JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Morning arrival in Bangkok on 21st November, quick transfer across the city to the domestic airport (name escapes me) for a transfer flight up to Chiang Ria. Thin pickings from the taxi – Barn swallows, Peaceful Doves, Common Mynas , Large-billed Crows, don’t recall any of these coming up in discussions of target birds. Group consists of myself (obviously), father & son combo Glyn & Richard Taylor who I first met way back on the Chalice (which should date it), and Dave Hichliffe, a friend of theirs, all three of whom I have birded with (in various combinations) on Scilly and in Yorkshire, Kazakhstan & Costa Rica. At the airport a distant perched up Little Cormorant and a flock of Cattle Egrets continue the theme of nice-I-suppose-but-not-really-what-we-came-for birds. We were met at the airport by Punjapa Phetsri, aka Games, and Ian Dougdale from South Thailand Birding, who would have the dubious pleasure of our company for the next 12 days or so. Tree Sparrows & Black Drongos from the car as we headed west, and then the trip’s first ticks (for me at least) at a quick comfort stop – Bronzed Drongo & Sooty-headed Bulbul. Nothing special for the hardened SE Asia birder perhaps, but us tyros have to start somewhere. As we weren’t going to get to Doi Lang in time to start birding we decided to stop off at some potentially productive paddy fields (near somewhere called Thatton) en-route to make some use of the day. Almost immediately we got Great Myna (first of many during our travels) and a dapper, if distant male Pied Harrier (my third Harrier tick of the year). Prominent birds in the landscape included Long-tailed & Brown Shrikes and Pied & Stejneger’s Stonechats. (By the way, if my taxonomy is a bit all over the place then I apologise; the Robson guide to SE Asia seems a little out of date, and although Ian & Games did their level best to update us where appropriate eg White-vented Myna is now Great, I’m not sure all of it sunk in, so feel free to chip in and correct me whenever I’m behind the times, or just seem to be making it up.) Chestnut-tailed and Collared Starlings and Scaly-breasted Munias flew about in small flocks, occasionally obliging with perched views, and overhead birds included Ashy Woodswallows, a few Striated Swallows in amongst the Barns and at least 4 Amur Falcons. A Rufous-winged Buzzard sat up nicely for us in a nearby tree and a rather out of place looking Common sandpiper rose up off one of the fields and headed off across a landscape dotted with Pond Herons. Where we were up country the default Pond Heron is Chinese, but in winter plumage they are effectively indistinguishable from Javan, more of a southern coastal bird. Highlight of day one was in amongst the hedgerow and ditch skulkers. Here familiar Dusky Warblers were joined by Yellow-bellied & Plain Prinias, but stealing the show a stunning adult male Siberian Rubythroat. Ouch! Gave itself up to various members of the team before I finally nailed it, what a beaut. Arrived at the hotel full of anticipation, Doi Lang tomorrow…
Long-tailed Shrike
Thatton Paddyfields x2
Long-tailed Shrike
Thatton Paddyfields x2