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  We will give the TV to Luang Poo Tong and he will give me a statue of the Egg Boy(ไอ้ไข่) from Wat Chedi (วัดเจดีย์) in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat (นครศรีธรรมราช). My friend had loaded his new pick-up truck with a tone of old magazines about Thai Buddha Amulets.  We are ready to leave Bangkok
 We stop to have breakfast
 We leave Bangkok and as it is early, we make it out of town without having to experience any heavy traffic. We stop so my friend can buy breakfast as he had not been eating before leaving to pick me up. I bought two bottles of MAX. We continued towards Kanchanaburi (จ.กาญจนบุรี) and we decided to go to have a cup of tea at TARA VILLA RIVERKWAI RESORT. We have been there a couple of times and we have really liked the place. The tea leaves a little to wish for, fancy tea that I don't care for. But food and everything is good so we decided to go have tea there before continuing to Luang Poo Tong (หลวงพ่อ ทอง) at Wat Nong Prachum (วัดหนองประชุม)  Tea time
 Tea time
They call it “premium” tea, well, if I come back again, I will bring my own tea bag. We were sitting outside today looking over the river running by below us. There were quite a few birds but I had not brought my camera even though my friend wanted me to bring the camera. He went on and on about the camera. Why I did not want to look for birds when we were on a road trip. Well, my friend will take us to some hot springs and there would be many birds. We reach Wat Nong Prachum (วัดหนองประชุม) a little later than expected because of the tea stop at TARA VILLA RIVERKWAI RESORT. Luang Poo Tong (หลวง พ่อทอง) came to greet us and he had a helping hand with him. We started to empty the pick-up truck and all hands-on deck to help.  We reach Wat Nong Prachum (วัดหนองประชุม)
 Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
We got all the things out of the car and now they wanted me to set up the TV and DVD player. It was a lot of cables to connect and I changed the menu from English to Thai. My friend's son explained the remote and DVD player for Luang Poo Tong (หลวง พ่อทอง) Luang Poo Tong (หลวง พ่อทอง) was very happy for the TV and DVD and he had music blasting high. I got some souvenirs when we left and I was very happy.  Unloading the car
 Unloading the car
We left Wat Nong Prachum (วัดหนองประชุม) and we decided to drive north to the Hindad Hot Spring (น้ำพุร้อนหินดาด) My friend had brought his swim kit and we took the 90 minutes’ drive to get to the Hindad Hot Spring (น้ำพุร้อนหินดาด) We reached the Hindad Hot Spring and as I was hungry, I bought some BBQ pork on skewer. Looked delicious and I was drooling while making the skewer. Instant disappointment, Thai food is really not healthy with all the added sugar, it was sweet and I asked if they had added sugar. He confirmed this and, well, I had to finish the skewers as I was very hungry. My friend never got down to the hot springs and we went back in to the car and we started to drive south towards Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok.  Hindad Hot Spring (น้ำพุร้อนหินดาด)
 Hindad Hot Spring (น้ำพุร้อนหินดาด)
 Hindad Hot Spring (น้ำพุร้อนหินดาด)
We were back in Bangkok at 6 o'clock and we made dinner, salad and pork collar. I also showed my friend how to make salad dressing, he and his son loves my salad dressing. +++++++++++++++
Thursday 15th of June 2023 and we left Bangkok at 7 o'clock, first stop is the eBird hotspot: Lat Krabang--Thap Yao paddies & aquaculture ponds I don't feel so good so we stop at a drug store and then at 7 Eleven before we continue to the Thap Yao paddies & aquaculture ponds.
I turn on the eBird app and the first picture I take is a Rufescent Prinia sitting on a wire next to the road. I was not very happy with the picture, but I am here to get more training with my Canon EOS R3 and the Canon RF 100-500mm IS USM.  Rufescent Prinia
 Black-winged Stilt
 Baya Weaver
 Lesser Whistling-Duck
 Common Myna
 Little Grebe
 White-rumped Munia
 Bronze-winged Jacana
 Yellow Bittern / นกยางไฟหัวดำ
We drive along the rice paddies and there are many egrets and herons. Not possible to count the birds in the fields. There is also a lot of Asian Openbills in the fields. We spotted five Yellow Bitterns but I could only see the head and the upper part of the neck as they were in the rice paddies. I tried a few pictures of the bittern in flight, but they went straight to the garbage bin. We continue towards the east and we are back on the paved road. Driving slowly and I spot one juvenile Oriental Magpie Robin.  Baby Oriental Magpie Robin - The gape is still yellow
 Bronze-winged Jacana
 Today's track at Lat Krabang--Thap Yao paddies & aquaculture ponds
I turn off my eBird app and we continue east to the eBird hotspot: Wat Tham Prathun some 90 minutes' away and we are soon on the highway driving past Chonburi and Sriracha. I start my eBird app at 11:43 when we reach the bird hide. There were the Black-crested Bulbuls when we arrived and I think I have seen them here at every visit to the bird hide. And I take the chance to test the video function in my camera and I make a short video and I am pretty impressed, hand held 400mm and there is not much shaking in the video. So, this time I did not use the stabilizer in the video editing program. Next time I will use the video editing stabilizer as well to see if it is getting better. Listen to the Black-crested Bulbul
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Listen to the Racket-tailed Treepie
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 I managed to get a couple of sound recordings as well, and I could keep two of them. The rest was not good and thrown in the garbage bin. There were many birds coming to bath in the bird bath. Most of them were Black-crested Bulbul and I counted eleven of them. There were 5 different kinds of Bulbuls. I spent almost two hours in the hide before we left. We want to make it back to Bangkok before the heavy traffic starts. And two hours was enough and I was happy with the stay when we left.  Black-crested Bulbul / นกปรอดเหลืองหัวจุก
 Black-crested Bulbul / นกปรอดเหลืองหัวจุก
 Racket-tailed Treepie / นกกาแวน
 Racket-tailed Treepie / นกกาแวน
 Streak-eared Bulbul / นกปรอดสวน
 Streak-eared Bulbul / นกปรอดสวน
 Malaysian Pied Fantail / นกอีแพรดแถบอกดำ
Quite OK with ISO 6400
 Malaysian Pied Fantail / นกอีแพรดแถบอกดำ
After a session with Topaz DeNoise AI
 Sooty-headed Bulbul / นกปรอดหัวสีเขม่า
 Black-crested Bulbul / นกปรอดเหลืองหัวจุก
 Black-crested Bulbul / นกปรอดเหลืองหัวจุก
 Stripe-throated Bulbul / นกปรอดคอลาย
 +++++++++++++++
Sunday 18th of June 2023 and it was 10 minutes past 5 when I woke up. Alarm was set to go off  at 4 but obviously, I had just turned off the alarm. My plan was to go to Bang Pu--Recreation Center to look for birds.
And I will be delayed a little now as I did not get out of bed as planned.  I booked a Taxi via Line Man, Sunday morning with light traffic and I reached Bang Pu in about 30 minutes and I could start the eBird app at 07:43. The driver asked if he should wait for me. That  would not be necessary but I came up with a clever idea.
I asked how much for an hour and it was 200฿ so I asked if he wanted to drive around the western part of the Bang Pu--Recreation Center to look for birds. Usually walking in this area but the birds get scared when I come plunging down between the mangroves. The eastern part is not accessible with car so I will walk this area.  Plain Prinia
 Plain Prinia
 Plain Prinia
 Plain Prinia
Sitting in the car and we managed to come pretty close to two Plain Prinias and I got a chance to test my camera. I am pretty happy with my camera by now after having fine-tuned some auto focus settings. I got sea sick in the beginning looking in the view finder with all the auto focus points moving around. So now it was easier to focus on the bird using the “half press” on the shutter button and then the back button to autofocus with eye detection. Listen to the Common Tailorbird
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Oriental Magpie Robin
 Oriental Magpie Robin
 Feral Pigeon
 Eurasian Tree Sparrow
 Streak-eared Bulbul
The Driver dropped me at the pier after an hour and I walked out on the pier. Low water and there were mudflats all the way out to the restaurant at the end of the pier. But no waders or gulls to be seen. I think the waders are in Europe having babies, otherwise the mudflats are full of waders. I spotted several Collared Kingfishers and one Little Cormorant. There were a couple of egrets on the mudflats, too far away for any pictures, but they looked to be sleeping.  Little Cormorant
 Collared Kingfisher
 Our hero at Bang Pu--Recreation Center
I left the pier and I turned right to get out in the mangroves and there were mosquitos so help me God. They were driving me crazy and I was bathing in mosquito repellent and I was giving myself a good rub with snus. And the sun started to shine so it was darn hot and walking in the blazing heat with the mosquitoes and the pounding sun drove me crazy. And as I will meet my friend for a cup of tea at 10, I turned around and I went back to the bird bath. I will have to have a few high ISO photos as I have decided to try the DXO PhotoLab 6 program  My Adobe lightroom is not working with Windows 11 so I decided to get a new RAW editor and so far, the best I have tried is the DXO Photolab 6 so this will be my RAW editor from now on. So, I will go to the bird bath to try to get some high ISO pictures before leaving the Bang Pu--Recreation Center. I got a few recordings before leaving for the bird bath and I could keep two. Listen to the Plaintive Cuckoo
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Listen to the Common Tailorbird
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Back at the bird bath and I spotted two Swinhoe's White-eyes and I got a few pictures with ISO speed 25600. I also got pictures of a squirrel coming to drink water and before I left, I had one Malaysian Pied-Fantail coming to cool down in the water. All pictures with ISO 25600 and I could not wait to get back home to try the new DXO Photolab 6 that I had downloaded this morning. And I will download some tutorials videos when I am back home. I had booked a taxi via Lineman and he was here to pick me up in 10 minutes.   Swinhoe's White-eye
ISO 25600
 Squirrel
ISO 25600
 Squirrel
ISO 25600
 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
ISO 25600
 Today's track at Bang Pu--Recreation Center
+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 20th of June 2023 and I took a taxi to the eBird hotspot: Rama IX Park (Suan Luang Rama IX) I was late again so there was a lot of traffic and I could not start the eBird app until 08:45 when I got out of the taxi.
It was already getting hot when I left the taxi behind. And I could hear Oriental Magpie Robins singing and they looked to be flirting with each other. And the first picture for today was of a male Oriental Magpie Robin. I also made a recording of the bird. And it looked like there was a female chasing the male so I am sure they want eggs. And as I have seen juvenile magpies this year, I guess they are going for a second broad.
 Oriental Magpie Robin
 Oriental Magpie Robin
Listen to the Oriental Magpie Robin
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Recordings of this species are currently restricted.
+++++++++
Why are recordings of certain species restricted? Some species are under extreme pressure due to trapping or harassment. The open availability of high-quality recordings of these species can make the problems even worse. For this reason, streaming and downloading of these recordings is disabled. Recordists are still free to share them on xeno-canto, but they will have to approve access to these recordings. We do not take this action lightly, and we wish it were not necessary, but we have been convinced that the negative impacts of offering easy access to these recordings outweigh the benefits. If you would like access to these recordings, you may contact the recordist directly. +++++++++
 Suan Luang Rama IX
 Suan Luang Rama IX
The park looked to be very well maintained, at least here in the “Botanical Garden” section. Walking to the south and I reported the Common Mynas and Oriental Magpies Robins in my eBird app. And there were more magpies than mynas and I cannot remember noticing this before. So, it started with a lot of mynas and magpies and I was quite excited to spot one Large-billed Crow sitting in a tree. There were also Spotted Doves eating what looked to be flowers from a tree that have felt on the ground.  Feral Pigeon
 Common Myna
 Large-billed Crow
 Spotted Dove
 Spotted Dove
 Streak-eared Bulbul
 Some structure in the park
 It is a beautiful park
There is a lot of water in the park, canals and small ponds so I was expecting egrets and herons. But nothing and I was not really surprised as it is breeding time and the birds are most likely in a tree tending to their babies. But there was one Asian Openbill standing in the water in one of the ponds. I don't know what the bird was up to as it looked like the bird was collecting snails and put them on a rock. I spotted two rocks with snails on them. The bird was taking on snail, at least the shell out of the water and put it on the rock but it did not look like the bird was trying to eat the snails.  Asian Openbill
 Asian Openbill
 Asian Openbill
 Asian Openbill
 Asian Openbill
I continued towards south and I passed yet another body of water and this was covered with vegetation with huge leaves. So, I took the chance to go sit down in the shade overlooking the water as I was pretty sure there would be birds. And if you sit down for a couple of minutes the birds get used to you and there was soon a female Plaintive Cuckoo landing on a leaf a few meters from where I was sitting.  Female Plaintive Cuckoo / นกอีวาบตั๊กแตน
 Female Plaintive Cuckoo / นกอีวาบตั๊กแตน
 Female Plaintive Cuckoo / นกอีวาบตั๊กแตน
 Female Plaintive Cuckoo / นกอีวาบตั๊กแตน
Listen to the Plaintive Cuckoo
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
It is not very often I see the Plaintive Cuckoo, but I can hear it all over Bangkok and I got a recording of the bird in Bang Pu last Sunday. It is really easy to recognise the bird, and I am pretty sure it is one of my favourite bird sounds. But I could not hear any calls from the Plaintive Cuckoo today, but I got a picture and I was happy when I left continue towards the south. I was soon reaching another entrance to the park, and I recognised the area and I have been here before. And checking my records and I see that it was in July 2016. I find a place to buy water and that was about time, it was getting hot and I was very thirsty. I could not find any water in the north botanical garden part of the park. I sit down to enjoy the water and to rest for a bit before I continue towards the part I visited last time, almost exactly 7 years ago and the park is looking very nice, I remember the park as something looking like a construction site.  Juvenile Oriental Magpie Robin
 Streak-eared Bulbul
 Streak-eared Bulbul
I walk along the south end of the main lake towards the wild areas of the park. There is a pond with a board walk, but I discovered that the board walk was closed. I recognised the area even though it was a long time ago I was here last time. The reason for me to come here back in 2016 was that it was recommended on Nick Upton's page, Thaibirding.com. And if you click HERE you will find is page about Suan Luang Rama IX. Well worth a visit if you plan to come here. The only bird I saw coming down to the “wilderness” area was a Javan Pond Heron and a Malaysian Fantail. I am pretty sure it was a Green-billed malkoha, but I never reported the bird as I was not 100% sure about the identity.  Javan Pond Heron
I only got a picture of the pond heron. I started to walk back and the plan is to take a taxi from the entrance I used back in 2016. It was getting very hot and it was not so joyful to walk around. But I was very happy that I am starting to get a grip on my new camera. Reaching the parking area and there are four Olive-backed Sunbirds, a bird I have not seen for a very long time. And for sure, it was a very long time since I managed to get a picture of the bird.  Olive-backed Sunbird
 Olive-backed Sunbird
 Olive-backed Sunbird
 Olive-backed Sunbird
 Olive-backed Sunbird
 Olive-backed Sunbird
 Olive-backed Sunbird
 Today's track at Suan Luang Rama IX
+++++++++++++++
Thursday 22nd of June 2023 and I will go back to eBird hotspot: Rama IX Park (Suan Luang Rama IX) to check out the areas with trees, the “wild” area. I booked a taxi via Lineman and I wanted to go to the same entrance where I had left last time.
The driver got to the wrong entrance, even though he had the trip on his GPS. Impressive! Anyway, I got out of the taxi and I was at the south end of the wooded area. So, I started to walk towards the wooded area. I spotted two Asian Openbills first thing and then I spotted a few Yellow-vented Bulbuls that I tried to get pictures of.  Yellow-vented Bulbul
 Yellow-vented Bulbul
 Feral Pigeon
 Feral Pigeon
There was a couple of Feral Pigeons and I practiced a little with my camera. Walking north and there was again a lot of magpies and I noticed that most of the lonely magpies were juveniles and the adults were busy flirting and preparing for a second brood. I got a recording of a magpie couple flying around in a tree when a third magpie looked like it was attacking them. They took off and I got a little of it on my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. I left the tree crossing the water and I was back where I had seen the Javan Pond Heron last time. Today there was one Little Egret and I also spotted a Javan Pond Heron, most likely the same bird I spotted last time. I knew that the boardwalk was closed so I went in the other direction and I spotted my second night heron for today.  Female Oriental Magpie Robin
 Female Oriental Magpie Robin
Listen to the Oriental Magpie Robin
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Recordings of this species are currently restricted.
+++++++++
Why are recordings of certain species restricted? Some species are under extreme pressure due to trapping or harassment. The open availability of high-quality recordings of these species can make the problems even worse. For this reason, streaming and downloading of these recordings is disabled. Recordists are still free to share them on xeno-canto, but they will have to approve access to these recordings. We do not take this action lightly, and we wish it were not necessary, but we have been convinced that the negative impacts of offering easy access to these recordings outweigh the benefits. If you would like access to these recordings, you may contact the recordist directly. +++++++++
 Monitor Lizzard
 Male Oriental Magpie Robin
 East side of the park
 East side of the park
 Japanese Garden on the east side of the park
There was also a lot of Malaysian Pied-Fantail and I counted about the same amounts of fantails and magpies. I walk to pass south of the wooded area and then I go north on the eastern side of the park. It is a beautiful park and even the wooded area is well maintained. I could see the “Night Heron” pond through some openings in the vegetation, but no birds spotted. I reached the Japanese Garden and I spotted on Coppersmith Barbet but the bird was behind some twigs so no picture. The north end of the “Night Heron” pond is open so I could see the night heron sitting at the south end of the pond and I tried to take a picture. There was a Common Iora in one of the trees and I have not seen an Iora for a very long time so this was nice.  Night Heron
 Common Iora
I sit down to try to get some pictures of two Malaysian Pied-Fantail flirting and I see a couple of trees away and there was Pink-necked Green-Pigeon and other birds eating fruits from the tree. I a find a bench to sit on with the sun coming in from the back giving a good light to the trees with the Pink-necked Green-Pigeons. There are many bulbuls feeding in the trees as well.  Malaysian Pied-Fantail
 Zebra Dove
 Pink-necked Green-Pigeon
 Pink-necked Green-Pigeon
 Yellow-vented Bulbul
 Yellow-vented Bulbul
 Pink-necked Green-Pigeon
 Pink-necked Green-Pigeon
 Pink-necked Green-Pigeon
I leave the fruit tree and I ask some of the staff working in the park where I can buy water. It  was very hot and I was desperate for water, in Suan Rot Fai I know all the places to buy water, but here in Suan Luang Rama IX I don't know where to buy water. They point across the bridge and I go to buy two bottles of water. I go to sit down on a bench and I spot one Asian Openbill foraging in the water line. There are several fantails and young magpies and I practice with my camera while enjoying the water.  Asian Openbill
 Oriental Magpie Robin
Young bird - Gape still yellow, but about to disappear
 Oriental Magpie Robin
Young bird - Gape still yellow, but about to disappear
 Zebra Dove
I see one Plain Prinia landing in the top of the tree across the pond. Well, I did not see what kind of bird it was so I took a picture to see if I could ID the bird. The bird was far away so I was pleasantly surprised on how good the picture turned out, and I could ID the bird as a Plain Prinia. I also spotted two Plain Prinias foraging on the lawn and I cannot remember ever having seen prinias on the ground before. I leave the area and I start to walk back to the entrance that I used when leaving last time. There are flowers on the parking and I hope to see sunbirds again.  Plain Prinia across the pond
 Plain Prinia foraging on the lawn
Walking back to the entrance and there was many more fantails and magpies and I got more pictures of young Oriental Magpie Robins. I also manage to get a picture of a Red-wattled Lapwing walking back to the parking. And I spot a couple of Olive-backed Sunbirds but only one picture that I could use. But I was lucky to get a sound recording of the Olive-backed Sunbirds foraging in the trees at the entrance.  Oriental Magpie Robin
Young bird - Gape still yellow, but about to disappear
 Oriental Magpie Robin
Young bird - Gape still yellow, but about to disappear
 Oriental Magpie Robin
Young bird - Gape still yellow, but about to disappear
 Red-wattled Lapwing
 Common Myna
 Olive-backed Sunbird
Listen to the Olive-backed Sunbird
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Today's track at Suan Luang Rama IX
I booked a taxi on Lineman and I looked around while waiting. I ran in to one Oriental Magpie Robin having a bath on the sidewalk just outside the park. Have been raining during the night so there was a puddle on the side walk. A great opportunity to train a little making videos with my new camera. I meant to make more training videos but I always forget it when I walk around looking for birds. I got a minute of video out of it before the bird took off. There was a little action when one Common Myna came to have a look but the bird took off after a few seconds. My taxi arrives and we are soon on our way to Sukhumvit and I was dozing off in the back for a couple of minutes and I was surprised to discover how quickly we had reached Asok. I get out of the taxi and Lazada arrives so I go to see if there are any parcels for me. 4 parcels for me and I went to my room carrying my new stuff. I made a salad and a cup of tea and that’s what I will eat today and I will soon have obtained my V-shaped torso.  Lazada bringing stuff
The Red Devil (ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานนท์) are busy tomorrow so I called my Yoga Teacher to see if we could do yoga on Saturday instead of tomorrow. No problem and I will not go to Chaiyasit Muay Thai Gym tomorrow. So I decided to go looking for birds at the Ancient City, เมืองโบราณ tomorrow. Click HERE to find out if I see any birds at the Ancient City, เมืองโบราณ.  
    
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