We are nothing if not disciplined, and were back at the
paddies at first light. This time we carried on over the obvious bridge and
went a short distance down the road with paddy fields each side before finding
a pull-in to park the car. There were birds everywhere, and having worked out our targets over a beer the night before we started
concentrating on the list. Oriental Reed Warbler and
Black-browed Reed Warbler fell very easily, with both very common in the reeds and
scrubby vegetation by the side of the road, and whilst neither of them perched
up for nice photos we were able to get conclusive views over time. Thick-billed Warbler proved much much harder,
and I totally failed to see the first one despite giving it half an hour. A
bird on the other side of the road did the decent thing and perched in a small
tree instead of an impenetrable stand of reeds. What a great bird, if you
thought the bill on the Oriental Reed Warbler was robust….
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| Asian Golden Weaver |
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| Malaysian Pied Fantail |
Our first Oriental Magpie Robin was here also, as well as Yellow-bellied Prinia, Pink-necked Green-Pigeon, Brown Shrike and Hoopoe. We were barely 200 yards from the car and had seen
something like 40 birds. By the time we got back to it we were at nearly 60. We tried a side track and flushed a Black Bittern,
Jacana were everywhere, and the Pond Herons were innumerable. If you have a spare morning you need to visit this site. My one regret is that the birding was so good that I virtually forgot I had a camera.
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| Little Cormorant |
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| Bronze-winged Jacana |
We carried on the road, stopping wherever seemed good which
seemed to be most places and so progress was very slow. Raptors were very
numerous and we got excellent views of Black-winged Kite, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, Black Kite and Brahminy Kite. Raptors were very much on our
mind as on the other side of the area was an eBird pin where, mid-morning, we
had planned to stop and scan the sky, with previous lists indicating that this
was an excellent spot to watch migrant raptors come across. A spot known as The Farmer Café added
both Tree Sparrow and Plain-backed Sparrow – the only one we saw and yet
another new bird. We also jammed Laced Woodpecker near here – very pleasing as we
had stopped as the trees seemed a little taller and as I they might appeal more
to Woodpeckers. Indeed they did!
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| Eastern Marsh Harrier |
We pulled up at the "Eagle Viewing Point" right on time and started scanning the sky. It wasn’t long before
the first birds came over, a trio of Crested Honey Buzzard. Both Pied and Eastern Marsh Harrier showed very well
through the scope, as did Brahminy Kite. With 40 minutes to get to Mr Daeng’s we reluctantly left
before any Jerdon’s Baza flew over, but you always need a reason to go back to a
place. It had been an excellent morning by any standards.
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| Pied Harrier |
Joakim was waiting, and so was Mr Daeng, all very efficient.
The exact location is here (13.04059, 100.08817), and there is plenty of space to leave your car. If you don't have a friendly Swedish birder to book your trip in person Mr Daeng does have a phone number and apparently uses WhatsApp. The
trip itself is pretty short, so don’t worry about taking a whole load of stuff.
The first part of the trip is through the mangrove channel before you exit into
the Gulf and carry on to the sandspit. Good views of Kingfishers and Cormorants
on the boardwalk – back when it was whole it would have been an excellent walk,
but now it is severely delapidated with many sections missing altogether. As
the sandspit hove into view it was clear that although this was the lowest tide
of the day it was actually pretty high. One of the sandspits was totally
underwater, and on the main one the small area of sand was empty – Mr Daeng got
out and had a look. Final roll of the dice and round
to the other side where fortunately there was a lot more sand and thus a lot
more feeding.
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| Black-capped Kingfisher |
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| In theory you could walk all the way from the beach car park, but it would be a long walk and the boat trip with Mr Daeng is a lot of fun. |
We all got out of the boat here and followed Mr Daeng. He
had spotted what we had not – at the far end of the beach were a few small
waders. Were these the ones we wanted. Tracking the edge of the mangroves we
approached closer, scoping every now and then! Yes! Although one of the birds
was a Kentish Plover, there was also a White-faced Plover and a pair of
Malaysian Plover. Phew! I belly-crawled along the sand to get closer, although
for the most part the Plovers preferred to sit on an old sack which kind of
ruined the look I was going for. I also wrecked my glasses in the process which
I had forgotten were in my breast pocket. I am finding needing glasses to be
really irritating. I don’t need them for birding, but I do need them for my
phone, and for using my camera, whose menu system I still do not know well
enough – should have stuck with Canon which I could operate with my eyes
closed. They just get in the way, they fall out of my pocket, fall off my head,
and constantly waste valuable time, I guess it is only going to get worse and
eventually I’ll just need to wear them all the time which might in fact be
easier. Let’s see – right now I am in that transitional phase. I retrieved them
from the sand and straightened them out as best I could but for the remained of
the trip they sat at a rather jaunty angle on my nose and shortly after
arriving home broke entirely, the third or fourth pair I have now had to buy. I
think I gave up on the opticians after I destroyed the second pair having left
the first pair in Mexico. Now I just buy reading glasses for £15 at Boots.
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| White-faced Plover |
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| Malaysian Plover |
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| Malaysian Plover - habitat shot |
Back at Mr Daeng’s we were given some lovely tiny bananas to
eat and the opportunity to buy a T shirt which all three of us did. I am sure
you know the one. In case you don’t here it is. |
| Been there got the Tshirt |
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| Future eBirder. That's Mr Daeng standing behind. |
It was now mid afternoon and we had another birding spot in
mind – the nearby Wat Khomnaram. Thanking Mr Daeng and his family we headed off
with Joakim following in his car. The birding is actually along the entrance
road to the temple, which is set in a wetland, with both sides of the road
being equally productive, The real target here was Oriental Skylark which we
could hear as soon as we got out of the car, but we also lucked out with three
Greater Painted-Snipe and Common Snipe, neither of which we had been expecting,
It was truly excellent for waders, with Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Common
Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilt, Pacific Golden Plover, Greenshank, Temminck’s
Stint, Long-toed Stint and a number of pretty close Oriental Pratincole. We
knew that Richard’s Pipit was also a possibility at this site, and a
Sparrow-like call alerted us to its presence - lovely views.
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| Richard's Pipit |
With the afternoon waning we returned one final time to Pak
Thale, site of our first glorious success. Joakim had been here ever since and
not seen the Spoon-billed Sandpiper again, we really had been exceptionally
lucky. And we didn’t see it again this time either! So my advice if planning a
trip specifically around this one (literally) bird to give yourself plenty of
time, several days at least. You may get lucky, and if you do there is plenty
other birding nearby. But imagine having to leave without it having gone all
that way.
Once again Pak Thale was heaving with waders,
hundreds and hundreds. Particularly impressive was the flock of Great Knot,
buried within which was a single Red Knot. Today there was also Red-necked
Phalarope present which we found quite easily. We stayed here until dusk, and
bidding farewell to Joakim again headed back up to Baan Maka.
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