northern rustic

Kumily, Kerala - the homestay

2012-01-31T12:49:00.001Z

Nesiya, Ansiya, Amity, Shukkoor and I (outside our room)

A final post from our homestay, the highly recommended Panthalams in Kumily, on the edge of Periyar reserve. Very inexpensive, with mouth-watering home-cooked food (still dreaming of it), large, bright, clean, en-suite rooms (with cable TV, if you're weird enough to need such distractions), all run by the lovely Shukkoors, who we ended up spending as much time as we could with.

Shukkoor, Nesiya and five year-old Ansiya - of the latter, a multi-lingual firecracker comedian with killer song and dance routines and a habit of taking the piss - treated us like family, and couldn't do enough for us; a great place to stay, with the bonus of great birds just outside the door. And then there was the reserve.....

Brown-backed Needletails on close-up fly-bys past the balcony

Hoopoe (obviously)

the artist at work

female Loten's Sunbird

Nilgiri Flowerpecker

Black-rumped Flamebacks

Kumily, Kerala - balcony birds (pt.2)

2012-01-30T16:39:00.001Z

More shots from the balcony at our homestay on the edge of Periyar reserve, in Kumily. Our vista included overgrown gardens, unkempt plots, scattered dwellings (with kids, dogs, oxen and chickens adding to the soundtrack) and scattered copses against a backdrop of the sub-jungle fringes of the reserve.

male (lower left) & female Malabar Grey Hornbills

Over the course of our five days here, it was almost impossible to step outside the room without something interesting appearing nearby. Species which we'd hoped to see well only the depths of the reserve (see following posts) played very nicely, some even giving a much better showing despite the bustle and low-level disturbance of everyday life.

the boars are back in town (and garden)

Highlights from comfort of our gently-swinging wicker chairs included Malabar Grey Hornbills (tame, and always entertaining), White-bellied Treepies (a beautiful Western Ghats endemic), Vernal Hanging Parrots (close and perched, as opposed to the usual speeding flight views), Golden-fronted Leafbirds and Loten Sunbirds (both irridescent in the 'winter' sunshine), White-cheeked Barbets (is there anything better than barbets?)......

the view from the balcony, looking west

Brown-backed Needletails gunning past us close by (and even allowing half-decent photos), Nilgiri Flowerpeckers (hyperactive endemics and a fairly recent split), Southern Hill Mynas (another obvious and fairly recent split), Black-headed Cuckooshrikes, Black-rumped Flamebacks, and Wild Boars snuffling politely through the undergrowth.

Commoner species included Pacific Swallows, Crested Treeswifts, Red-rumped Swallows and House Swifts overhead, Jungle Babblers, Pale-billed Flowerpeckers, Ring-necked Parakeets, Red-vented and Red-whiskered Bulbuls, Indian Pond Herons, Blyth's Reed Warblers, Greenish Warblers, Brown Shrikes, White-browed & Grey Wagtails, and many more.....

Vernal Hanging Parrot

Oriental Magpie Robin

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Kumily, Kerala - balcony birding (pt.1)

2012-01-29T17:13:00.000Z

male Loten's Sunbird (a stunning south Indian endemic)

After a good while kicking back at the coastal idyll of Varkala, it was time to head inland and into the lush, subtropical mountains of the Western Ghats. This narrow sliver of a range on the map runs parallel with the west coast, from almost the tip of the subcontinent in the south to around halfway up the peninsula - through the length of Kerala, into Tamil Nadu, through Karnataka and scraping into the south-east of Goa.

White-cheeked Barbet - an endemic of the forests of the Western Ghats

I've been lucky enough to visit the latter state twice on birding trips, over a decade ago now, but for the true nature of the Western Ghats (and for the lion's share of its endemics and specialities), it had to be Kerala. About 150 km NNE as the House Crow flies, we were heading for one of the state's best known, most extensive and most biologically intact reserves, Periyar.

Red-vented Bulbul

After an exhausting, entertaining, and typically death-defying day negotiating Keralan roads and their associated, uniquely colourful driving culture, we finally arrived at our accommodation in Kumily. On the very edge of the reserve, Kumily is a border town in every sense; small but frenetic, loud, colourful, untamed and rough around the edges, the last stop before Tamil Nadu, and best known for the locally-grown spices that dominate the town's trade.

Our accommodation here, as with much of our time in India, was a homestay which we'd found on the basis of online recommendations (what the hell did people do before Trip Advisor?) on the edge of town, along a little track among ramshackle dwellings. The reviews were very good, but we ended up getting more than our money's worth in various ways.

Oriental Magpie Robin

For those unfamiliar with the homestay thing - it essentially means staying as guests of a family in their house, but with as much privacy and freedom as required; it's a wonderful, very inexpensive, more involved, and culturally-enlightening way of enjoying local culture, and it directly contributes to both the local economy (as opposed to communities getting fleeced and half-enslaved by generic hotels and the like), and eco-tourism (something I'll mumble on about further in later posts).

Golden-fronted Leafbirds

We scheduled a couple of nights (leaving us plenty of time to enjoy Periyar), and ended up staying five; and as these photos and those in the following posts illustrate, we were surrounded by quality birds without having to leave the balcony, from where all these shots were taken. More to follow.

Brown Shrike

Varkala, Kerala - late Nov & early Dec 2011

2012-01-28T13:42:00.000Z

Or, the calm before the storm. The United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and finally, India. The subcontinent was our home for the final five weeks of our eight-month journey, and for the first three weeks, our business concerned lapping up the unique delights of God's Own Country, Kerala.

A long travel day, involving three flights (Bangkok - Mumbai - Bangalore - Trivandum), saw us arrive at our accommodation in Kovalam at the southern tip of the landmass in the early hours of the 24th. Forty-eight hours there were neither unpleasant nor remarkable (although birds around the hotel and beach included the only Barn Owl of the trip, Lesser Coucal, Rufous Treepies, Blue-tailed & Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters, Pied Kingfishers and clouds of both kites), and we soon moved on up the coast to the small clifftop resort of Varkala.

Western Reef Egrets (of both morphs)

Which is where we wiled away a relaxing nine days, most of which were spent gleefully battling the notoriously hardcore wave action in the daytime and sipping cocktails at night. Birds were limited to commoner species, including ubiquitous Brahminy and Black Kites, Brown-headed & Black-headed Gulls, Little, Great Crested & Lesser Crested Terns, Little Cormorants, Ring-necked Parakeets (such a familiar sound, and almost tolerable when they're actually supposed to be here....), a Kentish Plover, loud and tame White-throated Kingfishers by the balcony, and the first endemic on the subcontinent - a calling Indian Scops Owl by the room.

It was always the plan to hit India and spend the first ten days or so doing as little as possible (at least that didn't involve the sea or beachside bars), and we left Varkala suitably relaxed and refreshed - and with the Western Ghats beckoning, full of anticipation.

Varkala Kites

2012-01-26T13:57:00.001Z

And so to India. Much more to follow naturally, but for now, a few of the plentiful and omnipresent Brahminy & Black Kites that kept us company on the cliffs, beach and in the sea at Varkala, in the south of Kerala. (As always, click on images to enlarge).

Rufous-winged Buzzard, Mae Hia - Nov 2011

2012-01-25T02:48:00.001Z

A species we'd previously caught up with during the huge raptor movements at Khao Dinsor some weeks earlier (albeit just a single and at some distance), Rufous-winged Buzzards couldn't have been more accommodating at the agricultural college. This bird in particular showed wonderfully, slowing up as it approached and eye-balling us menacingly as it drifted over.

Mae Hia & Huay Teung Tao, NW Thailand

2012-01-24T13:35:00.001Z

Chestnut-tailed Starling

Back in Chiang Mai for a few days after our time out in the sticks, a couple of worthwhile birding sites were within striking distance of our base in the heart of the city. Both were reachable via cab or tuk-tuk, and both promised a range of species I was unlikely to see elsewhere on our journeys (especially with the Thai section of our trip almost over).

Huay Teung Tao - an area with habitats including a large lake, mixed woodland and non-intensive agricultural land - promised much, but in truth, delivered little. Bad luck with disturbance, ones that got away totalling more than usual, and a mercilessly hot day conspired to make it pretty hard going. But there were silver linings.....

male Siberian Stonechat

.... commoners included Brown and Long-tailed Shrikes, Ashy Woodswallows, White-vented Mynas, Yellow-browed Warblers (of course), Two-barred Greenish Warblers, Siberian Stonechats and (Little) Green Bee-eaters; more notable were the first Pied Bushchats, Purple Sunbirds and Grey-breasted Prinias of the trip, two Golden-fronted Leafbirds, and a skulker that I eventually got to grips with....

.... in the shape of a Manchurian (Oriental) Bush Warbler (above), which played hard to get in trying conditions but eventually provided the highlight of the day.

Lesser Whistling Ducks

Half-regretting the decision not to kick back with a good book in the heat of the day at a lakeside bamboo-shack restaurant (like my far more intelligent wife), we retreated back to Chiang Mai, cooled off in our hotel pool, and plotted the next day's action - which would be the last day's birding in the best part of two months in Thailand.

Burmese Shrike

An earlier start, a little more research, and slightly less oppressive temperatures made this final day of Thai birding a memorable one. Our destination was Mae Hia Agricultural College, an easy-to-miss site on the outskirts of the city, and comprising an impressively diverse mix of habitats in a relatively small area.

Radde's Warbler

Arable land, orchards, overgrown hedgerows, small copses, sandy wasteland and several pools made for a compelling few hours before the heat of the day fully kicked in. Plenty of sibes, amongst them double figures of Taiga Flycatcher, Brown Shrike, Yellow-browed Warbler and Siberian Stonechat, as well as a couple of Two-barred Greenish Warblers and a (very yellow-streaked) Radde's Warbler.

first-winter Black Drongo

Other highlights here included Pintail Snipe, Indochinese Bushlarks, Grey-breasted Prinias, Pied Bushchat, Chestnut-tailed Starling, at least five Wire-tailed Swallows, and a Burmese Shrike - several lifers and plenty of quality back-up over a very enjoyable few hours there, and a suitably productive way to end of our Thai birding experiences.

Purple Sunbird

Coppersmith Barbet (lower left) and Ashy Woodswallow (upper right)

Little Green Bee-eater

Black-collared Starling

Chiang Dao - odds and ends (and animals)

2012-01-21T13:58:00.000Z

Pin-striped Tit Babbler

A final post from Malee's and the surrounding area, our rural hideaway for a memorable week in the north-west of Thailand.... we'll be back.

male Silver Pheasant - a recently-arrived squatter of the monk's quarters at the top of the temple trail, and prone to regular random attacks on birder's ankles

Buff-breasted Babbler

White-rumped Shamas

the view from the restaurant....

... and from the entrance

in the foothills of Doi Chiang Dao

the view from our digs

Mommem (Thai for dirty) - one of the three canine residents of Malee's, and a constant, entertaining companion on birding walks

Running up that hill - Doi Chiang Dao, Thailand

2012-01-20T13:25:00.001Z

As mentioned previously, the reasons for staying at Malee's weren't just to kick back and let the birds come to us (although to be honest that would've done just fine), but also because of the ideal location, way up in the north-west near the Myanmar border. Being within striking distance of Doi Chiang Dao gave us the opportunity to try for a range of species we'd otherwise have no chance of, and also to enjoy a relatively unspoilt montane environment full of flora and fauna.

male and female Grey Bushchats

Our driver and his 4x4 arrived around 5 a.m., and under a brightly moonlit and starry sky we were on our way. Reaching the base of the mountain in the dark was a breeze, but then the drive (or, rather, scramble) up the unpaved, winding and precipitous track up the mountain was like a blacked-out, two-hour long fairground ride. We may not have shared any common language, but our driver was the consumate pro in very testing circumstances (and our personalised sign language saw us through with ease).

Bianchi's Warbler- thanks for calling

As we reached the higher section of the track, dawn began to spill meekly over the mountain, revealing a beautiful array of mixed woodland and high-elevation sub-tropical forest habitats. With first light came the first birds, and a quick succession of lifers - including Blue-throated Barbet, Slender-billed Orioles (a common bird throughout the day) and the main target species for many visiting birders, a Giant Nuthatch.

Grey-headed Parrotbill - gregarious, chatty, and as Amity pointed out, very cute indeed

Making our way to the very end of the track (occupied by a small electricity substation, a toilet block and a clearing in the woodland), several stops en route produced a very-low flying Mountain Hawk Eagle just above our heads, the first of the day's Mountain Imperial Pigeons, Ashy, Black, Lesser Racket-tailed and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos and Velvet-fronted Nuthatches and the first indications of just how common Yellow-browed Warblers were on the mountain.

Flavescent Bulbul

Arriving at the substation, our driver kicked back with the friendly occupants of the isolated dwelling, and we set off on what's known as the summit trail. In retrospect, a timing mistake, but it all worked out in the end....

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

But first, we had to negotiate the 'path' - actually a narrow trail cut into a sharp gradient, with a potentially unpleasant drop on the left-hand side; no doubt fairly easily navigated (albeit with care) when the path is clear, but nigh-on impossible if the towering, thick grass is left uncut, as it was for our visit. With this being our only opportunity, we battled through it anyway, picking up various bites, a couple of leeches, a particularly troublesome tick (deep in the armpit and discovered later), and an instant to-the-skin soaking from the heavy dew. (The camera survived just fine, but only due to the arms-above-the-head carrying technique.)

A demoralising half-hour or more steadily brightened in more ways than one, as the trail opened out into scattered pine forest with patches of bamboo and mixed scrub, the sun finally hit our drenched frames, the panorama stretched dramatically over the mountain tops, and birds began to entertain us from all sides.

Giant Nuthatch

Among the countless highlights over the next hour or so - at least three more Giant Nuthatches (closer and more accommodating this time), a White-tailed Leaf Warbler, several (superb) Grey Bushchats, a Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, a group of inquisitive Grey-headed Parrotbills, a pair of Short-billed Minivets, a Lesser Yellownape, and a Bianchi's Warbler, satisfyingly nailed on call (unlike most other Seicercus warblers during the period...).

Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons

For the remaining time on the mountain, we decided to slowly make our way back down, concentrating most efforts on the highest few hundred metres or so - regular stops for bird waves and wanders into the woodland and scrub provided plenty more highlights, even in the heat of the day.

Blue-throated Barbet

Of these, some of the more memorable species included several Blyth's Leaf Warblers, a Maroon Oriole, Flavescent Bulbuls, a couple of Rufescent Prinias, a White-throated Fantail, Pin-tailed & Wedge-tailed Green Pigeons, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers, and plenty of Phylloscopus warblers (in addition to the aforementioned White-tailed and Blyth's Leafs) -

Short-billed Minivet

Yellow-broweds were unavoidable (at least eighty through the day, perhaps many more), Eastern Crowned and Greenish numbered perhaps ten each overall, a single Arctic was picked out in a mixed species flock, and there were others that went unidentified (although I did manage record shots of several, which'll provide something to do over the coming grey days here in east London...).

Pin-tailed Green Pigeon

Slender-billed Orioles

Spiderhunters & Leafbirds, Chiang Dao

2012-01-18T18:26:00.000Z

Garden Warblers - Malee's, Chiang Dao

2012-01-17T23:22:00.000Z

Two warbler species that were both special, for different reasons....

This Grey-crowned Warbler was photographed not ten metres from the door to our little cabin in the garden, and was the first bird encountered on a pre-breakfast wander; a typically hyperactive sprite that moves fast and very rarely allows a clear shot with binoculars (let alone the DSLR), this bird tolerated a lengthy, bleary-eyed and usually costly fumbling around with settings and lens cap and kindly posed to absolute perfection.

This somewhat more cryptic but no less satisfying Pale-legged Leaf Warbler came to feed in the nearest small tree to the restaurant (which is very near indeed), and was my first of the trip. Satisfying enough in itself, but even sweeter considering the bizarre timing - at the moment it arrived alongside us, I was sat at our favoured table blogging about how frustrating it was to have missed Pale-legged Leaf Warblers in Thailand thus far.

The moral? Don't be even vaguely careful what you wish for.

In the bleak mid-Wheatear

2012-01-14T13:38:00.000Z

Back to the Great White Cape for the first time in a good eight months (well, we've had good reasons), and a beautiful, crisp and frosty morning with Rich encouraged a short sojourn to Bempton, where a certain Desert Wheatear has taken up residence since the late autumn.

After a half hour or so we happily bumped into the bird feeding in a field by the clifftop; giving good views and within reasonable range for the camera, I fired off a few shots - the clicking of the shutter inspiring the bird to look up, fly directly towards me, land at my feet, and tack indignantly before eventually hopping a little way along the path (and far enough away for these shots). Wonderful.

Chiang Dao, part three

2012-01-10T23:01:00.002Z

More from in and around Malee's garden.....

female Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Striated Yuhina

Grey-cheeked Fulvetta

Ashy Drongo

The view from the restaurant - most of the species in this post and the last few were photographed from around here

Green-billed Malkoha

Verditer Flycatcher

Yellow-brows & Blue-beards - Thailand, Nov 2011

2012-01-08T17:10:00.000Z

From just outside the door at Malee's.... Yellow-browed Warblers were pretty much everywhere, and were arguably the commonest bird in the area; Blue-bearded Bee-eaters were also very forthcoming, often posted like sentries by the front gate. More to follow.

Chiang Dao, NW Thailand - part two

2012-01-06T14:06:00.000Z

Olive-backed Pipit

A few more shots from around Malee's, our getaway out in the sticks near Chiang Dao, NW Thailand; all taken within a stone's throw of our accommodation. More details and photos to follow in subsequent posts.

Brown Shrike

Sooty-headed Bulbul

Common Iora

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Yellow-browed Warbler

Taiga Flycatcher

Black-crested Bulbul

candidate Japanese Leaf Warbler, Taipei

2012-01-03T09:58:00.000Z

One from a while ago now - the 20th September, to be exact - when this bird was found (by Amity) flitting in trees by the path between the entrance and the visitor's centre at Guandu nature reserve, Taipei city, Taiwan.

At the time it was the first individual of the trip from the freshly-divided Arctic Warbler species complex; there have been many since (throughout SE Asia), displaying a fascinating range of subtly differing tones and features, but none as distinctively different as this individual.

Essentially resembling a nominate Arctic Warbler in all but colouration, the bird showed strikingly bright tones seemingly far removed from the latter - including significantly brighter green upperparts and (most obviously) a strong bright yellow on the supercilium and underparts.

Despite online searches, information regarding definitive identification features (outside of those mentioned) seems scant at best; while it's best not to call it one way or the other for now, plumage characteristics - and, circumstantially, location - seem to strongly suggest this bird is indeed Phylloscopus xanthrodryas, Japanese Leaf Warbler.

Comments welcome.

Chiang Dao, NW Thailand - November 2011 (1)

2012-01-01T23:49:00.000Z

Striated Swallow

Leaving Bangkok via the luxury of an internal flight (trains being out of the question with the lines underwater) provided first-hand evidence of the devastating extent of the floods; from the northern suburbs and for many miles northwards, entire communities and their lands were submerged beneath a shimmering blue sheet - another close encounter with meteorological chaos on the trip, and another timely reminder of our privilege.

male Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Barely an hour later and we'd arrived in Thailand's historical capitol Chiang Mai - a magical introduction, with the nightime streets and canals festooned with intricate, illuminated sculptures (our visit coinciding with both Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivals).

Black-crested Bulbul (ssp. vantynei)

After a memorable few days enjoying a city with numerous beautiful shrines, plenty of cultural interest and a (comparatively) relaxed undercurrent, we journeyed north via tuk-tuk, public bus (much fun and great views) and then Songthaew to the idyllic, rural retreat of Malee's, near Chiang Dao.

Yellow-bellied Warbler

The far north-west of Thailand hosts a mouth-watering array of species that effectively 'spill' over the borders to the north and west, with many residents and winter visitors found nowhere else in the country; hence our often-delayed and much-anticipated time here was unlikely to disappoint.

Taiga Flycatcher

Malee's - our base for the next part of the trip - is tucked away in a lush valley between two forested ranges that dominate the skyline, and is established as an ideal stop-off for birders and other naturalists to, with access to several mountains - and their avian specialities - close by, and excellent birding opportunities within a couple of km (not least within and around the garden surrounding the accommodation).

Streaked Spiderhunter

Our plan, based on the above, was to stay two or three days - one day set aside for a specific excursion to the nearby mountain of Doi Chiang Dao for higher altitude species (and more besides), and a day or two within the immediate vicinity picking up whatever was possible within walking distance.

female Hill Blue Flycatcher

As implied by our staying six nights (and only then departing through necessity), it was hard to leave; an almost inexhaustible supply of birding thrills was augmented by the wonderfully peaceful and relaxing environs and good company (human and otherwise).

Part two to follow....

Vive La Resolution

2012-01-01T13:17:00.001Z

So we finally made it home, and in time to share the celebrations in London town..... much more still to come from our travels, however - and in the meantime, a song about today I wrote some years ago now. Enjoy.

Zero One, Zero One by Morning Bride

Siberian Stonechats, Bangkok

2011-12-29T04:01:00.003Z

Split fairly recently (and now widely accepted as a distinct species), Siberian Stonechats were well scattered around the fish ponds, and like their European counterparts, were easily ushered over with a little
vocal encouragement.

Bangkok's wetlands, 6th Nov 2011

2011-12-28T08:36:00.001Z

Asian Golden Weaver

We returned to a Bangkok apparently functioning just as chaotically as before, but with walls of sandbags along lower lying streets, many shops and official buildings still boarded up (and sometimes armed-guarded), and the bizarre sight of endless thousands of tightly parked, temporarily abandoned cars on all available flyovers and motorways above the anticipated flood levels.

juvenile Scaly-breasted Munia (another one for the photographic shit-list)

The following morning, and a few hours birding were scheduled in before heading on again soon after, at two local sites; one new, and one familiar. First up, Neil and I visited an urban wetland known as Muang Boran fish ponds, hidden behind a particularly claustrophobic and disadvantaged neighbourhood.

Asian Pied Starling

A lack of research on my count meant I was unprepared for the conditions - locals gunning down the only (very narrow) path on mopeds, the disadvantageous morning light, and the constant attentions of barking stray dogs didn't exactly make for a holistically pleasant experience; and when the mist nets containing birds in various states of decay out on the marsh came into view, it was time for me to leave.

Yellow-bellied Prinia

In the limited time spent there, the site did, however, provide some good birds (and even a couple of lifers), including Asian Golden Weaver, Lesser Coucal, Yellow-bellied Prinias, Ruddy-breasted Crake, both Bronze-winged and Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, numerous Siberian/Asian Stonechats (see following post), White-browed Crakes, Yellow Bitterns, Striated Grassbird & Black-headed Munias.

immature Black-headed Ibis

Which was a silver lining, and the variety of species was impressive for a place so close to the urban wastes; but for similarly sensitive souls in town with time to spare for birding, it's probably best omitted from the short-list (next time I'll most likely stick with Suan Rot Fai and Bang Poo).

Dusky Warbler

And with a final hour to spare, we dropped in at Bang Poo once again - the first time being way back in early October, before our southern Thailand and Malaysia travels - located conveniently close to the fish ponds, and once again there was plenty of interest there.

Plain Prinia

A good variety of expected species (including Golden-bellied Gerygones, Oriental White-eyes, Painted Storks and Asian Open-bills) were on show, and a scarcity in the shape of a Black-headed Ibis, feeding on the main pool in front of the hide, was an unexpected bonus. Just before leaving, a skulking Phyllosc eventually gave itself up, revealed as a Dusky Warbler (which turned out to be the only one of the trip); a nice duo to bookend our Bangkok adventures.

Next stop - the North; far from grim.....

East coast extras - Thailand, Nov 2011

2011-12-26T11:32:00.001Z

Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker

As well as scanning shimmering, expansive saltpans, we also squeezed in a couple of brief but productive sessions at a nearby freshwater marsh, tucked away down a dusty track and lined by scrub and sedge.

Paddyfield Pipit

Ruff

Highlights here included great views of a Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker hammering at a fencepost, a Cinnamon Bittern, the first Two-barred Greenish Warbler and Oriental Reed Warblers of the trip, a Black-browed Reed Warbler and Black-headed Munias in the rank trackside vegetation, Black-collared, Asian Pied, White-shouldered and Vinous-breasted Starlings....

Marsh Sandpiper

Asian Open-billed Stork

....Indian, Little and Great Cormorants, Little Green and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters on the wires, Plaintive Cuckoos and White-vented Mynas in the trees, Painted and Asian Open-billed Storks, hundreds of Black Drongos, plenty of marsh terns and many other expected species.

And a few shots from back at Khao Dinsor - or more accurately, the area immediately around our guest house - taken on a couple of local ambles while not up the hill or on the beach....

Ashy Drongo (of the very distinctive endemic subspecies)

Which also produced a good selection, including Black-capped Kingfisher, Green-billed Malkoha, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, the first Taiga Flycatchers of the trip, Lineated Barbets, Stripe-throated Bulbuls, Vinous-breasted Starlings and Striped Tit-babblers, as well as many commoner species.

A land crab (based on the fact in was a very long way from water...)

Pacific Reef Egret on the beach

Vinous-breasted Starlings (on the guest house)

Olive-backed Sunbird, beginning to build a nest on the telephone wire outside the guest house

Two-barred Greenish Warbler

and a pair of very smart Plain Backed Sparrows from the abandoned buildings.....

Too much, two spoon

2011-12-24T18:04:00.001Z

Come the morning, and an early start saw Neil and I briefly revisiting the nearby marsh (see following post), before arriving at the abandoned buildings just as the morning light reached it's sharp, clear peak.

After a few hundred metres, we were very happy to come across a loose flock of mainly small waders feeding at the closer side of the second salt-pan from the track (ie, luckily within easy range of binoculars); well worth a stop and a careful scan through.

In this small group of around thirty birds, there were a couple of Long-toed Stints, a sprinkling of Curlew Sands, plenty of Red-necked Stints, assorted plovers, a Broad-billed Sand or two, and at the right-hand end of the group, a small, pale sandpiper with an obvious, near-comically spatulate-shaped bill.

Almost unbelievably, and with the aforementioned odds against us (on top of the existing risks of failure even at peak time), we'd a beautiful Spoon-billed Sandpiper feeding at close range, in perfect light, by the side of the track.

For the following forty minutes and outside the confines of the vehicle, we watched the bird feeding mainly in the company of Red-necked Stints (which it had no problem elbowing around when required) before the pack were eventually spooked by an approaching worker. It could hardly have worked out any better.

We spent the next couple of hours enjoying the plethora of other waders on display (as well as Plain-backed Sparrows by the buildings) until the increasing heat of the day forced us back to base and into the pool in celebratory mood.

And then the drive back to a Bangkok that had tentatively been given the all-clear, but not before a few more stops nearby. Several wetland (mainly saltpan-dominated) sites were reasonably productive, without being as satisfying as our morning session at the abandoned buildings.

They did, however, provide a new species (albeit a distant one) in at least 200 Great Knot - as well as five tern species, plenty more waders, and numerous Painted Storks, Little Cormorants and Brown-headed Gulls. Ospreys, Japanese Sparrowhawks and Kestrels represented a pretty modest raptor presence.

Pak Thale (pronounced Pak Ta-lay) was, after the morning's adventures, somewhat of a come-down; this despite it being by far the most famous and well-visited site in the area, as evidenced by a large, out-of-place Birdlife International interpretation shelter (used as a ready-made scooter park by the locals).

No complaints of course, and we even scored a second Spoon-billed Sandpiper at close range (!) - but the views were brief and the area was heavily disturbed, with most of the birds in poor light and at some distance. The wonderful views and circumstances of the morning's bird remained the default memory of this charismatic, arguably doomed, but hopefully rescuable little shorebird.

Wader species observed in the area, evening and morning: Eastern Black-tailed Godwit - Spotted Redshank - Common Redshank - Marsh Sandpiper - Common Greenshank - Wood Sandpiper - Common Sandpiper - Sanderling - Dunlin - Red-necked Stint - Temminck's Stint - Long-toed Stint - Spoon-billed Sandpiper - Broad-billed Sandpiper - Red-necked Phalarope - Great Knot - Black-winged Stilt - Little Ringed Plover - Kentish Plover - Malaysian Plover - Common Snipe - Ruff - Pacific Golden Plover - Grey Plover (total - 24)

Laem Phak Bia, Thailand - early Nov 2011

2011-12-24T06:22:00.001Z

After our unforgettable raptorama at Khao Dinsor, we made our way back north to Bangkok, via Laem Phak Bia (partway between the two) - well-known as a globally important area for wintering waders, with one species in particular recieving justly special attention.

Malaysian Plover

A vague plan to visit the area towards the end of our stay in the country was looking less and less likely to come off, and so Neil and Eunice's offer to make an overnight stop in the area en route was a godsend to say the very least.

Gull-billed Tern

Our target - the critically-endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a beautiful and slightly absurd little shorebird, with the odds of survival sadly and increasingly stacked against it. The area - a vast expanse of saltpans just inland from the gulf coast, completely innocuous to the untrained eye, and with pretty much zero protection from development.

Eastern Black-tailed Godwits

Red-necked Stint

Again with our friend's invaluable local knowledge, we checked into a peachy little seaside resort (complete with a shady pool five paces from the ocean), which turned out to be less than a couple of kilometres from one of the key areas, known as the abandoned buildings.

Long-toed Stint

Marsh Sandpipers

We were resolved to the fact that our chances of connecting with the glittering prize were somewhat lessened by our circumstances; firstly, we had no 'scope - a near-essential piece of kit in such conditions - and secondly, it was still very early in the season. The peak period for both SBS and many other waders was still many weeks away, and we were likely to encounter only a fraction of the wintering hordes.

Red-necked Phalaropes (and Marsh Sandpiper)

And so it was with a healthy dose of realism that a visit to the area in the evening - somewhat of a recon mission for the following morning - was encouragingly productive. Plenty of birds, of plenty of species - including an unexpected bonus in the shape of a very smart Malaysian Plover amongst a gang of Kentish (nice work Neil) made for a very entertaining session, and a busy party of Red-necked Phalaropes were equally welcome.

Great Knot

The site is both easy and frustrating to watch: it can only be birded from the track (most sensibly from a 4x4, for the terrain and for cover), and to have good (especially 'scope-less) views of the birds, they need to be both close to the track and on the right side of the sun. If either is lacking, you're effectively screwed; but if both happen to work out, the birding is wonderfully sedate and the birds are perfectly lit (especially early morning and late evening) .

Red-wattled Lapwing

White-throated Kingfisher

An additional obstacle is the landscape - the saltpans are spirit-level flat in all directions, and hence, the birds are very easily spooked. A careless movement from us (or even the gentle clunk of a car door), or the routes taken by site the random sprinkling of site workers, can spell an aborted mission at any given time.

Moth sp. in the mangroves (the size of an adult human hand....)

In truth, it wasn't such a huge disappointment to fail in finding an SBS amongst its commoner brethren during the evening, especially knowing our hand was hardly the strongest; we retired back to our base (via a Indian Nightjar calling nearby) having enjoyed the session immensely. The birding was excellent, and tomorrow was another day.

(part two to follow)

...and it wasn't just raptors - Khao Dinsor (5)

2011-12-22T03:41:00.001Z

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Ashy Minivets - southbound migrants in flocks often heard before seen

White-throated Needletail - both this and Brown-backed Needletail were recorded on most days

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

high-flying Asian Open-billed Storks

Oriental Pratincoles heading south along the coastline

Pacific (Fork-tailed) Swift

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Germaine's Swiftlet

Black Drongo (a common migrant)

The Hills Have Eyes - Khao Dinsor (4)

2011-12-21T13:34:00.001Z

The view from our vantage point, looking roughly north

Amity & Bob

Bob, yours truly and Neil

Amity, Bob, Eunice & Neil

amongst the Thai big guns

This is exactly how it feels after the hike up the hill

A very welcome torrential downpour....

And Albatross, our little guesthouse - comfortable, lovely staff, wi-fi, all for about 5p a night

Raptorama In Excelsis - Khao Dinsor (3)

2011-12-20T15:21:00.002Z

Chinese Sparrowhawk

We ended up staying at our serene little guesthouse for five days, four of which were spent lapping up the ever-changing drama on the hill; up early, a few km drive to the small car park part-way up the slope (via breakfast at our favoured beachside cafe), followed by a blood-pumping hike through first sub-jungle and woodland and then mixed scrub, made somewhat easier by a rough concrete trail.

Booted Eagle

Then, a choice between several vantage points, all with purpose-built open-plan wooden shelters (essential for avoiding the worst of both spontaneous drenchings and sunstroke). We invariably chose the one nearest the top, which allowed enviable views of the birds at all levels - from far below us, to eye-level, to way overhead, and all points inbetween.

immature White-bellied Sea Eagle

another Booted Eagle, from above

Our chosen spot had become the ad-hoc domain of Bob (DeCandido), lead observer, affable New Yorker and source of perpetual efferversence and enviable expertees. Bob was in the home straight of an unbroken ten-week stint on the peak counting everything that happened to fly past, having not only kept a grip on his sanity but with enough to spare to keep us both entertained and educated. (Thanks Bob, it was a great pleasure.)

Crested Serpent Eagle

Other regular visiting bipeds included Marti and Matti, the quietly hardcore (and often hilarious) Scandinavians who usually chose the shelterless, exposed summit for masochistic but invaluable observations, and the various Thai birders, who were both great company and invariably very sharp. In retrospect, it would've been great fun even without the birds....

Greater Spotted Eagle

...which were breathtaking, in both variety and volume. Over the course of our four sessions on the hill, I was lucky enough to enjoy tens of thousands of raptors of no less than eighteen species, plus various other migrants gunning south around us; an amazing haul, and an unrivalled spectacle (with apologies to Falsterbo, Eilat et al).

Grey-faced Buzzards

Of those, perhaps the most impressive were Black Bazas. We'd arrived just after the peak movements, but it barely seemed like it from our perspective - witnessing clusters of birds appearing over the peaks to the north, out of the clouds above us or out of the trees below us was unforgettable.

Jerdon's Baza

Black Bazas accounted for the vast majority of individuals counted, but other numerous species included Shikras (hundreds per session) and Japanese Sparrowhawks (double figures per session); species recorded regularly in smaller numbers, meanwhile, included Crested Serpent Eagles, Chinese Sparrowhawks, Jerdon's Bazas, Grey-faced Buzzards, Eastern Marsh Harriers and Oriental Honey-buzzards.

Eastern Marsh Harrier, and a kettle of Black Bazas appearing suddenly in thick cloud

Greater Spotted Eagle, Osprey, Peregrine, Black Kite, Rufous-winged Buzzard, Booted Eagle, 'Common' (Eurasian) Kestrel, Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea Eagle - all recorded on one or more occasion(s) - accounted for the remainder; relentlessly killer birding, underpinned by an always entertaining collective mood.

materialising Black Bazas and Oriental Honey-buzzard

A uniquely wonderful place which gave us unforgettable experiences with migrating raptors, with the additional attractions of great company, great weather (but for the last morning's dark deluges, and it was still good birding), a valuable purpose, and a feeling of something very positive evolving from modest beginnings.

(more to follow)

Walking in a raptor wonderland - Khao Dinsor (2)

2011-12-19T06:22:00.000Z

Black Bazas - stunning and plentiful raptors that proved a challenge to count....

A little context: Khao Dinsor is a peak overshadowing the Thai Gulf shore, offering stunning panoramic views in all directions (Myanmar to the west, rolling, lush ranges to the north and south, the ocean to east), but uniquely well-positioned to watch the squadrons of southbound migrating birds of prey as they follow flightlines learnt and honed over countless generations.

and a few more....

'Discovered' as a raptor hotspot - and already rivalling the most famous equivalents on the planet - only recently, Khao Dinsor is a very much a work-in-progress, with plenty still to find out and study; thanks to a small but dedicated band of ornithologists, birders and raptor devotees however, its reputation is growing fast, with plans to build an interpretation centre (and hopefully also a vulture rehabilitation facility) at the foot of the trail in the pipeline. The possibilities are exciting, and a combination of field research alongside pro-active outreach within local communities promises much for the future.

and another.....

The peak period is between mid-September and early November, so we'd arrived just time before the season's window began to close; the peak for some species had already passed of course, but as we were to find out, there was plenty still to come.

the main peak to the north of us, with a huge squadron of almost invisible Baza's on the way.....

a close-up of a small section of the same photo, showing a sliver of the birds involved (click on either to enlarge)

more from Khao Dinsor to follow....

Khao Dinsor, Thailand - late Oct & early Nov 2011 (pt 1)

2011-12-18T15:53:00.000Z

juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle

As mentioned in previous posts, our planning ahead for upcoming stages of our trip remained (and remains) necessarily adaptable, and nowhere was this more valuable than in Thailand and Malaysia. Making the decision to head south from Bangkok first turned out to be a very good call, as the now infamous flooding worsened by the day in the northern half of the country, while we weathered nothing but steadily decreasing monsoon downpours increasingly replaced by sunshine and blue skies.

(older) Crested Serpent Eagle

Beyond there, and while kicking back in Malaysia, it became steadily evident that Bangkok - after weeks of emergency protection measures, often at the direct and tragic expense of communities beyond the city limits - was itself under serious threat of flooding. Hence, a domino effect on our schedule and a total rethink required.

Oriental Honey-buzzard

We monitored the situation further north as best we could; not easy when the Thai media contradicted itself on a daily (and sometimes more regular) basis regarding the potential and actual extent and severity of the flood, leaving its citizens as confused as more distant observers.

Black Kite - conversely a rare bird amongst the thousands of migrating raptors

We'd made various plans to spend time at reserves and national parks outside and (mostly) north of Bangkok during the latter part of October and early November, but as the days passed the plans went from possible, to unlikely, to snowball in hell.

Grey-faced Buzzard

Far be it from us to mope, with our problems - confined to missing out on several special places and their birds - unmentionable alongside the tragedies playing out amidst the floods. With our time in Malaysia drawing to a close, it was back to the drawing board, and how best to utilise our remaining three weeks or so back over the border to the north.

Osprey - conversely another relative scarcity

Word from our Bangkok-based-but-recently-evacuated friends Neil and Eunice took care of any immediate decision-making troubles. They'd decamped to a small seaside village on the East (Gulf) coast, had found an extremely cheap and comfortable guest house a couple of minutes from the beach, and were planning on spending the next few days experiencing the epic raptor migration atop the nearby peak of Khao Dinsor; would we care to join them?

Black Baza - one of many thousands most mornings

A question that required asking just the once, and we'd soon made plans to reach the nearby town of Chumpon within 48 hours - involving a flight from Penang to Phuket, overnight in Phuket town, and then a marathon 12 hour bus journey north-east the following day.

(much more from Khao Dinsor to follow...)

Blue-eyed Boy, released this week.....

2011-12-14T13:25:00.002Z

apologies for the recent interruption in regular programming, due to our being holed up in the forests of the Western Ghats, Kerala (and free of technology) - normal service will be resumed shortly, but in the meantime, our new single Blue-eyed Boy was released this week.

Listen here, and then proceed to the online music vendor of your choice if a purchase is desired....

Dusky Leaf-monkeys, Malaysia

2011-12-08T03:20:00.003Z

Even more bizarre and other-worldly than the photos suggest....

Orioles & Swallows, Malaysia

2011-12-07T06:58:00.001Z

Pacific Swallows allowing very close approach at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens....

....and looking down on some of the many Black-naped Orioles that visited the mature fruiting tree outside our window at the Eastern & Oriental.

Giant Mudskippers, Malaysia

2011-12-05T11:59:00.001Z

Occupying a discarded tyre and battling against an incoming tide, these wonderfully entertaining little beasts joined us on a small beach in the National Park.

Malaysia, Oct 2011

2011-12-03T15:11:00.001Z

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Little Spiderhunter

We made several trips beyond the lap of luxury during the week, two of which were to the Botanical Gardens, and one to Penang National Park. The Botanical Gardens are located at the foot of the forested hills which still thankfully dominate the island, and are a semi-landscaped, semi-wild expanse of parkland and woodland bisected by a winding river.

They grade seamlessly into the steep, almost impenetrable foothills, and as such are effectively quality forest edge / secondary growth habitat from an avian perspective.

female Copper-throated Sunbird

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

And despite its popularity with locals, it was productive, easy to cover, and easy to find relatively undisturbed areas where predictably the most action was centred. Highlights included Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Pink-necked Green Pigeons, Forest Wagtails and Crimson Sunbirds, as well as a broad range of common species (and, of course, plenty of monkey activity).

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Grey-throated Babbler

The National Park, meanwhile - a 15 minute cab ride to the north-west point of the island - was overall hard work; that is, until we were leaving, when a mixed feeding flock appeared at a wooded stream, and kept me more than happy for a good 45 minutes before they moved on.

Olive-winged Bulbul

Highlights here included Copper-throated (as well as Crimson, Olive-backed and Brown-throated) Sunbirds, a Dark-necked Tailorbird, male and female Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers, two Cream-vented Bulbuls, a Tiger Shrike, and a scattering of Arctic Warblers and Asian Brown Flycatchers. A very tasty haul, including several lifers.

Cream-vented Bulbul

Greater Coucal

House Crow, Crested Myna, Asian Fairy Bluebird

Peaceful Dove, Yellow-vented Bulbul, male Brown-throated Sunbird

Monkeytown, Malaysia

2011-12-02T10:33:00.001Z

More Long-tailed Macaques, this time from the Botanical Gardens just outside of Georgetown, Penang...

Georgetown, Malaysia - Oct 2011

2011-12-01T07:15:00.000Z

If the preceding fortnight in SW Thailand was relaxed, then the following ten days based in Georgetown, Penang (off the North-west coast of Malaysia) required the regular checking of pulses. Of course, there were very good reasons for this, as illustrated below.

hard-going at the Lone Pine Hotel, Georgetown

delivered to our room by tuxedo-ed, singin' and dancin' waiters....

More hopeless toil at the Eastern & Oriental

Turns out our dear friend Emerson - whose family just so happen to be in the hotel business in this neck of the woods - was also passing through, and with a little co-ordination we were looking at a week divided between two luxury sea-front hotels, at the total cost to us of sweet F.A.. Extenuating circumstances surely your honour....

Brahminy Kite, with nesting material, against Georgetown's skyline

There was good birding, and their were good birds - mostly beyond the town limits (see also the following posts) - while sightings closer to home / pool / beach consisted of those in neighbouring trees and scrub, or those along the waterfront.

Spot the bird (clue - it's a Terek Sandpiper)

The fruiting tree outside our window at The Eastern & Oriental hosted plenty of Black-naped Orioles and Crested Mynas, the breakfast tables Indian House Crows, and the skies immediately above us were rarely empty of low-flying White-bellied Sea Eagles and Brahminy Kites.

Scaly-breasted Munia

The seafront at the western end of town looked promising on a drive-by, with large expanses of mudflats sprinkled liberally with waders; a closer look, with the juxtaposition of towering, ultra-modern luxury housing developments alongside mounds of tideline trash, was somewhat more sobering.

There were a lot of waders - unfortunately (and despite extensive searching), 99% of them turned out to be Common Redshanks. Still, sheer bloody-mindedness produced a single Terek Sandpiper, a single Whimbrel and a handful of Common Sandpipers. Plenty of egrets were in attendance, and at least thirty Little Herons were a highlight.

Little Herons

Quick jaunts among stands of seaside scrub and trees produced a fairly predictable range of species, including the requisite Asian Brown Flycatchers and Arctic Warblers, Yellow-vented Bulbuls, Greater Coucals, Black-naped Orioles and Asian Glossy Starlings.

Crested Mynas - unexpectedly common

Luckily, there were two productive sites just outside town - the Botanical Gardens, and the National Park - which did prize us away from the sun-loungers and cocktails on several occasions; posts to follow.

Blue-tailed Bee-eaters

Water Monitor disguised as Mudskipper

Pitta-sweet Symphony - KNC, Oct 2011

2011-11-26T12:52:00.002Z

more Turin Shroud than mere artist's impression*

Being in Krabi province, South-west Thailand and with time to kill, there was one particular birding excursion that just had to be made. Gurney's Pittas are something of an ornithological holy grail, and until fairly recently were thought to be extinct - until one was discovered in a cage in a Bangkok market, and tracked back to an area of isolated rain forest amid the biodiversity ghettos of peninsula Thailand's endless palm and rubber plantations.

To cut a long and essentially depressing story short, there is only one known accessible site, Khao Nor Chu Chi (KNC), at which to stand a chance of catching up with this beautiful and enigmatic species - despite questionable odds, it was within striking distance, and I just had to give it a shot.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

So after a couple of days in Krabi, we gambled on a window of good weather (a generally losing hand at that point) and booked our transport, accommodation and guide for KNC, and prayed intensely to both weather and birding gods.

Said accommodation was a small one-room villa at Morakot, a little place by the national park entrance, run by two very lovely and helpful women (aka The Morakot Ladies) and consisting of a handful of the aforementioned very basic (but comfortable) rooms, and an open-air covered restaurant frequented mainly by various geckos and exotic moths.

Our guide was Yotin, well-known to world birders as the man who can, and an absolute necessity if we stood a snowball's chance of connecting. After some to-ing and fro-ing, we secured his services for a morning session, and kept 'em crossed in the meantime.

Arriving early afternoon of the 3rd, we'd a few hours of daylight before retiring in preparation for the early morning stake-out, and so we ventured into the park and along a forest track to the Emerald Pool - a blissfully warm, clear and relaxing natural waterbody that had us stripping off within seconds (it is our honeymoon, after all) and found us preoccupied for a good couple of hours.

A little birding around Morakot produced a few bits and pieces before dinner at the restaurant, where - alongside a slightly mouldy but very welcome selection of Oriental Bird Club journals and European bird reports - we noticed several cotton shoulder bags* adorned with charmingly unique illustrations of a certain local celebrity....

Birds of Thailand illustration (left) vs. a unique original - I think we have a clear winner

After making enquiries, our hosts told us proudly that they were their very first attempts at home-made souvenirs; Amity made instantly for our brass, but my superstition overruled - the gods may consider it a gesture of over-confidence, and we'd buy one only if we see one.

To contextualise: there are no guarantees of connecting with Gurney's - despite the formidable skills of our justifiably lauded guide - and many come away without the glittering prize, often having traveled thousands of miles for the privilege. And due to our schedule elsewhere on the planet, our chances were reduced further still, by circumstances and timing....

Even in the peak dry / breeding season, when chances of success are increased immeasurably - when the pittas are at their most active, vocal, predictable and preoccupied, and can be pinned down to favoured spots viewed from temporary hides and screens - you don't get your money back if your numbers don't come up. Hence, our only absolute given was the need to remain philosophical throughout.

Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

The following morning saw us parking up a few kilometres into the national park and hitting a particular trail through the undergrowth - a path that leads into an area of thick, lush remnant rainforest via some interesting battles with vegetation and a jump over a creek - in the hope of locating an unpaired male which Yotin had found frequenting the area recently.

To cut another long story short - after maybe 45 minutes of intense, patient, cough-and-you're-f***ed stalking, and a few half-views of him running through the undergrowth and seemingly getting the better of us - there he was, shining gold, electric blue and the rest, innocently turning over the leaf-litter and allowing us all good views before slinking off into the half-light for good.

Note author blissfully pinned beneath inflow torrent - the cheapest Thai massage possible

Bingo. We could die that little bit happier, and perhaps more importantly, we could be the first to purchase a certain shopping bag from our basecamp, free of the burden of missed opportunity.

A further hour or so passed before there was indeed divine intervention, in the form of one of the most intense and torrential tropical storms we've yet encountered; the forest turned into a dark, unforgiving assault course, the jumpable creek became a fast-flowing river to wade through, and the path became a gushing torrent. Actually pretty fun in an adrenalin-fuelling sense, but the curtain fell abruptly on any notion of more birding.

Birder's Wives October 2011 issue cover shoot (special preview)

Still, before the heavens opened we'd scored a modestly impressive range of forest / local specialities, including Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker, Ochraceous, Black-headed, Yellow-bellied & Grey-cheeked Bulbuls, Green Broadbill, Green Iora, Blue-winged Pitta, and Abbott's, Moustached and Black-capped Babblers.

With the rains having set in, we took the decision to move on and head back to our base in Krabi, by lunchtime - meaning our successful Pitta'n run had taken us less than 24 hours, only a few of which were spent in active service.

NB - for rather lovely photos and film of a popular male Gurney's at KNC, head over here to Dominic's blog; but bear in mind that a) he had the good sense to visit during peak time, when the pittas are known to happily perform Les Miserables in its entirety for lazy world listers, and b), who needs photos when you've got the bag?

SW Thailand - Pacific Reef Egrets

2011-11-25T14:58:00.003Z

Watched expertly catching small fry at close range while kicking back on the postcard-perfect Noppharat Thara beach...

SW Thailand - bits and pieces

2011-11-25T04:28:00.002Z

A quick post between the inevitable power-cuts here at the southern tip of Kerala, India (still, we are overlooking a beautiful coastline) - more from Thailand to follow anon...

juvenile Asian Glossy Starlings

Common Flameback

Purple-backed Starling

Dollarbird

Common Sandpiper

Lesser Whistling Duck

Paddyfield Pipits

Pacific Golden Plovers

SW Thailand - Brahminy Kites

2011-11-20T01:38:00.000Z

Ubiquitous around Krabi river, and not camera-shy by any means...

SW Thailand - White-bellied Sea Eagles (2)

2011-11-19T01:21:00.001Z

A young eagle scores dinner, but gets unsuccessfully mugged by a Brahminy Kite - from the balcony of the Krabi River hotel...

SW Thailand - Long-tailed Macaques

2011-11-18T07:51:00.000Z

One of our favourite spots in the Krabi area was the mangrove walkway, a winding, raised path through the mangroves on the western shore of the river. Wonderfully peaceful and unspoilt (despite being so close to civilisation), it always felt a little different, with variations in time of day, light and the state of the tide.

On one such walk, we were about to reach the small jetty on the river when we found ourselves in the midst of a large party of Long-tailed Macaques. For the following hour or so, we remained politely undisturbing of each other, although in very close proximity.

In the process we were able to work out who was who in the group, including the matriach, the scouts and the carers - even the vocalisations started to make sense after a while, and it was a joy to experience, with just the two of us and up to forty monkeys undisturbed.

They didn't hassle us and we didn't hassle them, and after a while they just got used to our presence; at one point, a White-bellied Sea Eagle circled low overhead, and as we looked up, we exchanged glances with the monkeys who were serenely doing exactly the same thing...

We've encountered plenty of monkeys during the trip (in several different countries) from extremely shy (e.g. Formosan Macaques in the Taiwan mountains) to the smart-ass blink-and-you're-minus-your-wallet types at popular spots, but for an untainted interaction with close cousins, our mangrove experience was the best yet by some distance.

SW Thailand - White-bellied Sea Eagles (1)

2011-11-17T04:49:00.002Z

Either from the end of the mangrove walkway or, more commonly, from our hotel balcony, we were spoiled for dramatic views of White-bellied Sea Eagles.

Huge, majestic and yet happily tolerant of human disturbance (at least for large raptors), they were a memorable feature of our stay in Krabi, not least while kicking back with our morning coffee.

adult (with fish)

immatures (note heavily-marked underparts)

adult (with clean white underparts)

SW Thailand - high tides & long tails

2011-11-16T13:17:00.003Z

It wasn't all swimming in the Andaman, sipping cold beers in the shade, eating delicious food at the waterfront night markets and watching sunsets from the roof garden while in Krabi; oh no. There were a few birds here and there also.

As well as the aforementioned regular visits to Thara Park, we also enjoyed a handful of sessions along the mangrove walkway (see following posts), and several trips out into the mangrove and along the coast via traditional long-tails (the de rigour mode of transport locally).

Brown-winged Kingfisher

Although a generally crappy time of year for the specialist species, drifting silently through primeval mangroves during warm, blanket rain or as dawn broke with just the eerie conversation of Macaques for a soundtrack was worth the boat-hiring pittance alone, and we enjoyed some good birds for our troubles.

Kingfishers were wonderfully ubiquitous, with a hatful of species encountered; Collared, White-throated, Common, Ruddy, Black-capped, and commonest (and most impressive) of all, Brown-winged.

Common Kingfisher

Whimbrel

Out on the mud, waders were surprisingly hard work and thinly-spread; Whimbrels, Common Redshanks, Common Sandpipers and Lesser Sand Plovers being the most abundant, with odd Bar-tailed Godwits, Wood Sandpipers and Eurasian Curlews here and there.

There were, however, a few Terek Sandpipers along the shore, which were great value (especially with their distinctive feeding style). Otherwise, terns were a regular sight, with Whiskered, Little and White-winged Black along the river.

Terek Sandpipers

Clash of the Titans

2011-11-16T08:28:00.001Z

A three-photo comic strip.....

Briefly back to Bangkok, where a visit to Lumphini Park in the centre was memorable mainly for the audacity and sheer front of the resident (and wild) Water Monitors, ranging in size from less than a metre to, well, freaking huge.

After my first run-in with a particularly mighty individual in Suan Rot Fai a few days earlier, when (much to fellow birder Dave's amusement) it crashed out of a tree and missed me by mere centimetres before thankfully running in the opposite direction in a hail of expletives, it became second nature to find them swimming, dozing up trees, or walking across open areas in the park.

In Lumphini however they're obviously so ambivalent towards Homo sapiens that they effectively pretended we weren't there, which made finding a picnic spot more interesting than usual.

Arctic, foxed - SW Thailand

2011-11-15T11:25:00.000Z

As mentioned in the one of the recent Bangkok posts, the variation in plumage of Arctic Warblers has been surprising and educational; with a recent split into (at least) three cryptic species (see e.g. here) and a long-established fetish for Phylloscopus warblers (that's what you get for growing up at Flamborough), it was a pleasure giving them a little more attention.

And so onto this bird, found feeding in the mangroves within the excellent fall of migrants on the 6th (see previous post), in Krabi - worth drawing attention to for several reasons (one of them being that it played nicely for the camera); also, having failed to find Pale-legged Leaf Warbler so far on the trip (still the case as I write...) it got plenty of undivided attention.

Firstly because of its feeding behaviour - while several 'normal' Arctic Warblers fed typically (throughout the foliage, but mainly in the upper canopy) above it, this bird spent all of its time either at eye level or below, avoiding gaining further height - a (supposedly) good feature for Pale-legged Leaf Warbler.

Secondly because of the obvious, strong contrast between the bird's crown/nape (cold, dark green) and mantle (brighter olive green), particularly evident in e.g. photo two; another good feature for Pale-legged Leaf Warbler. Throw in the parculiarly bright, orange lower mandible - which from most angles appeared entirely unmarked in the field (see the photo below), and little seemed to add up.

It is, however, clearly wrong for e.g. Pale-legged Leaf Warbler on several counts, and is more than likely just an odd 'Arctic' Warbler; personal experience with this particular group of Phylloscs is pretty much limited to the last six weeks or so out here, and so any comments / observations more than welcome.

NB with no decent field guide to work with out here, the excellent image archive on the Oriental Bird Club website is usually the first port of call for anything odd, and it's worth bringing up their Pale-legged Leaf and Arctic Warbler selections alongside those in this post (see here).

SW Thailand, 29th Sep - 16th Oct 2011 (2)

2011-11-14T12:09:00.004Z

male Olive-backed Sunbird

Thara Park - a couple of minutes walk along the esplanade - was (although small and well-used by the local community) often productive, especially first thing in the morning. The park incorporated planted stands of mature trees (good for warblers and orioles), flowering shrubs (good for sunbirds and flowerpeckers), a playing field encompassed by a racetrack (good for pipits and waders), and fruiting shrubs (good for everything, especially starlings).

Eastern Crowned Warbler

Most interesting, however, was a small stream along the park's southern edge with a thin strip of remnant mangrove and scrub, between the running track and the romany shacks. Hardly worthy of a second glance in passing, it almost always held small numbers of migrants, and on one morning in particular was almost magical.

Peaceful Doves

The morning of the 6th October looked good, with warm sunshine following a night of torrential downpours. Migrants were scattered throughout the park, and a couple of hour's relaxed birding from dawn included fifteen Eastern Crowned Warblers, at least six Arctic Warblers, fifteen Brown Shrikes, five Asian Brown Flycatchers and lots of sunbirds (including Ruby-cheeked) alongside the various resident / expected species....

Common Iora

... and the majority of them were crammed into barely ten metres of scrawny mangrove by the outflow, and all at close quarters. But that was just the quantity - within the above, an Everett's White-eye, an Asian Paradise Flycatcher and a juvenile Tiger Shrike also fed frenetically after seeking refuge for the night. Quite a cast within a few paces of footpath....

While not quite matching the above, various other visits over the fortnight produced plenty of entertainment, with Pacific Golden Plovers and Paddyfield Pipits at close range on the running track, Asian Glossy and Purple-backed Starlings, omnipresent Brown Shrikes, Olive-winged and Yellow-vented Bulbuls, Black-naped Orioles and a Yellow-rumped Flycatcher alongside many common species.

female Olive-backed Sunbirds

Not a bad temporary local patch for a few days, especially while birding took a back seat to, well, staring vacantly at cloudless blue skies while floating in the Andaman Sea....

Black-naped Orioles

SW Thailand, 29th Sep - 16th Oct 2011 (pt 1)

2011-11-13T13:18:00.001Z

After a week in the bowels of Bangkok, we headed south down the length of the Thai peninsula aboard the overnight sleeper train - a much cheaper and lengthier option than flying, but also infinitely more colourful and culturally fascinating (with the added bonus of a female Watercock while the carriage idled through marshland - not quite as easy from a passenger jet).

Coppersmith Barbets

Being almost constantly on the move over preceding weeks, and with the best part of two months in South-east Asia ahead of us, we were looking at shacking up somewhere comfortable for a while and taking it relatively easy; we also wanted a place which would serve as a basecamp for excursions along the Andaman coast and also inland, and the ideal location was Krabi town.

male Crimson-backed Flowerpecker

And so the Krabi River hotel - with excellent views overlooking the river, its mangroves and countryside beyond - was our temporary home for the following two-plus weeks (not that we knew it on arrival, but our increasingly relaxed mood dictated several extensions).

female Brown-throated Sunbird

female Olive-backed Sunbird

Initially, we were beaten by the weather more often than not, with the kind of monsoon rains that redefine the word torrential; a calculated risk at this time of year in the area, and one that we took in favour of heading into the north of the country (a very, very good decision, as our intended destinations up there were about to suffer biblical flooding).

male Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

But as the days passed, the heavens gradually shut up shop and the balance swung steadily in favour of warm sunshine. Which didn't always necessarily mean more birding - truth be told, it often meant more idyllic beach-bumming and endless swims in the warm emerald ocean - but there was still plenty of action in various nearby coastal habitats.

Of those, we made regular visits into the mangroves (on foot and by boat), several long-tail trips up and down the river and along the coast, and a substitute local patch consisted of the coastal park (all of four minutes from the hotel), which turned out to be something of a migrant trap.

juvenile Tiger Shrike

So there was plenty to entertain, albeit at a somewhat more leisurely pace than usual....

(More from Krabi and the area to follow)

Pacific Swallow

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

SW Thailand, 29th Sep - 16th Oct 2011 (1)

2011-11-12T13:18:00.003Z

Yellow-rumped Flycatchers, Bangkok

2011-11-09T08:49:00.001Z

Of the two flycatchers present in the park over the three days, Asian Browns (see previous posts) were not only by far the commonest, but also much easier to find; the latter species tend to use relatively exposed perches from where frequent, out-in-the-open sallies can be as obvious as those characteristic of e.g. Spotted Flycatcher in Europe.

Despite the poster-boy, heart-jolting plumage of the male however, Yellow-rumped Flycatchers are an altogether different proposition. The bird pictured above and below was the only male I saw, the rest being female/immature types and significantly harder to find.

Much more secretive, Yellow-rumped Flycatchers can remain perfectly still within foliage for lengthy periods, and their fly-catching sallies can be discreet affairs conducted beneath the shadow of thick canopy.

Arctic Warblers, Bangkok

2011-11-08T04:34:00.000Z

The other migrant Phyllosc using the park during my three mornings there, Arctic Warblers were present in small numbers on each visit. Often initially located on call, their clumsier feeding style and lack of bright plumage tones immediately set them apart from Eastern Crowned Warblers, although both species sometimes fed in the same loose parties.

While noticeably different from e.g. Eastern Crowned in a variety of ways, the Arctic Warblers in the park were an education, and there was much individual variation; for example, the bird in photo 1 shows a distinct (if diffuse) yellowish wash to the undertail coverts, a feature almost exclusively associated with ECW, and differences in e.g. bill colour and pattern and overall plumage tone were also evident on some. More photos of the more variable individuals to follow when time allows.

Eastern Crowned Warblers, Bangkok

2011-11-07T04:23:00.000Z

Eastern Crowned Warblers are hard to beat, and having high hopes of catching up with them in Thailand before arriving, the presence of plenty scattered throughout the park over the three mornings at Suan Rot Fai was a real treat.

Writing several weeks later from southern central Thailand, and having seen many ECW's since, they still manage to provoke a mild shudder when found flitting purposefully in the canopy. Although generally known to stay quiet, we saw and heard several birds calling, and they're especially enthusiastic about pishing - often approaching to within a metre or two above one's head.

Suan Rot Fai, Bangkok - late Sep 2011 (2)

2011-11-06T07:14:00.004Z

All three morning sessions in the park, over the course of our four days in central Bangkok, made for constantly inspiring birding and produced an impressive array of species; each morning also produced subtly different roll-calls and numbers of passage visitors, highlighting how productive and entertaining the site is during migration periods.

Blue-tailed Bee-eaters (and soon-to-be-ex-Dragonfly)

With this being a virgin voyage to Thailand, many of the residents and commoner species were brand new - hence the initial adrenalin-fuelled, landing-on-a-new-planet, multi-species assault that comes with birding in the midst of an alien avifauna - but soon enough the local patch mentality took control and seeing the wood through the trees became steadily easier.

Crow-billed Drongo

Highlights on the first morning (25th) included a heavy sprinkling of migrants, the pick of which were at least ten Asian Brown Flycatchers, five Crow-billed Drongos, several Black-naped Orioles, at least eight Eastern Crowned Warblers, three Yellow-rumped Flycatchers, two Arctic Warblers, three Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and a Plain-tailed Warbler.

The second morning (26th) saw even more migrants, and the planned two hours from 0630 turned into almost five almost without noticing. Close-up views of a male Siberian Blue Robin in the understorey along the river were perhaps the highlight, with back-up including at least 12 Eastern Crowned Warblers, ten Asian Brown Flycatchers, three Arctic Warblers, a Plain-tailed Warbler, five Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and three Yellow-rumped Flycatchers (including a superb adult male - see post to follow).

omnipresent, entertaining Indian Rollers

The 28th was my third and final opportunity in the park, and although there were fewer migrants, there was still much to discover - the pick of being a Grey Nightjar, which landed in full view, stuck around for all of ten seconds and promptly disappeared. Asian Barred Owlet and Small Minivet were also lifers for the day, and a heavy passage of Barn Swallows hinted at the park's potential for visible migration watching.

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Suitably dirty and drenched in sweat, it was time to jump on the skytrain back into the city centre (as usual repelling a carriageful of Krung Thep in the process), where we'd soon be packing up once again, this time journeying south overnight.

Water Monitor, Brown Shrike

As a place for rewarding, often unpredictable urban birding while passing through this Bladerunner-esque city, Suan Rot Fai scored highly in all respects, and it'd surely take a long, long time before the sound of the pre-dawn alarm was anything but a sweet sound, especially during migration seasons. Thanks again to Dave for sharing info and knowledge.

Oriental Magpie-robin and the local two-tone squirrels

Suan Rot Fai, Bangkok - late Sep 2011 (1)

2011-11-03T10:39:00.003Z

After a couple of nights out on the fringes, we threw ourselves to the lions for the following four days by heading directly into the dark heart of Bangkok. Shacking up in a little guesthouse tucked away in a backstreet behind the National Stadium skytrain station, our accommodation was homely and comfortable (if the very definition of basic), and barely two minutes from the station - worth the price alone for several upcoming early starts and some killer urban birding.

female Olive-backed Sunbird

Ostensibly to experience the flavour of this uniquely maniacal city, in reality our positioning in the chaotic depths of its centre was a convenient opportunity to follow up on avian Eastern promise at the urban oasis and migrant trap that is Suan Rot Fai.

Brown Shrike - a ubiquitous and often tame migrant

male Olive-backed Sunbird

After enviously eyeing up his local finds via his excellent patch blog, I'd arranged to hook up with Bangkok resident, ex-pat birder and Suan Rot Fai patch-worker Dave early on the 25th, for the first of three very enjoyable and productive mornings in the park.

White-vented Myna

Dave was kind enough to share his local knowledge, especially useful for isolating the most productive areas within the park, and from around 0645 to 1030 an excellent diversity of species were on show, from various residents to both common and scarcer migrants in good numbers. Over the course of those first few hours I'd almost accidentally racked up eight lifers within the many highlights, and there were plenty more to come.

To provide a little context, Suan Rot Fai is a grade-A, mouth-waterin', lip-smackin' dirty fantasy of an urban patch (and not just from a long-suffering London birder's perspective, although that no doubt helps). Positioned in the very heart of the vast urban sprawl of Bangkok, the park is a large greenspace surrounded by an ocean of concrete on all sides.

Grey Nightjar - an unexpected find on the 28th

Add to that the fact that, unlike other large cities (London & NYC to name two), the park really has no alternative or competition for habitat and location - central Bangkok's other parks are small, over-manicured green ghettos that your average Eastern Crowned Warbler wouldn't bat its tiny Phylloscopus eyelid at - it's easy to see why it attracts such a range of species.

Plaintive Cuckoo & Little Egret

As if that's not enough, its geographical position at the southern bottleneck of northern Thai lowlands, and its position bang on a migratory flyway teaming with Asian wonders basically translates as finding a golden ticket in your Wonka Bar every morning. And then there's the variety and quality of habitat.....

Pond Heron sp. (most likely Javan) and the rear end of a Water Monitor...

male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

(More from Suan Rot Fai to follow)

female and male Asian Koels

Bang Poo, Thailand (2)

2011-11-02T06:49:00.000Z

Collared Kingfisher

A few more shots from the reserve....

Painted Storks

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Bang Poo, Thailand - 24th September

2011-11-01T08:28:00.000Z

Day two, and a morning's birding at Bang Poo - a reserve on the coast just south-east of Bangkok - comprising mangrove, lagoons, scrub and mudflats (as well as productive nearby rice-paddies and unkempt agricultural land).

Whiskered Tern

Lots to go at before the stifling heat of the day drove us back into captivity, from plenty of waders species on the attractive, mud-fringed lagoons to passerine migrants flitting in and out of the mangroves.

female Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Golden-bellied Gerygone

Of the former, Eastern Black-tailed Godwits and Oriental Pratincoles were the highlights, while of the latter, an Asian Paradise Flycatcher, the local, black-headed subspecies of Long-tailed Shrike, Golden-bellied Gerygones and two Eastern Crowned Warblers were all welcome new additions. Larger waterbirds, meanwhile, included plenty of Painted Storks and an Oriental Darter.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Peaceful Dove and not especially peaceful Brown Shrike

Eastern Black-tailed Godwits

Long-tailed Shrike

Oriental Darter

Touchdown in Thailand - 23rd September

2011-10-28T17:06:00.000+01:00

female Brown-throated Sunbird

And so to the first day of a long and colourful innings in South-east Asia (which continues as I write, with a month still to go before we move on to India). We spent a couple of days at our friends Neil and Eunice's place in the suburbs of Bangkok, the first of which being suitably wet and therefore birding was confined to their small, shady garden. Still, of about eight species, six were lifers, which isn't such a bad strike rate all things considered.....

Streak-eared Bulbul

We stayed in Bangkok for almost a week, and there was plenty of quality birding to be had; more to follow anon.

Oriental Magpie-robin

Yellow-vented Bulbuls

Peaceful Dove

Guandu nature reserve, Taipei - Sep 2011

2011-10-27T12:40:00.003+01:00

And so back to Taipei, for our last couple of days on the island. Having birded pretty much every day we'd been here with expectation-exceeding results (to say the least), we slowed it down a little, enjoyed the city and even finally got around to some essential planning (Thailand suddenly approaching just 48 hours away).

Eastern Cattle Egrets

But not before a final, easy-going session at Guandu, an excellent flagship urban nature reserve, expertly administered by the Wild Bird Society of Taipei. Surrounded on three sides by the the sprawl and industry of the city and on a fourth by the river, Guandu is a rich mosaic of wetland habitats, justifying its IBA status with Birdlife International.

Black-naped Monarch

Habitat management and water level control are obviously priorities, and while the facilities are first-class (a space-age visitor's centre with a airport-style viewing level, two-storey hides, top quality interpretation), it was refreshing to see the birds explicitly coming first. Indeed, the majority of the reserve is off-limits to visitors - selfishly a little frustrating, but an enviably hard-line approach in these times of toothless compromise.

Common Sandpiper

I made two visits to the reserve - on the 13th and the 20th September - the first alone and latter with Amity. On both occasions there was plenty to look at, and on both occasions, there was barely another soul around; essentially perfect circumstances, especially given that the site was a short subway journey away from central Taipei.

Apparently best known for its concentrations of migratory and wintering wildfowl, the timing wasn't good (a month later and it would've been somewhat different); but with plenty of waders, other waterbirds and a good selection of passerines, there was more than enough to wile away several hours on each visit.

Wood Sandpiper

Waders included good numbers of Pacific Golden Plovers, Common Greenshanks and Marsh Sandpipers, scatterings of Little Ringed Plovers, Long-toed Stints, Black-winged Stilts, Wood, Common and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers; larger waterbirds included hundreds of Egrets (Great White, Little and Eastern Cattle), a Yellow Bittern, and Sacred Ibis numbers into three figures....

.... which constitute an important population of this globally-threatened species. Ironically, this isolated population, originally derived from escapees, is now healthy, self-sustaining and steadily spreading, while on the other side of the world, their 'wilder' brethren are fairing less well.

Passerine highlights included the first Eastern Yellow Wagtails, Black-naped Monarchs and Brown Shrikes of the trip, plenty of mynas and bulbuls to sort through, a good selection of hirundines, four dove species, and sprites including White-eyes and a couple of Phylloscopus warblers (see later post).

Little Ringed Plover

So, our fortnight in Taiwan was finally drawing to a close, and we reluctantly headed south-west, and a few hours over the South China Sea and into SE Asia. We instinctively knew we'd soon miss the place, and reflecting on it here in Malaysia over a month later, it's fair to say we were, and still are, besotted with the island. A place on the Taiwanese coast and an English-teaching position doesn't seem that fanciful after all...

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Black-winged Stilt

Tree Sparrow messing with security

A musical interlude

2011-10-26T17:02:00.003+01:00

Our new single, although not released until December, can be heard free and exclusively as of today on our bandcamp page - please click here to listen.

Enjoy - and you can find us on Facebook here.

"THE BEST THING TO COME OUT OF HACKNEY SINCE THE WHITE STRIPES RECORDED 'ELEPHANT' THERE" - THE WORD MAGAZINE

"ASTONISHING" - THE INDEPENDENT

Plumbeous Redstarts, Shibi, Taiwan - Sep 2011

2011-10-24T05:16:00.000+01:00

Having managed to miss them over previous days, it was a pleasure to catch up with Plumbeous [Water] Redstarts at several suitable places around Shibi. Beautiful birds (the males especially, with a rich, iridescent blue plumage) they frequent wooded rivers and larger streams, often seen as as a red and blue flash disappearing along a watercourse. Sometimes, however, they can be pretty forthcoming, as the male and female pictured here show.

Taiwan Bush Warbler, Shibi - Sep 2011

2011-10-23T04:12:00.000+01:00

One of the many island endemics that habitually skulk, and can be nigh-on impossible to get a fix on even when seemingly within arm's length, Taiwanese Bush Warblers were heard at various spots during our stay while only offering the briefest of glimpses.

however, after a little encouragement, this bird broke rank and proceeded to lambast us non-stop for twenty minutes or more, even being so good as to pose almost in full view for a little while.

Shibi, central Taiwan - September 2011

2011-10-21T12:14:00.000+01:00

Amur [White] Wagtail

And so to Douliu, a small city in Yunlin County, central Taiwan, just west of the unspoilt mountains which dominate the island from the far north to its southern tip. We'd factored a full day (and two nights) here on account of another gilt-edged birding opportunity, courtesy of the aforementioned wildlife documentary maker, forest bird uber-nerd and Douliu resident Mark (Wilkie).

Snowy-browed Flycatcher - a skulker of the forest understorey

Mark was responsible for hooking us up with and arranging our time at Dasyueshan and beyond with Bruce (his colleague), and kindly gave up a day to accompany us into the forests again, this time some 30km west of the sprawl to an area known as Shibi.

the first section of the trail, through bamboo

We spent much of the day hiking up and down the Shibi South Trail, a winding path through beautiful, lush, mixed forest of subtly differing make-up as we ascended to the ridge. We took our time, stopping whenever activity was noted, as is the (only) way when forest birding (especially outside of the spring and breeding season); as expected, from where one or two initial calls emitted, more participants were soon uncovered.

endemic Formosan Striped Squirrels - thankfully not stripped as the sign says

Despite the weather closing in on us for the second half of the hike (with a thick cloud bank enveloping us for much of the walk from the peak downwards), we had sunshine for the earlier part of the day, and plenty of success - including, pleasingly, still more endemics to add to those already nailed over previous days.

Brown Shrike, showing very pale grey crown and rich underparts - of which subspecies?

Highlights included Johnstone's Robin, Yellow Tit, Taiwan Wren Babbler, Taiwan Shortwing and Taiwan Bush Warbler (all endemics), Brown-flanked [Strong-footed] Bush Warbler (probably soon to attain full specific status), Snowy-browed Flycatchers, Amur Wagtails, Plumbeous Redstarts, and many of the specialist forest species of previous days.

Black Eagle (expertly found by Amity, looking up while we were looking down)

Back-up included Black Eagle, Black-necklaced Scimitar Babblers, both partridges, Ashy Woodpigeons, White-tailed Robins, Taiwan Whistling Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Steere's Liocichlas, Taiwan Sibias, Barbets and Yuhinas, Green-backed Tits, numerous Rufous-faced Warblers, Black-throated Tits and Grey-cheeked Fulvettas, and many more besides.

Eurasian Nuthatch of the local ssp. - another candidate for splitting

Another killer day, and we returned to Douliu in the evening tired and very satisfied; back to Taipei the following day, where we'd sadly only a couple of days left in arguably our favourite country on the planet...

Yellow Tit - a brightly coloured endemic, surprisingly hard work, and very shy (as shown...)

Flamecrest

2011-10-20T08:41:00.003+01:00

One of many endemics scored in the montane forests, Flamecrests are speedy sprites that rarely pause long enough to focus on, so I was lucky to get a few passable shots of this bird (one of plenty seen, all briefly, and all within multi-species flocks).