Yonok Wetlands

Dowroong and Mick were pleased to lead a student group from the Denver University (Colorado USA) on a tour of Yonok.

Larry and his team of Students are carrying out environmental studies and taking water samples of Yonok to test acidity.

A boat trip out to the Island Retreat of Meditation at Wat Viang Cum, was the highlight and the Monks were most welcoming of they're guests. We also visited Wat Yonok.

We were most pleased to receive a donation from Professor Lawrence J. Berliner of the Denver University and his Students on this memorable day. Thanks again to Ian and Vassana Smith for their continued support of the Yonok Wetlands.

Once again Dowroong and Mick were pleased to lead the student group from the Denver University (Colorado USA) on a tour of Yonok. This time to Wat Pa Mak No. The home to more than a 100 Harriers and the Yonok Wetlands Project.

Collecting water samples is a serious business and Larry's students take they're work just so.

Back on dry land, with some relief and a stroll through the Temple grounds to the temple Well, the water from the well will be tested, no problem explains a Monk who has drunk the water for many years.

Dowroong and Mick have enjoyed showing Larry and his team of Students. Yonok and it's secrets.

We explained to the Students the importance of this wetland, the Harrier Roosts and our vision for unity for the preservation of Wetlands for future generations to see amazing nature in action.

The Harriers put on a great show as 38 flew close over our heads as they made they're way to the Nong lom roost. Around seventy could be seen circling the roost at Pa Mak No and many more dropping from the sky to join the roost, making a grand total of 120 roosting this evening.

Three panoramic views of Yonok Pa Mak No Harrier roost taken from the Tower Hide. The center picture shows a path of pilgrimage that leads to Wat Viang Cum, this is a difficult journey, however life is a journey and one we at Yonok accept with pride.

Thanks to Ian and Vassana Smith

for introducing

Professor Lawrence J. Berliner, Denver University, Students.

To Yonok Wetlands.

Best of Luck - Dowroong & Mick

We were most pleased to receive a donation from Professor Lawrence J. Berliner of the Denver University and his Students on another memorable day.

A New Birding Group - Pa Mak No Temple Bird Club - Dowroong, Mick and May - Just a thought for the future.

A birding trip around Yonok for the Children of Pa Mak No; with Dowroong, Mick and May.

Harrier Roost floating viewing platform - designed by the Abbots and Monks of Pa Mak No: Pra Audta Jaruwanno and Pra Ajan Sane Tawaro are very happy to receive Bird watchers and naturalists to The Temple Island - Pa Mak No. The Abbots are keen to promote conservation and we intend to make Pa Mak No: The Yonok Wetlands Project Home. Pra Audta Jaruwanno who is the Abbott of Pa Mak No is very keen on meditation and is working with Pra Ajan Sane on ideas for providing accommodation at Pa Mak No and across the lake at Wat Viang Cum.

This area is of outstanding ornithological interest. The largest known roosts in Thailand exist here of Grass Owl, this species has only recently been discovered here in Thailand. The Yonok is also home to the largest roost of Pied and Eastern Marsh Harrier in Thailand. The Pa Mak No roost counts peak at over 200. The other evening I saw 70 male pied harriers circling. This is one of the ornithological experiences of a lifetime.

The Island Oasis of Pa Mak No is attractive to migrants birds and has stunning views over the wetland. The Abbot has started the work on the making of a perimeter patch for people to use to observe local nature. It was while talking with Him that I noticed a very large Pipit, A Long-billed Pipit: another new species for Thailand. This area is now producing some remarkable ornithological History.

India has the Worlds largest know Harrier roost at Velvader, estimated at 2-3000. I hitched out there 9 years ago. Velvader is a vast area of Acacia grassland and well worth a visit to see the Blackbuck. The Harriers were difficult, with the lack of information from the NP as to the ware about's of the roost I had to guess the location. The Harriers did not start to arrive until almost dark and I saw very few.

A bird for Sane - W B Kingfisher, rescued from the pot. 200 Buffalo invade Wat Viang Cum - Dowroong explains to Village Heads the need for saving the wetland as a benefit to all for the future.

A successful conclusion to a very long day - and a New Bird for Thailand - not bad.

A immature, Long-billed Pipit (MHD, DD) was watched for half an hour at Wat Pa Mak No this afternoon.

I flushed the bird while riding my motorbike over some recently cleared ground, at Wat Pa Mak No. I was struck by the size and color, a warm yellowish buff, the bird flew some distance with a low bounding and undulating flight. I wondered at first if it was a big bunting. I quickly relocated it nearby and could see it was a huge pipit.

As the pipit was almost without streaking I immediately considered that it may well be a long-billed, I had a good look at it and got most of the points fixed in my head. Dowroong was nearby with the book ( P Rounds ) but was not illustrated in his book.

I have seen many Long-billed Pipits, in Africa, middle East and Asia; but not for many years and I don't remember any being this color. I was much relieved when I got home to see the illustration and text on Long-billed Pipit in the Birds of SE asia as it was very precise for this individual.

The righting of this description gives me the long awaited opportunity to slag off that poor excuse for a pipit, paddyfield pipit, how it was ever lumped with Richards I fail to understand. So that's paddyfield out the way and all the other pipits (except richard) are small and heavily streaked. This bird was much larger than any Richards I have seen in Thailand.

I got close enough to this bird to get fine detail and it not bothered as long as I kept a bit of distance, but was unfortunately flushed off by two buffalos, and disappeared out to the center of the wetland.

Field notes: As I said the overall plumage was a warm yellowish buff (background color)

Head: The crown, central area was very finely streaked and bordered ever so slightly by a darker thin lateral crown stripe and only just visible and would not be seen at a distance.

The long whitish supercillium was not so striking as it lacked any dark borders and somewhat merged . the rest of the face was pretty much un marked and the obvious black eye stood out like a immature rosefinch. The throat paler. The longish bill was one color, pale and showed no strong markings ( like dark tip or pale lower mandible).

The mantle was almost without streaking and the rump had none at all. The central brest had a washed out vague area of blotched streaks and in the very center of the breast only. The rest of the under parts were clean and I didn't notice any different color to the UT Coverts.

Dowroong's photos do show a few points quite well; The median covert line is narrow and ill defined. the birds shows broad whitish edges to the tertials and tail. The tail was very long and broad and square tipped. The legs pinkish.

Call: not certain if it called, as It was flying away I could here a chup occasionally coming from it's direction.

Having read the SE asia birds I am very happy with it's identity. This was a Huge plain pipit and quite different in all respect to any pipit I have seen in Thailand. Many comparison are available to me if I needed the reference: richards, paddy and red-throated are all common here at the moment.

One point of clarity: all the streaking was defused, blurred, weak or washed out, any of those words would describe it, also lager areas such as the mantle were inconspicuously streaked, by that I mean there were patches with none.