Sunday 24th Nov - IRRI

The fields at IRRI are being prepared for the next crop, and are at the ploughed and recently flooded stage. What it means is that the area of suitable habitat for migrant waders has changed from a handful of acres to several hundred in the space of a week. Birds are harder to find! The Green Sandpiper from Saturday never reappeared, and may have only stayed on the farm for a matter of minutes. While searching for it on Sunday morning I found more Temminck's Stints, in exactly the same fields as they've been appearing for the last few weeks. It's starting to look like a few birds have settled down in a spot they like. I think they move temporarily when disturbed by farming activities, but return when things get quiet.

There are also lots of Little Ringed Plovers everywhere at the moment. They seem to be associating in groups sorted by age, I'm not sure if they migrate like that, but they certainly seem to behave like that in the fields.

Apart from that the Peregrine has been showing itself regularly, and a Pacific Golden Plover was hiding in the long grass next to a ricefield on Sunday.

Up at IRRI staff housing a search for the Violet Cuckoo of Friday morning produced a Grey-faced Buzzard on Sunday, but no cuckoos sadly.

Adult Little Ringed Plover

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover. There are lots around at the moment, all apparently in flocks of similar aged birds. This group of a dozen or so were all first year birds, two fields down were 5 adults together.

Temminck's Stint (left) feeding with a Long-toed Stint.

Two fields over from the previous bird was this Temminck's Stint with a couple of Wood Sandpipers.

This may be a third, or the first bird after moving a few dozen metres.

Adult Cinnamon Bittern.