21st to 24/02/2022 - Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary - Loei Province

Paul again teamed up with Paul Farrell on a 4 day trip into Loei Province in the N W corner of the Isaan region, with virtually the whole trip focused on the above site.

Rather than try to detail all of their hundreds of sightings I have summarised the pick of the species below. (As this was only PPs second visit he added over a hundred species to his personal list for Loei Province).

2 Silver Pheasants

1 Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon

4 Cooks Swifts

2 Blue-bearded Bee-eaters

1 Grey Nightjar (heard only)

3 Speckled Piculets

2 Silver-breasted Broadbills

2 Grey Treepies

2 Black-throated Parrotbills

12 Nepal House Martins

1 Red-billed Scimitar-Babbler

1 White-browed Scimitar-Babbler

1 Collared Babbler

7 Golden Babblers

4 Long-tailed Minivets

3 Maroon Orioles

9 Blue-winged Minlas

11 Silver-eared Mesias

16 Yunnan Fulvettas

1 White-throated Fantail

1 Mountain Tailorbird

7 Mountain Bulbuls

2 Little Pied Flycatchers

Cheers,

Mike P.

17/02/2022 - Thambon Tha Chang - Ubon Ratchathani

After dropping Pen off at the small airport here for the 45 minute flight down to Bangkok Paul took the opportunity for  a two day sweep through these eastern provinces. His first port of call at 08.40 was as headed above where he logged  40 species with nothing remarkable (though surprisingly 4 Indian Spot-billed Ducks were the first ever recorded in Ubon). He noted 150 Lesser Whistling Ducks here and a further 200 at 11.20 at his next stop (Bueng Bua Park and Chang reservoir) along with 80 Cotton Pygmy Geese. While these are common species overall it does pay to check carefully through the waterfowl rafts especially as Ben Weil and Paul Farrell missed a lurking Ferruginous Duck recently hidden amongst a throng of Lesser Whistling Ducks.

Regards,

Mike P.

Still 01/02/2022 - 14.25 Phanom Dong Rak Wildlife Sanctuary Si Sa Ket - Huai Wang Yai waterfall vicinity.

The guys recorded 13 species here notably:-

5 Oriental Honey Buzzards

1 Crested Serpent Eagle

5 Green Bee-eaters

1 Chestnut- headed Bee-eater

1 Grey Wagtail

After this PP left heading north for home leaving Paul Farrell and Ben Weil to carry on birding Si Sa Ket for a further two days. Soon after PP departed they discovered and photographed a new species for each of them - a single Knob- billed Duck consorting with a party of Lesser Whistling Ducks on the Nong Si Reservoir. They submitted the photo to the rarity adjudicators who confirmed the record whilst also pointing out a Ferruginous Duck in the same photo which neither Paul nor Ben had noticed in their excitement of their finding of the Knob-billed Duck! They thus ended up having photographed a potential lifer for both of them but didnt actually see it - the trials and tribulations of birding!!
In summary a successful outing for the guys. Ben had hoped for three life birds but ended on five - a good score for someone with a Thai list already well in excess of 700.

It remains a constant frustration that Barb and I still see no short term prospect of getting over to Thailand due to the onerous and costly COVID restrictions on European visitors still in force.

Regards,

Mike P.

31/01/2022 Phu Chong Na Yoi Nat.Pk. - Ubon Ratchathani

A 6.30 start with ten hours in the field and 12 Kms. of forest birding yielded a good tally of sixty species and a good mix of province ticks, (especially for Ben of course exploring Isaan for the first time, with the help of the two Pauls).

A selection of their sightings: - 

2 Scaly-breasted Partridges

1 Banded Bay Cuckoo

1 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo

1 Oriental Honey Buzzard

2 Crested Serpent Eagles

1 Asian Barred Owlet

2 Orange-breasted Trogons

1 Grey-headed Woodpecker

3 Vernal Hanging-Parrots

2 Black-winged Cuckooshrikes

3 White-bellied Erpornises

1 Great Iora

8 Pale-legged Leaf Warblers

1 Sulphur-breasted Warbler

2 Claudias Leaf Warblers

10 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

6 Scaly-crowned Babblers

2 Abbotts Babblers

5 White-crowned Laughingthrushes

1 Blue Whistling Thrush (yellow-billed form).

Tantalisingly a Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo was heard though not seen.

01/02/2022

After overnight/early morning rain still in Na Yoi Nat Park they logged 40 species in a shorter session before moving on into Si Sa Ket (the next province west).

Of course most of the 40 species were repeats of the previous day but outstanding was a find of 4 White-bellied Green Pigeons which PF photographed. Other species included two more Orange-breasted Trogons, three Black-naped Orioles three Blue-winged Leafbirds and 4 Thick-billed Flowerpeckers an a single Yellow-vented Flowerpecker.

Cheers,

Mike P.

29/01/2022 - Kaeng Song Yai - Amnat Charoen Province

The two Pauls played host to visiting birder Ben Weil on the latters first visit to the Isaan region. The trio met up on site where Ben added the Fujian Niltava to his life list before they all travelled on east into Amnat Charoen with a stop by the Mekong River at Kaeng Song Yai where the pick of 17 species was as follows:-

4 Kentish Plovers

4 Small Pratincoles

4 Wire-tailed Swallows

1 Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Manchurian)

2 Mekong Wagtails (main target species for Ben)

1 White Wagtail (ocularis).

Later at Huai Hin Kong en route home a brief stop produced 4 White-browed Crakes. (This is perhaps the easiest and most readily identifiable of the crakes to be seen in Thailand- photo attached).

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

-- Edited by Mike Passant on Thursday 3rd of February 2022 02:29:31 PM

21/01/2022 (still) Talking to Paul this morning. I realised that he had not just gone to Roí Et to twitch the Shovelers but that Pen had been with him and that they had carried on north and west into Phetchabun province for a few nights camping in Nam Nao Nat Pk.

Around the campsite area they logged 22 species they best of which were:-

1 Crested Serpent Eagle

1 Orange-breasted Trogon

1 Greater Flameback

1 Greater Yellownape

8 Red-billed Blue Magpies

2 Sultan Tits 

5 Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes

16 White-crested Laughingthrushes

1 Blue Rock-Thrush (photo)

1 Collared Scops Owl (heard only)

22/01/2021 - An early start and Pen scored with an excellent find in the form of a juvenile Changeable Hawk-Eagle perched up in a tree tearing apart a prey item and which allowed a quite close approach and some decent photo opportunities.

23 species were seen before the two hour session came to an end with the onset of heavy rain:-

1 Red-headed Trogon

2 Oriental Pied Hornbills

1 Blue-throated Barbet

4 Greater Flamebacks

1 Common Green Magpie

3 Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes (photos)

15 White-Crested Laughingthrushes (photos)

1 Black-throated Sunbird

Later the rain having abated at 10.30 another hour long session added:-

1 Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

4 Great Slaty Woodpeckers (a distant record shot of a male)

1 Grey-headed Woodpecker (heard only)

2 Black-hooded Orioles.

Later (prior to leaving) they logged 2 Grey Treepies and Paul wandering on a quiet trail close to the park HQ found a major prize scratching on the forest floor - a Dark-sided Thrush which he studied for quite a while and obtained some decent photos. This is classed as an uncommon resident in Thailand and is a species which I have yet to see anywhere. The Great Slaty Woodpeckers were also a very nice find though we knew beforehand that they were in the area.
Great Slaty is of course by a small margin generally regarded as the largest living woodpecker species and is one of only three species in the Mulleripicus genus along with the smaller Sooty Woodpecker and Ashy Woodpecker each of which can be readily seen on Luzon (Philippines) and on Sulawesi (Indonesia) respectively.

In summary a successful though short trip with 8/9 additions to Pauls Thai list With a selection of photos attached.

Cheers,

Mike P.

20/01/2022 - Attached are two more shots of the male Fujian Niltava taken this morning by Paul Farrell.

These both show the intensity of the breast colouration fading towards the lower breast and belly and one at a better angle to show the lack of rich blue on the lesser coverts/shoulder (this not to be confused of course with the blue flash at the base of the side neck generally shown by virtually all niltavas).

Cheers,

Mike P.

18/01/2021 - Suan Luang Rama 1X. Park (Bangkok).

With Paul and Pen spending a couple of days in Bangkok this morning Paul took the opportunity before the long drive back up to Kut Chum to check out the local park which is just a twenty minute walk from their home. The park (which is named in honour of King Rama 1X) is surprisingly birdy with a total list of 166 species including some excellent species recorded mainly on passage in April and September/October.
A favourite section for me is the extensive reed fringed pool normally patrolled by cruising rather large fearsome Monitor Lizards and pleasingly with a winding boardwalk through the centre ideal for scrutinising assorted Egrets Night Herons and Yellow Bitterns always hoping in particular for scarcer Crakes or Malaysian Night Heron (which has occurred here but which would be a new species for me).

I have birded this park on three brief visits previously and never during the main migration periods and so have a quite modest list for the site of only 39 species mainly comprising the usual culprits which are seemingly always present but it does rather act as a nice starting point for my ultimate trip list and I still feel a buzz of expectation upon entering the park in the hope of finding something new.

This morning Paul logged 34 species the best being:-

1 Black-capped Kingfisher

3 Blue-tailed Bee-eaters

1 Indochinese Roller

4 Small Minivets

4 Black-naped Orioles

Regards,

Mike P.

10/01/2022 - Ban Nom Khao - Boong Khla Community Forest  (Yasothon)

A morning start saw Paul back birding this ever productive new site (effectively his site as no other birder has ever visited here before). Among a fair selection of the usual species he found four Puff-throated Bulbuls, a single Abbotts Babbler and three Siberian Blue Robins before being stopped in his tracks at 11.20 by a Niltava species.
This bird tended to hug the shade of the forest trees and foliage but he did manage very good views before obtaining some supporting record shots after a further twenty five minutes. The bird was obviously either Rufous-bellied Niltava or the rarer Fujian Niltava, and his thoughts gradually turned to the latter option as he could detect no blue shoulder flash on the lesser coverts, also the breast colouration faded paler towards the belly and vent. Apparently in Rufous-bellied Niltava (of which I have no personal experience) the breast colour is of the same intensity through to the vent and the blue flash on the lesser covert/shoulder is prominent and complements the blue lateral flash that both species show on the lower neck sides.

Paul Farrell drove over from Khon Kaen to assist in the i/d and although he didnt arrive until late afternoon managed to obtain vocal response to playback but didnt manage to actually see the bird himself.

PF stayed over at Pauls and an attempt to see the bird on the next morning (yesterday) failed to produce a sighting due to the windy conditions though calls were heard and a sonogram was made in order to support Pauls initial identification.

The rarity reviewers confirmed the record this morning which is gratifying as apparently only twelve people have ever seen Fujian Niltava in Thailand and it amounts to Pauls best find to date in the country.

Almost overlooked in the excitement was another first for Yasothon Province - a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle (also on 10/01/2022) at the same location, - photo attached.

The photo of the Fujian Niltava shows the bird front on so unfortunately the presence/absence of a shoulder patch cannot be assessed from this though the fading of the underparts towards the vent is apparent (though this could be interpreted as an effect of the light). What is obvious is the solid blue of the throat (which eliminates Vivid Niltava) and the thin blue streaks on both sides of the neck. The sonogram evidence and Pauls visual description thus carried the day.

Regards,

Mike P.

06/01/2022 - Nong Khai wild plant conservation centre - Nong Khai Province.

An early start at this site produced 36 species, the best being:-

1 Oriental Honey Buzzard

1 Crested Serpent Eagle

2 White-browed Piculets

1 Blyths Paradise Flycatcher

1 (provisionally) silent Alstroms Warbler

2 Claudias Leaf Warblers

3 Yellow-bellied Warblers

2 Rufous-fronted Babblers

Additionally PF heard 3 Bamboo type Woodpeckers, 2 Purple-napped Sunbirds and 1 Martens/Alstroms/ Bianchis Warbler.

This latter merits some explanation:-

In former (easier!) times my old fieldguide shows Golden-spectacled Warbler (Seicercus burkii) two subspecies of which I saw in China some twenty years ago.

Now in Thailands new guide not only has this been split into four species (Alstroms, Bianchis, Martens and Grey-crowned) but the lot have been shifted into the Phylloscopus genus (God knows why as they look nothing like!)

The only constant reliable physical feature being that while all four have conspicuous eye-rings, in Grey-crowned there is a tiny break in the rear of the eye-ring, otherwise extent of lateral crown strips and strength of wing bars is subject to overlap. Needless to say there is some difference in vocals, but I do not really relish ever bumping into one on my own.

Later at the same site the guys had 3 Blue-bearded Bee-eater, 2 White-browed Piculets and 3 Buff- breasted Babblers.

Regards,

Mike P.

03/01/2022  Kang Lawa - Khon Kaen Province

Attached is a photo of one of the Yellow-breasted Buntings photographed by Paul together with an Eastern Yellow Wagtail supposedly of the form macronyx (aka Mongolian Wagtail in the Thai fieldguide). I have seen this form in Thailand and mentioned previously on this thread that I could see no difference between macronyx and the thunbergi form of Grey-headed Wagtail, both having darker grey ear coverts and cheeks than the rest of the head and all yellow throats;- again any opinions please would be welcomed.

Regards,

Mike P.

01/01/2022 Saturday Kut Chum Yasothon

Late morning saw Paul taking fish out of the lower rice field pond when an Eastern Marsh Harrier appeared quartering the rice fields before drifting off over the trees - a nice addition to the garden/farm list to start the new year

02/01/2022 Sunday morning - Way Pa Ban Na Mon Tambon Kut Chum, Yasothon.

Paul logged 12 common species at this local site - 1 each of Spotted Dove Greater Coucal Ashy Drongo Yellow-browed Warbler Asian Brown Flycatcher White-rumped Shama, 2 of Black-naped Monarchs Large-billed Crows Puff-throated Babblers Hainan Blue Flycatchers (photo attached) 3 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers, and 4 Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers.

Tomorrow he is set for an early start on a four day outing with Paul Farrell heading to Isaans northernmost province Nong Khai which is entirely new ground for him. This province straddles the Mekong river for hundreds of kilometres (east to west) - the river forming the northern border of Thailand with Laos as of course it does in the east of Isaan where the river cuts due south. I dont know if the guys are just exploring and year listing or if they have any specific targets in mind, but there is within Nong Khai a site for the scarce Jerdons Bushchat

Regards,

Mike P.

Yesterdays Oriental Honey Buzzard was species no.199 for the Yasothon Province list, of which Paul has now seen 191, - I myself for comparison - a mere 92.
It would be perhaps a fitting reward for his recording efforts if he could crack 200 for the year end?

Attached is a record shot of of this latest raptor addition.

Regards,

Mike P.

24/12/2021 Christmas Eve!

Phon Ngam & Dong Por Community Forests - Loob Nong Nor Reservoir - Yasothon.

Out this morning Paul birded only the lake shore section and the forest edge. The site is not far from Kut Chum where he lives and this was roughly his fourth visit. Within a total of 26 species (mainly the usual suspects) he found his Christmas present in the shape of four Little Buntings - not just a new species for the province but for the whole of Isaan region.  I myself and Paul Farrell independently confirmed his identification as did (more importantly) Ayuwat Jearwattananakok the Thai regional reviewer. Apparently this has triggered wider interest and he may have a twitch on his hands!

Very Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy 2022 to all in the GM birding community, - (and if that Kingfisher moves say 15 miles S/E that really would be something).

Mike & Barbara 

19/12/2021 Sunday morning - Phon Ngam & Dong Por Community Forest - Wat Phu Mak Prik Yasothon.

Back on home ground Paul recorded 9 species here the best of which was a female Siberian Blue Robin with two others heard in close proximity.

Moving on to Dong Por & Dong Bang Ee Community Forest and the Khok Yai Reservoir the best additional species were 10 Indian Spot-billed Ducks and for him a record high count of 42 Little Grebes keeping close order. In addition were a single Lesser Coucal an Oriental Darter 8 Amur Stonechats and a perched Osprey amid a support cast of the usual more common species.

20/12/2021 Monday - Chaeng Sanit Road plus an unknown road at Tambon Doet. Also still in Yasothon.

35 species - the best of which were:-

9 Grey-headed Lapwings 

8 Wood Sandpipers

1 Green Sandpiper (1st record and 20th wader species for Yasothon Province)

2 Great Egrets

15 Little Egrets

4 Chinese Pond-Herons

Most of these were flushed shortly after by the arrival of the farmer. One is left to wonder just what does go under the radar in some of these good paddyfield habitats during peak wader migration times? Quite a few common waders remain yet to be found in Yasothon (such as Redshank, Red-necked Stint, Ruff, Curlew Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit Grey Plover Sanderling and Broad-billed Sandpiper to name but a few).

Regards,

Mike P.

Friday 17/12/2021 - Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen Province.

Paul and Pen drove 3 hours west to rendezvous with Paul Farrell on his home turf. We first met Paul up in Chiang Mai on our last visit and quite apart from being impressed by his fluency in Thai we found it noteworthy that we were all (apart of course from Pen) displaced Mancunians. 
A session around the site with Paul Farrell yielded 34 species including the usual assorted common pigeons doves sparrows and munías :-

6 Lesser Whistling Duck

40 Little Grebe

3 Germains Swiftlets

7 Moorhen

2 White-breasted Waterhen

2 Pin-tailed Snipe

4 Common Sandpipers

4 Little Egret

5 Cattle Egret

9 Chinese Pond Heron

1 Black-winged Kite

2 Common Kingfisher

7 Green- Bee-eater

1 Indochinese Roller

6 Ashy Woodswallow

2 Malaysian Pied Fantail

6 Black Drongo

2 Brown Shrike

1 Large-billed Crow

2 Plain Prinia

1 Oriental Reed Warbler

200+ Barn Swallow

1 Streak-eared Bulbul

4 Common Myna

5 Amur Stonechat

18 Amur Wagtail

1 Citrine Wagtail (= lifer for Paul and Pen).

5 Paddyfield Pipits

Moving on to another part of the campus complex (Rom Khao Kallapaphruek Park)

They logged a few more species:-

1 Ashy Drongo

1 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

1 Rufous-tailed Robin (lifer)

This latter was one of the main reasons for their visit. A small blind had been set up close by the forest edge with a small receptacle full of water provided and the Robin was making periodic visits to both bathe and drink so an approx. half hour stay provided several close views and photos which may be forthcoming soon.

The male Japanese Thrush had not been seen for about a week or so.

Regards,

Mike P.

15/12/2021 Wednesday -Pha Nam Yoi Forest Park - Roí Et Province.

Paul Pen and Art with friends up from Bangkok visited this site this morning primarily to show their visitors the impressive (though modern) large temple complex which we first visited in 2017. The temple stands high above the forest canopy and in the early morning affords stunning views of the surrounding forest and looks very birdy.

We have found it to be a banker site for Blue Rock-Thrush which normally is to be seen on the spires and roof of the buildings as well as being good for the commoner House Swifts.

After enjoying the interior of the complex Paul and Pen had a brief walk along the forest edge and met with a fine male White-throated Rock-Thrush and managed a few decent photos with which to gently tease me.

Of the ten species in the monticola genus this bird is one of the two which has eluded me and is an uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant through Thailand so I live in hope to catch up with it if and when I can ever return! (The other species is Miombo Rock-Thrush of central Africa which sadly for it has long ago missed its chance to get onto my life list).

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

Paul has posted rather better shots of the female Amur Falcon and I think that the rather buffy whitish tips to the mantle and scapulars make it a first winter bird but this is a first for Paul and my experience is very limited (not having seen one of these since 2001) so my attempt at ageing this is tentative.

Regards,

Mike P.

01/12/2021 (Wednesday) Phon Phun Suk rice paddies - Yasothon

This is an other site which seems to be new and in respect of which I can trace no previous mention.

As the rice harvest is now over it would appear that suitable fields are less prone now to disturbance with more waders and egrets about.

Pauls visit was rewarded with a province first record in the shape of a long overdue Spotted Redshank keeping loose company with 2 Marsh Sandpipers, 2 Wood Sandpipers, and 12 Little Ringed Plovers.

Within a total species count of 25 were good numbers of egrets :- 80 Little Egrets (2 groups of 40+ in adjoining fields) 60 Cattle Egrets, (all separate in a different field), 6 Chinese Pond Herons, 1 Great Egret.

I always think of Spotted Redshank as a Rolls Royce Redshank as (with no disrespect to Redshanks) it just strikes me as having a certain elegance and charisma lacking in its commoner cousin.

Regards,

Mike P.

26/11/2021 Loeng Nok Tha airport, Yasothon

- Just a couple of incidental records at this site from Paul- 12 Red-throated Pipits and approx 30 Striated Swallows.

Cheers,

Mike P.

17/11/21 - 19/11/21  Phu Chong Na Yoi National Pk. Ubon Ratchathani Province.

Paul and Pen journeyed south from Kutchum to spend two nights camping in this national park situated in the extreme S/E corner of Thailand (just north of Cambodia and east of Laos). They arrived late afternoon pitched their tent whilst noting a few common species with two Rufous-winged Buzzards perched close by.

There followed a night of intermittent discomfort from bites of some kind explained early the next morning by the realisation that they had pitched up directly over an ants nest.
Birding various locations within the park they logged the same Rufous-winged Buzzard a perched Shikra, 3 Orange-breasted Trogons, 5 Yellow-browed Warblers 3 White-throated Rock-Thrushes 1 Van Hasselts Sunbird. (This latter now seems to be a split from Purple-throated Sunbird of the N.Philippines). Moving on they logged 1 Brown-throated Sunbird and 1 Yellow-vented Flowerpecker. The next location yielded 3 White-bellied Erpornis 1 Great Iora 2 more Yellow-browed Warblers and 2 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers a party of 15 Vernal Hanging Parrots and 2 Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers. 
The highlight of the 19th was Pen finding a Banded Broadbill (a new species for her). New trip birds were Taiga Flycatchers, White-rumped Shamas Green-eared and Lineated Barbets several Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers and two Black-napes Orioles and an Alstroms Warbler. This latter species was provisionally identified mainly on range but is a notoriously hard bird to call on plumage as it is now split from 3/4 other similar species of the Golden-spectacled group (seicercus genus) and now finds itself included within phylloscopus - though it looks nothing like one!

One species which got away was a large owl which flushed ahead of them which Paul felt could have been a Brown Fish-Owl but left it unidentified. Apart from other common species they had an Emerald Dove on the road and an Olive-backed Pipit which surprisingly appears to be new for the province. Paul added 23 species to his own province list and will return for sure as this corner of Thailand does play host to a clutch of rarities hard to find in other parts of Thailand.

Regards,

Mike P.

06/11/21 and 07/11/21 - Phon Noam/Dong Por Community Forest - Yat Phu Mak Prik, Yasothon

Paul explored this new site for the first time yesterday and recorded 30 species (with 4 more additions this morning).

Apparently the site comprises a forested hill with a convenient approach road, and he stopped the car en route yesterday and clicked off a few shots of a distant small raptor which he had spotted and assumed that this would likely be a Shikra.

It was only later when checking his photos that he realised that the bird was in fact a Eurasian Kestrel, new for the Province list and another Thailand lifer for him.

Other than the Kestrel the pick of the rest were :

1 White-browed Piculet (in with a mixed flock of babblers, warblers and canary-flycatchers)

1 female Blyths Paradise-Flycatcher

2 Grey-breasted Prinias

1 Yellow-browed Warbler

8 Pin-striped Tit-Babblers

2 Puff-throated Bulbuls

1 Hainan Blue-Flycatcher

3 Indochinese Blue-Flycatchers

1 Blue Rock-Thrush

This mornings best additions were:

1 Rufous-winged Buzzard

4 Stripe-throated Bulbuls

3 White-rumped Shamas

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

29/10/21 Ban Nom Khao/Boong Khla Community Forest Yasothon.

A 4 hour 5 Km. walk this morning was very productive with 34 species seen with many heard only.

The best were:

1 Green- billed Malkoha

1 Shikra

1 Asian barred Owlet

4 Green Bee-Eater

1 Lineated Barbet (many more heard).

1 Blue-winged Pitta (seemingly a late bird as these winter further south)

5 Ashy Minivet

1 Black Drongo

1 Ashy Drongo

6 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

1 Black-naped Monarch

1 (male) Blyths Paradise Flycatcher

1 Brown Shrike

7 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

3 Common Tailerbird

2 Dark-necked Tailerbird

2 Barn Swallow

2 Black-crested Bulbul

2 Puff-throated Bulbul

2 Yellow-browed Warbler

1 Two-barred Greenish Warbler

5 Pin-striped Tit-Babbler

1 Puff-throated Babbler

4 Abbotts Babbler

5 White-rumped Shama

4 Hainan Blue Flycatcher

3 Siberian Blue Robin (inc. 1 adult male)

2 Amur Stonechat

2 Brown-throated Sunbird

1 White Wagtail (leucopsis)

Recent additions to the province list have been a long awaited Pied Harrier (22/10/21) and a Grey wagtail which Paul only noticed perched on wires in the background of one of his record shots of the odd White Wagtail from yesterday!

Best Wishes,

Mike P.

25/10/21 - Back in Yasothon - Phue Hi

This morning Paul had a short 35 min. scout round this small local forest patch. 8 species noted included a couple of Black-naped Monarchs, a single White-rumped Shama, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, the first returning Raddes    
Warbler of the autumn, a Hainan Blue Flycatcher and 2 Grey- headed Canary-Flycatchers.

This latter bird is a common resident in this region whose numbers are augmented over the winter. Raddes Warbler is of course very familiar to most active birders in Britain and is a regular vagrant at coastal sites in late autumn though rarely found inland in Britain. In both the U.K. and in Thailand I have never seen one perched higher than at chest level and certainly in Thailand where it is common in winter I often find them initially on call (to my ear - a rather throaty Tuc note regularly repeated). They like to forage low down through rank grass or low shrubs in a laboured style sometimes as if dragging their tail which often appears as if a bit loose.

Paul managed a couple of photos of this mornings Raddes on the same perch which if seen together portrays the bird quite well - (pity about the blade of hanging grass).

Regards,

Mike P.