Birds in your garden

[willyumiii]

we get very brave collared dove types which aren't bothered by me

We get those little gray birds, not afraid they walk around on the ground and have accidently nearly stepped on one on several occasions

Zebra Dove most probably. Sometimes they're referred to as Peaceful Doves.

Cute birds but lousy nest builders

Crop-02 (Small).jpg

Must be the local influence

Some of them seem to do a pretty good job building their nests, but not most of them.

[isanbirder]

Black Drongos

The local wintering Black Drongos had left for the north a week or so ago, but I was still seeing one or two stragglers daily.

Yesterday morning we had 2-3 hours of rain, the first for God knows how long; it cleared up later, and in the evening there was a lot of activity in the tall trees in the temple compound opposite my house, and also in some more tall trees in a neighbour's garden at the back. This included about 15 Black Drongos hawking for insects.

Now this is where it gets interesting (to me)! The Drongos were a mixed bag of two subspecies, thai , with a deeply-forked tail, and the wintering cathoecus, which has a much shallower fork. Most of the birds I see here are 'shallow-fork', which prefer the open countryside. 'Deep fork', on the other hand, seem to prefer woodland; I get them in small parties from time to time, but they never hang about.

This morning there were still a few about, but only 'shallow-fork'.

[thetefldon]

Some interesting comments on feeding birds. I, like AjarnNorth, just provide a mixed variety of trees and low shrubs. The fruit eaters and insect eaters seem to do just fine.

One thing I do provide is fresh water in the form of a bird bath. Nothing elaborate I'm currently using an old shallow dusbin lid mounted on a large plant pot!! I just keep the water clean and fresh to deter mozzies breeding. I position this in the shade and in a place that makes for some photo opportunities too, with man made perch handy as well!

The water is a great magnet for all birds in the hot dry times and very active in the early morning and late afternoon.

The photo is from my old house where the "bird bath" was a plant pot stand. The Green Billed Malkoha in the pic was having some issues getting his tail wet!!

[dick dasterdly]

Thanks to this thread I can now recognise the birds that every now and again consider the pathetic 'nest' built by the doves - as Grey Breasted Prinia .

[dick dasterdly]

Some interesting comments on feeding birds. I, like AjarnNorth, just provide a mixed variety of trees and low shrubs. The fruit eaters and insect eaters seem to do just fine.

One thing I do provide is fresh water in the form of a bird bath. Nothing elaborate I'm currently using an old shallow dusbin lid mounted on a large plant pot!! I just keep the water clean and fresh to deter mozzies breeding. I position this in the shade and in a place that makes for some photo opportunities too, with man made perch handy as well!

The water is a great magnet for all birds in the hot dry times and very active in the early morning and late afternoon.

The photo is from my old house where the "bird bath" was a plant pot stand. The Green Billed Malkoha in the pic was having some issues getting his tail wet!!

Living in a rented house - surrounded by trees and palms - its difficult to find places to plant more fruit bearing trees.

But to look on the bright side, fruit bats were nesting in a tree by the beach front restaurant a few years ago, so there must be a fair amount of fruit about. Presumably from the palms?

Bird baths are a must for anyone who cares about the wildlife. Squirrels love the bird bath almost as much as the birds, and its always entertaining to watch the birds have a bath or the squirrels flick about all over the place, making sure its safe .

[Goldieinkathu]

Some interesting comments on feeding birds. I, like AjarnNorth, just provide a mixed variety of trees and low shrubs. The fruit eaters and insect eaters seem to do just fine.

One thing I do provide is fresh water in the form of a bird bath. Nothing elaborate I'm currently using an old shallow dusbin lid mounted on a large plant pot!! I just keep the water clean and fresh to deter mozzies breeding. I position this in the shade and in a place that makes for some photo opportunities too, with man made perch handy as well!

The water is a great magnet for all birds in the hot dry times and very active in the early morning and late afternoon.

The photo is from my old house where the "bird bath" was a plant pot stand. The Green Billed Malkoha in the pic was having some issues getting his tail wet!!

Living in a rented house - surrounded by trees and palms - its difficult to find places to plant more fruit bearing trees.

But to look on the bright side, fruit bats were nesting in a tree by the beach front restaurant a few years ago, so there must be a fair amount of fruit about. Presumably from the palms?

Bird baths are a must for anyone who cares about the wildlife. Squirrels love the bird bath almost as much as the birds, and its always entertaining to watch the birds have a bath or the squirrels flick about all over the place, making sure its safe .

Most birds are not happy at all with squirrels. They eat their eggs and they kill their young. I try to chase off any squirrels from around my garden, not because I don't like them but because I like birds more

[dick dasterdly]

Some interesting comments on feeding birds. I, like AjarnNorth, just provide a mixed variety of trees and low shrubs. The fruit eaters and insect eaters seem to do just fine.

One thing I do provide is fresh water in the form of a bird bath. Nothing elaborate I'm currently using an old shallow dusbin lid mounted on a large plant pot!! I just keep the water clean and fresh to deter mozzies breeding. I position this in the shade and in a place that makes for some photo opportunities too, with man made perch handy as well!

The water is a great magnet for all birds in the hot dry times and very active in the early morning and late afternoon.

The photo is from my old house where the "bird bath" was a plant pot stand. The Green Billed Malkoha in the pic was having some issues getting his tail wet!!

Living in a rented house - surrounded by trees and palms - its difficult to find places to plant more fruit bearing trees.

But to look on the bright side, fruit bats were nesting in a tree by the beach front restaurant a few years ago, so there must be a fair amount of fruit about. Presumably from the palms?

Bird baths are a must for anyone who cares about the wildlife. Squirrels love the bird bath almost as much as the birds, and its always entertaining to watch the birds have a bath or the squirrels flick about all over the place, making sure its safe .

Most birds are not happy at all with squirrels. They eat their eggs and they kill their young. I try to chase off any squirrels from around my garden, not because I don't like them but because I like birds more

I know you're right, but I still love all the wildlife - birds/butterflies/squirrels/snakes/frogs/toads etc.

Going off topic, but one off the funniest things I've seen is a toad sitting in the dogs' indoor water bowl!

[Skeptic7]

Looking at the yard lists on the thread, noticed no one else has Pink-necked Pigeon. They are abundant and presumed breeding in the patch behind my building in BKK. Beautiful birds for sure. Apologies for the crudity of these pix. They were taken at distance and enhanced to the max. Going to get a new super-zoom digital camera and will post (hopefully) better pix soon. For now these will have to do...

[AjarnNorth]

Looking at the yard lists on the thread, noticed no one else has Pink-necked Pigeon. They are abundant and presumed breeding in the patch behind my building in BKK. Beautiful birds for sure. Apologies for the crudity of these pix. They were taken at distance and enhanced to the max. Going to get a new super-zoom digital camera and will post (hopefully) better pix soon. For now these will have to do...

I have never seen one! And a lot of my local Chonburi birding is done in coastal scrub and mangroves where they are meant to be fairly common. OK. Now i have a mission. Though i am not expecting to see one from my garden after over 4 years of not having seen one from here. i will have to gout looking.

For super-zooms, look at the Fuji HS series. Get manual focus over automatic...Fuuji or otherwise... much better for birds in flight. At rest just fully extend the lense and set it on auto and you'll be surprised. But that's coming from a birder, not a photographer. i get some great shot buts what's most important to me is just ID'able shots. I leave the National Geo quality pics to those with 5000 dollar kits and all the know how.

[AjarnNorth]

Dark-sided Flycatcher from my evening spot in the garden tonight. New to the Bangsaen garden list so this - and an Oriental Praticole Flyover about a week ago - bring the garden list up to 88, I think.

It's only the second time I have definitively ID'd Dark-sided - had one when iI lived in Surin - but that doesn't say much as i may well have overlooked them dozens of times. I get Asian Brown so regularly I pay them little notice and this bird was right where my Asian Brown usually is. But something seemed odd. Good looks with bins first and then these fuzzy pics seem to confirm DS flycatcher.

[isanbirder]

I've seen Dark-sided several times, always at the very tops of trees, and always pretty well the last migrant to go through. Two kinds, one with clear dark flanks and a white line down the middle, and the other fuzzy grey right across the underparts. I haven't been to the usual location this year; it's too dry, and a long way through burnt-out paddies for the hope of one bird! Robbynz had some nice photos on the Birdwatching in Isan thread.

In recent weeks, I've tended to follow the water, i.e. walk along the immigration canal, and then alongside the village reservoir. The Lesser Whistling Ducks, which gather there before spreading out into the wet paddies to breed, have just arrived (3 on 4th, 63 yesterday, and 80 today), there are three Little Cormorants, and today, in a spray of dried bamboo seeds, a Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, only my second here. It was also the locality for the last Black Drongo and the last Brown Shrike, while Dusky Warblers were daily until the beginning of this week.

[dick dasterdly]

Looking at the yard lists on the thread, noticed no one else has Pink-necked Pigeon. They are abundant and presumed breeding in the patch behind my building in BKK. Beautiful birds for sure. Apologies for the crudity of these pix. They were taken at distance and enhanced to the max. Going to get a new super-zoom digital camera and will post (hopefully) better pix soon. For now these will have to do...

A beautiful bird that, like Ajornorth, I've never seen. One of the few birds that would be immediately obvious!

Every now and again I see a v small bird (wren size) flitting about scooping up aphids (?) from plants around the patio. Does anyone know what this may be?

Its not a Humming bird as it 'settles' on stems, rather than hovering.

[Skeptic7]

Not to mention the little known fact that Hummingbirds are only found throughout the Americas and Caribbean!

Can you give a bit more detail to the bird's description? Colors, bill shape and size, eye ring, eye line or brow, wing bar(s)?

Flowerpeckers, Sunbirds and Warblers come immediately to mind.

[Skeptic7]

Speaking of Hummingbirds...Flag if inappropriate, as these pix are obviously not from Thailand, but rather from my yard in Marietta, Georgia USA before the digital camera age! The first is a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird and the 2nd an immature male.

[AjarnNorth]

Great humming bird pics, Skeptic.

I'd say that 9 times our of 10 when someone in Thailand thinks they have seen a humming bird it's one of the sunbirds. (the other 1 out of 10 have usually seen a hummingbird hawk-moth, though nor perching and eating aphids!)

Where are you Dick Dasterdly.

[Skeptic7]

Yes...same in the States people report seeing hummingbirds which sometimes turn out to be Hummingbird Moths. Sphinx Moth they are called there. I have a pic or 2 taken in Florida. Will post when I locate them

Edited May 7, 2016 by Skeptic7

[dick dasterdly]

Great humming bird pics, Skeptic.

I'd say that 9 times our of 10 when someone in Thailand thinks they have seen a humming bird it's one of the sunbirds. (the other 1 out of 10 have usually seen a hummingbird hawk-moth, though nor perching and eating aphids!)

Where are you Dick Dasterdly.

I live on the South end of Phuket and would love to identify the 'wren type' bird seen every now and again. Unfortunately, I can't provide any better description as its small, moves quickly and its always largely hidden by the trailing plant leaves.

Came as news to me that there are no humming birds in Thailand! Back on Phi Phi we were eating lunch one day and happily watching what we thought was a humming bird - a small bird hovering whilst sucking up nectar from flower 'throats'. It must have been a sunbird, but was still wonderful to watch!

[Skeptic7]

As promised, for those who are interested...here are some pix i captured of a Sphinx Moth or Hawk Moth (aka Hummingbird Moth) in central Florida. Sphingidae is the family name and includes about 1450 species around the world...including Thailand. As AJN pointed out, sometimes these moths are mistaken for hummingbirds even though they are considerably smaller...flight style, speed and wing blur are very similar.

[Bredbury Blue]

Have a baby monitor lizard hanging out in my garden; it lives in the kitchen drain. Saw it this morning in the area I throw the bread to feed the birds in the garden, it was eyeing up a dove but gave up on it. Five minutes later there was a big commotion alongside our 2m high wall; it was a mynah bird jumping about frantically making lots of noise. Turns out the bird was flying at the lizard repeatedly. The lizard was moving along the wall and being repeatedly attacked. I couldn't make out if in the attacks the bird was picking up and flinging the lizard or the lizard was leaping out of the attacks. Quite a sight. When the lizard had disappeared in to the bushes the attacks stopped. I then went out to see the lizard but it quickly scampered up and over the 2m platered wall. Always know when there's a snake in the garden from the mynahs squawking.

Came back home to see a myhah bird flying at a tree repeatedly. Saw a tail going down the tree. Walked over expecting to see a snake. It was that little monitor lizard again being driven down the tree by the mynah bird. I let the lizard escape. Seems I have an ongoing battle in my garden and the bird is winning.

[AjarnNorth]

Have a baby monitor lizard hanging out in my garden; it lives in the kitchen drain. Saw it this morning in the area I throw the bread to feed the birds in the garden, it was eyeing up a dove but gave up on it. Five minutes later there was a big commotion alongside our 2m high wall; it was a mynah bird jumping about frantically making lots of noise. Turns out the bird was flying at the lizard repeatedly. The lizard was moving along the wall and being repeatedly attacked. I couldn't make out if in the attacks the bird was picking up and flinging the lizard or the lizard was leaping out of the attacks. Quite a sight. When the lizard had disappeared in to the bushes the attacks stopped. I then went out to see the lizard but it quickly scampered up and over the 2m platered wall. Always know when there's a snake in the garden from the mynahs squawking.

Came back home to see a myhah bird flying at a tree repeatedly. Saw a tail going down the tree. Walked over expecting to see a snake. It was that little monitor lizard again being driven down the tree by the mynah bird. I let the lizard escape. Seems I have an ongoing battle in my garden and the bird is winning.

My guess isthe Myna has a nest up that tree with either eggs or fledglings, both of which a monitor will eat so the the Myna is "mobbing" the monitor to chase it away. Attached were taken from my garden, though the tree is just over the wall in the forested lot next to my place. The top of the dead palm had a myna nest in it (they often nest in holes in dead or dying trees). As you can see, the Monitor was raiding the nest and the mynas (there were two) are repeatedly fling in and pecking at the monitor. It was a fairly big monitor so didn't care. The fourth picture is the same monitor, I think, after capture and before relocation. I have caught a few and relocated them for their own good to better environments... also a number of reticulated pythons, a couple monocled cobras, and a host of the snakes. Have a new monitor in the same area last week on the same tree. My guess is it was a pregnant female.

Edited May 11, 2016 by AjarnNorth

[Bredbury Blue]

How are you catching the monitors? Next to my house is a khlong and then plaa salid fields so we get loads of monitors - common sight seeing them walking down my street and our kids chasing them away on their bikes.

We get loads of mynahs in the garden. I'll go take a look later at the 'battle area' to see if I can spot their nest.

[AjarnNorth]

How are you catching the monitors? Next to my house is a khlong and then plaa salid fields so we get loads of monitors - common sight seeing them walking down my street and our kids chasing them away on their bikes.

We get loads of mynahs in the garden. I'll go take a look later at the 'battle area' to see if I can spot their nest.

With a snake snare, made for me by the local snake guy but very easy to make and use (see below). Somewhere a TV poster posted very clear instructions on how to make your own and his design is better than mine but mine works fine. Best way to find the nest is just watch the Mynas as they approach that tree/area.

[AjarnNorth]

To bring it back around to garden birds, the same tree where the monitor raided the myna nest has been host to a number of happenings. Last year I had two Collared Scops Owls there. Somewhere i have much better pics than these - as they got more used to me, they began showing themselves earlier and earlier and in better light - but these will do for now. The treee used to towe over all the surrounding trees but the top meter or two of has since fell off so the new top is blocked by a lot of foliage from other trees now and harder for me to view from my yard, though I can still get good looks from one or two angles.

[dick dasterdly]

As promised, for those who are interested...here are some pix i captured of a Sphinx Moth or Hawk Moth (aka Hummingbird Moth) in central Florida. Sphingidae is the family name and includes about 1450 species around the world...including Thailand. As AJN pointed out, sometimes these moths are mistaken for hummingbirds even though they are considerably smaller...flight style, speed and wing blur are very similar.

Can't thank you enough for this post as early Sunday a.m. (6-7ish) I was watching some sort of moth flitting about, and then hovering over the climbing/trailing plant flowers around the patio. Immediately, the moth you'd mentioned came to mind!

I was trying to watch more closely (without disturbing it), when a mynah bird flew in and grabbed it....

[Bredbury Blue]

Have a couple of mynah birds visiting the bread I put out daily. They are more nervy than all the other mynahs, they always stay VERY close to each other, they seem to just hang about rather than eating. They have like a ruffled head crown (mohican shape like a punk). What type of mynah are they and are they juveniles?

[Skeptic7]

Punk-rock Mohawk Myna?

Haha...actually White-vented Myna

[thetefldon]

Been quite quiet on the patch of late with a flyby of a Grey Heron the only notable new comer.

However I have been trying to get some pics of a small bird that I can't identify that has been around for a couple of weeks. There are actually a pair of them and they may well be feeding young nearby, grubbing for insects on the lawn.

Got a few shots today at last. Taken from first floor terrace looking down at the birds.

Your thoughts on ID please.

[isanbirder]

Brown Prinia. Graduated tail indicates prinia, and the long superciliary, streaked crown, and almost unmarked underparts narrow it down to species.

[thetefldon]

Brown Prinia. Graduated tail indicates prinia, and the long superciliary, streaked crown, and almost unmarked underparts narrow it down to species.

Hoped you might be around. I had it as a Prenia but was unsure. New one for the patch then! 46 now.

Many thanks again

Edited May 19, 2016 by thetefldon

[AjarnNorth]

Brown Prinia. Graduated tail indicates prinia, and the long superciliary, streaked crown, and almost unmarked underparts narrow it down to species.

Hoped you might be around. I had it as a Prenia but was unsure. New one for the patch then! 46 now.

Many thanks again

I am confused. I would have these as Plain Prinia. P. Round notes Brown Prinia has an indistinct supercilium, while this bird (or is it birds?) has a very distinct supercilium. Also notes streaked upperparts (not much streaking in these pics) and black as opposed to pink gape; this bird seems to have pink. Robson also has Plain with "long broad whitish supercilium" and Brown with weak supercilium. In addition, notes that Plain has "slightly variable streaking on crown." Illustrations from both show visible streaking on mantle and upper parts of Brown (not just crown) and I can't see any streaking on upperparts in these photos.

Edited May 20, 2016 by AjarnNorth