Hazy Days

It's been very hazy everyday since I have been back home, and it will surely continue to be in this situation until the first rain of April arrives. I went out to the local birding area called Cho Lae this morning with my father. As expected, no sunlight until about 9am due to the haze with more and more areas that turned into rice fields due to the increased price. Everywhere was almost the same, rice and rice and rice fields, no more habitat diversity, which resulted in very few birds. At least I saw a Eurasian Wryneck, 1 Bluethroat (which once used to be very common around the area...) and a Green Sandpiper among a group of Wood Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plovers.

A male Pied Bushchat

House Sparrow is a very successful alien species in Thailand. It has spread throughout the country in a very fast rate during the last decade. Here's a male bird with a flock of the local Plain-backed Sparrows.

Lots of Stonechats though

A female Pied Bushchat

And some colourful flowers to end this entry...

Most birds have moulted into their breeding plumages, including the very common yet super shy Chinese Pond-Herons, Cattle Egrets, Little Ringed Plovers and the Stonechats. Many Brown Shrikes were still around, as well as the White Wagtails, but I was surprised that I didn't see any Citrine Wagtail.