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Two to Thailand: Spoon-billed Sandpipers, Giant Nuthatches and Big Cats
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<blockquote data-quote="Jos Stratford" data-source="post: 3150750" data-attributes="member: 12449"><p><strong><u>14 December. Pak Thale/Laem Pak.</u></strong></p><p></p><p>Very much a repeat of the day before, a relaxing saunter through the wader-packed pans of the Pak Thale-Laem Pak coast. On this day however, the <strong>Spoon-billed Sandpipers</strong> certainly proved more elusive – after drawing a complete blank in the morning, my considerable efforts failing to locate them on any of the usual pools, I finally departed late morning to explore other sites. In the meantime though, I had added 16<strong> Whimbrel</strong> and at least 40 <strong>Bar-tailed Godwits </strong>to the ever-growing tally of waders seen and refound the <strong>Milky Stork</strong> and <strong>Far Eastern Curlew</strong> of the day before. It was however with a tinge of sadness that I departed Pak Thale without another ogle at the <strong>Spoon-billed Sandpipers</strong>. So, after three hours or so at the Environmental Research Project, photographing the lumbering <strong>Water Monitors </strong>and assorted birds, including <strong>Pintail Snipe</strong>, and another quick trot down the sand spit for more <strong>Malaysian Plovers</strong> and, a bird I had not located the day before, the mysterious <strong>White-faced Plover</strong>, it was then back to Pak Thale I found myself going. </p><p></p><p>Blazing sun, near 30 C, a scorching afternoon. A quick scan of the closest pools and still no sign, so to a couple of pools further back I wandered. Masses of<strong> Eurasian Curlews</strong> and <strong>Grey Plovers</strong> still roosting off the final edges of high tide, but better still quite an assortment of smaller waders probing the shallow waters. Hmm, thought I, nice. <strong>Marsh Sandpipers </strong>abundant, one <strong>Ruff</strong>, a few <strong>Sanderling</strong>, several dozen <strong>Red-necked Stints</strong>. No <strong>Spoon-billed Sandpiper</strong>. Many of the waders however were trotting off to the edge of the pool, running up and over the bund and joining yet more birds on the next pool. Slightly fearful of flushing the lot, the next 15 minutes saw a couple of slightly unorthodox observers slowly shuffling along to view this final pool …and when the glories of it finally opened out in front, indeed it was glorious. One of the best wader cocktails you could hope for, over a dozen species paddling around –<strong> Lesser Sand Plovers</strong> standing sentinel in a soup of <strong>Black-winged Stilts</strong>, <strong>Red-necked Stints</strong>, <strong>Broad-billed Sandpipers </strong>and <strong>Curlews Sandpipers</strong>, peppered by the occasional <strong>Spotted Redshank</strong>, <strong>Marsh Sandpiper</strong> and <strong>Long-toed Stint</strong>. Smack bang in the centre of them, the two little cuties with bills designed to appeal - both of the <strong>Spoon-billed Sandpipers</strong> feeding together. There then followed a very nice hour or so, the sun beating down, an absolute feast of birds just in front ...not bad for a mid-winter's day, I thought!</p><p></p><p>With my appetite well satisfied, I then pondered how to spend the rest of the day. Settled on a compromise of ice cream for starters and the rubbish dump area (near the famous abandoned building) for afters. I'm pretty sure my little companion thought the ice cream was the bee's knees, but with a mixture of scrub and wasteland, the slightly pongy surrounds of the small dump did it for me ...<strong>Green Bee-eaters<strong>, </strong>White-shouldered Starlings</strong>, a mass of mixed mynas, several <strong>Plain-backed Sparrows</strong> and a <strong>Eurasian Wryneck </strong>got things going, then things certainly took an upswing when a <strong>Barred Buttonquail </strong>strolled across the track with a well-grown chick close behind! A rather large collection of dogs also seemed to like this area, one pack howling upon the dump, assorted others patrolling the tracks.</p><p></p><p>Then, as the sun began to edge towards the horizon, it was time for the day's finales - two <strong>Slaty-breasted Rails</strong> appearing in a nearby channel and the pièce de résistance, to a darkening sky, first a procession of <strong>Large Flying Foxes</strong> labouring across the sky, very much the feel a squadron of heavy bombers in formation, followed by the birds I had missed on previous evenings, <strong>Indian Nightjars</strong>. First one, then another, then three ...clicking and chucking, flitting around, perching on piles of rubble, a nice way to end the day.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jos Stratford, post: 3150750, member: 12449"] [B][U]14 December. Pak Thale/Laem Pak.[/U][/B] Very much a repeat of the day before, a relaxing saunter through the wader-packed pans of the Pak Thale-Laem Pak coast. On this day however, the [B]Spoon-billed Sandpipers[/B] certainly proved more elusive – after drawing a complete blank in the morning, my considerable efforts failing to locate them on any of the usual pools, I finally departed late morning to explore other sites. In the meantime though, I had added 16[B] Whimbrel[/B] and at least 40 [B]Bar-tailed Godwits [/B]to the ever-growing tally of waders seen and refound the [B]Milky Stork[/B] and [B]Far Eastern Curlew[/B] of the day before. It was however with a tinge of sadness that I departed Pak Thale without another ogle at the [B]Spoon-billed Sandpipers[/B]. So, after three hours or so at the Environmental Research Project, photographing the lumbering [B]Water Monitors [/B]and assorted birds, including [B]Pintail Snipe[/B], and another quick trot down the sand spit for more [B]Malaysian Plovers[/B] and, a bird I had not located the day before, the mysterious [B]White-faced Plover[/B], it was then back to Pak Thale I found myself going. Blazing sun, near 30 C, a scorching afternoon. A quick scan of the closest pools and still no sign, so to a couple of pools further back I wandered. Masses of[B] Eurasian Curlews[/B] and [B]Grey Plovers[/B] still roosting off the final edges of high tide, but better still quite an assortment of smaller waders probing the shallow waters. Hmm, thought I, nice. [B]Marsh Sandpipers [/B]abundant, one [B]Ruff[/B], a few [B]Sanderling[/B], several dozen [B]Red-necked Stints[/B]. No [B]Spoon-billed Sandpiper[/B]. Many of the waders however were trotting off to the edge of the pool, running up and over the bund and joining yet more birds on the next pool. Slightly fearful of flushing the lot, the next 15 minutes saw a couple of slightly unorthodox observers slowly shuffling along to view this final pool …and when the glories of it finally opened out in front, indeed it was glorious. One of the best wader cocktails you could hope for, over a dozen species paddling around –[B] Lesser Sand Plovers[/B] standing sentinel in a soup of [B]Black-winged Stilts[/B], [B]Red-necked Stints[/B], [B]Broad-billed Sandpipers [/B]and [B]Curlews Sandpipers[/B], peppered by the occasional [B]Spotted Redshank[/B], [B]Marsh Sandpiper[/B] and [B]Long-toed Stint[/B]. Smack bang in the centre of them, the two little cuties with bills designed to appeal - both of the [B]Spoon-billed Sandpipers[/B] feeding together. There then followed a very nice hour or so, the sun beating down, an absolute feast of birds just in front ...not bad for a mid-winter's day, I thought! With my appetite well satisfied, I then pondered how to spend the rest of the day. Settled on a compromise of ice cream for starters and the rubbish dump area (near the famous abandoned building) for afters. I'm pretty sure my little companion thought the ice cream was the bee's knees, but with a mixture of scrub and wasteland, the slightly pongy surrounds of the small dump did it for me ...[B]Green Bee-eaters[B], [/B]White-shouldered Starlings[/B], a mass of mixed mynas, several [B]Plain-backed Sparrows[/B] and a [B]Eurasian Wryneck [/B]got things going, then things certainly took an upswing when a [B]Barred Buttonquail [/B]strolled across the track with a well-grown chick close behind! A rather large collection of dogs also seemed to like this area, one pack howling upon the dump, assorted others patrolling the tracks. Then, as the sun began to edge towards the horizon, it was time for the day's finales - two [B]Slaty-breasted Rails[/B] appearing in a nearby channel and the pièce de résistance, to a darkening sky, first a procession of [B]Large Flying Foxes[/B] labouring across the sky, very much the feel a squadron of heavy bombers in formation, followed by the birds I had missed on previous evenings, [B]Indian Nightjars[/B]. First one, then another, then three ...clicking and chucking, flitting around, perching on piles of rubble, a nice way to end the day. [/QUOTE]
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