brendank

10 Dec 2011

6 Northern Lapwing (Pond 16/17)
1 Pied Harrier (access road)

and I nearly stepped on a (the) 3 meter python.

brendank

It was way too cold for shorts yesterday. Even the snake I think was cold and had come out to bask in the sunlight.

Here is it head

python1.JPG (101.24 KB)

11/12/2011 21:25

and here is its midsection covering spanning the entire trail near the buffalo ponds

python2.JPG (90.28 KB)

11/12/2011 21:25

.

[ Last edited by brendank at 11/12/2011 21:29 ]

brendank

7 Jan 2012

3 Chinese Grosbeak - Car Park
1 Purple Heron (juv) - #16/17
1 Black-tailed Gull - boardwalk
2 Eastern Marsh Harrier - boardwalk

[ Last edited by brendank at 8/01/2012 09:09 ]

brendank

15 Jan 2012

A little wet today. A juvenile Slaty-breasted Rail was seen for a second from the boardwalk near the education center. At pond #16/17 an adult Purple Heron.

Good numbers of birds from the boardwalk including:

3 Great Knot
1 Ruddy Turnstone
1 Greater Sandplover
120 Dunlin
45 Pacific Golden Plover
40 Grey Plover
31 Saunders Gull
2 Mongolian Gull
1 Eastern Marsh Harrier

knot.JPG (53.78 KB)

15/01/2012 21:01

sandplover.JPG (59.99 KB)

15/01/2012 21:01

turnstone.JPG (55.94 KB)

15/01/2012 21:01

brendank

I think it is a Lesser Frigatebird. And judging by the damage to the left tail feathers I would say it is likely the same individual seen at the peak in the Autumn.

Take a look at this photo from Matthew from the peak:



I think these illustrates what huge ranges Frigatebirds have!

[ Last edited by brendank at 18/01/2012 00:33 ]

brendank

I would say the the amount of white seen from your picture 6 and 7 is quite similar to the bird at peak. See this photo for example



It may be impossible to prove it is the same individual but I still suspect it is. It seems in most pictures of Christmas Island frigatebird that juveniles do not have extensively white axilleries.  There are several photos of Christmas Island showing white axilleries at oriental birdclub images but I suspect they could be misidentified.

brendank

Robson in his book indicates that juvenile Christmas Island and Lesser Frigatebird may only be identifiable by size. The wingspan of a Lesser Frigatebird would be slightly larger than a Black Kite while Christmas Island would be considerable larger. Given the shots next to the Black Kite I would guess size is consistent with Lesser.

brendank

24 Jan 2012

A cold day, dark day to be out. No sign of the Glaucous Gull

Mai Po Boardwalk
21 Great Knot
1 Red Knot
9 Lesser Sandplover
1 Greater Sandplover
210 Dunlin
3 Black-tailed Godwit
2 Vega Gull
1 Mongolian Gull

Tower Hide
1 Asian Brown Flycatcher
1 Manchurian Bush Warbler

Mai Po Access Road
15 Asian House Martin

brendank

28 Jan 2011

From the boardwalk:
1 Glaucous Gull
2 Black-tailed Gull
5 Common Shelduck
12 Great Knot
2 Red Knot
1 Whimbrel
15 Lesser Sandplover
2 Greater Sandplover

brendank

18 Feb 2012

Mai Po Boardwalk

7 Common Shelduck
1 Curlew Sandpiper
32 Great Knot
6 Red Knot
3 Bar-tailed Godwit
14 Dunlin
1 Kentish Plover
64 Hueglin Gull
2 Black-tailed Gull
2 Mongolian Gull
2 Eastern Marsh Harrier

I heard Baer's Pochard was also seen but I didn't look for it.

brendank

I'm not an expert on this but bill shape and head pattern (has more of a dark eyeline rather than just a dark spot) seems to fit Whiskered Tern better to me. Any photos of the upperwings?

Incidently, during the bird race my team saw what must have been one of these two terns.

brendank

24 Feb 2012 - am

From boardwalk:
1 Common Ringed Plover (this bird is a much more advanced breeding plumaged bird that one seen a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, was quite distant with Kentish and Little Ringed)
3 Lesser Sandplover
40 Kentish Plover
3 Lesser Sandplover
1 Curlew Sandpiper
29 Great Knot
2 Red Knot
370 Dunlin
1 Bar-tailed Godwit
1 Black-tailed Gull
6 Common Shelduck

2 Chinese Grosbeak (near the tower hide)

brendank

25 Feb 2012

Boardwalk:
1 Common Ringed Plover (still distant; seen from new hide. Took some digiscope shots but some other people got better photos I believe.)
2 Nordmann's Greenshank
34 Great Knot
205 Kentish Plover (most I've seen this winter)
5 Lesser Sandplover (including a very small possible atrifrons)
1 Greater Sandplover
2 Bar-tailed Godwit
7 Black-tailed Godwit
2 Black-tailed Gull
7 Common Shelduck

ringed1.jpg (48.36 KB)

25/02/2012 18:54

ringed2.jpg (57.78 KB)

25/02/2012 18:54

[ Last edited by brendank at 25/02/2012 19:07 ]

brendank

2 March Boardwalk

1 Glaucous Gull
2 Slaty-backed Gull
7 Black-tailed Gull
1 Common Ringed Plover
3 Great Knot
2 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Whimbrel
1 Nordman's Greenshank
1 Red-necked Phalarope
7 Common Shelduck
2 Eastern Marsh Harrier

commonringed.JPG (90.57 KB)

2/03/2012 20:23

SBandGlaucous.JPG (84.81 KB)

2/03/2012 20:23

brendank

3 March 2012 - Boardwalk

1 Slaty-breasted Rail (adult, seen poking its head out of the mangroves)
2 Kamchatka Gull
8 Black-tailed Gull
34 Lesser Sandplover
6 Greater Sandplover
14 Curlew Sandpiper
1 Broad-billed Sandpiper
18 Great Knot
4 Red Knot
171 Pacific Golden Plover
7 Common Shelduck

[ Last edited by brendank at 3/03/2012 19:15 ]

brendank

6 March 2012

Boardwalk:
1 Slaty-backed Gull
1 Kamchatka Gull
3 Black-tailed Gull
1 Caspian Tern
6 Terek's Sandpiper
1 Nordman's Greenshank
1 Red-necked Phalarope
1 Long-billed Dowitcher
1 Whimbrel
165 Kentish Plover

Flying over Pond 12
10 Oriental Pratincole

brendank

9 March 2012

1 Red-crested Pochard (Pond #16/17)
7 Oriental Pratincole (Pond 21)
1 Asian House Martin (education center)

Boardwalk
1 Spoon-billed Sandpiper -thanks to Annika for finding this!
16 Red-necked Stint
1 Slaty-backed Gull
1 Kamchatka Gull
5 Black-tailed Gull

IMG_4436.JPG (52.41 KB)

9/03/2012 21:04