A Norfolk Birder in Thailand: Zitting Cisticola and Black Baza

Monday, December 17, 2012

Zitting Cisticola and Black Baza

Zitting Cisticola
Suphanburi

After a very busy week, it was great to finally have chance for the first time in a week to have a good walk around the local patch. A few things had began to sing and display much more than a week ago, Zitting Cisticolas were far more in evidence then the previous week, with calling and displaying birds everywhere, with around 100-150 present. Plain Prinia were also very evident and both Plaintive Cuckoo and Asian Koel were singing much more strongly than previous.

There were very few waders around the site with just 50 Red-wattled Lapwing, 3 Wood Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Pintail Snipe present. I made a bit of an effort to count all the winter visitors around the site which included 2 Stork-billed, 3 Black-capped and 9 Common Kingfisher, 11 Brown Shrike, 21 Eastern Stonechat, Bluethroat, 3 Siberian Rubythroat, 3 Lanceolated, 7 Pallas's Grasshopper, 2 Thick-billed, 13 Black-browed, 35 Dusky and 5 Yellow-browed Warbler, 6 Taiga and one Asian Brown Flycatcher and 8 Red-throated Pipit.

Black Baza
Suphanburi

Raptors around this morning included a surprise Black Baza only my second local record, along with single Black-shouldered Kite, Easter Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel.

The weaver flock had increased in size with over 300 now present, mostly Baya but with at least 30 Golden also present, but no sign of any Streaked. There was also many more Red-rumped Swallows present than in previous weeks with at least 50 over one large rice paddy. Also present this morning two Speckled-breasted Woodpecker, 13 Bronze-winged and 5 Pheasant-tailed Jacana, 8 Blue-tailed Bee-eater, 5 Ruddy-breasted Crake and three Little Heron.