Finally, something to update about. Haven't been able to do much birding the past two weeks since the Big Bird Race. Today, got together with Long Long for a full day of birding around New Territories, truly a luxury nowadays when you have to work most of the time. We were really looking to catchup on things that's been around the past week.
Tai Po Kau
This, as usual was our first location. Gloomy was the word to describe the weather while we were there, constant drizzle and very low clouds meant poor visibility and extremely dark environment! Birds were not particularly active, we didn't see any large bird waves, however some quite interesting species turned up...
First of all, it was a day for Tristram's Bunting, we saw at least 5 individuals, dotted around TPK. They were however not cooperative at all, giving very difficult views behind heavy vegetation...what a contrast with those we get at Wonderland Villas a few years back, where they just hop in front of you on the trail!
Tristram's Bunting
The other interesting bird to note was a probable Bar-tailed Cuckoo-dove, which flew past us as we were looking at a bird wave containing hundreds of Red-whiskered Bulbuls, a Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike and the resident escapee Blue-winged Leafbird. It was very large compared with Spotted Dove, and flew in a very cuckoo like manner indeed! We could not locate it, therefore we simply couldn't nail the ID, however with past experience with this species in Jiangxi, I wil give it a 75%...not quite a new tick, YET!
Bay Woodpecker was calling but did not show, other birds of interest includes the Fork-tailed Sunbirds that are back at their usual flowering trees outside warden's dorm. We saw a flock of 20 Striated Yuhina near middle of the Red Walk. Other common birds were seen, but stayed fairly high up. Huge crowd of photographers gathered at the flowering Rhodoleia to photograph a pair of Orange-bellied Leafbirds. large numbers of Japanese White-eyes were also present at the tree.
Bay Woodpecker was calling but did not show, other birds of interest includes the Fork-tailed Sunbirds that are back at their usual flowering trees outside warden's dorm. We saw a flock of 20 Striated Yuhina near middle of the Red Walk. Other common birds were seen, but stayed fairly high up. Huge crowd of photographers gathered at the flowering Rhodoleia to photograph a pair of Orange-bellied Leafbirds. large numbers of Japanese White-eyes were also present at the tree.
Fork-tailed Sunbird
Silver-eared Mesia
Japanese White-eye
The last interesting bird we saw was a Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, which was a surprise for me, since I never seen this species at TPK before, but it's not unheard of for this scarce winter visitor to turn up here. It took me quite a while to get a half decent record shot of it.
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler
Shek Kong
We went to Shek Kong afterwards around noon. Common birds around includes Asian Brown Flycatcher, Red-throated Flycatcher, Daurian Redstart, Grey-backed Thrush, Cinerous Tit, Grey Wagtails and Green Sandpiper. An Ocularis White Wagtail was seen, this is a rarer form of White Wagtail we get during winter.
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Red-throated Flycatcher
Daurian Redstart
Grey-backed Thrush
Cinerous Tit
Green Sandpiper
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail (Ocularis)
The star species here were five Common Rosefinches, found along the drainage ditch. I first spotted a female on a tree, I have seen this species several times before, but never males! A rare winter visitor, Common Rosefinches are always a treat to see.
"This one looks a bit red." Long Long said to me, after spotting another one close by, I got my bins on it, and it WAS red! How could you say you have seen a Rosefinch without seeing a red one. We enjoyed them for a good ten minutes before they flew off to a distant.
Common Rosefinch (male and female)
Kam Tin
Since our car went past the junction going past Kam Tin River, it seems silly not to pop in for a look at the Grey-headed Lapwings. They were right where they should be when we got out of our cars, and managed some cracking views of a group of 6. They are definitely one of my favourite birds in Hong Kong, have so much character for a wader.
Grey-headed Lapwing (with Black-winged Stilt)
Long Valley
Our main target was the Eastern Water Rail, as we both wanted to get a decent shot of the bird. It's been showing well for so long that it seems wrong not to try our best to get at least a few good photograph of this usually shy species! Frustratingly, the bird was a bit shy today and showed very sparingly, allowing only a half decent view for a brief moment.
Eastern Water Rail
Zitting Cisticolas and Yellow-bellied Prinia kept us entertained while we waited for the rail.
Zitting Cisticola
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Just around the corner, we saw a crowd waiting by the water side, turns out they were photographing a male Bluethroat. This must be the same bird I saw a few weeks back, it was a particularly mature male, with a very beautifully marked throat pattern! No surprise the photographers were all eager to get some good shots. They were feeding the bird with meal worms as usual, enticing this shy species out to the open. A practice I don't completely agree on, but you cannot question the effectiveness of this technique, especially with shy species like this one...
Bluethroat
The wet weather sure feels a bit "Springy", maybe the warm weather this year will bring our migrants early.
