I was straight onto OBI to check out shots of the Siberian Rubythroat - what a lovely little bird.
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China observations (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Gretchen
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I was straight onto OBI to check out shots of the Siberian Rubythroat - what a lovely little bird.
thirudevaram
Trapped in mist ***s
Have been spending quality time with a tame Japanese paradise flycatcher. Saw a female during last autumn in Century Park, Shanghai, which was rather shy.
So far, four adult males through the stretch of magic woods in Yangkou.
To add the excitement of Gretchen, one Siberian rubythroat yesterday. My first wild one
The previous one came from the pet shops of Shanghai.
So far, four adult males through the stretch of magic woods in Yangkou.
To add the excitement of Gretchen, one Siberian rubythroat yesterday. My first wild one
The previous one came from the pet shops of Shanghai.Attachments
thirudevaram
Trapped in mist ***s
Thanks Kevin!
Its a Siberian gala in the woods of Yangkou. Siberian robin, Siberian Rubythroat and Siberian Thrush.
McMadd
You should see the other bloke...
Mr Rockfowl posted this on his facey book page 2 hours ago...the booger!
"Ambled down to Lighthouse Point after arriving today, set the scope up to scan the gulls and immediately focussed on a nice pair of Harlequin Duck! They are still here!!"
Cheers
Mark
"Ambled down to Lighthouse Point after arriving today, set the scope up to scan the gulls and immediately focussed on a nice pair of Harlequin Duck! They are still here!!"
Cheers
Mark
Terry Townshend
Regular vagrant
Great news about the Blue Flycatcher and the Jay... Isn't migration brilliant!!?
An excellent 90 minutes!
Yes indeed! I've been having trouble getting out due to the end of the Big Project coming up - I don't always feel inspired to look on campus (it's noisy) and don't have much time to get somewhere better. However, today the weather was so enticing that despite it being Sunday afternoon I went out for a quick walk (less than half a mile circle I guess) and got much more than I expected! This spring I do feel like I've seen more birds with less effort - not sure if that is better timing or an improving eye.
My first find was what I think was a Dusky Warbler a two minute walk from the house! They are certainly around but my first on campus. I was not 100% sure it was not a Radde's, but on listening to the Radde's call I think it wasn't. It spent a lot of time scrounging in leaves under a bush giving dark but fairly clear views. The next good find (also a first for the campus) was a male Taiga Fly - showing his red throat (only a second or two more than last week's rubythroat). He flew off and I only got the one look, but nice for the first of season flycatcher. In the same area I got to watch a Collared Dove trying to drive off a Magpie. The doves seem to be nesting in the same tree I had noted some doves (forget which species) in two years ago.
Then I found the warbler trees! I knew there were a lot of phyllos around, but they were particularly gathered in one area of trees - I'd guess more than one kind. A number reminded me of Pallas's (including hover feeding) but whiter (no yellow rump or yellow super) - so I'm thinking maybe Hume's (are those the two most likely to hover feed?). As I was watching them with fairly good views (no use though, my brain is refusing to sort them out carefully these days), there was another very different bird in the tree. Larger than the warblers but not by much this bird was very acrobatically working on the flowering branchlets. Mostly brown and with no supercilium, I asked myself "who is that masked bird?" Really it took me a long time to figure out it was a Penduline Tit (another campus first). Is that odd for it to be by itself (didn't really see any others) up high in a tree? It was really fun to watch him hunting.
Going down the row of trees I looked up and thought more tiny warblers, but took a look, and instead it was a flock of Chestnut Flanked White-eyes! Nice, I've never seen more than a few but I think there were at least a dozen, maybe 20 (awfully hard to count as they flitted around). I tried to see if they were all Chestnut variety, and might have seen one w/o flank marking (Jap??) but I didn't see it for long - and don't know if they travel in mixed groups.
Around the corner in the slightly abandoned area I discovered the rubythroat in, I saw first Brown Shrike of the season! He/she was very handsome in crisp colors and I watched it hunting a bit. Then just as I was ready to call it quits I saw a bird fly into a nearby tree, and I'm fairly sure it was a Wryneck. Only the second I've ever seen, and an unfortunately brief view, but it seems the only other choice would be a hepatic cuckoo. It flew again into a stand of willows and disappeared in the branches. I couldn't decide whether to scan the area waiting for movement or try to look through bins to find it sitting on a branch - I tried both, but there were other distracting birds flying around. Eventually I approached the trees but did not see it or flush it - don't know what the best approach to trying to see it would have been...
Anyway, a great 90 minutes of birds, just outside my door! Really a blessing for the tired!
Yes indeed! I've been having trouble getting out due to the end of the Big Project coming up - I don't always feel inspired to look on campus (it's noisy) and don't have much time to get somewhere better. However, today the weather was so enticing that despite it being Sunday afternoon I went out for a quick walk (less than half a mile circle I guess) and got much more than I expected! This spring I do feel like I've seen more birds with less effort - not sure if that is better timing or an improving eye.
My first find was what I think was a Dusky Warbler a two minute walk from the house! They are certainly around but my first on campus. I was not 100% sure it was not a Radde's, but on listening to the Radde's call I think it wasn't. It spent a lot of time scrounging in leaves under a bush giving dark but fairly clear views. The next good find (also a first for the campus) was a male Taiga Fly - showing his red throat (only a second or two more than last week's rubythroat). He flew off and I only got the one look, but nice for the first of season flycatcher. In the same area I got to watch a Collared Dove trying to drive off a Magpie. The doves seem to be nesting in the same tree I had noted some doves (forget which species) in two years ago.
Then I found the warbler trees! I knew there were a lot of phyllos around, but they were particularly gathered in one area of trees - I'd guess more than one kind. A number reminded me of Pallas's (including hover feeding) but whiter (no yellow rump or yellow super) - so I'm thinking maybe Hume's (are those the two most likely to hover feed?). As I was watching them with fairly good views (no use though, my brain is refusing to sort them out carefully these days), there was another very different bird in the tree. Larger than the warblers but not by much this bird was very acrobatically working on the flowering branchlets. Mostly brown and with no supercilium, I asked myself "who is that masked bird?" Really it took me a long time to figure out it was a Penduline Tit (another campus first). Is that odd for it to be by itself (didn't really see any others) up high in a tree? It was really fun to watch him hunting.
Going down the row of trees I looked up and thought more tiny warblers, but took a look, and instead it was a flock of Chestnut Flanked White-eyes! Nice, I've never seen more than a few but I think there were at least a dozen, maybe 20 (awfully hard to count as they flitted around). I tried to see if they were all Chestnut variety, and might have seen one w/o flank marking (Jap??) but I didn't see it for long - and don't know if they travel in mixed groups.
Around the corner in the slightly abandoned area I discovered the rubythroat in, I saw first Brown Shrike of the season! He/she was very handsome in crisp colors and I watched it hunting a bit. Then just as I was ready to call it quits I saw a bird fly into a nearby tree, and I'm fairly sure it was a Wryneck. Only the second I've ever seen, and an unfortunately brief view, but it seems the only other choice would be a hepatic cuckoo. It flew again into a stand of willows and disappeared in the branches. I couldn't decide whether to scan the area waiting for movement or try to look through bins to find it sitting on a branch - I tried both, but there were other distracting birds flying around. Eventually I approached the trees but did not see it or flush it - don't know what the best approach to trying to see it would have been...
Anyway, a great 90 minutes of birds, just outside my door! Really a blessing for the tired!
thirudevaram
Trapped in mist ***s
Chances for escapees are very minimal around the woods of Yangkou. This spring is especially special for the Male Japanese paradise flycatcher. 4 males and 1 female in Yangkou woods. A male and female in Nanhui.
The breeding grounds are mainly the Honshu islands of Japan, Korea. Few residents in Taiwan.
My first major expedition to one of the most famous and major birding hotspot (Yangkou, Jiangsu) of China came to an end. (28 April 2012 - 5 May 2012).
Thanks to the Brit team (Dave Woodford, Brian Foster, Jon Hornbuckle, Dave Pittman) for spotting the spoonie.
I'm not writing up a brief story on how the place has been destroyed. People out there for years may know better than me.
Saturday the 5th, started as a slow morning but steadily filled with migrants. some interesting characters are below:
1. White throated rock-thrush (male and female)
2. Eurasian cuckoo
3. Black-naped oriole (6)
4. Black-winged cuckoo shrike(1)
5. Ashy minivet(4)
6. Forest wagtail (Found two pairs mating) (12)
Pale flycatchers (Grey-streaked, dark-sided, asian brown) still dominate the woods. The trend among the colors were fascinating. First couple of days, it was Narcissus then the yellow-rumped and on Saturday lot of Robin aka mugimaki.
Have a happy spring birding to everyone.
Signing off from Yangkou woods, Jiangsu, China.
The breeding grounds are mainly the Honshu islands of Japan, Korea. Few residents in Taiwan.
My first major expedition to one of the most famous and major birding hotspot (Yangkou, Jiangsu) of China came to an end. (28 April 2012 - 5 May 2012).
Thanks to the Brit team (Dave Woodford, Brian Foster, Jon Hornbuckle, Dave Pittman) for spotting the spoonie.
I'm not writing up a brief story on how the place has been destroyed. People out there for years may know better than me.
Saturday the 5th, started as a slow morning but steadily filled with migrants. some interesting characters are below:
1. White throated rock-thrush (male and female)
2. Eurasian cuckoo
3. Black-naped oriole (6)
4. Black-winged cuckoo shrike(1)
5. Ashy minivet(4)
6. Forest wagtail (Found two pairs mating) (12)
Pale flycatchers (Grey-streaked, dark-sided, asian brown) still dominate the woods. The trend among the colors were fascinating. First couple of days, it was Narcissus then the yellow-rumped and on Saturday lot of Robin aka mugimaki.
Have a happy spring birding to everyone.
Signing off from Yangkou woods, Jiangsu, China.
nivicola and ma
Dear Owlers,
seeking some clarity into the (sub-) species status of nivicola and ma Himalayan Wood-owl / Chinese Tawny Owl...
I have heard nivicola many times at several locations in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Yunnan. Always calling with the distinctive HU - HU.
Last weekend I was camping on the Great Wall at Huanghua north of Beijing (a great event). 3 separate ma owls were calling nearby. All of them with the much more classic euro-tawny-owl-style HUuu ---- Hu-hu'hu'huu.
We even managed to lure one in and saw it in a flashlight at less than ten meters, calling intensively straight at us. Pretty cool.
As far as I have gathered checking the usual literature, nivicola and ma also have different colour tones, one is reddish the other one grey.
How come ma is included in the nivicola / Himalayan Wood-owl? From my basic impressions of this species it would make more sense if it was connected to aluco (yet geographically distant) or a separate species, Strix ma.
Appreciate some sharp and updated knowledge or ideas around this topic.
Cheers
jocko
Dear Owlers,
seeking some clarity into the (sub-) species status of nivicola and ma Himalayan Wood-owl / Chinese Tawny Owl...
I have heard nivicola many times at several locations in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Yunnan. Always calling with the distinctive HU - HU.
Last weekend I was camping on the Great Wall at Huanghua north of Beijing (a great event). 3 separate ma owls were calling nearby. All of them with the much more classic euro-tawny-owl-style HUuu ---- Hu-hu'hu'huu.
We even managed to lure one in and saw it in a flashlight at less than ten meters, calling intensively straight at us. Pretty cool.
As far as I have gathered checking the usual literature, nivicola and ma also have different colour tones, one is reddish the other one grey.
How come ma is included in the nivicola / Himalayan Wood-owl? From my basic impressions of this species it would make more sense if it was connected to aluco (yet geographically distant) or a separate species, Strix ma.
Appreciate some sharp and updated knowledge or ideas around this topic.
Cheers
jocko
Why so skeptical, Mike? Some gene studies on this baby and it'll turn out a sure tick! Lab next!
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
sceptical because I suspect it will be a long time before such work is done.
I'd love to be wrong.
I'd also like to see the same studies for Brown Wood Owl in China - for which there are also conflicting views on what is out there.
Great to hear there are so many birds around Beijing - I've only seen the one on Emei
Cheers
Mike
I'd love to be wrong.
I'd also like to see the same studies for Brown Wood Owl in China - for which there are also conflicting views on what is out there.
Great to hear there are so many birds around Beijing - I've only seen the one on Emei
Cheers
Mike
Sorry, but certainly can't offer "sharp and updated" knowledge
But I can offer the view of The BBBC on this (The Beijing Birds and Beer Club).
Here goes:
Currently The BBBC recognises three sub-species of Chinese Tawny Owl strix nivicolum.
nivicolum (Blyth, 1845) ne India and Nepal to se China, Burma and Vietnam
yamadae (Yamashina, 1936) s Taiwan
ma (Clark, AH, 1907) ne China and Korea
But, for the past 10 years, we have felt less than comfortable with this arrangement.
In 2008, The BBBC taxonomy working group set about either proving or refuting its hypothesis that the above three "sub-species" are, in fact, two distinct species (one of which with nominate only). But meetings in various Beijing pubs got us nowhere - despite a promising first hour or so.
Anyhow, this was and is our hypothesis:
Strix nivicolum nivicolum Blyth's Tawny Owl
Strix nivicolum yamadae
Strix ma Clark's Tawny Owl (the one you and I have seen in Beijing)
Indeed, the idea that strix ma is a distinct species is not a new one.
In 1910, Austin Clark (he who first described strix ma) wrote the following:
REPORT ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS MADE BY PIERRE
LOUIS JOUY IN KOREA.
By Austin H. Clark,
Assistant Curator, Division of Marine Invertebrates, US National Museum.
Here is the entry for Strix Ma
STRIX MA (Clark).
KOREAN BROWN OWL.
Syrnium ma A. B. Clark, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 32, L890, |>. 171 (Fusan,
Korea i.
Mr. Jouy collected the type... a line female, at Fusan,
in March, 1885.
Mr. Buturlin has very kindly called my attention to the fact that
this is probably the species described and figured by David and
Oustalet" under the name of Ptynx fuscescens. According to these
authors, the species lives in Manchuria, ranging south in winter to
central China. Pere David only met with it twice al Pekin, in the
coldest winter season.
Here's the link to the PDF (which is downloadable)
http://si-pddr.si.edu/jspui/bitstream/10088/14170/1/USNMP-38_1735_1910.pdf
The hypothesis that the Taiwan bird is actually a sub-species of nivicolum on the adjacent mainland is, we believe, supported by N Collar's comment on The Birds of Taiwan website:
"Tawny Owl Strix aluco yamadae � Undescribed in both HBW 5 and K�nig et al. (1999). Yamashina (1936) diagnosed yamadae as similar to nivicola (the race from adjacent China) but �decidedly smaller�, with minimal overlap in wing length of eight specimens (256-282 vs 282- 312 mm). Eyeballing wing length of the only yamadae in NHM against the single race ma and a large series of nivicola (split as Himalayan Wood Owl in Rasmussen and Anderson in press) suggests that Yamashina was correct, and I find that Mees (1970) also had a specimen that confirmed the diagnosis."
And finally, btw, The BBBC believes that, whatever the situation, Himalayan Wood Owl is a stupid name, and should be derided as often as possible.
Cheers
Shi Jin
Last edited:
There are moves afoot to reclassify the Scimitar Babbler complex.
The BBBC has just published a working paper on the potential impact on its List of The Birds of China.
The reclassification could result in 7 additions.
Details at:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=183111
The BBBC has just published a working paper on the potential impact on its List of The Birds of China.
The reclassification could result in 7 additions.
Details at:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=183111
