Kit & Herman Year 2

[Kitsafari]

559/CM30 : Japanese Tit

 

Seen in Singapore before we headed out to Chiangmai where it occurs more regularly. 

 

[Kitsafari]

576/CM31 : Grey Treepie

 

It was sitting silently in the open, unseen by the photographers who were busily chasing a rare species in Chiangmai. Its long tail was what alerted me - the treepie is  a long-tailed relative of the crow, found in both lowland and hilly forests of up to 2000m. It is more attractive than its relative but can be just as raucous, although it was very quiet when we saw it. Found in the Himalayan ranges, eastern India, eastern and southern China, Indochina down to peninsular Thailand. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

577/CM30 : Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon

 

Looks similar to our pink-necked green pigeon in SIngapore, except for the more orangey chest patch and wine-red patches on the male's wings and the bright blue bill. The forest pigeon is found in the Himalayan ranges through eastern India and Bangladesh to central and southern China, Indochina down to Indonesia. 

 

female

[Kitsafari]

578/CM30 : White-browed Laughingthrush

 

I almost missed this one. I walked away from the spot as I had a coughing fit, and it came out. But fortunately, it returned though photography opportunity in a shaded spot wasn't as good. But good to have an alternate person Herman who caught the first wave. A rather brown songbird with a striking face with a white cheek and supercilium against a brown crown and black throat.Can be found in  city parks as well as in forests and agricultural land. Distributed in China and northern parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

 

[Kitsafari]

579/CM31 : Scarlet Minivet

 

You can't miss these birds. The ones we have seen so far in Malaysia and Thailand are those with the namesake - males dressed in brightly scarlet coats with black blotches. The forest bird comes in various colourations though to black and yellow in the southern Philippines, and black and orange in Java and Bali. Found in the himalayan ranges, eastern India through to southern and eastern CHina down to Indochina and southeast-Asia. 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

Now for some flycatchers : 

 

580/CM32 : Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher

 

A rather posh name for a pretty and bold flycatcher with a slash of orange across its throat. Found in the Himalayan ranges through to southern China and central China and northern parts of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, with occurence in central and southern Vietnam.

 

[Kitsafari]

581/CM33 : Sapphire Flycatcher

 

The sapphire flycatchers can be brilliantly coloured during breeding seasons but we found only non-breeding birds feasting around a fruiting tree. Found in northern India through northern parts of Indochina to southern China. 

 

[Kitsafari]

582/CM34 : Slaty-blue Flycatcher

 

A flighty bird though the female was more bold. Small in size, the slaty-blue flycatcher breeds in high altitude forests and winters downhill in scrubby areas. 

 

male: 

 

female: 

[Kitsafari]

583/CM37 : Verditer Flycatcher

 

the turquoise flash across to the tree alerted me to the verditer flycatcher. The bird typically perches upright on open branches in lowland and hill forests.Found in India, China and all of Indochina down to Indonesia.

 

[Kitsafari]

584/CM36 : Ultramarine Flycatcher

 

Described thus by ebird : 

"Incandescently beautiful male is resplendent in electric blue and snowy white" which wasn't that far from the truth. It was one of our big target birds as well. the ultramarine flycatcher has different variations depending on locations. Found in India (which has a different look from the Thai bird), HImalayan ranges, southern China and northern Indochina. 

 

 

 

Loved the hairdo in this one!

[Kitsafari]

585/CM38 : Himalayan Cutia

 

Until I came to Doi Sanju, I'd not heard of this species before. My photographer friend had failed to get a sighting of it in India or Thailand over eight years and he finally got it in Doi Sanju. A small flock provided much excitement for all the photographers but the male was a bit more elusive. 

A babbler that loves treetops and high elevation broadleaf forests, the male is a striking bird with bright rufous back and barred sides. the female is paler. found in eastern HImalayan ranges in Nepal, Bhutan, northern Bangladesh, northeastern India, and northern Indochina. Only two persons in our group managed to get distant shots of the male. 

 

male: 

 

female

Edited December 31, 2019 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

Happy New Year - may it bring more lifers for the ST BYers. 

 

I still have two more areas to cover and am waiting for some photos from Herman. there'll be some delays as we are completely tied up looking after my dog.In fact, it is 4.33am now and I'm up watching over him. 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Kitsafari

[TonyQ]

Happy New Year, and our thoughts are with you.

Fabulous birds, excellent photos.And getting very close to 600!

[Dave Williams]

The tension is mounting...will you get there???? I think and hope so but what an incredible count whatever the outcome. Well done indeed. You two are definitely credit to the BY thread for creating two avid birders!! Happy New Year and lets see where it takes you next!

[michael-ibk]

Oooooooooh, look at the Parrotbill and Rubythroat - such fantastic birds, and such awesome photos! Go for 600 Kit, I´m sure you will get there. I had no idea there are habitats like that in Thailand, looks like a great trip there!

[Peter Connan]

Happy new year. Hope the dog makes a full and speedy recovery!

 

Beautiful photos of beautiful birds!

[Kitsafari]

Thanks much @TonyQ @Dave Williams @michael-ibk @Peter Connan

 

Doi Ang Kang on a Sunday was very crowded. It's a popular mountain campsite for the locals and I wondered at why they would want to spend a weekend in a tiny canvas dome tent in temperatures lower than 10 degrees. Because of the crowds, the birds stayed away. We moved onto the King's project - which included a botanical garden, an agricultural research centre and farm plots set up to encourage local villagers to move away from opium farming. there we had slightly better luck.

 

585/CM39 : Mrs Gould's Sunbird

 

A beautiful and very bright sunbird found in temperate forests or tropical moist montane forests in northern Indian sub-continent, CHina, Hong Kong and Indochina. 

 

 

juve

Edited January 2, 2020 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

586/CM 40 : Indian white-eye

 

Hyperactive bird that likes more open forested areas and is a sociable bird, travelling in flocks. Found in Indian subcontinent, China and all of Indochina. 

 

[Kitsafari]

38/CM41 : Red-whiskered Bulbul

 

In my Singapore count.

 

 

[Kitsafari]

558/CM42 : Taiga Flycatcher

 

In the Singapore list  - It was rare to see a taiga flycatcher in Singapore but thailand is part of their native ranges.

 

[Kitsafari]

517/CM43 : Daurian Redstart

 

Another rarity spotted in the Singapore count, the redstart counts northern Thailand as home. 

 

[Kitsafari]

587/CM44 : Flavescent Bulbul

 

another dull looking bulbul with brownish-yellow body and a faint white eyebrow. The flavescent bulbul moves around in small groups and likes open forest and forest edges. found in northeastern India, Bangladesh, Yunnan, all of Indochina except Cambodia, and Borneo. 

 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

588/CM45 : Blue-winged Minla

 

Our first sighting of this pretty minla was not so good as a flock had flown into the bushes and one by one they were rapidly moving into the dense bushes. The minla is found in lowland and foothill forests of the eastern part of the Himalayan ranges, northeastern India, China, Indochina and Malaysia

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Kitsafari

[Kitsafari]

Herman spotted that I had already counted the blue-winged minla #551 in the Doi Lang so I'll adjust the number for the next bird. 

 

We left the mountains on Doi Ang Khang and travelled to Doi Lo rice fields close to the city of Chiangmai where a few raptors were seen a few days earlier. We had less luck, though we did get a handful of other birds.

 

588/CM45 : Black-eared Kite

 

Three were sitting on a tree as we entered the rice fields. Once we found a place to park the mini-van safely on the narrow dikes/lanes, we made a beeline for the tree. Soon the kites took off to the skies, at times swooping low but always flew higher without any prey. The black-eared kite is considered the eastern form of the black kite and was given species rank by some authors, which I happily approve in adding to my count. 

 

 

[Kitsafari]

589.CM46 : Pied Harrier

 

The only other raptor I saw was the pied harrier, flying low over the grass before vanishing into the forest. My Contribution to the Hall of EBCs