Friday March 3
6.00 a.m. breakfast before leaving for a session at the lakeside. Pam and I were dropped at the boat boarding area whilst Neil and the Bees went off for a tramp. A lovely flowering tree held our initial interest
as what looked like Humming Hawk-moths were nectaring around it. They were large beetles ! One landed on a twig above us.
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| FOR MAGS |
One of the large, gold and black, Birdswing butterflies we've watched flying high with the birds, stopped momentarily, on the high right of the tree, to feed on nectar.
I was unable to photograph a close Coppersmith Barbet before it flew away.
I was unable to photograph a close Coppersmith Barbet before it flew away.
Choom returned from breakfast, motioning us to get back into the car. When we caught up with Neil, he was as mystified as us. Choom does not speak English and understands very little. He is not the sharpest tool in the box.
We took up a second station which proved to be much better than the first. A Wryneck investigated one of the bare trees in the area, delightful Ashy Wood Swallows cuddled up together on high branches. Two got very friendly.
We took up a second station which proved to be much better than the first. A Wryneck investigated one of the bare trees in the area, delightful Ashy Wood Swallows cuddled up together on high branches. Two got very friendly.
The number of bare trees made scoping the perched birds much easier. We had two, Burmese Shrikes, a Blue-tailed Bee-eater and a Yellow-vented Bulbul, whilst a Paddyfield Warbler song displaying in the reeds behind us.
Ten minutes to finish packing at the hotel before leaving for our next three nights at the coast south of Bangkok. To see the Holy Grail of Thai birding - we hope.
Everyone was desperate for a coffee. All large service stations have an Amazon cafe, we used one for the first time. Thais take kitsch to a new level.
I had a white coffee frappacino (more ice than coffee), Pam a black.
The next stop was in the grounds of a temple. Pen prayed, a Buddhist monk washed some flowers before placing them on a shrine and we.........photographed a host of Anderson's Fruit Bats, hanging from the trees.
Some of them made aerial sorties around the trees before returning. It was fun trying to guess their route!
Pterodactyls fly again.
The others went off to feed the grossly enormous Carp and catfish waiting under the bridge. They're protected by the monks so no-one can catch them. They just do a Topsy and keep growing ever larger.
Driving through a very large city, a double rice truck stopped at the lights in front of us. Immediately a marauding flock of Rock Doves flew into the open trucks, grabbed some rice, returning for more as long as the lights were red. They'd learnt to recognise the trucks and wait for them at the lights. Clever birds.
Our latest resort is , again, indivual bungalows set in very attractive treed and shrubbed grounds, Much hotter here, upper 30s C.
A very pleasant supper of chicken curry, rice and veg.
Ten minutes to finish packing at the hotel before leaving for our next three nights at the coast south of Bangkok. To see the Holy Grail of Thai birding - we hope.
Everyone was desperate for a coffee. All large service stations have an Amazon cafe, we used one for the first time. Thais take kitsch to a new level.
I had a white coffee frappacino (more ice than coffee), Pam a black.
The next stop was in the grounds of a temple. Pen prayed, a Buddhist monk washed some flowers before placing them on a shrine and we.........photographed a host of Anderson's Fruit Bats, hanging from the trees.
Some of them made aerial sorties around the trees before returning. It was fun trying to guess their route!
Pterodactyls fly again.
The others went off to feed the grossly enormous Carp and catfish waiting under the bridge. They're protected by the monks so no-one can catch them. They just do a Topsy and keep growing ever larger.
Driving through a very large city, a double rice truck stopped at the lights in front of us. Immediately a marauding flock of Rock Doves flew into the open trucks, grabbed some rice, returning for more as long as the lights were red. They'd learnt to recognise the trucks and wait for them at the lights. Clever birds.
Our latest resort is , again, indivual bungalows set in very attractive treed and shrubbed grounds, Much hotter here, upper 30s C.
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| Our shared bungalow |
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