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Ko Rah Ecolodge, Thailand. February 7th-20th 2010,
My wife Maria and I spent 2 weeks at on Ko Rah island at the ecolodge in February 2010. This is an amazingly tranquil place and after a few days of “island time” you totally relax. The accommodation is basic but clean and we had a fantastic sea view with the bungalow virtually on the beach. You could view the sunrise from the balcony of the bungalow as well as watch Pied Hornbills on the Beach! Other birds seen from the balcony included Plaintive Cuckoo, Chestnut headed Bee eater and White-capped Kingfisher. This is an Ecolodge in the true sense of the word and Kim the manager has stuck to his eco principles. (check the website www.thaiecolodge.com ).
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater |
Pied Hornbill |
The ecolodge is surrounded by sea on one side with a distinct lack of sea birds as elsewhere in Thailand and Primary rainforest on a hill behind which is difficult to penetrate. Maria did Yoga at dawn and 4.00p.m which unfortunately meant I had to birdwatch. We didn’t leave the island and amassed 61 species which I felt was quite good. There are walks in the secondary forest and savannah and Nick a volunteer has marked the paths and set a basic hide in the forest. Around the accommodation and sala Asian Fairy bluebirds, White Rumped Shama, Forest Wagtail, and Pied Hornbills were regular as were various Bulbuls and a White Throated Rock Thrush. A good list of raptors suggests a good balance in the largely unexplored Primary forest and I’m sure there are many more species to be found. Also of note are the large number of deserted beaches and mangroves around the island coastline (the island measures 3 x 12 Km) which could well harbour Beach Thick knee. You can kayak around the island in a day (Nick has done it in 6 hrs or less) but judging by my attempts it would take 6 days so wasn’t attempted! I didn’t have a scope with me but IDd raptors on the ridge with photos. Other wildlife included Wild Pig, Dusky Langur, Gliding Geckos and I saw a cobra. 2 lucky guests saw a Dugong by the pier! Overall a very relaxing holiday totally away from the world with only a handful of people on the island. The birding was relaxed and rewarding as was the photography.
White-throated Rock thrush |
Forest Wagtail |
Birding List for Ko Rah Feb 2010 (asterisk* denotes birds which should be seen reasonably easily)
Common Name |
Latin Name |
Common Flameback* |
Dinopium javanense Fairly Common |
Oriental Pied-Hornbill* |
Anthracoceros albirostris Common, seen daily often 10+ in pines by jetty |
Great Hornbill |
Buceros bicornis Occn sightings on ridge |
Dollarbird* |
Eurystomus orientalis Common up on bare branches in savannah |
Black-capped Kingfisher* |
Halcyon pileata Fairly common |
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater* |
Merops leschenaultia Common partic in evenings down by beach |
Plaintive Cuckoo |
Cacomantis merulinus One seen |
Greater Coucal |
Centropus sinensis Heard more often tha n seen |
Vernal Hanging-Parrot* |
Loriculus vernalis Fairly common in savannah -noisy |
Asian Palm-Swift* |
Cypsiurus balasiensis Common in savannah |
pacific swift / Fork-tailed Swift |
Apus pacificus Fairly common |
Grey-rumped Treeswift |
Hemiprocne longipennis One seen |
Great Eared-Nightjar |
Eurostopodus macrotis Seen once at dusk from beach heading towards savannah |
Pink-necked Green-Pigeon* |
Treron vernans Common in mixed flocks |
Thick-billed Green-Pigeon* |
Treron curvirostra Fairly common in mixed flocks |
Common Sanpiper* |
Tringa hypoleucos Seen most days |
Brahminy Kite* |
Haliastur Indus Fairly common |
White-bellied Sea-Eagle* |
Haliaeetus leucogaster Common |
Crested Serpent-Eagle |
Spilornis cheela Occn sightings on ridge (Photo ID) |
Shikra* |
Accipiter badius Occn seen in savannah |
Japanese Sparrowhawk |
Accipiter gularis One sighting in forest (Photo ID) |
Grey-faced Buzzard |
Butastur indicus Uncommon |
Greater Spotted Eagle |
Aquila clanga One fly over(Photo ID) |
Blyth's Hawk-Eagle |
Spizaetus alboniger Uncommon on ridge (Photo ID) |
Peregrine Falcon |
Falco peregrinus Seen once |
Pacific / Eastern Reef Egret |
Egretta sacra Uncommon by jetty |
Chinese Pond-Heron* |
Ardeola bacchus Common up to 4 seen on beach |
Mangrove Pitta |
Pitta megarhyncha Heard very difficult to see |
Asian Fairy-bluebird* |
Irena puella Common around sala and accomodation |
Blue-winged Leafbird |
Chloropsis cochinchinensis Seen occn |
Brown Shrike |
Lanius cristatus Seen occn in savannah |
Large-billed Crow* |
Corvus macrorhynchos Common |
Black-naped Oriole* |
Oriolus chinensis Common noisy gregarious |
Ashy Minivet |
Pericrocotus divaricatus One sighting |
Ashy Drongo* |
Dicrurus leucophaeus One regular by water tank |
Bronzed Drongo |
Dicrurus aeneus Seen in forest once |
Common Iora* |
Aegithina tiphia Fairly common |
White-throated Rock-Thrush* |
Monticola gularis One regular around accommodation (winter visitor) |
Orange-headed Thrush* |
Zoothera citrina Common around accommodation/sala |
Asian Brown Flycatcher* |
Muscicapa dauurica Common around accommodation/sala |
Oriental Magpie-Robin |
Copsychus saularis uncommon |
White-rumped Shama* |
Copsychus malabaricus Common around accommodation/sala |
Hill Myna |
Gracula religiosa Heard in primary forest |
Barn Swallow* |
Hirundo rustica Common |
Pacific Swallow* |
Hirundo tahitica Common |
Stripe-throated Bulbul* |
Pycnonotus finlaysoni Common around accommodation/sala |
Yellow-vented Bulbul |
Pycnonotus goiavier Uncommon |
Olive-winged Bulbul* |
Pycnonotus plumosus Common around accommodation/sala |
Grey-eyed Bulbul* |
Iole propinqua Fairly common |
Lanceolated Warbler |
Locustella lanceolata Seen several times in thick grass by the red trees-not definite but right habitat/jizz + habits. Difficult to flush almost stood on it |
Dusky Warbler |
Phylloscopus fuscatus Uncommon in mangroves |
Arctic Warbler |
Phylloscopus borealis Fairly common |
Abbott's Babbler |
Malacocincla abbotti Seen a few times |
Thick-billed Flowerpecker* |
Dicaeum agile Fairly common in savannah |
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker* |
Dicaeum trigonostigma Common in forest |
Plain-throated Sunbird* |
Anthreptes malacensis Common in forest |
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird |
Anthreptes singalensis Fairly common |
Purple-throated Sunbird* |
Nectarinia sperata Common |
Olive-backed Sunbird* |
Nectarinia jugularis Common |
Crimson Sunbird |
Aethopyga siparaja Fairly common |
Forest Wagtail* |
Dendronanthus indicus Common everywhere in the forest |
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