Following is a day-to-day account of the happenings at the Raptor Migration Watch in Chumporn, written by Dr. Robert DiCandido, a visiting professor from New York and Mr. Chukiat Nulsri, the local Thai coordinator of this event. This post covers Week Two of the event, held at Pencil Hill (Khao Dinsor) and Radar Hill.
Birders interested in participating in the event should contact Khun Chukiat at his e-mail address: bnternstar@gmail.com
All photos and information portrayed in this post are courtesy of Dr. Robert and Khun Chukiat unless otherwise stated and are used with express permission from the authors.
10 September – Saturday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
50% to 100% cloudy (a few showers – heavy at times)
Winds West to WSW – approx. 10-20 mph (16-32km/hr) = strong (good)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 343 [108 males (49%) and 113 females (51%) of the 221 clearly seen]
Chinese Sparrowhawk – 1 (adult male)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 71
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 7
Pacific Swift – 2,109
Barn Swallow – 1,290
Little Egret – 115
Note: From 12-noon through 6pm, female Japanese Sparrowhawks (61 or 60%) out-numbered males (40; 40%) of the 101 clearly seen and identified to sex. Only one first year Japanese Sparrowhawk has been seen to date – all others have been adults. Today is the first day females outnumbered males.
11 September – Sunday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
50% to 100% cloudy (a few light showers)
Winds West to WSW – approx. 10-20 mph (16-32km/hr) = strong (good)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 223 [53 males (47%) and 59 females (53%) of the 112 clearly seen]
Oriental Honey-buzzard – 1 (adult male)
Brahminy Kite – 2 (juveniles)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 177
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 0
Pacific Swift – 420
Barn Swallow – 275 (estimate)
Little Egret – 115 (see the note from Tom Backlund below!)
Other Birds: visiting Shelter 3 today were Green Billed Malkoha (resident) and Brown Shrike (migrant).
Weather at Khao Dinsor (near the city of Chumphon): click here
Where to stay in Chumphon: The Morakot Hotel
Chukiat Nualsri and Robert DeCandido PhD
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From: Tom Backlund
To: Robert DeCandido PhD
Subject: Egrets
Date: September 11, 2011
Hi Bob!
Hope you’re ok up on the hill. Probably still quite slow. I haven’t seen one single, migrating, raptor so far in Hua Hin! Yesterday (10 Sept) late afternoon I looked out towards the seaside and noticed flocks of “white” egrets heading south. From 17.00hrs to 17.35 I counted about 2000. Mainly Little Egrets but probably also Cattle and maybe Intermediate Egrets. No Pond Herons though! The size of the flocks is between 10 up to about 60 birds. I don’t know when it started so probably the number is much higher.
Tom
12 September – Monday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
50% to 100% cloudy (a few light showers)
Winds West to WSW – approx. 10-20 mph (16-32km/hr) = strong (good)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 336 [92 males (49%) and 96 females (51%) of the 188 clearly seen]
Chinese Sparrowhawk – 1 (adult male)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 68
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 3
Pacific Swift – 397
Barn Swallow – 2,325 (estimate)
Little Egret – 134
Grey Wagtail – 2
Chukiat Nualsri and Robert DeCandido PhD
For more photos of Thai Raptors and Chumphon, click here.
13 September – Tuesday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
50% to 100% cloudy (a few light showers)
Winds WSW – approx. 5-12 mph (9-20km/hr)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 505 [126 males (50%) and 127 females (50%) of the 253 clearly seen]
Chinese Sparrowhawk – 3 (adult males)
Oriental Honey-buzzard – 1 (adult male)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 164
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 6
Pacific Swift – 48
Barn Swallow – 538 (estimate)
Little Egret – 0
Chukiat Nualsri sends several honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus) flight shots taken today – attached. We have some questions for you – can you figure out which one is the subspecies orientalis – the migratory ssp. from the north? Can you determine which two photos (m/f) are the ssp. Pernis ptilorhyncus ptilorhyncus – the Crested Honey-buzzard that breeds from southern Thailand south through Malaysia? Hint: look at eye color! Anyway, we now have photographic evidence that Oriental Honey-buzzard migration began today – but we are unsure about the migratory status of the Crested Honey-buzzard in Thailand. Yes it is a resident and breeds…but could some individuals of more northern populations make short dispersal flights to the south? Of the three photos two show males and one shows a female – all three photos show adults.
Chukiat Nualsri and Robert DeCandido PhD
14 September – Wednesday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
75% to 100% cloudy (a few light showers)
Winds WSW – approx. 5-12 mph (9-20km/hr)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 379 [131 males (50%) and 129 females (50%) of the 260 clearly seen]
Chinese Sparrowhawk – 2 (adult males)
Oriental Honey-buzzard – 2 (adult males)
Brahminy Kite – 1 (juvenile)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 234
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 23
Pacific Swift – 125
Barn Swallow – 1,140 (estimate)
Little Egret – 25
Chukiat Nualsri and Robert DeCandido PhD
15 September – Thursday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
50% to 100% cloudy (no rain!)
Winds WSW – approx. 5-12 mph (9-20km/hr)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 302 [110 males (44%) and 140 females (56%) of the 250 clearly seen] – all adults
Chinese Sparrowhawk – 14 (about 50-50 males/females – all adults)
Brahminy Kite – 1 (ADULT)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 170
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 3
Pacific Swift – 14
Brown-backed Needletail Swift (one flock of 4)
Barn Swallow – 285 (estimate)
Chukiat Nualsri and Robert DeCandido PhD
16 September – Friday – Khao Dinsor, Thailand
50% to 100% cloudy (no rain!)
Winds WSW – approx. 5-18 mph (9-30km/hr)
Japanese Sparrowhawk – 236 – all adults
Chinese Sparrowhawk – 11 (about 50-50 males/females)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater – 443
Blue-throated Bee-eater – 47
Pacific Swift – 12
White-throated Needletail Swift – 1
Barn Swallow – 5,865 (estimate)
Little Egret – 21
For a sharp shot of an adult female Chinese Sparrowhawk done in 2010, click here.
Weather at Khao Dinsor (near the city of Chumphon): click here
Where to stay in Chumphon: The Morakot Hotel
For more photos of Thai Raptors and Chumphon, click here.
- To be continued.
Bob (and Mr. Nulsri)
You can’t imagine how much we enjoy your daily reports and photos. ‘Remember when sister-cities were en vogue? Well, we at Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, would like to be your sister-hawkwatch. What do you think? What information could we share? What resources do you need, that we may be able to help out with?
Best regards,
Steve Mayo
Bethany, CT, USA