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A Leisurely BY 2022 from Herman and Kit


Kitsafari

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Thanks @Zim Girl  @Peter Connan Herman says thank you too. 

 

In October we had a public holiday that fell on a Monday. I wanted to get more points on my frequent flier status, so we plotted a very quick getaway to western Thailand to this well-known Kaeng Krachan (KKC) national park and then on the last day at Pak Thale salt pans where from November it is filled with migratory waders and shorebirds, and the very special Spoonbill Sandpiper.

Ordinarily, this would be a 2-hour drive from the Suvarnabhumi Airport to KKC on a saturday but we didn't realise it was also a long weekend in Bangkok so we got stuck in traffic just outside of Bangkok and reached KKC five hours later (plus a quick lunch). I like long road trips in Thailand - if there is no traffic snarls - because you get to stop at the very clean restrooms at petrol kiosks (only PTT and Bangchak which have excellent service facilities) where there are lots of eateries and hopefully a 7-11 where you can get great delicious snacks that they warm up for you. 

However, it was the wrong season for KKC as it was wet and quiet so it wasnt as productive. and we dipped on the blue pitta at a hide. :( We dipped also on the Spoonie. Many of the species are repeats from previous Cambodian and Vietnamese trips but we did add a few new ones for this year's BY and a handful of new species for Herman, and a couple for me.  

 

438. Large Scimitar Babbler, KKC hide

 

520676777_DSC07178-Editlargescimitarbabbler.JPG.35f2f0bcf8f0b4a6728b3708ae153140.JPG

 

LargeScimitarBabbler-KKC.jpg.1c58ca5ce36ade75baef299eedc4e0f6.jpg

 

 

 

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439. Hill Blue Flycatcher, KKC Hide

I like this pretty little flycatcher so i'm putting more pics. :) 

 

HillBlueFC1-KKC.jpg.224641deda9e548a1d7fd7f044572c17.jpg

 

1975339815_DSC07391-EdithillblueFC.JPG.5f0567da6e3d0f28fbe5cd441b4421d4.JPG

 

HillBlueFC2-KKC.jpg.a1738c1a3e0b0dd0528a1a462aa6b3b4.jpg

 

384547472_DSC07378-EditHillBlueFC.JPG.bcf63478a19117b4cd566d560b8ced2a.JPG

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440. Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, KKC Hide

 

One of two reasons why we think the pitta didn't turn up. these and its cousins the lesser were in large groups monopolising the waterhole, and were noisy, intimidating, and chased all the other birds (green billed malkoha and a racket tailed drongo among others) away. 

This was a lifer so it was exciting to see it at first, but after a few hours of it, we wished they would fly off!

 

GreaterNecklacedLaughingthrush1-KKC.jpg.c4c3a9d384de9806cccc3684de110a1b.jpg

 

1730118476_DSC07157greaternecklacedLT.JPG.f340958ad7920d8d3291ecef61c22777.JPG

 

DSC07338.JPG.ecdbb69e72e5f86a0595239a007294ed.JPG

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441. Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, KKC Hide

 

GreaterNecklacedLaughingthrush2-KKC.jpg.108b6fb16602c7e823351eccd96e1226.jpg\1601393991_DSC07225-EditlessernecklacedLT.JPG.1905a429eac01ad4ca02d9f6f13c1b5f.JPG

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Some repeats, many from Herman improved on some of my earlier photos. 

 

Abbott's babbler, KKC

AbbottsBabbler-KKC.jpg.51572c892af1b147059eec4a250bd498.jpg

 

Black-crested Bulbul KKC hide

BlackCrestedBulbul-KKC.jpg.4b1ed08152f34cb0d57f6012dc3f8bd8.jpg

 

Sooty-headed Bulbul, Samarn Bird Hide

 

1425873551_SootyHeadedBulbulKKC.jpg.04bbae65331aab407963e0c026ca4444.jpg

 

 

Stripe-throated Bulbul, KKC Hide

StripeThroatedBulbul-KKC.jpg.7a117bad54b2c5720ffad096fd515436.jpg

 

Streak-eared Bulbul, KKC Hide

StreakEaredBulbul-KKC.jpg.825b63e8656ad35880e7c8c518348cdc.jpg

 

Taiga Flycatcher, KKC 

TaigaFC-KKC.jpg.7b266d4c956ad573390e4232f9857e76.jpg

 

Ashy Drongo White-faced, KKC

AshyDrongo-KKC.jpg.e2f108f429f232a9bbc464a63238c25d.jpg

 

Golden-fronted Leafbird, Samarn Bird Camp - the bird afforded far better photos here than what I had in Cambodia.

 

GoldenFrontedLeafbird(M)-KKC.jpg.aab9f083cfdf9be7923d8ba51ada0af7.jpg

 

533767052_DSC06861-Editgoldenfrontedleafbird.JPG.2a4ba604089f7c2d2c78e4e47f3158d5.JPG

 

Puff-throated Babbler, KKC Hide. A delightful but cheeky babbler that has clearly learned that when humans are walking to the hide or are in the hide, it gets easy freebies. it also sat on Herman's camera and the cutouts in the hide net several times while other times, walking towards the hide to complain about the laughingthrushes!

 

right in my face. 

737843986_DSC07293puffthroated.JPG.b3d81b746ac992df7c908adbfdd88e16.JPG

 

2112279147_DSC07419-Editpuffthroatedoncamera.JPG.13c56ff1483b0edb304db64c8933ac7a.JPG

 

PuffThroatedBabbler1-KKC.jpg.54ce17d5ca4fa33113b42cb23f466697.jpg

 

PuffThroatedBabbler2-KKC.jpg.70d9edf9aadd86d1ef7fbd66f076f350.jpg

 

 

 

 

Edited by Kitsafari
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Some nice additions there. Telling the noisy birds to 'Fly Off' made me smile.

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2 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

well-known Kaeng Krachan (KKC) national park

Have you stayed at Baan Maka or some other accommodation?

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Superb additions from Vietnam (including the beautiful monkey) and Thailand. Excellent quality of photos in difficult forest light

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On 12/14/2022 at 7:26 PM, xelas said:

Have you stayed at Baan Maka or some other accommodation?

 

we stayed at Samarn Bird Camp which is run by a retired bird guide. The room we had was comfortable and clean, the food cooked by his wife (we think) is excellent, and the camp is just a few mins from the park entrance. But they can't speak English unless his nephew is around. I hear the Baan Maka staff can speak good English and is comfortable, and about half an hour away from the park entrance.  

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oh forgot to add some other repeats from previous counts and some mammals!

 

Hainan Blue Flycatcher 

HainanBlueFC2-KKC.jpg.0a14c86ac3e7350e852f0a4144357c0c.jpg

 

133931379_DSC07092-Edithainanblue.JPG.3f74a235097923fbbffff7071160a158.JPG

 

 

Malaysian Pied FantailMalayanPiedFantail-KKC.jpg.3a1c1d978d930dfe48fb74e4bfb09362.jpg

 

Siberian Blue Robin - a handsome maleSiberianBlueRobin1-KKC.jpg.758b77f488dd55684553225bb8af0283.jpg

 

535816393_DSC07285-Editsiberianbluerobin.JPG.82cd08b30faa3ae66b069218eb02a0fa.JPG

 

SiberianBlueRobin2-KKC.jpg.0cab19cb52ce676f27da9c10d9773232.jpg

 

 

White -rumped shama FemaleWhiteRumpedShama-KKC.jpg.61937c1375753f41f12af4185b1dd4a2.jpg

 

Berdmore's Ground Squirrel or commonly known as Indochinese Ground Squirrel

DSC07193-Edit.JPG.d53e2b72aad4581c45e73e2902de365d.JPG

 

Dusky leaf monkeyDSC07632-Edit.JPG.ad53fe000a7b3c08fe074959150025f8.JPG

 

a distant shot of a very very fast Common Treeshrew

DSC07429.JPG.13f6c2bfa5ee5aed93d65758d92dcba1.JPG

Edited by Kitsafari
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443. Scaly-breasted Partridge, KKC

 

Fortunately, the laughingthrushes hopped away from the waterhole for a bit, giving a chance for three very skulking and very skittish Scaly-breasted partridges to appear. tough (at least for me!) to get really good shots of these nervous birds. 

 

ScalyBreastedPartridge1-KKC.jpg.0a3fddacf9aface3eda66df7523397d1.jpg

 

ScalyBreastedPartridge2-KKC.jpg.ad9027c2e985e0e6bc3956f8c9b8ba89.jpg

 

2050172760_DSC07509-Editscalybreastedpartridge.JPG.0fd8494e753f480ec68f924e6d223e89.JPG 

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But the biggest highlight from KKC had to be this: 

 

444. Great Hornbill, KKC

 

On the day of our arrival in heavy rain to the Samarn Bird Camp, K our guide heard that three - 2 adults and one immature - had been seen close to the entrance. so the rain had subsided, we rushed off to find the large imposing hornbills. And we were lucky, the three of them were still there, in a tree just along the road, but as so often we find in forest birds, partially hidden by branches and leaves. Only one stayed in the open. Hooray!

 

GreatHornbill1-KKC.jpg.55c8cecd89599c8f6a0a9a3fb74cd971.jpg

 

an adult and the immature

632197420_DSC06949-Editgreathornbill.JPG.df038631350098d0fe6e82e409c37880.JPG

 

the immature looking for its parents

DSC06994.JPG.79959e286be4cf31a3a2b4b2d20a390b.JPG

 

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\GreatHornbill2-KKC.jpg.0afec27c908b013721f394d087f15528.jpg

 

Edited by Kitsafari
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Good to see your patience rewarded with the Partridges and excellent Great Hornbills.

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Great to see a White-rumped Shama as it was a no show at Old Magazine House. And Great Hornbill is so colourful.

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Oh my, these Great Hornbills are just spectacular. Fantastic birds! As always, truly impressive photography. Good to see you are getting around quite a bit!:)

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Magnificent hornbill and , as always, I really enjoy seeing so many excellent photos !

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At this crucial moment it seems I have exhausted my daily supply of likes.

 

Please consider all these as liked. They are beautiful, as is the photography!

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So many nice pictures of beautiful species.

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19 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

At this crucial moment it seems I have exhausted my daily supply of likes

 

is there a limit?

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for some reason my post came up twice

Edited by Soukous
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So many overlapping species with India, and so many we didn't see. and much better light too in most cases.

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18 hours ago, Soukous said:

 

is there a limit?

 

Apparently, or else I was encountering some other technical issue.

Seems almost everyone's BY efforts are reaching a frenetic pace at the moment.

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21 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

 

Seems almost everyone's BY efforts are reaching a frenetic pace at the moment.

 

like me! i've still got the shorebirds from Thailand, then a handful of remaining Sing birds and then the Frasers Hill section to put up over the next (self-imposed deadline)  nine days to the year's end. 

 

 

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