Bangkok birding: Bang Pu

Birding/ Bird watching at Bang Pu - Bang Pu Nature Reserve, Thailand

Monday 15^th of February 2016 and my alarm went off at 5 o'clock. Just enough time for tea and a shower before my friend arrives. We left just after 6 o'clock in the morning bound for Bang Poo. And as we were up so early we were expecting to be there in no time.

And we were hauling arse, at least until we reached Bang Na and the traffic grew worse on us. The only stops had been for red lights but when we reached Bang Na it was time for people to go to their jobs and school. The traffic was very slow outside the schools.

Early morning and dark on Sukhumvit

But we enjoyed ourselves in the car watching all the people on their way to school and job. We were going for an adventure and we were looking forward to some fun at Bang Pu and the nature trail in Bang Pu Nature Education Centre's Bang Pu Nature Reserve.

Going from Sukhumvit Soi 23 to Bang Pu is very easy, just to follow the sky train and when the sky train extension is ready I will be able to take the sky train almost all the way to Bang Pu for my birding adventures.

We were outside Bangkok and we passed a huge Robinsons and Ancient City and we kept our eyes open. We spotted Bangpoo Recreation on the other side and we made a U-turn

It is about 100 meters after the U-turn on the left hand side. Impossible to miss, well, almost as the road is decorated with birds and there is also a big crab.

And if this is not enough there is a sign on the road saying BANGPOO RECREATION with an arrow to the left. Now it is just to continue 200 meters straight forward and you reach the Sukta pier.

The hard part is to find the nature trail in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. The gate is closed, but don't worry! I have been here before and I know how to find the way. Go behind the houses belonging to the Bang Pu Nature Education Centre. Park your car at the gate to the Sukta pier, or if there are much people at the parking spaces provided back up towards the main road.

The houses are located on your left hand side when driving to the pier. If you're lucky there are some students you can have a chat with before starting the bird watching. Anyway, walk up behind the houses for 50 meters or so and you find the wooden bridge on your right hand side.

Walk up here behind the houses and the wooden bridge are on the right hand side

Cross the bridge, be CAREFUL as the bridge have seen better days. Cross the lawn and pass the toilets and you are standing on the trail. And there is a map over the area in the corner. We turned left walking towards the north.

We were soon passing one of the hide out for the “twitchers” Twitcher is another name for bird watchers. So yes, a new word I learned yesterday. My friend from UK send me an e-mail with the new word.

I was soon replying that we were not “twitchers” but twatters so no need to remember the word “twitcher” Anyway, we walked towards the north and we were soon standing outside a hut with closed doors. We opened the doors and we discovered a bird observation hide. And from the top floor we had an excellent view over the pool with all the birds.

But I think the first bird observation hide is better in the afternoon as we had the sun against us. That means that the birds are between us and the sun. And we have learned that we want to be between the birds and the sun.

We went up on the second floor in the bird observation hideout and we really got a good over view of the pool. And there were plenty birds, Egrets, and Herons, and I think all or at least most of the Egrets were represented in the pool.

This was a perfect place, well, the openings could have been a wee bit higher up from the floor. But it would be perfect for a child. There were benches to sit down, but still, just a wee bit too low.

We looked over the pool for a while and if the light would have better there would have been great photo opportunities. If you like birds that is.

We left and we continued towards north on the western most trail and we could see Kingfishers, Oriental Magpie Robins and Little Cormorants in the tree tops

Collared Kingfisher

Collared Kingfisher

Collared Kingfisher

Another bird observation hideout

Oriental White-Eye - นกแว่นตาขาวสีทอง

Oriental White-Eye - นกแว่นตาขาวสีทอง

A nice area for a constitutional

A nice area for a constitutional

My friend pick up some garbage he find in the area

The Bang Pu Nature Reserve was pretty clean, most garbage was brought in by the tide

A bridge I won't try to cross

A bridge I won't try to cross

A bridge I won't try to cross

A Great Egret

A bird watching tower along the nature trail in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve

Trying to be funny shaking the bridge...

... but well, I'm sturdy on the suspended bridge

We make it to the other side

We make it to the other side

By the time we reached the suspended bridge I had spotted one new bird, the beautiful Oriental white-eye. We had seen, well, of course, the Malaysian Pied fan tail. Millions of them around. We had seen many Egrets and Herons at the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. There are several areas I would have loved to explore, but the bridges are in a state of emergency and they are in an acute need of maintenance.

Maybe concrete instead of flimsy board that will turn in to paper when it is raining.

Coming down from the suspended bridge and there was a few planks on bamboo over a ditch with water. A bamboo rail and no way I was going to cross that place. My friend crossed and I was waiting for him to come back. Well, I was waiting, and waiting. Suddenly there were something white and I thought it was an Egret. But it was a motorcycle and I understood that we had reached the trail going along Gulf of Thailand

The same trail I had walked on last time here. So no choice but to cross the planks over the water. And maybe because of my “Special Forces” background I made it over the planks without any incident. Almost like hoovering over the darn water and only God knows what lives there. For sure a few snakes lurking around for some foreign prime meat.

But I did a Jaki Changover the ditch and I was safe on the concrete trail leading us back to the wooden bridge along the Gulf of Thailand

Repairing the wood pilings in front of the mangrove

Mangrove

Walking on the bridge through the Mangrove

Walking on the bridge through the Mangrove

A Little Cormorant

We waked on the concrete bridge through the mangrove and when we were back at the map we continued to explore the area we had missed in the morning. We were starting the get hungry and we decided to go birding at Suan Rot Fai in the afternoon. So we would go down to the other end of the Bang Pu area where I had spent the first day here.

We were of course getting out on the Sukta pier before we drove down to the other side of Bang Pu. And as it was hot we had a couple bottles of water on the Sukta pier before we got in to the car.

We parked the car and suddenly my friend was gone. I was walking around and I heard
- Psst
- What the
- Shh
- What the
- ZIP IT
I found my friend in the middle of the mangrove, the part where all the trees are dead. Jeez, there must be living all kinds of dangerous stuff in that area.
- What the are you looking for, snakes or birds?

But I was impressed by the spirit, same back at the nature trail in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. He took off in to the mangrove/ jungle without any concerns for all the creatures laying around waiting to attack

We walked around the area but I guess it was too hot by now, 11 thirty. We saw some waders and we walked down to the sea front and nothing. Walking back and I saw a Black Capped Kingfisher and it looked like he was fighting with someone. Screaming and flapping the wings so no picture.

My friend had spotted a Green Iora, I'm impressed by my friend, picking up garbage and spotting birds like no one else. He was actually the one spotting my first ever Kingfisher in Thailand back at the Red Lotus Sea. And he is like my birding pal from UK that will go home tonight. We do birding together and we can walk alone for the most of the time and then we walk together for a while again, perfect.

And the Green Iora, first time for me so today, so far, I have seen two new birds. The Oriental White-Eye back in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. And now the Green Iora, both yellow and beautiful birds so I was happy with the morning birding. But now it is time for lunch

Green Iora - นกขมิ้นน้อยสีเขียว

Green Iora - นกขมิ้นน้อยสีเขียว

Green Iora - นกขมิ้นน้อยสีเขียว

Green Iora - นกขมิ้นน้อยสีเขียว

We took off for our lunch and I knew that I had reason to update my review of the Birding/ bird watching at Bang Pu. The nature trail in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve had been an excellent early morning experience. Something I will do again in the future.

How to kill a day in Bangkok #22
Review: Birding/ bird watching at Bang Pu

Fee: Free

Web page: No official web page. But visit Nick Upton's web page Thaibirding for information about Bang Pu Here you find all the information you need about Bang Pu, maps and what bird you can expect to see. And of course info on how to get there

Address:
Sukhumvit Road. As I wrote in my review about the Ancient City: I took the sky train to the Baering sky train station (The stretch to the crocodile farm will be ready in about 2 years, almost all the way to the Ancient City) I took a taxi from the sky train station and it took about 20 to 30 minutes to the Ancient City. The trip set me back with 153 Baht (as it was a nice Driver I gave him 180 Baht, about 6 US Dollars)

Just drive a few km past the Ancient City coming from Bangkok and make a U-turn and you are at Bang Pu recreation. BE AWARE!! There are several different spellings of Bang Pu - Bang pu Bangpoo. And when you have passed the Ancient City you can follow the road signs to Bangpoo.

And by the way, Bang Pu means the home of the crabs or something like that.
ปู Poo means crab
บาง Bang means settlement, village

Tel: 02-323-9138, 02-323-9983     From www.tourismthailand.org - February 2016

Opening Hours:: 08.00 - 18.00 We arrived before 8 without any problems

We got out of the taxi at the pier. We saw some golf carts taking people out to the restaurant at the end of the pier so I guess there are this service available. But we walked, and there were many of the Black-headed Gulls. And there was a kiosk where you could by cold water and food to feed the Brown-headed gulls with.

The sea gulls are so use to get feed and they are almost hovering in front of you looking to see if you have any food for them. It was very fun to watch them and here you can spend quite some time.

So there were good opportunities to see sea birds and a HOT TIP is to check out the time for low water and try to come here then if you want to see wader birds walking around in the mud looking for food. When it is low water the sea bed is dry, well, mud all the way down past the restaurant. There are plenty crabs and fishes in the mud and it is fascinating to watch them.

The birding would have been a gorgeous experience if it would not have been for all the garbage laying around as you can see on the above pictures. But we saw quite a few birds.

Rated:

Yes, it was OK so I give it 2 stars. This could easily have been a 3 or 4 star experience if they would have cleaned up the area. But as it was now it looked terrible at places. But we will be back here for birding again.

I want to come back during the low water because there were no waders as it was high water during our visit. We saw waders in the ponds, but we want to see them on the sea bed digging in the mud.

Review Man

UP DATED REVIEW 12 February 2016
We explored the area East of the pier and they had a proper concrete bridge going through the mangrove. The gate to come here is closed but today there were students collecting mud for a research on what kind of animals that was living in the mud. So me and my friend went inside. There was not so much garbage on this side, only garbage that the sea had brought in.

There were information boards along the route above the mangrove with information about the different trees and animals. We never saw many birds here, most likely because it was midday by the time we came here. But try early morning

When you go out on the pier there is a few houses on your left hand side, 50 meters before you reach the pier. Walk up behind the houses and there is a wooden bridge and you are on the nature trail and you can reach the concrete bridge. So if you come here you just ignore the locked gate and take to the left and walk 50 meters up to the houses. Cross the bridge and there is a toilet on you left hand side and then you're on the nature trail.

And this time we were here during low water. It is fascination to see the life on the sea bed when the water is gone so a few beeches to sit on along the pier facing the water/ sea bed would have been at least to say very nice.

I saw Collared Kingfishers and Black Capped Kingfishers

Now it is a strong 2 star experience to do bird watching down here at Bang Pu. I will be back on Monday again so keep an eye out for an updated review. Will Bang Pu reach 3 or 4 stars?

Review Man

UP DATED REVIEW 15 February 2016
Me and my friend we left early morning, just after 6 o'clock to check out the nature trail. As I understand it from what I have found from the internet is that it is Bang Pu Nature Education Centre that are in charge over the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. And the nature trail is located within the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. They have a PDF that I think you will find interesting to read before you get out on the nature trail. And you can read it by clicking HERE.

You will find observation towers and hide outs along the nature trail in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve. And to enter the Bang Pu Nature Reserve in the early morning you need to cross a wooden bridge that have seen, well, the bridge is due for renovation.

There is a gate but the gate have been locked every time I have been to Bang Pu. And we were told to use the bridge to exit when we tried to leave Bang Pu Nature Education Centre's Bang Pu Nature Reserve.

Anyway, you reach the pier and you have to start behind the buildings belonging to Bang Pu Nature Education Centre. Walk 50 meters and you will find a wooden bridge on your right hand side. Cross the bridge and you’re in the Bang Pu Nature Reserve

Click HERE for bigger picture

The wooden bridge across the water filed ditch (February 2016)

Walk passed the toilets when you are across the bridge and there is a map over the nature trail.

There are shelters along the nature trail for you if you want to do some birding. There is a big pond behind the hedges and these observation/ hide outs are excellent. You get a good view over the pond from the first observation house as there a 2 floors. And I was impressed by the pond and all the birds in the pond.

We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered a suspension bridge. There was a bird watching tower and another tower behind the bird watching tower and from the bridge there was a suspension bridge over the mangrove to the concrete trail along the ocean.

The whole birding adventure turned in to a Indiana Jones adventure.

Rated:

Yes, I highly recommend a trek around the nature trail in Bang Pu Nature Education Centre's Bang Pu Nature Reserve. And that is even if you don't like to watch the birds. The only thing to complain about are some of the wooden bridges, they are at least to say in need of some maintenance.

Same when you come down from the suspension bridge there is a ditch with water and there was some old, at least to say flimsy planks on bamboo supports. This needs immediate attention from the maintenance staff. If you walk on the trail along the ocean it is impossible to find the suspension bridge as the bridge (flimsy heap of plank and bamboo) looks like some garbage laying around.

Anyway, if you are at the end of the trail, maybe 100 meter from the end of the trail you can look in to the mangrove and you might discover the suspension bridge.

There is not much garbage around in this area, just what the tide brings in. And they were putting up more wood pilings along the mangroves when we were there and this helps to prevent the garbage to come in to the mangrove.

Anyway, come on down for a day of fun at Bang Pu

Review Man

Yes, I have not been in Suan Rot Fai for a long time now and I'm kind of looking forward to our afternon birding in Suan Rot Fai. The original plan was to have our lunch at Robinson and then go back to Bang Pu for the afternoon birding.

But as we have decided to go to Suan Rot Fai we could as well have our lunch in Bang Na.

We found a Japanese restaurant, Fuji. We decided to go there as they usually have good food. I stopped at a bakery on the way to buy some pastries for dessert. The desserts at Fuji leaves a wee bit to wish for.

I asked for avocado salad and a smoked salmon salad. This will be an avocado & salmon salad. But I need more avocado and salmon and I added an avocado and a plate of salmon sashimi to the order. And I will mix the salad at the table. And I had a plate of cheese sticks while waiting for the food plus a few glasses of fresh orange juice.

Trying to flirt with the staff

Trying to flirt with the staff

The food was good, yeah, the avocado and salmon salad are very good at Fuji. And if you mix them together with a bowl of steamed rice and the extra salmon and avocado you have a real winner. So now you know what I order every time I'm at Fuji.

I was full when we left, but I felt good. Of course, salad, salmon and avocado is making you feel good. The pastries I had bought was, well, they didn't taste bad.

We were soon on our way again and we took the highway to the weekend market. We found Suan Rot Fai and we started by buying some water. I had not been in Suan Rot Fai for quite a while but I remembered the track. We started at the small pond and there was an Asian Openbill Stork.

Asian Openbill stork

Asian Openbill stork

Asian Openbill stork

Coppersmith Barbet

Asian Openbill stork

Coppersmith Barbet - นกตีทอง

Coppersmith Barbet - นกตีทอง

Coppersmith Barbet - นกตีทอง

Coppersmith Barbet - นกตีทอง

A turtle

Scaring the turtle

Scaring the Asian Openbills

We stop to buy water

Of course, all bird pictures available on my Thailand
bird checklist of bird I have seen by clicking HERE

We saw plenty of the Coppersmith Barbet as well. And the beautiful Indian Roller. I saw a yellow bird in the first pond flying towards me. But the bird was turning around and I never got a good look. But I went to the gym on the other side of the pond and I asked them if they had seen a yellow bird.

They had not seen any yellow bird, well, maybe next time. My friend called and he didn't know where he was. He asked me to wait at the kiosk where we had bought the water.

I enjoyed my water in the shadow when my friend arrived. We wanted to go home and leave Suan Rot Fai behind, it was very hot. And we had spent most of the day in the sun shine.

But we went to check out yet another pond for Kingfishers and we also went to see if we could see the owlet. We never saw the owlet, but there was a monitor lizard on the bridge and he jumped in to the water when he saw us coming.

But it was not like in the rice fields the other day. I was walking along the fish ponds and suddenly a bug bush started to shake and rattle. I thought it was an Egret in the bushes. I shat myself when a 2 meter long monitor lizard came out on the other side of the bush.

At first I thought it was a big crocodile. I was relieved when I saw it was a lizard and the lizard was scared. The lizard was so scared it just ran right out and jumped in to the pond with a big belly splash.

I went from scared to amused in a blink of an eye. I started to laugh as it looked like the huge lizard was flying, maybe 2 meters difference between water level and the bush. So 2 meter lizard with the legs stretched right out and landing with a huge belly splash.

I was quite happy with Suan Rot Fai even though we didn't saw many birds. Many squirrels in the trees. It is too hot for the birds but we didn't wanted to stay until the late and cooler afternoon.

Taking a short cut when we go back home

Time for me to cross

Back home and I started to plan for my next birding adventure, Hua Hin next weekend. And if you care for finding out if there are any birds in Hua Hin, click HERE


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