Birding Nanhui at the moment is way more tough than it was once, because the seawall street is blocked for vehicles. So, the intrepid fowl photographer parks someplace, unloads a foldable bicycle, curses the tires for being virtually flat once more, and sweats from inflating them ahead of having even noticed a unmarried fowl. The digicam is precariously positioned at the motorbike, and stale he is going. After all, this makes photographing some shy species equivalent to raptors virtually inconceivable – those species appear to suppose that an individual on a bicycle is a lot more bad than a automobile. Which is most likely true for the individual however now not for the fowl.
At the plus aspect, this implies fewer birders at Nanhui, and birders with the next authentic pastime in birds reasonably than spending an afternoon outdoor speaking to buddies whilst smoking and every now and then being disturbed by way of a fowl. So, the whole lot has its excellent and its dangerous facets, despite the fact that I don’t suppose this is applicable to voice messages.
For this reason, Eurasian Wrynecks by no means use voice messages. Admittedly, this can be a bit more uncomplicated for them than for people as they continuously keep outdoor spaces with dependable cell phone indicators anyway.
Opposite to what chances are you’ll suppose, this Eurasian Wryneck isn’t appearing me his tongue however reasonably choosing up some ants with it.
“The Eurasian Wryneck is famed for its snake mimicry. When threatened or captured, it plays stereotyped writhing and twisting of the top and neck and/or utters hissing sounds” (supply). This offers me a chance to turn you a real snake I noticed at Nanhui – a Castor’s Rat Snake, to be explicit.
This Siberian Thrush is a juvenile male and thus now not relatively as stylish-looking as an grownup male.
It’s going to need to smarten up somewhat extra ahead of beginning to breed subsequent 12 months.
A couple of days later, there was once a feminine.
Being a juvenile might be a lot worse – see this crappy-looking Chinese language Blackbird.
The juvenile male Blue-and-white Flycatcher is an engaging fowl because it has relatively a special plumage from the grownup male (mild blue as an alternative of darkish blue), and one this is as horny (I feel), now not only a thrift retailer model of the grownup male, as for the Siberian Thrush …
… or the Siberian Blue Robin (photograph appearing a juvenile male, I feel).
The Tiger Shrike is the nationwide fowl of Vietnam (supply), so it could be fascinating to understand what a person noticed in Shanghai thinks in regards to the Spratly Islands.
This being any other juvenile (see additionally right here), perhaps it has no opinion in this factor but.
Given the identify of the Chinese language Grosbeak, its loyalties must be transparent. The male has a black head …
… whilst the top of the feminine is brown. So perhaps this can be a juvenile male?
There might be a sinister tale at the back of this Gray Heron.
Competitive habits of Gray Heron nestlings was once noticed in roughly 25% of nests at two Polish heronries. Most commonly, this was once pecking on the youngest chick – and plenty of of those chicks died. The authors of the find out about concluded that siblicide reasonably than predation is a very powerful issue affecting the species’ nesting good fortune.
Now not positive I’ve anything else even vaguely fascinating to mention in regards to the Ashy Minivet. Whilst maximum minivets are relatively colourful, this species has been optimized for black-and-white TV and thus seems to be somewhat old-fashioned as of late.
The elongated form of this minivet strikes a chord in my memory that mannerism hasn’t ever been my favourite taste of artwork.
I requested ChatGPT to attract me an image of an Ashy Minivet within the taste of mannerism – the end result isn’t too convincing, I feel …
The phrase “Sniper” (sharpshooter) is derived from the snipe circle of relatives, which contains the Pin-tailed Snipe.
It seems that, amongst British squaddies in India within the 18th century, looking snipe was once a well-liked interest. A soldier who may effectively shoot a snipe was once thought to be an exceptionally professional marksman – an actual “sniper”.
If you don’t like spiders, you will be satisfied to peer those pictures of (probably) a Sakhalin Leaf Warbler.
The Ashy Drongo is an engaging drongo species in that it isn’t essentially black …
… and that the other subspecies glance reasonably other, from mild grey to nearly usual drongo black. Thankfully, the subspecies migrating thru Shanghai is a lovable one with a big white patch across the eyes …
… most likely Dicrurus leucophaeus salangensis, despite the fact that I might now not give a lot by myself judgement referring to subspecies.
Some extra pictures of birds I don’t have a lot to mention about at this time: Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (male) …
… feminine …
… Black-collared Starling …
… Eurasian Hoopoe …
… Black Paradise Flycatcher …
… Asian Stubtail …
… Oriental Magpie-robin (with the similar issues I’ve when strolling thru Nanhuis microforests: at all times getting sticky spider webs in my face) …
… Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike …
… Brown Shrike …
… Black-crowned Evening Heron (juvenile and grownup) …
… and the feared Jap Tit. I shiver any time I am getting a tight photograph of it, realizing that I can have to turn the fowl within the subsequent per month Shanghai put up and get a hold of a semi-pornographic shaggy dog story. The disgrace of it.
Thankfully, I now can ask ChatGPT to do the grimy paintings for me. “Are you able to inform me a quite sleazy shaggy dog story associated with the fowl species Jap Tit?”
ChatGPT: “Certain, right here’s a cheeky one associated with the Jap Tit: Why did the birdwatcher convey binoculars to the café? As a result of he heard they’d some Jap Titties within the house and sought after to ensure he were given a excellent have a look at the ones superb feathers! (Now and again birdwatching comes with double meanings!)”
As Peter just lately identified someplace, ChatGPT’s humorousness nonetheless wishes paintings. It strikes a chord in my memory of the fellow at paintings who thinks he has a super humorousness – he at all times says so – however everyone dreads it when he begins telling jokes.
Thankfully, on the finish of September, Nanhui has one thing a lot better than a fowl species that principally serves as a cue for lame jokes: the Oriental Scops Owl. Only a few pictures this time.
In spite of everything, the Fairy Pitta once more. So arduous to not display those pictures. The put up ends right here for the ones now not occupied with pittas.
Apparently, the entire pittas I’ve noticed q4 had been juveniles – do the adults take a special path, or are they only too suave to show themselves to me? Extra analysis wanted …