Photo by Phil Woollen
What an explosive start to the Birdwatching Tours ‘Spoon-full of Thailand’ tour!
We were up bright and early, picked up at 6:30 am sharp by our guide Jay and his excellent team. Jay, the absolute top birder in Thailand and author of Birds of Thailand, immediately set the tone with his incredible knowledge and enthusiasm as we headed south to the famous saltpans at Khok Kham.
We barely had time to unpack the scopes before the magic happened—within minutes of arriving, we located a stunning Spoon-billed Sandpiper!
The little icon fed contentedly among thousands of waders, giving us prolonged, frame-filling views that left everyone speechless. Over the next few hours, the saltpans delivered an astonishing 28 species of waders, packed with eastern specialities: Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Tibetan Sandplover, Greater Sandplover, and so many more. It was wader heaven.
Reluctantly tearing ourselves away from the star bird, we moved on to the freshwater pools at Phael Nam Daeng. Here the scenery changed—flocks of Lesser Whistling Ducks wheeled overhead, Purple Swamphens strutted about, Glossy Ibis probed the mud, and a gorgeous White-browed Crake showed beautifully.
Lunch was at a lovely riverside restaurant, where we enjoyed superb Thai food while admiring close views of Collared Kingfisher and Black-capped Kingfisher perched nearby.
After checking into our beachfront hotel, some of us couldn’t resist a quick scan of the beach. Jackpot—a White-faced Plover (a highly sought-after species) right there on the shoreline, along with two Kentish Plovers.
While others took well-earned downtime, a keen group joined Jay for a late-afternoon visit to the Hat Chao Samran Wetlands. More excellent waders, plus Thick-billed Warblers, White-breasted Waterhen, Ruddy-breasted Crake, and roosting Black-crowned Night Herons.
The day wrapped up with a celebratory dinner at the Fisherman’s Resort restaurant—great food, great company, and the daily log revealed an incredible 107 bird species for the group on day one!
Early night tonight to recharge. More saltpan birding awaits tomorrow—we can’t wait!
Photo by Phil Woollen