Birdwatching on 29/08/2018

Today I went to JPR just a couple of hours before sunset. I found this strange-looking Temminck’s Stint. Although it looks oiled, the plumage is a bit browner than usual and a rufous tinge to sides of neck, face, flanks and belly. It looked as small as a stint. Feather shape, wing coverts, streaks on cap and back all point to Temminck’s Stint. Another strange thing about this bird the relatively long tibia, probably because of no feathering on upper tibia or wear of belly feathers.

Here are some photographs of the Temminck’s Stint, with a fresh looking bird (Juvenile) below to compare with.

Another interesting bird today was the Green Warbler. One was seen in Pivot Fields over the weekend, and one yesterday in the same reserve as of today, probably the same bird. It was already dark, so a blurry picture.

I like to compare sizes. Below the Temminck’s Stint on the left to compare with a group of Little Stint. It is a slightly smaller.

Another comparison. Two Indian Reef Herons in white morph to compare with Little Egrets. Note size, neck and head thickness, stronger bill, and colour of legs and bill.

A Red-spotted Whitethroat, note the red spot disappears in autumn.

Birds seen today:

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca  2, Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis  2, Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus  3, Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus  2, Little Crake Zapornia parva  1, Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus  20, Ruff Calidris pugnax  4, Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii  2, Little Stint Calidris minuta  5, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia  3, Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola  4, Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia  3, White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus  1, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida  2, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea  14, Western Little Egret Egretta garzetta garzetta  38, Indian Reef-Heron Egretta gularis schistacea  2, Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides  5, Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax  5, Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus  2, Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops  1, White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis  1, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus  2, Mauryan Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor pallidirostris  1, Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator  1, Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus  1, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes  1, Red-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica  2, Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina  5, Black-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava feldegg  2, Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola  2, Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis  1.