Sunday 25 th of June 2023 and the car from BANGKOK BEST TOUR arrived quarter to 7 and we left 10 minutes later. Wes topped at 7 Eleven so I could buy some nuts to have for lunch as I want to avoid any carbs eating at a restaurant.
And there are no restaurants I want to eat at in Khao Yai.
I have given up drinking MAX and I have not been having any for a long time now. But I bought a couple of bottles to enjoy on my trip to Khao Yai. So, I am set for a full day without any carbs and restaurants and no need for any agony stepping up on the scale tomorrow.
Before
After
Heading towards Khao Yai National Park
We were soon on the highway leaving Bangkok via the toll way at Sukhumvit Soi 1 and Sunday morning and we had light traffic. I have a chat with the Driver and I fall asleep after having passed Rangsit.
I wake up when we approach Khao Yai and it looks like many of the hotels are closed and some looks to have felt in to decay most likely because they have been forced to close down during the covid. A very successful look down, many small and medium companies bankrupt while the big are making record profit.
We reach the north gate to the Khao Yai National Park and we park the car. My Driver is paying the entrance fee on his mobile and I go out to see what is around. I see one Streak-eared Bulbul before we leave the parking lot.
Reaching the northern gate to Khao Yai
Reaching the northern gate to Khao Yai
Northern gate to Khao Yai
We pass the gate and we have about 10 minutes to the first stop, the eBird hotspot: Khao Yai NP--Km.30 viewpoint & fire station vicinity where I will look for birds.
And a few hundred meters from the first hotspot we have the next eBird hotspot: Khao Yai NP--parking space S of Km.30 viewpoint
Sunday and there were a lot of people at the view point and there were quite a few cars at the parking lot. We parked the car in front of a warning sign about monkeys and I stepped out of the car to go see if I can find any birds.
Warning at the parking
View from the viewpoint
I start my eBird app at the first stop at 09:41 and I hear a lot of birds, but it is hard to see any birds in the thick foliage. But I see a couple of Blue-winged Leafbird in a tree but I never get any good pictures.
The birds are jumping around all the time and are covered by the leafs in the foliage. I tried to take several photos but the bird was covered and I never managed to get any good pictures and I was really chasing the birds.
Blue-winged Leafbird
Blue-winged Leafbird
I continue down the road and I pass another smaller platform and I meet a couple from Germany. They live in Bangkok and they have come to Khao Yai on a motorcycle.
We have a chat about this and that and I spot a Black-crested Bulbul and one Red-whiskered Bulbul in the trees below us. But again, no pictures that I could use for anything.
I go check out the trees on the other side of the road and there are two more Blue-winged Leafbirds that I could not get any good pictures of. And there was a group of Common Mynas landing in a tree top further down the road.
Way too far away for any pictures, just a picture to get the ID of the birds.
Blue-winged Leafbird
I walk back to the parking and we leave the viewpoint behind. We stop after a couple of minutes at eBird hotspot: Khao Yai NP--parking space S of Km.30 viewpoint
I start my eBird app at 10:18 and I start to walk along the road. I tell my Driver to wait behind and to come and pick me up after 10 minutes or so.
I see two Blue-winged Leafbirds flying across the road, good, I have something to report in eBird.
I hear a bird in the bushes and I go to make a recording and when I start my ZOOM H5 I hear a bird from the top of the tree. So, I start to record this bird as I am afraid it will take off. And that was a good move as the bird took off after two short calls.
Listen to the Asian Fairy-bluebird
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
Sitting in a high tree and I could only see the silhouette as the bird was between me and the sun. Anyone have any idea on what bird this is?
+++++++++++
Thanks to Marc Anderson for the ID, see the forum: https://xeno-canto.org/forum/topic/56413
Listen to the UNKNOWN 2
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
I could hear the bird through the bushes next to the road. Recorded at the same time I recorded XC811615. This was actually the bird I was going to record, but when I heard the bird in the tree, I recorded this one first.
Lucky as it took off.
The bird, ID on the xeno-canto forum was an Asian Fairy-bluebird. I started to record the bird in the bushes, at least I think it is a bird rumbling around in the bushes. We can at least hear the annoying sound from the insects playing.
I continue along the road and suddenly I have a dog walking across the road in front of me. I am soon realising that it is not a dog, red with a tail looking like a squirrel tail. Suddenly there was another crossing the road but it was gone before I could take any pictures.
I was whistling trying to get them back out from the vegetation but nothing came out from that exercise. I was pretty sure it wasn't any street dogs, two of them looking the same so the chance it would be a street dog was none existing.
Back home and I checked the internet and I found out that I had seen two Dholes so this was pretty exciting. I have seen something similar in the National Parks in India.
Dhole
Canid, a mammal of the dog family (Canidae)
The dhole (Cuon alpinus) is a canid native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf.
It is genetically close to species within the genus Canis, but distinct in several anatomical aspects: its skull is convex rather than concave in profile, it lacks a third lower molar[8] and the upper molars sport only a single cusp as opposed to between two and four.
During the Pleistocene, the dhole ranged throughout Asia, Europe and North America but became restricted to its historical range 12,000–18,000 years ago.
The dhole is a highly social animal, living in large clans without rigid dominance hierarchies and containing multiple breeding females. Such clans usually consist of about 12 individuals, but groups of over 40 are known.
It is a diurnal pack hunter which preferentially targets large and medium-sized ungulates. In tropical forests, the dhole competes with the tiger (Panthera tigris) and the leopard (Panthera pardus), targeting somewhat different prey species, but still with substantial dietary overlap.
It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as populations are decreasing and estimated to comprise fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Factors contributing to this decline include habitat loss, loss of prey, competition with other species, persecution due to livestock predation, and disease transfer from domestic dogs.
Walking to the next hotspot: Khao Yai NP--Nong Phak Chi
Walking on the trail
My driver came to pick me up and we continued towards the Headquarter where I will hire a bird Guide for the day to have a look around Khao Yai.
There is another eBird hotspot that we will pass on the way to the headquarter, Khao Yai NP--Nong Phak Chi I got out of the car and I will walk along the road and then get out on the trail. The driver drives ahead and he will wait for me at the parking lot.
I hear many birds but not many seen so I was desperate for pictures and as there was a bird of prey. I tried to get the bird on picture for ID even though it was very far away. And I will post it on birdforum when I am back home.
Crested (Oriental) Honey Buzzard
Listen to the UNKNOWN 3
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
I walk the trail and I hear this bird. I stop to bring out my recorder and the bird turns silent. I say hello by a whistling and the bird starts making sound again. I think there is two birds, the loud and then we can hear a second bird whistling.
Anyone know the ID of these two birds?
Listen to the Red-whiskered Bulbul
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
Two birds sitting in the tree above me.
Listen to the Asian Fairy-bluebird
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
Bird sitting in the top of the tree, but I only see the bird as a black silhouette. I record the bird even though we can hear the gibbons making a lot of noise.
Anyone know the ID of this bird?
+++++++++++
Thanks to Marc Anderson at xeno-canto for the ID, see forum: https://xeno-canto.org/forum/topic/56417
I walked back to the car with three recordings and a very poor picture. I had seen a couple of birds but no pictures so I was not so very happy but I have hopes
for the birds on my recordings to be ID when I am back home.We drove to the headquarter and there were so much people that we left again. And I decided to skip the bird Guide, we will not have much time remaining for any guide if we want to make it back to Bangkok before the traffic start. A lot of traffic with returning people after the weekend.
We tried the eBird hotspot: Sai Sorn Reservoir (Mo Singto) but there was so much people and we decided to drive further down the road to the next hotspot: Khao Yai NP--Thung Kwang Viewpoint
I was about to say, a view point over nothing. A small parking and there were quite a few cars parked and group of motorcycle drivers. I walked along the road and I spotted one Red-whiskered Bulbul in the grass but the camera focused on the grass so no pictures.
There were three Red-whiskered Bulbuls and I managed to get a recording of one of them even though there were cars passing all the time
Listen to the Red-whiskered Bulbul
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
In a tree next to the road so many cars passing. The Red-whiskered Bulbul could be heard and seen all over the park.
We leave and drive back to the headquarter and as we pass the eBird hotspot: Sai Sorn Reservoir (Mo Singto) I stop at the other end of the reservoir and I am alone. I walk along the northern end and not a bird to be seen.
I had seen 12 Red-wattled Lapwings in the other side of the reservoir. But on the road side there was no bird, no surprise as there were many people on this side.
Red-wattled Lapwings
North end of the reservoir
Ashy Woodswallow
Listen to the UNKNOWN 5
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
The bird was heard in the forest. I could not see the bird. Well, I did not see many birds during the day as they were all covered in the canopy.
Anyone know the ID of this bird?
I make a recording of a bird that I cannot see. And I hope I can get help from xeno-canto to ID the bird. I walk back to the car and we leave for the headquarter.
After a few meters I asked the driver to stop as there was an Ashy Woodswallow sitting on the wire and I got out to try to get a picture. The bird took off and was joined by a second Ashy Woodswallow. The pictures turned out to be a disappointment.
We reached the eBird hotspot: Khao Yai NP--headquarters vicinity and I got out of the car. I will walk around and the Driver continued to the parking where I will meet the driver when we will drive back to Bangkok.
A mistake to come here on a Sunday, the area is full of people. I walk down to the woods behind the restaurants, a terrible smell from garbage and I was very happy that I had bought the peanuts at 7 Eleven. And I do not lose any time in any restaurant as I can enjoy my peanuts in the car between the hotspots.
I cannot see any Birds, but I hear one bird that I cannot see and I make a recording hoping for help with the ID on the xeno-canto forum.
Listen to the UNKNOWN 6
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
Behind the restaurants and I could not see the bird. Well, I did not see many birds during the day as they were all covered in the canopy.
Anyone know the ID of this bird?
Khao Yai Headquarter
River behind the restaurants
River behind the restaurants
There are no birds at the river behind the restaurants so I follow the river going over to the other parking area at the headquarter. I walk to the suspension bridge crossing the river and it is a beautiful area. But no birds to be seen.
I leave the wooden platform at the suspension bridge and there is a step. I miss to notice the step as there is no yellow marking on the edge walking along the platform.
I step outside the platform with my left foot and I fall, all takes a second. Camera for 300 000฿ and even though it was just a second before I hit the platform I remember thinking about the camera and I lifted it above me while falling. So, nothing happened with the camera.
Suspension bridge at the headquarter
It is a beautiful area
Lizard swimming by
Walking back to the car and I spotted a bird in the top of a high tree. I checked it out with my zoom lens, and I discovered three Ashy Woodswallows in the tree. I also spotted two prinias in the top of another tree.
I was happy about it as my eBird checklist would have been empty without the sightings.
Back at the car and we are taking off going back to Bangkok. Not many birds in the National Park, but of course, stupid to come here on a weekend. But I had enjoyed my day trip and I was very happy to have seen the two “red wolfs”
+++++++++++++++
Tuesday 27 th
of June 2023
and coming back home from Chaiyasit Muay Thai Gym where I had done an hour of yoga and a session with The Red Devil (ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานน) I had a cup of tea while studying videos about flash photography on the internet.My friend is getting married so I need to do some flash photography training as I have not been using my flash for many years now. So, I will be busy tomorrow with this, but the plan for today is to go to look for birds at Benjakiti Park.
Red Devil, ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานน
Red Devil, ปีศาจแดง ก.กุมานน
A second cup of tea and green salad only before I took off to Benjakiti Park. I booked a car on the Lineman app and it took longer than I thought. I had to cancel the first taxi after 30 minutes as it was stuck in the traffic.
I was a little worried that I was too late when I started the eBird app at 16:26 in Benjakitti Park (สวนเบญจกิติ). But as it is summer the sun was high on the sky and it was still very hot.
Benjakitti Park (สวนเบญจกิติ)
Benjakitti Park (สวนเบญจกิติ)
I start walking towards the new part of the park, the Benchakitti Forest Park (สวนป่าเบญจกิติ) and I spot some mynas, and of course Zebra Doves. I come over to the new section of the park, I think they opened Benchakitti Forest Park (สวนป่าเบญจกิติ) last year, 2022.
The first bird was a young Indochinese Roller perching in the same three as a couple of Scaly-breasted Munias. I tried to sneak up on the roller to get in a better position as the bird was covered by a branch.
Of course, the bird took off and I continued deeper in to the wilderness. I spot two Asian Openbills in the top of a tree and I go to have a look.
Common Myna
Female Oriental Magpie Robin
Female Oriental Magpie Robin
Lizard
Asian Openbill
I approach the tree and one of the Asian Openbills takes off. I can see the bird flying behind a mound in the wetlands. I tried to get pictures of the remaining bird but it was a little too far away and on top of that, the lightning was poor.
The bird was between me and the sun. The bird that took off, I could see that it was landing behind the mound. The walk path I was on stretches over the wetland along the mound.
So, I had high hopes
to see the birds behind the mound. But it requires sneaking and stealth
mode, my best “birding style” prowl.Coming around the mound and I see the openbill standing on the board walk. I also discovered a second openbill foraging in the wetland next to the boardwalk.
Asian Openbill
Asian Openbill
Asian Openbill
Asian Openbill
I got a couple of pictures of the Asian Openbills before I continued on the boardwalk. I reach the Main Amphitheatre (อัฒจันทร์กลาง) and there is a lot of mynas, both common and great. I sat down looking out over the wetland with my camera stand-by.
There was one Siamese Pied Starling landing in a tree next to me and I tried to get a picture.
There were some small birds, Scaly-breasted Munias and Plain Prinias in the vegetation in the wetland. There were some birds that I could not ID as well.
Siamese Pied Starling
I sit there looking out over the wetland when a Thai couple came up next to me. They stopped as not to disturb when I was taking my pictures. We started to chat and they showed me a picture of a bird on their phone.
They asked what kind of bird it was and it was an Asian Openbill they had seen a little further away. They were not in to bird watching but they told me about a place close to Khao Yai National Park famous for birds of prey.
He gave me the coordinates on the GPS and I checked it out, and it was an eBird hotspot: Pak Phli--Tha Ruea paddies & aquaculture ponds And this is the place to visit during the winter with all the immigrating birds of prey coming here.
Same as the eBird hotspot: Wiang Nong Lom--watchtower & Pied Harrier pre-roosting congregation hide we visited in Chiang Rai a couple of months ago. A place I have planned to visit again next winter to check out all the birds of prey staying here during the winter.
I spotted one Collared Kingfisher landing in the tree in front of us while we were chatting and I got in to picture mode and I tried to get some pictures.
Collared Kingfisher hiding in the tree
Collared Kingfisher hiding in the tree
Plain Prinia
Plain Prinia
Plain Prinia
It was not easy to get pictures of the kingfisher as it was covered by leafs, but I managed to find an opening between the leafs. A couple of prinias showed up and I started to take pictures of them while waiting for the kingfisher to come out in the open.
The kingfisher was sitting in the tree hiding and every now and then the bird dove down on the ground to catch some insects.
I was leaving the Main Amphitheatre (อัฒจันทร์กลาง) and I spotted the kingfisher changing tree and I went back to see if I had more luck with the position of the kingfisher. And now the bird was perch in the open.
Collared Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Listen to the Plain Prinia
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Benchakitti Forest Park (สวนป่าเบญจกิติ)
Remarks from the Recordist
Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder and High Pass Filter applied with Audacity
Two birds in the vegetation, but only one of them making sound. We can hear Coppersmith Barbet and Large-billed Crow
I got a few pictures of the kingfisher and I also got a recording of the Plain Prinia. I continued and as it was 5 thirty, I started to go back towards the gate to look for a taxi.
And what a difference to come home this time comparing with the first time coming back home from Benchakitti Forest Park (สวนป่าเบญจกิติ), after having tested my Canon EOS R3 with the Canon RF 100-500mm IS USM for the first time.
Back then it was nothing by garbage, but now I was kind of happy with the pictures, at least they are getting better the more practice I get.
I had a cup of flax seed when I was back home and I continued with my flash photography studies. I had contacted a shop on Ekkamai as they were selling Magmod products for my Canon Speedlite so I might go have a look there tomorrow.
Thursday and I will be off to the wedding and I hope
that my FLASH PHOTOGRAPH training will pay out. Click HERE
to find out.
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it 
be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!
คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next”
ข้างบนนี้
Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page. Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaasFaites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopraSprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben! คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next”
ข้างบนนี้
Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
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