03 April 2012

White-throated Robin - Half Moon Bay

A trip to the beach with the family allowed me a short time to go birding in the bushes and scrubby desert behind the main beach area. It proved quite good with quite a few shrikes present including two Southern Grey Shrikes, two Daurian Shrikes and three Turkestan Shrikes. A single female Pied Wheatear was catching insects in the same area. A large patch of dried reeds produced plenty of Graceful Prinias and a superb male Pallid Harrier was quartering the area on the lookout for food. Back near the main beach area are a number of sports fields and these also had single Daurian, Turkestan and Southern Grey Shrikes but the best bird was my first White-throated Robin of the year, a nice male that gave good although brief views.
White-throated Robin (male)

White-throated Robin (male)