4 April 2020

Bird watching trip report


Introduction

I should have been in USA and Canada for bird watching. But due to the Corona/ Wuhan virus have closed down all flight traffic and I am stuck in Bangkok. My ticket to Sweden in May was also cancelled so no bird watching in Sweden either. And I had really been looking forward to this holiday and the bird watching, but it turned in to a big nothing. Well, self-quarantine in my condo.

Curfew from 26th of March as it looks now, information to be updated. So I might just have 2 days to look for birds here in Bangkok. And walking in the park looking at birds is really social distancing as recommended, otherwise I spend all days in my condo in my self-quarantine. I will get in to the car at my condo and I will stay in the car until I am back home. So I don't need to break my self-quarantine


Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham is two small villages just West of Bangkok. Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham is a coastal area dominated by salt pans and seafood farms, which is of international importance for migratory shorebirds. It is part of the Khok Kham Flyway Site, recognised as a priority site on the East Asian-Australasian.

Moo Ban Pramong is a village/ settlement located sea side so it is a popular place to come to buy seafood and there are a few seafood restaurants. There are also sea side restaurants down at the fishing harbour at the mouth of Khlong Trong.

Khok Kham is located along the road going west/ east north of an area with Salt Pans.

I was here for the first time when taking the whale watching boat from one of the piers in Moo Ban Pramong. The Guide told me that there was many birds in the area and I got interested in the area so I took a taxi to come here to look for birds, and after this first time I have been here a couple of times to look for bird. And I have never been disappointed.

There are a few eBird hotspots in the area:

• Khok Kham Salt Pans - Moo Ban Pramong
• Phanthai Norasing Non-hunting Area--Matchanu Shrine
• Phanthai Norasing Non-hunting Area--Khok Kham mudflats (DMCR Center II)
• Khok Kham Salt Pans--Khong Long Road
• Khok Kham Salt Pans--Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity
• Khok Kham Salt Pans (General Area)

To skip the information and to go straight to the TRIP REPORT click HERE


Guide

I usually don't use any bird watching Guide in / around Bangkok. But could be a good idea to have a Guide to help me identify all the birds I see. As it is now my eBird checklists are not very impressive as I can only ID half of the birds I see


Land transportation

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
About 42 km from the Sukhumvit / Asoke intersection in DOWN TOWN Bangkok

You will need a car and if you don't have your own a taxi is a very convenient way of travelling. Depending on the early morning traffic it will take 45 minutes to 1 hour + to reach the area. You rent the taxi for a full day and it will set you back with about 1500 - 2000 Baht. To make sure that the driver understand you can show the below Thai Script:
• Moo Ban Pramong หมู่บ้าน ประมง

Or show the driver a map. Click HERE for a map


Scan for map


Equipment


Canon 5D Mk. III + Canon 5D Mk. IV
Canon EF 28-300/3,5-5,6 L IS USM
Canon EF 70-200/2,8L IS II USM
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens
Canon Speedlite 600EXII-RT flash
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark II
Panasonic HC-W585 video camera

Sound recorder
ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder

Binocular
Steiner Skyhawk 8x32 (Since May 2020)


Weather / climate

Weather, I don´t know if Bangkok is the hottest capital in the world. But this is what they say and I have no reason to doubt this information because it is darn hot.

Bangkok, Thailand - Climate & Temperature
Pictures from www.climatemps.com

Bangkok, Thailand - Climate & Temperature - Click picture for full size
Pictures from www.climatemps.com



References/Resources

Thai National Parks - About the National Parks in Thailand A very good web page - Do you know that there are still wild tigers, elephants, leopards, tapirs, gaurs, bears and many monkey species in many tropical rainforests across Thailand? Do you also know that around 10% of all marine species in the world can be found in Thailand? And the fact that Thailand is the best bird-watching destination in mainland Asia?

National parks are protected areas of land because they have unspoilt landscapes and a diverse number of native plants and animals. There are 127 national parks in Thailand, of them 22 marine national parks. These parks offers a diverse range of flora and fauna, home to important population of endangered species.
So now it will be easy to find out if there are any National Park close to you.

Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST) - The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST) is one of the oldest Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST)organisations conserving birds and nature in Thailand and is the country partner of BirdLife International. BCST's role to the local community is to spread awareness about urban birds and reconnect people back to nature.

The Logo
Dated back to 1986 when BCST was then a loosely-formed “Bangkok Birdwatching Club”, the Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), or “Nok Gang Ken Baan” in Thai, has been chosen to represent the organisation.

There are two sites covering Thailand and I have used them many times. These two web pages are actually everything you need for your birding adventures in Thailand. All the information you need about all the birding spots. Click on the map and then select your spot and you will have maps and everything you need to know about the areas. They have put a lot of jobs in to their web pages, North Thailand Birding and thaibirding.com A must to visit before you go bird watching in Thailand.

www.norththailandbirding.com - A one stop only for all your birding in Thailand

thaibirding.com - Nick Upton's one stop only for all your birding in Thailand.

Use both www.thaibirding.com and www.norththailandbirding.com and you have a winner. Some of the maps on www.norththailandbirding.com are way better than Nick Upton´s, while some of Nick's maps are much more detailed. So I have found that if I use both the web pages for information, well, nothing else needed.

PBase/Peter Ericson - Peter Ericson, a guy I thought was from USA because of his family name. I met him at Lat Krabang Paddies in May 2020 and turned out that he was Swedish. Anyway, I have used his excellent page PBase since 2016 as help to ID birds by the help from his beautiful bird pictures.

Here you can also find information about birding tours.

He is also having a Blog - Thaibirds and more with interesting information.

Bangkok City Birding - A lot of interesting birding stories and information on this bird watching blog by David Gandy. Bangkok-based patch-worker in Suan Rot Fai, a large park close to the city's famous weekend market. He have recorded 150 species on his patch since 2008. As one of the only big green spaces in the city, “SRF” acts as a real magnet for migrants during spring and autumn, and holds a healthy selection of "sibes" during the winter months.


The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership - The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership is a network of partners within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.

The Flyway is one of 9 major migratory routes recognised globally. Partners include National Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, International Non-governmental Organisations, and International Private Enterprise, which agree to endorse the text and support the objectives and actions under this Partnership.

Thailand have three Flyway Network Sites - www.eaaflyway.net/thailand to find more information.
Pak Thale – Laem Phak Bia Flyway Site
Khok Kham Flyway Site
Krabi Estuary and Bay

www.tideschart.com GET THE LATEST TIDES IN THAILAND AND AROUND THE WORLD - A must to check out times for HIGH and LOW water when going to look for waders / shorebirds.

ebird - Find birding hotspots with bird checklists from all over the world

Avibase - is an extensive database information system about all birds of the world, containing over 25 million records about 10,000 species and 22,000 subspecies of birds, including distribution information for 12,000 regions, taxonomy, synonyms in several languages


www.oiseaux.net This web page is also excellent for identifying birds. There is information and range maps for many many birds from all over the world. This page is almost guaranteed to give you any answer you have about any bird in the world.

Cloudbirders - Read birding trip reports from all over the world

Fatbirder - Linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see their sister site: WAND


Fatbirder is a fantastic web page with information from, I think every country in the world. My first stop when I plan for my bird watching trips. There is information about locations and guides, well, pretty much everything you need to know. Sometimes this is the only place I need to visit to plan my trip.

BirdingPal - find a birding Guide around the world

BirdingPal


And the web page you cannot live without. I have been around the world looking for birds. I usually have a Guide, but sometimes it is not possible to find a Guide. So, well, I have lost count on how many times I have had help to ID birds at BirdForum. Joining this forum have been very very good for my bird watching experience.

www.birdforum.net

ClimaTemps.com is the place to learn about the worlds climates with more than 4000 locations documented. Each aspect of the climate is represented using colour enhanced tables and professional graphs so that data can easily be compared by switching between locations in different tabs in your browser.

“A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson”


A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson

A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson. New edition updated with 76 species since previous edition “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig” Nick Upton at www.thaibirding.com wrote “This quite excellent book is packed full of quality illustrations and written information on 1251 species recorded in Southeast Asia”

I bought this book for bird watching in Thailand, but it goes for all over SE Asia

I have been very happy with the “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson” But I had a fire in my condo 2019 and I needed to buy a new book. I was looking for the “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand and South East Asia by Craig Robson” as I liked the book. But this book is not available anymore so I had to buy the “A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand” by Craig Robson.

What a disappointment this was, using the pictures in the book didn't helped to ID any birds.

“Birds of Thailand” by Uthai Treesuconand Wich'yanan Limparungpatthanakij


I met Peter Ericson, a famous bird watcher and he recommended the “Birds of Thailand” by Uthai Treesuconand Wich'yanan Limparungpatthanakij. I bought the book as soon as the book stores opened after the Wuhan virus. And I am very happy with the book and I have managed to ID some birds using the book.

Birds of Thailand by Uthai Treesuconand Wich'yanan Limparungpatthanakij

This new field guide will help you identify all 1049 species to have been recorded in the country to date, including the 20 species endemic or near-endemic to Thailand.

-Taxonomy follows the HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World.

-Detailed texts covering status, habitat and behaviour, age, sex and geographical variation, voice, and confusion species.

-Almost 2200 illustrations covering all species and distinctive subspecies, birds in flight, males and females, juveniles and non-breeding plumages, where appropriate.

-QR code for each species, linking to the Internet Bird Collection gallery of photos, videos and sounds.

-More than 1025 full-colour range maps for all species other than vagrants.

-Well-marked subspecies groups receive full accounts, and the distributions of subspecies breeding in the region are clearly mapped.

-Local species name and local conservation status included.


I like the book, but I miss the picture index.


Places to visit


Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham


Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham is an area at the coast just west of Bangkok and the mouth of Chao Phraya River. I split the area by the canal and road #5036. South of this road you have a lot of seafood farms. Looks like they are farming clams. There are a couple of roads leading down to the sea front where you have mangroves and mudflats. There are also some board walks through the mangroves.

Visit www.tideschart.com to check out times for low water before you go.

You find seafood farms and Salt Pans north of the canal and road # 5036. The area is referred to as the Khok Kham Salt Pans. The area is changing and they are digging out Salt Pans so maybe some of them are going in to seafood farming. I don't know, but there are dirt roads between some of the pans so you can drive your car.

You can also walk out between the Salt Pans. As per April 2020 there is parking at the bird center.

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Moo Ban Pramong


Early morning and it is about 45 minutes from Down Town Bangkok to Moo Ban Pramong. Coming from Bangkok on road #4008 and you will drive through Moo Ban Pramong and the seafood places. Turn left when you reach road #5036 and cross the bridge. Drive south between the Canal and the Salt Pans and until you reach the bridge. Cross the bride.

• Turn right and you come down to the mouth of Khlong Trong. You can walk along the water to look for birds between the piers and restaurants.

• Turn left and follow road #5036 towards west. I usually sitt in the back and the driver follow the road very slow. I come very close to the birds with the car, as soon as I go out the birds take off. Driving towards west and I cover the south side of the road. Egrets, herons and shore birds on the mud flats. Going back east and I cover the north side of the road, mangroves and ponds and I can guarantee that you will see Kingfishers.


Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Over the last bridge - Fishing harbour to left and road #5036 to the right

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Coming down towards the fishing harbour

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Fishing harbour on the left hand side

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Restaurants along the river side

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Driving towards West on road #5036

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Driving towards West on road #5036

You can park your car on the road side just before road #5036 turns to the north. On your left hand side you have a dead mangrove area and mudflats at LOW WATER and you can walk long the mudflats. But the birds are very scared. Interesting birds can show up in the dead mangroves so it is worth making a stop here.

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Reaching the west end of road #5036

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Reaching the west end of road #5036

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Dead mangrove and mudflats at the bend

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Dead mangrove

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Bridge 150 meter north of the road bend

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Crossing the bridge and you have ponds and pans on your right hand side

Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham is a great area for bird watching. You have different habitats, like Salt Pans, mangroves and mudflats etc. There is also a bridge across the canal and you can follow the gravel road looking for waders / shore birds and other birds in the mangroves. The gravel road ends with a U-turn at the west end.

On the east end you will find a board walk along the canal passing the mangroves and at the end there is a flimsy built bamboo bridge to bring you back on land.

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Dead end for the gravel road on the east end

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Board walk at the end of the gravel road

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Board walk

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Flimsy bamboo bridge at the end of the board walk

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Flimsy bamboo bridge at the end of the board walk


You are also very close to the ศูนย์ข้อมูลนกชายเลน Bird Center ชมรมอนุรักษ์ธรรมชาติโคกขาม. Follow road #5038 to the west and follow the road when it turns right to the north. Cross the bridge and drive north until the intersection at Khok Kham. Turn right and drive back towards east with the Salt Pans on your right hand side and you will soon reach the Khok Kham Bird Centre / Samut Sakhon Shorebird Conservation Learning Center

There are several eBird hotspots in the Moo Ban Pramong area, have a look at these if you CLICK the names below:

• Khok Kham Salt Pans - Moo Ban Pramong (This is the hot spot I use for the whole area expect for the hot spots below)

• Phanthai Norasing Non-hunting Area--Matchanu Shrine

• Phanthai Norasing Non-hunting Area--Khok Kham mudflats (DMCR Center II) - Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn

• Khok Kham Salt Pans--Khong Long Road

• Khok Kham Salt Pans--Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity


• Khok Kham Salt Pans (General Area) Just a hot spot to use for the whole area

Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham bird watching map


Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
eBird “Hotspots” in the area


Phanthai Norasing Non-hunting Area--Matchanu Shrine

Driving along road #5035 and the first T junction takes you to the Matchanu Shrine down at the shore of Gulf Of Thailand. Just follow the Ban Rang Koh Kam Road, just a little more than 1 km and you reach a parking area. There is a board walk (Closed when I was there during the Wuhan Virus outbreak) There are different restaurants and it is a tourist spot.

You can reach mangroves through the gate to the Matchanu Shrine and you can walk along mangroves and seafood farms.

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
Reaching the T junction on road #5036

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
Ban Rang Koh Kam Road to the Matchanu Shrine

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
Ban Rang Koh Kam Road to the Matchanu Shrine

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
Restaurants around the parking
April 2020 and everything is closed due to the Wuhan Virus

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
The gate to Matchanu Shrine is closed
April 2020 and everything is closed due to the Wuhan Virus

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
Looking out over Gulf of Thailand

Birding/ Bird watching at the Matchanu Shrine, Thailand
We were the only visitors



• Phanthai Norasing Non-hunting Area--Khok Kham mudflats (DMCR Center II)
Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn

Reaching the third (and last) T junction on road #5036 you leave the road and drive the 1.2 km down to the Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn. Drive slowly! Many interesting birds along the road going down to the Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn

There are ponds on the left and tree on the right hand side. Reaching the Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn and there is a big parking lot. BRING MOSQUITO REPELLENT!!!

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Leaving road # 5036 to go down to the coast

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Road to the Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Road to the Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Reaching the Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
There is a big parking area

Through the entrance and there is some kind of dolphin display. There is two concrete board walks. One taking you to East and the other one taking you to West. This is a place to visit during low water or when the tide pushing in the waders. The sun is showing no mercy so bring something to cover your head with.

There are a lookout tower in the mangrove and after having walked through the mangrove you come out in the open.

But there is a couple of big gazebos with benches to take cover in.

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Entrance

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Dolphine display on the right hand side

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Walk in to the mangrove

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Coming out from the mangrove

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Planting new mangrove

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Shadow in the gaxebo. And you can sit down to take a rest

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham mudflats / Mangrove Forest Research Center Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Board walk out to Gulf of Thailand




• Khok Kham Salt Pans--Khong Long Road


Road # 5036 bends towards north when you are coming from Moo Ban Pramong and if you follow the road you will cross a bridge over the canal after 100 - 150 meters. The area after the bridge is the Khok Kham Salt Pans. But the Salt Pans is really not until you have reached the intersection and turned right at Khok Kham.

I have only seen WHAT I THINK IS seafood farms for clams etc. There are usually a lot of waders and egrets/ herons along the ponds along the road up to Khok Kham. In the breeding season it is interesting to see all the Egrets / Herons in their breeding plumages or soon to be breeding plumages. They can stand together, hundreds of them and it is easy to get all the different species together on one picture.

APRIL 2020: I have not seen many birds in the Eastern Area around the road for a long time now. There are always some construction going on, excavators digging out the ponds to make them deeper etc. But if you look around you should be able to find dust roads taking you out between the ponds and Salt Pans. Do this from the road stretching west / east north of the area. Otherwise there is always walk paths to walk on.

You can enter the salt pan / seafood area from North, from the gravel road in the south and from the Khong Long Road. Just drive slowly and you see dirt roads between the pans and ponds. No problem to drive, but I would not suggest to get out there when it is raining as the tracks might turn in to “JAM”.

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Getting out in to the pans / ponds area from the south

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
I don't recommend to get out there if it is raining

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
I don't recommend to get out there if it is raining

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
Sometimes you have to get out of the car

Between many of the ponds and pans there are only a walking path or barriers. Of course, the birds takes off long before you come close. So the best thing is to stay in the car and find a place where there is drivable tracks next to the birds.

And of course, there are many other birds in the bushes between the ponds / pans. The water starts to go down a couple of hours before the time for LOW WATER so some areas start to dry off.

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
There are many places where you can come close to the birds

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
There are many places where you can come close to the birds

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
You find some mudflats even if you're here before LOW WATER

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand
You find some mudflats even if you're here before LOW WATER

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans, Samut Sakorn, Thailand




• Khok Kham Salt Pans--Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity

 Sakhon Shorebird Conservation Club

The ศูนย์ข้อมูลนกชายเลน Bird Center ชมรมอนุรักษ์ธรรมชาติโคกขาม or the Khok Kham Bird Centre / Samut Sakhon Shorebird Conservation Learning Center is located on left hand side of the road if you come from Bangkok. There is a parking place and a map on how to find the way in the Salt Pans.

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
On the left hand side

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
Parking space

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
Parking space

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
Map

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
Parking space

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
Salt pans

Birding/ Bird watching at Khok Kham Salt Pans / Khok Kham Bird Centre vicinity, Thailand
Salt pans




Bird checklist

I never use any bird lists, but since I try to make it in to Cloudbirders. A very helpful site when planning your birding trips. But they ask for a bird checklist, and if I use their service, of course I want to contribute as well. My two first bird watching trip reports was rejected by Cloudbirders.

So I started to take ideas from the reports I found on Cloudbirders. So I have started to use bird lists, eBird generate one for me and I can post it on Cloudbirders. I will post my birds on eBird and on my different “BIRDS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED” pages.

Full Thai list updated to the taxonomy, nomenclature and sequence of the IOU/IOC World Bird List. The complete checklist, including Thai names and synonyms, can be downloaded in Excel format - Thailand Bird Checklist. - Version 8.2 (2018) - found at www.norththailandbirding.com

Check lists can come in handy to find out the local name of the bird etc. And Avibase have a list with pictures and sounds, excellent!

So I will post bird checklists here and if my Guides provide me with checklists I will also post them here.

Cloudbirders


Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World

Samut Sakhon bird checklist from Avibase, click HERE - eBird version 2019 taxonomy

Avibase is providing you with bird checklists from all over the world. And I´m impressed by their web page. Select country and area and you get the bird checklist. Like the PDF files I got from Avibase on the links above. You also get the checklist with pictures and sounds.

The best part is that you get the local names of the birds and the online checklist gives the names in English plus the language you have selected. But it seems like the PDF cannot handle some alphabet.

For example the Japanese language so it is blank in the PDF checklist. But it worked excellent with Swedish. But you get them in the local language on the online version.


Bird list

I only list birds I have got on picture on my list of OBSERVED BIRDS. But since I started using eBird I have changed a bit. I list all the birds on the eBird checklist. See the DAY TO DAY report in the itinerary below.

And you can visit my list of “Birds I have seen in Thailand” ONLY BIRDS I HAVE ON PICTURE.


Trip Report


Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Today´s track at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham
We can see that the GPS has not been working very good - Missed is done in red


eBird

eBird Report

Khok Kham Salt Pans--Moo Ban Pramong, Samut Sakhon, TH
Apr 4, 2020 06:46 - 10:37
Protocol: Traveling
x kilometer(s) GPS not working

22 species

Zebra Dove 7
Greater Coucal 2
Black-winged Stilt 20
Lesser Sand Plover 2 One of them ringed with a black over green on the right leg. So the bird was ringed in Gulf of Thailand. Thanks to johnallcock on www.birdforum.net I learned interesting information about rings on shorebirds. He also provided me with this link that are worth visiting regarding the rings: http://www.eaaflyway.net/documents/w..._flag_2011.pdf
Little Ringed Plover 1
Common Sandpiper 2
Common Greenshank 1
Common Redshank 3
Whiskered Tern X
Little Cormorant X
Great White Egret X
Little Egret X
Javan Pond Heron 2
Common Kingfisher 1
White-throated Kingfisher 1
Black-capped Kingfisher 2
Collared Kingfisher 4
Malaysian Pied-Fantail 2
Asian Pied Starling 3
Great Myna X
Oriental Magpie-Robin X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S66597540


4th of April 2020 and we left my Condo at 06:02 according to the clock on the dashboard. Early morning, Saturday and Wuhan virus so the roads were empty and we reached Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham in 45 minutes. But it is usually the same time to reach Moo Ban Pramong whenever I go, as long as it is early morning.

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Early morning on Sukhumvit Road

It was daylight by the time I arrived so I could get right on to the photography. First bird pictures was Javan Pond Heron in breeding plumage. I spotted 3 Asian Pied Starlings, we passed them in the car and I registered the birds as Collared Starlings. 10 meters later and I asked the driver to put the taxi in reverse, there was something off with the starlings. Back at the birds and I realised that it was the Asian Pied Starlings. I went out of the taxi to try to get some bird pictures.

Pied Myna, Asian Pied Starling, Gracupica contra, นกอีแจว, Siamese Pied Myna, Gracupica floweri

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Plenty egrets, herons and waders on the mudflats

Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา

Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา

Great Egret / Great White Heron / นกยางโทนใหญ่

Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias hybridus, นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว

We passed a mudflat with several Egrets and Herons. There were also many waders like Common Redshanks and Greenshanks. I spotted a couple of Lesser Sand Plovers on the mudflats. A little bit too far away for any good pictures.

Thanks to RafaelMatias and johnallcock at Birdforum for helping me confirm the bird ID.

I was also provided with a very interesting link to East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) about colouring of the rings used to mark the birds. Click HERE for the colour code.

Forum thread HERE


Birdforum



Lesser Sand Plover, Charadrius mongolus, นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
Male moulting in the breeding plumage

Lesser Sand Plover, Charadrius mongolus, นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
Lesser Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
Adult in winter plumage



The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership is a network of partners within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them.

The Flyway is one of 9 major migratory routes recognised globally. Partners include National Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, International Non-governmental Organisations, and International Private Enterprise, which agree to endorse the text and support the objectives and actions under this Partnership.

East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF)


And from the Shorebird Color Flagging Protocol on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Click HERE for the Shorebird Color Flagging Protocol. We can see that a BLACK flag over a GREEN flag on the right leg means that the bird is ringed in Gulf of Thailand. Coloured flags on right leg.

I sent an e-mail to East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership with attached pictures and they were quick to reply.


Hi Aladdin,

I forwarded your email to some people who might know who marked your bird. Thanks for sharing this information.

Cheers, Rick


Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Mudflats along road #5036

Common Greenshank, Tringa nebularia, นกทะเลขาเขียว

Thanks to foresttwitcher at Birdforum for helping me with the ID

Forum thread HERE


Birdforum


Common Greenshank, Tringa nebularia, นกทะเลขาเขียว
Common Greenshank / นกทะเลขาเขียว

Leaving the mudflats continuing towards West and there are many Whiskered Terns flying around hunting fish in the seafood farms. I did not even try to get any pictures. But we passed one Whiskered Tern sitting on a bamboo pool. I asked the driver to stop so I could get a few pictures of the bird.

If you like Egrets and Herons, this is the place for you. They are everywhere and there are plenty of them and if you sit in the car you can come pretty close to the birds.

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Bird watching during the Wuhan virus

Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias hybridus, นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว

Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias hybridus, นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว
Whiskered Tern - นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Passing the mudflats

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Sea food farms

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Mudflats

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
I get out of the car to walk along the road

Walking along the road and the birds took off as soon as they spotted me walking along the road. I only managed to get a picture of a Javan Pond Heron and it was from quite a distance. I gave up the walking after 100 or 2 hundred meters.

The birds took off as I was quite exposed walking along the road. So I went back in to the taxi (nice, it was very hot walking in the sunshine) and we continued towards west along road #5036.

We reach the bend where road #5036 bend and start going towards north. The area around the bend and up to the bridge is quite interesting. Mud flats, open areas with dead trees etc. and here is usually many birds. I came pretty close to a group Black-winged Stilts and I could take a few pictures.

Birding/ Bird watching at Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham, Bangkok, Thailand
Javan Pond Heron

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน
Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน
Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน
Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน

Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, นกกระจอกบ้าน, Pilfink

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน
Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน
Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน

After the bend there is an intersection, 3 way and we turned left to cross the bridge. DRIVE SLOW as the area between the intersection between the intersection and the bridge is very interesting. Across the bridge and we turn left to drive down to the sea front. I spotted a lot of Cormorants and a Whiskered Tern sitting on a pool in the pan.

Otherwise not much to see here, of course, Egrets. But, well, I have never been spotting much on this stretch of the road. But I always spend the extra few minutes to make it as I have passed here and I have seen plenty Black-capped Kingfishers here. But today, no Kingfishers.

Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias hybridus, นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว
Whiskered Tern - นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว

Driving back towards road #5036 and we turn right at the bridge and we reach road #5036 after the bridge. Instead of turning right to go back towards the fishing harbour we turn left and go north towards the Khok Kham Salt Pans. There are a lot of seafood farm and I have seen egrets and Herons here. Many many of them and it is really nice when they are in breeding plumage.

Very easy to compare them as all of them can be seen standing together and it is possible to see the different Herons and Egrets side by side. I still have work to do on my page HOW TO IDENTIFY EGRETS AND HERONS.

But today the saltpans was empty, well, some waders or shorebirds. I really never know what to call them, but shorebirds seems to be the accepted term

Shorebirds

Shorebirds are birds commonly found along sandy or rocky shorelines, mudflats, and shallow waters.

In some regions, shorebirds are considered wading birds.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Waders

Waders are birds commonly found along coastal habitats shorelines and mudflats that wade in order to forage for food (such as insects or crustaceans) in the mud or sand. They are called shorebirds in North America, where the term "wader" is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons. Waders are members of the order Charadriiformes, which includes gulls, auks and their allies.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

We turn around when we reach the intersection. Going back south and I as the driver to stop on top of the bridge over the canal or what we want to call it. I had seen a Collared Kingfisher when approaching the bridge and I was lucky. I could see the bird sitting on a branch and I could get a picture.

Collared Kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris, นกกินเปี้ยว, White-collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher / นกกินเปี้ยว

Collared Kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris, นกกินเปี้ยว, White-collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Kingfisher

Collared Kingfisher, Todiramphus chloris, นกกินเปี้ยว, White-collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Kingfisher
Interesting landscape at the bend

Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius, Mindre Strandpipare, นกหัวโตเล็กขาเหลือง

Little Ringed Plover, Charadrius dubius, Mindre Strandpipare, นกหัวโตเล็กขาเหลือง

I got a picture of the Collared Kingfisher and we left the bridge behind. After 100 meters or so we reached the bend on road #5036 at the western end. I checked out the area when we turned towards east and I spotted a fantail but I could not get any good pictures. There was also one Little Ringed Plover next to the road.

We continued towards west going back to the fishing harbour. Back at the fishing harbour and we turned around going back toward the west. Coming back at the bend and we made a U-turn at the intersection just before the bridge leading to the north. Driving back slowly towards the fishing harbour and I asked the taxi driver to stop. There were plenty Great Egrets on the road side. But when we stopped they took off only leaving three behind.

Great Egret / Great White Heron / นกยางโทนใหญ่
Great Egrets

Great Egret / Great White Heron / นกยางโทนใหญ่
Little Egret come to visit the Great Egrets

After a couple of hundred meters east of the bend there is another bridge on the left hand side. Across the canal / mangroves and you reach a gravel road. Driving up and down the gravel road with the Salt Pans / seafood farms north of the road, and on the south side we have the canal with mangroves.

We were leaving the gravel road and I told the taxi driver to stop just before we reached the bridge. There was a Coucal sitting in one of the tress. Greater or Lesser? I don't know, but if I get a picture I can see the colour of the eyes and thus be able to ID the bird. Red eyes and I knew that it was a Greater Coucal.

The bird was sitting in a tree behind some leafs so the pictures is not very good, but good enough for the ID.

Greater Coucal, Crow Pheasant, Centropus sinensis, นกกระปูดใหญ่

Greater Coucal, Crow Pheasant, Centropus sinensis, นกกระปูดใหญ่
Greater Coucal / นกกระปูดใหญ่

Black-capped Kingfisher, Halcyon pileata, นกกะเต็นหัวดำ
Black-capped Kingfisher / นกกะเต็นหัวดำ

Black-capped Kingfisher, Halcyon pileata, นกกะเต็นหัวดำ
Black-capped Kingfisher / นกกะเต็นหัวดำ

Continuing towards the fishing harbour in the east and I keep my eyes out towards the mangroves north of the road. I spotted a Black-capped Kingfisher sitting on a bamboo pool. A little too far away for any good pictures. There were also many Javan Pond Herons along the road hiding in the vegetation looking for fish.

Passing more mudflats and I spotted one Great Egret fighting with a fish, a big fish, but the Great Egret managed to eat the fish. And it was amazing to see the bird continue looking for food after gulping down the big fish.

I was kind of happy when we left Moo Ban Pramong behind. Had been a nice morning, but very hot. And I was hungry so it will be nice to get back home.

Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา

Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา

Great Egret, Great White Heron, Ardea alba
Breeding Great Egret with black bill and blue face

Common Redshank
Common Redshank

Common Redshank
Common Redshank

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
Great Egret have caught a fish

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
We see the fish going down the throat

Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, Smaller Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret, Ardea intermedia, チュウサギ, นกยางโทนน้อย
And immediately looking for more food


I was back home around 2 o'clock in the afternoon and back home I started to plan for my next bird watching trip to Khok Kham /Moo Ban Pramong. Click HERE to find out if I find any birds.


Bird watching trip report



       
                  


                                       

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