From the island of Koh Lanta we sadly said goodbye to Lu, Arlo & Wade & moved on by van & ferry to the mainland. Krabi is a pleasant small town on the East side of the Thai/Malasian Peninsula. On my 67th birthday and our fourth wedding anniversary we took a boat trip on the River looking for kingfishers along the banks and in the mangroves. Sure enough Collared Kingfishers were fairly numerous, strangely only in Town? once we got away from human habitation they were not around. Their fiercely bright blue back seems to glow with its own light so they were easy to spot.
Collared Kingfisher - todiramphus chloris
Krabi Boatman "Hawkeye" Our Boatman must have been used to birders. He had hawk eyes and spotted birds long before we did. He knew exactly how to get close, cutting the engine at the appropriate time so as not to startle the bird. This Brown Winged Kingfisher for example stayed-put long enough for me to get the shot. Perfect! A good tip was in order that day.
Brown Winged Kingfisher - halcyon amauroptera
Common Sandpiper - actitis hypoleucos Apart from the kingfishers there was not much else to see however, although the mangroves were interesting. A Common Sandpiper or two was the only other bird of note.
Afterwards I took a few pictures of birds around our hotel. The Scaly Breasted Munia is a common bird of the region, but it was new to us and worthy of inclusion.
Afterwards I took a few pictures of birds around our hotel. The Scaly Breasted Munia is a common bird of the region, but it was new to us and worthy of inclusion.
Scaly Breasted Munia - lonchura puntulata
Yellow-Vented Bulbul - pyconotus goiaver This one is a Yellow-Vented Bulbul, another common bird but new to us and so worthy of our attention.
I had read about a National Park not far from Krabi called Khao Noi Chu Chi, famed for being the last place one could potentially see Gurney´s Pitta, a beautiful bird threatened with extinction.
I had read about a National Park not far from Krabi called Khao Noi Chu Chi, famed for being the last place one could potentially see Gurney´s Pitta, a beautiful bird threatened with extinction.
Gurney´s Pitta - pitta gurneyi (photo by Alex Vargas) This is an adult male Gurney's Pitta (Pitta gurneyi), an endangered species that was believed to be extinct until several pairs were rediscovered in 1986. At that time, it was thought to be the rarest bird species on earth. Currently, it is estimated that there are perhaps 10 pairs of Gurney's pittas at Khao Nor Chuchi in Thailand (other Thai populations are probably extinct). Fortunately, another, larger, population was recently discovered in southern Tenasserim, Myanmar/Burma. Deforestation will no doubt see them off before too long though.
Quoting Nick Upton of Thaibirding.com, a respected authority on Thai birds;-
For those attempting to find Gurney's Pitta at Khao Nor Chu Chi, the species is most detectable between mid-March and mid-June, with a peak of calling activity around mid-April. The birding logbooks usually have the locations of the latest sightings, with gulleys along the first few hundred metres of U-trail being the most regular place, although there are places along B-trail where they can be found.
Well I decided we would give it a try. We hired a car, drove to Khao Nor Chu Chi, found and walked the U and B trails, with some difficulty as they are hard to find and not well maintained so are almost invisible in places. Anyway, not only did we not see Gurney´s Pitta, we saw very little of anything except a few spent shotgun cartridges. My first lesson in forest birding! You need a guide! and most birds are seen on the fringes, those in deep forest are rarely visible to the uninitiated observer. The Reserve area is quite beautiful with waterfalls and Emerald Pools, a draw for lots of tourists. Not what we came for though.
Quoting Nick Upton of Thaibirding.com, a respected authority on Thai birds;-
For those attempting to find Gurney's Pitta at Khao Nor Chu Chi, the species is most detectable between mid-March and mid-June, with a peak of calling activity around mid-April. The birding logbooks usually have the locations of the latest sightings, with gulleys along the first few hundred metres of U-trail being the most regular place, although there are places along B-trail where they can be found.
Well I decided we would give it a try. We hired a car, drove to Khao Nor Chu Chi, found and walked the U and B trails, with some difficulty as they are hard to find and not well maintained so are almost invisible in places. Anyway, not only did we not see Gurney´s Pitta, we saw very little of anything except a few spent shotgun cartridges. My first lesson in forest birding! You need a guide! and most birds are seen on the fringes, those in deep forest are rarely visible to the uninitiated observer. The Reserve area is quite beautiful with waterfalls and Emerald Pools, a draw for lots of tourists. Not what we came for though.
Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker - dicaeum cruentatum Here´s one I did spot, a Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker. A nice little bird and very pleasing to photograph, but it´s not a Pitta, and definitely not a Gurney´s Pitta. I decided that from now on in the forest I would use a guide, someone with the necessary local knowledge and birding expertise to find and see the birds.
