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.

27th Sept 2009

SRF this morning for a couple of hours, very productive, with god numbers of a wide range of migrants. On arrival heard my first TAIGA FLYCATCHER of the autumn (found three in the park in total), quickly followed by excellent views of EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER , with an ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER playing chase with a YELLOW-RUMPED FLYCATCHER. Up to 10 BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATERS sailed overhead, a couple of BLACK-NAPED ORIOLES called and one perched up giving good views, and an Arctic Warbler gave good but brief views just before I left. Other fleeting glimpses were provided by a male Common Kingfisher and a Brown Shrike.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher - female/imm types take a bit of practice to age/sex (infact many of the birds on Oriental Bird Images are aged/sexed incorrectly). The key is the colour of the upper tail coverts (black in 1CY males) and the extent of white on the coverts/tertials. From this photo it is hard t be sure, but I think i can see some black on the upper tail coverts, making this a 1CY male.



Asian Brown Flycatcher

Eastern Crowned Warbler - easily identified (even if not very obliging in this photo) by the yellow washed undertail coverst, srong wingbar and strongly marked yellow supercilium and crown stripe, with smokey grey-green on the rest of the head contrasting with brighter green mantle.

Oriental Magpie Robin - overcome by the invaders from the north!

Backyard birding

The cloud and drizzle was down first thing this morning, and a quick five minutes attention to things avian produced these two from the house. Once the cloud cleared and the sun broke through they were gone...

1cy migrans Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Adult confusus Brown Shrike

What do you get if you cross a Hoopoe with a Waterthrush?

One of these...





Suan Rot Fai for two hours before work - loads of migrants about, in the tiny area of the park that I concentrated on. First birds I saw were a flock of SMALL MINIVETS - resident in the park but somewhat 'nomadic', these were immediately followed by a FOREST WAGTAIL (only the second one I've seen in the park). I then found myself surrounded by phylloscs and flycatcers - two YELLOW-RUMPED FLYCATCHERS and an ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER. The phylloscs consisted of at least four ARCTIC WARBLERS, one (perhaps two) EASTERN CROWNED WARBLER and one TWO-BARRED GREENISH WARBLER - see the (rather nasty) photos below...

supercillium seems to make it all the way to the bill base...

Bill tip looks pale on lower mandible, underparts very whitish...

Supercillium not really "tapering" behind eye,
legs look rather darker than most Arctic's.
Overall impression very "green and white"

Yellowish wash to rear flanks...

Suan Rot Fai is starting to get a few more migrants now, with 4+ ARCTIC WARBLERS in one small area dominating the passarine migrants, plus a couple of BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATERS hawking overhead.

Quick blast around the patch late afternoon produced 1 pair of YELLOW-RUMPED FLYCATCHERS, 1 ARCTIC WARBLER, 2 BARN SWALLOWS and a BROWN SHRIKE heard but not seen.

That Accipiter...

Really quite unsure on the ID of this thing (seen in Suan Rot Fai this morning). Options are Shikra (resident, common), Chinese & Japanese Sparrowhawk (both passage migrants). Besra occurs in Thailand, but is unlikley in Bangkok.

Phil Round's "Birds of the Bangkok Area" states that Shikra is often outnumbered by the migrant secies during passge (now).

My feelingis that it looks good for Japanese - comments welcome!

EDIT: Phil Round commented - he reckons it's a Shikra!

Supercilium looks too long and well defined for Chinese Sparrowhawk, crown looks darker than upperparts, and gingery "shoulder" is perhaps better for Japanese...