Red River Island, 12-11-2011

Hi all,

Quite a few birds were seen today - the northern parts and the woodland was checked, unfortunately no sign of L-b Plover or C-e Bunting.
Most notable records were,

- 3 or 4 Pied Kingfishers
- 2 White-breasted Waterhens
- a couple of Temminck's Stints, Green, Common and Wood Sandpipers
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 1 female Siberian Thrush
- 2 very showy male Siberian Rubythroats
- 1 Bluethroat
- a couple of Siberian Stonechats
- 1 Striated Grassbird
- 1 (very unexpected and of unknown origin) Hill Prinia
- a few unidentified bush warblers but 1 probable Baikal Bush Warbler and 1 possible Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler
- the commoner Phylloscs but one possible Hume's Warbler
- 2 Hwameis
- 1 Richard's Pipit amongst some Paddyfield Pipits
- 1 macronyx Yellow Wagtail
- 2 Citrine Wagtails

Also, a couple of bird trappers near the ferry. The old guy who runs the ferry in summer time demanded money for crossing the little dam. Is that a new thing, as I've never been asked to pay there. I didn't pay this time but I surely don't want to piss off people there.

Cheers,
Falk Wicker, Frank Momberg

Red river island, 16-4-11

Hi all, An excellent morning was spent on the island today, covering the corn fields and the little patch of forest. The more notable species were, - 1 Manchurian Reed Warbler (heard singing in one of the weed fields on the plain between the woodland and the banana plantation and brief views) - 1 Yellow-streaked Warbler (singing in the woodland) - 1 probable Baikal Bush Warbler - 1 Chestnut-winged Cuckoo - 1 male Burmese Shrike - 2 Mugimaki Flycatchers - 1 Manchurian Bush Warbler - 1 Orange-headed Thrush - Luscinia-galore: couple of Bluethroats, Siberian Rubythroats and a fine male Siberian Blue Robin - Phylloscs: Radde's, Dusky, Two-barred Greenish, Arctic, Yellow-browed, Eastern Crowned, Greenish, Pale-legged plus the above mentioned Yellow-streaked - at least 2 Black-faced Buntings - 2 Little Buntings plus nice sightings of a gorgeous breeding-plumaged Citrine Wagtail and Red-throated Pipit, 2 Black-naped Orioles, Black-shouldered Kites, a chorus of White-breasted Waterhens, lots of Black-naped Monarchs and red-throated Taiga Flycatchers, 1 Oriental Turtle Dove and a big flock of Scaly-breasted Munias. Wow, that's actually a lot of birds (not mentioning the commoner species)! Did I forget anything, Simon? Cheers, Simon and Falk