The Laughing Thrush

I have a dog that was raised on the streets. My soi dog was confirmed as the product of a heat-induced dog orgy on the east side of Bangkok. Therefore a mixed mutt with Greyhound, Chihuahua, Thai Ridgeback, and a little cat was born. She has scars and mannerisms that suggest a tough upbringing, so I let her do her own thing. Namjai.

When I woke up this morning I found Namjai chewing on my bird list. Bitch. It is an 8x11 piece of dull white paper cluttered with confirmed sightings of raptors, bee-eaters, hornbills, coucals, rollers, terns, wagtails, kingfishers, pipits and lapwings. I am almost at 50 species in my backyard alone.

So I decided on a preemptive strike to hopefully halt a future occurrence that could kick start some mad depression. If my bird list was somehow lost or destroyed I would go 'mental', as British people like to say. As if consuming high dosages of anti-psychotics isn't enough, everything else must be in order.

'The Laughing Thrush' is a bird I really want to see, and I will find it. I wanted to see a damn Hornbill and, sure enough, I found one. So now I want to see a Laughing Thrush; only this time I can share it with myself "digitally," as the internet is one of my best friends.

I have been living in Thailand for six months now. I plan to stay longer. I want to see a Laughing Thrush. I will also post sightings of every other bird I see and identify here. Possibly a chance of some other anecdotes too.



Namjai; my sweet-pea is as essential as any pair of binoculars. Guard dog, lightning fast, super hearing and a knack for flushing out birds, she is a damn good dog. Jub Jub.