[Frogfish]

Originally Posted by McMadd

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.

[Frogfish]

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/conten...n=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/conten...n=nd3lysm6u22o

[Frogfish]

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) !

[Frogfish]

Anyway to the birds !

Barn Swallow (please confirm because the tail looks different to the ID books) : http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...iu-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.

http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...iu-Park-XL.jpg

[Frogfish]

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 : http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...Bunting-XL.jpg

Unknown Bird #2 - http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...-Bird-2-XL.jpg

Unknown Bird #3 - http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...-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 : http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...-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 !

[Frogfish]

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 !?

[Frogfish]

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 !

http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...ndpiper-XL.jpg

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

http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...ed-Myna-XL.jpg

http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi...e-Egret-XL.jpg

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

Can you spot the bird in pic #4 ?

Here it is : http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Bi.../XL/BiF-XL.jpg

[Gretchen]

Wow - interesting backdrop for your egret! Urban birding indeed!

[Frogfish]

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.

[Frogfish]

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 !

[Frogfish]

Pleased with this one !

Mugimaki Flycatcher (male)

[thirudevaram]

Tht's brilliant Kevin. In Which park did u get this handsome?

[Gretchen]

Originally Posted by Frogfish

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!

[Frogfish]

Originally Posted by thirudevaram

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

[Frogfish]

This is the other warbler spotted yesterday (the previous Eastern Crowned Warbler - if confirmed as such - is in post #34 above).

Yellow Browed Warbler

[Frogfish]

Originally Posted by Gretchen

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!

Thanks Gretchen. I too really like that Mugimaki - that is the type of bird I like to shoot.

I had to open an ID thread here because the warblers are so difficult to tell apart (I use Brazils' BoEA) and as you say there is very very little difference between some of them. Witness post #34 & post #40 above !

[Frogfish]

We are in the throes of the peak of our high season at work - which means virtually no time for excursions (back garden excepted) Last Thursday however, I had put aside for some 'relaxation'

My first excursion down to the Nanhui coast (for birding) and I took in the Dishui Hu, a little bit of the coast by the hotel and then onto Binhai Forest Park, arrived at 06.00 (maybe a touch too late now with sunrise around 04.30 !) and left around 16.00 in the afternoon, home by 17.00 !

I'll make a few separate posts because there are numerous birds I don't recognise, can't confirm via Brazil's or would like help with confirmation of my identification. I'll also cross-post those in the ID forum.

At this unusual time (for me - I'm often not asleep, with my clients all being in the USA or Europe, before 04.00 !) I needed a triple espresso to go, from the kitchen, but the initially empty roads (not for long !) and rising sun made it worth while. Until I hit the S2 and suddenly there were more container carrying trucks than it's possible to count and it was a case of weaving in and out as they took up all 4 lanes ! The toll booth just before the Donghai bridge being the worst (the hard-shoulder took care of that)

So where to go at my first stop at Dishui Hu ? It is a lot larger than it looks - I thought I might be able to park up and then walk around the whole lake but it's not like that at all and at a rough guess it's 10kms in circumference. So I crossed the bridge into the Crowne Plaza hotel grounds and parked. There looked to be a promising strip of land between the lake and some backwaters and indeed it fulfilled it's promise. Warblers, Little Grebes, Coots, Flycatchers, Egrets, Shrikes, Snakes (both swimming and deceased), Venous Throated Parrotbills, Tree Sparrows and a variety of fly overs and some damselflies for good measure. Not bad for a short 400m loop that I spent over an hour at !

Anyway attached here are some of the birds I can't ID, and the snakes I saw, any assistance gratefully accepted !

1. Arctic warbler (from the shape of it's brow) ?
2. Manchurian Reed Warbler (thanks Dev !).
3. Manchurian Reed Warbler
4. ID Unknown (very strong backlighting but if you open it there is some detail - this is the best recovery I could manage unless you prefer a silhouette) !
5. Another Arctic ?

[Frogfish]

These were the snakes I saw there (3 swimming and 2 deceased on the bank, within 10 m of each other).

Also a GIF - very rare for me (Grebe in Flight) ! Awful shot but 'I was there'

4&5 are another individual who has obviously just woken up and not had time to preen yet. Plain Prinia (thanks again Dev !).

[Frogfish]

I drove/walked further around the lake but after an another hour of Shrikes and the usual park passerines and of wading through head high reeds (not great for photography) I decided to move onto my next stop rather earlier than planned and leave the rest of Dishui Hu (and probably the best spots !) for my next trip there.

On the way to the Holiday Inn on the coast I went down a rough track that obviously saw very little traffic and this 1-2km long road was one of the highlights of the day.

Firstly I believe these are Red Backed Shrikes ? The bill being much smaller in proportion to the head, the almost total lack of white on the breast and the squatter shape leads me to believe they are not Long Tailed Shrike (photos 1&2) ?

Some Little Egrets and what I believe is a Great White Egret were on the adjacent lake.

Whilst sitting in the car (great hide - birds just seem to ignore it even when moving !) I saw some movement to the side of the road .... way way down there (200-300m away) ... and a minute later a pheasant popped out and ran across the road. I tried shooting through the windscreen but this played havoc with the IQ. Huge crop below.

1. & 2. Red Backed Shrike ?
3. Is a Great White Egret ?
4. Pheasant - darker head & nape and vent & tail ? Common Pheasant ? There are lots in this area, I often used to see them whilst playing golf at Shanghai Links back towards Shanghai (close to the airport).

[Frogfish]

Still on this side road :

1. & 2. Purple Heron. Heavy crops of fly over !
3 & 4. Another flyby at distance so heavy crops. Unknown bird.
5. This bird had a very loud and unique call, it landed on the wires right above my car but I couldn't get the camera on it for a shot ! I tried everything I could think of, distorting my body and crawling around inside the tight cabin space of a sports car ! Eventually it flew off 100m down the road and this is the heavy crop. The bird really swelled it's upper body each time before launching into song - hence the distorted look. I'd love to know what my tormentor is if anyone can hazard a guess !

I apologise for the extremely poor quality of some of these very heavily cropped shots - I do hope they are enough to help people ID the birds.

[Frogfish]

A few more from the side road before I arrived at the hotel.

1. Unknown Flyby
2 & 3. Unknown M of F in #4 ?
4. Unknown F of M in 2&3 ?

I wasn't sure where to go when I arrived here (looking for the Bitterns) and I'm sure I messed up !

5. Unknown - these had black faces.

[Frogfish]

I saw very little activity here (by the hotel) so drove along the coast road where the fields seemed to be filled to capacity with the birds in #2 & 3 - at least judging by the amount of calls being emitted !

1. Common Sandpiper ?
2. & 3. Unknown. ID please ?

Leaving the coast I drove to Binhai Forest Park and on the way spotted 4 & 5. My biggest disappointment from DiShui Hu and the coast being no sightings of some of my favourite birds ; kingfishers and bitterns. Next time perhaps !

4. Oriental Greenfinch (M)
5. Oriental Greenfinch (F)

Binhai Forest Park to come when I've got my breath back

If you have come straight to the last post then please also take a look at new posts #42 to #46 above too. Thanks !

[McMadd]

Originally Posted by Frogfish

1. Arctic warbler (from the shape of it's brow) ?
2. Manchurian Reed Warbler (thanks Dev !).
3. Manchurian Reed Warbler
4. ID Unknown (very strong backlighting but if you open it there is some detail - this is the best recovery I could manage unless you prefer a silhouette) !
5. Another Arctic ?

Hi Kevin

Lunch time quick views so subject to confirmation from someone with more time on their hands than me this week!

1 Arctic Warbler
2 Black-browed Reed Warbler
3 Black-browed reed Warbler
4 Oriental Reed Warbler
5 Arctic Warbler

cheers
Mark

[McMadd]

Originally Posted by Frogfish

1. & 2. Red Backed Shrike ?
3. Is a Great White Egret ?
4. Pheasant - darker head & nape and vent & tail ? Common Pheasant ? There are lots in this area, I often used to see them whilst playing golf at Shanghai Links back towards Shanghai (close to the airport).

1 Long-tailed Shrike
2 Long-tailed Shrike
3 Great Egret
4 Common Pheasant

[McMadd]

Originally Posted by Frogfish

Still on this side road :

1. & 2. Purple Heron. Heavy crops of fly over !
3 & 4. Another flyby at distance so heavy crops. Unknown bird.
5. This bird had a very loud and unique call, it landed on the wires right above my car but I couldn't get the camera on it for a shot ! I tried everything I could think of, distorting my body and crawling around inside the tight cabin space of a sports car ! Eventually it flew off 100m down the road and this is the heavy crop. The bird really swelled it's upper body each time before launching into song - hence the distorted look. I'd love to know what my tormentor is if anyone can hazard a guess !

I apologise for the extremely poor quality of some of these very heavily cropped shots - I do hope they are enough to help people ID the birds.

1/2 Purple Herons
3/4 Not sure
5 Weird! Almost looks like 2 pics together! Not sure