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  I stop in Khlong Dan to buy a pick-nic lunch that I will enjoy in the salt pans.  Morning traffic on Sukhumvit
 Our Hero plunging down the Sukhumvit Road
 My pic-nic
Starting my eBird app at 07:58 and I spot one Grey Heron sitting in a tree on my way to the wood bride. Stopping to get a picture before I continue to the bridge. Crossing the wood bridge and I stop to “scan” the salt pans with my binoculars. No sign of any shore birds, but there is one pan full of white egrets and another pan full of gulls. I know it is gulls because of the size, but there are most likely many terns there as well. There is one Indian Cormorant on top of a pole and I stop to take a picture. Just a shadow as the bird was between me and the sun and it looked nice. Just a stupid attempt to be a wee bit artistic, but I liked the picture.  Grey Heron
 Indian Cormorant
Listen to the Mystery Tern
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 I took a picture of the Indian Cormorant and there was a tern flying around over the salt pan, diving for food every now and then. I made a recording, but I do not know what tern it was, common or whiskered. But i need a picture to see the colour of the bill and legs. The change colours between winter and summer plumage so it can be hard for me and I report the bird as a tern sp. I tried to count the white egrets and all three species were in the salt pan. The great white, medium and little egrets and there were a lot of them. There were not so much shore birds, there were one group in one of the salt pans, but I could see more groups coming in from the sea so it would soon be high water.  Little Cormorant
 Pond Heron
 Black-tailed Godwit
 Red-necked Stint
 Kentish Plover
 Red-necked Stint
 Driving between the ponds
 Red-necked Stints and Tibetean Plovers
Click on the picture for full sixe pictures
 Broad-billed Sandpiper
 Black-winged Stilt
Click on the picture for full sixe pictures
 Driving between the ponds
 White-face Plover
 Our Hero is keeping his eyes out
 Marsh Sandpiper
 Driving down one cart track that I skipped last time. I was stopped taking pictures of a kingfisher sitting on a wire when a motorcycle came to disturb the kingfisher. The motorcycle disappeared down the cart track and I decided to follow him. But first the kingfisher, the motorcycle scared a Collared Kingfisher and when he disappeared there was a Common Kingfisher landing on the same spot. I see the Collared Kingfisher again and I manage to get close for a picture of the bird sitting on the wire. I turn around and I follow the motorcycle.  Common Kingfisher
 Collared Kingfisher
 Collared Kingfisher
Turning around when I reach the end of the cart track, there is some kind of small building and a couple of dogs. The motorcycle left when I approached. Driving back towards the wooden bridge to get to the next eBird hotspot and I make a U-turn at the bridge. I decide to go back across the salt pans to find a road to get out on Sukhumvit. The birder I met the other day had parked his car, so there must be access from that side as well. I turn off my eBird app and I hear one Eurasian Tree Sparrow and I make a recording. Reporting the bird to eBird and I drive out to Sukhumvit.  Listen to the Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
  Today's track at Bang Pakong salt pans
Heading towards west for a couple of hundred meters and I took off Sukhumvit. I stopped to start my eBird app, now using the eBird hotspot: Bang Pakong--The Gleua Café salt pans I continue out towards the ponds and the dirt road is in very bad condition. There are two tankers filling something but as I have passed the pump the dirt track turns in to a nice sand road. There were not so many birds, well, a lot of Painted Storks and a couple of Grey Herons. I can report one Little Stint and one Tibetan Plover. Of course, there were Black-winged Stilts.  Little Stint
 Little Stint and an Tibetan Plover
 Painted Stork
Click on the picture for full size
 Painted Stork
Driving back to Sukhumvit and I turn off again after 50 meters and I am soon back along the salt pans/ fish ponds. I spot one kingfisher driving over the canal, well, canal, it is some kind of pond in the mangrove. I flush one kingfisher, but I only get to see the back of the Common Kingfisher. Continuing out in the wilderness and I pass some shore birds. About 120 birds and it looks to be Marsh/ Wood Sandpipers. I stop to have my pic-nic, a small bag of peanuts and a diet drink. Driving back to Sukhumvit and I turn off my eBird app when I reach the highway.  Charadriiformes sp. (shorebird sp.)
Click on the picture for full size
 Charadriiformes sp. (shorebird sp.)
Click on the picture for full size
 Black-tailed Godwit
 Plenty salt
 Our Hero is keeping his eyes out
 Today's track at eBird hotspot: Bang Pakong--The Gleua Café salt pans
Driving back to Samut Prakan and I will stop at the eBird hotspot: Bang Pu--estuary E of Dan Noi on the way back. Starting the eBird app again about 30 minutes after having left the Bang Pakong salt pans. There are a lot of Black-winged Stilts in the ponds, but no shore birds. And I discover the shore birds when I come down to the mudflats. The high water is going out and there are now some mudflats and it is full of Black-tailed Godwits. And there were kingfishers on the bamboo poles as there have been every time I have been here. Today, five Collared Kingfishers and one Black-capped Kingfisher sitting on the poles. The Collared Kingfishers dive down to catch food and I can hear they knocking shells or whatever it, is on the pole to crack open the shells. Driving back to Sukhumvit and I spotted two Zitting Cisticolas and I managed to get pictures.  Black-winged Godwits foraging on the mud flats
 Five Collared Kingfishers and one Black-capped Kingfisher
 Black-winged Godwits foraging on the mud flats
 Zitting Cisticola
 Zitting Cisticola
 Zitting Cisticola
 Zitting Cisticola
Next stop Samut Prakan and I started to head west on Sukhumvit Road and I spend the rest of the Sunday afternoon in my room with my pictures and bird books. And of course, bringing back the garbage to be disposed properly. Thai style, throw it out the window and it is unbelievable how much garbage they throw all over, destroying a beautiful country.  Bringing back the garbage
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Tuesday 4th of January 2025 and I take off late, almost 10 o'clock as I added a power nap to my “GOOD MORNING” routines. I went to bed at 5 thirty with the alarm set to go off at 6.
So, the Bang Pakong salt pans was out of question and I decided to go to the eBird hotspot: Mueang Boran fish ponds instead. And I will be back home to have lunch/ dinner before going for an afternoon session with The Red Devil, ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานนท์ at Chaiyasit Muay Thai Gym. Starting the eBird app at 10:30 and I can report seven Feral Pigeons, one Common Kingfisher and one Malaysian Pied Fantail immediately. Driving along the ponds and the pond that was empty last time is now full of water. But I spotted one Asian Openbill looking for food in the vegetation.  It is a beautiful area
 Working in the pond
 Common Tern
 Common Tern
 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
 There are some terns flying around but I cannot ID the birds. I pass a few terns sitting on a wire and I get a picture. I am pretty sure they are Common Terns. There were around 10 terns so a lot less than last time when there were hundreds of terns. There were 3 Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and I could count to 12 Black Drongos when I came down to the wetlands, well, it is full of water in the pond next to the dirt road. Reaching the The Ancient City, เมืองโบราณ (Mueang Boran) and I turn around to drive back home.  Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Hearing one Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker in one of the trees and I stop to see if I can see the bird. The bird was moving around all the time so it was not very easy to take pictures. And of course, I was surrounded by dogs that have been chasing me along the dust road. Stopping to try to take a picture of the Blue-tailed Bee-eaters that I had passed before. I got a picture and I continued towards north. Passing the area with the perching terns and I slowed down to see if I could get pictures to see if I could ID more terns. But the terns were gone and there was no need for me to make any stop.  Blue-tailed Bee-eater
 Blue-tailed Bee-eater
 Working in the pond
 Working in the pond
Back at the village and I spot one shriek on the wire. It is all brown and the only option in eBird is the Brown Shrike. Yes, that would be obvious, but a few days ago I reported a Brown Shrike at Bang Pu Golf Course surroundings and that was a grey bird. And all the Brown Shrikes I have reported have been grey. Coming back home and I learned something new: • The Grey bird, not much of an white/ grey brow is an Brown Shrike (Philippine) • The brown bird, have an white/ grey browe is an Brown Shrike (Brown) • Grey head and brown back is an Burmese Shrike This was interesting and there is always a little something to learn when looking at birds. So, I reported this bird as a Brown Shrike (Brown)  Brown Shrike
 Brown Shrike
 Brown Shrike
 Brown Shrike
 Brown Shrike
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Wednesday 5th of February 2025 and I am going back to the eBird hotspot: Mueang Boran fish ponds and I start my eBird app at 09:56.
I can report Great Mynas, Zebra Doves and a Malaysian Pied Fantail before I start moving. Continuing and I spot the Brown Shrike at the same place as yesterday. I was happy with the pictures from yesterday and I never took any pictures. There are a lot of pond herons, still in winter plumage. But they have started to moult in to breeding plumage. Still too early for me to see which pond heron it is. But there was one pond heron that had come quite far in the moulting and I could see that it was a Javan Pond Heron.
Two more weeks and it will be easier to ID the pond herons. There was a tree full of Indian Cormorants and I tried to count them. Siting in two trees, I count to 48 in one three and 6 in the second three + 7 on a wire. And of course, a lot of cormorants that I could not ID so they were reported as Little/Indian Cormorant in my eBird app.  Indian Cormorant
 Javan Pond Heron
 Javan Pond Heron
 Approaching the The Ancient City, เมืองโบราณ (Mueang Boran) and there is a small monitor lizard on the road. I am followed by a group of dogs. The lizard takes off in to the pond and the dogs caught sight of the lizard and they took off after the lizard. They are howling and barking and it look very funny with the dogs climbing over each other to get to the lizard. The lizard is in the pond and the dogs are barking and howling, one of the dogs are half way out in the pond barking with the mental support of the other dogs barking behind. Turning around when I reach The Ancient City, เมืองโบราณ (Mueang Boran) and I have only three dogs with me. The rest of the dogs are still barking at the lizard. Stopping at the same tree where I had seen the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker yesterday. And I got two recordings of the bird before I continued. Listen to the Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
 Plain Prinia
 Plain Prinia
There is one Plain Prinia sitting on a wire, but the vegetation covered the bird. Again, I tried to be a bit artistic with the pictures, but I failed. Good enough for ID though. One more Brown Shriek and this was a grey bird so I reported the bird as a Brown Shrike (Philippine) in my eBird app. I work my way slowly back to the paved road and I turn off my eBird app. Getting back to my room and I have lunch/ dinner before taking off to the gym for an afternoon session.  Asian Golden Weaver
 Asian Golden Weaver
 Asian Golden Weaver
 Asian Openbill
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Thursday 6th of February 2025 and I took off to check out two areas, not any hotspots but it is two places that I like. My first stop is at the Rural Road Samut Prakan 6024 and after I will go to check out the Suwanbhut 3
I was at Rural Road Samut Prakan 6024 a couple of days ago and they are preparing the area to build something. And when I arrived today there were plenty trucks coming with sand and gravel. They are filling the ponds and I suspect that this is my last visit to this area.  Filling the ponds
 Filling the ponds
 Filling the ponds
There are a lot of bird in the scrub land and I can ID three Zitting Cisticolas and there are at least one Eastern Yellow Wagtail. A few cormorants and four Black-winged Stilts together with some shore birds that I could not ID in one of the ponds. I could count to 19 Feral Pigeons and 20 Zebra Dove. So, there are still some birds in the area, but the trucks have scared away most of the birds. There was a raft in one of the ponds and there was one Common Sandpiper resting on the raft.  Zitting Cisticola
 Zitting Cisticola
 Zitting Cisticola
 Zitting Cisticola
 Common Sandpiper
 Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Turning off my eBird app and I take off to the next area and I have not been here for a long time. Last time they were constructing industrial buildings, but there were quite a few interesting birds as the area is just next to some huge ponds. The ponds are hidden behind a concrete wall, but there are birds coming over. There is an area they have prepared for new buildings and I hope they have not started the construction. I got a new “LIFER”, I spotted what I thought was a Common Myna landing in the reds and I went to investigate. It was not a myna, it was one Grey Nightjar. The Grey Nightjar took off before I could get a picture. I spend quite some time with a Plaintive Cuckoo before I could get a picture of the bird.  Plaintive Cuckoo
 Plaintive Cuckoo
 Plaintive Cuckoo
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Friday 7th of February 2025 and I take off to have a look at the Bang Pu--Recreation Center. There is the bird bath, but the pictures from Bang Pu--Recreation Center at eBird shows another bird bath and I hope to find it.
I brought my camera even though I had not planned to take any pictures. Never know what shows up, and if I don't bring my camera there will for sure be some excitements. Stopping to start my eBird app when I reach the entrance to the Bang Pu--Recreation Center.  Reaching Bang Pu--Recreation Center
The sky was suddenly full of birds coming from the west and flying towards east. At least 100 Painted Storks and at least 50 white egrets. And there were at least 50 cormorants, the storks started to circle over the ponds at the eastern part of the Recreation Center. I drive along my normal route and there were very few egrets, so they were up to something with the huge group flying over the area when I arrived. There was a tree with 16 Indian Cormorants. Otherwise, nothing much. Driving out on the sea front road and it looked like the high water was coming in, already very high. Turning around at the gate and I stop to try to record one Greater Coucal. Listen to the Greater Coucal
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Listen to the Black-winged Stilt
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Leaving the sea front road and I drive past the small wetland. I spot Black-winged Stilts, no surprise there. One Common Greenshank and two Common Redshanks. I had seen a couple of small shore birds on the mud and I was looking for them through my binoculars. Not easy to find them, but I can see that it is four Little Ringed Plover foraging in the mud and I report them in my eBird app. There is one Common Tailorbird singing from the mangrove and I drive there to try to get a recording of the Common Tailorbird. There is a Collared Kingfisher and we can hear the bird 3 seconds in to the recording. Listen to the Common Tailorbird
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Driving along a narrow road and there is a truck blocking the road. They are putting net around the concrete poles in the area. They are stopping at every pole and they send up a guy with a lift to put a net around the pole. Stopping to have a chat with the crew and I ask if it is for monkeys. - No, this is for snakes  SNAKES!!!!??? What the 
The guy confirmed that it was for snakes. I would never have though that a snake could climb up poles. I make a mental note to keep an eye on the wires in the future. Driving along looking for birds enjoying the day when suddenly being attacked by a snake from above.  Working with the concrete poles
 Snake guards
Driving along the mangroves and ponds and I keep an extra eye out for snakes. I have only seen one snake here, but that is several years ago now. There is one Oriental Magpie Robin singing from the top of the tree and I stop to make a recording. I get the Oriental Magpie Robin and after a while there is one Coppersmith Barbet. Cutting the recording in to two, one for the Oriental Magpie Robin and the second part will be for the Coppersmith Barbet. And we can also hear the Common Myna in the recording. Listen to the Oriental Magpie Robin
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Listen to the Coppersmith Barbet
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Driving to the pier and there are a lot of people at the education center so it is obviously some nature day. All of them had the same shirts so it was the same group. I went to the bird bath but I could never find the bird bath I have seen on the eBird pictures. I return to my scooter and I see one Great White Egret on the parking lot. And it is the first Great White Egret in breeding plumage for this year. I have seen a lot of Little Egrets in breeding plumage and we will soon see the egrets and herons in breeding plumage and they will disappear to have nest and babies.  Great White Egret in breeding plumage
 Great White Egret in breeding plumage
 Great White Egret in breeding plumage
Passing MAKRO to buy onions and salad on my way back to Samut Prakan and I have my lunch/ dinner before going to Chaiyasit Muay Thai Gym for an afternoon session with The Red Devil, ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานนท์. And I will have to make a plan on where to go looking for birds tomorrow.       
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