Tam Dao - Ferruginous Flycatcher/14-10-2011

Hi all,

I bumped into this guy at the extremity south of Tam Dao, 8km north from Dai Lai Lake (hồ Đại Lải), during a short trek to the Bats Cave (of course there is not a single bat there, just rubbish).


I also heard the alarm call of a Forktail sp. along the rocky stream which the trail follows, but can not - as usual - see it, and spotted a noisy Striped Tit Babbler family with the youngs still fed by parents.

Sebastien Delonglee






Some pics of Tam Dao for those who don't know the place or those who are nostalgic for it...

Tam Dao is an island of biodiversity completely surrounded by agricultural plains with a high population density. A kind of miracle...

Tam Dao, 13/14-10-2011

Hi all,

The lower reaches of Tam Dao are currently filled with Ashy Drongos near the NP and Black Drongos anywhere else. A lot of Phylloscs are showing, along with Dark-sided, Asian Brown and Taiga Flycatchers.
The first Grey Bushchats have turned up. Pale-footed Bush Warblers are likely to linger from now on.
Bar-backed Partridges are actively calling, as are the smaller resident owls.

Cheers,
Falk

Lenin Park, 9-10-2011

Hi all,

Apart from seeing a young guy having a walk with his approx. 2 year old Stump-tailed Macaque, it was actually quite nice to check Lenin Park on a busy Sunday.

5 Oriental Honey Buzzards and 3 Purple Herons were soaring overhead, as was a flock of Barn Swallows and an unidentified Riparia-species.

The corner near the circus held 1 Wryneck, 1 Asian Brown Flycatcher, 2 Brown Shrikes and 1 Siberian Stonechat.

Around the toilets there were 1 Forest Wagtail, 1 Dark-sided Flycatcher, 1 Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher and another Asian Brown Flycatcher, as well as one Ashy Drongo.

One Striated Heron flew across the lake.

Cheers,
Falk

Rainy Tam Dao, 7-10-2011

Hi all,

The first Pale-footed Bush Warblers have turned up here in lower Tam Dao. Also around are a few Brown and Long-tailed Shrikes, as well as 2 or 3 Asian Brown Flycatchers, a few Yellow-browed Warblers and a Dollarbird.
Weather is miserable.

Cheers
Falk

Tam Dao NP, 5-10-2011

Hi all,

Weather being miserable but still a big flock of about 40 Fork-tailed Swifts + a big troop of Phylloscs (unfortunately too high up in Pine trees, no bins). One Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler showed off nicely.

Yesterday, a female Eastern Marsh Harrier seen whilst landing at Noibai.

Cheers,
Falk

Sun Oct 02: Lenin Park, Hanoi

Saturday in the Botanical Gardens was a disaster. Do not try to take a 20 month old boy out birding!

Sunday morning saw me, albeit a touch late, at Lenin Park. Seemed to be plenty around (much of which was passing over and I could not ID). Today they were cutting branches down around the (great birding) toilet block, so I am not sure what it will be like in the future. All the branches on the ground did attract a lot of flycatchers though. Just after my phone went, a large dark coloured raptor casually flew over, not to far above me. Photo not possible, damn it (hands on phone). It looked (to an amateur) like a very big, dark coloured falcon, (but with slower wing-beats, and strong banding on both body and wings). Next time...

Birds I have some idea about:

• Drongo - Ashy


• Robin - Pied magpie


• Flycatcher - Hainan blue


• Flycatcher - Asian Brown


• Flycatcher - Hill blue


• Flycatcher - Taiga


• Robin-Siberian blue (female)

I have posted images of the last birds here on Birdforum to try and tie them down. This post has been updated, based on that.

Wayne

Hill Blue flycatcher