Yonok Wetlands

Death Valley Trapping of Birds is still rife in Chiang Saen - Slaughter of Birds and animals is still common, in the main they have exterminated the animal life of this area long ago; only the migratory birds are left. I suggest it's time to take care of this world and wake up. Tourism is very important to Thailand we can have an effect here.

Dowroong spoke to the market trader before taking these photographs. They told her that the birds were Snipe and were caught at night by using a lamp in Nong Bong Kai - Non Hunting Area, Chiang Saen Lake.

So many Thai and Worldwide Bird watching and Nature Tour companies put in a lot of they're time in attracting people to Thailand, and endeavor to show Thailand in a very good way.

I hope this short article will have an effect. However: we will be closely monitoring this situation.

I will take this off the web when I am satisfied that something is being done.

Stewed Snipe at Chiang Saen Market- only 50 bht for 3. Many Tourists visit this Market Place from nearby The Golden Triangle.

Letters Sent out this morning to prominent people involved in conservation: Urgent response needed:

I have just returned from the lane south of Little England, where I have discovered 30 or more mist nets. 30/09/07.

NHA: Boompop and us will be leaving soon to try to deal with this problem.

Dowroong just returned from the market where they are selling snipe for food. Dowroong has just gone to photograph them while I urgently write this.

I am also worried for Yonok as may you know 60 nets were there last year in the south area, I can't get there easily as the rain has made the tracks difficult.

I am sending this to everyone I can think off. We need support to stop this awful crime that has gone on in this area for decades. cheers mick

We spoke to a local guy who lives in the area, he said they catch many birds mosty snipe and egrets for sale in the markets. I have to say we tracked these people in a day with ease.

The Nong Bong Kai - Non Hunting Area: National Pole Vaulting Team, seen here on trials with a "New Recruit " Dowroong Danlamajak. After much persuading! Dowroong, makes the jump, but sadly not the Team.

On a more serious note, Suriya, seen here with his Team, have removed nearly 50 mist nets in 2 days.ts during the past 2 days.

Suriya explains that netting of wild Birds is illegal in Thailand - Congratulations on a job well done

The village boss was unavailable today, Dr Mong will be dealing with that matter very soon.

Following the success of Suriya and his Team. I decided to check out Yonok North sector this morning on my motorbike. The arduous journey is 21 Klm on dirt tracks, was worse than expected and today took me 4 hours. I have not attempted this for many months as the rain this year has been awful and the tracks had been cut. Today I found that the tracks had been bridged with weak platted bamboo and supported by poles, so I decided to give it a go. I got to the south causeway Ok. I expected it would be flooded but was not so deep. A woman with a child on her bike almost went headlong into the water as she tried to negotiate the narrow track. I almost performed the same trick as I skirted the eastern border, it took an hour to ride and man handle the bike for the 2 klm, so bad was the mud.

Who would have my job! Well I suppose it's not a job as we don't get paid! So I suppose it's a labor of love, although some times I'm not so sure. Today I was very happy not to find Mist Nets and occupied shooting platforms, and I have to say in fact I didn't find any shooting platforms. Seems we can all give ourselves a pat on the back.

With the success of Yonok and Little England I intend to push on. Dowroong and I intend camping out at Yonok, North, South, Chiang Saen Lake and Little England. We hope to combine the study nocturnal bird movements with an eye on lampers. Mick.

Follow up 28th October 2007. No nets to report, No firearms and No shooting platforms, local people very polite. Mick

The final mist nets were removed this morning by Suriya and his team. This brings the total of nets removed from the Chiang Sean area to 80 and involved 10 sites. Nets have also been removed by us over the previous year from 4 other sites, resulting in only one repeat offense and that site is now safe in the hands of the Temple.

Photographs: 1 Dowroong and Suriya, 2 Net 3 Catapult / net, 4 dead weaver and remains of a wader (as Dowroong explains in ourGrass Owl article) they just ripped off the inedible parts on site. 5 Nong Bong Kai NHA staff.

Mr Surya takes his job seriously and has obtain the book that clarifies the Law on Netting: The Law clearly states that is illegal to set nets in order to catch birds. There is no other reason for setting nets other than the catching of birds and so Suriya will be dealing with any offenders he finds. Following the removal of the nets, Mr Suriya has a polite word with the village head man and hopefully there will be no reoccurrences.

I have to say that I do understand and feel sorry for members of the Nong Bong Kai Staff who find it hard to take on the responsibility them selves. They live in the community with family and friends and it can be hard to stand alone for something you believe in. Mr Suriya was sent here a part of his work and Dowroong and myself are happy to support in anyway we can.

I have completed my search within a radius of 40 km of Chiang Sean and I am fairly happy I have found all the long lines of nets. Dowroong visited the markets and reports no selling of birds.

Finding nets is not difficult. Trappers have to check and collect birds during the night, so the nets are never to far from his home also the nets are placed some distance from a road out of the sight of passers by; However the tell tale lines of bamboo poles stick out like a row of telegraph poles. The Nets sites will have an obvious attraction for birds: examples: isolated pools, reed beds, roosts, if you are a birder you cannot fail to identify such sites.

In my 40 km, I have made a though er search this week, there were never nets set in huge areas of rice fields, suggesting there will always have to be an abundance of birds for trappers to operate. The water levels are high now and we will have to wait and see what happens as the wet dries out and creates pools.

Pra Ajan Sane told Dowroong yesterday that birds are being caught at night and sold in the market in the village near Ba Mak No Temple. We do teach the children from this village. Dowroong has informed that village that Suriya will making nightly searches of the Yonok. For our part I intend camping there tonight.

I will be happy to collect records of mist net finds and remove them from the Chiang Sean area. I will also be pleased to receive information of serious netting problems in Thailand and will try and put you in touch with people that can help you. Unfortunately my GPS has gone bust, however I will be pleased to receive any GPS locations of mist nets and maybe I will set up a data base. I feel there is a genuine will in Thailand to stopping the trapping of wild creatures. Thanks, Mick Davies

Mist Nets: Yes! it's the netting season again: This article pre dates the above article.