{"id":677,"date":"2011-05-17T01:42:20","date_gmt":"2011-05-16T16:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=677"},"modified":"2013-04-16T20:31:05","modified_gmt":"2013-04-16T11:31:05","slug":"mungap-island-may-12th-14th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/?p=677","title":{"rendered":"Mungap Island, May 12-14"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bird News from Tim Edelsten<\/u><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May 14th (AM)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nCool and sunny: 56 species counted before boarding the boat. A break from last night’s strong winds spurred a lot of activity, with some 200+ unidentified small passerines flying over the ridge from 11am onward. Anxious bunches of Chestnut-flanked White-eye <\/b>(149) moved through. New on the scene was a Pin-tailed Snipe<\/b>, 2 Dollarbird<\/b>, 2 Raddes Warbler<\/b>, 3 Common Cuckoo<\/b>, 1 Red-billed Starling<\/b>, a wheeling Japanese Sparrowhawk<\/b>, 1 Blue Rock Thrush<\/b>, and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk<\/b>. While watching a skulking Lanceolated Warbler<\/b> attempting to creep away through the grassland, out stepped a Ruddy-breasted Crake<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\nUnusually, 4 cristatus<\/i> Brown Shrike<\/b> were seen side-by-side on a wire, engaged in some sort of dispute: there are also lucionensis<\/i> about. One of the resident Peregrines <\/b>was hunting very actively today, first whooshing over my head with the screech of a jet fighter, then later hurling itself at the two Spot-billed Ducks<\/b>, which escaped by jumping into the sea. These rapacious falcons apparently own not only Mungap but at least one of the neighbouring islands, which they commute to and from.<\/p>\n

\nSo then I left, with a 48-hour total of 80 species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May 13th<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

\nStill very cool, bright and clear, with an easterly wind. Of 56 species, several new sights. Most welcome were 2 very sleek Japanese Grosbeak<\/b>, sat near the summit of Kitde-bong. Also 3 Taiga Flycatcher<\/b>, 2 macronyx<\/i> Eastern Yellow Wagtail<\/b>, 2 Dusky Warbler<\/b>, 2 Peregrine<\/b>, 3 Eye-browed Thrush<\/b>, 6 Siberian Stonechat<\/b>, a Common Sandpiper<\/b>, 1 Chinese Grosbeak<\/b>, a Richards Pipit<\/b>, 1 Siberian Blue Robin<\/b>, 4 Asian Stubtail<\/b>, and a pretty Eastern Oystercatcher<\/b> turning over the shells on the beach.<\/p>\n

\nOnce again most notable (and noisy), the urgent passage of 497 Chestnut-flanked White-eye<\/b>, massing before moving off the northernmost point. Also 12 Ashy Minivet<\/b> flying over and through. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nMay 12th (PM)<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

\nSW breeze. Overcast, becoming clear and sunny by mid afternoon, with mist later: cold in the evening.<\/p>\n

\nAn afternoon on this blissfully quiet and mostly untouched island produced 57 species, with a fair bit of visible movement and falls of migrants. The most visible migration comprised 142 Chestnut-flanked White-eye <\/b>moving through in restless waves of shrill flocks, also the passage of 3 Barn<\/b> and 9 Red-rumped Swallow<\/b>, <\/b>10 White-throated Needletail<\/b>, and an Oriental Honey Buzzard <\/b>over.<\/p>\n

\nNoteworthy were 2 Common Rosefinch<\/b>, a Chinese Pond Heron<\/b>, a Forest Wagtail<\/b>, 1 Yellow-breasted Bunting<\/b>, a Grey Nightjar<\/b>, 2 Ashy Minivet<\/b> and 1 or 2 presumed Hume’s Warbler <\/b>among the 60+ tired-looking Yellow-browed Warbler. <\/b>By mid afternoon, obvious new arrivals flopping about on the ground included a Dark-sided<\/b> and 17 Asian Brown Flycatcher<\/b>, 18 Chestnut <\/b>and 1 Chestnut-eared Bunting.<\/b><\/p>\n

\nIn relatively good numbers were Mugimaki<\/b> (8) Black-faced Bunting <\/b>(46), Yellow-rumped Flycatcher<\/b> (11) Pale-legged Leaf Warbler<\/b> (18) and Eastern Crowned Warbler<\/b> (18).<\/p>\n

\nResident or in breeding territory on the island were 2 Hobby<\/b>, an Oriental Scops Owl<\/b>, 2 Long-tailed Tit<\/b>, 2 Yellow-throated Bunting<\/b>, 3 Pale Thrush<\/b>, a Great Spotted Woodpecker<\/b>, 1 Grey-backed Thrush<\/b>, a trilling Rufous-tailed Robin<\/b>, 4 Brown-eared Bulbul<\/b>, 2 Jay<\/b>, 6 Eastern Great Tit<\/b>, 1 Varied Tit<\/b>, a Bull-headed Shrike<\/b>, 2 Common Kingfisher<\/b> and 4 Black-naped Oriole<\/b>.<\/p>\n

\nOtherwise present, a lone Black-billed Magpie<\/b>, 14 Oriental Turtle Dove<\/b>, 4 Cattle Egret<\/b>, 6 Grey Wagtail<\/b>, 1 Large-billed Crow<\/b>, 6 Olive-backed Pipit<\/b>, a Striated Heron<\/b>, 1 Indian<\/b> and 1 Lesser Cuckoo<\/b>, 2 Mongolian<\/b> among the usual Black-tailed Gulls<\/b>, 3 Grey-streaked Flycatcher<\/b>, 7 Tristram’s <\/b>and 2 Yellow-browed Bunting<\/b>, 2 Blue-and-White Flycatcher<\/b>, 8 Temminck’s Cormorant<\/b>, 5 Brown Shrike, 3 Little Bunting, <\/b>1 Little Egret <\/b>and 3 Spot-billed Duck<\/b>.<\/p>\n