It’s to be expected, with spring migration, things have been busy with birds. I don’t know where to start, but I will try to summarise some recent times and focus on my visit today to Phutthamonthon Park. Last year I went here over 50 times, but since focusing on my Bangkok list, I hadn’t been here for a long time!
The main target was the nesting Indian Nightjar but it was an incredibly birdy day with plenty of migrants. I’ve been searching out migrants at my favourite spots in the last month or so, mainly trying to get the usual passage Ficedulas at Benjakitti which proved to be an incredibly long task. I managed it in the past 2 days with a male Mugimaki Flycatcher and a male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher the following day.
Back to Phutthamonthon, we started with the Indian Nightjar and then proceeded to stumble upon an onslaught of Cuckoos. Including: Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Himalayan Cuckoo, Large Hawk-Cuckoo and the resident Plaintive Cuckoo. Because I think it’s peak time for Mugimaki Flycatcher and I didn’t have one at this park, it was my main target for the visit.
At this Cuckoo area we also had our first Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and a male Chinese Blue Flycatcher. There was a phylloscopus Leaf Warbler flitting around but the light was poor and we didn’t get a good view.
We moved deeper into the park to find the first ‘rarity’ of the visit. Malayan Night Heron that was 90% in adult plumage! It was so good to see, I had missed the adult which stayed at Sirikit Park for 1 day 3 days back, previously only photographing immature plumaged individuals.
One of the pictures taken took a more sinister turn when I put it on my computer, near the entrance, a Plain-backed Sparrow was attacking the camera next to the couple’s nest. At home, I noticed the carcass of a chick that became entangled in the nesting material:
Nearer the end of the walk, after checking every appropriate tree for Mugimaki Flycatchers, I eventually found one! After this it was a long hot walk back to the car. I decided to take the road around the park before leaving, luckily I did, I found the 2nd rarity: Indian Pond Heron. It was a good time at Phutthamonthon.
I’ll leave you with a couple of other shots from today, I’ve probably been behind on writing here due to daily posting on twitter, so you can check that out if you’d like!
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