SOUTHEAST ASIA BIRD REPORT

Thailand December/January 2016/17

Link to 2012-13 Thailand/Cambodia Bird Reports

Bar-backed Partridge Arborophila brunneopectus Ban Song Nok, Thailand 30 December 2016

INTRODUCTION

Birding Thailand is always a special treat. The country is a cornucopia of avian delights, sometimes in the most unexpected locations, such as the sprawling metropolis of Bangkok. Three years earlier I spent very little time birding in Bangkok, mostly due to an overwhelming cloud of mustard gas hanging over the city, belched out by a million internal combustion engines gridlocked in every direction. This time was different. My hotel in the Kings Park district was conveniently situated near a large city park dedicated to the late King of Thailand and his predecessors. Despite hoardes of Thais exercising in the park during early morning hours, combined with a multitude of loudspeakers blaring music and narratives along pathways, there were scores of interesting birds to be found. And with constant human presence in the park, most bird species are approachable for outstanding photographic opportunities. This was the only location I have ever found in Thailand, where the commonly heard but seldom seen Asian Koel, exposed itself long enough for a snapshot. This remarkable event alone was worth a second visit to the park. While staying in Bangkok for a few days at the beginning and end of the journey, I found Kings Park to be a wonderful consolation prize for a naturalist otherwise confined to a nearly impenetrable concrete jungle.

Kings Park Bangkok, Thailand 17 December 2016

Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis

Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) Kings Park, Bangkok 3 Jan 2017 Coppersmith Barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus)

Richard's Pipit (Anthus richardi) Blue-tailed Bee Eater (Merops philippinus)

17 December 2016 Kings Park Bangkok 3 January 2017

From Bangkok, my colleague, Dan Byrne and his Thai wife Nattamon, navigated through a couple of local bus terminals with our luggage, and by the end of a long day on the road we arrived at their spacious new home in the village of Ban La Sai Mai in the Buri Ram province of northeastern Thailand. This would be our base of operations for the next few days. The land surrounding their home included extensive rice paddies and a variety of other agriculture fields, active and fallow. One of the best birding locations, however, was a nearby large, man-made reservoir with abundant lilies and some fringing marsh. We never learned the proper name of the reservoir (perhaps it doesn't have one). This reservoir, combined with adjacent agricultural land, became Dan's regular birding area, reminicent of his study area on the outskirts of his former residence in Chang Rai, northern Thailand, nicknamed Dan's Patch.

The Byrne residence, Ban La Sai Mai, Thailand 26 December 2016

(A) Plain-backed Sparrow (Passer flaveolus) and (B) Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius ) Byrne residence, Thailand 21 Dec. 2016

One of the best birding areas of the Buri Ram province is a phenomenal natural wetland called Sanambin. We spent several hours birding this area one day, documenting fifty-two species. Among thousands of waterbirds (literally hundreds of nesting Asian Openbill) were three Sarus Cranes, which were re-introduced to the area by conservation biologists. In fact, these large, stately birds had been in the adjacent wetlands the entire time Dan and I had surveyed but were visible only from the tower and nearby grounds next to the ranger station, where we made our last observations of the day.

Asian Openbill Sanambin, Thailand 20 December 2016

Little Green Bee eater (Merops orientalis) Sanambin, Thailand 20 December 2016

Dan Byrne (left) and I in Sanambin bird observation tower, 20 Dec. 2017

Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) Sanambin, Buri Ram Thailand 20 December 2016

Sananbin Wetland Reserve, Buri Ram Thailand 20 December 2016

About a day's drive northwest of Dan's home in Ban La Sai Mai is one of northeast Thailand's best preserved rainforests, Nam Nao National Park. Accompanied by our driver Kay and his wife Sow, Dan and I unpacked our gear and claimed our space in a small, moldy, two-room bungalow in a forest clearing. The evening air was chilly (Nam Nao in Thai means cold water - as I discovered in the bungalow shower). One must exercise vigilance in this park due to the presence of grumpy elephants, known to be dangerous throught Thailand. There were multiple cautionary signs posted on the trails.

Elephants involved in a traffic incident, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Khao Yai National Park News

But, like elephants (we saw none), birdlife was scarce in the park; we observed very little evening and morning bird activity; only a few, brief bird vocalizations were heard. Apparently, December is not the best month for finding birds in Nam Nao. Then a large, noisy group of school kids set up camp near the trailhead. That was the last straw. We opted for an early departure, cutting our three-day stay down to only two days.

Ban Salika, our lodging in Nam Nao National Park 22 December 2016 Nam Nao park trail map

Beware of the Elephant signage, Nam Nao National Park 22 December 2016

The highlight of the trip to Nam Nao was a sublime sunrise observed from a nearby hilltop. A few other visitors were there with us at dawn for the spectacle. I managed to get some hand-held shots with my Nikon D3x and 80-400 mm lens.

Sunrise at Nam Nao, Thailand 21 December 2016

Our next destination was Kaeng Krachen National Park, in west-central Thailand. Nearby the park were a couple of small resorts (e.g. Samarn Bird Center) with clean, comfortable bungalow-style accommodations. As the New Year approached, local resorts around the park began filling up. Predictably, the best resort we found for birds (Ban Maca) was the least crowded with visitors. A local residence (Ban Song Nok) has achieved notariety within the international birding community. The owner has constructed blinds equipped with a video camera and remote monitor, capturing stunning, real-time imagery of some forest specialities, which have become regular visitors to the feeders. This is where I obtained close-up still images of shy, secretive species such as Scaly-breasted Partridge, Bar-backed Partridge and Silver Pheasant.

Dan Byrne in the Ban Song Nok bird blind, Kaeng Krachen, Thailand 29 December 2016

Scaly-breasted Partridge (Arborphila chloropus) Ban Song Nok 30 December 2017

Silver Pheasant (Lophura nyctheanera) female Ban Song Nok, Thailand 30 December 2016

Early one morning Dan, Nattamon and I drove to Kaeng Krachen National Park and were surprised there was no entry fee due to a national holiday. The paved road through the park is surrounded by primary lowland forest with small lakes, ponds and swamps. We walked warily along the edges of the road, since there were no pedestrian pathways and the New Years eve traffic was fast and frequent within an hour after the park opened at 8 AM. Many birds could be heard all around us, however, as is usual in a lowland rainforest, most were difficult to see. We managed to find two or three areas off the roadway to bird safely; those areas produced several interesting species, including Blythe's Hawk Eagle, Pale Blue Flycatcher and Black-crested Bulbul.

Dan (right) and I at the Kaeng Kratchen NP entrance 31 Dec 2016

Blythe's Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus alboniger) Kaeng Kratchen NP Thailand 31 Dec. 2016

Pale Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis unicolor) Kaeng Kratchen NP Thailand 31 December 2016

Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus flaviventris) Kaeng Kratchen NP Thailand 31 Dec 2016