Bird Sightings (January 2007)

29/01/07 : A possible Great-crested Grebe on the 23rd was confirmed and noted to be in winter plumage on the 25th at Huay Tung Tao, Chiang Mai.

The above sightings from Huay Tung Tao were taken from Tony Ball's Birdwatcher's Diary blog with his kind permission.

27/01/07 : A single Chinese Egret was seen at the stakeout on eastern Phuket on the 20th January.

The above sighting from Phuket was taken from Ike Suriwong's Phuket Birders Blog with his kind permission.

22/01/07 : A Drongo Cuckoo turned up at Mae Hia on the 22nd with 2 Rufous-winged Buzzards and 2 immature Spotted Owlets on the 13th at the same site. Also at Mae Hia on the 11th a few interesting birds included an Emerald Cuckoo, Siberian Rubythroat, Eurasian Wryneck and over 300 Lesser Whistling Ducks.

The above sightings from Mae Hia were taken from Tony Ball's Birdwatcher's Diary blog with his kind permission.

21/01/07 : Some rare records from Ban Phe, Rayong province in the week 9th to 16th January included some waterbirds a little out of the range indicated by Robson. 5 Common Moorhens, a Purple Heron, 1 Little Cormorant, 3 Cattle Egrets, 3 Great Egrets and a female Common Kestrel were seen in some wet areas within a few kilometres of the Novotel.

A pale morph Booted Eagle was reported from a viewpoint in Khao Yai on the 5th January.

The above records from Rayong and Khao Yai were submitted by Hannu Klemola.

19/01/07 : Some excellent sightings were sent in from Pa Mok, a large marshy area with rice paddies, about 25km from Suphanburi town, on the 17th January. In the late afternoon/dusk 700 Lesser Whistling Ducks were seen and 4 Cotton Pygmy Geese were also present. Waders were well represented with 14 Pintail Snipe, 150 Marsh Sandpipers, 27 Greenshank, 50 Wood Sandpipers, 6 Temminck's Stints, 150 Black-winged Stilts, 80 Pacific Golden Plover and 50 Grey-headed Lapwings.

Roosting birds were numerous in the area with 32 Eastern Marsh Harriers with 2 Pied Harriers, 63 Indian Cormorants, 8 Painted Storks, 3780 Asian Pied Starlings, 825 White-vented Mynas a massive 35000 Barn Swallows, 320 Red-throated Pipits and 55 Yellow Wagtails.

Making the opposite journey were around 500 Black-crowned Night Herons and 5-6000 Openbill Storks were in the vicinity with many carrying nesting material. Other birds of interest were a Barn Owl, 6 Red Avadavats, 2 Watercock and 4 Black Kites.

Also on the 17th the first Javan Pond Herons in breeding plumage were noted close to the town of Suphanburi.

On the 15th January there was a strange record of 2 Eastern Marsh Harriers high above the southern bus station in Bangkok.

The Pha Mok site held at least 2000 Lesser Whistling Ducks and 15 Cotton Pygmy Geese. 3 Grey-headed Lapwings were present and raptors were represented by 5 eastern Marsh Harriers, 1 Pied Harrier, 5 Black Kites with one carrying nesting material into a Openbill Stork colony and an immature Greater Spotted Eagle. Two other distant, unidentified eagles were also noted.

On the 11th, rice paddies close to Suphanburi produced some interesting records with 50 Garganey, 2 Blunt-winged Warblers, 3 Rusty-rumped (Pallas's Grasshopper) Warblers and a flock of 80 Baya Weavers.

The above sightings from around Suphanburi province and Bangkok were submitted by Neil Lawton.

16/01/07 : Some nice sightings from Phuket on the 12th included a Forest Wagtail, Common Kestrel (which is apparently quite common on Phuket) and best of all, a Large Hawk Cuckoo, all near the Chao Fa foothills.

On the 13th two Pied Imperial Pigeons were seen near a gas depot at Laem Panwa, Phuket.

The above sighting from Phuket was taken from Ike Suriwong's Phuket Birders Blog with his kind permission.

11/01/07 : An Asian Stubtail was found at Mae Hia on the 10th January and 2 Rufous-winged Buzzards on the 8th, a species which appears common at this site. A male and female Common Rosefinch were present at Huay Tung Tao on the 5th along with an impressive flock of 31 Grey Herons. A Straited warbler (Grassbird) was present at the same location on the third; this species is not seen that often in the north. Rufous Treepies were seen at Huay Tung Tao on the 30th December 2006 and are said to be ever-present at the location.

The above sightings from Mae Hia and Huay Tung Tao were taken from Tony Ball's Birdwatcher's Diary blog with his kind permission.

10/01/07 : On the 7th January, about 15km east of Mae Sai, along the Mae Sai golden triangle road, 2 pairs of Jerdon's Bushchats were seen and it was reported that there was lots of other suitable habitat in the area.

At Nong Bong Khai, Chiang Saen, on the 5th and 6th a Great-crested Grebe was present with 1 Great Cormorant, a pair of Gadwall, a pair of Common Pochard, a female Mandarin Duck, at least 33 Ferruginous Ducks, 6 Mallard and 2 White-browed crakes. It was said that there were also "good number" Tufted Ducks, Northern Pintail, Spot-billed Ducks, Common Teal and Garganey and "smaller numbers" of Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon and Common Coot.

On the Mekong at Chiang Saen there were 16 Ruddy Shelduck on the 5th with 5 still present on the 6th.

A visit to Wat Pha Ngao in Chiang Saen was worthwhile with a Scaly (White's) Thrush, 2 Common Buzzards and a White-browed Piculet.

The above sightings from Mae Sai and Chiang Saen were submitted by Neil Lawton.

09/01/07 : An Osprey was seen at King's Park in Phuket town (9th December).

The above sighting from Phuket was taken from Ike Suriwong's Phuket Birders Blog with his kind permission.

Two male Blue-breasted Quails flushed at Thai Muang marsh on the 8th January was a good record of a seldom seen species and would seem to be a range extension. A Black Kite was also notable and a lone Oriental Pratincole was an unusual but not unprecedented mid-winter sighting of the species, both at the same location on the same day. - Stijn De Win.

Some interesting late records from last month were 2 Ruddy Shelduck, 5 Plain Martins and 20 Dunlins on the Mekong at Chiang Saen on the 31st December 2006. At nearby Nong Bong Khai 5 Eurasian Wigeon were seen on the same day along with a pair of Mallard, 3 Northern Shoveler, 100 Northern Pintail, an impressive 150 Spot-billed Ducks, 30 Garganey, 15 Ferruginous Ducks, 6 Tufted Ducks and 20 Common Coots. A Great Cormorant was also present.

On the 30th 3 Chestnut-headed Tesias, a Woodcock, 2 Red-faced Liocichlas and 3 Crested Finchbills were of interest on Doi Pha Hom Pok.

A day spent birding in the farmland around Thaton resulted in a good selection of birds with 3 Burmese Shrikes, 4 Siberian Rubythroats, 3 Bluethroats, a Wryneck and a single Jerdon's Bushchat were the highlights on the 28th December.

A few days at Doi Ang Kang were worthwhile with a Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher on the 25th, a Grey-winged Blackbird seen and a Giant Nuthatch heard on the 26th with 40 Black-headed Greenfinches, 2 Red-faced Liocichlas and a Daurian Redstart on the 27th December.

A Sapphire Flycatcher at Den Ya Kat, Doi Chiang Dao was the most noteworthy observation from a long list of birds seen on the 24th and 25th along with 5 Giant Nuthatches. On the 23rd a Black-tailed Crake was seen at the DYK substation with a Chinese Francolin, an Asian Stubtail and 8 Pin-tailed Pigeons seen on the trip to the top. Another Asian Stubtail was seen near the temple at Doi Chiang Dao on the 21st with a Grey-backed Shrike also present along with a long list of the usual inhabitants.

On Doi Inthanon a Citrine Wagtail was seen as was a Common Kestrel, a Plumbeous Water Redstart and 5 Slaty-bellied Tesias at various altitudes on the 20th December 2006. 3 Slaty-bellied Tesias were the highlight on the 19th.

3 or 4 Spoon-billed Sandpipers were found in the Laem Pak Bia - Pak Thale area on the 16th december 2006.

Kaeng Krachan produced a White-crowned Hornbill on the 16th, 2 Blue-winged Pittas, 6 Great Hornbills and 2 Wreathed Hornbills on the 15th and a single Black Eagle, a Rufous-bellied Eagle, a Swinhoe's Minivet and 1 Rufous-browed Flycatcher on the 14th. 2 Rufous Treepies on the journey into Kaen Krachan on the 13th were also of interest.

A Ruff, 55 Great Knots, 10 Malaysian Plovers, 20 Heuglin's Gulls, 20 Gull-billed Terns, a Pacific Reef Egret, 15 White-shouldered Starlings were the highlights of an excellent list from the Laem Pak Bia - Pak Thale area way back on the 12th December.

The above sightings from Laem Pak Bia, Kaeng Krachan, Doi Inthanon, Doi Chiang Dao, Doi Ang Kang, Thaton, Doi Pha Hom Pok and Chiang Saen were submitted by Uku Paal; other observers were Margus Ots, Lauri Maenpaa and Heidi Vanhanen.

07/01/07 : Two wild Red-whiskered Bulbuls were a rare sight in the south at Thai Muang marsh on the 6th January and a Sooty-headed Bulbul was presumably an escape. A whole host of common birds were also seen including 45 Sanderling, Red-throated Pipits and both River and Grey-headed Lapwings. - Stijn De Win.

03/01/07 : The first sightings for the new year were an Osprey, 2 Rufous-winged Buzzards, 23 Black bazas and at least 15 Blue Rock Thrushes seen on a brief trip to Mae Ngat dam near Mae Tang, Chiang Mai on the 1st January.

Further records from last month included a pale morph Booted Eagle seen regularly around Malee's Nature Lovers Resort, Chiang Dao between the 29th and 31st December. A Black-backed Forktail was frequently seen in the stream near Malee's during the same period.

On the 29th December a trip up the road to high altitude behind Malee's revealed 1 Bar-backed Partridge, 3 Bay Woodpeckers, a single Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, 12 White-headed Bulbuls, 1 Yellow-cheeked Tit, a male Pale Blue Flycatcher and an Eye-browed Thrush amongst many more common species.

The above sightings from Chiang Dao and Mae Ngat were submitted by Neil Lawton.

On the 27th December a trip up Doi Chiang Dao to the Den Ya Kat substation turned up the customary Hume's Pheasant; a single male about 1 Km before the substation. Four Giant Nuthatches were also found. Other interesting birds from Den Ya Kat were Mountain Hawk Eagle, 1 Slender-billed Oriole, 2 Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babblers, a single Buff-throated Warbler, a pair of Spot-winged Grosbeaks, Rufous-gorgetted Flycatcher and Rufous-bellied Niltava. Possibly the best bird from this excursion was a male Orange-flanked Bush Robin.

The above sightings from Doi Chiang Dao were submitted by Neil Lawton; other observers present were Brian Foster and Peter Carnell.

At the base of Doi Chiang Dao on the 26th, a walk along the nature trail and fence trail was rewarded with a Sulphur-breasted Warbler, an Asian Stubtail, 2 Bay Woodpeckers and 2 Streaked Wren Babblers, a species which can be very obvious in this area.

On the 24th December a walk around some rice paddies to the south of Chiang Dao turned up a long list of common species with the addition of 43 Grey-headed Lapwings and 5 Wire-tailed Swallows, both of which are regularly seen in the area. Other noatable species included 6 oriental Skylarks, a Rufous-winged Buzzard and an Oriental Honey-buzzard.

Birding around the forest temple near Malee's, Doi Chiang Dao on the 24th December found Siberian Blue Robin to be very numerous, with 4 seen and many more heard. A male Burmese Shrike and 2 displaying Crested Goshawks would have been nice sightings and other colourful birds included a female Maroon Oriole and a pair of Bay Woodpeckers.

The above sightings from Doi Chiang Dao were submitted by Neil Lawton.