Yellow-browed Warblers arrive

Following two days of rain, I finally managed a good walk around the patch this morning, as soon as I stepped out of the house it was clear that a few Yellow-browed Warbler had arrived, with two calling from scrub by the house and another four noted on the mornings walk, until today I had not so far recorded any locally this autumn.

Black-naped Oriole

Other new migrants/winter visitors since previous visits included 3 Black-naped Oriole and four Taiga Flycatcher. Numbers of other warblers are still low with 20 Oriental Reed Warbler, 4 Black-browed Reed Warbler and two Dusky Warbler, presumably many have yet to arrive. Other migrants/winter visitors included 5 Common Kingfisher, 11 Whiskered Tern, 27 Brown Shrike, 3 Asian Brown Flycatcher, 9 Eastern Stonechat, 2 Richard's Pipit and 4 Yellow Wagtail.

In addition to the usual Red-wattled Lapwing and Black-winged Stilts, there were many more waders than previous, including at least 500 Oriental Pratincole, 145 Wood Sandpiper, 17 Grey-headed Lapwing, 11 Little-ringed Plover, 3 Temminck's Stint and 2 Common Sandpiper. At least 29 Yellow Bittern were noted, more than normal and perhaps suggesting some passage through the site, along with single Black and Cinnamon Bittern, 12 Grey Heron, 5 Purple Heron and at least 55 Night Heron.

Cotton Pygmy Goose

A single Cotton Pygmy Goose was noted among many Lesser Whistling Ducks and additional wetland birds included 2 Watercock, 3 Pheasant-tailed and two Bronze-winged Jacana, 5 Moorhen and 21 Little Grebe.

Additional species recorded included 2 Freckled-breasted Woodpecker, 40 Blue-tailed Bee-eater, 4 Yellow-vented Bulbul and many weavers including 50 Asian Golden and 8 Streaked.

To get to the patch I first have to negotiate a 16 lane motorway and then get past a gang of a dozen noisy but mostly friendly dogs which guard the access onto the paddies.