Hi Klaus,
>
> There are some of us with age, some money and some time on our hands who
> prefer the challenge of seeking out birds without a guide.
>
> Whilst I have used a guide to see a few species (such as North Island Brown
> Kiwi) I generally prefer the challenge of finding birds on my own (or with
> others).
>
> Seeing the NI Brown Kiwi with a guide was a life birding highlight for me but
> so was seeing a Wrybill on my own during a 1 in 100 year storm - I have the
> video of me standing horizontal.
>
> Alas, it can be frustrating at times (often frequently) not being able to
> identify birds, especially overseas.
>
> My approach has also often proven costly (numerous attempts to see certain
> species in locations afar and many dips).
>
> Certainly no disrespect to bird guides.
>
> The time will come, probably relatively soon, that I will call upon thee.
>
> Cheers,
> Charles Hunter
>
>> On 28 Jan 2014, at 7:32 pm, "Kirrama Wildlife Tours" <>
>> wrote:
>>
>> 379 species? I think Dave shouldn’t complain.
>>
>> How many would he had without a guide? I remember former guests being in
>> Costa Rica and in 2 weeks saw 120 species!
>>
>> With a guide they would have seen more.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Klaus
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Kirrama Wildlife Tours
>>
>> Klaus Uhlenhut
>>
>> PO Box 1400
>>
>> INNISFAIL QLD 4860
>>
>> AUSTRALIA
>>
>>
>>
>> 07 4065 5181
>>
>> International: + 61 7 4065 5181
>>
>>
>>
>> Kirrama Wildlife Tours http://www.kirrama.com.au
>> <http://www.kirrama.com.au/>
>>
>>
>>
>> Web Directory of Australian Birdwatching http://www.ausbird.com
>> <http://www.ausbird.com/>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Fiona Anderson
>> Sent: Tuesday, 28 January 2014 4:44 PM
>> To: klaus
>> Subject: Fwd: [Birding-Aus] Thailand trip report
>>
>>
>>
>> Interesting view on a guide!
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>> From: Dave Torr <>
>> Date: 28 January 2014 5:06:06 PM AEDT
>> To: birding-aus <>
>> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Thailand trip report
>>
>> I have just returned (with 5 friends) from a birding trip to Thailand.
>> After much research (thanks to Birding-aus members for info on places to
>> go) we booked a trip with Pipith Kaewata.
>>
>> The trip was well organised, with good hotels, food and transport and a
>> reasonable schedule. We had great weather (quite cold in the north), very
>> few annoying insects and no health problems. Pipith was friendly and
>> helpful (especially when one of the group had problems with an ATM!) with
>> reasonable English and he took us to lots of good birding spots. But as a
>> bird guide he left a lot to be desired. He had left his laser pointer and
>> sound equipment at a hotel on a previous trip and halfway through this trip
>> left his scope at Bangkok Airport! His normal mode of operation seemed to
>> be to take us to a specific spot for a specific bird (and to be fair he had
>> a good success rate at this). He would then spend lots of time taking
>> photographs of the target bird, oblivious to all the other birds in the
>> area. He seemed to find it hard to spot other birds, and needed to consult
>> the field guide far more often than any other guide I have used, and was
>> often wrong in his identification! We will never know how many birds we
>> missed because of his lack of equipment and skill. We saw around 379
>> species on an itinerary that usually seems to get 400-450 birds for most
>> groups.
>>
>> The following is a summary of our itinerary – if you want more details or
>> bird lists please contact me. Spelling of Thai names is as good as I can
>> get it!
>>
>> Jan 4th. We flew to Bangkok and were transferred to our Bangkok hotel.
>>
>> Jan 5th. Pipith and his driver Ning picked us up early for the drive to Pak
>> Thale - an amazing area of salt processing ponds. Our first target of
>> course was the Spoonbill Sandpiper, and we found one by midday. Apart from
>> one bird seen the next day by two of the group this was to be our only
>> sighting of this key species, although other birders reported 2 in the
>> area. In total we found 18 wader species, including such Aussie rarities as
>> Broad-billed Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint. In the afternoon we had a boat
>> trip to Leamphak Bia, adding Chinese Egret, Malaysian Plover and the
>> “White-faced” form of Kentish Plover to our list, as well as a gull
>> identified as Heuglin’s which IOC does not list for this area. We finished
>> the day at the King’s Project, adding Slaty-breasted Rail and
>> Ruddy-breasted Crake to our list.
>>
>> Jan 6th. We spent the day in the same area, seeing 30+ Nordmann's
>> Greenshank (my second major target) as well as both Spotted and Common
>> Redshanks and Asian Dowitcher to give a list of around 33 waders.
>>
>> Jan 7th. We spent the morning in the same area picking up various ducks
>> including Lesser Whistling and Ferruginous. In the afternoon we went to
>> Nong Pla Lai looking for raptors, finding 5 species.
>>
>> Jan 8th. We drove to Kaeng Krachan, where we would bird for the next couple
>> of days. Since the road to the summit was 4WD only we spent some of the
>> time in the back of a ute. On the 8th we saw a good range of birds
>> including Sultan Tit and 4 species of Hornbill.
>>
>> Jan 9th. Kaeng Krachan. The highlight of the day was great views of a
>> perched Black Baza.
>>
>> Jan 10th. Kaeng Krachan. On our final day on the mountain we had
>> frustratingly brief views of Grey Peacock-pheasant.
>>
>> Jan 11th. Travelled to Wat Chalerm Prakiet where we saw Red-breasted
>> Parakeet and Spotted Owlet, and to Wat Pra Butthabat Noi to see Limestone
>> Wren-babbler. We were to visit several Wats on the tour – a sort of
>> combined Buddhist temple and monastery that often occupied a large area
>> where we were free to roam.
>>
>> Jan 12th was spent at Khaoyai NP, the highlights of the day being both
>> Silver Pheasant and Siamese Fireback.
>>
>> Jan 13th was also at Khaoyai NP. At dusk we found both Great-eared and
>> Jungle (Grey) Nightjars, but failed to see and Needletails which normally
>> come in at this time to a dam.
>>
>> Jan 14th. We birded around the Rangsit wetland (Yellow and Black Bitterns,
>> Purple and Great-billed Herons) before flying to Chiang Mai (where we met
>> our new driver Toi) and driving north for an overnight stop at Rim Doi
>> (hardest beds on the trip!).
>>
>> Jan 15th. We headed off Doi Angkhang for the day. Highlights included
>> Blue-winged and Silver-eared Mesias and Rufous-backed and Dark-backed
>> Sibias.
>>
>> Jan 16th. Also spent at Doi Angkhang. Our day total included 9 species of
>> Bulbul.
>>
>> Jan 17th. A very early start for the drive to Doi Lang, where we birded for
>> most of the day before heading back to Rim Doi. Doi Lang has been taken
>> over by photographers who clear areas of forest, put mealworms on a log and
>> then settle down to photograph the resulting birds. Pipith seemed to also
>> disagree with this approach, but explained that birds now only came out to
>> be fed – rather depressing really. We did see Silver-eared Laughingthrush,
>> Red-faced Liocichla and Golden Bush Robin amongst other birds using this
>> technique.
>>
>> Jan 18th. 2 more Wats, and we added Streaked Wren-babbler at one of them.
>> Then on to Doi Inthanon.
>>
>> Jan 19th. A cold visit to the summit first thing, where most of us saw my 3
>> rd main target – Pygmy Wren-babbler (a new family!) as well as a
>> White-browed Shortwing. Lunch was at Checkpoint 2 where we were entertained
>> by 4 species of Niltavas – again feeding on mealworms. A forest walk after
>> lunch gave us brief views of Slaty-bellied Tesia, and then we walked down
>> beside the Watchirathan waterfall looking in vain for a Slaty-backed
>> Forktail – although we did get Plumbeous and White-capped Redstarts. A
>> final look at the bridge at Km 13 and we caught up with a Black-backed
>> Forktail.
>>
>> Jan 20th. Another day on Inthanon. A long and steep walk at Km 13 added
>> Collared Falconet (5 of them) and Black-headed Woodpecker to our list. We
>> revisited the waterfall and the summit but alas did not find the Forktail
>> or the Pygmy Wren-babbler.
>>
>> Jan 21st. We birded the Rai Dong area near our hotel for a couple of hours,
>> seeing Blossom-headed Parakeet and our first “real” cuckoo (Banded Bay
>> Cuckoo), before heading off to Chiang Mai and our flights home.
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