Bird News from Tim Edelsten
As a multi-billion won “bird centre” is built at one end of the lake, the other end has become a construction site for a rail cart track, erasing the former reedbed in the process. Huddled in the corner furthest from the disturbance, some of the usual birds could still be found:
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Four.
- Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha.
- Eurasian Teal Anas crecca. Six, in eclipse.
- Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus. Sixteen, including eight locally-raised juveniles.
- Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax.
- Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus.
- Grey Heron Ardea cinerea.
- Great Egret Ardea alba.
- Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia.
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta.
- Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo.
- Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus. Six, including two juveniles.
- Eurasian Coot Fulica atra. Eleven included at least one juvenile.
- Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago. Six. Almost always call when taking flight.
- Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola.
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos.
- Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii. Three feeding together. Very inconspicuous and unobtrusive. This species is probably much overlooked due to the fact they are so well camoflaged against mud and move so slowly.
- Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris.
- Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis. 100+ in the ricefields.
- Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major.
- Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus. One seen and another calling from the bushes with its typical “clockwork toy” sound. Probably a first for this site.
- Eurasian Magpie Pica sericea.
- Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos.
- Eastern Great Tit Parus minor.
- Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis.
- Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus. Two heard.
- Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis. One seen clumsily crashing through the stems with its “ting” call, presumably trying to draw attention away from its fledglings.
- Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthera webbiana.
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus.
- Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea. Two adults and a juvenile.
- White Wagtail Motacilla alba. One leucopsis.
Plentiful butterflies included the Large Copper Lycaena dispar, Short-tailed Blue Everes argiades and Argus Lycaeides argyrognomon
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago, © Tim Edelsten
Large Copper Lycaena dispar, © Tim Edelsten
Male Reverdin’s Blue Plebejus argyrognon, © Tim Edelsten
Female Reverdin’s Blue Plebejus argyrognon, © Tim Edelsten<>/center>