Tai Mei Tuk Catchment remained fairly productive throughout the week, I am certainly enjoying this newly found local patch, where possibilities seems to be endless! New species includes over 40 Ashy Minivets, a flock showed very well for me on Ching Ming Festival, many perched at eye-levels. I scanned for Swinhoe's Minivets within the flock but couldn't find any.
Ashy Minivets - over 40 birds along the catchment
Ashy Minivet - male
Ashy Minivet - female
A steady stream of Narcissus Flycatchers continued to show up on each of my visit, I have counted at least 7 individuals in total along the catchment. Interestingly, all of the Narcissus Flycatchers that turn up so far had been males, which I am not complaining, as they are simply breathtaking birds to look at. Each individual is also quite different in temperament and have different preferences. Here are some of the better photos of this species taken throughout the week.
Narcissus Flycatcher - male
Narcissus Flycatcher - immature male
Narcissus Flycatcher - male
A single Ferruginous Flycatcher was seen briefly, it didn't stay too long and wasn't seen the next day. I have also been anticipating the first Blue-and-White Flycatcher at this site, its been a good spring for them elsewhere. I finally connected with a female after some search, which showed quite well for me, now hopefully I will get a male sometime next week. The only blue flycatcher I have seen so far is a very showy male Hainan Blue Flycatcher in full song.
Ferruginous Flycatcher
Blue-and-White Flycatcher - female
Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male
Other notable birds includes a male Siberian Rubythroat which gave brief views, I only managed a record photo but it was still a nice bird to see nonetheless. Grey-faced Buzzards are going through in good numbers, we have been getting single birds throughout the week. Other notable migrants includes Japanese Thrush and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, the most of all an Oriental Cuckoo, none of which I was able to get a photograph.
Siberian Rubythroat - male
Grey-faced Buzzard
The catchment is fairly good for a few resident species such as Greater-necklaced and Black-throated Laughingthrush, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler is also a regular here, although the lack of some forest species surprises me, for instance I have yet to see a single Velvet-fronted Nuthatch or Blue-winged Minla, while Silver-eared Mesia seems to be scarce here. One of the more interesting 'resident' species I saw was the Indochinese Green Magpie, this incredible looking species have established a stable population around Pat Sin Leng and seems to be here to stay.
Black-throated Laughingthrush
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Indochinese Green Magpie - quite a stunner!
A pair of Black Kite seems to be breeding near the catchment, although I have not been able to locate their nest, they are quite aggressive towards other raptors going through. Closer to home we had a Crested Goshawk visiting the tree opposite our house in the rain.
Black Kite
Crested Goshawk
Slightly further afield at Wu Kau Tang I saw a singing Plain Flowerpecker, a scarce breeding resident that I seldom see outside of Tai Po Kau. A few Tristram's Buntings are probably the last of our winter visitors lingering on to mid-spring, no doubt they will also head off pretty soon.
Plain Flowerpecker
Tristram's Bunting - female
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