inornatus

A brief early morning trip to Suan Rot Fai today gave me my first YELLOW-BROWED WARBLERS (2-4 individuals) of the autumn, with the added bonus of a FOREST WAGTAIL. Other migrants included ABF heard, three Taiga Flycatchers, Common Kingfisher and bad views of another phyllosc.

An exceptionally confiding SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA provided a nice photo opportunity.

A trickle of migrants from my study today, whilst working - a BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER, a male BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE, three DRONGO SPP. the only one seen reasonably well looked like a mouhoti Ashy Drongo; and one migrating accipiter spp (very frustrating not getting views to identify it).

14th October - Birding in the outdoor sauna

This is what a REAL one looks like...

A late afternoon trip to the local patch found me struggling - mid afternoon rain and high humidity meant that the air was full of steam, and when I removed my bins and camera from my bag (which had been in my air conditioned study all day) they immediately fogged up! My first of three BROWN SHRIKES was watched through fogged bins; a male BLACK-NAPED ORIOLE buzzed over; TAIGA FLYCATCHERS were very conspicuous (at least five seen), and ARCTIC WARBLER did its best to offer photo opportunities, but I had my shutter speed too low for most of the shots (idiot!). A BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER showed distantly, a BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER made a couple of passes and a hidden ASIAN BROWN FLY called but didn't reveal itself. The Park's fairways are now covered in unidentifiable POND HERONS, and a couple of LITTLE HERONS showed. A final adult male BROWN SHRIKE showed well and tolerated flash photography just be fore heading off to roost in thick cover.

Arctic Warbler

Black-capped Kingfisher

North (??!!) bound migrants

Working from home today produced a few hirundines going north (north, WTF?!!?), including 2 RED-RUMPED SWALLOWS (house tick!), also a single BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER, and a very nice 1st winter male pandoo BLUE ROCK THRUSH (the first one I've seen at the house for 18 months), and a male KESTRAL being mobbed by the local corvids. Yesterday a group of 4+ BLACK-NAPED ORIOLES passed through (also going north).

Dusky @ dusk

Last few days have been more birding-free than I'd like at this time of year; went to see my wife's relatives in Phitchit Province but had little chance to do much birding - highlights were a migrant Blue-throated Bee-eater from the car, a couple of longicaudatus long-tailed shrikes and 2-3 leucogenis Ashy Drongos on passage. I did see a large raptor over the village, but without bins...

Back in Bangkok today, tried my hand at skywatching for migrant raptors and was astonished to find an accipiter almost immediately, which was obviously migrating (high altitude, fast, level, direct flight north to south - carried on looking once I had got the scope up, but to no avail). This afternoon made a short trip to Suan Rot Fai which was heaving with migrants - TAIGA FLY, EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER and a DUSKY WARBLER (first of the autumn) all in one small area, plus 3 other Taigas, an ASIAN BROWN FLY, female-type YELLOW-RUMPED FLY and the first BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER of the autumn...not bad for 45 minutes!

More homeworking

Some more vizmig today whilst working in the study, with several POND HERONS (presumably Chinese) all heading SW over the house, two groups of BLACK-NAPED ORIOLES (2 and 3) also going SW, and a BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER late afternoon.

I also saw a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON from my desk, which was a house tick.

The weather looks good for grounding migrants - the remnants of Typhoon Ketsana (which mashed the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia) is now sitting over Thailand, producing low cloud and drizzle, and it's actually almost cool enough for long sleeves!

Better get to the park in the morning...

Drongo...go...go

Sitting at my desk in the study at home, just had a group of three DRONGO SPP whizz past the window. Guessing they were either Black, Crow-billed or mouhoti Ashy, but got very little one them. I saw a Crow-billed from the houe on 1st October last year...

These were rapidly followed by a small movement of BARN SWALLOWS, then a BROWN SHRIKE popped up onto the TV areial right outside the window.

cristatus me thinks...

Later, another benefit of homeworking materialised...

These three dropped in for a few hours in the late afternoon

when the cloud came down again.