Thailand Birding: Spoon-billed Sandpiper Returns!

For all those birders visiting Thailand over the next few months who were getting nervous about whether this critically endangered species would make it back to Thailand this winter, the good news is yes it did!

Phil Round informed me that at least 2 were seen at Khok Kham from 22nd October and 2 or 3 at Pak Thale from the end of October. I can confirm this as I saw 1 Spoon-billed Sandpiper myself at Pak Thale this morning.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper & Red-necked Stint

Photo by Marco Witte

Lots of other shorebirds were also present and giving good, close-up views. 1 adult Little Stint was amongst numerous Red-necked Stints and 5 Dunlin were with a flock of Broad-billed Sandpipers. A large flock of 1000+ Great Knot, 200+ Eurasian Curlew and large numbers of all the common shorebirds too.

More good news for rarity hunters were at least 9 Nordmann's Greenshank at Laem Pak Bia.

I revisited Wat Komnaram too and the Black-headed Ibis from last week had increased to 18 birds, plus the Milky Stork was feeding close to the road.