Dartford Waffler

Although I have lived in Bangkok for years I have never taken the effort to go and track down any of the city’s Java Sparrows; there has long been a self-sustaining population of this species, originating from escaped caged birds. However, beyond the vague instructions of “the Don Muang area” I have never known where […]

The large majority of birders visit Thailand between the months of November and March, which is a great time for winter migrants but not so good for resident birds.
There are a few birds in particular which just are not present in the dry season or not at their best. Asian Golden Weaver is one of […]

Lots of people have been e-mailing me about Spoon-billed Sandpiper recently. With the species continued decline more and more birders are keen to see it and it seems that Thailand is just about the easiest and most reliable place to see a Spoon-billed Sandpiper right now.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper at Khok Kham by Jörg Hanoldt
Pak Thale is […]

Whilst I am not a twitcher (tried it and don’t like it at all), nor do I usually chase birds in any way, I do keep all sorts of lists as I find that doing so keeps my enthusiasm going. Of course I have kept year lists for many years, but never go looking for […]

Walking along Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, this afternoon I heard the distinctive call of a Chiffchaff above the roar of the traffic. Wow! This would be a new bird for Thailand!

The call was coming from some trees in nearby Chavit park, a small park created a few years ago to make some green space in the […]

I recently had a couple of visits to Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai province which proved very interesting for some unusual winter migrants. Chiang Saen is close to lots of wetland areas including Chiang Saen lake, Yonok wetlands and The Mekong but there are interesting areas all around to investigate.
Chiang Saen Lake
The lake is not […]

This morning I had an unexpected visitor to my front yard. Whilst I am used to seeing Olive-backed Sunbirds every day, this fledgling Scaly-breasted Munia was a bit more of a surprise, particularly as it flew out of the plants at me as I was watering them.

Fledgling Scaly-breasted Munia
Photo by Nick Upton
Actually, I should not […]

I recently spent two days at Laem Pak Bia and Pak Thale (6th & 7th November). After reporting some problems with the road into the Spoon-billed Sandpiper site at Pak Thale I am happy to say that the road has been finished and it is now negotiable by any vehicle again.
Spoon-billed Sandpiper
On the 6th I […]

There are lots of great birds to see in Thailand but one of the best, to me, is the Great Hornbill. Whilst it is not the rarest bird, it is certainly one of the most memorable and any sighting is a highlight in my book: a few years ago I did a survey and Great […]

I spent a couple of days with my wife in Petchaburi province on 29th and 30th October doing some birdwatching and some lazing on the beach.
On the afternoon of 29th I headed to Pak Thale to see if I could find a returning Spoon-billed Sandpiper. A new road was being layed part the way into […]