Hen Harrier at Long Last!

I have pretty much given up on the Hen Harrier around Deep Bay, its been so elusive and hard to track down, unless you are willing (or have time) to wait around for it to glide past occasionally, it wasn't a bird you could just track down. However, sometimes you just need luck on your side, as I was out guiding, we arrived at the Osprey Hide at Mai Po at just the right time, as my friends at the hide told us that they have just seen the Hen Harrier flew past a few times. We waited for a little bit, and sure enough the bird flew by again! We had great flying views of this distinctive looking female, however the local Black Kites were not all that welcoming.

Hen Harrier - female

Hern Harrier female with Black Kite

Funnily enough, on our way out of the reserve, the Hen Harrier swooped past and tried to take some Scaly-breasted Munias from the tall grass, although it failed to do so, but it did perch down on the ground briefly for us to get a good long look!

Hen Harrier - female

Another surprising find at Mai Po was a Short-eared Owl which was found flying high up with the Black Kites, a rare migrant, I have only ever seen one Short-eared Owl in Hong Kong previously, which makes this sighting quite the unusual one! Although it was very high up when I spotted it, there was no doubt what it was, a very long-winged owl with the most distinctive shape!

Short-eared Owl

Area around Mai Po's been otherwise decent with a few interesting birds around, although nothing hugely exciting. Here are a selection of birds seen around there lately, including the continuing Ferruginous Ducks at Tam Kon Chau, several Mallards, Eastern Imperial Eagles and Chinese Penduline Tits.

Ferruginous Duck - male

Mallard

Eastern Imperial Eagle

Chinese Penduline Tit

Black-faced Spoonbill

Purple Heron

Common Kingfisher - male

Long Valley's been rather quiet of late, although it is always worth visiting during the day for Greater Painted Snipes, some other friendly birds such as Daurian Redstart and Eastern Yellow Wagtails rarely disappoint.

Greater Painted Snipe - male

Daurian Redstart - male

Eastern Yellow Wagtail - race taivana

Black-collared Starling & Crested Myna

While Tai Po Kau's been generally good, finding those big feeding flock is still rather hit and miss, some days you find them at the bottom of the hill, some days you can't seem to find them anywhere. It is still great when you do find the flock and you are rewarded with great views of many species. The Emei Leaf Warbler is still present and showed rather well one day, while Sulphur-breasted Warblers gave multiple good views.

Emei Leaf Warbler

Sulphur-breasted Warbler

I found a rather confiding Two-barred Warbler at Tai Po Kau Park, which gave great views. This is a relatively uncommon wintering warbler for us, much less common than Yellow-browed. The completely pale lower mandible and lack of white edges to the tertiaries are key to differentiate with Yellow-browed Warblers, while the call is by far the most reliable diagnostic of this species.

Two-barred Warbler

Asian Stubtails are now in rather good numbers, and one showed very well, posing perfectly for a photo before it hopped off to continue on foraging along the forest track.

Asian Stubtail

A large flock of Indochinese Yuhinas have been seen on a few occasions, and I managed a good photo of one bird, which came down quite low for us to get a good look. While we do have some breeding in Hong Kong, they are still mostly a wintering species in Hong Kong.

Indochinese Yuhina

I've had good luck with several Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers lately, especially the males which have been showing quite well. Scarlet-backed Flowerpeckers can be found rather easily at Tai Po Kau Park, although getting a good views of them down low still requires a little bit of luck.

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - male

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - female

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - male

And here are some other common Tai Po Kau regulars I managed to photograph in the past week. Although common, I never take them for granted, as I know any of these species can be difficult on any given day, especially on days you need them to deliver!

Fork-tailed Sunbird - male

Great Barbet

Ashy Drongo - race leucogensis

Mountain Tailorbird

Black-winged Cuckooshrike

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Yellow-cheeked Tit - male

Mountain Bulbul

Grey-chinned Minivet - male

Red-throated Thrush at Ho Man Tin, and Other Wintering Goodies

A Red-throated Thrush was reported at Ho Man Tin while I was away in Hungary, being one of the very few species that is both a lifer and a Hong Kong tick, I was so bummed out that I wasn't there when it was reported, as I didn't believe it would stay until I got back. Luckily, this one did stay around and I saw it right where it was reported, on a fruiting fig tree by the football field! It was gorging on the fruits and was seen napping and eating in between constantly. All in all, a great bird to see, and maybe we will get to see it a few more times as it stays here.

Red-throated Thrush - female

While I have not had much luck connecting with some other rarities such as the Hen Harriers and Brahminy Kites staying near Deep Bay area, I have been able to find two rarities of my own, first an Emei Leaf Warbler at Tai Po Kau which I picked up first by the distinctive ringing call. I couldn't get any photos on my first encounter, as it stayed quite high up, but I managed a few record shots on my second encounter, overall a pale yellow supercilium, two thick pale yellowish wing bars with pale orange lower mandible, not much different to Hartert's Leaf Warbler when seen from below, but the call is very distinctive and definitely key to ID this species in the field.

Emei Leaf Warbler

The second rarity I found was a Water Pipit at Ma Tso Lung, it was found foraging around a drained fish pond, it caught my attention as being a rather pale pipit, with rather faint breast and flank markings compare to Siberian Pipits. The bird have been showing well since it's discovery, foraging around the same pond.

Water Pipit

Tai Po Kau has been in form and doing well, with at least two Sulphur-breasted Warblers, and one green crowned morph White-spectacled Warbler around, there were plenty of warblers to scan through, including numerous Hartert's, Pallas's, Yellow-browed and Eastern Crowned. A Hume's Warbler have also been heard calling, but often stay very high up and refuse to show.

Suphur-breasted Warbler

White-spectacled Warbler - green crowned morph

Rufous-tailed Robins are now back in good numbers, you can hear them throughout, occasionally you get lucky with a few that shows well, a true delight of winter birding.

Rufous-tailed Robin

Asian Stubtail are also back in fairly decent numbers, you can hear their trills or 'tack' call easily, although getting a good look at one still requires some patience.

Asian Stubtail

Last winter there were not that many Grey-headed Canary Flycatchers around Tai Po Kau, I am glad there were quite a few here this winter, they always adds a bit of excitement as the bird wave comes through, where they suddenly fly down from a perch to catch an insect close to you.

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

A male Fire-breasted Flowerpecker showed very well to me one day, which is not something I see very often, strangely enough I see females more often, and even when I do see a male they are often very high up.

Fire-breasted Flowerpecker - male

Pygmy Cupwings are always a challenge to see well, when we get a friendly one I always feel very happy. I had two very good sightings in the same area lately, quite likely of the same bird! It gave such good views that its hard to believe it is usually a skulking species that is extremely tough to se!

Pygmy Cupwing

Otherwise, it is the usual suspects that makes birding in Tai Po Kau so much fun. While they are common, you never know which you are going to get, and which may show better than others. This dynamic birding experience is also what makes birding here exciting and different every time you visit.

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Blue-winged Minla

Great Barbet

Silver-eared Mesia - male

White-bellied Erpornis

Grey-chinned Minivet - female

Up to four Ferruginous Ducks were reported around Tam Kon Chau, I don't think I have ever seen so many on one pond before. While a rare visitor generally, they are almost reported annually in Hong Kong.

Ferruginous Duck - male

Ferruginous Duck - female

Oriental Storks are back, although in small numbers at the moment, at least five or six have been spotted around Mai Po, San Tin and Lok Ma Chau area, but they have not been showing that well, only flying past occasionally. Hopefully they will settle down somewhere so we get good views of them this winter.

Oriental Stork - with a single Black Kite for size reference

Many Black-faced Spoonbills have been roosting in front of the tower hide at Mai Po lately, providing excellent views, both Black-faced and Eurasians can be seen there.

Black-faced and Eurasian Spoonbills

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana was spotted at Mai Po, it only gave brief fly-by views though. While a former breeding species in Hong Kong, this species is now mostly an autumn migrant, with peak numbers around October, there are fewer records in late November and December.

Pheasant-tailed Jcana

Chinese Penduline Tits are now back in good numbers around various reed beds, they are one of my favourite wintering bird and one that I always take pride in showing people. They are just so adorable!

Chinese Penduline Tit - female

A surprising find was a male Oriental Greenfinch at Mai Po, not one I see here very often, but one that is always a pleasure to see well.

Oriental Greenfinch - male

Other good wintering birds around Mai Po includes a rather confiding Asian Brown Flycatcher, many Olive-backed Pipits and a nice male Daurian Redstart that seems to have taken up residence near the Education Centre. 

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Olive-backed Pipit

Daurian Redstart - male

At Ma Tso Lung, other than the Water Pipit, a Brown Shrike continues to show here, likely going to winter here. At least two Common Starlings were spotted amongst the big flock of White-cheeked and Red-billed Starlings, not a common sight at all!

Brown Shrike

Common Starling & White-cheeked Starlings

Finally, who can say no to a Common Kingfisher on a nice perch. Having seen quite a few skittish ones in Hungary, the ones in Hong Kong are far friendlier.

Common Kingfisher