Tam Dao NP, 8-4-11

Hi all,

Unlike the previous post, this one is more about sheer numbers of birds and less about numbers of species.

- Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, (estimated) 150!!! along the road between the bear center and NP HQ
- 15 Dollarbirds
- 10 Spangled Drongos + about 15 Ashy Drongos, only around the bear center
- Pale-footed Bush Warblers start singing
- Lesser and Greater Coucal having an argument
- 1 male Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
- 1 Besra

Cheers,
Falk

Lenin Park 7th April 2011

Visiting birder Pieter Lojtmeijer went to Lenin Park in the afternoon and found the following:

Rufous-tailed Robin (1)
Bianchi's Warbler (two different individuals)
Eastern-crowned Warbler (2)
Blyth's Leaf Warbler (3)
Dusky Warbler (1),
Yellow-browed Warbler (ca. 25)
Chinese/Hill-blue Flycatcher (a male and a fem.)
Asian Brown Flycatcher (1)
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher (at least 6 exx.)
Maroon Oriole (a fem.)
Blue Rock Thrush (a fem.)
Chestnut Bunting (a first spring male)
Grey-headed Greenfinch (4)
Plantive Cuckoo (2 males)

The next day along the edge of West Lake and at the small temple on the island there he saw 3 Grey-headed Lapwings and 3 Yellow-rumped Flycatchers; and in the botanical gardens there was a Forest Wagtail.

Tam Dao Bear Center, 6-3-11

Hi all,

Quick update on the Chestnut Bunting - there's now 2 of them.
Other notable sightings:
- Common Stonechats moving through in numbers
- 1 Dusky Warbler

Cheers,
Falk

Botanical Garden Blues

A short wander around the Botanical Gardens on Saturday morning (2nd April) did not turn up much that was different from usual. There were still lots of warblers on the trees overhanging the 2nd lake. In amongst them were two Black-naped Monarch. Wednesday morning (April 6th), and there were much fewer warblers in this area of the Botanical Gardens. They seem to have dispersed over a lot more of the park. Again not too much of interest, although I did see this guy in the distance. Could not get closer. Presume he is a Hill Blue Flycatcher. A better photo may have helped.

Wayne.

Tam Dao Bear Center, 05-04-11

Hi all,

Quite some movement at the moment with lots of Phylloscs putting in an apperance (majority being Y-browed and Eastern Crowned) as well as Drongos (Ashy, Spangled).

Other birds of note today,
- 1 Dollarbird
- 2 White-breasted Kingfishers
- 1 Striated Grassbird (addition to the TD bird list!)
- 5 Pale-footed Bush Warblers
- 1 Manchurian Bush Warbler
- 1 Chestnut Bunting
- 2 Collared Scops Owls + 1 Brown Hawk Owl seen well last night (owls generally very active now)

Not bad at all!
Cheers
Falk

Greater Painted-Snipes - Hanoi 01/04/11

Stroll at mid-day along the Red river channel and around. The best were a flock of 10 Temminck's Stints and a pair of Greater Painted-Snipes. The Snipes were not along the channel but in the marshy area between the channel (south part) and the town. This place is a patchwork of small ponds (where local people cultivate aquatic plants), reed beds, gardens and bamboo hegdes. I flushed the Snipes in an abandoned pond colonized by grasses and scrubs.

Can you see me ?

Sebastien