Laem Pak Bia, Pak Thale & Kaeng Krachan 22 - 27 November 2015

Laem Pak Bia wetlands and Pak Thale salt pans in Petchaburi are 2 sites well-known for waders and shorebirds and during Thailand’s dry “winter” months October to March when the birds migrate

Entrance road to Pak Thale

from the northern winter the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper has been reported to be seen at Pak Thale.  Both sites are within 3 hours’ drive from Bangkok airport and we included them on this trip to Kaeng Krachan.  We booked the i Tara Resort & Spa, a seaside resort on the northern sandy beach of Petchaburi for 2 nights.  Nearby were some salt pans but generally the area is a village with a few shops and a couple of small establishments for dinning out, a peaceful place to stay for sun and sea without the crowds.

Black-winged Kite

On Sunday 22, Uthai from Chiangmaibirding picked our group of 4 from Don Meung airport. The Air Asia flight arrived at noon and after a quick stop at one of the highway cafes, we arrived Laem Pak Bia at 3.30pm.  We saw 2 Black-winged Kites and many Red-turtle doves on the wires along the country roads.

After checking into the i Tara Resort, we went to Pak Thale salt pans for a quick look before the sunset. 

Caspian Tern

The waders were feeding in flocks but quite far out and we spotted another vehicle near a shed. It was not easy trying to scope the "Spoonie" among the waders.  We saw lots of Plovers, Gulls, Sandpipers and Terns.  The driver of the vehicle passed us on his way out and mentioned he had seen 1 Spoonbill Sandpiper among the flocks.  We scrutinised the flocks with the scope but the sunlight was waning so we decided to leave and return the next morning for a longer stay. On Monday 23, after breakfast, we left at 7.30 am to the Laem Pak Bia King’s Project near us and drove along the bunds of the ponds. There were mainly Javan Pond herons, Black-winged Stilts and Egrets feeding with Little Commorants perched on sticks and structures in the ponds. 

Common Tern 

We took a short walk on the mangrove boardwalk and a couple of Pied Fantails and Yellow-bellied Gerygones were singing but hard to see in the thick foliage.  We then drove to Pak Thale and stayed till lunch time.  We moved quite close to the sea but each time we come close, the flocks would fly to another spot.  It was difficult spotting the tiny Spoon-billed Sandpiper.  We left at noon to escape the hot sun. There was time to kill after lunch so it was a relaxing spa treatment at the i Tara.  At 4pm we went back to Pak Thale but could not locate the star bird.

On Tuesday 24 we went to Laem Pak Bia King’s Project and this time we walked the full boardwalk

to the sea end and it was a spectacular view of the mangrove forest as we looked back.  As we had booked a visit to Lung Sin's hide at Kaeng Krachan in the afternoon, we left Laem Pak Bia around 10.30 am for the 2-hour drive.

We checked into Baan Song Nok around noon and had lunch at a nearby "restaurant" watching an Indian Roller who was hiding from the hot sun. 

On Wed 25, we left at 6 am to Paneongtung summit  which was 1.5 hours drive from the Park entrance.  

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Many visitors had camped overnight at the top to catch the sunrise over the white fluffy clouds.  There was a fruiting tree across the valley near the campsite and barbets, bulbuls and flycatchers were busy feeding in the early morning.   After our breakfast we drove up to another viewpoint looking for the dried bamboo flowers that the Pin-tailed Parrotbills feed on.   At 10 am a bird wave brought the parrot-bills but it was difficult to photograph these small birds so we waited for another round of feeding.  Near lunch time we drove down to Bang Krang campsite, while walking around the campsite we saw a pair of Violet Cuckoos feeding in the trees. On the way down we stopped by a couple of fig trees with birds feeding but the foliage was thick and hard to photograph the birds.   We went back to Ban Song Nok and birded at the hide till dinner time.

Thursday 26 we left at 6.30 am for the Park and stopped on the road near the big fig tree at km 8 to stake out the Black-thighed Falconets that had been regularly seen. It was still misty when 3 Falconets came but they flew off too quickly.  We waited for their return but they did not show after

Green Magpie

an hour or so, meanwhile we heard the knocking of wood and found a Heart-spotted Woodpecker building a nest hole.  She was then relieved by the male after some time.  The male extracted the chippings from the hole and continued with his pecking work.   We spent some time watching this pair then drove on to Bang Krang for lunch.  We left after a short stay and drove out of the Park to the coffee place opposite Sarman's Bird Camp and while having coffee we had good views of the Thick-billed Flowerpeckers feeding on the Indian Cherry trees.  Towards the late afternoon it was back to Auntie Aek's hide and it was the usual suspects that came to bathe at the 2 pools.

We left Friday 27 after breakfast and it was a longer drive back to Don Meung due to heavy traffic. 

Black-naped Monarch

Racket-tailed Treepie

Bar-backed Partridge

Large Scimitar Babbler

Kalij Pheasant - F

Kalij Pheasant

 Laem Pak Bia & Pak Thale Photos                     Kaeng Krachan Photos

Birds Seen at Laem Pak Bia and Pak Thale:

1	Black-winged Kite		18	White-throated Kingfisher
2	Red-wattled Lapwing		19	Common Kingfisher
3	Asian Openbill Stork		20	Black-capped Kingfisher
4	Grey-headed Lapwing		21	Intermediate Egret
5	Asian Pied Starling		22	Little Egret
6	Red Turtle Dove		23	Chinese Egret
7	Blue-tailed Bee-eater		24	Great Egret
8	Crested Myna		25	Little Cormorant
9	Curlew Sandpiper		26	Grey Heron
10	Kentish Plover		27	Brown-headed Gull
11	Black-winged Stilt		28	Common Tern
12	Streak-eared Bulbul		29	Caspian Tern
13	Javan Pond Heron		30	Heuglin's Gull
14	Yellow-eyed Babbler		31	Painted Stork
15	Whiskered Tern		32	House Sparrow
16	Common Sandpiper		33	Brahminy Kite
17	Wood Sandpiper		34	Pied Fantail

  Birds Seen at Kaeng Krachan:

1	Oriental Magpie Robin		27	Blue-throated Barbet
2	Indian Roller		28	Great Barbet
3	Chestnut-headed Bee-eater		29	Golden-throated Barbet
4	Grey-cheeked Fulvetta		30	Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
5	White-rumped Shama		31	Hainan Blue Flycatcher
6	Black-naped Monarch		32	Ashy Drongo
7	Verditer Flycatcher		33	Crow-billed Drongo
8	Striped-throated Bulbul		34	Black-headed Bulbul
9	Flavescent Bulbul		35	Black-crested Bulbul
10	Racket-tailed Treepie		36	Sooty-headed Bulbul
11	Pin-striped Tit Babbler		37	Taiga Flycatcher
12	Scaly-breasted Partridge		38	Siberian Blue Robin
13	Bar-backed Partridge		39	Abbot's Babbler
14	Puff-throated Babbler		40	Arctic Warbler
15	Red Jungle Fowl		41	Vernal Hanging Parrot
16	Greater-necklaced Laughing Thrush		42	Blue-bearded Bee-eater
17	Green Magpie		43	Common Flameback
18	Tickell's Blue Flycatcher		44	Greater Flameback
19	Large Scimitar Babbler		45	Heart-spotted Kingfisher
20	White-browed Scimitar Babbler		46	Violet Cuckoo
21	Emerald Dove		47	Oriental Pied Hornbill
22	Kalij Pheasant		48	Thick-billed Flowerpecker
23	Red Legged Crake		49	Brown-throated Sunbird
24	Slaty-legged Crake		50	Coppersmith  Barbet
25	Grey-eyed Bulbul		51	Lineated Barbet
26	Mountain Bulbul		52	Black-thighed Falconet