I continued exploring my local patch for the past week, the most surprising find was however not a bird, but a Crab-eating Mongoose seen in broad daylight! This is a rare mammal locally with limited distribution in Hong Kong, as you would expect they are rarely seen by people, I never thought I would see one near home!
Crab-eating Mongoose - a rare mammal in Hong Kong
An adult male Blue-and-White Flycatcher on the 15th was probably one of my best bird at the catchment, as I have waited a few weeks for one to turn up! With many recorded throughout Hong Kong I was feeling slightly left out with none turning up at my doorstep. It was accompanied by a female nearby, making this the 3rd female here this spring.
Blue-and-White Flycatcher - male
Blue-and-White Flycatcher - female
The species of April definitely goes to Narcissus Flycatcher, this was an incredible spring for this species, with at least 14 individuals counted at Tai Mei Tuk Catchment from late march to mid april! No doubt the most Narcissus Flycatchers I have ever seen within a month. Here are a few different individuals seen in the last two weeks, including the only female I saw this spring.
Narcissus Flycatcher - male
Narcissus Flycatcher - female
To prove my point that they are not just turning up at my local patch, I was at Tai Po Kau one afternoon and found two more there! One of them was extremely photogenic, I was happy to just spend an hour there looking at this stunner.
Narcissus Flycatcher - very showy male at Tai Po Kau
At least 5 Hainan Blue Flycatchers have marked their territory along the catchment, all of them now in song. I have yet seen any females, but most likely they will start forming breeding pairs in the coming weeks or so.
Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male
The sizeable flock of Ashy Minivets continued at the catchment till the 12th of April, they always showed well and often very photogenic, thanks to the fact that trees at the catchment are generally quite low.
Ashy Minivet - male
Ashy Minivet - female
Speckled Piculet also seems to be a regular staple here at Tai Mei Tuk Catchment, the lower trees often makes it easier to spot this tiny woodpecker amongst the branches, they are often detected by their high-pitched and repeating 'sit-sit-sit-sit-sit' call, or by their loud drumming.
Speckled Piculet
A flock of Eyebrowed Thrush had been sneaking around for two weeks but I never got to see them properly, it took me a few tries but I at least got a record shot in the end, they were also accompanied by a few Japanese Thrush. Black-winged Cuckooshrikes and Grey Treepies are both regularly seen at the catchment, sometimes mixed in with the laughingthrush. A pair of Hair-crested Drongo were spotted, the first of this species for me at the catchment.
Eyebrowed Thrush
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Grey Treepie
Hair-crested Drongo
Tai Mei Tuk Catchment always seems to attracts plenty of raptors, one of the most commonly seen here is the Crested Goshawk, an impressive looking accipiter fairly common throughout Hong Kong. A very confiding individual gave good views one morning, it fled to a higher tree after being mobbed by sunbirds and flowerpeckers. During display flights they often fluff out feathers from the vent and beat their wings rapidly.
Crested Goshawk - display flight
The much smaller Besra is also a regular here at the catchment, where you often see them flying over, but I was lucky one afternoon to find a juvenile Besra perched at close range, it remained there for 10 minutes before flying off. I first thought it was a Japanese Sparrowhawk, but the shorter primary projection suggests otherwise. Either way, it was still a treat to see such a beautiful raptor up close.
Besra - juvenile
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