2 Lifers!

Today I revisited Tadewara marsh hoping that the Latham's Snipes would've already arrived. They did indeed! While I was enjoying a showy Chestnut-eared Bunting which was singing just few metres away, I heard something sounded exactly like a jet plane flashing right over my head and as I looked up, a Latham's Snipe just sky-rocketed down to the ground right in front of me. I was completely stunned. Never thought that would be my first experience with this long-awaited lifer. Too bad once it landed, I couldn't see it anymore because of the grass. However, it still kept calling occasionally from the ground. I heard and saw at least 2 birds in the same area, but even after waiting for the whole day, I didn't see any of them coming up to perch on bare tree or perform the display flight. Probably, it's still a little too early.

Tadewara Marsh

Latham's Snipe

Very heavy-chested!

Northern Hawk-Cuckoo; check out that unmistakable tail pattern!

I didn't only got 1 but actually 2 lifers today! After seeing the snipe, I spotted a sparrowhawk-like bird came flying across the marsh. I could only snap few shots but still enough to prove that it's a Northern or Rufous Hawk-Cuckoo, a species split from Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo. After checking the song in xeno-canto, I also realised that I actually heard its call all day long. So that made 3 species of cuckoos being heard today; this Northern Hawk-Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo and Eurasian Cuckoo. Only the Oriental Cuckoo was not heard, which was pretty strange. Unfortunately, despite seeing these 2 brilliant lifers, I could only get few record shots of them as you can see here. Definitely need another visit soon.