Returning to Tai Po Kau

After over a month of absent from one of my favourite forest site, I was finally feeling well enough to visit again. It is that time of the year again as Rhodoleia begins to bloom,  the tree just outside the public toilet was again filled with different birds feeding on the nectar, the most dominant bird being a male Orange-bellied Leafbird that chases away other Japanese White-eyes and tries to claim the tree as his own.

Despite the Leafbird's efforts, many birds were still visiting the tree for the nectar, including numerous Blue-winged Minlas. Fork-tailed Sunbirds were also one of the species which visits regularly, here a beautiful male posing at eye-levels, always a treat...Cinereous Tits are also quite active near the Rhodoleia trees, this one was particularly photogenic.

Mountain Bulbuls are known to feed on the nectar of the Rhodoleia tree as well, but they also feed on fruits of Red Psychotria, also known as Wild Coffee. This individual was feeding on the red berries before I disturbed it, it flew up and perched for a good photo before flying off.

Having been away from Tai Po Kau for a while, even the more regular residents were worth stopping for. A very confiding Pygmy Wren Babbler sang by the footpath, not at all bothered by my presence. Huet's Fulvettas were no doubt the staple of all the bird waves, often appearing in large numbers. While Grey-chinned Minivets are often a good sign, as they follow large bird waves, here a female eating a caterpillar.

Speckled Piculet numbers had increased dramatically last few years, they are now quite regular in bird waves at Tai Po Kau. I saw two individuals and heard another one somewhere near the car park. Although getting a good photo of this tiny woodpecker is still a challenge...

I was of course there for the warblers, there were plenty of interesting phylloscopus around other than the common Yellow-browed Warblers and Pallas's Leaf Warblers, including Two-barred Leaf Warblers and Eastern Crowned Warblers, both of which I did not manage a photo. Goodson's Leaf Warblers were in good numbers, some very pale ones are likely to be of race fokiensis. Their nuthatch like behaviour are often quite distinctive when scanning through a bird wave.

The slightly similar Sulphur-breasted Warbler is a rare species that sometimes winters in Hong Kong. Unlike Goodson's Leaf Warblers they don't climb tree trunks like nuthatches. They have completely yellow underparts and throat, with a very thick black brow.

A Chestnut-crowned Warbler was also amongst the bird waves, it was quite vocal as well. This is a scarce winter visitor to Hong Kong. Their greyish throat and breast are often distinct enough as diagnostic features when seen from below.

Last but not least, the White-spectacled Warbler. I saw up to two individuals, one with greyish crown which I managed a terrible record shot. The other with greenish crown which managed to dodged my camera...I've yet to get a good photo of this species, which is slightly annoying but a record shot is better than none. A Rufous-faced Warbler had also been reported lately, but it eluded me completely.