Indian Summer

Rather a heron-tastic morning on the patch this morning, with pride of place going to a fine summer plumaged Indian Pond Heron, a species that has only relatively recently been added to the Thai list and is now recorded in small numbers each spring (ie when the Pond Herons can be identified!). This was the first one that I have seen on the patch, and indeed in Thailand.

Indian Pond Heron

Other herons this morning included the juvenile Night Heron first seen a few weeks back, at least five Little Herons, and at least three Yellow Bitterns, plus the usual Little Egrets and Chinese Pond Herons (though curiously no Javan PH today).

The other highlight this morning was another patch tick, though perhaps less exciting, in the form of a pair of Plain-backed Sparrows - the male furiously courting his good lady. Other intheresting passerines were a bit thin on the ground, with only two Asian Brown Flycatchers, two Brown Shrikes and one Thick-billed Warbler.

male Plain-backed Sparrow

juv Night heron