9 June 2020

Bird watching trip report


Introduction

Phetchaburi Rice Fields is located north of the city Phetchaburi and it is about 2 hours from Bangkok with car. There is a lot of eBird hotspots in Phetchaburi and there are 5 eBird hotspots with paddies in the names. And I will visit these 5 hotspots today and my friend will pick me up early morning.

1) Khao Yoi paddies (We will visit this hotspot today)

2) Khao Yoi aquaculture

3) Bang Tabun Ok "Duck & Ibis" Lake

4) Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture

5) Nong Pla Lai paddies (We will visit this hotspot today)

6) Ban Laem agricultural area

7) Ban Khum fish ponds and paddies

8) Thong Chai paddies (We will visit this hotspot today)

9) Bang Chak paddies (We will visit this hotspot today)

10) Ton Maphrao paddies (We will visit this hotspot today)

11) Khao Luang Cave (Tham Khao Luang)

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


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 about 2 hours to reach the area. You rent the taxi for a full day and it will set you back with about 2000-3000 Baht (May 2020) depending on distances etc. And of course, depending on your negotiation skills.

There is a highway all the way from Bangkok to Phetchaburi so the area is easy to reach. The roads between the fields are good but there are some dirt track in very poor condition. So don't be surprised if the taxi driver refuse to enter some roads.

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

From Wikipedia


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

Phetchaburi Rice Fields

Birding/ Bird watching at Phetchaburi Rice Fields, Thailand
About 115 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 90 minutes to reach the area. You rent the taxi for a full day and it will set you back with about 2000-3000 Baht (May 2020) depending on distances etc. And of course, depending on your negotiation skills.

Or show the driver a map. Click HERE for a map to Khao Yoi paddies, a good start if you come from the north

Scan for map to Khao Yoi paddies


Phetchaburi Province

Phetchaburi (Thai: เพชรบุรี) or Phet Buri is one of the western or central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. In the west it borders the Tanintharyi Division of Myanmar. Phetchaburi is home to Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Environment
Phetchaburi's shoreline on the Inner Gulf of Thailand in the area of Pak Thale consists of salt pans, mudflats, mangroves, and sand spits. It has been termed, "...the premier bird watching site for shorebirds in Thailand,..."

The 123 acre site provides sustenance for both passage and wintering species, as well as residents. The area hosts more than 7,000 waterbirds during the northern hemisphere winter. Economic development of the tidal flats, compounded by the impacts of climate change, threaten this ecosystem's future.

Several regular visitors are under threat, including the critically endangered Spoon-billed sandpiper and Great knot, Nordmann's greenshank, and Far Eastern curlew.

From Wikipedia

eBird hotspots in Phetchaburi
eBird hotspots around the Phetchaburi Rice Fields

eBird hotspots in Phetchaburi
Todays hotspots

There are several eBird hotspots around the, have a look at these if you CLICK the names below:

Khao Yoi paddies

Khao Yoi aquaculture

Bang Tabun Ok "Duck & Ibis" Lake

Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture

Nong Pla Lai paddies

Ban Laem agricultural area

Ban Khum fish ponds and paddies

Thong Chai paddies

Bang Chak paddies

Ton Maphrao paddies

Khao Luang Cave (Tham Khao Luang)

Khao Yoi paddies

Easy to miss the road to exit the highway. Just a very narrow road so it is easy to mistake it for an entrance to a house. But never mind, just take the next, as soon as you have passed through the row of houses along the highway it is rice fields for as long as you can see.

All the hotspots are very close together and you can look for birds for hours and never have left the paddies and ponds.

There are many birds associated with farmland and ponds in the area.

There are water in some of the fields and if you come here midday in the heat you will find birds bathing and drinking in the puddles. Small irrigation canals with many birds at the bottom foraging. And it is also a very beautiful area to drive around in.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies




Khao Yoi aquaculture

Khao Yoi aquaculture is an area where you drive between the ponds and it is pretty much the same as the other hotspots and no surprises here. Driving along the fish farms and there was many birds in the area, especially Egrets and Cormorants.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi aquaculture
Khao Yoi aquaculture

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi aquaculture
Khao Yoi aquaculture

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi aquaculture
Khao Yoi aquaculture

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi aquaculture
Khao Yoi aquaculture




Bang Tabun Ok "Duck & Ibis" Lake

This area is a pond / lake and a dirt track. Reaching the NE corner of the pond / lake and there is a building. The dirt road continue down on the east side of the pond / lake. When we came back to the building there was a car. The man gave us a warning, the road following the east side can collapse any time as the lake are eating on the barrier.

There are mangroves along the dust road on the east side and we spotted a crake.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Bang Tabun Ok "Duck & Ibis" Lake

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Driving on the dirt track between the ponds

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Pond

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Pond

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Pond from the building

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Leaving the area on the dirt track

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Leaving the area on the dirt track

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Tabun Ok Duck & Ibis Lake
Leaving the area on the dirt track

3 Spot-billed Pelicans were spotted in the pond / lake. There were Black-winged Stilts sitting on eggs on the dry areas in the pond. Egrets and of course Red-wattled Lapwing.



Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture

Another pond and paddies hotspot. But here we had vegetation along the road and it was not possible to see the ponds at many places. When you could see the ponds you discovered a lot of Egrets and Cormorants.

We could hear the Collared Kingfishers and we could see the Kingfisher sitting on the wire along the road. Same as the other Phetchaburi hotspots, keep an eye in the wires along the road as there are many birds sitting on the wires.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture
Driving along the ponds

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture
Driving along the ponds

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture
Driving along the ponds

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Wat Khao Takhrao aquaculture
Dirt track

Driving along the ponds and again, the same birds that you will see at the other hotspots.



Nong Pla Lai paddies

Leaving the eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies driving south and you reach a bridge over a canal. I stopped my eBird track from Khao Yoi paddies and I restarted the eBird app tracking the eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies All the hotspots are very close together and you can look for birds for hours and never have left the paddies and ponds.

Turn left after having crossed the bridge and you will drive towards east for a kilometre or so. Then the road and turns to south and you keep on driving along the canal.

There are many birds associated with farmland and ponds in the area. There are canals with Water hyacinth so keep an eye out for birds on the Water hyacinth as birds are walking around looking for food. Small irrigation canals with many birds at the bottom foraging. And it is also a very beautiful area to drive around in.

Water hyacinth

Eichhornia crassipes, commonly known as common water hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to the Amazon basin, and is often a highly problematic invasive species outside its native range.

Water hyacinth has been widely introduced in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and New Zealand. In many areas it has become an important and pernicious invasive species. In New Zealand it is listed on the National Pest Plant Accord which prevents it from being propagated, distributed or sold.

In large water areas such as Louisiana, the Kerala Backwaters in India, Tonlé Sap in Cambodia and Lake Victoria it has become a serious pest. The common water hyacinth has become an invasive plant species on Lake Victoria in Africa after it was introduced into the area in the 1980s.

When not controlled, water hyacinth will cover lakes and ponds entirely; this dramatically affects water flow and blocks sunlight from reaching native aquatic plants which often die. The decay processes depletes dissolved oxygen in the water, often killing fish.

The plants also create a prime habitat for mosquitos, the classic vectors of disease, and a species of snail known to host a parasitic flatworm which causes schistosomiasis (snail fever). Directly blamed for starving subsistence farmers in Papua New Guinea, water hyacinth remains a major problem where effective control programs are not in place.

Water hyacinth is often problematic in man-made ponds if uncontrolled, but can also provide a food source for goldfish, keep water clean and help to provide oxygen.

Water hyacinth often invades bodies of water that have already been affected by human activities. For example, the plants can unbalance natural lifecycles in artificial reservoirs or in eutrophied lakes that receive large amounts of nutrients.

From Wikipedia

Read more in Bangkok Post:

War on weed

Water hyacinths to be cleared from Chao Phraya (Updated)

Looking on the canal side and you have many Drongos, Racket-tailed Treepies and other birds associated with forest. On the right hand side you have wires following the road and you will see Bee-eaters and other birds sitting on the wire. In the fields you have Stilts and Lapwings together with “Rails and coots” That is what this kind of birds are grouped as in my book.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Driving along the canal, eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Driving along the canal, eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Open fields on the other side of the road, eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Driving along the canal, eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
You will not get tired of the landscape

Driving south for 8 km or so and you reach a bridge, turn left and cross the bridge and you reach a road. There is farm lands and you have a small drainage along the road, keep an eye at the bottom for birds. And one thing is for sure, you will love the landscape. Worth a day just to drive around even if you don't like to look for birds.



Ban Laem agricultural area

This is a very beautiful area and you drive along the rice paddies looking out for birds. And at this time of the year you have to look carefully, as you only see the bird's heads sticking up from the rice. And there are many birds feeding in the fields.

Many trees with Baya and Asian Golden Weaver nest. Some nest under construction and it looks like some of the nest have babies in them.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Ban Laem agricultural area
Ban Laem agricultural area

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Ban Laem agricultural area
Ban Laem agricultural area

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Ban Laem agricultural area
Ban Laem agricultural area

Look at the wires along the roads, Kingfishers and Hoopoes like the wires. And keep an eye in the irrigation canals along the road, birds are bathing and cooling down if you are here in the middle of the day when it is hot.



Ban Khum fish ponds and paddies

Driving along road #4040 and you have a small dirt track going south. Get up on this dirt track and follow the road towards south along the paddies and ponds. There is a lot of birds and I spotted two Purple Herons and I managed to come close, actually never been any closer to a Purple Heron.

Many birds but it is the same birds we see on the other hotspots in the area.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Ban Khum fish ponds and paddies
Get up on the dirt track and drive south

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Ban Khum fish ponds and paddies
Drive along the ponds and paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Ban Khum fish ponds and paddies
Many birds in the fields




Thong Chai paddies

I don't know if I understand this eBird hotspot: . Very close to the eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies It was a paved road and we could not see any dirt tracks leaving out to the wilderness. I might have got the hotspot wrong. But the hotspot is located just on the paved road. There were fields on both sides of the road.

We tried to leave the paved road but it looked like the roads we found was for private areas.



Bang Chak paddies

Just next to the eBird hotspot: Thong Chai paddies and it was a beautiful farmland. There is a canal next to the road and fields on both sides. And it is the same birds as we have seen at the other hotspots.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Drive along the road at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Follow the canal at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Follow the canal at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Follow the canal at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Follow the canal at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies




Ton Maphrao paddies

This hot spot, like the others, are surrounded rice fields. Narrow road and it is an elevated concrete road so there are no room to meet another car. And some parts of the road looked very bad so we had to turn around. Getting out on another narrow concrete road and we met a lorry and we gave up.

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird Ton Maphrao paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Concrete road at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird Ton Maphrao paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Concrete road at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Bird watching in Phetchaburi Rice Fields - eBird Ton Maphrao paddies
Phetchaburi Rice Fields
Very narrow road at eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies




Khao Luang Cave (Tham Khao Luang)

We arrived to the Khao Luang Cave and we were told that Khao Luang Cave was closed because of the Wuhan Virus. The cave is on a hill and in front of the gate to the cave we have the town going all the way up to the gate.

Otherwise the hill is surrounded by farm land where you have the normal birds that you expect to find around farmlands.

WARNING!!!

The area is full of monkeys, and it is not the kind sort of monkeys.

Approaching the gate area and I was lucky to close my window. One monkey (While we were driving) ran out and jumped up on the car hanging outside my window. I CAN JUST IMAGE THIS “BEAST” COMING IN TO THE CAR. What a disaster!




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

Phetchaburi 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


9 June 2020 and we left my condo around 6 thirty and we will drive down to Phetchaburi Rice Fields to have a look for birds. We stop to buy some coconut cakes. I understand from my friend that the area along Rama II is famous for coconut cakes.

Our first stop will be at the eBird hotspot: Khao Yoi paddies as this is the first hotspot coming from the north at highway #4. It is easy to miss the exit from the highway as the road is just a 3 meter wide path. We missed it and we took the second road, very narrow and it is easy to mistake it for an entry to someone’s house.

Never mind if you miss a few roads to exit the highway. Pretty much every road takes you to the paddies as the whole area east of highway #4 is paddies and fish ponds. Anyway, driving 200 meters on the narrow road between buildings and suddenly we were in the rice paddies.

Plain Prinia, Prinia inornata, นกกระจิบหญ้าสีเรียบ

Eastern Cattle Egret, Bubulcus coromandus, นกยางควาย
Eastern Cattle Egret / นกยางควาย

Eastern Cattle Egret, Bubulcus coromandus, นกยางควาย
Eastern Cattle Egret / นกยางควาย

Eastern Cattle Egret, Bubulcus coromandus, นกยางควาย
Eastern Cattle Egret / นกยางควาย

Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata, นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู, Spotted Munia
Scaly-breasted Munia / นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู

Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata, นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู, Spotted Munia
Scaly-breasted Munia / นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู

Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata, นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู, Spotted Munia
Scaly-breasted Munia / นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู

Birding/ Bird watching at Khao Yoi paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand - Asian Openbill
Asian Openbill

We were on one dirt track and we had to turn around because of the condition of the road. We had seen many birds in the paddies and we passed a group of 32 Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage. We passed one alone Cattle Egret far away from the group and it looked very sick.

Looks like it had lost its feathers on the neck and also looks like it had been in a spill of some kind. Maybe the spill poisoned the bird and making its feathers to fall off.

Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
Cattle Egret, most likely sick from a spill - Click HERE for bigger picture

I posted the picture of the Cattle Egret on birdforum to see if I could get any suggestions on what is wrong with the bird.

Suggestion that the bird have been poisoned by and oil spill or similar hand have lost the feathers on the neck.

Forum thread HERE


Birdforum


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

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

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

We pass a tree and I spot a baby bird next to the tree. Looked like a baby Asian Pied Starling that could not yet fly. I managed to get a few pictures of the bird in the grass before the bird disappeared deeper in to the grass.

I think it is a Asian Pied Starling fledgling and I got it confirmed in birdforum when I was back home.

Birding/ Bird watching at Khao Yoi paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Khao Yoi paddies, Phetchaburi

eBird

eBird Report

Khao Yoi paddies, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 9, 2020 08:22 - 09:52
Protocol: Traveling
5.89 kilometer(s)
23 species

Feral Pigeon 6
Red Collared Dove 6
Spotted Dove 1
Greater Coucal 1
Asian Koel 2
Black-winged Stilt 5
Red-wattled Lapwing 3
Asian Openbill 20
Great White Egret 1
Little Egret 2
Cattle Egret 34
Javan Pond Heron 10
Collared Kingfisher 1
Malaysian Pied-Fantail 3
Plain Prinia 6
Asian Pied Starling 3
Great Myna 30
Oriental Magpie-Robin 1
Brown-throated Sunbird 2
Asian Golden Weaver 25
Scaly-breasted Munia 35
House Sparrow 4
Eurasian Tree Sparrow 8

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70227795

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

We drove south on the paved road and I turned off the tracking in my eBird app when we crossed a bridge. I restarted it immediately now tracking the eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies. There are 5 hotspots in Phetchaburi but they are very close and the whole area consists of rice paddies and fish ponds. So I lost concentration on the bird watching managing the eBird app. Where and when to change hotspot. And where are we?

Would be enough with one hotspot for the area. Starting birding in the eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies and we are driving south having rice paddies on our right hand side following a canal on our left hand side.

Ashy Woodswallow, Artamus fuscus, นกแอ่นพง

Ashy Woodswallow, Artamus fuscus, นกแอ่นพง
Ashy Woodswallow / นกแอ่นพง

Ashy Woodswallow, Artamus fuscus, นกแอ่นพง
Ashy Woodswallow / นกแอ่นพง

Ashy Woodswallow, Artamus fuscus, นกแอ่นพง
Ashy Woodswallow / นกแอ่นพง

Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus, นกกระจาบทอง

Asian Golden Weaver, Ploceus hypoxanthus, นกกระจาบทอง
Male Asian Golden Weaver / นกกระจาบทอง

Birding/ Bird watching at Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand - Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
Javan Pond Heron

Birding/ Bird watching at Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand - Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
Javan Pond Heron

Chestnut Munia, Lonchura atricapilla, นกกระติ๊ดสีอิฐ

Chestnut Munia, Lonchura atricapilla, นกกระติ๊ดสีอิฐ
Chestnut Munia / นกกระติ๊ดสีอิฐ

Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, นกตีนเทียน

Javan Pond Heron, Ardeola speciosa, นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
Javan Pond Heron, breeding adult

Bronze-winged Jacana, Metopidius indicus, นกพริก

It was a beautiful stretch of road along the canal and there were so many birds, both canal side and paddy side of the road. After about 8 kilometres we reached a T junction and we turned left crossing the bridge over the canal.

Just before turning on the bridge I spotted an Asian Koel on the other side of the canal, a wee bit too far away for good pictures. We spotted an Asian Openbill sitting on a wire over the bridge and the bird looked very nice in the setting.

Up on the bridge and we stop to have a look along the canal to see if we could spot any interesting birds.

Birding/ Bird watching at Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand - Asian Koel
Asian Koel

Birding/ Bird watching at Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand - Asian Openbill
Asian Openbill

We had seen quite a few Black Drongos on the way to the bridge but no pictures. We spotted one Black Drongo from the bridge and I tried to take some pictures of the bird. Black bird between me and the sun, next to impossible to get something out of it. But I found use for two of the pictures and the rest went to the bin.

We left the bridge and we drove up and down the paved road and it was the same birds as we had already seen.

Black Drongo, कालो चिबे, Dicrurus macrocercus, นกแซงแซวหางปลา

Black Drongo, कालो चिबे, Dicrurus macrocercus, นกแซงแซวหางปลา
Black Drongo / นกแซงแซวหางปลา

We leave the hotspot and I spot one White-breasted Waterhen next to the road and we stop and put the car in reverse. I was lucky and the bird was still standing there. The White-breasted Waterhen is usually very scared so I was surprised.

And the bird walked towards the car and crossed the road just in front of us. Down in the ditch on the other side and we discovered that there was another White-breasted Waterhen and they joined each other’s.

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก

White-breasted Waterhen, Amaurornis phoenicurus, นกกวัก
White-breasted Waterhen / นกกวัก

Birding/ Bird watching at Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi

eBird

eBird Report

Nong Pla Lai paddies, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 9, 2020 09:53 - 11:33
Protocol: Traveling
10.22 kilometer(s)
26 species (+1 other taxa)

Little Grebe 5 Two nest with bird
Red Collared Dove 1
Asian Koel 1
Plaintive Cuckoo 1 Heard only
Common Moorhen 1
White-breasted Waterhen 2
Black-winged Stilt 30
Red-wattled Lapwing 2
Bronze-winged Jacana 2
Asian Openbill 8
Purple Heron 2
Great White/Intermediate Egret 20 Too far away for any proper ID
Little Egret 2
Javan Pond Heron 3
Green Bee-eater 7
Ashy Woodswallow 5
Malaysian Pied-Fantail 1
Black Drongo 5
Racket-tailed Treepie 1
Plain Prinia 3
Asian Pied Starling 8
Baya Weaver 1
Asian Golden Weaver 20
Scaly-breasted Munia 15
Chestnut Munia 15
House Sparrow 1
Eurasian Tree Sparrow 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70229372

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

We leave the eBird hotspot: Nong Pla Lai paddies and next eBird hotspot: Thong Chai paddies. The first bird is a Great Coucal and I was surprised that the bird was not scared, the Coucal is usually very scared, but today the bird was standing there next to the road and I could get a few pictures.

I have seen many Coucals, but only one like this before. That was in Botanical Garden in Kolkata and the Coucal did not bother about me. Otherwise, they have all taken off immediately when I have approached.

Greater Coucal, Crow Pheasant, Centropus sinensis, นกกระปูดใหญ่

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

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

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

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

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

White-throated Kingfisher, White-breasted Kingfisher, Halcyon smyrnensis, นกกะเต็นอกขาว

eBird hotspot: Thong Chai paddies was mostly a paved road as I could not find any dirt tracks going out in to the fields. We were leaving when we spotted one White-throated Kingfisher next to the road. And we were lucky as the Kingfisher was still standing on the concrete pole when we had done the U-turn.

I got a picture and when we tried to get closer the bird took off. Nothing much around here and I stopped the track in my eBird app. I restarted the app after having changed it to the eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies

Birding/ Bird watching at Thong Chai paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Thong Chai paddies, Phetchaburi

eBird

eBird Report

Thong Chai paddies, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 9, 2020 12:04 - 12:26
Protocol: Traveling
7.44 kilometer(s)
15 species (+1 other taxa)

Greater Coucal 1
Plaintive Cuckoo 1 Heard only
White-breasted Waterhen 1
Black-winged Stilt 3
Bronze-winged Jacana 1
Asian Openbill 1
Little Egret 5
Cattle Egret 1
white egret sp. 20 Too far away to see if Great or Intermediate
White-throated Kingfisher 1
Indochinese Roller 1
Ashy Woodswallow 1
Black Drongo 1
Yellow-bellied Prinia 1
Asian Pied Starling 1
Asian Golden Weaver 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70229882

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

eBird hotspot: Bang Chak paddies and we drove along a canal and we had farmland all around us. The first stop was to have a look at 4 Baya Weavers playing and fighting in a puddle. I managed to get a few pictures, not any good but OK. We continue and we stop to take pictures of a Red-wattled Lapwing.

Suddenly I discover that there is a baby Red-wattled Lapwing and that the two adults are guarding what I suppose is their own baby out for a walk enjoying the nice weather.

Baya Weaver, Ploceus philippinus, นกกระจาบธรรมดา

Baya Weaver, Ploceus philippinus, นกกระจาบธรรมดา
Baya Weaver / นกกระจาบธรรมดา

Baya Weaver, Ploceus philippinus, นกกระจาบธรรมดา
Baya Weaver / นกกระจาบธรรมดา

It was a cute baby and we enjoyed watching the bird walking around. But out of respect we didn't wanted to disturb so we left after a few pictures.

The fields were full of Great Mynas and we could see black spots everywhere in the green fields. We reached a construction site, looked like they were building a bridge over the railway. We turned around and we drove back the same way as we had come. On the way back and we spotted 4 Lesser Whistling Ducks in the field, looked to be two pairs.

There was a lot of birds in the area but nothing we had not seen before. But it was the first time I managed to get pictures of the Baya Weaver so that was good.

Red-wattled Lapwing, นกกระแตแต้แว้ด, Vanellus indicus

Red-wattled Lapwing, นกกระแตแต้แว้ด, Vanellus indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing / นกกระแตแต้แว้ด

Red-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing baby

Red-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing baby

Red-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing baby

Red-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing baby

Red-wattled Lapwing, Vanellus indicus
Red-wattled Lapwing baby

Birding/ Bird watching at Bang Chak paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand

Birding/ Bird watching at Bang Chak paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand

Birding/ Bird watching at Bang Chak paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Bang Chak paddies, Phetchaburi

eBird

eBird Report

Bang Chak paddies, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 9, 2020 12:42 - 13:27
Protocol: Traveling
8.95 kilometer(s)
19 species

Lesser Whistling-Duck 4
Feral Pigeon 5
Zebra Dove 2
Black-winged Stilt 22
Red-wattled Lapwing 3 One baby with two parents
Asian Openbill 1
Little Egret 4
Javan Pond Heron 1
Green Bee-eater 2
Indochinese Roller 1
Black Drongo 2
Large-billed Crow 1
Plain Prinia 1
Asian Pied Starling 2
Common Myna 5
Great Myna 100 Rice paddies full
Oriental Magpie-Robin 2
Baya Weaver 4
Asian Golden Weaver 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70230300

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I turn off the track in my eBird app and I restarted it immediately and now I had changed to the eBird hotspot: Ton Maphrao paddies. The hotspots are very close, and again, why not just have one hotspot covering the whole area. Anyway, I had just started the tracking when we spotted one Greater Coucal next to the road. One male weaver was attacking the Coucal “dive bombing” style.

By the time I had my video camera ready the Coucal took off so I missed the action.

Otherwise there was nothing special, not that we gave it much energy as we were very hungry. I turned off the eBird app and we drove to Phetchaburi to have Japanese lunch/ dinner.

Birding/ Bird watching at Ton Maphrao paddies, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Today's track at Ton Maphrao paddies, Phetchaburi

eBird

eBird Report

Ton Maphrao paddies, Phetchaburi, TH Jun 9, 2020 13:34 - 13:49
Protocol: Traveling
3.19 kilometer(s)
7 species

Little Grebe 2
Greater Coucal 1 Attacked by a weaver
Black-winged Stilt 8
Asian Openbill 1
Javan Pond Heron 6
Black Drongo 3
Great Myna 5

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S70230457

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I booked 3 nights at Baan Maka Nature Log and I called my taxi driver and he will come to pick me up at 8 o'clock Friday morning. Kraeng Krachang National Park is closed due to the Wuhan Virus. We don't know when they open again, but they will make an announcement on Friday.

Anyway, even if the National Park is closed there is enough eBird hotspots in the area to keep me busy until Monday afternoon when I go back home again.

Just click HERE to find out if I see any birds at Baan Maka Nature Lodge.


Bird watching trip report



       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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