Saturday 9 March 2024

Whooper Swans......


A message on the local grapevine of Pink Footed Geese S/W at 17.50 got me straight out looking , amazingly the loud call of Whooper Swans could be heard as soon as I got out of the house, 158 heading N/W ....great to see and hear....takes my garden count to around 650...!!!!!!

 6 Widgeon due west on the 14th was a good sighting .Lots of Buzzard and Sparrowhawk  display this week and very vocal Tawny Owls, 

24th March ,3 singing Chiffchaffs today and a steady trickle of LBBGulls west with a few Herrring Gulls and Meadow Pipits N/W.

Friday 8 March 2024

Thailand..2024


 















A family holiday at a friends house in Railay Beach , Not much birding done and the highlights around the House on the morning walk there  were singing Gibbons , Dusky Lagunas , Dark Thighed Falconet , Crested Goshawk , White Collared Kingfisher , Blue -eared and Red -throated Barbet , Pied Hornbill in small flocks of around 6 birds, Green billed Malkoha , House Swift , Asian Palm Swift , Pied Imperial Pigeon a small flock of 4 one morning was a real treat , singing Spotted Doves , Peaceful Pigeon , Pale Capped Pigeon was also unexpected , Whimbrel , Curlew ,Common Sandpiper ,  Brown Flycatcher and Artic Warbler in the garden..Good numbers of Pacific Reef Egret patrolled the shorelines,  Brahminy Kite and White Bellied Sea Eagle (magnificent),Osprey , Peregrine Falcon , Shirka ,were all pretty common . Large Billed Crows , Common Iora , Blue Rock Thrush ,Blue Whistling Thrush , Brown Flycatcher and Artic Warbler in the garden most days . Common Myna .The skies and cliffs were full of swallows mainly Pacific Swallows with young birds seen leaving the nest , Red - rumped Swallow and Straited Swallows the latter of the badia brick red form. Stripe-throated , Yellow Vented and Grey Eyed Bulbul , Common and Dark-necked Tailorbird , Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker , Brown throated and Olive backed Sunbird and Little Spiderhunter. Grey Wag ,  Tree Sparrow  and Plain Backed Sparrow .Apox 10,000 Fruit Bats flew over every night to feed in nearby forest.
   A couple of hours birding at Phatthalung saw , Pied Harrier , Easter Marsh Harrier , Blue Tailed Bee Eater , Painted Stork , Lesser Whistling Duck , Cotton Pygmy Goose , Oriental Pratincole , Bronze -Winged Jacana , Asian Open billed Stork , Little Cormorant , Little Grebe , White -throated and Common Kingfisher , Greater Coucal , Brown Backed Needle tail , Purple Swamphen , White breasted Water hen and Black Headed Munia