Mahachai Mangrove Research Station
is a remnant of mature and regenerating mangroves on the western
side of the River Tachin's estuary, in Samut Sakorn province
and is home to a surprising number of species.
This area is one of several sizeable fragments of what remains
of formerly extensive mangrove forests along the coastline
of Bangkok, Samut Prakarn and Samut Sakorn province. The loss
of much of this habitat has resulted in serious coastal erosion
and loss of species making this small patch quite interesting
as a half day trip from Bangkok or combined with a morning
at Khok Kham or as a short stop on
your way in/out of the capital as part of a more extensive
birding tour. With a reconstructed boardwalk made of concrete
this area gives birders an opportunity to get into the mangroves.
By combining time birding the mudflats and mangroves as well
as the surrounding pools, scrubland and other scrappy areas
quite a large number of species can be found here, particularly
between the months of October and April. It can get really
hot and humid here very quickly in the morning and mosquitos
can be a problem too so it is not a good location to visit
with non-birders.
Two species occurring at the Mangrove Research Station stand
out as real highlights; Mangrove Whistler and Asian Dowitcher.
Mangrove Whistler is resident in the mangrove remnants which
contain some surprisingly mature stands, whilst the Dowitcher
is a passage migrant and winter visitor which can be found
roosting on inland pools or feeding on exposed mudflats.
Some other interesting species that are resident in the
mangroves include Collared Kingfisher, Golden-bellied Gerygone,
Dark-necked Tailorbird, Pink-necked Green Pigeon and Swinhoe's
White-eye. Birding here during migratory periods can be productive
with a wide range of migratory species such as Yellow-rumped
Flycatcher, Siberian Blue Robin, Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, Eastern
Crowned Warbler, Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo, Chestnut-winged
Cuckoo and many others occuring in September/October and March/April.
Between the months of October and April the mudflats can
host large numbers of shorebirds, egrets, terns and pond herons
at low tide. Asian Dowitcher is regular here but other waders
such as Marsh Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover, Whimbrel, Kentish
Plover, Common Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit and Pacific Golden
Plover are all common winter visitors while it is always worth
scanning the mudflats for something unusual.
Bird
Watching Trips:
If you need help organizing a bird watching trip to Thailand,
take a look at the suggested itineraries for ideas on
creating a tailor-made trip and contact me for advice:
Thailand
bird tours.
Travel Information
Use the interactive map below to plan your route to
Fang Hot Springs. The blue line shows the route from Sathorn
Road (Blue Pin, "A") to Mahachai Mangroves (Red
Pin, "B").
By Car/Motorcycle
Given how off the beaten track this site is driving one's
own vehicle is the best way to visit.The map above starts
from Sathorn Road but the most important thing is to get onto
Rama 2 Road which is the main road towards the west and south
which heads towards the province of Samut Sakorn. In the early
morning this is quite a quick journey, taking well under an
hour from Bangkok. However, later in the day the traffic can
get quite bad and the journey to Samut Sakorn can take far
longer.
After passing Samut Sakorn one needs to keep in the left hand
lane and after passing over the Tachin River (quite obvious
as one goes over a bridge) take the first turning on the left,
immediately before a Caltex petrol station. Follow this road
for a few kilometres until crossing a railway and take a sharp
right. Continue on this road and when it comes to a very small
roundabout, with a large temple in front of you, turn left.
After a couple of kilometres along here the sign Thai for
the mangrove centre will be seen. There is a car park at the
research station. The best thing, of course, is to input the
location into a navigation App on your phone and let it direct
you.
By Bus
Getting to the town of Samut Sakorn by public transport is
fairly easy by bus but getting from there to the mangrove
research centre will not be a simple thing. There are probably
motor cycle taxis or other vehicles for hire there but communication
is likely to be a problem. If you should make it here by public
transport and cannot find a way out, speak to the staff who
seem friendly and they will probably call a taxi for you.
By Taxi
Hiring a taxi for the duration of your visit, from your hotel
in Bangkok, would be the best option for birders without their
own vehicles. Alternatively it would also work to take a taxi
to the mangrove centre and pay the driver, allowing them to
leave, and then use the Grab
App to summon a ride back into town.
By Tuk Tuk or Motorcycle Taxi
It is far too far from Bangkok to make this a safe or sensible
option. It would be possible to arrange these modes of transport
from Samut Sakorn should you get there without your own vehicle.
By Train
Mahachai has a station that can be reached from Thonburi station
(Take the BTS to Wong Wian Yai) in Bangkok, the time table
and details can be seen here: Travel
from Thonburi to Mahachai. From here you would have to
hire some local transport to get to the mangrove centre.
By Plane
The nearest airports are Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok.
From both of these locations there is self-drive car hire
and taxis.
Finding Birds
Although the mangroves might be the main focus here for
some birders there are a variety of habitats to explore which
easily provide a full morning of birding at the right time
of year.
Boardwalk:
The boardwalk (as of March 2020) is constructed of concrete
and should last some years before it begins to collapse. It
is quite some height above the ground and has no handrails
so be careful! This boardwalk allows birders access to the
interior of the mangroves where species like Mangrove Whistler,
Swinhoe's White-eye, Collared Kingfisher, Dark-necked Tailorbird
and Golden-bellied Gerygone can be found. Getting a decent
view of these birds can be a challenge due to the fact that
the boardwalk puts birders at the level of the dense mangrove
canopy but the track that connects the two ends of the boardwalk
is at ground level and allows better views into the understorey.
Being able to see the tree tops in the very early morning
is an advantage though for spotting species such as Coppersmith
Barbet, Asia Koel or Pink-necked Green Pigeon perched, sunning
themselves.
During migratory periods there can be a wide variety of species
using this area as a refuge. It will take several laps of
the boardwalk, patience and a little luck to dig out species
such as Eastern Crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher,
Ashy Minivet, Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo,
Himalayan Cuckoo, Arctic Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher and
many others. Almost any migrant passerine is a posibility
here.
Fish Ponds & Pools:
On the opposite side of the road to the mangrove station is
an area of fish ponds and other pools. These vary between
fairly deep areas of water and some pools that are shallow
with overgrown edges. Between the months of October and April
shorebirds sometimes use these pools for roosting and feeding
in the shallower areas. Species such as Marsh Sandpiper, Kentish
Plover, Common Redshank and Lesser Sand Plover can be expected
while rarer species can include Asian Dowitcher, Great Knot
or perhaps even Spoon-billed Sandpiper.
Waterside vegetation can host Oriental Reed Warbler, Yellow-bellied
Prinia and Red-legged Crake and the general level of "unkemptness"
means that there are a lot of possibilities for those with
time to check thoroughly. Collared Kingfishers will emerge
from the mangroves to feed in these ponds and migrant Black-capped
Kingfisher is a common visitor too.
Viewpoint & Pier:
Towards the end of the dirt track is an area where there is
a good view over the mudflats at low tide and an elevated
concrete pier that birders can use to get out over the mud
itself; be careful it is high and has no hand rails! If you
time it right (Bangkok
tide times), arriving at this viewpoint just as the tide
begins to expose the mud, numbers of shorebirds coming in
to feed can be spectacular (October to April) and this is
one of the most reliable places in the Gulf of Thailand to
find Asian Dowitcher. With mangroves blocking the best views
of the mudfalts from the boardwalk this is now the best spot
in this area to view feeding shorebirds at low tide.
Overgrown Areas: This
area of trees and scrubby patches has dry patches and waterlogged
areas and is good for dry season visitors and could be a good
spot for passage migrants too. This is the a good spot to
look for migrants such as Siberian Rubythroat, Eurasian Wryneck,
Lanceolated Warbler and Bluethroat. The habitat here is different
to the rest of the area so it is a good patch to visit to
extend your day list.
Facilities
Facilites here are limited to a small car park and toilet
block only. This means bringing ones own refreshments is essential
but with a host of petrol stations accompanied by convenience
stores and small food stalls being passed on the way to the
site, this should not be a problem. If you happen to forget
anything it is only a short drive back to some shops.
Whilst it does get really hot here, the mangroves do offer
shade while walking on the boardwalk, although humidity is
usually high. This means that bringing drinking water is a
good idea but one is able to get out of the direct sunlight
fairly easily.
Given the proximity to Bangkok it is unlikely that any birders
will wish to stay nearby, there is an almost infinite selection
of places to stay in the capital city. However, if birders
do find themselves needing somewhere to stay nearby there
are some suitable hotels
in Samut Sakorn to choose from.
The town of Samut Sakorn/Mahachai is only a very short drive
away and has all the facilities of a large town including
supermarkets, banks as well as pharmacies and hospitals. This
town also has a bus station, railway and taxis are available
if birders decide to visit using public transport.
This location is not a National Park and you will not be charged
to go birding here.
Some Useful Books
Shorebirds:
An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World This is still the most complete guide to shorebirds
with a wide variety of plumages of all species illustrated
both standing and in flight. Packed full of information
this is the book if you want to learn more about this
group of birds..
Waders
of Europe, Asia & North America With beautiful and bright illustrations this is
a true field guide to this group of species that easily
is easily carried while traveling. Not as much information
on the ecology of the birds covered in this book but
much more portable than any other while covering all
aspects of identification.
Birdwatching
Trips:
Mahachai is one of the best mangrove sites close to Bangkok
and certainly finding Mangrove Whistler here is easier
here than most other sites outside of southern Thailand.
This location is a decent half day trip from Bangkok or
a short stop on your way somewhere else on a longer birding
trip.
Shorebirds:
An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World
Download
a full 
