Red Alert.. Strawberry Fields.

New Bird Spot......

Well, after seeing my first Red Avadavat at Pak Phli a few weeks ago, I ventured out for a bit of local birding as the end of month bank balance wouldn’t allow me to go any further afield. I headed for my usual Kingfisher site to see if much was about. The water level had really dropped, with some parts reduced to just puddles!! Not much here then. On the way back I remembered an old farm track I had visited a long time ago. The red gravel surface kind of reminded me of Pak Phli, so I got to wondering if it could produce anything similar.

In my mind were Bluethroats and Pipits, but as I parked up and had a scan around with the binoculars, the first birds I saw were two bright red spectacles… Red Avadavats!!!! I had never dreamt of seeing them here in Patthumtani especially as the one I had seen at Pak Phli had been a first for me. I managed a few terrible shots before they were gone. This track looked promising!! Throughout the morning I didn’t see them again, but there were plenty of other birds about. Munias, Stonechats, Plain Prinias, Zitting Cisticolas, Streaked Weavers, Brown Shrikes, 5 – 6 Black Shouldered Kites and a single Paddyfield Pipit completed that morning’s trip.

Black Shouldered Kite

Plain Prinia

I decided to make the trip again the following day, but this time to arrive just before sun rise. Sunday morning, I parked up in the darkness just before sun-up. As soon as the sun broke, those little red sights started to appear. It really was difficult to keep count with them as they flitted to and fro in the scrub field. There were definitely over a dozen of them, but still too far to get any decent shots. It was only when I drove a little further along the track, I found the perfect spot where they seemed to congregate.

Red Avadavat

Red Avadavat

Red Avadavat

Red Avadavat

 In an instant, everything seemed to up and fly in a panic, which was when I saw it!!

As I looked up I was suddenly aware of a female Pied Harrier no more than 10 metres from me. “Damn! Damn!! Focus will you!!” The camera (or me) seemed to freeze and focusing seemed to take an absolute age!! I did manage to get off a few half decent shots, though. The Reds didn’t hang around after this and I didn’t see them again. Mostly the same birds were seen again after that with the addition of a snipe bobbing his head up and down in the rice field. 

Pied Harrier

Pied Harrier

Pied Harrier

I will take another look in again next week to see if I can get some better shots of the Reds and hopefully the male Pied Harrier will put in an appearance….

Got the Blues....

Pak Phli

As my last trip to Pak Phli failed to turn up any Bluethroats, one more trip was in order before going back to work on Monday.  I actually planned for Wednesday, but Tuesday night was too long so didn’t make it….. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday… same same… Saturday morning I woke up at 4:30, gotta go gotta go…..

 I arrived at just after 7 am. As I drove along the approach road, the first bird sighted was a Black-capped Kingfisher. A striking bird and one of my favourite kingfishers. As usual, hundreds of Black Kites lined the road roosting in the Eucalyptus trees.

Black-capped Kingfisher

Long-tailed Shrike

I drove down past the second bridge towards where I had seen the Bluethroats before, a single Long-tailed Shrike posed nicely, soaking up the morning sun. I chose my spot and went about setting up the hide.. Well, I hadn’t even taken the rest of the gear out when the first female Bluethroat flew down, right in front of me, almost with a look on her face of “Ok so I’m here, where are my worms!!!”

Bluethroat

Bluethroat

Rosy Pipit

Stonechat

Bluethroats, Stonechats, Plain Prinias and Rosy Pipits showed really well and it was interesting to note the pecking order… It seemed the Stonechats would warn off the Bluethroats, the Bluethroats chased away the Rosy Pipits and when a Prinia arrived, all dashed for cover….

A brief visit by a Chestnut-eared Bunting was the first lifer of 2016 for me, and it also put on a great display of mobbing a Bluethroat..

Chestnut-eared Bunting mobbing a Bluethroat

Chestnut-eared Bunting

 The second lifer of the day for me came in the form of a bright red flash passing to my left, as I peered out of the side flap of the hide, there it was, a Red Avadavat!!! A fantastic little bird with its striking red plumage.. It stayed around for such a short time I only managed 3 quick shots. Next time, I will remember to take some finch seed with me.

Red Avadavat

With the sun getting higher now and the birds becoming less frequent, I decided to have a drive around the perimeter road before heading back.The first bird I came across was the Plain-backed sparrow, with such a striking mix of colours to its plumage, why on Earth is it called “Plain”??? A Striated Grassbird was delightfully emptying its lungs a little further along the road, and then a Purple Heron just about rounded off my morning. 

Plain-backed Sparrow

Purple Heron

Striated Grassbird

Pak Phli is a wonderful place for birding at the moment, and being only a couple of hours from Bangkok it’s well worth a vist…