Pitta and Forktail

Rusty-naped Pitta
(hopefully Fred has some much better photos)

For the final few days of Fed and Marian's trip to Thailand we visited Mae Wong National Park, between November 20th and 23rd. Despite our visit co-coinciding with a weekend, which saw the Chong Yen Campsite packed to overflowing with campers and resurfacing and widening of the road up to Chong Yen, we saw some excellent birds. We arranged through one of the park rangers to visit two of the feeding stations/blinds, near the Chong Yen Campsite. Initially on our first visit it was very quite, but before long a few birds started to appeared with Buff-breasted Babbler and White-tailed Robin being the first, followed a little while later by a Rusty-naped Pitta which spent the next forty minutes feeding in the open down to a few feet, giving amazing views and allowing Fred to take very many photos. This was followed a few minutes later by a Northern White-crowned Forktail which also fed right in front of the blind, though we had seen Northern White-crowned Forktail on previous trips, views had always been brief and fleeting. Other birds to appear included a Blue-whistling Thrush, two Spot-necked Babbler, two Streaked Wren Babbler, several Silver-eared Laughingthush and Hill Blue Flycatcher.

Spot-necked Babbler

Male and female White-tailed Robin

We also visited another blind near the campsite, were Rufous-throated Partridge were seen, along with Rufous-bellied Niltava, White-tailed Robin and a Rufous-browed Flycatcher. When not busy, time was also spent birding around the campsite, along the Umphang trail and back along the road. Along the Umphang trail we found a very large mixed species feeding flock, which included good numbers of Silver-eared Mesia, several Blue-winged Minla and in the undergrowth additional pairs of Spot-necked Babbler and Streaked Wren Babbler. Birds around the campsite included a pair of Yellow-cheeked Tit and several very obliging Grey-chinned Minivet.

White-necked Laughingthrush

Numerous Bay Woodpeckers were heard back along the road, but only one was seen briefly, whilst a Green Cochoa called repeatedly from road side trees but frustratingly failed to show. Among the numerous Ashy, Mountain and Flasvecent Bulbul, three Olive Bulbul were seen, a dull but fairly localized Thai species. Several large and very noisy groups of White-necked Laughingthrush were noted, along with several Black-throated.  

White-browed Scimiter Babbler

Very few raptors were seen, but these did include nice views of a Mountain Hawk-eagle, an Eastern Buzzard and a pair of Oriental Hobby which showed well in a roadside tree two consecutive mornings. Whilst heading down the mountain late one afternoon a group of nine Kalij Pheasant crossed the road, in front of the van and a stop at an area of scrub and bamboo produced a couple of White-browed Scimiter Babbler, two Bamboo Woodpecker, two pairs of Great Hornbill and a group of Collared Babbler. 

Golden-throated Babbler

Additional species recorded during our visit included: Barred and Little Cuckoo-dove, Lesser Coucal, Red-headed Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Golden-throated Barbet, Speckled and White-browed Piculet, Short-billed Minivet, Maroon Oriole, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Grey Treepie, Chinese Leaf Warbler, hundreds of Oriental and Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Marten's Warbler, Rufous-fronted and Golden Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Straited Yuhina, Golden-crested and Common Hill Myna and Mrs Gould's Sunbird.  

Once again thanks to Fred Rowe for the use of his photos. 

Knob-billed Duck and Glossy Ibis

We spent the 18th and 19th November birding at Beung Bhoraphet Lake near Nakhon Sawan, we took two three hour boat trips out onto the lake  on the 18th, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, with our final morning birding around the Waterbird Park. As usual many thousands of Lesser Whistling Duck were present, along with at least 3500 Garganey and smaller numbers of Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Cotton Pygmy Geese and two possibly five Knob-billed Duck, with two seen in the morning and three over just before dusk in the evening.

Cotton Pygmy Goose

In the evening we spent some time around a small island towards the northern shore of the lake, watching birds come into roost. The star birds here were Glossy Ibis, the first few birds came into roost at around 5pm, followed by a succession of groups till dusk, with the biggest of around 450 and an  impressive total of 1160 by the time we left. The numbers and range of Glossy Ibis has increased significantly in Thailand in recent years and our roost count may have been a new national record count. Others birds entering the roost included around 85 Oriental Darter, good numbers of Indian and Little Cormorant, large numbers of Egrets especially Intermediate Egret with at least 250 noted, smaller numbers of Purple and Grey Heron, with many Black-crowned Night Heron leaving their daytime roost from the island.   

Yellow Bittern

Raptors noted over and around the lake ,including several Eastern Marsh Harrier, a Black-eared Kite and two very photogenic Western Osprey. Two Brown-headed Gulls were noted in the evening, along with around 20 Wiskered Tern and surprisingly 5 Caspian Tern which must be a fairly scarce inland bird in Thailand. Other birds seen from the boat included, 4 Pied Kingfisher, numerous Yellow Bittern, 5 White-browed Crake, many Purple Gallinule, Pheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Jacana, 50 Eurasian Coot, Straited Grassbird, 5 Asian Golden Weaver and 200 other weavers probably Baya.

Purple Gallinule

Birds around the waterbird park included  a Wryneck, 2 Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Cinnamon Bittern, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Lesser Coucal, Blue-tailed and Green Bee-eater, 2 Ashy Minivet, Black-naped Oriole, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Oriental and Black-browed Reed Warbler, 50 White-shouldered and 25 Chestnut-tailed Starling, 2 Red Avadavat and a Forest Wagtail.  

Ruddy-breasted Crake

25 Oriental Partincole were noted feeding over fields along the road to the waterbird park and a Burmese Shrike was on roadside wires. 

Burmese Shrike

All photos by Fred Rowe

Nam Nao National Park

15th-17th November was spent at Nam Nao National Park, which in complete contrast to Khao Yai was quiet, even at the weekend, well run, trails maintained and the staff were friendly and welcoming. We stayed in one of the national park bungalows, which unusually for Thai National Parks, were of a reasonable standard and well maintained. We did not have to go far from our bungalow for good birds with the undoubted highlight a White-bellied Woodpecker feeding in the open in adjacent trees. Great-slaty Woodpeckers were heard daily morning and evening, but we failed to track them down, good numbers of Hill Myna were also noted, as were up to half a dozen Black Baza. On our first evening and final morning a very noisy group of White-crested Laughing-thrush fed around the bungalow on some discarded papaya.

Our Bungalow and Transport at Nam Nao National Park

Much of our time was spent birding around the large and very pleasant campsite, were one of the commonest birds were  White-crested Laughing-thrush, with several large groups encountered, which unlike elsewhere were very tame and approachable. A pair of Red-headed Trogon showed down to a few feet each morning by the campsite entrance and on our first morning several very noisy Green Magpie also showed well. On the Sunday afternoon once everyone had gone home a group of up to eight Red-billed Blue Magpie were watched feeding on the ground out in the open for nearly half an hour. Other noteworthy birds seen around the campsite included Great Barbet, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Bamboo Woodpecker,  Large Woodshrike, Eurasian Jay, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Black-throated and Lesser Neck-laced Laughing-thrush, Golden-crested Myna, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Plain Flowerpecker and Ruby-cheeked Sunbird.

Red-billed Blue Magpie
by Fred Rowe

We walked the nature trail and river trails once, both were very quite part from many leeches, with the best birds being several Red-billed Scimiter Babbler and a pair of Northern White-crowned Forktail. In the evening at least two Savannah Nightjar were seen over the car park by the restuarants. Birds in the drier open forest included Blossom-headed Parakeet and Large Cuckoo-shrike.

Others species seen/heard included Bar-backed Partridge, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Green-billed Malkoha, Asian Barred Owlet, Blue-eared Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Lesser Yellownape, Ashy Minivet, Black-hooded Oriole and Sulphar-breasted Warbler.

   

Khao Yai National Park

Asian Elephants Khao Yai

November 11th-13th, we spent four days birding at Khao Yai National Park, we stayed outside the park at Balios Resort, there were a few birds in the resort grounds, including a singing male Pied Bushchat and good numbers of Red-breasted Parakeets flying over, with small numbers in dead trees near the hotel each day from late afternoon.  

We entered the park each day at 6am, as soon as the park gates opened, paying the very high 400 Thai Baht entrance fee each day. The first few hours were spent birding along the entrance road and various view points, by 9am the entrance road resembled a formula 1 grandprix circuit we then headed to the quieter parts of the park. The birding was hard work, made worse by the large numbers of leeches en-counted, We did however see some good birds, at our first stop on the first morning a pair of Great Hornbill flew into roadside trees and posed for photographs, a bit further along the road we found two groups of Siamese Fireback, with another group found on one of the trails the next day. Along the lower parts of the radar road we found a male Silver Pheasant, several Orange-breasted and Red-headed Trogon, a mixed group of White-crested, Black-throated Laughing-thrush and Large Scimiter Babbler. Large numbers of Hill Myna and several Golden-crested Myna were seen daily in flowering trees, along with lots of Vernal Hanging Parrot. Disappointingly very few raptors were seen with the best single Changeable Hawk Eagle and a Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle. Whilst watching birds come in and out of a fruiting tree  a smart male Siberian Thrush appeared briefly before disappearing of into the forest. 

Other species seen/heared included several Green-legged Partridge, Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Oriental Pied and Wreathed Hornbills, Laced Woodpecker, Common Flameback, Sulphar-breasted Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Golden-headed Cisticola, Dark-sided Flycatcher and Buff-bellied Flowerpecker.  

We also did reasonably well for mamals with two Yellow-throated Martin in the road early one morning, a small family party of White-handed Gibbon in trees above our head and a group of Asian Elephant crossing the road, early one afternoon on the way out of the park. 

Having not been to Khao Yai National Park for a few years, I was surprised how busy the park was, even in the week, by 9am the entrance road begins to get very busy and by late morning, there is a constant stream of cars, motorbikes, mini bus heading towards the HQ, many travelling at high speeds, resulting in several monkeys being killed by cars. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to get onto the trails, with several now closed one due to poisonous insects and those that are open are poorly maintained and for which additional permits and guides are now needed. I stood reading one of the no access signs at the start of a trail and was told very rudely by a park official not to go on the trail, not to park along the roadside, he then continued with more abuse in Thai, some of which i understood, apparently us westerners stink! he soon shut up when i called him a Water Monitor Lizard in Thai.  The park is a world heritage site, but the park officials do not seem interested in the parks wildlife or those that come to see it, with proposals to turn the entrance road into a duel carriageway to cope with the volume of traffic, the future of the parks wildlife must be in doubt. Is Khao Yai still worth visiting?, probably, but the increasing hassles make it less attractive, avoid weekends and public holidays at all costs and don't expect a friendly Thai welcome by park staff.  In contrast staff at Nam Nao and Mae Wong National Park, were helpful, friendly and seemed interested in the parks wildlife

Pak Thale/Leam Pak Bia early November 2014

Long-toed Stint

I have just spent Nov 8th and 9th birding the coast near Petchaburi with friends Fred and Marian Rowe, as usual the birding at Pak Thale and Leam Pak Bia was excellent with many thousands of waders and terns now present in the area for the winter. We visited the salt pans at Pak Thale a couple of times at high tide, soon finding two Spoon-billed Sandpiper, one feeding with a handful of Red-necked Stint and one roosting with stints on a dry salt pan. Large numbers of Eurasian Curlew were present in the area, but too distant and the light to poor to pick out any eastern birds, but a dozen Red-necked Phalarope were closer, with another found feeding with Marsh Sandpiper right by the roadside. 

Marsh Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint

Huge numbers of waders were roosting on the last few salt pans before the sea, at Pak Thale including 24 Asiatic Dowitcher, 3 Red Knot and several hundred Great Knot, Black-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel. A coffee break overlooking nearby mud flats, added several Terek Sandpiper and at least 200 Broad-billed Sandpiper to the trip list.     

Spotted Redshank

An additional stop at salt pans nearer Leam Pak Bia, found a flock of 42 Nordmann's Greenshank, at least 24 Pied Avocet, 8 Ruff, many thousands of terns which included huge numbers of Common, Whiskered and Little and smaller numbers of Gull-billed, Caspian and White-winged Black.  A group of four Pintail among the terns looked out of place.  

Little Ringed Plover

We made several visits to the research project at Leam Pak Bia, including one till dusk, three Spot-billed Pelican were present on the pools and at dusk many Night Heron appeared from out of the mangroves, with thousands of Black Drongo and mynas heading into them to roost. Good numbers of White-shouldered Starling were recorded heading in with at least 500 logged by dusk, many of which paused in nearby trees giving good views and allowing us to pick out several Chestnut-tailed Starling and a surprise Purple-backed Starling. 

Night Heron

At a freshwater area slightly inland  24 Grey-headed Lapwing were present, along with a dozen Temminck's Stint, several Red-throated and Richard's Pipit and singing Oriental Skylark.

Other species recorded over the two days included many Black-capped Kingfisher, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, hundreds of Brown-headed Gull, Osprey, 2 Peregrine, Kestrel, Oriental Darter, 4 Ashy Minivet, Oriental Reed Warbler and Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Saturday evening several thousand Fruit Bats were seen leaving the mangroves.

Many thanks to Fred and Marian Rowe for supplying photos.

Streaked Wren Babbler

Streaked Wren Babbler
by Fred Rowe

Have just spent a couple of days at Chiang Dao, where most birding was carried out around Wat Tham Pha Plong. Despite several hefty thundery downpours a decent selection of species was seen, including some which seem much easier to see at Chiang Dao than elsewhere in Thailand. Green-legged Partridge were heard calling form at least four different localities, 2 pairs of Blue-bearded Bee-eater showed well as did two Violet Cuckoo around the car park, two Pin-tailed Green Pigeon were noted among a flock of 20 Thick-billed Green Pigeon, a very obliging Streaked Wren Babbler showed well on the temple steps as did two Purple-naped Sunbird by the bridge over the dry stream, a regular hangout for this species.

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Other species recorded included 2 Bay Woodpecker, Great and Blue-eared Barbet, Orange-breasted Trogon, 3 Drongo Cuckoo, two Banded Bay Cuckoo, 20 Brown-backed Needletail, 50 Crested Treeswift. Collared Owlet, 8 Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Emerald Ground Dove, 2 Grey-backed Shrike, 2 Green Magpie, Great Iora, 15 Large Woodshrike, Hill Blue Flycatcher, 30 Striated Swallow, 4 Claudia's Leaf Warbler, 2 Grey-crowned Warbler, three Buff-breasted Babbler, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker.

Despite spending the heat of the day gazing up at the sky, the only raptors recorded were a single Crested Goshawk and Grey-faced Buzzard. Asian Barred Owlets were heard in the evenings, along with a Collared Scops Owl and on Monday evening a Spot-bellied Eagle Owl flew across the road at dusk.

Malaysian Pied Fantail

Over the weekend we spent a couple of days visiting family at Tung Kwian north of Lampang in northern Thailand, birding opportunities were limited but I did manage to sneak in a couple of early morning walks around scrub, paddies and secondary growth at Tung Kwian. A couple of surprises, the first a Malaysian Pied Fantail which seems a long way north of ranges shown in field guides and three Wire-tailed Swallow which are towards the southern limit of their range. 

Thick-billed Warbler

Thick-billed Warbler were especially common in the area with at least 8 seen each morning and others heard, both Siberian Rubythroat and Indochinese Bushlark were also relatively common with half a dozen on each day. Others species noted included a Rufous-winged Buzzard,  many Green Bee-eaters, Pied Bushchat, 50 Baya Weaver and several thousand Eurasian Swallow gathered on overhead electric cables. 

Blue Pansy

A decent selection of common butterflies were also noted including numerous Blue Pansy. 

Garganey

Huge numbers of Lesser Whistling Duck on the patch/over this patch this morning with a minimum of at least 2000 present, among them a Garganey was a good local patch bird and was only the third I have recorded here.

Little Grebe

A brood of newly hatch Little Grebe on one of the fish ponds was a bit of a surprise, along with three Cotton Pgymy Geese.  Lots of Kingfishers around this morning with 12 Common, 5 White-throated, 3 Black-capped and two Stork-billed. 

Common Kingfisher

Though the numbers of waders has fallen, still a decent selection around with 35 Wood Sandpiper, 15 Little Ringed Plover, 11 Marsh Sandpiper, 5 Grey-headed Lapwing, 4 Temminck's Stint, 3 Pintail Snipe and 2 Common Sandpiper. Other wetland birds included a Ruddy-breasted Crake,  8 Pheasant-tailed and 2 Bronze-winged Jacana, 8 Yellow Bittern and 4 Purple Heron. 

The usual selection of migrants/winter visitors present with 32 Oriental Reed Warbler, 16 Brown Shrike, 15 Eastern Stonechat, 14 Dusky Warbler, 10 Taiga Fycatcher, 7 Yellow-browed Warbler, 5 Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Black-naped Oriole and a mouhoti type Ashy Drongo.  

Red-collared Dove

Common residents especially evident this morning included at least a 300 Red-collared Dove and good numbers of mynas.  

Grey-headed Lapwing and lots of rain

This mornings walk cut short due to torrential rain, did manage to see a flock of 26 Grey-headed Lapwing fly over, a couple of Taiga Flycatcher and a Black-naped Oriole before heading back.

Asian Brown Flycatcher and a Two-barred Warbler in scrub by the house later.  

Peaceful Dove on nest on our electric meter in front of the house

Minivets

Ashy Minivet again featured strongly around the patch this morning, three or four mobile flocks totaling around 70 birds present, with others heard but not seen. Two Kestrels were new and there was noticeable increase in wintering warblers with 25 Oriental Reed, 14 Dusky , 10 Black-browed Reed, 8 Yellow-browed, 4 Pallas's Grasshopper, 3 Lanceolated, 2 Two-barred and a Thick-billed Warbler.

Other winter visitors/passage migrants included  9 Common and 3 Black-capped Kingfisher, 14 Whiskered Tern, 11 Brown Shrike, 3 Black-naped Oriole, 2 Asian Brown Flycatcher, 5 Taiga Flycatcher, 9 Eastern Stonechat,11 Red-rumped Swallow, 3 Richard's Pipit and 10 Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Little Ringed Plover

Loads of waders again with 95 Wood Sandpiper, 24 Grey-headed Lapwing, 20 Little Ringed Plover, 13 Pintail Snipe, 9 Common Snipe, 7 Common Sandpiper, 4 Marsh Sandpiper, 3 Greenshank, 2 Pacific Golden Plover and a fly over Spotted Redshank.    

Two Black Bitterns may be the last until the spring, whilst numbers of Oriental Pratincole also probably falling with just four recorded during the morning. Other species present included a Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, 2 Ruddy-breasted Crake, 3 Bhraminy Kite, Brown-throated Sunbird and a Red Avadavat.

Cuckooshrike, Starlings and first Rubythroat

A walk around the drier parts of the patch this morning, again produced a few new migrants which included a Black-winged Cuckooshrike, three White-shouldered Starling and the first Siberian Rubythroat of the winter. Other migrant/wintering passerines included 11 Brown Shrike, 9 Oriental Reed Warbler, 7 Eastern Stonechat, 5 Dusky Warbler, 4 Taiga Flycatcher, 4 Richard's Pipit, 3 Black-browed Reed Warbler and single Black-naped Oriole and Asian Brown Flycatcher,  

Waders were fewer in this drier area, but did include a fly over flock of 19 Grey-headed Lapwing, 6 Painted Snipe and 3 Pintail Snipe. Also recorded during the morning were the usual two Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, c75 Blue-tailed Bee-eater, 2 Bhraminy Kite, 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul and a flock of at least 30 Plain-backed Sparrow. 

Just as I was heading home a very high flock of raptors slowly headed south and consisted of 14 Black Baza, 11 Grey-faced Buzzard, 3 Oriental Honey Buzzard and two unidentified accipters.

Pelican's and Storks

Spot-billed Pelican

Have just spent a couple of nights on the coast at Leam Pak Bia/Pak Thale, as always lots of birds. Highlights included 17 Spot-billed Pelican and up to 53 Painted Stork at the research project at LPB and a further 11 at Pak Thale. 

Painted Stork

Though waders numbers were not at levels seen later in the winter there were still plenty around, especially at Pak Thale, where peak counts over a couple of visits included 650 Curlew, 250 Great Knot, 50 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Broad-billed Sandpiper, 19 Terek Sandpiper, 4 Red Knot, 4 Ruddy Turnstone, 4 Red-necked Phalarope, 3 Grey-headed Lapwing, a single Far Eastern Curlew and a good selection of other common waders. 

  

Pacific Golden Plover

Waders at Leam Pak Bia and the research project, included 850 Great Knot, 225 Black-tailed Godwit, 100 Red-necked Stint, 30 Pacific Golden Plover, 25 Long-toed Stint, 13 Asiatic Dowitcher, 11 Pied Avocet, 4 Ruff and 4 Temminck's Stint.    

Red-necked Stint

 A walk through the mangroves in the research project produced a few migrants in addition to the numerous Golden-bellied Gerygone and a Mangrove Whistler, with at least two Pale-legged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, 2 Arctic Warbler, a Black-winged Cuckooshrike and 11 Ashy Minivet. At least 23 White-winged Black Tern fed over the ponds along with mnay Whiskered Terns. At the rubbish dump/abandoned building lots of the standard starlings/mynas as well as 13 Chestnut-tailed and 24 White-shouldered Starling. Also in the area were two Barred Buttonquail, Wryneck, 2 Hoopoe, 4 Indochinese Bushlark and 8 Richard's Pipit. 

  

Ruff

Other species noted along the coast included Lesser Coucal, Slaty-breasted Rail, Black Bittern, Bhraminy Kite, Osprey, 2 Peregrine, Common, Caspian, Little and Gull-billed Tern, Painted Snipe, a dozen Black-caped Kingfisher, numerous Brown Shrike and hundreds of Pale-rumped Swiftlet. 

Green Bee-eater

We stayed a little inland from Had Chao Samaran beach at the very comfortable and friendly Ban Bang Home Resort (www.banbanghomeresort.com/index.php/hom), just five minutes drive from Laem Pak Bia, Green Bee-eaters were very common in the garden along with several stunning Green Jewel Beetles. 

Green Jewel Beetle

Ashy Minivet and Drongo's

Quite a few new migrants on the patch, Ashy Minivet were especially evident with at least three flocks totaling 87 birds noted, two of which seemed to depart south. Other new migrants included three Ashy Drongo  two of which were striking white-faced leucogenis birds and the other probably a standard mouhouti bird, two Spangled Drongo and a good influx of Taiga Flycatcher with at least ten scattered around the site, six Red-throated Pipit and a huge female Peregrine.

There was also an increase in the number and variety of warblers, with 25 Oriental Reed, 9 Dusky, 7 Black-browed Reed, 5 Yellow-browed, 3 Two-barred, 3 Pallas's Grasshopper, and single Lanceolated and Thick-billed Warbler.  Other migrants included 6 Common and two Black-capped Kingfisher, 13 Whiskered Tern, 17 Brown Shrike, 3 Black-naped Oriole, 4 Asian Brown Flycatcher, 9 Eastern Stonechat, 8 Red-rumped Swallow, 2 Richard's Pipit and 8 Yellow Wagtail.

Again good numbers of waders, including an apparent influx of snipe, with 24 Pintail and 12 Common along with 8 Painted. Totals for other waders 265 Black-winged Stilt, 120 Wood Sandpiper, 80 Oriental Pratincole, 23 Grey-headed Lapwing, 19 Little-ringed Plover, 5 Temminck's Stint, 4 Common Sandpiper and 2 Common Greenshank,

Also noted this morning were single Stork-billed Kingfisher, 2 Watercock, Eastern Marsh Harrier, 14 Yellow, 2 Cinnamon and one Black Bittern, 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul and 20 Asian Golden Weaver.  

Yellow-browed Warblers arrive

Following two days of rain, I finally managed a good walk around the patch this morning, as soon as I stepped out of the house it was clear that a few Yellow-browed Warbler had arrived, with two calling from scrub by the house and another four noted on the mornings walk, until today I had not so far recorded any locally this autumn.

Black-naped Oriole

Other new migrants/winter visitors since previous visits included 3 Black-naped Oriole and four Taiga Flycatcher. Numbers of other warblers are still low with 20 Oriental Reed Warbler, 4 Black-browed Reed Warbler and two Dusky Warbler, presumably many have yet to arrive. Other migrants/winter visitors included 5 Common Kingfisher, 11 Whiskered Tern, 27 Brown Shrike, 3 Asian Brown Flycatcher, 9 Eastern Stonechat, 2 Richard's Pipit and 4 Yellow Wagtail.

In addition to the usual Red-wattled Lapwing and Black-winged Stilts, there were many more waders than previous, including at least 500 Oriental Pratincole, 145 Wood Sandpiper, 17 Grey-headed Lapwing, 11 Little-ringed Plover, 3 Temminck's Stint and 2 Common Sandpiper. At least 29 Yellow Bittern were noted, more than normal and perhaps suggesting some passage through the site, along with single Black and Cinnamon Bittern, 12 Grey Heron, 5 Purple Heron and at least 55 Night Heron.

Cotton Pygmy Goose

A single Cotton Pygmy Goose was noted among many Lesser Whistling Ducks and additional wetland birds included 2 Watercock, 3 Pheasant-tailed and two Bronze-winged Jacana, 5 Moorhen and 21 Little Grebe.

Additional species recorded included 2 Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, 40 Blue-tailed Bee-eater, 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul and many weavers including 50 Asian Golden and 8 Streaked.

To get to the patch I first have to negotiate a 16 lane motorway and then get past a gang of a dozen noisy but mostly friendly dogs which guard the access onto the paddies.