Bangkok Check-in

 

After exploring the Mekong in Cambodia, I flew directly to Bangkok, where I had a couple days of work meetings before returning to Indonesia for other projects. This was, of course, a work trip which meant limited time for birding. It was still a good chance to see a little more of Bangkok and (crucially) eat lots of Thai food, both of which were great. Bangkok is easily one of my favorite cities in Southeast Asia: a huge, bustling, diverse, and incredibly unique metropolis with interesting architecture, cool temples, friendly people, and amazing food. 

Sunset in downtown Bangkok

In the end, I only had time for a single morning of birding at Benjakitti Park, which I had greatly enjoyed on my previous visit. I arrived at the park a little after sunrise, and had what was mostly a pleasant and relaxed few hours of birding at a really nice, well-organized city park. The only possible lifer for me there was Thick-billed Warbler, which I dipped on, but it was a chance to get a better look at a few other birds I'd only seen briefly.

The edge of Benjakitti Park

The morning started out with most of the usual suspects: Great Mynas, Common Mynas, Black-collared Starlings, Malaysian Pied Fantails, dozens of Large-billed Crows, and a very friendly Zebra Dove. I was surprised to see a Black-capped Kingfisher, an uncommon and declining species, hanging out in the trees by a busy path, but it flew off before I could get a good picture. There were no Thick-billed Warblers in the mini man-made marshes, but some Plain Prinias posed nicely on the flowering lilies along with lots of Scaly-breasted Munias. Asian Openbills were soaring overhead, and there was a distant Indochinese Roller diving for insects.

Black-collared Starling

Great Myna

Malaysian Pied Fantail

Common Myna

Zebra Dove

Plain Prinia

Scaly-breasted Munia

Asian Openbill

Indochinese Roller

Brown Shrike

Pagden's Stingless Bees and dwarf honey bees on a flowering lotus

Southeast Asian Water Monitor

Benjakitti Park from one of the elevated walkways

To my surprise, I ended up running into Sam Hambly at the opposite end of the park. We had never met before but had corresponded a bit about Bangkok birding, so it was great to meet in person. Sam was looking for a Burmese Shrike that had recently been reported at the park, which we spotted shortly after running into each other. That's quite possibly my favorite shrike, so it was a great addition to my Thailand list even as I'd just seen it in Cambodia a couple of days prior.

Burmese Shrike

We kept walking around the park, looking for other birds. I added a few more birds to my day list, such as Streak-eared Bulbul, Taiga Flycatcher, and Greater Coucal, and Sam pointed out a very cute little Spotted Owlet sitting out in the open. 

Streak-eared Bulbul

Taiga Flycatcher

Greater Coucal

Spotted Owlet

Sam showed me the part of the park where Thick-billed Warblers usually show up, a quieter corner with some more little artificial wetlands. There were no warblers to be seen, but we did get a great look at the Black-capped Kingfisher, as well as quick views of Black Bittern and Chestnut Munia, both of which are uncommon birds for Bangkok. As I started walking out I encountered a flock of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters flying around and eating dragonflies, which is always fun to watch. 

Black-capped Kingfisher

Plain Prinia again

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Oriental Blue Dasher

Hapless Common Flangetail about to become a bee-eater's breakfast

I would have liked to stay longer, but I had a meeting to get to later in the morning, and a flight to catch in the afternoon. It was great to meet another birder in our natural habitat, and of course great to be back in Bangkok even if just for a bit. I suspect it will not be my last visit...