May usually signify the end of spring migration, we still get a few migrants but numbers are definitely past the peak. At Nam Chung, the Chestnut-winged Cuckoos are back, but they are nowhere as friendly as they were last two years, I managed a record shot of one of them as it landed on a distant tree. Grey-streaked Flycatchers are passing through at the moment and you will most often find them perched somewhere conspicuous. Brown Shrikes are also passing through in good numbers.
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| Chestnut-winged Cuckoo |
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| Grey-streaked Flycatcher |
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| Brown Shrike |
Over at Mai Po, there are still some migrating waders around, but most were too far on the scrape for me to photograph. Greater Painted Snipes are now paring up and often seen skulking around the grass together, though a pair were found bathing together right out in the open.
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| Greater Painted Snipe |
Nothing exceptional at Tai Po Kau, I was hoping that slight drizzle last week would bring in some migrants but I was disappointed to find very few migrants around. A Crested Goshawk was found drying itself after the rain.
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| Crested Goshawk |
Many local residents are now breeding, this Blue-winged Minla was found gathering nesting materials, while numerous Red-billed Leiothrix were found in song higher up near Brown Walk.
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| Blue-winged Minla |
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| Red-billed Leiothrix |
A very vocal Orange-headed Thrush took me a while to locate, turns out it was perched quite high up in a tree, their beautiful song is not too often heard, I think it sounds like a mixture of Oriental Magpie Robin with Chinese Hwamei. Hainan Blue Flycatchers are in no short supply everywhere, occasionally you find a friendly one like this one.
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| Orange-headed Thrush - male |
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| Hainan Blue Flycatcher - male |
A pair of Great Barbets near the AFCD warden buildings been frequenting a dead tree nearby. Being a usually shy bird, this naturally attracted a lot of photographers. While a fairly common species in mature forests in Hong Kong, they are not always easy to see well.
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| Great Barbet |
Despite not seeing the Chinese Grassbird on a visit to Tai Mo Shan, good appearances of our common resident species were welcoming. A friendly Brown-flanked Bush Warbler came right out in the open, though a common species I don't always see them this well! Our local Vinous-throated Parrotbills are notoriously difficult to photograph well, I was quite happy to find a few of them hopping out into the open briefly, they are restless birds and very rarely perch for more than a few seconds.
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| Brown-flanked Bush Warbler |
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| Vinous-throated Parrotbill |
The craze about the Spot-breasted Parrotbill is now passed, and this peculiar bird is now left in peace. Although with a quick burst of playback it still jump right out into the open, hoping to look for its non-existence mate...
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| Spot-breasted Parrotbill |
A friendly Mountain Bulbul was found lower down, not quite sure what it was doing on its own but it came within 1m to me on a few occasion, I ended up with a good photo of this much underated species, only in the right light and angle can you truly appreciate the lovely olive green wings and tail.
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| Mountain Bulbul |
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