There are two indicators of autumn beginning in Shanghai. My favourite cat June begins sleeping on my lap once more, the heat of my legs turning into a bonus somewhat than the drawback it was in the course of the summer time. And Daurian Redstarts exhibiting up in Shanghai – they may spend the winter right here. Each the males …
… and the marginally much less spectacular females.
The Pink-flanked Bluetail is one other hen indicating the arrival of autumn. In winter, the females (and presumably juvenile males) are all over the place in Shanghai, whereas the grownup males are harder to seek out.
These readers who largely scan my posts for music ideas shall be glad to listen to that this publish contains no less than two of them. The primary one is by the Silver Jews, “San Francisco B.C.” – an extended various bluesy rant a few housebreaking, an untrue lover, and breaking glass espresso tables, with a improbable instrumental guitar bit someplace within the center. Plus some nice strains:
I lived with my real love and she or he lived with me
“Romance is the douche of the bourgeoisie”
Was the very very first thing she imparted to me
We had sarcastic hair, we used lewd pseudonyms
It’s a bit uncommon to get photographs of the Asian Stubtail so out within the open – it tends to remain a bit extra hidden.
Good to correctly see its colours for as soon as.
Its scientific identify Urosphena squameiceps appears like an sickness urologists needs to be accustomed to (prescribe antibiotics, possibly?), however the squameiceps simply means scaly-headed (although I do not likely see that both).
And the Urosphena combines the Greek phrases for tail and for wedge, so the one who gave the identify to the species wished to each point out that the species is wedge-tailed and that he obtained an costly training which included hours and hours studying a ineffective however prestigious lifeless language, Greek.
A fast reminder that the Blue-and-white Flycatcher is a really nice-looking hen. Even the sunshine blue juvenile male is enticing.
No god-fearing photographer would ever present a photograph of a Brown Shrike subsequent to plastic trash. As I’m not god-fearing, it’s effective for me.
Eurasian Hoopoes are apparently not very picky with regard to their meals – undecided what that is however it jogs my memory a little bit of what I’m imagined to eat at any time when I go to my Chinese language in-laws.
Fairly surprisingly, the Cornell/HBW entry on the Eurasian Hoopoe has been up to date very just lately (July 2024) – even the photographs are actually in shade, not in black and white.
Sadly, the introduction to the species – whereas presumably written by the 2 authors – sounds prefer it has been written by ChatGPT:
“The Eurasian/African Hoopoe, with its sun-evoking crest and boldly marked plumage, has held an essential place in human tradition for millennia, variously being despised and lauded in numerous cultures. In southeastern Siberia, its look signifies upcoming tragedy to conventional Buryat cultures, whereas in historical Mongolia, it was thought-about a protector. In Medieval Europe, it was a sinister omen, whereas right this moment in Israel, the Eurasian/African Hoopoe is the nationwide hen. Whether or not liked or hated, the Eurasian/African Hoopoe is a mesmerizing and engaging hen that holds a particular place in human historical past.”
The Eurasian Kestrel very hardly ever travels to the US – it’s afraid of being misidentified as an American Kestrel, and it very a lot doesn’t wish to be in any method linked to a rustic by which roughly 50% of the inhabitants thinks {that a} Trump/Vance presidency is a good suggestion.
Gray Herons typically look considerably glamorous and stylish, however as this picture exhibits, they will additionally look fairly silly.
Seeing a Gray Nightjar at Nanhui at all times means it’s a good day. For some cause, in contrast to different species which have a reasonably common timetable, nightjars don’t appear to stay a lot to outlined seasons. The iconoclasts of hen migration.
The scientific species identify is Caprimulgus jotaka. Now, jotaka is from the Japanese phrase Yo taka, which implies night time hawk and stands for the Gray Nightjar, although it sounds just like the identify of a sinister, chain-smoking Yakuza boss in a low-budget Japanese film.
Japanese Tits are heartily uninterested in being the butt of sleazy jokes. As they rightly level out, they don’t solely dwell in Japan and subsequently wish to be renamed as Asian Tits.
Early October was season for Oriental Scops Owls, presumably my favourite Shanghai hen.
My impression is that in Nanhuis microforests, the place the colour of the timber is way more like that of the grey-brown than of the reddish morph, this results in totally different habits of the 2 morphs.
The grey-brown morph generally appears to rely totally on camouflage – it stays comparatively open and simply assumes it won’t be seen.
In distinction, the reddish morph both flies away or hides a lot deeper within the tree leaves.
At any time when Lengthy-tailed Shrikes or Gentle-vented Bulbuls see Oriental Scops Owls within the microforests of Nanhui, they protest towards their presence.
In a roundabout way, this can be a bit stunning – in line with Cornell/HBW, their prey is greater than 95% invertebrates and the remaining are geckos and rodents (i.e., not birds).
Once I confirmed the photographs under to a good friend, he remarked “The owls are stalking you”.
Here’s a Gentle-vented Bulbul not presently mobbing an Oriental Scops Owl. Perhaps this particular person is a little more clever and tolerant and doesn’t instantly suppose that immigrants eat birds, cats, or canines.
Right here is one other owl the bulbul might have mobbed – a Northern Boobook, a bit too shy to yield a totally convincing picture.
Japanese Sparrowhawk: Ditto.
A couple of days later, a Northern Boobook acted a bit extra photography-friendly. Perhaps a politician.
Whereas I like snipes, I favor to not ID them. My App says that this can be a Pin-tailed Snipe however be happy to disagree.
Exterior of the breeding season, the Pink-necked Phalarope does completely nothing to deserve its identify. Like Reality Social being neither truthful nor social.
Usually talking, JD Vance would in all probability not approve of Pink-necked Phalaropes because of their reversed gender roles. Females are bigger than males and compete to win mates, and the males do all of the incubation and take care of the younger.
Nonetheless, JD ought to recognize that that is nonetheless higher than having no youngsters in any respect (childless cat women and gents).
“Gap in My Coronary heart” by Blitz Vega appears like Graham Coxon sings it, and he might have additionally written the track – however I regarded the band up, and the members embody ex-members of The Smiths (not Morrissey, thank god) and The Completely satisfied Mondays (not Shaun Ryder). On Spotify, the band has about 14,000 listeners this month, so the attraction of those ex-band members could also be considerably restricted. Nonetheless, track.
A latest analysis paper (2024) was revealed on White’s Thrush. It covers satellite tv for pc monitoring of a White´s Thrushes from the Ural Mountains, Russia, to central Mongolia.
The researchers used satellite tv for pc transmitters to check the migration of two White´s Thrushes (query from me: are these transmitters so costly? If not, why solely use 2?)
Sadly, the summary of the analysis outcomes appears to point that the entire train was just about in useless:
“One of many units transmitted throughout spring and the breeding season (Could to September) within the following yr from the Khangai Mountains of central Mongolia, 3000 km southeast of its former breeding season web site. Based mostly on the mixture of lack of correct areas, probably unsuitable habitat, uncommon habits, and strange location outdoors of the identified breeding vary we think about it almost definitely that the hen died there throughout migration, whereas the transmitter continued to operate. No information on migration routes or non-breeding areas had been obtained“.
Subsequent time, purchase a couple of extra transmitters. Perhaps ask for donations on Kickstarter?
One other attention-grabbing query: apparently, the 2 birds had been trapped in 2019, so the info assortment ought to have been completed no later than 2020. Why is that this solely revealed in 2024? In reality, it has not even formally been revealed but – the knowledge solely is marked “It is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed. Knowledge could also be preliminary.”
Whereas White’s Thrush might be named for one of many higher figures within the historical past of ornithology – Gilbert White was an English naturalist and ornithologist who confused the significance of remark – the Chinese language identify Hu ban Di Dong – “Tiger-stripe Thrush” is best.
After solely seeing an immature male Siberian Thrush in September (agism?), October introduced an grownup male, which has a way more compelling design.
Some extra thrushes: Eyebrowed Thrush …
… Japanese Thrush (a bit late, my pricey, aren’t you?) …
… and the considerably undermarketed Gray-backed Thrush (gray isn’t actually probably the most notable shade of the species).
The feminine Taiga Flycatcher seems like a male of the identical species that has been washed too typically, or at too excessive a temperature. Or is that this a sexist comment?
The scientific identify Ficedula albicilla isn’t notably correct – albicilla means white-tailed.
I’m completely satisfied for this Oriental Magpie-robin to not personal a mirror. Molt have to be hell.
On this season, the Rufous-tailed Robin hardly ever sings, so its scientific identify Larvivora sibilans (sibilans means whistling) isn’t really easy to know.
The Mugimaki Flycatcher received its identify from a couple of Japanese phrases – mugi means wheat or barley, maki means sowing. Apparently, in Japan, this flycatcher is seen primarily within the autumn when the farmers sow wheat and barley (supply: Cornell).
For some cause, I’m nonetheless stunned at any time when I see a Widespread Kingfisher on an ocean seaside, as I have a tendency to think about them as birds of lakes and rivers. However apparently, they will do each. Which – although I’ve no need to ever watch the film “Blues Brothers” once more – jogs my memory of the joke in mentioned film: a bartender claiming that they’ve each sorts of music of their pub, “We received Nation and Western!”
Whereas in search of Spoon-billed Sandpipers (separate publish!) and Dunlins (separate publish!), I noticed a couple of different waders:
The Gray-tailed Tattler (wanting a bit sinister as regular, possibly as a result of it’s listed as Close to Threatened) …
… or as a result of it has to spend a part of its life on rubbish islands …
… the endangered Siberian Sand Plover (which Cornell appears to suppose is underrated: “The Siberian Sand Plover, noticed on its wintering grounds, is however one other plover foraging on tidal flats, undistinguished in look and habits. A go to to its breeding grounds, nonetheless, imparts a somewhat totally different impression”) …
… Widespread Ringed Plover (about which Shanghai birders had been way more excited regardless of the “frequent” in its identify and its Least Concern standing – however it’s uncommon in Shanghai) …
…. Gray Plover …
… Broad-billed Sandpiper …
… Kentish Plover …
… Pink-necked Stint …
… Widespread Greenshank …
… Sanderling …
… Wooden Sandpiper …
… and Oriental Pratincole (already wanting a bit shabbier than in full breeding plumage, or maybe these are juveniles – you may strive figuring it out primarily based on the knowledge right here).
