BIRDWATCHING IN KRABI,MARCH 2012


Hello to all my visitors,

Sorry for my delay posting new posts but I was busy in my work.My trip to Krabi was not as I expected.After spending 12 hours by bus from Bangkok,finally I arrived to Krabi town.Without many tourists in it,Krabi town looks like a pleasant small town with not too many things to do there.The Krabi river, just beside the town, passes through a  good mangrove forest.There are many boatmen that offer you a trip around the river but if you are just looking for the kingfisher and the pitta the best option is to walk along the mangrove boardwalk.I went there my first day,excited to see these awesome birds.At around 6:45 am i arrived at the boardwalk,just a short walk from the downtown,beside the river.After spotting some birds,around 7:00 am I listened the sound of the superb Brown-winged kingfisher,a huge kingfisher with brown wings,red bill and orange body,similar in size,shape and colors to Stork-billed Kingfisher.It was a quite conspicuous and noisy bird,not shy and easily seen when listened its call.It appear in the middle storey,around 10 meters from where I was walking.The Mangrove Pitta was the next target.After using my recording ( I apologize for using it, but i don t usually use the calls for avoiding to interfere in their behavior ),this pitta was very responsive and after a few minutes answering the call,appeared on my left side,next to the boardwalk, at just 1 meter ! where i could take a very nice picture.So excited of watching these magnificents birds, I came back to the hotel to tell it to my wife.

The other side of the coin was Khao Nor Chuchi.To get there is not so difficult.Firstly you must stop in Klong Tom.From the highway in Krabi, it s easy to get onto a bus to Trang.After 40 minutes you arrive in town and you must get into a motorbike to Khao Nor Chu Chi.I payed around 250 baths.Once there I slept in Morakort Resort,but you can find other accomodation as well and even at more affordable prices.You can ask for a professional birdwatcher guide but the rates are very abusive: 6500 baths per day! Next day i woke up early very excited to see the pittas and the Green Broadbill,and other interesting birds of the area.My first goal was to reach the U trail,a narrow trail that after spending many hours there the results were not as I expected.I couldn t find The Gurney Pitta.

Next day I went to the B Trail with better results.I often hear Banded Pitta in the first part of the trail at different hours ( in the morning,midday and afternoon ).Near the junction with the C trail, the day before, a birdwatcher listened a Gurney’s Pitta but I couldn t get a view of these excellent bird.Around these area I could see on the top of a tall tree a Green Broadbill,in the morning, another impressive bird to see but no as the other both pittas.Birdwatching,however,in this area is very hard and frustrating and if you want to get good views of the most amazing birds here you have to spend some days.

I spent 3 days there and my experience is sweet and sour…expecting to find more.Anyway the birds that I could see were so impressive that it s worth to travel to this area for any birdwatcher.

 

2 thoughts on “BIRDWATCHING IN KRABI,MARCH 2012

  1. Pingback: Krabi town | Turkonkoloji

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