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RARE
BIRDS OF BAN THATON INTRODUCTION We actually had amazing luck in that we documented four birds that are listed as rare in Thailand; in order of sighting they were: the Long-billed Plover (Charadrius placidus) on a sandbar; the Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) in riverine grass; Jerdon’s Bushchat (Saxicola jerdoni) in riverine grass; and the Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) in long grass in a paddyfield. In all four cases, we spotted only solitary birds. Our base at the Maekok River Village Resort couldn’t have been a better location from which to start a days birdwatching - when one is looking for both river and paddyfield species. The lodge is situated on the Mae Kok River and a motorized barge was put at our service, which made spotting both convenient and comfortable. Our first morning we had tried the river from the bank (without the barge), and as was to be expected, the moment our heads showed the birds disappeared. When we used the barge, however, we could get to within a few metres of the sandbars on which most of the birds were either resting or feeding. In this way, we got an excellent view of the Long-billed Plover.The birds seemed unable to discern the smaller humans in the bigger barge, or maybe it was that they were used to the constant passage of boats. When we came across a likely looking paddyfield area, we had the boatman put us ashore and we would quarter the area, 60 or so metres apart, effectively covering the area between us and on either side. Using this method, we put up quail, snipe, pipits, larks and other paddyfield birds. It is also well worthwhile taking an evening trip on the barge, just before dusk, as the river birds tend to gather on the sandbars to roost. We found the best spot to be at the confluence of the Mae Kok and the Mae Fang rivers, about three kilometres from the Maekok River Village Resort. The Jerdon’s Bushchat and the Paddyfield Warbler were seen in the same area, about 200 metres up the Mae Fang (left bank) from where it joins the Mae Kok There was some doubt about whether we would be able to navigate this part of the river due to the shallowness of the water, but it turned out to be no problem at all. In this area, the banks of the river are lined with some fairly thick riverine grass and the thorny mimosa. One thing that did worry me was the slashing and burning of the mimosa up to a few metres from the bank. A careful eye should be kept on the riverside vegetation or we may end up losing these two species. The Mae Kok is a busy river and quite a lot of dredging is going on, not so much to deepen the river as to collect sand and gravel for sale to the construction industry. An eye should also be kept on this as it is affecting the river banks. Having said that, the birds seem to be coping admirably and have got used to the traffic which then allows the birdwatcher to get closer to the birds. Raptors were not that much in evidence but when they were we were overwhelmed by them. One particular morning we saw eleven Eastern Marsh Harriers (Circus spilonotus) within a 300-metre radius of where we were standing; and, at the same time we watched two Black-shouldered Kites (Elanus caeruleus) hovering over the rice stubble and long grass. The only other raptor we saw was the Shikra (Accipiter badius). The Eastern Marsh Harriers, like us, would quarter the fields with their slow-flapping but acrobatic flight and the occasional hovering. They were relatively tame and would come to within a 100 metres of us. With careful manoeuvering with a straw stack between myself and a sitting harrier, I got to about 20 metres from one bird. Incidentally, all the Harriers we saw were female. We also explored some of the higher ground but nothing exciting turned up in submontane birds. The highest we got was 900 metres above sea level, where there had also been quite a bit of deforestation. What was of interest was the low-profile military presence. From one particular viewpoint one could see both the Thai and Burmese observation points on the tops of the higher mountains, both with flags flying. But any birdwatcher coming to this area would come for the rare birds on or by the river. (For the northern montane and forest birds, one would need go to Doi Phahompok, an area I intend to explore in the near future.) The importance of this area is due to the fact that it is the southernmost range of the birds of northern Asia, where they spill over into Thailand. CONCLUSIONS However, a certain amount of homework must be done, such as finding where the wet paddyfields are. There are two stages of wet paddyfields, the first when the fields have been flooded and left for a while; and the second after the rice has been planted. We didn’t find too many of the first and only a few of the second. I have to admit that we were very lucky with the rarer species and a quick look down the checklist will show you that we were, in fact, unlucky with the more common species - but I would rather have it that way. It would be commendable if local officials were to keep an eye on the riverine areas, especially on the tall riverine grass and the mimosa thorn trees, as this provides cover for some of the rarer birds (and others not so rare). Generally speaking, there is still enough vegetation around to make an interesting day birdwatching. As I mentioned, birdwatching from a river barge is more convenient as both river and paddyfields can be explored at the same time. The Mae Kok River Village Resort can provide these at very reasonable prices. Also, the staff at the lodge are very helpful, and most of them speak English. The food served in the restaurant is excellent, worthy of its reputation. They also have 4WD vehicles if one wants to explore farther afield over rougher terrain. I have nothing but praise for the services provided by Maekok River Village Resort and Track of the Tiger Tours. Ban Thaton is a lovely 3-hour drive north from Chiang Mai. The following list summarizes the birds seen during this visit to Ban Thaton. Note: Since this initial survey by Tony Ball, he has revisted the area and discovered an additional 14 species in the valley and river areas. He then conducted a survey of the nearby Mae Nam Fang National Park and Doi Pa Hom Pok (1700 metres above sea level), where a large number of species (including some that are considered rare) were spotted. An
updated bird list and 3-day birdwatching tour programme are available
on
request. |
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