The First ‘Red-necked Phalarope’ Record in Life and BKK?
Unexpectedly Encountered a Lifer and Achieved a First in the Province.
On Saturday, September 2, 2023, it was a worry-free weekend when I made an appointment with my friend to go for early morning birdwatching in my favorite place in Bangkok — a rice field and paddy in Lad Krabang. We aimed to see the Red Avadavat as it’s a favorable period of the year to spot it there.
I started to explore the dirt road, and it began to get wet until we reached a large agricultural pond where hundreds of Spotted-billed Pelicans were feeding. It was the first time I had seen such a large group of them. As they started to fly, we drove back, and on the way, I spotted some interesting behavior — a tiny bird with distinctive walking steps. At first, I thought it was some kind of sandpiper, as they are common here, but it was even smaller and quicker. I looked it up in the bird guide; it turned out to be a Phalarope, which is a rare passage migrant during this time. I immediately recorded it in the eBird checklist and then reported it to the “Thai Bird Report” Facebook group.
Other birders started to engage in a conversation with me. I also tried to explain the area where I spotted it, which was quite challenging because I hadn’t used English frequently for a long time, but it was fun.
Another exciting thing is that it’s the first-ever recorded sighting of this bird in Bangkok, as reported on eBird. In the Bangkok area, there were zero counts, but in my region list, there’s now a count 😂. It’s been a significant milestone since I started birdwatching in 2020, even though the Red Avadavat isn’t on the checklist.
