Wonderland Villas - November 十一

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birding southeast china

 

Introduction

The humidity is much lower in November and although often still warm during the day there are days when the temperature drops to be below 20ºc. This is when most of the winter visitors arrive. At the beginning of the month the first Stub-tailed Warblers are found. By the middle of the month Pallas's Warblers are calling their "byoing" call frequently and towards the end of November many of the thrushes are to be found poking about in the leaves in dark secluded areas.

 

In Autumn the skies are usually badly obscured by pollution. In 2013 November started with an unseasonally late typhoon.

 

Birds

In 2012 warblers became much more numerous from the beginning of the month. The most common are Yellow-browed of course but the loosely connected groups include Pallas's, Arctic, probable Two-barred Greenish and even a single Goodsoni on 7th (with characteristic habit of climbing around the trunks of trees). The thrushes arrived from 17th November in 2012 (20th in 2008) along with an unusual flock of 70 Chestnut Bulbuls. A Stub-tailed Warbler was present on 16th November (22nd in 2008). An Eyebrowed Thrush was in the jogging trail gully from 19th. In 2013 a Pale-legged Leaf Warbler was photogrpahed and videoed outside block 16 on the 1st of the month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RuWgDT1dwA&feature=c4-overview&list=UU5vvCqjHb1nwHaertfdJLRg In addition a Yellow-legged Buttonquail flew into a estate agent's glass window on 8th November at 7pm and was then captured/recovered before being released in the woods away from light later that evening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3geVS41diQ&feature=youtu.behttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG-b2y8l7Vg

 

Other Animals

Squirrels seem to become more visible as the weather gets cooler.

 

Plants

Windy Hill Strobilanthes Strobilanthes apricus flowers in mid-November on the corner of the path just above Thrush Alley though the extensive damage by the district council in 2011 appears to have extinguished the plant here. Natal Grass used to be found on the government land opposite Wellcome but it too is now gone.

 

Butterflies and Moths

This is still a good month for butterflies and they are easier to photograph, being more sluggish in the cooler weather. On 23rd November 2008 a Purple Sapphire Heliophorus epicles was present near the old lychee trees.

 

 

 

Other Insects

N/A