Eight Go Mad at the Seaside...

Left early and headed to the Phetchaburi area and staked out a small marshy area where we saw some Greater Painted Snipes, along with Chestnut Munia, Brown Shrike, and many Germain’s Swiftlets overhead, whilst some Plain-backed Sparrows and Chestnut-tailed Starlings were inspecting holes in bamboo poles. Across the road we had a Plaintive Cuckoo, Black-headed Ibis, and a frantic pair of Freckle-breasted Woodpeckers that were partaking in some courtship display.

Freckle-breasted Woodpecker - now split from Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker

Our next stop was near the abandoned building in the salt pans where an odd reed warbler type got our pulses racing and it certainly sounded and looked to me like Blyth’s Reed Warbler – one of less than ten records for Thailand. From the photos below you can see the supercilium is short and narrow behind the eye, the primary projection rules out Blunt-winged Warbler, the crown is plain, and there's an all pale lower mandible. I would welcome any comments on this bird please..............

A motley selection of poor photos of poss Blyth's Reed Warbler

Moving on to another set of salt pans we spent some time with the waders again and as well as getting more close-ups of Broad-billed and Marsh Sandpipers, both Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, Long-toed Stints, Pied Avocet and Pacific Golden Plovers, we also found 3 Asiatic Dowitchers and 14 Nordmann’s Greenshanks. 

Nice selection of waders - Asiatic Dowitcher in the foreground.

Checkout the short-billed Curlew Sandpiper - different race maybe..?

We ended with a Ruddy Shelduck, Oriental Skylark and flyby Black-eared Kite to bring our trip list up to 461 species seen in wonderful Thailand. What a great time we had here thanks to Nick Upton and for me, the close Spoonies we had a few days ago was one of the major highlights. So here's one final photo of a very busy salt pan....

Happy memories of Spoon-billed Sandpiper...

Can’t wait to return soon.......