Week ending 13th March - IRRI

A somewhat drier week than last, we may be getting over this mid-dry season wet spell. The Peregrine is still on the experimental farm, and is playing merry hell with the flocks of migrant Wood Sandpipers that are passing through. More Oriental Pratincoles too, as well as the first Pacific Golden Plovers of spring. Lots of Yellow Wagtails too. Several species are starting to come into breeding plumage, particularly Whiskered Tern and Cattle Egret. A Brahminy Kite flew through on Friday.

As I'm now spending two evenings a week playing football at IRRI I'm starting to pick up on a few things that I've previously not noticed. There's a Philippine Scops Owl that roosts near the pitch, and calls every evening at about 6:30. Black-crowned Night Heron are regular too overhead, and I've noticed a Kestrel a few times flying past at nightfall as well.

The weekend was a washout as far as birding goes, an ankle-knack kept me off the mountain on Saturday, and Sunday was a family day. Incidental birding around the compound on Sunday produced a flock of 15+ Purple Needletails, a Grey-faced Buzzard and a Bar-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike

Lots of Whiskered Terns in the fields at the moment, some of them starting to come into breeding plumage like this one.

Snipe spp. Swinhoe's or Pintail?

A Female Painted Snipe with a Common Moorhen, on a bund between two paddies

Some of the Cattle Egrets are starting to come into breeding plumage

One of the first Pacific Golden Plovers of spring