Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Seven Sturnidae...in one tree!

Patchwork again today, covering Suan Rof Fai from 0610-0815 hrs.

The fruiting Ficus that has been hosting DAURIAN STARLINGS as well as the ROSE-COLOURED STARLING was still very busy, with the latter individual, and 10 or so of the former still present, and joined by a single WHITE-SHOULDERED STARLING (kindly pointed out to me by a Thai birder who was twitching the Rosy, and a patch tick for me).  With the four resident species also feeding, I was impressed to get seven species of one family in a single tree!

This Ficus really seems to be the interest of the moment, with it also drawing in a variety of escaped frugivores including single Sooty-headed and Stripe-throated Bulbuls, as well a male Blue-eared Barbet.

Other migrants were in evidence, with a CROW-BILLED DRONGO (another patch tick!), the first ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER of the autumn, single FOREST WAGTAIL and BROWN SHRIKE and a couple of BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATERS.

Heavily photoshopped Crow-billed Drongo - seen briefly in terrible light and I only clinched the ID from photos (Black Drongo being the other contender).  On such views these things are a bit tricky, but consulting the OBI image library definitely helped - especially this image.

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