Working from home today (Qibao - about 10 mins from HQ airport) with the windows open and heard a call I recognise as not being from one of my 'locals' ....
a male Blue and White Flycatcher has just flown across my lawn ! ( I had a male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher in the garden a couple of years ago and last year a male Mugimaki Flycatcher, so fingers crossed) !
Think I may take my coffee and 500mm downstairs and sit in the garden for a while
UPDATE. Tripod set up, mosquito zapper to hand and then remembered I had left the bins upstairs, popped back indoors, came down and out the door - just in time to disturb
a female Black Naped Oriole perched in the small bush right in the middle of my garden ! She took off up into the high trees that border the garden and later I could hear her cawing out of sight. I think I may start charging for togs to come and sit in my garden - 100RMB gets you free tea, coffee and water all day
Wagtails, Bul Buls, VTPs, a blackbird, a long tailed Shrike and a ringed neck Dove are all that appeared in the next hour. So back to the computer and work and maybe I'll skip out and walk to the copse in the compound later this afternoon.
UPDATE 2 : My walk around the compound to our little copse and stream yielded two AB flycatchers and 3 Chinese Grosbeaks in addition to the local residents. Also one mystery bird with the Grosbeaks, smaller, dark upper, lower pale, forked tail and what looked like a little crest. Maybe I am mistaken and it was another AB Flycatcher.