24 Sept 2015

A morning at Mai Po (Sept 10th, 2015)

It's already a fortnight since I took these shots at Mai Po Nature Reserve, but my excuse is that I was distracted by a Fairy Pitta (see previous post) in between then and now.

In the fig trees behind the Tower Hide...

Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike - Coracina melascistos

Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike - Coracina melascistos

Asian Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi

Asian Paradise Flycatcher - Terpsiphone paradisi
Skulking on the ground beneath -
Pale-flegged/Sakhalin Leaf Warbler  - Phylloscopus tenellipes/borealoides

In front of the Tower Hide, a vocal and conspicuous resident...
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis

...and a shyer passage migrant, doing what this species always seems to do - dive for cover !
Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea

Here, a bird that Clements calls "Nutmeg Mannikin" in his checklist -
Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata


At the boardwalk, the "Barwits" are heading south.  The race here is menzbieri - restricted to the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) it is now considered endangered, with populations of this form falling rapidly.
Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

Finally, a passage migrant duck - Garganey.   I always get "Garganey" and "Gadwall" mixed up - so now I think of the name written along the bird's eyebrow - "Gar-GA-ney"....

Garganey - Anas querquedula

Garganey - Anas querquedula

Garganey - Anas querquedula
Well, it works for me.

6 comments:

  1. Wow, I've only seen 2 Garganey in my whole life ever.

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    1. Stu..you could have some of ours but they're heading in the wrong direction!

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  2. Great photos. I wish a Garganey would show up around here someday. In pet shops around my town, Scaly-breasted Munias are called, Spice Finches. I saw plenty of them in Thailand.

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    Replies
    1. Looks like the Munias enjoy a different alias everywhere they go....

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  3. The Asian Paradise Flycatcher is still one of my favorites, wonderful bird - love the shots of the Barwits too.

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