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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Shanghai Perambulations (1 Viewer)

A few hours to spare on Saturday p.m. saw me driving the 10kms from my home to the Sheshan hills. I've been here once before for birding, walking up the main hill to the observatory, but was really disappointed, too many people and the bamboo forests seem to contain relatively little birdlife. So this time I went to a different hill and found far fewer people and a lot more in the way of bird variety. There were a couple of bird calls that were unusual (to me !) and that I could not ID - I didn't see the birds. I tried to use the video on the DSLR to record them but that didn't work out too well due to the overpowering chorus from the Bul Buls !

Anyway apart from the usual suspects my first interesting spot was a Common Kingfisher (this location is about 1 km from a large lake and there are some streams in the area - I wondered if it were nesting on the hill because the ground is soft and there are some very quiet and undisturbed locations). I flushed a pair of 'somethings' from the undergrowth - never to be seen again - and from the very brief encounter I noticed light brown backs and tails with scimitar (?) shaped wings and the the underside was light with black and white under the wings. These were maybe twice the size of a blackbird.

I also spotted a couple of solitary birds at different times, that I thought were Chinese Grosbeaks. However in the Birds of East Asia plate I don't see any of the yellow on the wings and under the tail of these birds (see photos). Can someone confirm the ID and explain why these have some yellow markings (breeding plumage perhaps) ? Sorry these are very heavy crops taken at distance (the first from over 100m away) - photos #1 & #2.

Flitting from tree to tree, bush to bush, were a couple of birds which I need help IDing (photos #3 & 4), I was able to get a couple of shots off when they paused momentarily. Can someone help with the ID ? Thanks !

Next up I got a few shots of a Yellow Browed Bunting (and a few of these turned up again later on with a group of Vinous Throated Parrotbills) !

There was the odd Cinerous Tit around and other unrecognisable (by me) brown blobs flying past in the canopy. I found I had then wandered into a graveyard of sorts. My wife didn't think graves were permitted there although there were only a few.

Having eventually climbed to the top of the hill (there is some sort of flat building, toilets and a small Chinese pavilion there) I decided to switch lenses to take a few environmental/landscape shots ... and of course that was the time that a Japanese White-eye decided to come and check me out .. landing no more than 1.5m away. Needless to say it was off the moment I tried to slowly swivel around to my left ! There were also 2 or 3 Grey Backed Thrushes around.

For me the highlight was the last bird I was able to ID in the disappearing light, by then I had a flash attached and used the beamer to direct it the 20m to a Red Billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix Lutea) and get a few (distinctly average and heavily cropped) shots - what a lovely little bird ! Reading up later it seems these often fly in small flocks but this one seemed to be alone.

Anyway back down the hill .... only to find I've been locked in. A few minutes later the groundsman allowed me my freedom !
 

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And here are the Red Billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix Lutea) & Yellow Browed Bunting.
 

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Your grosbeaks are Oriental Greenfinches, and I wonder if your two brown birds in the bushes might have been Scaly (or White's) Thrush? - the b/w underwings and the size fits this species.

Cheers
Mike
 
Your grosbeaks are Oriental Greenfinches, and I wonder if your two brown birds in the bushes might have been Scaly (or White's) Thrush? - the b/w underwings and the size fits this species.

Cheers
Mike

Thanks Mike !

The birds in the bushes were much bigger than thrushes (I have plenty of Scaly Thrush shots so recognise the shape/size of that bird). Any idea of the birds in #3 & 4 ?
 
1-4 are all Oriental Greenfinches.

I'm with Mike on your brown birds...the b&w underwings are indicative of zoothera thrushes at least...

cheers
Mark
 
1-4 are all Oriental Greenfinches.

I'm with Mike on your brown birds...the b&w underwings are indicative of zoothera thrushes at least...

cheers
Mark

Uh. I can see that (1-4) are all Oriental Greenfinches now - I had looked at them in the BoEA but they seemed different. I must get better at recognising the similarities. Thanks again M & M.
 
Need some help to ID a couple of birds by their call if at all possible :

1.. This bird drove me nuts trying to find it (them - there were about 4 of them in different locations in the same area) - this is my whistle of what it sounded like to me, I think it's quite accurate as the call is very distinctive : http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/121987/Unknown_Bird_1?rn=ukv1nbx850jk

2. This is from an unseen bird in my garden this evening, is it a wagtail ? Sorry this one is a bit short and no it's not the clicking sound ! http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/121989/Unknown_Bird_2?rn=nd3lysm6u22o
 
Busy busy busy with work recently but managed to get out for a short 2 hour session at the local Jin Xiu Park on the 7th April (peach and cherry tree blossoms in glorious bloom) and on Sunday 8th followed it up with a 4 hour birding stint in the Dianshuihu area (just 30 mins from my home, with my foot down) !

Jin Xiu Park

Gorgeous day, blossoms in full bloom and a public park in China means only one thing ..... hordes of couples, families, friends and relatives all intent on capturing pictures of themselves in front of the blossoms ! And when I say hordes ..... (photos #1 & 2) !
 

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Anyway to the birds !

Barn Swallow (please confirm because the tail looks different to the ID books) :
Jin-Xiu-Park-XL.jpg

Crested Myna, Long Tailed Shrike, Coot, Yellow Breasted Bunting (photo #2 - please confirm), Little Egrets, Venous Throated Parrotbills, Blackbirds, Light Vented Bul Buls and Tree Sparrows.

Jin-Xiu-Park-XL.jpg
 

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Dianshuihu

The lake front was far too windy for the birds but there is lots of woodland and it was interesting strolling around this area. I was disappointed at the lack of water birds though.

In the first location I stopped at I found a small flock of Tristram's Bunting (link below), Vinous Throated Parrotbills, Light Vented BulBuls and Blackbirds. Next follows three birds I can't ID in photos #1 below and also in the links here - help please !

Tristram's Bunting :
Tristrams-Bunting-XL.jpg


Unknown Bird #2 -
Unknown-Bird-2-XL.jpg


Unknown Bird #3 -
Unknown-Bird-3-XL.jpg


I then moved location and spotted an area that was signposted as a stork lookout area ... no storks of course but 3 or 4 Olive Backed Pipits in a bush (photo #2 below),
a pair of Crested Mynas : [imghttp://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/i-ZKCBxhS/0/XL/Crested-Myna-XL.jpg[/img],
a Coot
... and way off in the distance (hence the heavy crop) was what looks like a Eurasian Magpie :
Eurasian-Magpie-XL.jpg


Moving onto the final location of the day (and this needs a lot more exploration - I left it too late to do it justice) I found dilapidated and abandoned buildings (which I enjoyed shooting) and heard the birds in post #27 above - please help with the ID from my copy whistle if you can, I do think it's very accurate representation of what I was hearing as the call is very distinctive.

Wandering around the open spaces before entering the bamboo/woodland area there were numerous Barn Swallows strafing the field. However other than the usual culprits, the two unidentified birds in post #27 above and more Vinous Throated Parrotbills I didn't hear or see many other birds - it was however almost dark by then !

The 30 min drive home turned into 45 mins when the police detained me at the entrance to the motorway/freeway when it seemed my number plate was raising red flags (pun ?) ! Eventually I was asked if I knew someone (I didn't) who may or may not have been using my number plates before they were re-auctioned off to me. I was then allowed to go on my merry way with Meiyou Wenti ! Meiyou Wenti ! ringing in my ears.

N.B. Very frustratingly sometimes I receive a 'URL not valid' message when trying to upload photos to the forum. The links are good so I don't know what the issue is and I have to just add the link by hand (no clickable photo) - does anyone know what is causing this ? Thanks !
 

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Thanks to Will Jones (Jacana) who has corrected my ID above of the Yellow Breasted Bunting as a Black-faced Bunting. He has also ID'd the other unknown birds as :

1. Dusky Thrush
2. Tristram's Bunting (but I am perplexed by the crest in the shot above).
3. Collared Finchbill

Still no ID on the bird calls in #28 above if anyone is willing to hazard a guess !?
 
Work is hotting up (April thru Sept our high season) and there are half a dozen decorators disassembling my abode - we started off wanting 2 rooms re-painted but once they started this gave my wife the opportunity she needed ... now one wall has come down, another has gone up .... and the whole house is being repainted ! Very little time to get out of late :(

However my car needed servicing and so this gave me a chance to walk around the Little Korea area of Shanghai ... and discovered a way to walk a hitherto inaccessible canal footpath through both a residential and a razed area.

Little Egret, Crested Myna, Tree Sparrows, Great Tits, Yellow Wagtail and what I think is a Common Sandpiper kept me entertained even though the longest lens I had with me was a 50-150 !

Common-Sandpiper-XL.jpg


What on earth has this Crested Myna got on it's head !

Crested-Myna-XL.jpg


Little-Egret-XL.jpg


Way to finish a very pleasant afternoon stroll ... with a large cappuccino at the Ma'An Cafe :eat:

Can you spot the bird in pic #4 ?

Here it is : http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bird-shots-for-ID/i-mP8F8V2/0/XL/BiF-XL.jpg
 

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It certainly was Gretchen !

Can anyone name this Warbler for me ? I've looked through Brazil's BoEA but the Warblers seem particularly difficult to tell apart ! He/She was an unusual visitor to my back-garden.
 

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Thanks To Larry Wheatlad on the ID forum - seems this is an Eastern Crowned Warbler, not sure if male or female yet but I'm happy with the ID !
 
Pleased with this one !

Mugimaki Flycatcher (male)
 

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Thanks To Larry Wheatlad on the ID forum - seems this is an Eastern Crowned Warbler, not sure if male or female yet but I'm happy with the ID !

By the way, though there are about a dozen of these pale plain warblers that I find quite difficult to tell apart (well, ok, for me, almost impossible), there are no differences between males and females I believe, so you don't have to consider differences between the sexes (or from the other viewpoint - you won't be able to know the sex ;) ) I think that's good news!

And yes, very nice Mugimaki!
 
Tht's brilliant Kevin. In Which park did u get this handsome?

Thanks Dev.

My back garden after work, sitting, coffee in hand, with the camera set up on a monopod & Gimbal to catch any intruder onto my property (including the two warblers and this Mugimaki), great birding ;)
 
This is the other warbler spotted yesterday (the previous Eastern Crowned Warbler - if confirmed as such - is in post #34 above).

Yellow Browed Warbler
 

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