Thailand (Bangkok)

Back in October 2016, my good friend Andy Howes asked if I was interested in a birding trip to Southern Thailand; having already been to Northern Thailand, I at to weigh up if it was going to be worth it!  Andy sent me a tick list for the 8 day tour, and after perusing the list I found that there were over 100 possible new species to be seen, so my answer was 'yes' to the trip. It was going to be a group of  just 3 of us, going with a company who's name is 'Southern Thailand Birding' -  the third person in our group was Christine Lynn, who I have been on a few trips with before,  and coincidentally, was on the same trip to Northern Thailand, again arranged by Andy, back in 2007! Unfortunately, having made all the arrangements, Andy caught a virus that really knocked him about, and felt he would not be up to birding for the eight days and so had to pull out. One of Christines' birding friends came to the rescue in the form of Bob Foskett (great bloke) who joined the group, so on the 6th of Feb the 3 of us boarded a Thai Air flight for our ten and a half hour flight to Bangkok. (Andy was going to Thailand anyway,and went a few days prior to our departure, as he as a son living there, and he also owns a condo in Bangkok) Arrangements were made to fly to Bangkok, meet with Andy for an evening meal, and then the following day go for few hours birding around Suan Rot Fai (also known as Wachirabenchathat Park), in Bangkok. Later in the day we were then flying down to Phuket on a teatime flight, ready to start our tour of Southern Thailand the following day, which would be the 9th of February. A few images below of some of the birds we saw in the park.

 Our first birds in the park were quite a large flock of Tree Sparrows, and during our few hours in the park they were quite numerous - wish they were so common in the UK!

The Black collared Myna above is another quite common bird on the lawns of the park.

 A good flock of about 40 Scaly-breasted Munia were also feeding on the seeds  from the lawn

                    The above bird is everywhere and has the appropriate name of Common Myna

                                                                     Pied Fantail

   Oriental Magpie Robin - I took this image for my birding buddy Pete Asher - just a little private joke between us!

                                                                          Zebra Dove

 The above bird is again quite common - it's Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus coromandus) - a split, I think.
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                                                                    Asian Openbill

 Another common species in the park was Chinese Pond Heron; these are all over the place - on the lawns, and also around the water courses - or any where there are insects!
So, that was our few hours in the park - and well worth it, just to get your eye in on some common birds, ready for our trip south. Over the next couple of weeks I will be doing a post on our tour in the South of Thailand - it will be in a couple of parts though.
So, as always, thanks for stopping by and watch this space!