidental stops at two flooded small fields which had attracted a few birds, the first of these being just for 12 mins. at Pa Lan in Maha Sarakham with 6 species noted:-

18 Black-winged Stllts

1 Little Ringed Plover

20 Spotted Redshanks (a nice addition to my own modest list for this province)

3 Oriental Pratincoles

1 Asian Openbill

1 Chinese Pond-Heron

1 Cisticola sp.

Having moved on some 15 mins. later and having crossed now into Roi Et on the Arun Prasert road, Paul pulled up to check out a soaring raptor on his side. We jumped out and spent a few minutes to readily confirm an Eastern Marsh Harrier which I carried on scrutinising while Paul latched onto a second bird.

Looking behind us, Paul picked up a passing small slim accipiter showing characteristics of Japanese Sparrowhawk (total lack of black in the under primaries, and not a fit for any of the alternatives here - Besra, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Shikra) but with not enough time to get the camera unpacked this bird escaped any greater scrutiny). Both of us have seen the species previously and instantly agreed the i/d though this would be my first in Thailand. The other notable species here was a sizeable (25) overhead group of circling Oriental Pratincoles possibly put up by the passing raptor.

Regards,

Mike P.

23/02/2025 - Huai Aeng - (Maha Sarakham side)

Having earlier visited this westerly province on an errand to collect his telescope, Paul spent a couple of hours at this excellent lake site checking the ducks, waders and egrets, - best of which were:-

500 Lesser Whistling-Ducks

80 Garganey

5 Northern Shovelers (photo)

80 Black-winged Stilts

60 Little Ringed Plovers

20 Kentish Plovers (photos)

5 Common Sandpipers

5 Marsh Sandpipers

11 Wood Sandpipers

6 Spotted Redshanks

3 Common Greenshanks

1 Ruff (photos) - a well earned province tick for Paul as Ruff is quite scarce in eastern Isaan (and would be for me a Thai tick).

9 Temmincks Stints (an impressive count for these)

7 Oriental Pratincoles

21/02/2025 -11.00am Saharuang Sugar Factory Ponds - Mukdahan Province.

This morning saw Paul revisiting this promising site where in two hours he noted 40 species which included a new bird for his Mukdahan list - though Im not certain which one it was - either Green Sandpiper or Citrine Wagtail?

As well as these two other highlights were:-

40 Little Grebes

20 Chinese Pond-Herons

4 Indochinese Bushlarks

8 Amur Stonechats

40 Asian Golden Weavers

15 Red Avadavats

25 Eastern Yellow Wagtails (no races specified; - how I should have loved to pick my way through this lot! With these numbers it often pays to scan carefully for the presence of a Citrine Wagtail - and sure enough Paul found one today).

Cheers,

Mike P.

19/02/2025 - 13.10. Khlong Kiam -west. Yasothon Province.

Responding to a call from Andy Pierce, Paul was fairly promptly on site for a province tick. Andy had found 15 Garganey (only the third province record of the species and a first here for Paul). The birds were among numbers of the very common Lesser Whistling-Ducks (photo attached with at least 11 visible)

More to the point - what was Andy Pierce doing in Yasothon?

Well, it appears that Andy and Paul are in competition to see which of them can manage first to record 100 species in each of Isaans 20 provinces.

Up to last night the scores were:-

Paul 18

Andy 14 (with 1 in the upper 90s)

Paul (Farrell) 16

For the record -

Mike (Passant) 12 (with three more in the upper 90s)

Shaun (Green) 8

The top three have birded in every province, Shaun in 19 of them; he needs to go to Nakhon Ratchasima, and I still need to visit two - Nong Khai and Udon Thani.

Its all good fun and gets us out.

Cheers,

Mike P.

11/02/2025 - 07.30 am - Nam Phong Nat. Pk. Khon Kaen Province.

Paul and Pen made a very early start on a twitch west through Roi Et and Maha Sarakham into Khon Kaen where Andy Pierce yesterday found a challenging Bluetail species (photos attached courtesy of PP).

Sharp eyed Pen generally finds the bird in this situation and true to form she found the Bluetail once Paul had asked her to check everything foraging and making flycatcher-like sallies down onto the ground. At this point they ceased listing any more species they had already noted (18) and spent their time patiently allowing the bird to settle in their presence.

In the U.K. this plumage would automatically be identified as a Red-flanked Bluetail but in Thailand a female/ immature bird such as this could be Himalayan Bluetail (following a split some time ago) and either way is a good record for central Isaan.

A female/imm. Himalayan Bluetail supposedly shows a brighter blue rump and colder brown tones generally than Red flanked (as per fieldguide) though this can be problematic in different photographic and light conditions with the fieldguide illustrations offering no real comfort.

Attached is a decent series of Pauls photos from this morning - so any opinions welcome please.

Cheers,

Mike P.

06/02/2025  - 06.42 am - Nong Bo - Maha Sarakham.

The team met quite early spending just over 2 hours to log 62 species with the main focus on duck species. Noteworthy were:-

75 Lesser Whistling Ducks

50 Cotton Pygmy Geese

100 Garganey

1 Ferruginous Duck (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

30 Eurasian Moorhens

45 Eurasian Coots

56 Grey-headed Swamphens

9 wader species which included a Marsh Sandpiper and 2 Temmincks Stints half a dozen heron/egret species.

A fine spread of passerines included:-

1 Thick-billed Warbler

1 Black-browed Reed Warbler

2 Pallass Grasshopper Warblers

2 Bluethroats

1 Asian Golden Weaver

By 09.02 the team arrived at Ban Nan Dan reservoir where they spent an hour and a half logging 29 species with obvious overlap with the first site; - the best here being :-

2 Tufted Ducks (a good find in Thailand - photo courtesy of Paul P.)

1 Plaintive Cuckoo

50 Little Ringed Plovers2 (a remarkable total)

12 Temmincks Stints (equally impressive total)

Later at 11.51 am they reached Bo Yai for a 30 minute check logging 28 species adding a couple of Greenshanks and a Pied Harrier to the days tally.

Their next stop was a brief call in at Nong Kra-tae (Ban Don Nong) where the stand-out birds were several Northern Pintails  (photo courtesy of Shaun Green) among 400 Lesser Whistling Ducks and just 4 Garganey.

The final stop of just 11 minutes in Maha Sarakham was back at Nong Bua where a conservative estimate was of 1000 Lesser Whistling Ducks 40 Cotton Pygmy Geese and 200 Garganey.

A brief twenty minutes in Nong Thueng in Kalasin at 16.00 came up trumps with the discovery of the elusive Common Pochard (photo courtesy of Shaun Green) - a fitting reward for all.

Cheers,

Mike P.

31/01/2025 - 8.00 am - Tanon Tee Maimi Shue - Mukdahan province.

Paul called in here spending a brief 15 mins. en route north east to Nakhon Phanom logging 12 species, the best of which were two White-browed Crakes (photo of one) though with nothing new for his province list.

He arrived at 8.45. am at Khlong Kam where in 2 hours he logged 45 species, the pick of which being:-

500 Lesser Whistling Ducks

30 Cotton Pygmy Geese

17 Indian spot-billed Ducks

1 Purple Heron

1 Eastern Marsh Harrier

25 Asian Green Bee-eaters

There were only a few common waders and the usual mix of herons/Openbill storks with the best of the usual passerines being an Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Later fifteen minutes spent scanning the Mekong sandbars turned up 8 species including 20 Small Pratincoles 2 Grey Herons and a Black-winged Kite (photo) and as usual hereabouts 5 Wire-tailed Swallows. 
Im not sure which species was a new province tick but one certainly was as he regained the joint lead for Nakhon Phanom with Andy P. as top province listers both now on 151.

Cheers Mike P.

17/01/2025 7.05 am - Loeng Nok Tha airport Yasothon.

With an early start Paul and Shaun were soon on site at this abandoned airport - the best site in the province for Red- throated Pipits which are readily studied from vehicles at close range.

Here they noted 50 individuals now seemingly coming into summer plumage (photos attached courtesy of Shaun Green).

By 07.45 am they arrived at Ban Nom Klao - Boong Khla Community Forest -  Pauls favourite primary forest patch still available in his home province (where we still have unfinished business with a certain Blyths Frogmouth).

A two hour session yielded 23 species- all the regular expected culprits though perhaps with a few province ticks for Shaun?

Regards,

Mike P.

13/01/2025 - 8.30 am - Tham Pha Nam Thip - None Hunting Area - N/E Thai Literary Botanical Garden Roi Et Province.

Paul put in a three hour stint searching for thrushes here (hes quite sure the habitat is conducive to success in view of the extensive leaf litter under the trees and the altitude, though we have never hit a bulls eye when we try here for thrushes, which seems rather odd?)

The best of 18 species noted were:-

8 Hainan Blue Flycatchers (a conservative count - 1 photographed)

2 Siberian Blue Robins (always a star bird. - Like many birders upon seeing one an image comes to mind of ones first ever encounter - in my case 26 years ago strolling uphill in the woods above Singapore with a lifelong pal and being awestruck by a stunning male bird in the leaf litter. Pauls photo of a female/ imm. attached).

2 White-throated Rock-Thrushes (photo of female/imm. attached)

1 Blue Rock-Thrush

2 Crimson Sunbirds

Cheers,

Mike P.

07/01/2025 - 6.15 am Lam Phok - Surin 

Pauls last effort of his visit involved an early start putting in three hours twenty minutes and recording an excellent 65 species, - the best being as detailed below:-

400 Lesser Whistling-Ducks (scanning through these failed to turn up any Garganey)

30 Cotton Pygmy Geese

14 Indian spot-billed Ducks

50 Grey-headed Swamphens

200 Black-winged Stilts

6 Little Ringed Plovers

2 Red-wattled Lapwings

4 Kentish Plovers

4 Pheasant-tailed Jacanas

15 Bronze-winged Jacanas

1 Common Snipe

2 Common Sandpipers 

1 Marsh Sandpiper

20 Wood Sandpipers

34 Common Greenshanks

1 Temmincks Stint (In with Long-toed Stints)

4 Long-toed Stints (photo - with Temmincks for company)

1 Oriental Pratincole

63 Glossy Ibis (in same field as reported 2 days earlier)

7 species of sundry herons/egrets

1 Pied Harrier

1 Rufous-winged Buzzard

8 Brahminy Kites

1 Lanceolated Warbler (heard just after sunrise).

200 Barn Swallows 

5 Eastern red-rumped Swallows

15 Eastern Yellow Wagtails (in with the plovers and stints)

In addition - the usual common mix of bee-eaters,rollers, barbets and passerines.

In all Paul added 27 species to his own list for Surin - 12 of which were first records for the province itself.

Regards,

Mike P.

06/01/2025 - 7.00am - Still at the wildlife sanctuary.

Paul parked up and birded each of the dirt tracks off the sealed road where there was no disturbance. These trails go downhill. In a six hour session he logged 39 species (forest birding!) but nevertheless enjoyed a productive session with the best being:-

4 Orange-breasted Trogons (photo)

1 Striated Heron (flushed from a forest pond)

2 Asian Barred Owlets

2 Blue-eared Barbets

2 Greater Flamebacks 

2 Vernal Hanging-Parrots

3 Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes

20 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers (a notable count)

12 Scaly-crowned Babblers (in two groups 4/5 Kms apart- photo)

15 White-crested Laughingthrushes

5 Hainan Blue Flycatchers (photo)

2 Siberian Blue Robins

4 Taiga Flycatchers

3 White-throated Rock-Thrushes

1 Crimson Sunbird

Several of the above were first records for this province and he decided to stay over again for a further blitz on the morrow.

Cheers,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Monday 13th of January 2025 08:47:52 AM

05/01/2025 -10.30 am - Lam Phok - Surin Province.

Upon arrival here Paul spent an hour checking for waders in the rice fields on the western edge of the lake, 

He noted 34 species of which the pick of the bunch were:-

30 Black-winged Stilts

10 Little Ringed Plovers

4 Kentish Plovers

1 Common Sandpiper

12 Wood Sandpipers 

7 Spotted Redshanks

1 Common Greenshank

25 Asian Openbills

30 Glossy Ibis (These in a flooded ricefield with the stilts and Spotted Redshanks)

The remaining species comprised five egret/ heron species, White- throated Kingfisher and a spread of doves and common passerines.

Moving on by 13.00 he arrived at Huai Thab Than- HuaI Samran Wildlife Sanctuary- Wat Khao Sala (still in Surin) a forest habitat - rather drier than when he last visited. He spent three and a half hours here logging 29 species with some good birds for Surin included:-

1 Grey- headed Woodpecker

2 Greater Yellownapes 

2 Red-breasted Parakeets

1 Red-billed Blue Magpie

40 White-crested Laughingthrushes

3 Abbotts Babblers and a common assortment of 4 Phylloscopus warbler species

2 Siberian Blue Robins

Paul checked into some local accomodation for the night as he had a certain momentum and further unfinished business in Surin.

Cheers,

Mike P.

02/01/2025 - 9.30 am - Friendship Bridge, Tambon Bang Sai Yai - Mukdahan Province.

Paul made a very brief stop here to check on this breeding site for House Swifts. The bridge here is a major crossing point for traffic heading over the Mekong river into Lao. He noted with satisfaction birds returning every few minutes to their nests suspended under the bridge.
 The day before he had again checked Phu Mu for any sign of thrushes but drew a blank again.

On 03/01 Paul was again in Mukdahan at Don Tan - Princess Mothers Park spending 15 minutes scouring likely spots for thrushes but with no prizes forthcoming.

Later in the day at 11 am he arrived at Kaeng Chang Mob in Ubon Ratchathani province where he spent 90 minutes logging 34 species in windy conditions by the Mekong river. Despite a pretty good list there was nothing out of the ordinary - just the usual culprits including the star speciality here a Mekong Wagtail (still a potential new bird for several of Thailands top listers who have never got round to making the pilgrimage here for this near endemic range restricted wagtail).

Regards,

Mike P.

25/12/2024 - Christmas morning saw Paul searching for thrushes up at Phu Mu Forest Park (Mukdahan side) again in a fruitless search for thrushes. One thrush sp. flew across the road 100 metres before the pay booth at the entrance but despite a two hour wait it didnt reappear. I have to admire his patience! At least the staff admit him free of charge - perhaps in view of his contribution in building up the site list with his records and of course the display of his photos in the reception area.
Of 22 regular species recorded the only surprise was his first record of a Black Drongo for the site.

Regards,

Mike P.

22/12/2024 - 6.30 am Still Phu Luang Wildlife area Loei Province.

The team made an early start on this their last morning in Loei with a lengthy 4 hour stint ahead of the long drive home to Yasothon later. The pick of 29 species were:-

1 Striated Heron

1 Red-headed Trogon

1 Common Kingfisher

1 Great Barbet

1 Bronzed Drongo

8 Sulphur-breasted Warbler

1 Yellow-bellied Warbler

4 Indian White-eyes

3 Rufous-fronted Babblers

4 Blue Whistling Thrushes

2 White-crowned Forktails

1 Large Woodshrike (seen by Shaun only)

Talking briefly to Paul later on his drive home he reported a successful trip with 15 additions to his Loei list and rather more for Shaun with both adding a few Thailand ticks as well.

This will be a likely final report for 2024 so we wish for all in the Manchester birding community a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Birdy 2025.

Best Wishes from Mike P and family.

21/12/2024 - 6.30 am - still at Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary - Loei Province.

Birding the general area for 5 hours Paul and Shaun logged 29 species (excluding the sizeable mix of phylloscopus warblers seen already); - 

1 Asian Emerald Dove

1 Himalayan Swiftlet 

1 Great Barbet

1 Lineated Barbet

1 Blue-throated Barbet (photo courtesy of Shaun)

1 Speckled Piculet

2 White-throated Fantails

2 Ashy Drongos

15 Hair-crested Drongos

1 Black-naped Monarch

2 Grey-backed Shrikes

4 Grey-headed Canary-Flycatchers

4 Yellow-cheeked Tits

6 Asian House Martins

10 Nepal House Martins

15 Eastern Red-rumped Swallows

20 Mountain Bulbuls

6 Flavescent Bulbuls

6 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

2 Golden Babblers

7 Yunnan Fulvettas

7 Blue-winged Minlas

1 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

3 Large Niltavas (photo courtesy of Shaun Green)

3 Taiga Flycatchers 

1 Fire-breasted Flowerpecker

1 Black-throated Sunbird (a male)

1 Mrs. Goulds Sunbird (male - always a stunner and one I still need for Thailand)

2 Leafbird sp.

5 Olive-backed Pipits

3 Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrikes (seen by Shaun alone)

Cheers,

Mike P

14/12/2024 - 6.10 am - Bueng Lahan Non hunting area - Chaiyaphum Province.

News broke late on 13th of a Black-faced Spoonbill in this westernmost province of Isaan which immediately put Paul into twitching mode. He headed off west arranged some convenient village accommodation and was on site early only to initially find nothing around though a trickle of birders started to arrive (15 no less- a big turnout in Thailand!).

It was pointed out that there was a nearby egret roost and sure enough birds started to glide into the site - to everyones relief the Black-faced Spoonbill was with them. This smaller congener of our more familiar Eurasian Spoonbill is a rare winter visitor to Thailand and sits high on my own wanted list. 
Pauls early start paid off as the bird didnt stick around for long so he spent the rest of the morning boosting his own province list with a mooch round the general area where another few hours yielded 52 species - the pick of the bunch being:-

1 Lesser Coucal

150 Black-winged Stilts

2 Red-wattled Lapwings

30 Bronze-winged Jacanas

1 Marsh Sandpiper

1 Wood Sandpiper

3 Spotted Redshanks

1 Greenshank

400 Asian Openbills

400 Glossy Ibises (an amazing number - photo)

5 Purple Herons

2 Black Kites (these seem to be rather more numerous generally this year).

1 Freckle-breasted Woodpecker

7 Long-tailed Shrikes (a good count of this spectacular and variable species these of the handsome black- hooded

longicaudatus form - photos)

8 Sand Martins

1 White-shouldered Starling (photo)

At 11.17 am a twenty minute stop at Ta Dam Lake produced 17 species including 2 Ashy Minivets, 2 Racket-tailed Treepies and a Thick-billed Warbler to round off his Chaiyaphum outing adding a nice 23 species to his province list.

En route driving back home a Black Kite was a fortuitous chance addition to his list for Roi Et.

Cheers,

Mike P.

14/12/2024 - All about Thrushes.

Today I want to backtrack to that magic week (the first week of January 2023) - almost two years ago when prolonged north easterly winds brought some notable thrush species to Phu Mu Forest Park on the Yasothon/ Mukdahan boundary.

The four of us - Pen and Paul Barb and I were seeing if anything had arrived at this hilltop location on these winds when Pen noted an Orange-headed Thrush which turned out to be of the form maculata - later confirmed as a new sub species for Thailand no less.
As we were watching this thrush Pen was trying to draw our attention to another bird rather closer to hand and largely obscured in the grass. When we eventually looked at her bird it became the main focus of our attention - another new species for the province which we tentatively identified as a female/immature Black-breasted thrush.

Barb then pointed out a Whites Thrush foraging further away in the leaf litter and much closer to hand we noted a confiding male White-throated Rock Thrush. After enjoying the spectacle for an hour or so we headed off and after informing Paul Farrell that evening we all joined up for a return visit on 10/01 2023 when the attached photos by both PF and PP were taken.

Later in the year Paul was asked by Phillip Round if we had eliminated the possibility of our Black-breasted Thrush being a female Grey-backed Thrush - a potential new species for Thailand! 
Of course we had not; Grey-backed Thrush wasnt even on our radar and is not even shown in the latest Thai fieldguide. My only experience of the species is of a single male in China 2002 which was in loose association foraging with a Whites Thrush which appeared to dwarf it.

Last week Thailands first Grey-backed Thrush (a female) was found in Nakhon Ratchasima at a restricted site and has been well photographed so far by a handful of observers fortunate enough to see it. Accordingly I have been scrutinising all of these photos and comparing these with those of our 2023 bird.

Paul has been requested by Phillip Round to forward as many photos as possible of our female Black-breasted Thrush for critical assessment by leading authorities to eliminate it as far as possible from being the first record of Grey-backed Thrush.
Although the similarity between females of these two species is striking I am hoping that our original identification might stand based on what appear as consistent differences in mantle tones and bill colour; - however because of our inexperience and not having any clear idea of the variation parameters within each species as regards ageing sexing or moult strategy for us it remains a case of wait and see. We hope for the finders of last weeks definate Grey-backed Thrush that their bird will stand as the first record.

Regards,

Mike P

06/12/2024 - A late morning call from Andy Pierce saw Paul headed south on a twitch into Si Sa Ket; - Andy had found two Grey-headed Lapwings, - a new species for the province.

Paul arrived on site at Klong Siao Horshoe Bends - a location which rings no bells with me (but which sounds like a riverine area of perhaps oxbow lakes?).

A ninety minute session yielded 38 species including the target birds- best of which were:-

2 Grey-headed Lapwings (record photo)

4 Asian Openbills

1 Yellow Bittern

3 Purple Herons

1 Black-winged Kite (photo)

2 Racket-tailed Treepies (photo of one)

1 Oriental Reed Warbler

3 Dusky Warblers

1 Two-barred Warbler

1 Yellow-browed Warbler

1 Brown Shrike

Later en route home (still in Si Sa Ket) a half hour stop at Tanon Tee Maimi Shue produced 11 species including a vocal but unseen Lanceolated Warbler and four Hoopoes - one of which flaunted itself for a decent photo opportunity.

Cheers,

Mike P.