Temple and Gully Trail

Shortly after dawn yesterday morning, we headed off to the temple, several Asian-barred Owlets were calling as we left and a Grey-backed Shrike showed well on wires alongside the road. We spent an hour looking around the car park, several pairs of Scarlet Minivet were displaying and we noted at least four Violet Cuckoo's and a dozen Black-hooded Orioles. A flowering tree held at least 15 Spangled Drongos as well as Streaked Spiderhunter, Oriental and Japanese White-eyes, Striated Yuhina, Thick-billed and Yellow-vented Flowerpecker. As we walked up the steps we noted several singing Hill Blue Flycatchers, White-throated Fantail and on the limestone by the rest area, two singing Streaked Wren Babblers. The fruiting tree once again had many birds including at least eight Mountain Imperial Pigeons and a single Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, many Blue-throated and Blue-eared Barbets, at least 20 Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Black, Puff-throated, Grey-eyed and Sooty-headed Bulbuls. As we wandered back to Malee's, a Blue Whistling Thrush paused briefly on the steps and a Blue Rock Thrush sang from nearby buildings.

Over a late breakfast a Rufous-winged Buzzard was noted over the garden along with a few Brown Needletails and Striated Swallows.

Later in the afternoon I returned to the temple and headed off up the gully trail, a few meters along this trail the resident pair of White-crowned Forktails soon flew noisily away. The number of birds seen on the trail was low but did include four White-hooded Babblers, three Green Magpies, two Eye-browed Wren Babblers, Red-headed Trogon, at least four Siberian Blue Robins and several Buff-breasted Babblers.