I've been watching the spot where I spotted the E. Kestrel last week, but apparently they have found another location that suited them better as I have seen no activity there. I have seen them hunting though, so they are somewhere nearby.
I did spot a small Falcon from our patio two days ago just before sunset and attempting to take some Swallows that were working over the complex. Very small and fast, just slightly bigger than the Swallow. It made several dives from above and behind the Swallows, but with no success. I did quickly grab the camera, but it refused to focus on the small target in failing light against the hazy sky. It was flying higher than I would normally expect for any of the smaller Falco. I spotted two more today while out, working over the reeds and at a much more moderate height. I didn't have the camera today, but I am thinking Merlin.
The
Oriental Reed Warbler have finally started showing up. Seems a bit late this year, but the reeds themselves have been a little slow getting started, probably because of the dry conditions. A few
Hoopoe have started showing up also. Good to see since the unusually cold winter caused numbers to drop to zero. A few
Black-Crowned Night Heron have established in the reed bed about a km from our condo. Also good to see as that is the reed bed that was drained plowed and tried to change to a corn field. Very little standing water, but the village gave up on using it as crop land and it has quickly reverted to reeds this year. The other spring returns are the
E. Cuckoo which were loud and chasing each other over the reed beds.
Don't know if anybody has any suggestions, but I heard a call today that I am sure I have never heard before, but unfortunately was never able to get a sighting. It was a loud, very pure toned three note call something like 'Ting, ting, ting'. Almost sounded like a chime being struck. If my wife had been there she could have identified the specific note as it was so clear and clean. The bird was in some trees bordering the reed beds, the same habitat where the Cuckoo were.
Panjin, Dawa County, Liaoning, CN, Liaoning, CN
Jun 7, 2017 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 kilometer(s)
10 species
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 3
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 12
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) 6
Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops) 3
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) 1
Gray-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) 2
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) 4
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 30
Oriental Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) 5
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) 20
View this checklist online at
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S37442230