Conspiracies and rampant buffalo out at Yonok Wetlands...
...it seemed for a while that the faceless forces of destructive development were gaining the upper hand out at the Yonok project - toughs had been threatening monks, buffalo mysteriously driven onto the temple conservation areas, villagers had been discarding the teachings of both their monks and of Non-Hunting Area Staff.
In short our correspondent conservationists, Dowroong and Mick, have had a fight on their hands, as the seasons change and the first mists of winter grace our valley a general increase in hunting, using legal traps and illegal mist nets have added to the problems caused by groups hired by the clearfell and irrigation lobby to make life uncomfortable for the conservation monks and their work to set up a meditation centre.
Yesterday, however, we finally had some good news to celebrate - Dowroong and Mick took to the wetland once again to rally the troops, meet with village heads and calm the situation, remind everyone that the majority of folks in the area want to see the wetland sustainably used and to be there for the next generation.
One or two farmers backed by already rich businessmen and their hired goons can make an awfully loud noise but with the law and the Government alerted to land encroachments just recently it seems the cavalry are not, momentarily, far away.
The importance of Ajarn Sane, Dowroong and Mick's work was underlined yesterday when they discovered a new bird for Thailand - a Long-billed Pipit - out at Ajarn Sane's temple. This, it seems, was the boost we all needed and one more reason to keep the wetland on the map.
The project's website has all the pic.s from the recent setbacks and triumphs.
In short our correspondent conservationists, Dowroong and Mick, have had a fight on their hands, as the seasons change and the first mists of winter grace our valley a general increase in hunting, using legal traps and illegal mist nets have added to the problems caused by groups hired by the clearfell and irrigation lobby to make life uncomfortable for the conservation monks and their work to set up a meditation centre.
Yesterday, however, we finally had some good news to celebrate - Dowroong and Mick took to the wetland once again to rally the troops, meet with village heads and calm the situation, remind everyone that the majority of folks in the area want to see the wetland sustainably used and to be there for the next generation.
One or two farmers backed by already rich businessmen and their hired goons can make an awfully loud noise but with the law and the Government alerted to land encroachments just recently it seems the cavalry are not, momentarily, far away.
The importance of Ajarn Sane, Dowroong and Mick's work was underlined yesterday when they discovered a new bird for Thailand - a Long-billed Pipit - out at Ajarn Sane's temple. This, it seems, was the boost we all needed and one more reason to keep the wetland on the map.
The project's website has all the pic.s from the recent setbacks and triumphs.
...article first published on the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand website.
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Mist Nets in the Chiang Saen Area
by
Mick Davies & Dowroong Damlamajak
Over the past months we have been studying birds, and in particular harriers, in the Chiang Sean Area. In December 2005 we found an excellent wetland area lying south and east of Chiang Saen Lake.
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This area comprises many square kilometers of seasonally flooded wetland, bordered by rice paddies, although the western flank is of low hills containing mostly bamboo thickets. The low elevations have many small pools with reeds and lagoons.
There is also an extensive scheme of land reclamation for agricultural orange groves and pineapple fields, and some hills have been deforested and wetlands drained for this purpose
This area is very significant and important wetland: we have all seen the loss of much traditional farming land, given over to intensive modern agriculture— the Tha Ton paddies, in Mae Ai District, Chiang Mai (now converted to fields of pesticide-laced vegetables) are a prime example.
The Chiang Saen area is excellent for birds and contains a good variety of wetland species, including. jacanas, crakes, ducks, waders, pipits and wagtails.
Notable sightings include 15 White-browed Crakes, three Greater Spotted Eagles
and a Peregrine. Large numbers of fresh water waders winter in the floodplain and we have received reports of 14 Glossy Ibises and a Black Stork this past winter.
The roost of Pied and Eastern Marsh Harriers is the largest ever recorded in Thailand. The highest count so far is 360, comprising 60% Pied, but we have yet to find a place to count them all.
Some 2 months ago we discovered an area near to the harrier roost in which 30 mist nets had been set, in a remote and distant position. (With the aid of a ‘scope we could
see birds lying in the nets). The site was so remote and difficult of access that when I
reported the nets to the non-hunting area they were unable to locate them.
In the ensuing weeks we found a new line of nets and quickly reported this to the non-hunting area. I returned and photographed the nets and the following day they were
gone, only to reappear 2 days later. However the non-hunting area staff quickly
got on the job and caught those esponsible. A few days later I found more nets near the original area of 30, again we reported this matter.
Mr. Sompop and Mr. May of the Nong Bong Khai Non-Hunting Area have
been very appreciative of our efforts in finding these nets and we thank them for their diligence in enforcing the law.
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Hi John
Here's a bird list from the trip your Anantara guests who joined us yesterday morning:
Bird List for Chiang Saen Lake and Yonok
26 October 2007 - 0700 - 1030.
Little Grebe
Purple Heron
Java Pond Heron
Cattle Egret
Great White Egret
Yellow-billed Egret
Little Egret
Spot-billed Duck
Lesser Whistling Duck
Black Kite
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Buzzard
Harrier Sp:
White-breasted Waterhen
Moorhen
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Bronze wing Jacana
Grey-headed Lapwing
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Snipe
Gull Sp;
Pin-tailed Snipe
Spotted Dove
Greater Coucal
Lesser Coucal
Kingfisher
White-breasted Kingfisher
Hoopoe
Coppersmith's Barbet
Barn Swallow
Paddyfield Pipit
Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Citrine Wagtail
Common Iora
Black-headed Bulbul
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Black Drongo
Black=naped Oriole
Racket-tailed Treepie
Dusky Warbler
yellow-browed Warbler
Great reed Warbler
Red-throated Flycatcher
Common Myna
White-vented Myna
Black-collared Starling
Chestnut-tailed Starlng
Siberian Stonechat
Pied Bushchat
Long-tailed Shrike
Ashey Wood Swallow
Chestnut-tailed Starling
Black-collared Starling
Tree Sparrow
Chestnut Munia
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