Thailand Report - Very Long no pics

[Nrg800]

Currently I am only writing the first part, due to how late it is, considering I need to get up early, and I don't have access to my book... I would also like to apologize for the many grammatic fails. As it's late, and English isn't my strong point anyway... Also, this report is just a report if my Holiday, nit just birding, and has alot of detail in it, I'll write a condensed birding report later...

But anyway... 
I left Australia at 8 in the evening, after a 9 hour flight I came into Bangkok at 1 in the morning. This is starting another matter entirely, but don't you just love being out of existence for 4 hours?! No matter how many stairs you run up (and if you visit the wats in Thailand, there'll be alot to run up) you'll never be able to replicate it! I didn't sleep on the plane, the plane was much too enriching for that (who needs sleep when you have Toy Story 3, and all the Family Guy you can want), which was all good and well, except that I had a full day of birding the next day... We arrived at our hotel and were told we couldn't check in just yet. My step mum, who is Thai, and therefor speaks the language rather fluently, explained our situation and we were allowed to store our bags in a closet somewhere. So everyone (except me who had Classic Rock and a large playful fish in a large boring fishtank to keep me occupied) and an hour later found ourselves wandering around the town until the 5 o clock pickup with my bird guide (A Mr. David Gandy, who I heartily recommend for anyone traveling up that way). As I wandered into a 7-11 I found the most amazing sight any human has ever experienced... THE SHOP WAS JUST SO, DAMN, ASIAN =D. There's no other way to put it, it devoted a whole shelf to Pocky! From Guava to Milk, to Ice Tea! It was amazing! God, I got something that can be described as anime om nom! And settled on the sidewalk waiting for Dave. About 2 hours before Sunrise, a grey car pulls up, and out comes the most un-Thai face you'll see in Thailand, bright red hair and long stubble, being as pale as if he just came from England, as a matter of fact, he did, he had only been in Thailand for less then a decade. We exchanged pleasantries and went on the drive to Lam Pak Bia! Throughout the car trip I was mostly flicking through my field guide, occasionally shouting words like woodpeckers? And getting a response along the lines of 'common if you know where listen for the tapping'. Stopping for Drinks about half way there I got my first experience of birding, a Sparrow!! I was excited, as it was a Eurasian Tree Sparrow, but I didn't follow up the call, after being ensured with a chuckle that they are everywhere! We got 6 bottles of Powerade, and 10 of water. It cost us a total of Aus $6! I was liking Thailand more and more! We then left the suburban crawl of Bangkok, and entered into the Salt Pans and Rice Fields. It was still about 45min off sunrise, and there were birds flying from roost to Foraging Grounds, along with all the Aussie egrets I saw such gems as Asian Openbill, Lesser Whistling Ducks and Pond Herons, but all were left unticked, due to the low light. We got to Pak Thale as the sun was peeping above the horizon, fist Tick of the trip was a Barn Swallow[\b] I had always thought that they would be hard to tell from our Welcome, but they're so different, in a way that books can't illustrate. Soon followed was a large flock of waders off the road. I was asked what they were, I had no idea, "Greenshanks?"
"Yes, along with a few Marsh Sandpipers and Redshanks, look like Spotted! Surely enough with another look through the scope I saw the whiter birds and those brilliantly scarlet legs that had all looked the same a few seconds ago... I love waders, and I love new countries, 4 ticks already, and I had been out of the car for a massive minute and a half! "Do you get Little-Ringed Plovers in Australia?" I also love guides, there was another tick! After looking around the ponds directly next to us we got some more lifers, getting them faster then I could tick em in the book! A farmer finds us and starts speaking to us in Thai. 
That's another great thing about Thailand, they let you do what you want, within reason, you see a Pied Harrier ad you can run through fields past farmers just shouting "Nohk dee Mac Mac, Suay!" or "That's a very awesome bird, beautiful isn't he?!" ad they nod and wave. 
After a response from both of us, Koh Tot, Mai Kaji, Thai Nig-noi  -  Sorry, what, we only speak little Thai, He breaks it down for us simpletons, and we learn that there are a heap of birds down the road. We go, and by-god, there are! Going through the Mangroves we see Brown Prina, Collared Kingfish and some other goodies, before finding a flock of Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimberel all in Stockton Proportions! 

And that concludes the first part, as I'm very tied and typing on my iPhone Is a beach (Sorry, listening to Life's a beach by the Whitlams). I'll fix stuff and mark lifers in bold when I can get to the computer, hope you don't mind all the bollocks on not much at all... Not very lexically dense am I?! Well, Night!

-Nathan!

[Buzzard-1]

Thanks for the report Awaiting part 2

[Jayburd]

[Nrg800]

Here are some pictures I've just processed, I'm only going through the things on my card, which is mostly Chiang Mai Zoo... So many are captive (also I have a higher keeper rate for captive birds, due to IQ thingos).


This is a Painted Stork, I took this photo at one of the Chiang Mai Zoos walkthrough Aviary (The other one was closed ). I did see these birds in the wild, but I was far off, and my first day (when I saw it) was concerned with twitching, not photographing. So I got this as a consolation.


Here's about a quarter of a flock that was flying past in a Lowland Army Training Base (and tourist location...)


At the same location as above....


A Close up of two of the flock....


And here's a terrible photo, of an awesome bird! They were a pleasure to see, and a total surprise!

I have a heap more... sorry for overloading the forums... xD

[gomer]

sounds like a trip of a life time.

[GregH]

We all want trips like that

[Jayburd]

great shots!