Birding Nanhui as of late is much extra troublesome 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 earlier than having even seen a single fowl. The digicam is precariously positioned on the bike, and off he goes. After all, this makes photographing some shy species reminiscent of raptors virtually unimaginable – these species appear to suppose that an individual on a bicycle is far more harmful than a automobile. Which might be true for the individual however not for the fowl.
On the plus facet, this implies fewer birders at Nanhui, and birders with the next real curiosity in birds slightly than spending a day exterior chatting with associates whereas smoking and sometimes being disturbed by a fowl. So, every little thing has its good and its dangerous points, although I don’t suppose this is applicable to voice messages.
For that purpose, Eurasian Wrynecks by no means use voice messages. Admittedly, this can be a bit simpler for them than for people as they usually keep exterior areas with dependable cell phone alerts anyway.
Opposite to what you would possibly suppose, this Eurasian Wryneck is just not displaying me his tongue however slightly selecting up some ants with it.
“The Eurasian Wryneck is famed for its snake mimicry. When threatened or captured, it performs stereotyped writhing and twisting of the pinnacle and neck and/or utters hissing sounds” (supply). This provides me a chance to point out you an precise snake I noticed at Nanhui – a Castor’s Rat Snake, to be particular.
This Siberian Thrush is a juvenile male and thus not fairly as stylish-looking as an grownup male.
It should smarten up a bit extra earlier than beginning to breed subsequent 12 months.
A couple of days later, there was a feminine.
Being a juvenile may very well be a lot worse – see this crappy-looking Chinese language Blackbird.
The juvenile male Blue-and-white Flycatcher is an fascinating fowl because it has fairly a unique plumage from the grownup male (mild blue as an alternative of darkish blue), and one that’s as enticing (I feel), not only a thrift retailer model of the grownup male, as for the Siberian Thrush …
… or the Siberian Blue Robin (picture displaying a juvenile male, I feel).
The Tiger Shrike is the nationwide fowl of Vietnam (supply), so it might be fascinating to know what a person seen in Shanghai thinks in regards to the Spratly Islands.
This being one other juvenile (see additionally right here), possibly it has no opinion on this problem but.
Given the title of the Chinese language Grosbeak, its loyalties must be clear. The male has a black head …
… whereas the pinnacle of the feminine is brown. So possibly this can be a juvenile male?
There might be a sinister story behind this Gray Heron.
Aggressive habits of Gray Heron nestlings was noticed in roughly 25% of nests at two Polish heronries. Principally, this was pecking on the youngest chick – and plenty of of those chicks died. The authors of the examine concluded that siblicide slightly than predation is an important issue affecting the species’ nesting success.
Undecided I’ve something even vaguely fascinating to say in regards to the Ashy Minivet. Whereas most minivets are fairly colourful, this species has been optimized for black-and-white TV and thus seems to be a bit outdated right this moment.
The elongated form of this minivet jogs my memory that mannerism has by no means been my favourite model of artwork.
I requested ChatGPT to attract me an image of an Ashy Minivet within the model of mannerism – the outcome is just not too convincing, I feel …
The phrase “Sniper” (sharpshooter) is derived from the snipe household, which incorporates the Pin-tailed Snipe.
Apparently, amongst British troopers in India within the 18th century, searching snipe was a preferred pastime. A soldier who might efficiently shoot a snipe was thought of an exceptionally expert marksman – an actual “sniper”.
If you don’t like spiders, you could be completely happy to see these photographs of (presumably) a Sakhalin Leaf Warbler.
The Ashy Drongo is an fascinating drongo species in that it’s not essentially black …
… and that the totally different subspecies look slightly totally different, from mild grey to virtually customary drongo black. Luckily, the subspecies migrating via Shanghai is a cute one with a big white patch across the eyes …
… probably Dicrurus leucophaeus salangensis, although I’d not give a lot by myself judgement concerning subspecies.
Some extra photographs of birds I don’t have a lot to say about proper now: Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (male) …
… feminine …
… Black-collared Starling …
… Eurasian Hoopoe …
… Black Paradise Flycatcher …
… Asian Stubtail …
… Oriental Magpie-robin (with the identical issues I’ve when strolling via Nanhuis microforests: all the time getting sticky spider webs in my face) …
… Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike …
… Brown Shrike …
… Black-crowned Evening Heron (juvenile and grownup) …
… and the dreaded Japanese Tit. I shiver any time I get a good picture of it, realizing that I should present the fowl within the subsequent month-to-month Shanghai submit and provide you with a semi-pornographic joke. The disgrace of it.
Luckily, I now can ask ChatGPT to do the soiled work for me. “Are you able to inform me a barely sleazy joke associated to the fowl species Japanese Tit?”
ChatGPT: “Certain, right here’s a cheeky one associated to the Japanese Tit: Why did the birdwatcher carry binoculars to the café? As a result of he heard that they had some Japanese Tits within the space and needed to verify he obtained an excellent have a look at these high quality feathers! (Typically birdwatching comes with double meanings!)”
As Peter not too long ago identified someplace, ChatGPT’s humorousness nonetheless wants work. It jogs my memory of the man at work who thinks he has an incredible humorousness – he all the time says so – however everyone dreads it when he begins telling jokes.
Luckily, on the finish of September, Nanhui has one thing significantly better than a fowl species that primarily serves as a cue for lame jokes: the Oriental Scops Owl. Just some photographs this time.
Lastly, the Fairy Pitta once more. So arduous to not present these photographs. The submit ends right here for these not fascinated with pittas.
Curiously, all of the pittas I’ve seen this autumn have been juveniles – do the adults take a unique route, or are they only too intelligent to reveal themselves to me? Extra analysis wanted …
