Grey-faced Buzzards

After four days of heavy rain , frequent power outages and long spells of no internet this morning dawned drier and brighter with the electricity on, but by 1030am the rain had begun again and continued till late afternoon. Whilst it was dry and almost sunny there was a steady passage of birds south, and I am sure had the weather been better some good totals would have been recorded. Grey-faced Buzzard was the commonest raptor with a total of 42 south, along with 12 Oriental Honey Buzzard, 8 Chinese Sparrowhawk, 2 Eastern Buzzard, single Crested Serpant Eagle, Black Baza and 3 accipter species. There was a steady passage of Himalayan Swiftlets moving through with at least 2340 noted. Also on the move were 59 Eurasian Swallow, 34 Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, 19 Little Green Bee-eater and 63 pipit species presumably Red-throated or Olive-backed all of which were high and none of which called.

There appeared to be a fresh influx Two-barred Warbler with at least 9 calling around the garden. Also in the garden was a Grey-crowned Warbler and 5 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch.

Mid afternoon I had to take the wife into Chiang Dao, just a few kilometres away, bizarrely it was dry bright and sunny! Whilst waiting for the wife to complete her massage I drove around the nearby rice paddies. The whole area was covered in waist height rice and the only bird of note were two Wire-tailed Swallow. Abandoning the paddies I headed to the hot springs where there was a few more birds around including a very obliging Oriental Hobby perched on a dead snag next to a  Rufous-winged Buzzard.  Also around the springs were a  male Siberian Rubythroat, Long-tailed Shrike, 2 Black-collared Starling, 5 Grey Wagtail, 18 Cattle Egret and a Lesser Coucal. Left Chiang Dao town in the sun and arrived back at Malee's where it was still raining and no electricity again.