Productive January - Month of Warblers!

 Lately its been all about warblers, warblers of all sorts! I went on a hike from Wu Kau Tang to Sam A Tsuen with Hoiling last week, it is an area we rarely venture, and how very glad we went! Along the way I heard the distinctive call of an Alstrom's Warbler, and very soon we were looking at a very confiding individual, happily feeding just a few feet away from us. This was no doubt my best encounter with this species to date, even with just my 100-400mm lens delivered quite good results.

Alstrom's Warbler - very friendly individual

Also in the same area was a fruiting tree, and that attracted some thrushes, the most note worthy was a single Brown-headed Thrush, a species I never been able to photographed before! While this is no more than a record shot, still very pleased to have seen it, as this species is not at all common nowadays in Hong Kong.

Brown-headed Thrush - record shot

Over at Fung Lok Wai, a Booted Warbler was reported again lately, I believe this maybe the same individual seen late last year, but now moulted into much fresher plumage. It showed exceptionally well for me, as I was the only one there that morning I was able to enjoy prolonged views undisturbed, it was even singing, which I never quite imagined I would hear in Hong Kong!

Booted Warbler

Fung Lok Wai seems to be reed warbler heaven, with numerous Black-browed Reed Warblers wintering, I also saw an Oriental Reed Warbler amongst them. At least two Manchurian Reed Warblers were also seen, this species rarely winters in Hong Kong, but given the amount of reed warblers around the area I can't say I am at all surprised. This particular one was ringed from somewhere.

Manchurian Reed Warbler

The area also host a good selection of common species, including many singing Yellow-bellied Prinia, where this unusually warm January seems to have triggered them into song already. Dusky Warblers were in no short supplies, you very well may see one every ten metres along the fish ponds here.

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Dusky Warbler

Its always worth scanning for other warblers when you have a good number of one species, and you may just find something good amongst them. This was the case here at Fung Lok Wai, as it seems at least two Chiffchaffs have taken up residence here with the Dusky Warblers. They were not particularly easy to track down, but once you see it you can tell immediately that it is not a Dusky Warbler, simply by its more delicate looking dark bill, along with the black legs. The default Chiffchaffs we get in Hong Kong are Siberian Chiffchaffs, although potentially we may get Mountain Chiffchaffs as well, that is currently not on the Hong Kong list. While the best way to differentiate them should be by call, unfortunately the one I saw did not vocalise.

Chiffchaff - a rarity in Hong Kong

Other notable birds at Fung Lok Wai includes two Purple Herons, numerous Black-faced Buntings and a single Pacific Swift flying amongst the House Swifts.

Purple Heron

Black-faced Bunting

Pacific Swift

Over at Kadorie Farm, a male Thick-billed Green Pigeon was reported by KFBG staff. It was feeding on a Big-leaved Fig, it supposedly showed extremely well on Sunday. I went on Monday and fortunately caught up with it for a few minutes before it flew off and disappeared for the rest of the day! It seems that it finished all the nice figs and maybe moving onto other trees, while there were plenty of Superb Figs still in the area, it didn't seem to like them very much.

Thick-billed Green Pigeon - male

Closer to home at Tai Mei Tuk Catchment, the single male Bay Woodpecker stayed on in the area, this time I finally got some record shots of it. Despite not being very rare now, Bay Woodpeckers are super tricky to get photos of.

Bay Woodpecker - male

Another bird that stayed through this winter was the juvenile Grey-backed Shrike, and now its starting to moult into sub-adult plumage, it is much more apparent what it really is. This leads me to believe that many more juvenile Grey-backed Shrikes may have been overlooked in the past as Brown Shrikes. Hopefully with more being more confident in identifying juvenile Grey-backed Shrikes, we can really understand whether they are truly being under reported.

Grey-backed Shrike - assuming sub-adult plumage

I was hoping for Greenish or Hume's Warblers along the catchment, but only managed a few Two-barred Warblers along with the common Yellow-browed and Pallas's Warblers.

Two-barred Warbler

Finally, I managed to connect with the long staying Cinnamon Bittern at Tai Mei Tuk! Although I live very close-by, and I do check that particular pond regularly, I have not seen this individual throughout this winter despite several birders reported it. Turns out I was just very unlucky before, as this very confiding individual was out in the open as soon as I checked this pond after my morning walk at the catchment. I don't see adult like this right out in the open very often, so I was very glad to finally see it and get some nice photos to remember it by.

Cinnamon Bittern