Oriental Pratincoles Return

After a busy week I finally found time to have a couple of good walks around the patch Thursday and Friday morning, it was evident as soon as I got on site that Oriental Pratincoles were back in force with around 150 on both days. A flock of 9 Small Minivets and 2 Black Baza were in scrub along with a lone Verditer Flycatcher. Despite temperateness's hitting 36 degrees Celsius the last few days there was still plenty of winter visitors around, including 4 Black-naped Oriole, 8 Eastern Stonechat, 5 Brown Shrike, 19 Dusky, 23 Oriental Reed, 11 Black-browed and 6 Pallas's Grasshopper Warblers, 2 male Siberian Rubythroat, Bluethroat, 25 Sand Martin, 11 Red-rumped Swallows, 3 Red-throated Pipit and 11 Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Wood Sandpiper

There was clear signs that many species are breeding or at least thinking about it, with Streak-eared Bulbuls feeding young, Olive-backed Sunbirds and Baya Weavers nest building, Plaintive Cuckoo's and Paddyfield Pipits in song and a few very bright Golden Weavers.  There was a good scattering of waders across the site, peak counts 11 Pintail Snipe, 9 Common Snipe, 22 Marsh, 30 Wood, 4 Common and one Green Sandpiper, 60 Black-winged Stilt, 8 Little-ringed Plover and 6 Grey-headed Lapwing.

Night Heron

Other species present included 2 Freckled-breasted Woodpeckers, 2 Stork-billed and 4 Black-caped Kingfisher, 2 Watercock, 3 Ruddy-breasted Crake, 4 Whiskered Tern, male Eastern Marsh Harrier, 6 Night Heron, 3 Vinous-breasted Starling and 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul.