Baikal Teal

Although I've still got quite many unpublished photos from my current outings, I just want to skip and write a post about my latest lifer instead. Yesterday saw me catching a train to Kaku (賀来), a small city on the western border of Oita city, since early morning. I just wanted to try some new places, and I've seen some interesting records like Baikal Teal and Crested Kingfisher coming from this place, so I chose to try it out. It was indeed a wonderful day, with great weather, beautiful sunshine and unexpectedly nice birds. I quickly came across a beautiful Baikal Teal (Anas formosa) drake so easily while I was walking along the river. It is a bird I've always been yearning to see. There are several sighting records in Thailand, but none of them comes from the recent 10 years.

Male Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)

Female Baikal Teal with other species of ducks

No, there was not just one, but two females.

Unfortunately, the ducks always kept staying away from where I sat. I waited for hours for them to come closer, but they didn't. Finally, I tried walking to the other side of the river, and found out that it's got a better view of the whole flock, even though I couldn't get any closer to them still. However, I could finally get a clear view of both the male and females, though a bit too far. Never mind, I've still got a 19-day Christmas-New Year vacation, and I'm sure I'll be visiting them very often soon!