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  But at 5 thirty it started to turn in to day light and I took off after have setting up my cockpit for the eBird hotspot: Phra Chulachomklao Fort across the river.  Ready for a new birding adventure
 My cockpit is set up and I take off
 Early morning traffic on Sukhumvit
I have put one Ganesh in the cockpit together with my Luang Pu Tuad (ลวงปู่ทวด) so good luck is guaranteed. Ganesh is facing me so he will keep an eye out to make sure I stay alert while on the  roads. All help is appreciated in the traffic.
I get ot on Sukhumvit driving south until the U-turn place and I go back north towards the ferry crossing Chao Phraya River at Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย) Follow Sukhumvit Road until I Phuchao Saming Phray and I drive along Phuchao Saming Phray until I reach the ferry terminal. I reach the ferry terminal at 6 o'clock and I can drive straight onboard. No ticket office or any one asking for tickets so I thought it was for free to cross the Chao Phraya River. I parked my scooter and the ferry took off. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the ferry was less than half full even though it was early Sunday morning. So, I was looking forward to my cross-river trip.  Reaching the ferry at Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย)
 Driving onboard the ferry at Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย)
 On the ferry
 We are leaving
 Traffic on Chao Phraya River
 On the way across the river
 On the way across the river
 On the way across the river
 On the way across the river
 Our hero
 My “birding” racer
 We meet the other ferry
 On the way across the river
 Approaching the other side
 Coming off the ferry
 Coming off the ferry
We leave Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย) a few minutes after I have boarded the ferry. And there is some traffic on the Chao Phraya River. One vessel going up the river and a tug pulling a long barge. Most likely bound for Sriracha. So, I am busy taking pictures and we only have a few minutes across the river to the Phra Pradaeng Pier (Car) (ท่าเรือข้ามฟากพระประแดง) The pier for the passenger boat is just a little north of the car pier. I am bound for the car pier.  My ticket
We had left Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย) and a lady come to sell me a ticket after a few minutes. The trip set me back with 10 Baht, about 30 ¢ we reach the other side and I start to drive south towards the Phra Chulachomklao Fort (ป้อมพระจุลจอมเกล้า) I stop to buy some refreshments and to fill up my scooter with gasoline. I reach Phra Chulachomklao Fort and I am a little bit confused. There have been road signs saying “TOURIST ATTRACTION” but the road end at a gate with military guards. I stop to check my map and I was at the right space. Another car came and they opened the gate and let the car pass. I started my scooter and they opened the gate for me and I stopped at the first bridge over a canal. I had spotted two Collared Kingfishers and I started my eBird app. I took off my helmet and I put the helmet under my seat and I brought out my Canon EOS R3 with the Canon RF 100-500mm IS USM lens that I put in the basked in front of the scooter.  I stop at the first bridge
 I stop at the first bridge
 Collared Kingfisher / นกกินเปี้ยว
 Yellow-vented Bulbul / นกปรอดหน้านวล
I continue slowly keeping my eyes out for birds and I am soon stopping again as there is one Yellow-vented Bulbul / นกปรอดหน้านวล sitting on the wire overhead. I reach some buildings looking to be soldier dwellings. Some sport field and I drive around looking for birds. Coming in to one street and someone tells me that the road is closed and I have to turn around. Back on the paved street and I turn left again after 50 meters. Ending up at the water and there is a tree with some Asian Pied Starlings / นกเอี้ยงด่าง and a female Oriental Magpie-Robin / นกกางเขนบ้าน.  Asian Pied Starling / นกเอี้ยงด่าง
 Little Cormorant / นกกาน้ำเล็ก
 Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน
 Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน
 Pond Heron
 Scaly-breasted Munia / นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู
I drive back to the paved road and there is two Little Cormorants / นกกาน้ำเล็ก sitting in a small tree next to the road. I stop to take a picture and one of them takes off. One bird remains and I get a few pictures. I discovered one Whiskered Tern flying over the swamp next to the road. There were several stilts and herons as well. There was a big group of Scaly-breasted Munias / นกกระติ๊ดขี้หมู when I came to the end of the paved road. % or 6 of them sitting on the wires and the remaining in a group foraging in the grass. I reported 20 but it is hard to count them. I turn around and I stop to take a picture of a Zebra Dove / นกเขาชวา sitting in a tree next to the road. The Zebra Doves are very dark, juveniles should be darker so it might be juveniles I have seen around.  Zebra Dove / นกเขาชวา
 Oriental Magpie-Robin / นกกางเขนบ้าน
 Oriental Magpie-Robin / นกกางเขนบ้าน
I get pictures of one female Oriental Magpie-Robin / นกกางเขนบ้าน. I tried to get pictures of a Common Myna, but all pictures turned out as rubbish. I leave the paved road getting on to a blocked street, but I decided to check out the trees. Exactly nothing exciting and I turn around. I hear a bird in the bushes next to me and I discover one Plain Prinia / นกกระจิบหญ้าสีเรียบ. I get a video and one sound recording and a couple of pictures I was satisfied with. Listen to the Plain Prinia
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
  Plain Prinia / นกกระจิบหญ้าสีเรียบ
 Plain Prinia / นกกระจิบหญ้าสีเรียบ
 Plain Prinia / นกกระจิบหญ้าสีเรียบ
 Plain Prinia / นกกระจิบหญ้าสีเรียบ
 Lizzard
I leave the area and I go back to the paved road. I turn left after a minute and I drive towards the Naval Historical Park / อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ทหารเรือ ป้อมพระจุลจอมเกล้า. I have mangroves on my right-hand side and when the mangrove come to an end. There were around 30 egrets fishing in the water. I stop the scooter and the birds take off. But there is much fish in the water so the birds come back after a minute and I move closer to the water. I discover that there are 3 Great Egrets and a Pond Heron as well. The Pond Heron is in winter plumage so not possible to give a proper ID. Listen to the Little Egret
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Little Egret / นกยางเปีย
 Little Egret / นกยางเปีย
 Little Egret / นกยางเปีย
 Little Egret / นกยางเปีย
 Little Egret / นกยางเปีย
 Little Egret / นกยางเปีย
 Great Egret / นกยางโทนใหญ่
 Pond Heron in winter plumage so no proper ID
I leave the egrets behind and I continue to the Naval Historical Park / อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ทหารเรือ ป้อมพระจุลจอมเกล้า and the first thing I see is the H.T.M.S. Mae Klong, A war ship that they have made in to a Royal Navy Museum / พิพิธภัณฑ์เรือหลวงแม่กลอง I drive to H.T.M.S. Mae Klong and I can hear a couple of Collared Kingfishers / นกกินเปี้ยว and I look around. I discover one of them sitting in the huge flagpole.  H.T.M.S. Mae Klong
 Ship passing on Chao Phraya River
 Collared Kingfisher / นกกินเปี้ยว
Driving on the paved road leaving H.T.M.S. Mae Klong behind and I have mangroves on both side. I spot a sparrow on the wire and I stop to take a picture. I decided that it was a House Sparrow. But I changed my mind when I saw the pictures, the bird is yellowish and I changed the ID to Plain-backed Sparrow / นกกระจอกตาล I spotted one Indochinese Roller / นกตะขาบทุ่ง sitting in a tree next to the road and I tried to sneak up on the bird. But the bird took off and landed in a tree in the mangrove.  Female Plain-backed Sparrow / นกกระจอกตาล
 Female Plain-backed Sparrow / นกกระจอกตาล
 Indochinese Roller / นกตะขาบทุ่ง
I flushed one Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว and the bird landed in a tree next to the road and I tried to come close to get a picture. The bird changed tree when I came closer but I managed to get quite close to the second tree it was landing in. There were also Little Cormorants and Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา in breeding plumage so no problem to give proper ID.  Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Little Cormorant / นกกาน้ำเล็ก
 Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
 Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
 Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
I continue and I am soon running in to a group of monkeys. I turned very cautious, not scared, but very cautious. All over the world, especially in areas with humans, the monkey can be very dangerous. Thanks to people feeding them. I general trick you can use, bend down to make it look like you are picking up a rock, many times this make them run away. And keep car windows closed! I thought it was a joke, but one time in Petchaburi, I had monkeys hanging on the car door while we were driving through the town. And they did not look very happy. The monkeys had the look of GIVE ME FOOD OR DIE!  Monkeys
 Monkey
 Collared Kingfisher / นกกินเปี้ยว
I drive back to the gate and I spot one Collared Kingfisher / นกกินเปี้ยว from the bridge at the gate. I turned off my eBird app and I left Phra Chulachomklao Fort / ป้อมพระจุลจอมเกล้า.
 Today's track at eBird hotspot: Phra Chulachomklao Fort
I leave Phra Chulachomklao Fort behind driving toward the next eBird hotspot: Khun Samut Chin It starts to get very hot so it is nice with the cooling wind driving the scooter. I drive along the ponds and it takes me about 30 minutes to reach Wat Khun Samut Trawat/ วัดขุนสมุทราวาส. I reach a road block and there is a parking lot. But they wave me through so it seems like the car have to park.  Approaching Wat Khun Samut Trawat/ วัดขุนสมุทราวาส
 Concrete bridge to Wat Khun Samut Trawat/ วัดขุนสมุทราวาส
 On the concrete bridge over the mud flats
I reach a concrete bridge going over the mud flats to Wat Khun Samut Trawat/ วัดขุนสมุทราวาส. They have some kind of motorcycle trike they bring people to the temple. I have no need for this service as I have my scooter. I drive slowly while keeping my eyes on the mud flats. I hope to see some birds on the mud flats. I see several white egrets but they are too far away for proper ID. I reach the temple and I park my scooter. I have a look around for a few minutes before I get back on my scooter.  Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Pond Heron, looks to be moulting in to a Javan Pond Heron
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Tibetan Sand Plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Little Cormorant / นกกาน้ำเล็ก
Leaving and I spot some sand plovers and a pond heron that looks to be moulting in to a Javan Pond Heron. I am a little unsure about the sand plovers so I will have to wait with the ID until I am back home with my book. Otherwise, there was not many birds on the mud flats, at least not close to the concrete bridge. Spotting one Brahminy Kite / เหยี่ยวแดง flying over the mud flats, too far away for any good picture, but I give it a try. Back home and I discover that there are two of them on the same picture. The flying one that I take the picture of, and one sitting.  Brahminy Kite / เหยี่ยวแดง
 2 Brahminy Kites / เหยี่ยวแดง
I took off leaving Wat Khun Samut Trawat/ วัดขุนสมุทราวาส behind. I have one more eBird hotspot to check out before going back home. It is a couple of kilometres to eBird hotspot: Sa-khla aquaculture ponds and it will take about 15 minutes to drive there. I pass a tree full of cormorants and I stop to take a picture before continuing. It is a beautiful area and I enjoying the views riding my scooter.  A tree full of cormorants
I reach Na Klua Subdistrict Administrative Organization and I stop to start my eBird app selecting the eBird hotspot: Sa-khla aquaculture ponds I continued along Suk Sawat-wat Sa Khla Road. Just before reaching Sakhla Village, I spot a bird sitting on the wire next to the road. I stop to take a picture and it turns out to be one Streak-eared Bulbul / นกปรอดสวน  Streak-eared Bulbul / นกปรอดสวน
 Suk Sawat-wat Sa Khla Road
I make a U-turn reaching Sakhla Village and I drive back towards the east on the Suk Sawat-wat Sa Khla Road. I turn north after a couple of hundred meters. I stop to try to get pictures of two Great Myna / นกเอี้ยงหงอน. There was one Whiskered Tern and one other tern, but I never managed to get any pictures. A little further up the road and I stop to try to get a picture of a Common Tern.  Great Myna / นกเอี้ยงหงอน
 Great Myna / นกเอี้ยงหงอน
 Common Tern / นกนางนวลแกลบธรรมดา
 Little Cormorant / นกกาน้ำเล็ก
 Black-winged Stilt / นกตีนเทียน
 Javan Pond Heron / นกยางกรอกพันธุ์ชวา
 I drive along an unnamed road between the ponds and it is the same birds as you can expect in this kind of habitat. Nothing exciting, but I enjoying my ride. I spotted more of the plovers on the mud flats and I tried to get pictures. And I discovered Painted Storks soaring high above the area. I spot one Brahminy Kite / เหยี่ยวแดง over the ponds and I try to follow the bird. The bird come back flying just pass me at eye level. But I failed to get my camera in time so the picture turned out to be rubbish.  Painted Stork / นกกาบบัว
 Brahminy Kite / เหยี่ยวแดง
 Tibetan sand plover / นกหัวโตทรายเล็ก
 Our hero is homeward bound
 Today's track at eBird hotspot: Sa-khla aquaculture ponds
I start to drive back towards the Phra Pradaeng Pier/ ท่าเรือข้ามฟากพระประแดง to take the ferry across Chao Phraya River. The ferry had just left when I arrived. Two minutes later and I could see the other ferry approaching. I was first in line waiting so I had a unblocked view and I made a video of the approaching ferry. The ferry is arriving
 Onboard the ferry at Phra Pradaeng Pier/ ท่าเรือข้ามฟากพระประแดง
 Boarding the ferry
 Waiting for departure
 We are leaving
  Crossing Chao Phraya River
 Crossing Chao Phraya River
 Crossing Chao Phraya River
 Crossing Chao Phraya River
 Back at the Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย)
 Back at the Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย)
 Back at the Pu Chao Saming Phrai (ท่าเรือปู่เจ้าสมิงพราย)
Back across the river and it is about 30 minutes to get back home. I have a shower and I make lunch before going to pick up my friend. We will drive to MEGA Bangna as I need to buy new boxing gloves. I bought a pair of new gloves last time I was home. Used them for two weeks and I cannot use them. They fit very bad, too long and it feels very strange to wear them. I got tem just before leaving for Japan back in February so I never had a chance to try them before leaving for Tokyo, Japan back in February.  New gloves back in February
 New gloves back in February
I realised that I needed new gloves after having used them just for a couple of times. So, I  decided to go to see if they had boxing gloves at MEGA Bangna. Me and my friend went on my scooter and it was a 25 minutes ride to MEGA Bangna. Sunday and it was not easy to find a parking. We found a Fairtex shop after having visited a couple of sport shops. They did not have gloves so they gave directions to the Fairtex shop. I found a pair of gloves and I bought new wrappings as well, I never use any wrappings, but my old one came in handy with the previous gloves as they were not fitting properly. And of course, the reason for me to buy new wrapping was that they were designed as the flag of Thailand. I was happy and we went to have a cup of tea.  New gloves
 New wrapping
We found a place and we ordered tea, and I ordered cake and blueberry pie. But I regret ordering the pastries as I was thinking about my V-shaped torso. So, I had my friend to eat it and I felt good when we left. We will explore the bird life at the eBird hotspot: Bang Pu--Thetsaban 108 Alley This hot spot is just next to the Bang Pu Recreation Area / สถานตากอากาศบางปู, a famous birding spot. I have never been to eBird hotspot: Bang Pu--Thetsaban 108 Alley si I will visit this area today. My friend wants to join me so it will be the first time doing bird watching with a passenger on the scooter, so this will be interesting. Click HERE to find out how this is working out.  
    
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