Monday 30 November 2015

30th November 2015 Khao Yai National Park

We had no problem driving into Khao Yai National Park just before 6am being dawn to another fine and calm day. We drove to the radar station road that was unfortunately closed to vehicles due to soil erosion effectively ending our chance to look for Kloss's Leaf Warbler near the summit. We walked the first few kilometres of the road, that was unfortunately quite busy with roadworker's traffic, birding against the backdrop of singing White-handed Gibbons eventually seeing a family group. Birds seen included a pair of Wreathed Hornbills flying over, a male Siamese Fireback on the road, a Sultan Tit, a couple of superb Phylloscs being a Sulphur-breasted Warbler and a branch-clinging Claudia's Warbler and an Alstrom's Plain-tailed Warbler formerly part of the Golden-spectacled Warbler complex. A look at the clearing at the start of the road revealed the presence of a few more winterers most notably including a Grey-backed Shrike. We then again tried the Pa Gluay Mai campsite where we walked some of Trail A where a leech bite on my stomach made a mess of my shirt! After a quick look at the nearby Haew Suwat waterfall we returned to Km33 where a tall fruiting tree held 3 Great Hornbills and at least 6 Oriental Pied Hornbills before taking a walk down memory lane along what will forever be Trail 6 (now renamed Trail B). Whilst today I failed to see a single species along it, back in 1999, we saw both Blue and Eared Pittas, Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoos, Silver Pheasants, a Malayan Night Heron and even the legendary huge King Cobra, and with the trail and habitat looking exactly the same, it all came flooding back! Again no other birders were seen. We returned to the 'Cowboy' restaurant for another decent meal.
 
Siamese Fireback 1 male
Chinese Pond Heron 3
Red-wattled Lapwing 2
Thick-billed Green Pigeon c.35 fvo
Mountain Imperial Pigeon c.5 fvo
Asian Palm Swift c.12
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater 1
Oriental Pied Hornbill c.6
Great Hornbill 3
Wreathed Hornbill 2
Black-winged Cuckooshrike 1
Swinhoe's Minivet 3
Scarlet Minivet 4
White-bellied Erpornis 1
Grey-backed Shrike 1
Ashy Drongo 1
Hair-crested Drongo 6
Black-naped Monarch 6
Large-billed Crow 4
Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher 6
Sultan Tit 1 male
Black-crested Bulbul 1 male johnsoni
Stripe-throated Bulbul 1
Puff-throated Bulbul 20
Barn Swallow 30
Red-rumped Swallow 2
Claudia's Leaf Warbler 1
Sulphur-breasted Leaf Warbler 1
Alstrom's Plain-tailed Warbler 1
Dark-necked Tailorbird 1
Pin-striped Tit-Babbler 3
Abbott's Babbler 1
White-rumped Shama 2
Taiga Flycatcher 1
Blue Rock Thrush 1
Yellow-vented Flowerpecker 2
Grey Wagtail 2


Male Siamese Fireback along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
My only previous encounter with this species was along the same road in 1999

Sulphur-breasted Warbler along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
if it wasn't for some duff camera settings I'd have some great shots that would look nearly as good as Clive Byer's excellent portrayal of the species here:
 
Sulphur-breasted Warbler (Clive Byers)

Alstrom's Plain-tailed Warbler along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
its call was a thin double note 'tu-tit'

Puff-throated Bulbul along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park

 
 
Black-crested Bulbul along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
In Thailand the red-throated form P.a. johnsoni is restricted to the eastern provinces
 
Hair-crested Drongo along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park

White-handed Gibbon singing along the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park


 
Grey-backed Shrike in the clearing at the start of the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
Described as an uncommon winter visitor Khao Yai would appear to be about as far south as the species is recorded in Thailand perhaps reinforced by DS not having recorded it at Khao Yai despite 10 visits covering 31 days.
 
 
Ashy Drongo in the clearing at the start of the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
Being a shade darker and having mostly grey ear-coverts this individual was far less eye-catching than the D.l. leucogenis seen yesterday and is therefore presumably of the form D.l. salangensis
 
Male Black-winged Cuckooshrike in the clearing at the start of the radar station road at Khao Yai National Park
Another winter visitor to Khao Yai
 


 
Pig-tailed Macaques at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park

Water Monitor at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park
 
Commons Bluebottle and White Dragontails at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park
 
Common Bluebottle at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park



White Dragontail Butterflies at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park
their outer wings were largely translucent
 
Chocolate Albatross and a Grass Yellow at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park

 Common Lascar at the Pa Gluay Mai campsite in Khao Yai National Park

Haew Suwat Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park


Sambar Deer at Khao Yai National Park

The Km33 marker marking the start of the aptly named Km33 trail in Khao Yai National Park
 
Great Hornbill at the Km33 trail in KhaoYai National Park
the black on the casque reveals that this is a male and its dark eye is presumably a sign of immaturity

Sunday 29 November 2015

29th November 2015 Khao Yai National Park

We arrived on time early morning with Emirates, collected a car from Thai Rent-a-car and drove to the comfortable Khao Yai Cottage located just outside the National Park where we quickly checked-in, slept for an hour and then headed for the National Park at c.2pm. We spent four hours birding the Old HQ area, the Boonsong Lekagul Camp, the Pa Gluay Mai campsite and the Km33 trail in bright sunny weather. It proved an afternoon of 'what might have been' as we found a Blue Rock Thrush on the rooftops frequented by White-throated Rock Thrushes in recent winters. Despite the National Park being busy with visitors we didn't see another birder or photographer all afternoon, but perhaps for good reason, as birding proved extremely quiet. Highlights were a couple of leucogenis Ashy Drongos, an interesting-looking Brown Flycatcher and two Great Hornbills seen in flight just before dusk. We eat spaghetti in the 'Cowboy Restaurant' before returning to Khao Yai Cottage.

Asian Openbill 5
Chinese Pond Heron 1
Red-wattled Lapwing 1
Spotted Dove 2
Great Hornbill 2
Black-winged Cuckooshrike 3
Black-naped Oriole 1
Ashy Drongo 2 leucogenis
Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher 1
Common Myna 2
Asian Brown Flycatcher 1
Blue Rock Thrush 1 phillipensis

Blue Rock Thrush at the Boonsong Lekagul Camp at Khao Yai National Park
Whilst not the Rock Thrush I was hoping to see today I assume the chestnut appearing on its underparts and especially its vent would suggest this is a first-winter male M.s. philippensis that is a winter visitor to Thailand


Asian Brown Flycatcher at the Boonsong Lekagul Camp at Khao Yai National Park
Rather well-marked greyish breast-sides but I think its extensive pale lores and clean undertail-coverts eliminate the possibility of it being a sibirica Dark-sided Flycatcher that can sometimes appear very similar
 
 
Ashy Drongo at the Boonsong Lekagul Camp at Khao Yai National Park
This stunning individual of the wintering form D.l. leucogenis found at the Boonsong Lekagul camp proved the unexpected highlight of the day. Being a summer visitor to Central and Eastern China it is this form that sometimes overshoots to offshore Japan.

Saturday 28 November 2015

28th November 2015 QE2 bridge to Dubai

Having made a last-minute decision to visit northern Thailand my parents kindly dropped us as Gatwick for the Saturday Emirates flight to Bangkok necessitating a change of plane in Dubai. Turkish airspace had recently found itself in the news for all the wrong reasons but we were soon passing safely through it.
 
QE2 bridge at the Dartford Crossing and Rainham Marshes RSPB (top left) from the air
 
Isle of Sheppey bridge and Elmney Marshes from the air
 
Margate, North Foreland and Broadstairs from the air
 
Sunset over the snow-capped peaks of Turkey
 
Dusk over a huge salt lake in Iran
 
Our on-time late night arrival into an illuminated Dubai courtesy of Emirates


Sunday 8 November 2015

8th November 2015 Beachy & Newhaven S2 Overcast

Merlin 2
Tawny Owl 2
Woodpigeon 1,850S
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Pied Wagtail 2E
Goldcrest c.8
Goldfinch 1,130E
Redpoll 3E


Woodpigeons on the move over Birling

Not the late Autumn Asian surprise we were hoping for in Belle Tout Wood



Goldfinches moving east over Beachy
 
Merlin opposite Chat Vale
 
Princes Park, Eastbourne
Common Sandpiper 1


Common Sandpiper at Princes Park



Newhaven Harbour
Caspian Gull 1 first-winter
 

 

 
 



First-winter Caspian Gull at Newhaven Harbour
On seeing large numbers of Gulls on the West Arm as we arrived, and with good numbers of Caspian Gulls in the South East, it seemed likely that we would be able to find one. But on looking through the scope we didn't anticipate that this 'classic' would be the first Gull in view !