Autumn Heat Continuing

Autumn is officially here, but the heat decided to linger on longer, as we are still experiencing 34°C temperature regularly. Other birders have started reporting Amur Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher and Asian Brown Flycatchers to name a few early migrants. I visited Tai Po Kau but didn't yield much in terms of migrants, except for two Eastern Crowned Warblers which were too high up for photos, plus a single Grey Wagtail. For reasons unknown to me, Amur Paradise Flycatcher seems to have become a much harder bird there, whereas back then I would always see one or two while birding there in August. The best bird I managed was probably a Brown-breasted Flycatcher, which was found away from where everyone else have been seeing them, so this could well be a different individual.

Brown-breasted Flycatcher

Around the same area was a male Hainan Blue Flycatcher, a species that is quite easy in spring and gradually becomes trickier to find during the summer months, by the end of summer most of them have fallen silent and you don't hear their beautiful song anymore. You will more likely hear their quiet ticking call at this time of the year, which was how I picked this one up in the first place.

Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male

Other local 'goodies' were present and showed fairly well, although nothing overly excited I sitll enjoy seeing them after a long summer break from local birding.

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler

Silver-eared Mesia

Yellow-cheeked Tit - male

White-bellied Erpornis

Another interesting encounter was with a Red Muntjac, while I couldn't really get a good photo, it was still nice to see.

Red Muntjac

Led a few night walks recently as the heat is slightly more manageable at night. Scolopendra hainanum seems to be out and about in good numbers, these impressive centipedes prey on quite large animals, one evening I actually saw one devouring a Gunther's Frog that it just caught.

Scolopendra hainanum

I don't often see Indian Fritillary sleeping, so it was nice to find one in the evening where I can get right up close for a photo. A Samia wangi was no doubt the most impressive moth we have seen lately, I always enjoy seeing this large and beautiful moth, although this one already had a big chunk of its hind wing likely taken off by a bat.

Indian Fritillary

Samia wangi

Two species of frogs I don't photograph as often as others, the LaTouche's Frog, also known locally as the Brown Wood Frog and the Butler's Pygmy Frog, they are definitely not as common as some of our other species, although a bit of rain usually helps draw them out.

LaTouche's Frog

Butler's Pygmy Frog

Finally, not too many exciting snakes lately, partly because I haven't really taken the time to look for any. So, these were all seen during our night walks, including a few different Mock Vipers, I have included two that I photographed, which shows how much individual variation there are within this species, they can range from yellowish, reddish to rather greyish. A juvenile Red-necked Keelback was also nice to see, I do find them to be more attractive than the adults.

Mock Viper - more yellowish individual

Mock Viper - quite a dark individual

Red-necked Keelback